I Choose the Ladder

In this episode you meet Titi Cole. Titi Cole is the Head of Operations & Fraud Prevention and the Chief Client Officer for Citi’s Global Consumer Bank. In this role, she is responsible for delivering a seamless client experience across service channels, deploying cutting edge fraud prevention technology and enhancing productivity. Titi also serves as the Global Diversity & Inclusion Champion for the Global Consumer Bank, leading several key diversity initiatives including increasing representation of women and underrepresented groups across the business.

A 27-year veteran of the financial services industry, Titi joined Citi from Wells Fargo, where she was the Head of Consumer and Small Business Banking Operations and Contact Centers after previously leading Shared Services for Consumer Credit Solutions in support of the consumer lending businesses. She also served as a member of Wells Fargo’s Management Committee.

Previously, Titi led Retail Products and Underwriting for Bank of America with responsibility for the consumer credit card, debit and checking businesses, credit card underwriting and fulfillment, and the enterprise payments network group. She has also held leadership roles at BMO Harris Bank in Chicago and McKinsey & Company.

Titi earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. Titi serves on the Board of Trustees for Communities in Schools and for Queens University of Charlotte.

Some of the things that we discussed that stood out to me were:

- The unexpected ways being an immigrant positioned her for success

- Managing impostor syndrome

- The importance of who you choose to marry

- Making mistakes

- The evolution of corporate culture

In this episode you meet Amanda C. Jones, an innovative, strategic brand leader with more than a decade of experience at global retail and consumer-packaged good powerhouses. She’s built a track-record of delivering successful multi-million-dollar marketing campaigns for personal care and beauty brands like Olay Skincare, Secret Deodorant, COVERGIRL and BECCA Cosmetics. While at COVERGIRL, she was responsible for improving the brand’s relevance with multi-ethnic women. She led large media partnerships for the brand with Fox’s Empire TV show and the BET awards, and partnered with celebrities like Zendaya, Janelle Monae and Issa Rae. While at BECCA Cosmetics, Amanda led the brand’s global repositioning strategy and re-defined the brand’s commitment to go beyond physical beauty to the mental health and emotional well-being of all people. Now, she’s leading Product Marketing across the Skincare, Makeup and Fragrance categories for Estee Lauder North America. Estee Lauder is the flagship brand of the Estee Lauder Companies, the leader in prestige beauty brands.

Amanda holds a BS in Marketing Strategy from The University of Arkansas and an MBA in Marketing Strategy from The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She has been editorially featured in magazines like Women’s Wear Daily and Essence Magazine, and was a featured speaker at Harvard Business School’s African-American student conference in 2019.

Some of the things that we discussed that stood out to me were:

- The importance of being able to perform

- Building relationships

- The importance of sponsorship from the C-Suite

- Ambition

- Confronting your weaknesses

In this episode we discuss everything that's required to create goals that work, and we are not talking SMART goals.

In this episode, you meet Stephanie Smellie, the Head of Creator Marketplace Partnerships at Spotify. In this role, she leads the company's strategic partnerships with platforms and brands that enrich Spotify's offering to artists, with an eye toward helping them grow, engage, understand and monetize their audiences.

Prior to Spotify, she was Vice President of Business Development and Partnerships at iHeartMedia and led distribution and content partnerships across a variety of industries, including partners like Amazon, Samsung, Hilton, Comcast and Sonos.

Stephanie started her career as a CPA, working on Wall Street and was committed to making a career switch to an industry and function that she was passionate about. Since that shift, she's also worked in Business Development at Sony Music Entertainment and Brand Marketing at Under Armour.

In her spare time, she's an avid traveler, a budding DJ, and serves on the Steering Committee of Alvin Ailey's Young Patrons Circle.

Some of the things that we discussed that stood out to me were:

- Maximizing your network

- Not being a salesperson for business school

- Career pivots

- How she's using the skills she acquired in corporate America to build a side hustle

- Giving yourself options

- Clarity about your job criteria

- Stepping outside of your comfort zone

In this episode I Choose the Ladder Founder & CEO, Watchen Nyanue discusses what you should be doing to wrap up Q1. What performance receipts should you be gathering. What meetings should you be having. What progress you need to document.

