Navigating the Path: Black Women in Leadership

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Candice C. Jones: All black women

that I'm coaching or working with

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that I'm like, you need to have

a kitchen cabinet of mentors.

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They are not transactional relationships.

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They are real meaningful relationship

that when done well are a two-way street

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that you pour into and they should be

with a diverse set of stakeholders.

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Right?

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Even amongst people of color,

there are people with different

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skill sets and lived experiences.

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So because they're gonna

pull different, you know.

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I have multiple black women that I

go, they are not the same black woman.

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They do not have the same experience.

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Tony Tidbit: We'll

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discuss race and how it plays a factor

and how we didn't even talk about

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this topic because we were afraid.

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BEP Narrator: A Black

Executive Perspective.

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Tony Tidbit: Welcome to the Black

Executive Perspective Podcast,

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a safe space where we discuss

all matters relating to race,

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especially race in corporate America.

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I'm your host, Tony Tidbit.

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Chris P. Reed: And I'm

your co host, Chris P.

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Reed.

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Tony Tidbit: And we are live at WNHU, the

University of New Haven podcast studio.

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We want to thank them for our partnership.

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I think the students are going to be

back when about a month from here, a

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couple of weeks, Noel next week, next

week, they're going to be back running

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around looking to get enlightened.

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So we're looking forward to seeing

them, but we want to thank them.

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Go chargers.

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Chris P. Reed: We also want to thank

our partners at CodeM Magazine,

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whose mission is saving the black

family by first saving the black man.

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That is CodeM Magazine.

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Check them out.

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CodeM Magazine, 2Ms.

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com.

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Tony Tidbit: Yes,

definitely check them out.

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So today we are joined by Candice C.

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Jones, president of the Public Welfare

Foundation to explore her leadership

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journey and the unique challenges faced

by black women in leadership roles.

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We'll delve into systemic obstacles,

the significance of building supportive

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networks, and the crucial role of

mentorship in fostering success.

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Candice will provide personal insights

and effective strategies that empower

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Black women to thrive as leaders and

discuss how we can better support and

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promote Black women in these positions.

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Chris P. Reed: Before we go too

deep into this, Tony, let me just

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give a little background on Candice.

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And so therefore we have a baseline

of who she is and what she's about.

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So Candice joined the Public Welfare

Foundation in Washington, DC, as

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its president and CEO in 2017.

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Previously, she had served as a senior

advisor at Chicago CRED, an organization

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that focuses on gun violence in Chicago.

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In that role, she worked on securing

greater investments for violence

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intervention, Programs as an alternative

to criminal justice systems prior to

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that role Candice serves as director

of juvenile justice for the state of

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illinois where she primarily responsible

Was responsible for establishing

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reforms that reduced the number

of youths in the state custody She

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also served as a white house fellow

managing a portfolio within the U.S.

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Department of education that included

developing educational strategies

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for correctional institutions In this

role, she shepherded a plan to re to

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reinstate federal pale grants for youth

and adults in state custody earlier in

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her career Candice served as a program

officer with the MacArthur foundation

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where she managed a grant portfolio, uh

portfolio focused on decreasing racial

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and ethnic disparities in juvenile in

the juvenile justice system and Improving

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the quality of defense afforded to

indignant youth indigent indigent youth.

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Excuse me Candice received her jd You

From New York University School of Law and

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her VA from Washington University in St.

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Louis.

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Candice, with all these other

things going on, welcome to a black

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executive perspective podcast.

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Candice C. Jones: How you doing Chris?

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It's good to

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Tony Tidbit: see you too, my girl.

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You're like, you're looking

so lovely and awesome.

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And you know, I, I was looking at our

clock because, uh, all the accolades

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that Chris was going through, I thought

we're going to run out of time here.

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Right.

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There's going to be, there's

going to be a quick podcast.

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Hello.

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How you doing?

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Everything but a Heisman Trophy.

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Candice C. Jones: Can you go through it?

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I said a

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Chris P. Reed: lot of

things, a lot of hours.

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So, so let me, let me ask

you a question though.

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Um, tell us about where you are currently

and a little bit about your family.

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Candice C. Jones: Yeah.

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I'm actually living right

now in Washington DC.

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It's where the foundation is

based, but I have to say it because

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I'm born and raised in Chicago.

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And when you are from the

shy, it's always in you.

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You just got to name it out of respect.

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And my family's still there.

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I live in DC with my

partner and his daughter.

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And so just, you know.

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A regular black girl.

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Tony Tidbit: Oh, I love that, right?

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So, look, you went from Chi town, right?

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Now you're in the government area, right?

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That's right.

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You know what I'm saying?

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I mean, that's a big move though, right?

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But let me ask you this.

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How do you like being in D.

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C.?

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Candice C. Jones: I like it.

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I do.

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It's a beautiful city.

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It was a big transition

to move from Chicago.

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You know, you get in a place and

you just, it's your whole world.

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And I had lived in some big cities

because I lived in New York.

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Uh, but DC is really beautiful.

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It's smaller, uh, but all the

investment in parks and public spaces.

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It's really gorgeous.

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It's nice.

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Tony Tidbit: Yeah, I

mean, listen, I love D.

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C.

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I've been down there numerous of times.

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The only thing I don't

like is the traffic, right?

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Because it can be, you know, I

mean, the beltway can be insane.

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Candice C. Jones: Well, I just

feel like it wasn't built for

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the population that it has.

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You have all these tiny little

streets with two way traffic.

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I'm like, uh uh, y'all.

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And people with these very

suspect driving skills.

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.

Tony Tidbit: You, we hear that.

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Well, no matter where, nobody,

where somebody live at, right?

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Right.

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You can be in Texas,

they can't drive here.

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Candice C. Jones: You ain't

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Tony Tidbit: lying.

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. You can be in California.

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They can't drive here.

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All right, so I'm looking to

move to the state where they can

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drive, all right, because I in

Connecticut, they can't drive.

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Right?

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Candice C. Jones: Where is it, Tony?

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It's like, what is not making,

why they not making, uh, right

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hand turns from the left lane.

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Chris P. Reed: gotta be Montana.

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Got to be Montana where

you got room to roam.

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Tony Tidbit: Exactly.

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Right.

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And the cattle might be saying

they can't drive there either.

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Right.

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But all serious, we got some serious

stuff that we want to talk about today.

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So we want to ask you, so why did you want

to come on a black executive perspective

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podcast to talk about this topic?

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Candice C. Jones: Cause you

guys are creating a platform

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for important conversations.

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These conversations need to exist.

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There needs to be a space

where we talk about.

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Leadership and then through

extension leadership challenges

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that black executives face.

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And so I want to be a part of an

important conversation that you guys

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are having it any way that I can.

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That's why I wanted to come on.

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Tony Tidbit: Well, number one, you fit the

bill because that's exactly what we have.

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And that's exactly what we do.

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So listen.

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I see you, you chomping, you

leaning into the screen, so

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you must be ready to go at it.

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You ready to talk about it, my friend?

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Candice C. Jones: I'm ready to do it.

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Tony Tidbit: All right,

let's talk about it.

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Chris P. Reed: So, you know, interestingly

enough, every superhero, based off, you

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know, your bio and the little I know of

yous thus far, has an origin story, right?

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So, can you give me a little bit

of game about, you know, I'm from,

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I'm from Peoria, so can you give me

a little game about your journey?

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I'm from Detroit, you

know what I'm saying?

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First

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Candice C. Jones: of all, I need y'all

not to bury the importance of this game.

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Come on now, all this Midwestern love.

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Not Peoria, not right up the street.

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I need y'all to give me the important

parts right out of the gate.

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Absolutely.

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You

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Tony Tidbit: wanted that authentic, you

know, that feel right off the bat, right?

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Chris P. Reed: Good with

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Tony Tidbit: your people.

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Chris P. Reed: It's good with your people.

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But, uh, so how did this all begin?

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You know, where did you realize that

this is ultimately where my path

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is headed and what I'd like to do

is eventually become The president

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of public welfare foundation,

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Candice C. Jones: you know, I grew up

on, uh, and you'll know this, Chris,

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I grew up on the West side of Chicago.

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If you're not from Chicago, it's

sort of like more amorphous, but

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it's sort of like, uh, black.

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Overly impoverished super.

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It was really forgotten about.

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It was the target for the war on drugs

when I was coming up in the 80s and

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90s, grew up there and had a big family.

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You know, my family came up from

Alabama to great migration, like

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all of us, Detroit, correct?

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Correct.

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Alabama.

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Yeah, correct.

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We came up, had a big family there.

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And I just saw a lot of my cousins, a

lot of loved ones getting caught up in

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the system, people that I knew love, good

kids, and I, even before I think I had

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words for it in my mind, I formed this

idea that if there is a system designed

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to attack these people, Then something

about the system is flawed and that's

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how I knew I wanted to be a lawyer.

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I wanted to have the tools really just

to protect my loved ones early on.

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And I think in the original seeds

of how I ended up doing what I do

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today, that was what was happening.

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And I just went on to law school

and sort of ended up here.

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Tony Tidbit: Wow.

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That is awesome.

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How did, so look, You know, and I'm

just, you know, I didn't grow up

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on the west side of Chicago, but I

grew up on the west side of Detroit.

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Right.

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And I can definitely, I can emulate,

I can see exactly what you saw, you

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know, out of your living room window.

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Right.

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So, and friends of ours getting

caught up that were very talented.

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Right.

