Melissa Sutherland didn’t see what was on the horizon. None of us did. So when she left her executive-level position at Bank of America in 2019 to serve as COO/CFO of Best Impressions Caterers and Duvall Events, she unknowingly stepped into an industry that would soon be rampaged by COVID-19.

“In March 2020, we slammed the brakes on everything we were doing,” says Sutherland. “Zero exaggeration here, we went from being the largest and best caterer in Charleston and Charlotte to doing nothing. We’re still in recovery mode.”

Sutherland weathered the storm by remembering to “enjoy every moment” and volunteering to better her community. We spoke with Sutherland to hear more about her career in corporate America, her transition to the hospitality industry, and what it takes to find success professionally and personally.

Can you talk about your career before coming to Best Impressions Caterers and Duvall Events?

I was with Bank of America for almost 28 years. I did a number of roles there. I started in finance and when I retired I was the Senior Vice President of Corporate Services. That position involved managing corporate travel,  meetings & events, food services, corporate aviation, and other corporate services that supported all of the bankers.

When I retired, I decided to make a career move. I knew I wasn’t the type of person who could just sit around but I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. Then this opportunity to grow a small company came up. It was the right time. I went from a very large corporation to a very small company. It was a culture shock to start with, but it has been great to get into something more targeted.

You’ve worked in the banking world for decades and are now a CFO. Have you always been passionate about finance?

It’s funny. When I was first trying to decide what I wanted to do when I grew up, I wasn’t interested in finance at all. But in high school, I started doing a lot of the invoicing and payables at a company. One day, the man who owned the company sat me down and said, “Look, if you get your accounting degree and go down that path, there’s huge uptake.” He helped me think about my career trajectory.

When I later started at Bank of America, it was actually North Carolina National Bank — a very small, North Carolina-based bank. I started as a clerk. The company then did many acquisitions and I was able to grow with it. But honestly, I’ve never applied for a job in my life. Every single position that I’ve moved into was presented to me. I was in the right place at the right time.

Being at the right place at the right time may have helped, but surely you have a secret for climbing the corporate ladder?

A lot of it has to do with work ethic. You have to care about what you’re doing because it shows. If I think about the type of person I want on my team, it’s somebody who gives 150 percent and who cares about what they do. So that’s how I have always presented myself. If I was going to do it, I was going to give it 100 percent and more. Quite honestly, that’s why people have sought me out for roles during my career.

Can you provide an example of when you went above and beyond?

More than long hours or late nights, I was just passionate about whatever I was doing at the time. I immersed myself in whatever my responsibilities were. People would say, “Just give it to Melissa and it will get done.” I became that person.

Would you agree that finance is a male-dominated field?

Definitely. But today, you see more females than ever before who have the support of the companies they work for. They are filling roles that, in the past, were entirely male-dominated. You never used to hear of a CFO who was a woman. It was very rare. But the world has changed so much. We still have a ways to go — there’s no question about that — but women have a lot more respect today than they had in the past.

There’s also a clearer understanding that you can be a mom and work. You can do both and you don’t have to feel bad about it. Companies now recognize the need for balance and will work with you. Technology has helped tremendously because now women can work from home if they need to. When my kids were born 27 years ago, it wasn’t like that. I felt guilty a lot — if I worked late or went in early or had to miss a school function. Now, there are ways you can stay connected without being right there in the office.

I have come to realize that we need to be more flexible with people, both with moms and dads. Some of the advice I always give my mentees is that you need balance. While I put 110 percent into everything I do, I still need balance so I don’t get burned out. I need balance so I don’t miss the important things in life.

Earlier you mentioned that it was a culture shock moving from a large corporation to a smaller company. How did you adjust and adapt?

It took time to understand the new environment. When you’re in a very large corporation, there’s a huge work structure that you don’t necessarily have in a small business. I wasn’t used to that. I had to learn how to do things with a much smaller team. I also had to understand that just because it worked at Bank of America, didn’t mean it was going to work here. I had to listen and push back where appropriate, but also be a team player.

Of course, there are very positive aspects of a smaller team. It’s a more intimate setting. You get to know people on a more personal level. Compared to working with 10,000 people, it feels like a family.

