Jessica Matos’ Post

Things have been moving so quickly that I almost missed the fact that this week marks the 2nd anniversary of Le Code Switch . Time flies when you work a full-time job, run a business, etc. (insert all the other hats I wear.) I wanted to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to every follower, every message, every referral, and every person who shares kind words about the work! It is greatly appreciated. You’ve made this journey incredibly sweet so far. I will share one of my biggest lessons/failures since starting the business: I tried to do ALL THE THINGS ALONE!!!! Because I love what I do and am so passionate about it, doing everything alone (although I hired consultants for client work) was not without its challenges when it came to developing the business and managing it day-to-day. I guess you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do when you start, but I reached a point where it was either going to lead to quick burnout or I was going to get some help to take this to the level I want to take it. I’m glad I was able to learn that lesson and put some steps into action. Shoutout to the MBA Marketing Class at University Canada West—all 31 of you who worked on marketing plans with such heart and showed me through your strategies how this was hindering my growth. One thing that is felt by Black women but often not spoken about is just how much we do before we realize that we have taken on too much. We know we do this at work, and in business, but don’t even get me started on personal matters and the guilt that comes with thinking we aren’t doing enough when in actuality, we need to go sit down somewhere and take a timeout. Here’s to two years of Le Code Switch, here’s to learning lessons, pivoting, and adapting along the way. You’re going to see some changes around here, and I CAN’T WAIT! Photo by @naskademini Makeup by @sparks_mua

We all inhabit different identities throughout our day. Perhaps we’re entrepreneurs or employees, mothers or fathers, athletes or CEOs. But how can you harness the strengths of these different identities to get the best out of yourself? And can these different identities be used to get through tough times? Todd Herman calls on more than two decades of experience working with top performers on performance, strategy, mindset, and execution to discuss his thoughts on peak performance, the value of patience, the fear that prevents us from performing our best, imposter syndrome, and how he worked with Kobe Bryant to build the legendary alter-ego of The Black Mamba.

Imagine a workplace where it is ‘mandatory’ for senior management to mentor a new or younger talent - to provide guidance & support in their respected field. Imagine that was part of a company’s business model. Imagine the mentor and mentee had to commit to a minimum of 6 months of mentorship. After that mark, the mentor and mentee have a choice to rotate to a new mentor / mentee commitment. Or extend their current one. Think about it…a Creative Director chooses 1-2 Associate Art Directors to guide them on their journey. An Executive Producer takes on an Associate Producer ‘under their wing’ to help them excel in their position and beyond. A VP dedicates time and effort to a newly appointed Director. Now, I want you to imagine if a company focused on providing those efforts specifically to their Black & Brown employees (let’s make DEI a real thing!) Imagine how much the mentor would learn if they decided to mentor an employee that is part of the Black queer/trans community. Or from a mentee that’s part of the Asian community - who is focus on representation in their company. Or from a spanish speaking Brown person looking to expand opportunities in their community. Could you imagine how powerful this experience would be? Not only for the mentor/mentee, but for the company, and in return, our clients?! Which one of ya’ll companies are doing this? Care to share you successes and challenges? …and if you’re not doing this, then sheeeeeeett, don’t you think it’s time?? Be well friends.

Life After Graduation PART THREE: There's not a "one-size fits all" approach to your career journey! Every person has a different story on how they got to where they ended up. It's not always going to be a linear path to a fulfilling job & life. JK Rowlings was a researcher for Amnesty International before becoming an author. Sheryl Sandberg worked for The World Bank and was the Chief of Staff for the US Secretary of Treasury before joining Google and then becoming COO of Facebook. Jeff Bezos worked in finance before starting an online bookstore which became Amazon. Martha Stewart was a stockbroker before turning her attention to catering. Reed Hastings was in the Peace Corps before earning a master's in computer science and ended up founding Netflix. Point your compass in the direction you want to go and be open to some twists and turns along the way. You don't have to be a millionaire by 25 (and if you are, way to go! NOTHING wrong with having large financial goals). YOU ARE NOT a failure if your first job out of college isn't a six figure job or that job isn't aligned with what you end-up doing 30 years down the road! YOU GOT THIS!

We are back chatting with Alvin Owusu- Fordwuo, a champion of diversity and young people throughout this industry. Read his story below. https://lnkd.in/g9-vGKBV

Have you ever had to switch it up at work just to make it through the day? As Black professionals, we know the struggle of code-switching all too well. It’s like speaking a different language just to fit in and be seen for our skills, not stereotypes. While it can be challenging to balance authenticity with the demands of predominantly white environments, it’s also incredibly beneficial. Code-switching helps us mitigate biases, build diverse networks, and adapt to different cultural expectations. But it’s exhausting keeping up that mask. We need to push for workplaces where we can bring our full, authentic selves to the table. Let’s change the culture and make it happen! Thoughts? #CodeSwitching #BlackProfessionals #BeYourself #WorkplaceInclusion