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That could have been anything.

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Right.

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I mean, anything.

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Right.

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But, you know, the seeds

of prosperity wasn't there.

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To be a lawyer.

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Somebody's got to put that in your head.

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Okay?

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Because, you know, a lot of

times we, we, if we don't see it.

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Right.

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We can't become it.

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Right.

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Right.

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And so I want to ask you, what was

a big influence, you know, growing

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up in an area where there wasn't,

you didn't see a lot of opportunity.

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You didn't see a lot of people that

maybe was a lawyer or a doctor.

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So tell us about who inspired you, who

put that seed of that, that spark in

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your eye for you to go out and become

a lawyer and take it to the next level.

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Candice C. Jones: I

will be honest with you.

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It's interesting because I

don't think people believe this.

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There is so much to be said for

black representation, right?

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So I came up in a time when

we had a different world.

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Whatever your sort of like

politics or feelings about

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it in the Cosby show, right?

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I wanted to be Not the actress, Felicia

Rashad, but I want it to be Claire Hanks

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Huxtable, that smart black female lawyer.

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And it's like some of those

seeds and influences early

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on, I think really shaped me.

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And then I had teachers and counselors.

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who were very early on, like, you could

do anything, just keep reading, keep

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your nose in the books, and these are

the types of things that you could do.

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But when there wasn't that immediate

representation of all the possibilities,

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seeing those images of Black people doing

well in movies and television shows and

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theaters, it created some seeds of all

the possibilities that were out there.

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Tony Tidbit: Wow, and you know, what's

interesting, Is that you, you went, you

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went into the character versus being an

actor or actress or stuff of that nature.

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So those roles where they were

doctors or, or, or, you know,

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lawyers and stuff to that nature,

even though it was a show, right.

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You saw that as a possibility for you.

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And then that inspired you to

say, this is what I want to do.

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Candice C. Jones: That's exactly right.

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I saw that representation

of a smart black woman.

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Who carried herself well,

who knew things, could answer

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questions, could take on things.

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And I said, it's not the, it's not

the playing at that that I want to do.

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It's the actual being that.

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Chris P. Reed: I didn't realize that.

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You know, it was outside of our

community that, that kids were having

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issues and things of that nature.

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I thought it was just about

us and things like that.

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Like maybe that was her caseload,

but then when I got older and of

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course now here in Dallas, I am a,

a, uh, child appointed advocate.

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And so I work with CPS

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Tony Tidbit: and

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Chris P. Reed: you realize

that it's the majority of the

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children that are affected,

neglected, and are in the system.

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Are of minority status.

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And so when did you realize that

it was more disproportionately

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something that was affecting you

and your community, but it also was

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something that resonated far and wide.

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Candice C. Jones: Yeah.

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You know, it's so many ways.

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I feel like the first buzz I'll

never get being in high school, big,

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big, big black public high school.

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Uh, it was like almost 3000 kids.

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And I, we were coming back

from a field trip one day.

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Uh, be in.

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Came back from a field trip and

they put us in the teacher's lounge.

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You know, you are high school.

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You'll never go in the teacher's lounge.

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I don't put kids in the

teacher's lounge, right?

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It's a sacred space for the teachers.

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They put us in the teacher's lounge and

said, you guys just have to stay in here.

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And then they locked us in there.

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And we were in that lounge

for probably like two hours.

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And we were like, what's going on?

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Like what's happening.

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And we realized that they were

running drug dogs through the school

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and like searching people's lockers.

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And the next day, like hundreds

of people were expelled.

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And I remember just in that moment,

to your point of like having this

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moment of being like, now I didn't

have a comparative analysis.

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I didn't have like some data report

that says, oh, they not doing this

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at Nutria, but even at that point

in my life, I was like, Okay.

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They're not doing this at a different

school, like this is not okay.

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Everything about it just felt wrong, the

way it was done, the lack of information,

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the lack of information, the parents.

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And I'm like, they're just

not doing this somewhere else.

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And I feel like that was like

a real racial awakening for me.

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And it's something that still

stays with me to this day.

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Tony Tidbit: Right, right, right.

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You know, you said 3000

students, um, at the high school.

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Okay.

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And I, you know, growing up in

Detroit, I tell my daughters, right?

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Because we live in a town.

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I think their high

school population is 600.

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Candice C. Jones: The whole school,

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Tony Tidbit: the whole school, right?

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And in Detroit, they were like,

I think 20, 25 high schools.

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All right.

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And it was 3000 students.

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Okay.

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And think about it.

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And in some classes, you had 40.

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Okay.

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Forty something kids in one class.

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Yeah.

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How is everybody learning?

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Yeah, okay.

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They're not.

327

: 00:14:03

All right.

328

: 00:14:04

They're not if you're especially you

sitting in the back you survive All right,

329

: 00:14:10

because the other kids are smacking on

the back of the head and they're doing

330

: 00:14:13

all these other things And and it's

just just being in that environment

331

: 00:14:18

Candice C. Jones: Yeah,

332

: 00:14:18

Tony Tidbit: doesn't it's not

inducive for kids to learn right?

333

: 00:14:23

And so and hearing that story it reminds

me, you know, we had something similar

334

: 00:14:27

like that Knowing that that was a racial

awakening for you You Did it inspire you?

335

: 00:14:34

Cause look, you grew up in a,

in a area that the majority

336

: 00:14:38

of people probably were black.

337

: 00:14:41

And then you didn't see anything

until you probably went to college.

338

: 00:14:44

So speak a little bit about that as you

came out of Chicago, when you went to

339

: 00:14:48

college, and then all of a sudden, now

you're dealing with a lot of diversity

340

: 00:14:52

that you didn't deal with as growing

up in, in the West side of Chicago.

341

: 00:14:56

Candice C. Jones: Yeah.

342

: 00:14:56

You know, what's so interesting too,

Chicago is one of the most, uh, it,

343

: 00:14:59

it Detroit segregated, one of the most

segregated cities in America by design.

344

: 00:15:05

You know, the Midwest, we sort of

like mastered redlining really early.

345

: 00:15:09

So communities like

Chicago, so you're right.

346

: 00:15:11

I managed to grow up in a city.

347

: 00:15:13

And frankly, the interesting thing

about Chicago is racially super diverse.

348

: 00:15:16

You know, we had a lot of Puerto

Rican people, a ton of Polish people,

349

: 00:15:19

more Polish people in Chicago.

350

: 00:15:21

There are more Polish people in Chicago.

351

: 00:15:23

It's the biggest population

outside of Poland.

352

: 00:15:26

It was like tons of different cultures,

Italian communities, but they didn't mix.

353

: 00:15:31

Everybody stayed in their

neighborhood is extremely segregated.

354

: 00:15:34

And so I did, I lived my whole

life and I thought we owned the

355

: 00:15:37

whole world, especially because

I remember being, I did, I did.

356

: 00:15:40

Listen, I will tell you, I

remember being young in Chicago.

357

: 00:15:43

Harold Washington was mayor.

358

: 00:15:45

Okay.

359

: 00:15:45

Right.

360

: 00:15:46

Jesse Jackson was doing operation push.

361

: 00:15:48

And we had the nation of Islam.

362

: 00:15:50

Like I was like, Oh, the

whole world is black.

363

: 00:15:51

We all, we run everything.

364

: 00:15:55

But then you're right.

365

: 00:15:56

Go off to college.

366

: 00:15:57

I went to Wash U.

367

: 00:15:58

In St.

368

: 00:15:58

Louis, just going to St.

369

: 00:16:00

Louis was like a real

awakening because St.

370

: 00:16:02

Louis is technically, you know, Missouri

is the Midwest, but it becomes very

371

: 00:16:07

Southern when you get, you know, when

you get down state, going to school

372

: 00:16:13

in Missouri, you know, and there's

the It was a very different school.

373

: 00:16:17

I mean, I think it was like a 10%, less

than 10 percent of the kids were black.

374

: 00:16:21

Very few.

375

: 00:16:22

Um, it wasn't a very racially

diverse school and a lot of the kids

376

: 00:16:27

there were not, they were affluent.

377

: 00:16:30

You know, it was a lot of

money and it was different.

378

: 00:16:32

I went there because my older

brother actually had a brother

379

: 00:16:35

that was three years older than me.

380

: 00:16:36

We're super close.

381

: 00:16:38

He was really struggling.

382

: 00:16:40

He was the oldest, had spent

his whole life in Black America,

383

: 00:16:43

went down to college and was

sort of like really struggling.

384

: 00:16:46

In that environment, because all

of a sudden you're aware, you know,

385

: 00:16:49

this is to your point earlier, Chris,

of all the things that you hadn't

386

: 00:16:53

gotten and that these kids have had

their whole life taken for granted.

387

: 00:16:57

And the reason I went to the

school is because my mom was like,

388

: 00:17:00

you gotta go down there and you

gotta get my baby out of there.

389

: 00:17:02

He's struggling.

390

: 00:17:04

So she was like, you, I

wanted to go to Howard.

391

: 00:17:08

I had grown up watching a different world.

392

: 00:17:09

She was like, no, you want to Wash U.

393

: 00:17:11

. So my, you make sure my baby graduates.

394

: 00:17:13

And I ended up there so that

we could be there together.

395

: 00:17:16

Okay.

396

: 00:17:16

But it was night and day and it was

really just like, I think, and it

397

: 00:17:19

was interesting watching my brother's

experience where I think he was really

398

: 00:17:22

struggling with this idea of like, they've

had all these things that we never had.