Listening is such an important but underemphasized skill, especially in the business world.

Definitely. In my situation, it was about listening and slowly making changes. It took time to get people on board with the change. It was important for employees not to feel like I was doing this to them but rather with them. That made a big difference.

Why is it important for professionals to give back?

You should share your success and experience somewhere it is needed but can’t necessarily be afforded. I always encourage other people to get to know their community.

How have your philanthropic efforts changed you as a leader?

They have given me perspective. Working with the Kidney Foundation, for instance, has shown me that there are people who are on dialysis and waiting for a transplant, yet are still trying to work. Volunteering helps me better support the people in my work life because you never know what’s going on outside of the office. I was able to see that after having been involved in different community efforts.

Tera Black sells fun for a living and has for the past 15 years. 

She doesn’t own a toy shop nor does she dress up as a birthday clown. Rather, Black is the Chief Operating Officer of the Charlotte Checkers, a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in the Queen City. 

“We’re the place where people come to take a break from everything else,” says Black, who previously served as the Chief Operating Officer for the San Diego Gulls. “I want people to feel entertained from the moment they walk into our building from the moment they walk out.”

After all, the rink is one of few places where kids and adults can bang on the glass and “use their outside voices for three hours straight,” says Black. In her opinion, the rink is also a place where women in the sports industry can fight for diversity and inclusion. 

We sat down with Black to hear more about her life on the ice. 

In 2016, you won the James C. Hendy Memorial Award for being the American Hockey League’s most outstanding executive. Months later, you received the Game Changer award from Sports Business Journal. Then, in 2017, you were named a Women in Business honoree by the Charlotte Business Journal. Considering all of this recognition, what accomplishment in your professional career are you most proud of?

That’s an easy question. Awards are wonderful but they don’t happen alone. I think something I do really well is surround myself with great people. For my entire career, I’ve had the privilege to build wonderful relationships. That’s what I’m most proud of. Every single one of my staff members is better at what they do than I could ever be. They work so hard and are such leaders in their respective fields. Make no mistake, any award I get is simply by putting all my team in the same room together and watching them shine.

You’ve been with the Charlotte Checkers for more than 15 years now. Have you stayed because of those relationships?

Yes. In sports, you’re typically in a place for five-ish years and then you move along to the next team or the next position. That’s the way the resume grows. But the ownership of the Charlotte Checkers is second to none and has provided me the opportunity to do great things in this great city of Charlotte. They’ve allowed me to do things differently. 

At the AHL level, we have the autonomy to be really creative. We can embark on a lot of philanthropic and charitable ventures. The player access is very liberal. They’re working hard at becoming good, solid members of the community while also becoming great athletes. They are building their community resume as much as they are their professional hockey resume. 

So there are lots of reasons why I’ve stayed with Charlotte Checkers — the ownership, the people, the city, the athletes and most importantly the front office team that we have assembled here. . 

You mentioned that the ownership of the Charlotte Checkers has allowed you to “do things differently.” Can you provide an example of how you have gone against the grain?

We work hard to recognize that every season is different and that what was successful one year, might not be the next. We rely on our employees to bring the great ideas to the table that will translate to successful opportunities to sell the sport that we love so much. In my opinion the game will sell itself, but getting people to try it the first time is up to us. The ownership has done a great job of giving us the autonomy to try new and different things in our market. Several years back we had a midnight game for example. The owner, (Michael Kahn) also is not a micromanager, so he’s open to unique ways of creating entertainment and just lets us do our things. We also had a flex work schedule long before Covid introduced the concept that people can truly be productive while not being glued to their office chairs. In this industry, the schedule can be grueling, so we really try and recognize that our people need the time to refresh.

How would you describe your leadership style?

I am not a micromanager. Each of my senior staff members runs their department like their own small business — they’re accountable for everything that happens within their department. I find that having each leader to make those decisions, rather than getting me to approve literally everything in the organization, works 99 percent of the time. When it doesn’t and a mistake is made, we all learn from that. 