The planner referenced in the episode can be found here --> https://ichoosetheladder.com/products/the-review-planner

In this episode you meet Terrie S. Sterling. Currently, Terrie is the Chief Nurse for nDorse and serves as Principal and CEO of her own healthcare management services firm. She was recently appointed by Governor John Bel Edwards as Co-Chair of the Resilient Louisiana Commission, along with Don Pierson, Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development. Ms. Sterling was formerly the Chief Operating Officer of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center (OLOLRMC), w here she was responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the largest hospital in Louisiana with more than 800 beds. Under Ms. Sterling’s leadership, OLOLRMC was recognized among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in its 2017-18 “Best Hospitals” rankings. OLOLRMC achieved Magnet Designation Awarded for excellence in nursing services by the American Nurses Credential Center’s Magnet Recognition Program® and earned Hospital of the Year honors five times under Ms. Sterling’s leadership. Immediately prior to her retirement in January 2020, Ms. Sterling served as the Executive VP for Strategic Initiatives at OLOLRMC where she led the development of the freestanding Children’s Hospital.

Ms. Sterling has served on the Core Leadership Team of the Louisiana Action Coalition for the Future of Nursing Campaign for Action since its inception in 2011. She plays a pivotal role with the Nurse Leader Institute and the Nurse Mentorship Program. Ms. Sterling recently presented the role of the public-private partnership in transforming healthcare in Louisiana at the Future of Nursing 2030 Workshop in Philadelphia. Ms. Sterling serves on the Board of the Louisiana Organization of Nurse Leaders. She previously served on the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, New Orleans Branch, and has also been involved with the Capital Area United Way, Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area, Capital Area American Heart Association, and the Louisiana Workforce Investment Board. Ms. Sterling has been a member of the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge since 2006, was inducted in the Louisiana Nurses Foundation Hall of Fame in 2016, received the Louisiana State University Women’s Center Esprit de Femme Award in 2014 and is a past recipient of the Influential Women in Business Award from the Baton Rouge Business Report.

- Planning for a gap year a decade in advance

- Taking a state of your financial union

- Being in career purgatory

- Building a diverse career while working for the same billion dollar business

- The importance of discernment periods

- Having a personal mission statement

- What to look for in a long term partner

- The garden of Ignore

- Finding your passion at any age

Enjoy!

In this episode you meet Nona King. Nona is a career strategist and global marketing leader who coaches young professionals of color to learn practical career planning and job search tools and builds their influential networks to establish and navigate the professional world.

After spending over 25 years building an impactful and rewarding career as a senior marketing executive at companies like L’Oreal, Coca-Cola and Himalaya, where she grew global brands to peak performance and created high performance teams, Nona’s passions and core differentiator are centered around developing future leaders. Nona knows what truly drives job promotions, leadership opportunities and pay advancement - and it’s not mastering job tasks. It’s how well you know your value, build meaningful connections and lead by serving others.

Complementary to Nona's widely successful career, she is an MBA graduate of Washington University John M. Olin School of Business and holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Flute Performance from Vanderbilt University.

Nona King celebrates life as a wife and mother of two and resides in Houston, Texas.

Some of the things that we discussed that stood out to me were about:

- Finding your passion

- Putting yourself out there to get unstuck

- The importance of writing things down in a journal

- How she’s using the skills she acquired in corporate America to build her business

- Depositing into your success bank

- The benefits of living by a calendar

- Stepping outside of your comfort zone

Prioritizing yourself

Prioritizing family above all else

In this episode you meet Lizette Williams. Lizette is a leading marketing and advertising executive with expertise at driving the convergence of brand, culture and tech. She has worked across Fortune 50 companies driving consumer-centric growth strategies focused on cultural relevancy. In 2020 she was named one of “Advertising Woman of the Year” by the Chicago Advertising Federation. She is one of the foremost-awarded marketing executives in the field and was also inducted into the American Advertising Federation Advertising Hall of Achievement, the premier industry recognition for leaders under 40 who are making a significant impact in the industry and their communities. She has been listed as Crain’s Chicago Business “40 under 40,” Advertising Age “Women to Watch,” and Black Enterprise “Top Women Executives in Advertising and Marketing.”

A respected thought leader and subject matter expert, Lizette is a sought-out speaker, lecturer, and advisor on marketing and culture. She has provided expertise as a keynote speaker and panelist at several premiere industry conferences, including SXSW, Advertising Week, Essence Fest, and multiple Association of National Advertisers conferences. She is frequently invited to keynote events at major companies to discuss cultural growth strategies including the Kraft Heinz Company, LinkedIn, and Ogilvy & Mather.

Lizette serves as the Global Head of Vertical Solutions Marketing at Facebook where she leads a global marketing team tasked with developing the business marketing strategy and approach across 7 industries including Consumer Packaged Goods, Retail, Gaming, and eCommerce. This combination of platform and digital work allows her to continue to drive cultural relevance and impact on a broader scale.

Lizette has worked in major marketing roles at McDonald’s, Kimberly-Clark Corporation and PepsiCo. She has consistently remained at the cutting-edge of driving innovative approaches that bring brand, culture and tech together.