399

: 00:17:27

And I lived the same experience, but my

idea was like, Oh, I was like, they've

400

: 00:17:33

had all these things we, we never had.

401

: 00:17:35

And we are ending up at the

same starting line in a race.

402

: 00:17:39

Right.

403

: 00:17:39

In my mind, he saw it as a

deficit and I saw it as an asset.

404

: 00:17:43

Right.

405

: 00:17:43

Because it was like, I was like, if

we've ended up in this same principal

406

: 00:17:46

position and we've come through all

the stuff we've already gone through, I

407

: 00:17:50

know that just means we can run harder.

408

: 00:17:52

And I, in my mind, I was just sort

of like, I can dust these kids like,

409

: 00:17:56

it's going to be nothing, you know?

410

: 00:17:57

And so, but he saw it's so much of, um,

it can really be different from lived,

411

: 00:18:03

uh, lived experience of individuals

because we really both experienced

412

: 00:18:06

that transition in different ways.

413

: 00:18:09

Chris P. Reed: It's amazing that you

say that because I live that in reverse.

414

: 00:18:15

Uh, my daughter goes to North

Park University in Chicago, right?

415

: 00:18:17

On North side.

416

: 00:18:18

I

417

: 00:18:18

Candice C. Jones: love that.

418

: 00:18:18

And

419

: 00:18:18

Chris P. Reed: so, and so we, you know,

she grew up and we had more things

420

: 00:18:22

than I had when I was growing up, but

when I got there and this kid's in.

421

: 00:18:27

And all of a sudden it's

tucked away and it's so quaint.

422

: 00:18:29

It don't even seem like

you in the city anymore.

423

: 00:18:32

And it's, you know, you don't even

realize you showed up at school.

424

: 00:18:34

The Uber driver's like, we're here.

425

: 00:18:35

Like, Oh, did you go past some bushes?

426

: 00:18:38

And it, and then, and then

it just opens up, right.

427

: 00:18:41

You know, uh, grand buildings, everything.

428

: 00:18:43

And the first question I asked her was,

do you feel like you can compete here?

429

: 00:18:47

And she was like, Oh yeah, yeah.

430

: 00:18:48

It's one dude that was homeschooled.

431

: 00:18:50

He really smart.

432

: 00:18:51

But other than that,

that's all I need to hear.

433

: 00:18:55

She's, she's about to be a senior

this year, you know, molecular biology

434

: 00:18:57

major, but the moral of the story is

I was concerned because I knew I did.

435

: 00:19:02

Okay.

436

: 00:19:03

Right.

437

: 00:19:03

But I ain't do like these

people, folks like, like

438

: 00:19:06

But when she said, yeah, I can compete

here, it was kinda like what you said

439

: 00:19:10

when you got the, you know, to the

loo like, man, I, I'm, I got there.

440

: 00:19:13

I could do this and I can

swim and save a life, right?

441

: 00:19:16

Yeah, exactly.

442

: 00:19:17

Exactly.

443

: 00:19:17

To swim, to save you.

444

: 00:19:19

But that's beautiful.

445

: 00:19:19

That's a beautiful situation.

446

: 00:19:21

How you got there?

447

: 00:19:21

How did you translate that into

realizing I can only, I can compete here.

448

: 00:19:26

'cause I want her to do the same thing.

449

: 00:19:27

I would love her to follow in

your footsteps and the idea of

450

: 00:19:30

I can not only survive here.

451

: 00:19:33

But I can turn this into a

thriving mechanism, and then I can

452

: 00:19:36

actually lead here at some point.

453

: 00:19:37

Right, right, right, right.

454

: 00:19:38

Candice C. Jones: I think so much

of it is sort of like, and this

455

: 00:19:41

is a part of the conversation

about being a Black executive.

456

: 00:19:44

We are going to come into a situation

with a lot of things stacked against

457

: 00:19:48

us, like a lot of odds and so much of

it is whether or not we're going to

458

: 00:19:52

internalize that as sort of like our

deficiencies, or actually, when you're

459

: 00:19:57

calculating that math, say the thing

that is the truth, which is that with

460

: 00:20:02

everything that's been set up against us.

461

: 00:20:04

You know, in a work situation, in an

educational situation, if we're ending

462

: 00:20:09

up principally at the same part, like,

starting spot as somebody else with, uh,

463

: 00:20:15

a lot more privilege, society would like

us to believe that that means that they're

464

: 00:20:20

going to dust us there at a deficit.

465

: 00:20:22

But if you have had nothing but

headwinds the entire way, it ended up

466

: 00:20:29

in that same spot, who worked harder?

467

: 00:20:32

You worked harder.

468

: 00:20:33

Who's got to be the stronger runner, the

stronger pacer, the stronger performer?

469

: 00:20:39

And if we can just get our leaders and

our individuals to be able actually to

470

: 00:20:44

acknowledge that reality, They know that

it's really, that they are already the

471

: 00:20:49

stronger performer and that it allows you

to sort of like position yourself in those

472

: 00:20:53

settings to be like, nah, if I got here

with you, like I got this, like, you know,

473

: 00:20:58

really, if you're standing in a ring, I'm

probably not even in your weight class.

474

: 00:21:02

Tony Tidbit: Right.

475

: 00:21:03

Right.

476

: 00:21:03

You know, it reminds me of the, um, you

ever see the movie, um, what's the movie?

477

: 00:21:07

A Vietnam movie with my brother.

478

: 00:21:09

Um, Charlie Sheen was in it.

479

: 00:21:11

Who platoon?

480

: 00:21:13

You ever seen the movie Platoon?

481

: 00:21:13

Yes.

482

: 00:21:14

Okay.

483

: 00:21:15

Up there.

484

: 00:21:15

And what was the brother's name?

485

: 00:21:16

The brother, um, I forget his name right.

486

: 00:21:20

And, but Net Net, uh, um, uh, Charlie

Sheen said something and then my man said,

487

: 00:21:26

look, all you gotta do is get outta here.

488

: 00:21:29

Right?

489

: 00:21:29

And the rest of your

life is gravy, . Right.

490

: 00:21:33

Every day it's gravy.

491

: 00:21:35

Right.

492

: 00:21:36

And, and, you know.

493

: 00:21:38

Let me throw something else at you though.

494

: 00:21:39

Let me let me let me come from

the opposite side of that.

495

: 00:21:41

Okay Um, like when I came into

corporate america, I didn't walk

496

: 00:21:48

in like this is against me Right.

497

: 00:21:52

I walked in Like number one, I

believed I I I rated with everybody

498

: 00:21:58

and I had a mindset of growing Okay.

499

: 00:22:01

Candice C. Jones: Yeah,

500

: 00:22:02

Tony Tidbit: so I didn't come in,

you know thinking this that I came

501

: 00:22:05

in like I'm gonna, I'm gonna come in

here and I'm gonna rise up through

502

: 00:22:09

the ranks and I'm gonna kick butt now.

503

: 00:22:13

Along the way, all of a sudden, I start,

people start throwing curveballs at me,

504

: 00:22:18

or people start, I remember this one, and

people get jealous, they see that you're

505

: 00:22:24

on a, on a track, and then your superiors

like you, and they see that you're This

506

: 00:22:30

person who just came in this door and

I've been here for years, this person's

507

: 00:22:35

coming in and immediately because they

got a one track mind, he's personal,

508

: 00:22:38

but not only that, he works hard.

509

: 00:22:40

This and that whole nine yards.

510

: 00:22:41

Then they try to handcuff.

511

: 00:22:43

They try to throw a tank trap in front

of you that you can get tripped up on.

512

: 00:22:48

Right?

513

: 00:22:49

And it's, it's, it's, it's, um,

and it's not, um, it's not, what's

514

: 00:22:53

the, what's the word I want you.

515

: 00:22:54

It's, it's, it's subtle.

516

: 00:22:56

Yeah.

517

: 00:22:56

Okay.

518

: 00:22:57

It's not like they come out and

say, yeah, I'm gonna mess you up.

519

: 00:23:00

All right.

520

: 00:23:00

They do little bit.

521

: 00:23:01

So talk a little, because I think that's

a lot of the things that we deal with in

522

: 00:23:06

terms of we, we have these huge ideas.

523

: 00:23:09

We have the talent, we

have the brain power.

524

: 00:23:12

Okay.

525

: 00:23:13

We come in figuring that, okay, yeah,

I went through all this stuff, but I'm

526

: 00:23:16

here now and I'm going to rise up and

I'm going to be senior vice president.

527

: 00:23:20

I'm gonna be chief this.

528

: 00:23:21

I'm going to do that.

529

: 00:23:22

And then you start trying to

navigate and then you feel hamstrung.

530

: 00:23:25

Okay.

531

: 00:23:25

I love to hear your thoughts on that.

532

: 00:23:27

Candice C. Jones: That's absolutely right.

533

: 00:23:29

I mean, it becomes like death

by a thousand pinpricks, right?

534

: 00:23:32

Because what happens is you go

in, you're putting in there.

535

: 00:23:35

You're not just putting in good work.

536

: 00:23:37

You're double timing it, right?

537

: 00:23:38

You're killing it.

538

: 00:23:39

You're staying late, but you realize

it's sort of like, you know, It's almost

539

: 00:23:43

like what you realize, especially in

corporate America and professional

540

: 00:23:46

settings, there's an above board game

and then there's a below board game.

