In this episode, we chatted with Natasha McMichael and gave her all the flowers she deserves. She's a 21-year veteran design leader in Tech and a trailblazing black woman in the industry. She is a mom, a history maker, and a smasher of glass ceilings.
Natasha McMichael learned to face her fear and persevere in her pursuit to break into the tech industry. Through years of hard work, she was able to become a leader in the UX community and build her brand. She applied for the roles she wanted and reached out to recruiters directly, and was able to find success. She overcame imposter syndrome by using her resources and support system to soundboard her concerns. Despite the low diversity and inclusion the higher you climb on the career ladder in the industry, Natasha was able to navigate her way to career success.
BLOOM QUOTABLE: "Let's marinate in our wins. Yeah, you're so right. Not just with your accomplishments in your career, but also just things in everyday life. Let's celebrate our wins and take the time to reflect on our journey."
In this episode, you will learn the following:
1. Strategies for Breaking into Big Tech: Learn how Natasha McMichael pushed through imposter syndrome and overcame information gaps to find success in the tech industry.
2. The Power of Soft Girls: Discover how building a brand and leveraging soft skills helped Natasha McMichael make it in big tech.
3. Overcoming Systematic Hiring Practices: Explore the importance of reaching out to recruiters and the need to disrupt traditional hiring systems to promote diversity.
Connect :
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebloomologyeffect/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBloomologyEffect/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natashamcmichael/
Resources:
Here's the list of top gratitude journals curated especially for Black women to use in your morning routine: https://www.blackenterprise.com/10-black-owned-journals-that-will-help-you-start-a-gratitude-practice/
We recommend starting your day off in the morning by speaking or writing down three things you are grateful for. Trust, it will change your whole life. It's a practice that helps you be more mindful and intentional. By doing this in your morning routine, you are building your gratitude muscles and learning to celebrate the little things in your life.
Loving this episode? You can listen to all The Bloomology Effect episodes and even get early access to every episode when you join our community. Here's the link: https://thebloomology.com/coach---courses/Landing
Ready To Bloom? When you pull up and bloom with us, you join a sisterhood of other Black and Brown women getting to the bag, creating legacies, and building generational wealth. We want you to live life in full bloom sis!
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Chapter Summaries:
[00:00:00]
This week at the table, we had Natasha McMichael, a 21-year veteran design leader in Tech. We talked about everything from systematic racism and hiring, to how to be successful in your Tech career. This is our first dinner since Afro Tech.
[00:01:04]
LZ: 21 years in the game is a lot. Tell me about what it feels like to know that you're a mom, a black woman, a trailblazer. Let's marinate in our win.
[00:03:33]
We are 3% in an industry that employs millions around the world. How does that maybe impact or translate your day-to-day work? I've only had one black female manager in my entire career. If we want to create impactful change, we have to do that.
[00:09:54]
How did you find success in your hiring process? He says he strategically built a brand for himself. Good communication skills and being able to tell a good story are important.
[00:13:20]
You don't have to be an expert for whatever role. Expect a whole lot of no's whenever trying something. Not all of the feedback is going to be for you. It's a win-win situation that comes down to feedback.
[00:14:42]
There's a lot going on there with imposter syndrome. Did you face it? Did it start creeping in? I can honestly today say no. But do I get nervous? Do I shrink a little bit sometimes? And I still do too. Use your resources and support system as a sounding board.
[00:20:04]
So let's talk about confidence. What's your relationship with ego? I want to ask a clarifying question. What does ego mean to you? Ego is healthy if used correctly, but it has to be used with self-aware balance.
[00:25:28]
As a black woman, do you think you need that healthy ego? You absolutely do. I think it goes hand in hand with confidence. We are underrepresented, underserved, and sometimes not listened to.
[00:27:59]
I'm starting to realize some people are not even working in tech. Once you realize that, you start moving differently. When you start to realize the skill set that they are using to be in a position that they're in, that's a learning opportunity.
[00:30:09]
The space is a lot more crowded, and there's more opportunity, but it's also very hard to break into certain areas too. Now that I have kind of graduated and gone on to big tech, it is a relief not to have to constantly teach people every day. But on the flip side, I miss it just a bit. That's why community work.
[00:32:52]
Tech is so good, but that wage gap is crazy. Use it as a vehicle and teach yourself about how money works so you're able to leverage your earnings. I'm all about helping people be able to create wealth for their families.
[00:39:33]
What do you think the future holds for UX design? What are you looking forward to? What do you want to do next? Kind of thing. Being able to be agile and versatile is going to be super important for big skills.
[00:42:13]
Number one tip or strategy for career success as a black woman in tech, number one career tip. Soft skills. Communication, collaboration. Asking for Friends.
[00:43:22]
You need to understand your manager. Understand their needs and be able to communicate in their language. What are some of the must-haves or non-negotiable when negotiating competition?
[00:48:50]
There's one thing that I do every day. I say things, no matter how big or small, three things that I'm thankful for. Join our community for black and brown women blooming and flourishing in their tech careers. And don't forget to live life in full bloom.