I try to create an environment of trust. If they want to work from the moon, they can work from the moon. I know that they’ll get their jobs done. I love that because each department has a different approach. I don’t say, “Here are the guidelines.” They do it their own way. Out of that comes a really nice compilation of people and strategies that sometimes crossover. 

For instance, our whole staff is involved in planning the entire season. When you have 36 home games, it’s like planning 36 weddings. That being said, every single person is included in that process and has the opportunity to bring ideas to the table and see them through. 

Are there any challenges that come with offering your staff so much flexibility?

There’s a lot of responsibility on me and our senior staff to hire the right people who can work in that type of environment. There’s nothing wrong with it, but some people are very structured and need a certain set of guidelines and rules. I’m more fluid in my approach to leadership and try to understand how each person likes to be managed rather than applying a blanket approach across the whole organization. Everyone is motivated differently.

On an unrelated note, you’re a registered member of the Cherokee Nation, correct?

Yes. So there’s the North Carolina Band of Cherokee Indians and then there’s the Oklahoma Band. I am a member of the latter. My ancestors were full-blooded Cherokee Indians but clearly I’m not. My mother has Swedish heritage so that’s where the blonde hair and blue eyes come from.

I spent a lot of time in Oklahoma with my grandparents growing up learning about and absorbing the culture of the Cherokee Nation. It’s opened up a lot of perspective on where this country has come from and where it’s going. It’s a privilege to be connected to such an important part of our country’s history. I still have so much to learn.

Do you think that experience colors your filter of the world around you, specifically the business world?

For sure. That part of my personal history changes my perspective but so does the fact that I’m a female in a very male-dominated industry. I’m the only woman on the Board of Governors in my position. So when we’re talking about things as a league, it’s typically coming from the male perspective. It’s been a really awesome opportunity for me to suggest changes that otherwise would  have been seen through a predominantly male filter. My colleagues in this industry, specifically in the AHL have been so supportive of me in my career. I’m very lucky that way. 

The same goes for having a Native American history. It’s just another unique perspective that lends itself to being very open-minded to how we can shape our sport to serve a much bigger population. 

What’s something in the sport that you would personally like to see changed?  

Hockey is very focused on improving the diversity of our game. You’ll notice that hockey attracts a population that has grown up in traditionally non-diverse areas so exposing the sport to different cultures is something that the NHL and AHL are both working very hard on. 

Hockey is a relatively expensive sport to participate in. Just take Charlotte, for example. We have three and a half total sheets of ice in the marketplace. When you want to play, you have to rent the ice and typically it’s in the $350 an hour range. Then you’ve got the skates and all the protective wear. It’s all expensive. There are a lot of programs developing to help people get involved in the sport whether that be street hockey or roller hockey or intro to hockey for really young kids. The First Goal program is one of those and it costs just $250 and includes a full set of gear, 6 lessons and two tickets to a Checkers game for kids ages 5-9.

On a related note, I would also say that there are relatively few females in executive roles in professional hockey.  It’s not an easy industry to be in, especially during your childbearing years, because of the time that’s required. I went through this myself. I had two kids during the hardest part of my career. 

If we want to populate our industry with great women who are talented, we have to be aware of the fact that females need the latitude to have flexible schedules in the years that they are growing their families. Flexibility gives women the opportunity to be great mothers, great spouses, and great executives. 

What’re some other examples of how you’ve changed your company’s culture to accommodate mothers? 

I’m taking this approach with both men and women because they share the responsibility of parenting and it is very important to me to support them through the years they are growing their families. It is also very helpful in helping me retain their talent. For example, one of our male executives has three young kids and another has two. They never asked about paternity leave because they didn’t have to. I have told them from the very beginning, “You are extraordinarily important to this team and this is a really important time in your life. Time is a currency you cannot earn more of, especially when it comes to raising your kids. So do what you need to do to be good at both.” 

A dad’s work-life balance is important too because his responsibility as a father is equally as important as his wife’s responsibility as a mother. Our environment is all about the opportunity to be a great parent and have an enjoyable productive working environment. 

That’s wonderful. Speaking of talent retention, you have been with the Charlotte Checkers since 2006. How do you stay engaged after having been with the same company for so long?