541

: 00:23:50

And the below board game is really sort of

like a lot of mental mastinations people.

542

: 00:23:56

And I remember in 1 of my early

professional settings, sort of being

543

: 00:24:00

in this very conservative environment,

doing good work, trying to be personable,

544

: 00:24:05

professional, and just sort of having, um.

545

: 00:24:09

It wasn't a diverse setting and

having what felt like almost a

546

: 00:24:12

lot of little mind game things.

547

: 00:24:14

You know, people would say little stuff.

548

: 00:24:17

It was basically like a setting

full of microaggressions.

549

: 00:24:20

And I, um, it can be

difficult to navigate.

550

: 00:24:23

I remember talking to my mother about

it, uh, at the time and sort of, cause

551

: 00:24:28

I had a mentor, one of my law school

mentors at the time was a white male.

552

: 00:24:31

And he was like, that sounds

like a lot of mind games.

553

: 00:24:33

And he's like, you're smart.

554

: 00:24:34

You know how to play a mind game.

555

: 00:24:36

So just.

556

: 00:24:36

You know, out think them and sort of

be along, be, be ahead of them in it.

557

: 00:24:41

And I remember telling my mother that

and her saying a thing that stays

558

: 00:24:44

with me to the today, which is, she

was like, I raised you to be a person

559

: 00:24:49

of a certain kind of character and.

560

: 00:24:52

That character is not one that

sort of does microaggressions

561

: 00:24:56

and plays mind games, even when

you can see people doing them.

562

: 00:24:59

So like, so one thing I want you to hold

as you navigate this environment is how

563

: 00:25:02

you actually stay true to the person

you were raised to be and sort of it.

564

: 00:25:07

So this goes to the point of like, how

do you stay authentically who you are?

565

: 00:25:11

Do you play the game?

566

: 00:25:13

And I think it's really important,

you know, in my experience, it's

567

: 00:25:15

important to stay true to who you are.

568

: 00:25:18

And I think one of the ways to do it,

which in, in that setting, and this was

569

: 00:25:22

really early in my career, so I think

the more seniority you have, you know,

570

: 00:25:27

you can get in a position where you

can sort of relax into yourself more.

571

: 00:25:30

Nobody gets that at the beginning.

572

: 00:25:32

Tony Tidbit: No,

573

: 00:25:33

Candice C. Jones: right.

574

: 00:25:33

You just knew you, everybody's building

credibility, every man for himself,

575

: 00:25:37

no matter what school you went to

grades, you got, you still, you know,

576

: 00:25:41

you showing up day one, you knew.

577

: 00:25:43

And I remember, you know, at that sort

of junior point in my career, just sort

578

: 00:25:47

of being like, Naming the thing really

clearly to a supervisor that was like,

579

: 00:25:54

it kind of, in the most respectful

way, like, I know what you're doing,

580

: 00:25:56

I'm not going to do it with you.

581

: 00:25:59

Just sort of know, like, and

it wasn't like big flares.

582

: 00:26:02

I've never been a super emotional person.

583

: 00:26:04

Like I'm very like, matter of

fact, but just sort of being like.

584

: 00:26:08

In these instances, I'm totally

cognizant of what you're doing and

585

: 00:26:12

I'm just not going to do it with you.

586

: 00:26:14

And I just, I'll never get the way she

looked just sort of like one, she didn't,

587

: 00:26:19

you know, there was nothing she could say.

588

: 00:26:20

Cause she, she felt, I think really shut

down one cause she knew she was doing it.

589

: 00:26:25

And two, I think because she was off

put by frankly, how like mature I was

590

: 00:26:30

at that point in my career to be like.

591

: 00:26:33

You know, so stop now, I'd like to

say that she stopped doing it, but

592

: 00:26:37

part of it is that people who are

capable of that are, you know, in

593

: 00:26:40

the distinct way that I wasn't raised

that way, they just are, you know, so

594

: 00:26:44

she couldn't totally stop doing it.

595

: 00:26:46

But I think she was, she was a little more

reserved, a little more guarded because

596

: 00:26:50

she knew I was going to call her on it.

597

: 00:26:51

At that point also, it's

like I had a JD in law.

598

: 00:26:54

I'm like, girl,

599

: 00:26:59

I think both of us ought to be aware that

I can document Stop being silly, you know?

600

: 00:27:03

So it's like, I think it sort of like

dialed her back in a way that did

601

: 00:27:07

make her a sort of an overall better

colleague, but it kind of put her on

602

: 00:27:12

edge about how um, she was acted and she

was really clear on the boundaries in

603

: 00:27:17

the way that I was gonna carry myself.

604

: 00:27:18

I was gonna carry myself in a way that

was respectful and true to who I was.

605

: 00:27:21

And I think it forced other people

in that environment to respect me.

606

: 00:27:25

And interestingly enough, to this day,

I have a better relationship with.

607

: 00:27:29

The woman who was her supervisor

that I do with the woman who was

608

: 00:27:32

supervising me, I think in large

part, because she also respected me

609

: 00:27:36

a great deal for how I handled that.

610

: 00:27:38

And so I do think there are

opportunities to navigate those

611

: 00:27:41

settings, but it's not fair.

612

: 00:27:42

It's ridiculous.

613

: 00:27:43

It's so much, you know, it's so much,

it's just sort of like a manifestation

614

: 00:27:47

of like racialized terror and human

nature, because it's like, you can't

615

: 00:27:51

let somebody else just sort of live.

616

: 00:27:53

Right.

617

: 00:27:54

And we see that come out a

lot in work environments.

618

: 00:27:57

Right.

619

: 00:27:57

Chris P. Reed: Right for you.

620

: 00:27:59

Let me ask you this because it

appears as if you always had a lot

621

: 00:28:03

of audacity that you, you always went

in kind of knowing this and that.

622

: 00:28:09

And so, you know, and I know

Tony and I've talked about this.

623

: 00:28:11

He came in guns blazing and

thinking I can do this, not do that.

624

: 00:28:15

And I came in hoping that they didn't

realize I wasn't from nowhere and hoping

625

: 00:28:19

that, like, I came in under the radar.

626

: 00:28:21

I'm gonna keep getting these

checks until they catch up to me.

627

: 00:28:24

Right.

628

: 00:28:24

And so I came in quiet and observant.

629

: 00:28:26

And so the route that I took was

figuring out, stay behind the scenes,

630

: 00:28:30

be very covert, understand how the

game is played here, how things work

631

: 00:28:33

here, you know, and then incrementally

get to those places where I am, uh,

632

: 00:28:39

evolving to those positions because

I, I match all of the criteria.

633

: 00:28:44

And then there was a, uh, an epiphany

that occurred or transition point where

634

: 00:28:47

now, as you said, when you had Joe

JD, they can't tell you a damn thing.

635

: 00:28:51

I got to the point where I

was like, okay, I'm good.

636

: 00:28:53

Now I can be me all of a sudden.

637

: 00:28:55

They're like, where

did all this come from?

638

: 00:28:58

Too late, too late.

639

: 00:28:59

You didn't let me in.

640

: 00:29:00

Um, was there a point in time in your

evolution where you felt like the school,

641

: 00:29:06

my school should have been better.

642

: 00:29:07

My gradeship, was there ever

that in your spirit that you felt

643

: 00:29:10

like you needed to compensate?

644

: 00:29:12

For being a black female

in a very predominant.

645

: 00:29:16

You just didn't have that level, huh?

646

: 00:29:17

You just may have never had that.

647

: 00:29:19

And

648

: 00:29:19

Candice C. Jones: I'll tell you,

like, my mother will tell you today.

649

: 00:29:22

She was like, you have a confidence that

neither your looks or intellect justify.

650

: 00:29:30

Tony Tidbit: I got to

think that one through.

651

: 00:29:31

Candice C. Jones: That's a

652

: 00:29:39

Tony Tidbit: deep one right there.

653

: 00:29:41

Candice C. Jones: No.

654

: 00:29:41

See, no.

655

: 00:29:43

And I tell people, like, because

I talk to my partners about like,

656

: 00:29:45

imposter syndrome and stuff.

657

: 00:29:47

If you're in my office, I'm sitting

in my office right now, and you look

658

: 00:29:50

around, you guys can't see it here.

659

: 00:29:52

I am surrounded by images of black women.

660

: 00:29:55

And right above my head, I don't know

if you can see it, there's an image.

661

: 00:29:58

It's my, uh, it's my grandmother.

662

: 00:30:00

It's her picture.

663

: 00:30:01

She sits right behind me.

664

: 00:30:02

I tell everybody it's

because she has my back.

665

: 00:30:04

I always have these women here in

my workspaces to almost fortify me.

666

: 00:30:10

And part of the reason I do it

is because of the imposter stuff.

667

: 00:30:14

You know, I'm always like, Black

women in particular, Black people,

668

: 00:30:17

we need to take up our space.

669

: 00:30:19

We need to take up our seat.

670

: 00:30:20

I don't just sit here on

the strength of my own work.

671

: 00:30:24

I sit here on the strength

of the sacrifices they all

672

: 00:30:26

made and never got to enjoy.

673

: 00:30:28

And that's why I think imposter

syndrome, just this knowing of

674

: 00:30:32

us and not knowing ourselves and

our history becomes so important.

675

: 00:30:35

Cause it's like, no, I'm not going to

lament whether or not I'm good enough.

676

: 00:30:39

Cause whether or not I'm good

enough, she was good enough

677

: 00:30:41

and she didn't get her seat.

