We were lucky to catch up with Brittany Rogers recently and have shared our conversation below.
Brittany, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
Culturally I’ve been taught that as an African American woman, it’s never ok to just be good enough. As I’ve navigated to different levels in life, I’ve made it my mission to not only have the skill and education, but to also have the charisma and personality to be memorable to others. This hasn’t always been easy though because in the same breath, I have to be assertive and outspoken enough to advocate for myself when necessary. Unfortunately when it comes to Black women, people often confuse our assertiveness with aggression and no one wants to be deemed “the angry Black woman”. As much as being likable by some has taken me far, I’ve had to learn to be ok with not being liked, as long as I’m living in and speaking my truth. I became empowered by what made me different from those around me and learned to walk in the strength of that.
When you’re the only one in the room that looks like you, it’s easy to feel like you need to conform or code switch, but I’ve become successful by learning that my authenticity is what sets me apart. The time I’ve spent in therapy has helped me to become self aware enough to understand that other’s perceptions of me does not have to be my reality. But understanding others perceptions of me has helped me to know what spaces will serve me and those that will try to dim my light. Confidence and resiliency have been what’s carried me through the discomfort and disadvantages that come with being the only person in the room who looks like me. Without that, I would’ve only allowed myself to exist in the box that those people put me in, and that would’ve held me back from reaching my highest potential.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I currently wear a couple different hats but by title I am a licensed clinical professional counselor, a certified alcohol and drug counselor, a life coach, author, a mental health speaker, and content creator. I completed my Master’s degree in counseling psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and I’ve been working in the mental health field since 2014. I’ve known since high school that I wanted to be a therapist, but at that time there weren’t many well known Black therapists, so I had to do a lot of research in order to identify my path in this field.
I consider myself to be pretty well experienced as I’ve worked in almost every level of care from inpatient hospitals, to outpatient, to residential treatment. I’ve provided individual, couples, and family counseling as well as group therapy and facilitated workshops. I’ve worked with non-for-profit organizations in the Chicagoland area and spoken on panels and podcasts focused on mental health and relationship dynamics. I currently work as a therapist for a Black woman owned private practice.
I started my business, Be The Change Therapeutic Services in 2020 which provides psychoeducation on emotional and mental wellness through life coaching, couples mediation, workshops, consultations, interventions, and speaking engagements. In 2021 I became a self published author to a book entitled “The Things I Wish I Knew: A Millennial’s Guide To Learning The Mental And Emotional Concepts The School System And Our Parents Didn’t Teach Us” which focuses on healing, breaking generational cycles, and overall wellbeing. My goal has been to be a change maker in Chicago through the advocacy of mental health and normalizing therapy in the African American community.
Lastly, in 2019 I started my YouTube channel “Keeping It A Buck W/ B” where I discuss a wide range of topics from mental health, relationship dynamics, dating, sex, trending topics, in addition to vlogging fun and interesting moments of my life.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three qualities that were most impactful in my journey were ambition, organization, and challenging myself to get out of my comfort zone. Ambition is the start, it’s the burning desire you have to envision more for yourself. Before I became any of what I am, I saw myself there first and believed I was capable of it. Organization is what helped me create the blueprint and steps necessary to follow through on my ambition. A goal without a plan is just a dream, and dreams are great, but they alone don’t create success. Using my organizational skills is what helped me implement schedules, routines, and structure to take small strides which turn into big progress. Challenging myself to get out of my comfort zone has probably been most impactful because nothing great comes from playing small. I encouraged myself to take risks whether that was leaving a job, starting a business, or pitching myself for opportunities. So many of the amazing experiences and opportunities I’ve had, have come from me shooting my shot in someone’s dm’s and when you make the right connections, more doors will continue to open.
The main piece of advice I would have for anyone looking to develop or improve upon these areas would be to not overthink too much. Overthinking can lead to self doubt, so you can’t wait too long to put an idea in motion because that just creates more time to find ways to talk yourself out of it. Also, just because your first attempt at a goal doesn’t work out, it doesn’t mean you throw the whole goal away. Sometimes you need to tailor it to be more realistic or simply pivot. Timing and alignment are two things I feel play a major role in our success and achievements. Sometimes it’s not a no, it’s just a not right now. Follow your instincts and don’t allow people to talk fear into your plans, some visions are for you and you alone.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am always looking for new ideas and opportunities to use my skill set as a therapist outside of the therapy space. I enjoy being featured on podcasts and being invited to speak in front of different audiences. My dream is to be featured on television in some professional capacity. I love watching shows that incorporate a therapeutic perspective and I would love an opportunity to share feedback or an analysis. I enjoy collaborating with people who host retreats or workshops as way to meet new people and share my knowledge in creative ways.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bethechangets.org
- Instagram: @bethechangets @bringitbrat_
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCnxOvwan4pWpqhASIHFoLGw
Image Credits
Arts of Royalty