My philosophy is this: Life is the pursuit of happiness created by a collection of experiences.. And I have enough, right where I am. I am very, very happy.  I’m in a unique industry. We can be very creative with how we design our games and our entertainment opportunities. Every year is different. We’re always thinking about different ways we can use sports to not only give people a break from reality, but also to unite people. It has been a remarkable career for me thus far. 

Of course, it’s up to me to not become stagnant. It’s not up to my employer to keep me happy and motivated. It’s up to me. And I have enough — I love it here. 

That’s such a nice reminder that job satisfaction doesn’t always translate into dollars. 

Definitely. I have a quote on my wall from Marlene Dietrich and it says, “Earning a great deal of money does not necessarily make you rich.” You need to make money — that’s how this world works. But filling your life and your environment with all of the other things that bring you joy makes that monetary quest far less important.

Not every bride wants to wear their mom’s outdated wedding gown with puffy sleeves and sequins from the 1980s. But many wives-to-be do want to preserve the memories associated with that garment. That’s where Grace Lightner comes in.   

In 2017, Lightner founded Unbox the Dress with her mother, Lorraine Stewart. The company helps women redesign wedding dresses, whether that be their own or a family member’s, into heirloom gifts that last a lifetime. Customers can select from dozens of product options, turning sentimental fabric into baby booties or holiday ornaments. 

The business concept has been so wildly successful that Lightner expanded to a 4,500-square-foot production studio and design facility during the pandemic. We spoke with Lightner to hear more about what it took to wade into the waters of entrepreneurship as a woman in her 20s. 

What’s the origin story of Unbox the Dress?

I grew up in a very entrepreneurial family — my grandparents ran a local brick and tile manufacturing plant and my mom started her own consulting practice. I’ve always had that itch to start something of my own, but I was just waiting for the right idea to give me the confidence to take that jump. 

I was helping my mom clean out my grandmother’s house and we found a few boxed wedding dresses. Of course, when you’re cleaning out a house you’re in a very get it done, donate or trash kind of mindset. But when we came to these wedding dresses, we just stopped dead in our tracks. 

Since the dresses belonged to my aunts, we called them to see what they wanted us to do with them. The emotional reaction they had in response to these dresses that they hadn’t even seen for 20 years fostered a lightbulb moment. We realized these dresses are more than garments — they have all this sentiment tied up in them and yet they’re not serving any purpose. We asked ourselves, “What else could we do with this beautiful fabric and lace?” That was the impetus for Unbox the Dress. I started the business with my mom and it’s just grown like crazy.

Many people warn that you shouldn’t work with family. What has the experience of launching a business with your mom been like? 

I’m very fortunate that I have a positive relationship with Lorraine. We had a good foundation and knew that we could work together well. I think a lot of that comes from our complementary strengths. While I’m a little bit more creative and action-oriented, she’s more planning-oriented and data-minded. We’re able to listen to each other and then push each other in a good way.

Before founding Unbox the Dress, you worked in corporate marketing. What was it like learning how to launch your own endeavor?

That’s a fair question because I’ve learned so much. You have to like the learning process. I’m a person who likes change. If you’re someone who takes comfort in doing the same thing every day and going really deep and perfecting your skills in one area, starting a company isn’t the right choice for you. What I was doing six months ago is completely different from what I’m doing today and what I was doing six months before that was completely different too. It’s always changing, so you have to love learning and love changing your role.  

For example, our team is growing so lately I’ve taken on more HR responsibilities. I’m figuring out how to engage a larger group of people and orient new people to the team. I didn’t do much of that at all in our first couple of years.  

I definitely built on my background in marketing and advertising. The kind of business we decided to build is so tied into storytelling and we always knew we were going to be a digitally savvy company. So, of course, that foundation was very helpful but I think it’s more the propensity to want to learn and grow and create something from scratch that makes you a good candidate to found a company. 

What motivated you to take that leap and leave your corporate job? 

I’m really thankful for the period of time after college when I had a steady corporate marketing job because I was able to learn a lot and develop my skills. I know some people start a company right out of school, but I’m happy that I had the chance to learn from different mentors. 