678

: 00:30:42

So I'm going to take up my space, right.

679

: 00:30:44

And I'm going to take,

and if it's 10 of them.

680

: 00:30:47

That means I'm the little space

that I'm given is like taken

681

: 00:30:51

up in spades, you know, and I

think that's so important for me.

682

: 00:30:54

And that's always been something that I

carry because so much has been stripped

683

: 00:30:59

in labor and intellect and credit from

our community, just like that full

684

: 00:31:04

realization of that, I think, has always

really like the, the audacity of that.

685

: 00:31:08

Has always been in me.

686

: 00:31:10

And so I feel like I carried myself

with like, nah, I think I, I think

687

: 00:31:14

I have the hubris of all these women

that nobody ever acknowledged properly.

688

: 00:31:20

Tony Tidbit: Let me ask you this.

689

: 00:31:21

So number one, that is awesome.

690

: 00:31:23

And that's something that woman

or man, Black man should have.

691

: 00:31:27

Right.

692

: 00:31:28

One of the challenges, and I love

to hear your point of view on this.

693

: 00:31:32

And let's just use your Chicago, West

side of Chicago example, where you're

694

: 00:31:38

with a ton of people that look like you.

695

: 00:31:40

Candice C. Jones: Yeah,

696

: 00:31:40

Tony Tidbit: and then you go somewhere

where you're one of a hundred Okay

697

: 00:31:47

And you may be the only i've been

at companies, you know places.

698

: 00:31:51

I was the only black person.

699

: 00:31:53

Okay Okay, so from that standpoint

You want to come in and be like,

700

: 00:31:59

yeah, you know, I, I'm standing

on shoulders or other people.

701

: 00:32:03

Right.

702

: 00:32:04

But at the end of the

day, you're by yourself.

703

: 00:32:07

Okay.

704

: 00:32:08

You don't have, you know, there's

not people that you can see.

705

: 00:32:12

Right.

706

: 00:32:13

And you walked in the door with that

confidence, you believe in yourself,

707

: 00:32:17

however, those thousand little cuts, you

know, they start a road in your console.

708

: 00:32:21

How, what advice, what would you

tell, especially, and we're talking,

709

: 00:32:25

we're talking about regardless

black executives, but let's speak,

710

: 00:32:28

let's go strictly to black women.

711

: 00:32:30

How do they stay confident?

712

: 00:32:31

Okay.

713

: 00:32:32

When little by little

people picking on them.

714

: 00:32:36

And they're, they're, they're, look,

they're, they're knocking away like gnats.

715

: 00:32:40

Candice C. Jones: Okay,

716

: 00:32:40

Tony Tidbit: but I'm sorry, at

some point, that does affect you.

717

: 00:32:44

Okay?

718

: 00:32:45

And maybe you have the pictures

around that you can look

719

: 00:32:48

at when it's affecting you.

720

: 00:32:49

And you can say, you know what?

721

: 00:32:51

Maybe this is my, uh, I wouldn't say

this is where my area where I get my

722

: 00:32:55

strength, but I would love to hear

how they can be able to still keep

723

: 00:32:58

that confidence in spite of all the

turbulence that they may deal with.

724

: 00:33:02

When there's not a lot of

people that look like them.

725

: 00:33:04

Candice C. Jones: Yeah.

726

: 00:33:05

My first, my first professional job,

I went to a law firm, I, in my class,

727

: 00:33:11

and it was three of us in my hiring

class coming out of law school, me

728

: 00:33:16

and another young woman were the first

black people that our firm, uh, had

729

: 00:33:19

ever hired into a law school class.

730

: 00:33:22

So then when we got there, it

was us, maybe one other lady.

731

: 00:33:25

They had some, some

folks that were like, um,

732

: 00:33:31

You know, executive assistants and

stuff, but they didn't have lawyers and

733

: 00:33:34

we sort of knew going in that that was

That's going to be difficult, right?

734

: 00:33:40

Because so much of success, so much of

success in any job is mentorship, right?

735

: 00:33:45

How you get on a good case, how you

get the client development, how you,

736

: 00:33:51

that's all about somebody who already

has the access and power saying, I see

737

: 00:33:54

myself in you, and so I'm going to bring

you along and sort of pull you along.

738

: 00:33:59

It's very hard for somebody

to see themselves in you.

739

: 00:34:02

If they don't look like you, right?

740

: 00:34:03

Right?

741

: 00:34:04

This goes to sort of like,

what's your golf course?

742

: 00:34:06

I remember them having events for

us that summer being like, Oh yeah,

743

: 00:34:09

we're going to go to a Cubs game.

744

: 00:34:11

I hate baseball.

745

: 00:34:13

And if I'm a root for a team,

it wasn't going to be the Cubs.

746

: 00:34:18

It's sort of like, you know, but

those are events where you're sort of

747

: 00:34:22

like, you know, you're at the field

in the game and you're developing

748

: 00:34:25

the relationship with the partner.

749

: 00:34:26

Who's going to be the mentor

that you follow throughout your

750

: 00:34:29

career for the next 10 years.

751

: 00:34:30

It can be really difficult.

752

: 00:34:32

One of the reasons why I like to put

the stuff in my office in those seconds

753

: 00:34:35

is because I feel like we have to

fortify walking into those settings.

754

: 00:34:39

One of the things is that.

755

: 00:34:40

You have like, I knew going into

that setting that I was going into

756

: 00:34:45

a hostile environment and I don't

mean it like the people were meet,

757

: 00:34:48

they were obviously recruiting me.

758

: 00:34:49

They were as sweet as they can be, but

you know, when you're signing up to be

759

: 00:34:53

the first, right, you're a test case.

760

: 00:34:56

There is no cultural competence there.

761

: 00:34:59

Even if they, they're trying, they,

they're going to really, they're going to

762

: 00:35:03

struggle and each one of their struggle

is going to be played out on you.

763

: 00:35:07

People are going to say things to you.

764

: 00:35:09

I remember having a partner, a woman

kept saying, this is my associate.

765

: 00:35:13

This is my associate.

766

: 00:35:15

And a white male said to her,

stop calling her your associate.

767

: 00:35:19

Yeah.

768

: 00:35:19

She's not owned by you.

769

: 00:35:21

When you were referring to her

to people in this organization,

770

: 00:35:23

you could say it's my colleague.

771

: 00:35:26

Tony Tidbit: And that

772

: 00:35:26

Candice C. Jones: was

sort of like a lesson.

773

: 00:35:27

And so part of what I was trying to

do at each one of those settings, and

774

: 00:35:30

this is what I say to other women, I

had no illusions about whether or not

775

: 00:35:34

that was going to be a setting where I

found my lifelong mentors, I did not.

776

: 00:35:39

But I definitely had a kitchen cabinet

of mentors that I had taken from law

777

: 00:35:44

school, women of color that I was

calling on while I was in that setting

778

: 00:35:49

to say, okay, this is something that

I'm addressing day to day at work.

779

: 00:35:52

How do you think I'm navigating that?

780

: 00:35:54

Right?

781

: 00:35:55

Like I was fortified myself through

images in that space, but also fortified

782

: 00:35:59

myself outside that space with people

who I knew were supportive of me

783

: 00:36:03

because they had lived through all

the things I was living through in

784

: 00:36:07

that moment and could help say, okay.

785

: 00:36:09

Here are some things that

you could think about doing.

786

: 00:36:11

This is the way that you

could position yourself.

787

: 00:36:14

And they said things to me that I

thought were not that obvious, which is

788

: 00:36:18

find mentors Like you don't have there.

789

: 00:36:22

There is no sort of like senior, uh

equity black female partner black partner

790

: 00:36:27

period So that means that you're gonna

have to find mentorship in an unlikely

791

: 00:36:31

space And this is why it's important to

say you can find mentors and so then i'm

792

: 00:36:35

being mentored by a white male, right?

793

: 00:36:38

You I don't know who's more surprised

in those moments, him or me, but

794

: 00:36:41

actually you learn a great deal in

that mentorship exchange to one,

795

: 00:36:46

because you learn the audacity of what

he'd asked for that a black person

796

: 00:36:49

would never be capable of, right?

797

: 00:36:52

What he will demand and what

they'll demand much earlier

798

: 00:36:55

in their career than you will.

799

: 00:36:57

And so you're right.

800

: 00:36:58

It's like, you still are dealing with

those microaggressions when you walk

801

: 00:37:01

into one of those settings, but there

are still ways through mentorship.

802

: 00:37:04

Through fortifying yourself and through

finding mentorship, even in people

803

: 00:37:08

that don't immediately present just

like you, that you actually can sustain

804

: 00:37:13

yourself for as long as you dialed

in to be in one of those settings.

805

: 00:37:18

Chris P. Reed: Awesome.

806

: 00:37:18

Let me ask you this because I've had

the same experience and one of the

807

: 00:37:21

things that I learned early on was

the diversification, having diversity

808

: 00:37:26

within your mentorship, like you stated.

809

: 00:37:28

And one of the reasons, unfortunately,

that I ended up doing that was

810

: 00:37:33

because I ran into the, you

know, the classic situation of.

811

: 00:37:37

We already got one of us here.

812

: 00:37:39

I'm not trying to get his spot up to

these young men come up and coming.

813

: 00:37:43

And it was more of a, it was almost

like being an athlete, right?

814

: 00:37:47

I understood that from being in athletics.

815

: 00:37:48

I'm a starter.