Lizette’s love of all things “culture” comes from being a born-and-raised New Yorker (and proud “Afro-Latina.”) Currently based in Chicago, she serves on the Board of the Chicago Advertising Federation where she chairs the Diversity Thought Leadership Council. She also serves on the Board of Directors of RealSelf, the leading healthcare marketplace for people considering an elective cosmetic treatment. Additionally, Lizette chairs the American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement Selection Committee. She has a passion for serving young people and women and as a result, has a countless number of mentees across the country.

She spends her free time inspiring college students and has keynoted events at Northwestern University and Lincoln University as well as guest lectured classes at several other universities. Lastly, Lizette is a proud mother of two children who keep her filled with laughter and purpose.

Lizette received her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She received her BA in Economics/ Political Science through a joint program with Columbia University in New York City and the London School of Economics.

Some of the things that we discussed that stood out to me were:⁠

• Being a regular girl from the Bronx

• How having a daughter influenced her relationship with her natural

hair

• How to survive be being tested professionally

• Maintaining your authentic voice regardless of where you work

In this episode you meet Veronica Appleton. Veronica is a scholar, practitioner and children’s author. She serves as Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Omnicom agency, The Marketing Arm. Appleton is also a lecturer of intercultural communication at DePaul University in Chicago and subject matter expert for various executive education programs in diversity, equity and inclusion. As a renowned speaker, Appleton has served as keynote and speaker for some of the world's largest Fortune 500 organizations and believes educating the future is an essential strategy for building equity in communities and systems at-large. Appleton's work has been recognized by Crain’s Business, FOX News, and Diversity Journal’s Top Professionals in Higher Education. She's also a mentor and board member of several nonprofits providing resources and impact in communities of color, women, men and children.

Some of the things that we discussed that stood out to me were:⁠

• Trying to fit in

• Knowing when to move on

• Diversity progress in advertising

• Setting the tone for mentorship

In this episode you meet Karla Davis. Karla is a high performing leader whose innovative spirit, influence and partnership is helping to change the face of beauty. Karla leads the Integrated Marketing Communications and Media Team for Ulta Beauty, and in her 5 years tenure, she has built the Integrated Marketing Communications function for the company, overseeing Category Marketing, Equity Communications, Media & Social Strategy, Brand Partnership Development, Grand Openings and Local Marketing. She helped establish the brand’s positioning, brand identity and brand purpose and launched Ulta Beauty’s first ever national advertising campaign.

Karla’s passion for the diverse and inclusive beauty space has led her to continually advocate for research development, cross functional initiatives, and communications strategies that ensure all beauty lovers can feel seen, heard and valued at Ulta Beauty . Her efforts helped determine a new value for the organization – Champion Diversity. For her work in Multicultural Strategy, Karla was recognized as a Hispanic Marketing Thought Leader by HispanicAd.com.

More recently, Karla was named to Essence Magazine’s Pretty Powerful List of Influential Black Beauty Executives and became an inaugural member of 25 Black Women in Beauty. From a broader industry perspective, she has been featured in Adweek’s Innovators Series for Inventive Marketing, on the mainstage for the ANA’s Multicultural Summit, and in AdAge’s Retail Summit. In response to her career-long impact on the marketing industry, Karla will be inducted into the prestigious American Advertising Federation’s Hall of Achievement, as part of the Class of 2020.

Prior to Ulta Beauty, Karla has held various roles in marketing at Fortune 100 companies, such as PepsiCo, Johnson & Johnson and Kraft Foods.

In her personal life, Karla is passionate about empowering others spiritually, financially, and professionally. Through CityPoint Community Church, an innovative, Millennial-focused church she co-founded with her husband over 10 years ago, she leads Women and Couples to spiritual growth and connection. Additionally, after eliminating over $125K of debt in 2 years, she and her husband began the Young and Debtless platform to educate people on how to change mindsets and behaviors for financial freedom. That work has led to YD Investments, their real estate business that invests in underserved communities. Karla also sits on the Advisory Council for the Chicago Chapter of Dress for Success.

Karla holds a master's degree in Design Strategy from IIT's Institute of Design, and received her bachelor's degree from Hampton University.

Karla is the loving wife of Demetrius, the proud mama of Laila and an avid traveler – having visited 5 of the 7 continents and counting…

Some of the things that we discussed that stood out to me were:⁠

⁠

• How media influenced her career journey

• How attending an HBCU opened up her career options

• The impact of sending the elevator back down

• Being the only Black person and the youngest person in a new environment

• Knowing your worth

• The weight that Black women carry when they have a seat at the table

• How golden handcuffs can box us in

• Running from a job V. running to a job

• Assuming positive intent