At the same time, I had been experiencing a lot of migraine pain. I’m a chronic migraine patient and my lifestyle of working 60 hours a week and living in downtown Chicago wasn’t allowing me to really care for myself. I re-evaluated what was important to me, and ended up moving from Chicago back home to make that change. It was definitely a scary leap. I didn’t take a salary for a long time as we grew the business. You have to believe in your idea and get personal fulfillment from the process of building a business from scratch. 

What’s something you can do now as an entrepreneur that you couldn’t do working a 9-to-5?

I’m a night owl but corporate America requires a set schedule. There were many times when I would have a migraine in the morning and not be able to work, but then I was able to pull myself out of it and have a substantial chunk of work time in the evening. I’m a firm believer that it’s more about what you accomplish, not how many hours you put in each week. 

You opened your first production facility during the pandemic, correct? 

Right. Previous to that we were working with a network of subcontracted seamstresses, but we always knew we wanted to have everybody under one roof because it’s more efficient and more fun. That’s what brought us to North Carolina in the middle of a pandemic. 

Wow. That must’ve been difficult. What skills or tactics have you used during these challenging times to stay focused and motivated?

Whether you’re leading a company or managing a department, it’s really easy to get caught up in the tactical stuff that can fill up your plate. So I think it’s important to make time for the high level, big impact, energizing kind of work. It’s important to give yourself permission to take a half-day and just dream big because that’s what gives you the gas in your tank to go the distance in the long run.

Have you encountered any barriers as a female business owner that you didn’t expect?

We decided to grow the business through venture capital and it’s no secret that the percentage of venture capital funds that go to women-owned businesses is pretty abysmal. I think it’s like three percent. There are some emerging funds in the community to try to catalyze investing in minority owners and women owners, which is wonderful, but it has been a challenge to communicate our value to people who aren’t necessarily in our target market.

We primarily serve women customers and they understand the powerful connection between sentimental gifting and connecting generations of women. I’ve definitely pitched to audiences of just men. Are they really going to believe in the idea and see the potential in the same way that a group of women would? Maybe, maybe not. 

This is something to be aware of and it’s something I hope to improve in my career because I think women make fantastic owners and leaders. We bring a whole different set of experiences to the table.

Earlier you mentioned that your mom owned a consulting firm. Can you talk more about that? Is it fair to say that she inspired you to branch out on your own?

Absolutely. My mother had four children and started a consulting practice that basically helped major companies find the right advertising agency suppliers. I don’t know how but Lorraine did it all. She was so involved with her children but then we were able to see her put on her suit and go do amazingly well in her own career working with incredible companies from all over the country. 

She was just like superwoman to me. I’m so thankful to have her. From the very beginning, she was someone who said, “Yes, you know you can do this.” She helped point out the indicators that we were onto something that was striking a nerve. It’s so important to have someone who believes in your dreams the way that you do so that in those moments when you have doubt, you have someone else to say, “Stay the course.”

What else did your mom teach you growing up that made you into the leader you are today?

I’m very free-spirited and very action-oriented. I think that my mom helped me find ways to methodically move toward the goals that I set, even from a really early age. We poke fun at her but even in middle school, she helped us have goal-setting sessions. She would ask, “What do you want to achieve by the end of the year? How do you think we can do it?” It could’ve been anything — creative or academic. 

How has your leadership style evolved as Unbox the Dress has evolved?

In the very early days, I did all aspects of the business. I was very, very involved. But now as we’ve grown, I’ve had to take different aspects of what I once did and hire people on as the experts. If you’re doing a good job at recruiting your team, you’re hiring people who have more experience and better skills for that specific piece of the business than you do. For example, my production manager comes from a background in theatrical costume design. She managed a student theatrical costume department at a university and is much more technically skilled than I am. She’s so great at coaching our sewing team. As the business grows, I have to rely on my team and make a safe space for them to tell me what they need. 

I try to create a safe space and say, “If there’s a piece of equipment you need or a person that you need on your team or if you have an idea for how to improve a process, please come tell me.” I no longer have the capacity to be as deeply involved in all areas of the business. Establishing those trusting and open relationships with key team members is something that I’ve been working on and enjoying because it’s rewarding to see people embrace your mission just as much as you do.