816

: 00:37:49

They got the young guy coming in.

817

: 00:37:51

I'm not going to teach him my position

so he can work me out of a job.

818

: 00:37:55

And so that's how I translated

it when I was younger.

819

: 00:37:58

But in the idea of being able to get

over yourself and reach out and diversify

820

: 00:38:03

Your mentorship, your networking, how

valuable do you know now that was as

821

: 00:38:09

opposed to feeling like I need to find

somebody that looks like me, talks like

822

: 00:38:12

me, understands West side lingo, know

where K town is, all this other stuff.

823

: 00:38:16

How, how, how soon did you have to get

over that and get out of that in order

824

: 00:38:21

to really excel and go next level?

825

: 00:38:23

Because that's very important

for young black women.

826

: 00:38:25

Candice C. Jones: I realized that pretty

early because even some of my mentors

827

: 00:38:29

coming out of law school were diverse.

828

: 00:38:31

Like I got my sort of first

long term mentor that was

829

: 00:38:34

like a white male in school.

830

: 00:38:36

One of the things I always say when you're

looking for a mentor, you're looking for

831

: 00:38:39

someone who's like their professionalism,

their intellect, their career trajectory

832

: 00:38:45

that you want to emulate, right?

833

: 00:38:46

And you want to build

genuine relationships with.

834

: 00:38:49

And the truth is that, you

know, to your point, some of

835

: 00:38:52

them do need to look like you.

836

: 00:38:53

They do need to reflect you

in your lived experience.

837

: 00:38:56

They need to know where K Town is at.

838

: 00:38:57

Like you need to have that sort of

comfort level, but not exclusively.

839

: 00:39:01

You also want to see somebody and you're

like, there's something about your

840

: 00:39:04

career, the way you show up, your, your

trajectory that I want to understand.

841

: 00:39:08

And I want to understand it because

it's different from my own, that

842

: 00:39:13

helps me sort of start to navigate

how you ended up where you did.

843

: 00:39:16

What, again, like what I can ask for.

844

: 00:39:18

For what you were able to

do, see, and experience.

845

: 00:39:22

And I think learning that early

was it's, it's been critical.

846

: 00:39:27

It's been, and I tell all black women

that I'm coaching or working with that.

847

: 00:39:31

I'm like, you need to have a

kitchen cabinet of mentors.

848

: 00:39:34

They are not transactional relationships.

849

: 00:39:36

They are real meaningful relationships

that when done well are two way street

850

: 00:39:41

that you pour into, and they should

be with a diverse set of stakeholders.

851

: 00:39:46

Right.

852

: 00:39:46

Even amongst people of color, there

are people with different skillsets

853

: 00:39:49

and lived experiences because they're

going to pull a different, you know,

854

: 00:39:53

I have multiple black women that I

go, they are not the same black woman.

855

: 00:39:56

They do not have the same experience.

856

: 00:39:59

And so I don't draw on them with the

same types of questions or challenges.

857

: 00:40:03

You need to have a diversity, but

that's also true of racial diversity.

858

: 00:40:07

You can learn an extraordinary amount

from different types of thought, right?

859

: 00:40:12

This goes to even sort of how

you think about once you're an

860

: 00:40:14

executive, Who you work with a

team with and how you build teams.

861

: 00:40:18

A lot of times the things we take for

granted is that you learn more or can do

862

: 00:40:23

more with the person that has a different

skillset than you, where you could combine

863

: 00:40:27

those talents than just always trying

to be in sort of like grouping together.

864

: 00:40:32

And so you have to be willing to do that.

865

: 00:40:35

And the earlier you learn that the

further you go, because each one of

866

: 00:40:38

those different mentors will give you

a different angle at how to look at a

867

: 00:40:42

Problem, which will compliment the way

you address situations as they arise.

868

: 00:40:46

Cause they come in, you know, this is

Tony's point, whether you have the most

869

: 00:40:50

fortification, the most confidence,

those situations are coming at what will

870

: 00:40:54

distinguish the individual as how they

address them, but the more angles you

871

: 00:40:58

have to sort of turn that Rubik's cube

over, it'll help, it'll make it easier.

872

: 00:41:03

Chris P. Reed: Absolutely.

873

: 00:41:04

One of the things I tell people

when I'm coaching them is you want

874

: 00:41:06

to have a Navy SEAL team of talent.

875

: 00:41:10

And so you got to have a sniper.

876

: 00:41:11

You got to have a demolitions guy.

877

: 00:41:12

You got to have a frog, man.

878

: 00:41:14

You got to have like, everybody

can't be the same dude or we

879

: 00:41:17

never going to breach this spot.

880

: 00:41:18

All you got to have people to

see it from different angles.

881

: 00:41:21

Absolutely.

882

: 00:41:22

We got, we got a wall guy,

you know what I'm saying?

883

: 00:41:24

We got to make sure you got all of those

in order to make it to where you're

884

: 00:41:29

trying to do from a mission perspective.

885

: 00:41:31

So.

886

: 00:41:31

That was good.

887

: 00:41:32

Tony Tidbit: So, one of the things that,

you know, people struggle with, right?

888

: 00:41:37

Because everything that you

just got finished saying,

889

: 00:41:39

Candice, makes total sense.

890

: 00:41:41

Even what Chris just talked

about with the You know, frog

891

: 00:41:44

man in the whole nine yards.

892

: 00:41:45

Right.

893

: 00:41:46

You know, I've been in sales,

you know, almost 30 years now.

894

: 00:41:49

And so networking has always

been part of what I do.

895

: 00:41:53

Yeah.

896

: 00:41:53

Okay.

897

: 00:41:54

So I have a network.

898

: 00:41:55

I've been, you know, something that you

do just not from a clientele standpoint,

899

: 00:41:59

but also within the organization and

build your brand throughout different

900

: 00:42:03

departments and stuff to that nature.

901

: 00:42:05

However, a lot of people struggle, you

are not in an outgoing position who

902

: 00:42:11

may be an engineer who may be whatever

the case may be in terms of building

903

: 00:42:15

their network within the organization or

finding mentors that make sense to them.

904

: 00:42:21

So what would you advise how, you know,

if I'm young and I'm not an outgoing

905

: 00:42:26

person, I'm shy, I'm sharp, I'm smart,

you know, I, I still, and I may grow

906

: 00:42:31

up and be more gregarious, whatever.

907

: 00:42:32

But my point is, what would you tell me to

find within my organization or outside the

908

: 00:42:38

organization to start finding mentors, to

start networking, to build my brand, and

909

: 00:42:43

more importantly, build those connections?

910

: 00:42:45

Candice C. Jones: I love, I love that

you asked that question, Tony, because

911

: 00:42:48

I'm like, everybody's not an extrovert.

912

: 00:42:50

Right.

913

: 00:42:51

Um, and there are a lot of

us like I like I'm an intro.

914

: 00:42:55

I'm an extroverted introvert, right?

915

: 00:42:57

I have a master skills.

916

: 00:42:59

I need to be able to succeed in my life.

917

: 00:43:01

But when I can crawl into my safe

space, I am as happy as a cow.

918

: 00:43:05

And so there are people in the world

that are like, how did those folks thrive

919

: 00:43:09

when it's not your natural inclination?

920

: 00:43:12

And what I always say is I

think networking or saying, I'm

921

: 00:43:16

looking for a mentor or this can

actually is a lot of pressure.

922

: 00:43:20

If that's not something

that you really enjoy.

923

: 00:43:24

But the way I like to think of it is just

having a natural curiosity about a thing.

924

: 00:43:29

I always try to say to folks when I'm

talking to them, it's like, have reverence

925

: 00:43:33

for the thing that you're working on.

926

: 00:43:35

So you're the quiet engineer in

a bigger, larger institution.

927

: 00:43:40

Some of having reverence for is saying,

okay, my division is engineering, but

928

: 00:43:45

I actually want to understand the sales

because by understanding what they're

929

: 00:43:48

doing over in sales, it's going to

help me answer some questions about

930

: 00:43:53

engineering, about, you know, how we

do product development and design, just

931

: 00:43:58

because I can see the whole pipeline

of where this thing is going, right?

932

: 00:44:03

And that's not me saying, look,

I want to, I want a glad hand

933

: 00:44:06

with the team over in sales.

934

: 00:44:07

You know, I'm trying to clap.

935

: 00:44:08

It's just like, I'm having some,

some, some reverence, some curiosity

936

: 00:44:12

about the whole of this thing.

937

: 00:44:14

So instead of saying, I'm going out to

find a mentor, I just want to sit down

938

: 00:44:17

with some people and sort of understand

what happens in this division, what I

939

: 00:44:21

can understand about it to compliment

my work and think about developing.

940

: 00:44:27

Relationships in a genuine way that

centers less like, and I think for some of

941

: 00:44:32

those people, like this idea of like, I'm

network or I'm, I'm building relationship,

942

: 00:44:36

but it's actually like, center it on

your work, which I think, you know,

943

: 00:44:40

for people like that is a safer space

and then they can use it in that way.

944

: 00:44:44

An example I give when I was at

the Department of education, it

945

: 00:44:48

was coming to the Department of

education is a big Byzantine place.

946

: 00:44:53

Right.

947

: 00:44:54

You're trying to think about how can we

sort of pull some levers to enact change

948

: 00:44:59

for this really specific group of people.

949

: 00:45:01

I wasn't like, Ooh, I'm going to

network and get through this place.

