We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Troy Miles a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Troy, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Throughout my life, I’ve experienced loss and adversity, but found that pouring into others has always helped to keep my cup fuller than not and allowed me to find and live my purpose. In the past 15 years of my adult life, I’ve lost my mother, father, daughter, and a close member of my family who was like a brother to me. I’ve been through a divorce, a toxic personal relationship, lost furry friends who were a part of my family, and worked for over 12 years in an environment that didn’t always allow me to thrive and maximize my professional potential. Navigating through many of these experiences often led to moments of solitude and deep reflection about the ‘why’s’ of life including my own personal ‘why’. During these moments, I often found my center in the foundational values that were instilled in me by my parents as a child. I knew that I was here for a reason and realized that throughout my life, I was happiest when I helped others – whether through ministry, education, pro bono technical support, recruiting, mentoring, allyship, or simply being a listening ear to a friend.
The pandemic was a catalyst for my personal growth and self-discovery. What had been fleeting moments for reflection became hours spent on lakeside trails with no one but myself, my dog Pepper, and God listening to my thoughts, questions, and prayers for guidance. When George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery lost their lives tragically and senselessly in 2020, I was motivated to do more than make a social media post or discuss how to cope within my friend circle. When weeks went by without my company making a statement of solidarity for its Black employees, I worked with leadership of the Employee Resource Group (ERG) that represented Black employees to launch a new company-wide allyship engagement initiative that sought to provide education on the issues facing Black people on and off the job, create spaces for meaningful open dialogue and relationship building across dimensions of difference, and inspire action to create equity. It was the single most important effort I’d led in my career, more meaningful and fulfilling than driving any productivity, cost-cutting, or revenue-generating work I’d ever done.
While I was leading the allyship engagement effort, I still had a full-time job in technology enablement, managing a global team that had grown almost four-fold in one year and was expected to recruit more internationally the next year. But the more conversations I had with those who were curious, wanted to help, or had been inspired by the allyship work that was being done, I realized that this was my purpose. Being a voice for those who are historically marginalized and have the potential to achieve more if given the opportunity is what lit my fire every morning as I drove into the office – often fueled by the words of Kendrick Lamar or the blue notes of Miles Davis. In 2021, a friend and HR colleague departed the company for a new opportunity at Amazon and spoke highly of the evolving DEI initiatives and senior leadership support she had observed in her first few months on the job. She expressed confidence that if I was willing to make a pivot, that I would be able to contribute to advancing the DEI vision. After thoughtful and prayerful consideration, I took her up on her offer of a referral, successfully made it through an interview loop, and began a new chapter of my career in my purpose in September of 2021. It’s been the best decision I’ve ever made in my career, and there’s no going back.
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 serve as Sr. Manager of Program Innovation in the Inclusive eXperiences & Technology Employee Experiences division at Amazon. In this role, I lead a team focused on using technology advances, data insights, and a combination of program management and subject matter expertise to help create more inclusive experiences everywhere for Amazon’s over 1.4 million global employees in operations and corporate roles. My team works across a wide variety of stakeholders from front-line employees to executives to define the most impactful strategies and solutions to improve employee experiences and help the company to celebrate differences and realize the interpersonal and business benefits that come from centering more perspectives in professional development programs and business and technology development.
Outside of my day job, I also own my own company called TroyKnowsIT that focuses on IT consulting and providing free STEM career prep and mentoring, with a focus on underrepresented communities in tech. I also manage a clothing line called 99&5 Clothing Co. that creates statement clothing that highlights what unites us and what it means to live the mantra #LessMeMoreWe. I will be working on new pieces throughout 2024 and invite everyone to subscribe on my pages for product updates and messages and to reach out via my contact pages if you would like a custom design.
I’m also one of the founding members of the Houston Black Business Resource Group Collective. This group, born in 2023, brings together ten Black Business Resource Groups and counting from companies across the Houston metro area for networking, Black-owned business support, and community outreach. We realized that we could go further together, and force multiply our impact by collaborating and pooling resources. I invite all Black Business Resource Groups and business owners as well as allies to reach out to me via LinkedIn if you’d like to be invited to our quarterly events.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Resilience, confidence, and authenticity have been and remain essential to my success as a Black man and industry leader. We live in a fast-paced society where soundbites, 60-second videos, and 160-character posts capture attention and have largely displaced long-form communication methods of the past. This has contributed to a society that prefers instant gratification and quick wins over grinding through the long-haul to be successful. I believe that persisting and learning to strategize through adversity leads to more fulfilling and sustained success. To those that may be early in their journeys, I encourage you to find a mentor or two as soon as possible. Chances are that they’ve traveled the road you’re on today and have already moved past the obstacle that stands in your way today. Instead of figuring it out alone, a mentor can help to guide you and give you the tools to stay motivated when you may feel like throwing in the towel. My mentors have done this for me through some particularly tough personal and professional challenges and I remain thankful for their encouraging words and tough love at times.
Imposter syndrome can be an internal block that robs us of the ability to show up as we are or to pursue the opportunities that could change our lives for the better. I haven’t always been as confident as I am today, but this has grown as I’ve been able to stack successes and achieve goals, some big, many small, over the years. I’ve governed myself with the thought that rarely if ever does a single person know everything there is to know about a given subject. Additionally, no one knows what I’m capable of better than me. This has been the hidden fuel that has powered me and helped me to keep my head held high in spaces where I’ve been the ‘only’, the youngest, or the newest to the space. I encourage early career folks to remember these two points and to keep challenging themselves to learn something new every month, to read every week, and to prioritize self-care as essential inputs to building self-confidence and mental and physical well-being.
Most companies have an established culture and provide some form of training or support mechanism to help new employees assimilate into it. While I agree that understanding the culture, values, and mission of the company one works for is important, I feel that understanding how you can remain true to yourself while working within a broader context is essential. As I’ve come to know myself better, I’ve realized that I must operate with a set of non-negotiables in order to be at my best. If I have to be someone other than who I truly am at my core to be successful, then I must find a new space to operate within. The mental gymnastics required to code-switch to hide one’s true self to make others feel comfortable or to be seen as the perfect fit with a carefully crafted corporate culture can be damaging and robs us of the opportunity to truly get to know each other. Be you; nobody else can.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
I’m indebted to my parents for so much. As a parent now myself, I can finally understand the energy and sacrifices they devoted to doing their best to help guide my early journey. The most impactful thing they did for me was to expose me to people from different circumstances and cultures. Operating within racially and economically diverse circles was the norm for me growing up, and little did I realize how much these interactions would benefit me later in life. This allowed me to build a bank of lived experiences and points of reference that have served me well in my adult life as I’ve worked for multiple global companies. I was raised to respect all cultures and all people, and this is something I carry with me today as I work and engage with others. I believe that diversity is not only beautiful, but normal, rather than homogeneity. Troy Sr. and Fanny, I thank you for showing me that all of God’s creations are worthy of love and respect, regardless of the hue, dimensions, or social status.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bio.site/troymiles
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troymilesjr/