Creating a safe space sounds very important to you. Is that something you experienced in your previous workplaces? Or is that something that you lacked but now want to foster for your own employees? 

It’s a mix of both. One reason why I love the startup world is the fact that a good idea can be implemented very quickly. In my personal experience in corporate America, a good idea is often heard and recognized but almost always put on the back burner because of resources or just other burdens. But at a startup, you can apply a good idea as soon as you come up with it. I love that about where we’ve come from and I hope to make that a part of our culture even as we grow bigger. 

In 1994, brothers Bert and John Jacobs started the Life Is Good company, an American apparel retailer founded on a relentless belief in the power of positivity. Ten years later, freelance graphic designer Jenny Moates did something similar. 

Hoping to provide more value to clients, Moates and her husband, Brian, established Moving Ideas in 2004. Just one year later and with opportunities in front of them, Jenny invited Yvette Salerno, her lifelong friend and a marketing executive with Bank of America, to join forces as her business partner. At face value, Moving Ideas is a strategic marketing and graphic design agency focused on providing astute brand communications. But like the Life Is Good company, Moving Ideas also spreads the word of optimism. 

“Positivity is a core philosophy personally, but it also drives business results,” says Moates. “When you have a positive attitude, you’re going to have better ideas.”

We chatted with Moates, whose official title is Chief Possibilities Officer, to learn more about the role of positivity in graphic design. 

What motivated you to open Moving Ideas?

I wanted to grow beyond a freelance business and, in 2004, it felt like the right time to do that. I was already working with other partners — folks who are contractors who we still work with today. The whole thing was starting to feel much bigger than me. It evolved to require a team effort. 

Opening an agency also gives your clients access to a larger talent pool. As a freelancer, you’re just one person. But as a business, you can do so much more with a group of people. As with any business, the success of what you offer is 100 percent about the people involved. That’s why I don’t like titles because, at the end of the day, it’s about who produced the best ideas and the best results, no matter their title.

Speaking of titles, you’re the Chief Possibilities Officer at Moving Ideas. What does that mean?

Technically on legal documents, I am the president but that doesn’t say a whole lot. We prefer to have more creative titles around here, so I’m the Chief Possibilities Officer which fits my role as essentially the creative director. 

My business partner, Yvette Salerno, is the Chief Reality Officer. We have a lot of fun with that because it fits our dynamic. She and I have an amazing balance. The things that she’s good at aren’t necessarily the things I’m good at and vice versa. Our clients benefit from a very well-rounded approach. 

What lessons have you learned as a business owner?

One piece of advice that was given to me — and it’s been rock solid since the very beginning — is that you should always be a cash business. Don’t go into debt. Borrowing money was something I could’ve easily done over the years, but being strategic about the money we spent allowed us to hold on during the very lean times. It’s good to embrace challenges like the recession and the pandemic, pull the team together, and say, “Okay, how are we going to keep moving forward?” 

I also believe in this principle: give more in value than you take in payment. If you always do that, the work will come. Our group has always been that way. We have retainer clients that go above in terms of monthly hours but we’re okay with that because we want to give more in value than we take in payment. Many creative agencies aren’t necessarily invested in the business results of their clients. But to me, good design is just a baseline — it’s expected. Driving business results is what separates us from other agencies. More importantly, it’s what gives value to our clients.

Your website describes you as someone who leads with an “optimistic approach.” Can you unpack that? 

I just have an overarching philosophy in life that optimism leads to more success. I believe that having a positive, can-do attitude will get you through difficult times. If you look at kids who are in the hospital suffering, for instance, it’s positivity that pushes them past those hard things.

Optimism is also a key cornerstone of any good business. One of the books that I’m reading right now is called “Life Is Good.” It’s by the two brothers who started the Life Is Good brand. Their whole brand is built on optimism, and they’ve been so successful because the world craves positivity. We need positivity.  

What’s your secret to staying positive even when times are tough?

I’ve had people ask me, “How are you happy all the time?” And I say, “Well, it’s better than the alternative, right?” But here’s the thing you must understand: Optimism is not necessarily happiness. Optimism is just a positive outlook. As I said, a child in a cancer ward isn’t necessarily happy but they can still be optimistic and hope for a positive outcome. It’s not false happiness — it’s just a way of looking at the world. 