950

: 00:45:04

But the truth is, I was like, I

need to understand what all these

951

: 00:45:07

different divisions do and how we

can pull levers to have an impact.

952

: 00:45:12

So I got to go and meet some people,

you know, not about me, but meet

953

: 00:45:15

some people in these different

sort of divisions of this place.

954

: 00:45:18

Place.

955

: 00:45:18

And by doing that, actually really

focused on the work, you do two things.

956

: 00:45:22

You end up making a lot of relationships.

957

: 00:45:25

But also the thing that you do when you're

having reverence for the thing that you're

958

: 00:45:29

trying to do, you realize that there are

tons of stuff that other people can teach

959

: 00:45:32

you and but for having those interactions

with some of those people, they again,

960

: 00:45:38

we're talking about that Rubik's Cube.

961

: 00:45:39

They can show you an angle of

the way you're thinking about a

962

: 00:45:41

problem that you may have missed.

963

: 00:45:44

And their way might be the silver bullet.

964

: 00:45:46

And actually I found that when I was

working on a strategy there, that, but

965

: 00:45:50

for just being out sort of networking

or meeting with people, asking some

966

: 00:45:53

questions, somebody was like, actually,

we probably can't do some of that

967

: 00:45:57

stuff that you're talking about,

but there's this one thing that you

968

: 00:45:59

didn't raise that we really could do.

969

: 00:46:01

And it ended up being a

really critical thing.

970

: 00:46:03

So that's a way for a more introverted

or a different type of personality to

971

: 00:46:07

approach it when they do end up with

the relationships feel more meaningful.

972

: 00:46:11

And the exercise feels

like it's substantial.

973

: 00:46:14

Tony Tidbit: Can I add one other

thing that, that, that, that by

974

: 00:46:17

doing that, what, what happens,

you build your brand, right?

975

: 00:46:23

And by building your brand,

Opportunities come from that.

976

: 00:46:27

Are you going over and chatting and

learning about, you know, another

977

: 00:46:30

department and learning this and that all

of a sudden this person, Oh, I like him.

978

: 00:46:35

Oh, I like her, you know, and then

all of a sudden there could be an

979

: 00:46:38

opportunity that they don't even have

a job description for yet, hasn't even

980

: 00:46:42

been posted, but because you built your

brand and they like you and how you came

981

: 00:46:47

over and you was inquisitive and you came

over and was like, how can I help you

982

: 00:46:51

guys and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

983

: 00:46:53

It opens up other opportunities that you

may never known about just by doing that.

984

: 00:46:58

Would you agree with that or not?

985

: 00:47:00

Candice C. Jones: I absolutely agree

with that, but our introverts, I'm

986

: 00:47:02

not going to be able to name that as

the, but you absolutely are doing it.

987

: 00:47:06

There's no question about it.

988

: 00:47:08

And also somebody's

like, Oh, they, you care.

989

: 00:47:10

They're asking questions

about the business.

990

: 00:47:13

It's like that, you know, like

you're building people respect you.

991

: 00:47:16

Absolutely.

992

: 00:47:17

There's no question about it.

993

: 00:47:18

Chris P. Reed: So, so, and, and, and

then that, um, have you ever found

994

: 00:47:21

resistance to your inquisitive nature?

995

: 00:47:23

Have you ever felt like, you know,

what really, how did you absorb that?

996

: 00:47:27

How, give me some tips or tricks for

young women or young people of color or

997

: 00:47:32

anybody of how to navigate those waters.

998

: 00:47:35

Because when we got highlight tapes,

then it means, it means seemed like,

999

: 00:47:39

oh, I could be you too one day.

: 1000

00:47:41,145 --> 00:47:42,695

And then like, it's

the door slammed on me.

: 1001

00:47:42,695 --> 00:47:43,855

Like, she never put this in the book.

: 1002

00:47:44,310 --> 00:47:44,630

So,

: 1003

00:47:45,290 --> 00:47:49,180

Tony Tidbit: and I think that's important

because at the day, what Mike Tyson

: 1004

00:47:49,180 --> 00:47:52,300

says, you know, everybody's got a game

plan so they can hit in the mouth.

: 1005

00:47:52,300 --> 00:47:55,120

Candice C. Jones: Right, right, right.

: 1006

00:47:55,840 --> 00:47:56,600

Exactly.

: 1007

00:47:56,680 --> 00:47:59,750

No, I think that's the truth is

everybody's not going to be great.

: 1008

00:48:00,530 --> 00:48:03,640

Or some people, even if you're just

like, look, I'm trying to have reference

: 1009

00:48:03,640 --> 00:48:04,940

of what I'm going to say questions.

: 1010

00:48:04,960 --> 00:48:06,330

Some people will be curt.

: 1011

00:48:06,350 --> 00:48:09,570

I don't have time to talk to you or

you want to have questions, you know,

: 1012

00:48:09,580 --> 00:48:11,160

go on the website and read this doc.

: 1013

00:48:11,180 --> 00:48:15,293

And there are people who will sort of

you, but come on now, people will do it.

: 1014

00:48:15,293 --> 00:48:19,810

You know, we issued a report, read

the report, you know, they'll, they'll

: 1015

00:48:19,810 --> 00:48:21,305

sort of, you know, Or look at you

: 1016

00:48:21,305 --> 00:48:22,485

Tony Tidbit: sideways, right?

: 1017

00:48:24,085 --> 00:48:27,925

Candice C. Jones: Just sort of um, but I

really would say to a young professional

: 1018

00:48:27,925 --> 00:48:31,185

you can't let that discourage you if

some person is shutting you Down, that's

: 1019

00:48:31,185 --> 00:48:35,410

not your person Obviously, that's not

the person you're going to build likely

: 1020

00:48:35,410 --> 00:48:39,590

a genuine mentorship relationship

with, but it gives you an opportunity.

: 1021

00:48:39,610 --> 00:48:41,260

Don't stop reaching out to people.

: 1022

00:48:41,270 --> 00:48:44,030

When I had the same example at the

department of AI, I remember going on

: 1023

00:48:44,040 --> 00:48:48,620

really early and sort of articulating

for some folks, what I thought my ideas

: 1024

00:48:48,690 --> 00:48:50,330

were of things that we can accomplish.

: 1025

00:48:50,590 --> 00:48:54,790

And I had this guy say to me, actually,

I'm never getting, he said to me, he was

: 1026

00:48:54,810 --> 00:48:58,080

like, why don't you just use this time

and like write a little report and we

: 1027

00:48:58,080 --> 00:48:59,890

can publish it and put your name on it.

: 1028

00:49:00,820 --> 00:49:03,150

You know, and I'm thinking,

am I, I'm not kidding you.

: 1029

00:49:03,150 --> 00:49:04,970

And I actually don't

think that he was trying.

: 1030

00:49:05,000 --> 00:49:08,370

I really genuinely don't think that

he was trying to be condescending.

: 1031

00:49:09,010 --> 00:49:11,020

He just felt like I was

probably misdirected.

: 1032

00:49:11,020 --> 00:49:11,950

Cause I'm talking about stuff.

: 1033

00:49:11,950 --> 00:49:12,990

I'm like, we did this guys.

: 1034

00:49:13,020 --> 00:49:14,430

We can impact thousands of lives.

: 1035

00:49:14,480 --> 00:49:16,170

Like we could really

do some good work here.

: 1036

00:49:16,680 --> 00:49:18,354

And he was just sort of like.

: 1037

00:49:18,535 --> 00:49:21,705

You know, somebody who had been there

for a long time, like, ah, they're not

: 1038

00:49:21,705 --> 00:49:23,925

going to, in his mind, I think he's

thinking, they're not going to do that.

: 1039

00:49:23,925 --> 00:49:25,955

They're not going to take, you know,

they're not going to take that up.

: 1040

00:49:26,175 --> 00:49:27,355

Here's something else that you can do.

: 1041

00:49:27,365 --> 00:49:29,145

And you'll, you'll get a little

credit, you know, put your

: 1042

00:49:29,145 --> 00:49:30,555

little name on it kind of thing.

: 1043

00:49:31,075 --> 00:49:34,345

And I, you know, I could have been

like, Oh, he's being dismissive.

: 1044

00:49:34,825 --> 00:49:38,745

Like, I'm just going to go now, like sit

in the corner for the rest of my time.

: 1045

00:49:38,755 --> 00:49:42,905

But I was like, no, I, I probably, you

know, tighten up a little bit of gumption.

: 1046

00:49:42,905 --> 00:49:47,285

I was like, no, No, I don't need to write

a report and just put my name on it.

: 1047

00:49:47,285 --> 00:49:49,145

I actually want to figure out if

we can do something that can have

: 1048

00:49:49,145 --> 00:49:50,745

some impact on people's lives.

: 1049

00:49:51,145 --> 00:49:54,145

And, you know, sort of kept

meeting and networking with people

: 1050

00:49:54,145 --> 00:49:56,615

and found that there were people

who actually agreed with me.

: 1051

00:49:56,785 --> 00:49:59,725

And before it was all said and

done, he actually agreed with me

: 1052

00:49:59,735 --> 00:50:02,565

because I think it renewed his faith

that actually things could happen.

: 1053

00:50:02,795 --> 00:50:06,935

If you continue to sort of like really

be consistent and sort of push and

: 1054

00:50:06,975 --> 00:50:10,425

build your brand and garner respect

to show people that you, you mean it,

: 1055

00:50:10,425 --> 00:50:11,885

and you're willing to put the work in.