Launching BLK+TECH+KULTURE In the summer of 2022, I set off for a road trip down US 101, traveling from Southern Oregon to Big Sur, California. The trip was marked by stunning vistas that often made me pull over to savor the West Coast's scenic splendor practically every five minutes. This prompted a quick adjustment in my plans, as it became clear I wouldn't reach Big Sur within my original timeframe. So I learned to fully immerse myself in the present and cherish the awe-inspiring beauty surrounding me without the frequent stops. As I traveled towards Big Sur, I reflected deeply on my life’s purpose and the broader impact I wished to make beyond my routine professional engagements. This trip provided a valuable opportunity for introspection regarding my career, relationships, and fundamental goals as an individual. Over the subsequent two years, I engaged in meaningful discussions with friends and colleagues about their aspirations to shape their futures. Whether it involved choosing their business ventures, defining their work schedules, traveling for passion, or developing new health routines aligned with their values, they all shared a commitment to facilitating success for others. Their talents, convictions, and enthusiasm inspired me, and by December 2023, I was motivated to contribute more significantly to helping individuals and organizations excel and reach their fullest potential. This led to the founding of Black Impact Consulting Group (BICG) and BLK+TECH+KULTURE. BICG is dedicated to assembling a dynamic team of professionals focused on strengthening communities for our current and future generations. BLK+TECH+KULTURE aims to enhance individual potential for the greatest communal benefit. Our mission is to empower individuals, inspire organizations, and transform cultures for positive change, structured around three core pillars of practice. BLK transcends merely being a name or an indicator of race. It serves as an invitation to comprehend oneself within the context of one’s environment, necessitating self-awareness and a reflective evaluation of one's own journey and history, thus influencing one's future actions. TECH goes beyond digital tools. It affirms a mindset shift in which unlearning and relearning are embraced to fundamentally transform the approach to solve problems of practice. KULTURE involves enhancing the organization’s capacity to create deliberate and intentional impact through an ongoing cycle of improvement, leading to sustainable outcomes. As the Founder and Principal Consultant, I am committed to empowering change and inspiring impact! I am looking forward to this next adventure. There is much more to come, so stay tuned!

//Story Time\\ There's 2 work related opportunities that have made me the most anx this year, this is one and the other is still coming. And there's a fair bit I can encourage you on about showing up in your strength, standing firm in your power, the art of preparation and having confidence in your competence. But...that's not the story I want to tell. I want to tell you a story about consistency and putting the hours into your craft. When I was in gr 3 our class got assigned the play 101 Dalmatians. I remember wanting to play Anita; 1. Coz my bestie at the time wanted to (and we always did the same stuff), and 2. Because Cruella is mean and who wants to be the mean person. Anyway, my teacher suggested I audition for Cruella, so I did. I got the part and killed it. So much so that in gr 7 parents were still referring to me at the prefect who played Cruella. From my mini school play to, making announcements on stage or over the intercom, doing school pageants, participating in eisteddfod, debating and public speaking. Then speaking at church and volunteering teach kids ministry and youth and working in promotions at the mall on weekends, not to mention the hours of fake interviews/ talks in front of the mirror 😅...These are all years of honing my craft and getting a handle on my nerves. Every opportunity from auditioning for #sisterhood on ETV at 19, working in sales in my early 20s (cold calls and client pitches), a short stint on a news channel at 21, hosting an online business show in English and isiZulu at 22 (and producing the content) and hosting #CareerConnect on Business Day TV at 24 to being Miss SA 2nd Princess 2015 at 23, to speaking at #tedxcumbernauldwomen at 29 - and all throughout building my career as an #internationalspeaker and #facilitator working with clients from graduates to exco and mancom committees. These are my #10000hours that have built up to the career and #porfoliolife you see today. And today, the years of experience and building expertise in #resilience #enneagram #emotionalintelligence #effectivecommunication #personaldevelopment #leadership #socialimpact and #socialinnovation have lead to me joining faculty at Duke Corporate Education I'm grateful for the opportunity 🙏🏾 and look forward to continue writing my story.

Pick My Brain season is about to start... One significant challenge I've encountered is the extractivism of intellectual knowledge. I have often witnessed organisations seeking my insights only to repackage and sell them back to me. As a Black woman in business, I've experienced this numerous times, leading me to cease 'pick my brain' conversations that yield no progress. I was often sold on the idea that if I didn't have this conversation, who would? How will they know if I don't let them pick my brain? How will they learn if I don't send my entire presentation, videos and other resources for free? If I don't expect the exposure pay, they won't have the one representation they need to look like they have diversity on the panel. These guilt trips and tacks have kept most of us broke/broken and have diluted our impact. Read the blog and find out the rest.

THE best lessons I took away from my time at Huge (Which is saying something, because I flippin' loved my time at HUGE) Was "Sweat The Craft" There's a lot of talk of Inclusivity and Diversity in the creative industry and I agree that an industry full of diverse perspectives is better for everyone. Where I disagree is handing people things that they're not ready for. I believe that is worse for us all overall. The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which people with limited competence in a particular domain overestimate their abilities. Sounds a bit embarrassing to say, but I started reading consistently over the past few months, and it was only then I realised how much sweat I still had sweat. The truth is, I only wanted those roles. I didn't deserve them. That's just the cold hard reality. Some advice I'd give to EVERYONE in the creative industry: 1. Take accountability for your own outcomes 2. Hustle hustle hustle - because even the people telling you to chill are Hustling harder than ever. 3. And of course SWEAT!! THE!! CRAFT!!