One of the things I love in “Life Is Good” is that the authors suggest saying “I get to go to work” instead of “I have to go to work.” It just completely changes your mindset. I get to go to work. I get to go to this amazing place and work with my best friend. I get to have fun. I get to be creative. I get to do this and get paid for it. That’s so crazy, right? 

I will say that my hope is fueled by my faith. I’m a very faithful Christian, and I believe that God is with me and in me. He’s the one in control. I’ve seen him move mountains in my life personally and professionally. That gives me tons of optimism.

Continuing to learn and grow as a leader is essential to providing those outcomes. With that being said, what’s a new skill you’re developing right now? 

I’m always learning how to better use technology. I’m a big believer that technology can make you more efficient, it can make your life easier, and it can create better results for your clients. So that’s an ongoing learning process for me. When I was a kid, my grandmother would say, “If you stop learning, you’re dead.” I think she’s right. You should always be reading and talking to others. 

Listening to other people’s perspectives is a great way to learn too. In 2017, I published a book called “50 Coffees.” It was a social experiment to meet 50 people a year over coffee as a way of building community. In doing so, I learned a lot about the importance of relationships. I wrote a book so I could help other people who are like me — people who are good at what they do but not so good at building community. 

Over the years, how have you balanced being a business owner and a mother?

I don’t feel like my family has to take a backseat. I’ve never felt that way. I think you can be a good example for your children while doing good things in the business world. I have three kids — one is a junior in high school, one is in seventh grade, and one is in sixth grade — and I don’t feel like I’ve had to sacrifice anything. That’s mainly because I have flexibility here. We’re a culture that embraces family values. 

You’re never going to look back on your life and wish you worked more. So while I want to do good work and serve our clients, family comes first. We even have an employee’s kid who is homeschooled and goes to school in our office. She’s grown up with this business since the very beginning. She knows what clients are and will even look at logos and say, “I like this one, but what if you changed this?” Family is just a huge priority here.    

Very few people hope there comes a day when their job is obsolete. Then there’s Neville Poole. 

As the North America Enterprise Agility Partner for IBM, Poole collaborates with C-suite executives of Fortune 500 companies to develop new technology strategies that modernize their ability to deliver value. Simply put, her job toggles between business and technology consulting. But when she envisions the future, she sees something entirely different.

“The future of business is not business and IT,” says Poole. “The future of business is an organization that is laser-focused on delivering business outcomes. Consulting then becomes about solving organizational problems, not selling widgets.”

We spoke with Poole to hear more about how a marketing major from a small historically black college climbed the ranks to work for one of the largest technology and consulting companies in the world.  

This is a two-part question: Would you say the business and technology industries are male-dominated? If so, why?

Yes, these industries are very much dominated by men. 

There are a couple of different reasons why. A lot of women never found a connection with technology as young girls. If you look at the STEM programs, there’s not a lot of girls because we do a poor job explaining the available opportunities. Technology is just presented as someone writing a bunch of code, but that might not be the right entrance for everybody — girls and boys — into the field. 

Today, there’s a lot of effort to expose young girls and boys to STEM. I have a daughter in middle school and I get emails all the time for classes like Girls Who Code. Now, there are all these initiatives to expose women to the field. But before, the industry just wasn’t geared toward girls. 

Also, technology roles can be super demanding and a lot of women exit the field because they can’t balance their family and a job in IT. Technology jobs are demanding and, until recently, it was frowned upon to balance your job and home life. It was like, “Oh, you can’t work 60-hour weeks? What’s wrong with you?” Over the last couple of years and especially this last year with COVID, organizations have become more aware of the imbalance. 

What are some barriers that existed at the start of your career that have since evolved?

When I first started in IT, the biggest barrier was mentorship. I didn’t come from a traditional technology background. Since I was a marketing and economics major, I had created a network that was very different from the field I was going into. I didn’t have men or women who could be my voice to help me get opportunities.

That was a big barrier because my counterparts had mentors in the technology industry that they’d known for a long time. But now, because of the emphasis on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, many organizations are being very intentional about ensuring everyone has a sponsor to help them maneuver through the organization or their career at large. Organizations are being super intentional about setting people up for success and giving them the tools that they need.

Throughout your career, you have continuously climbed the ranks and accepted bigger and better opportunities. What’s the secret to your success?

It’s important for me to feel like I’m adding value and being challenged. If at any point in my journey both of those pieces aren’t true, then it’s time to be vulnerable and do something that stretches me. 

When I’m asked to do something uncomfortable, I have to ask myself, “Have I created a succession plan? If I were to leave this role, who would be my successor?” I have this natural knack for coaching. I always want to be providing knowledge to enable someone else to step in and be ready for their next challenge. 

It’s interesting that you always consider who will be your successor. Why is that?

I actually think about it when I start a new role — I don’t wait until the end. For example, within my first month at IBM, I identified some people on my team who, if I were to move on, would be the next leaders of this group. So I started coaching them without them even knowing it. 

I’m always thinking about how I can add more value. That way, when I get tapped on the shoulder or identify an area I want to explore, I can leave the area better than when I found it. I can feel great about leaving it in the hands of people who care and want to see the company grow. 

Did you have mentors who, as you do with select employees now, started coaching you without you realizing it?

Yes. I can look back and identify two people who did that. I didn’t realize it at the time but they took a liking to me and gave me some of their pet projects. Later on, I realized they were testing me, trying to see if I could handle it.

More people need to acknowledge they have a responsibility to help. There’s somebody in your network, in your neighborhood, or in your company who has the potential to do something they didn’t even think was possible. They just need a leader to give them a little nudge and give them a place to learn. If I were to retire tomorrow and I hadn’t shared any of my knowledge or experiences except to make money for my company, that’s just not cool. 

It doesn’t matter what level of leadership you’re in, there’s always somebody who needs support. It’s not always convenient to set aside time to do it, but it’s a failure if you, as a leader, walk away and haven’t equipped anyone else.

Of course, self-growth never stops. What new skills are you developing today?

A big focus for me right now is leadership development. Working with the C-suite of Fortune 500 companies, especially right now in a pandemic, I have to stay several steps ahead in my research and my strategies to help them. That’s something I’m working on — anticipating what’s next for my clients.

I’m also advancing on how to communicate with CEOs who risk their entire livelihoods if their companies don’t turn around post-pandemic. I have a lot of empathy and I need to tether that. I want my clients to feel comfortable and know that I feel for them but I also have to quickly turn that empathy into something productive. I don’t always have a day or two to think about it. Many times, I have to come up with a plan while I’m on the phone with the client. That skill is ever-evolving.

Another thing is feeling comfortable with my skills and taking them to an industry I’m passionate about. When you’re coming up in your career, you don’t get to pick and choose. You take what you can get, make the best of it, learn, and move on. But I’m at the point now where I can pick what industry I want to work in, what type of work I want to do, and where — whether it’s for IBM or if I decide to do something on my own. I can now step out and make that call.

Why’s it important that you impart lasting value?

It’s a personal thing. I grew up in a very poor area and went to an HBCU. I always felt like I needed to take five steps to match another person’s single step. So I’m always trying to demonstrate that I can bring something valuable to the table.

Growing up the way I grew up, I always wanted to prove that I could accomplish something. That has carried forth with me my entire career. I’m always going into situations thinking, “How are they going to perceive me when I walk away?” I want to walk away feeling like I did good and provided the value they expected so they won’t hesitate to do business with another black woman in the future. There aren’t many black people in IT, so I want to bring my A-game all the time so that someone else has the opportunity to show up. 

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Just believe in what you know and be transparent about what you don’t. There are lots of leaders who tell people, “Fake it ‘til you make it.” I just can’t do that. When you’re transparent about what you don’t know, it opens up so many opportunities for you to learn, grow, and create trusted relationships. 

I would also tell my younger self to be vocal. Don’t suppress it because you think you’re being bodacious. Speaking up is huge because I never did. I would wait until somebody called my name and, if they didn’t, I didn’t offer input. I tell my daughters all the time, “Don’t hesitate to say it.”