: 1056

00:50:12,235 --> 00:50:14,295

And so that's what I would

say to that professional.

: 1057

00:50:14,315 --> 00:50:16,675

Yes, they're absolutely going

to be people that discourage you

: 1058

00:50:16,675 --> 00:50:18,115

that undercut you and just that.

: 1059

00:50:18,460 --> 00:50:22,830

Frankly, outright shut you down and,

you know, hit you in the mouth, but you

: 1060

00:50:22,830 --> 00:50:25,090

don't stop like you got to keep going.

: 1061

00:50:25,100 --> 00:50:26,950

And that's the truth in that situation.

: 1062

00:50:26,970 --> 00:50:29,500

And through a career, like

they're, they're not sprints.

: 1063

00:50:29,530 --> 00:50:30,320

They're marathons.

: 1064

00:50:30,420 --> 00:50:31,720

It's not all going to feel.

: 1065

00:50:32,340 --> 00:50:32,750

Tony Tidbit: Wow.

: 1066

00:50:33,280 --> 00:50:34,010

No, that's right.

: 1067

00:50:34,060 --> 00:50:35,990

I look, I'm all fired up right now.

: 1068

00:50:38,780 --> 00:50:39,440

I'm ready to roll.

: 1069

00:50:39,870 --> 00:50:40,070

Right.

: 1070

00:50:40,250 --> 00:50:41,050

I'm going to work tomorrow.

: 1071

00:50:41,050 --> 00:50:41,680

Like I'm back.

: 1072

00:50:42,170 --> 00:50:44,240

I'm the man you ever know.

: 1073

00:50:44,240 --> 00:50:44,750

I'm teasing.

: 1074

00:50:46,700 --> 00:50:47,700

But you got my girl.

: 1075

00:50:47,700 --> 00:50:48,720

I love your energy.

: 1076

00:50:48,740 --> 00:50:50,280

Final thoughts for the audience.

: 1077

00:50:50,280 --> 00:50:54,410

I mean, you just said a lot right there

in terms of how to deal with obstacles.

: 1078

00:50:54,410 --> 00:50:55,190

But what do you want?

: 1079

00:50:55,200 --> 00:50:57,340

People is outside of that.

: 1080

00:50:57,550 --> 00:50:58,370

What do you want?

: 1081

00:50:58,380 --> 00:50:59,790

People who's going to listen to this?

: 1082

00:50:59,810 --> 00:51:03,590

What do you want them to walk away

with that they can take tomorrow?

: 1083

00:51:03,950 --> 00:51:06,340

Because you've you look, let's be fair.

: 1084

00:51:06,570 --> 00:51:08,350

You grew up in West Chicago.

: 1085

00:51:08,705 --> 00:51:12,665

Okay, you went through a lot of

obstacles and look where you are today.

: 1086

00:51:12,665 --> 00:51:14,565

A very successful black woman.

: 1087

00:51:14,565 --> 00:51:14,995

All right.

: 1088

00:51:15,365 --> 00:51:19,035

And at the end of the day, and you've

done and just to be, we're not trying

: 1089

00:51:19,035 --> 00:51:22,955

to fawn over you, but just to be honest,

your bio doesn't even do you justice.

: 1090

00:51:22,955 --> 00:51:23,435

Okay.

: 1091

00:51:23,635 --> 00:51:27,215

Of all the things I've read,

which you wrote on, um, on the,

: 1092

00:51:27,215 --> 00:51:30,845

um, about the, uh, the, uh,

population, what was the publication?

: 1093

00:51:31,105 --> 00:51:33,685

Um, Noel, you've written

a lot of great things.

: 1094

00:51:34,685 --> 00:51:35,995

It's right there in DC.

: 1095

00:51:36,025 --> 00:51:38,645

It's called the, um, What's

the publication called?

: 1096

00:51:38,645 --> 00:51:40,715

The Wire or the Hill?

: 1097

00:51:40,715 --> 00:51:40,717

The Hill.

: 1098

00:51:40,775 --> 00:51:41,255

I'm sorry.

: 1099

00:51:41,285 --> 00:51:41,585

Thank you.

: 1100

00:51:41,590 --> 00:51:42,160

The Hill, right?

: 1101

00:51:42,160 --> 00:51:42,360

The hill,

: 1102

00:51:42,360 --> 00:51:42,520

Candice C. Jones: yep.

: 1103

00:51:42,520 --> 00:51:42,522

The hill.

: 1104

00:51:42,875 --> 00:51:43,235

You've,

: 1105

00:51:43,235 --> 00:51:45,665

Tony Tidbit: you've done a lot

of great things, so there's a lot

: 1106

00:51:45,665 --> 00:51:50,465

of great accolades and obviously

great success doesn't come, you

: 1107

00:51:50,465 --> 00:51:52,895

know, just a linear ladder, right?

: 1108

00:51:52,955 --> 00:51:55,775

At the end of the day, there's

stops and starts, ups and downs.

: 1109

00:51:56,070 --> 00:51:57,800

You just spoke a little

bit about him as well.

: 1110

00:51:58,010 --> 00:52:00,610

So what's some of the final thoughts

that you want to leave to the

: 1111

00:52:00,610 --> 00:52:04,270

audience that they can walk away

with in terms of being able to be

: 1112

00:52:04,270 --> 00:52:08,190

successful in corporate America or any

endeavor that they may put together?

: 1113

00:52:08,840 --> 00:52:11,130

Candice C. Jones: I think that's

something that I would leave people with.

: 1114

00:52:11,130 --> 00:52:14,730

You know, I always say when you're,

this is where, when, when you're

: 1115

00:52:14,730 --> 00:52:18,570

saying that, and when Chris was reading

my bio, when you look back at your

: 1116

00:52:18,570 --> 00:52:24,065

career, I feel like it looks like

it all makes perfect sense, right?

: 1117

00:52:24,065 --> 00:52:24,925

You can explain it.

: 1118

00:52:24,955 --> 00:52:28,035

I did this and then I left to

this, but I try to tell people,

: 1119

00:52:28,195 --> 00:52:31,765

I'm like, when you're living it, it

feels like you're backing into it.

: 1120

00:52:32,710 --> 00:52:36,270

You know, like it's just not as easy.

: 1121

00:52:36,270 --> 00:52:39,300

And for young professionals, for

young black women, for young black

: 1122

00:52:39,300 --> 00:52:44,160

people coming up, don't feel like,

like, it's not going to feel like

: 1123

00:52:44,180 --> 00:52:45,990

every magical choices pre design.

: 1124

00:52:45,990 --> 00:52:47,440

I said, I was going to do this.

: 1125

00:52:47,440 --> 00:52:49,240

And then two years later, I did that.

: 1126

00:52:49,280 --> 00:52:51,010

And I was there and I had 18.

: 1127

00:52:51,380 --> 00:52:54,410

It actually, when you're living,

it doesn't feel like that.

: 1128

00:52:54,430 --> 00:52:56,530

It's going to feel really

different when you arrive at your

: 1129

00:52:56,530 --> 00:52:58,050

principal place and look back.

: 1130

00:52:58,350 --> 00:52:59,510

And that's okay.

: 1131

00:52:59,530 --> 00:53:01,310

Stay in it, right?

: 1132

00:53:01,560 --> 00:53:05,110

If you take some of these tips that

we've talked about, building a good

: 1133

00:53:05,140 --> 00:53:10,330

mentorship pool, knowing and fortifying

yourself, remember who you are, right?

: 1134

00:53:10,390 --> 00:53:14,630

We are living in a society that is

designed to reinforce constantly.

: 1135

00:53:14,800 --> 00:53:19,340

Our deficits, it will create deficits

for us that don't actually exist.

: 1136

00:53:19,860 --> 00:53:22,640

If we drown in that,

we're just going to drown.

: 1137

00:53:22,650 --> 00:53:24,310

We have to remember who we are.

: 1138

00:53:24,480 --> 00:53:28,480

We come with incredible stress,

incredible endurance in spite of things.

: 1139

00:53:28,730 --> 00:53:31,830

And like young people going into

these settings, they're going to be.

: 1140

00:53:32,215 --> 00:53:36,135

But they have to remember that and sort

of fortify themselves in a way have that

: 1141

00:53:36,725 --> 00:53:39,535

mentorship and stay at it because they

too are going to get to a place in their

: 1142

00:53:39,535 --> 00:53:42,565

career when they look back and it's going

to be this beautiful patchwork book of

: 1143

00:53:42,565 --> 00:53:46,925

things that all make sense even though it

didn't feel like every step of the way.

: 1144

00:53:47,185 --> 00:53:49,375

Um, like they'll have their story to tell.

: 1145

00:53:49,375 --> 00:53:51,985

And I think it's really important

to remind people of that because

: 1146

00:53:51,995 --> 00:53:54,075

when you're young, you're stressing

yourself out because you're

: 1147

00:53:54,095 --> 00:53:55,635

such in this constant strife.

: 1148

00:53:56,360 --> 00:53:58,040

But it's like, you will get there.

: 1149

00:53:58,040 --> 00:53:58,970

It's a marathon.

: 1150

00:53:58,970 --> 00:54:00,510

It's just a set of building blocks.

: 1151

00:54:00,910 --> 00:54:01,840

Keep at it.

: 1152

00:54:01,840 --> 00:54:04,840

You know, if you just don't

let it sort of destroy you and

: 1153

00:54:04,840 --> 00:54:06,260

drown, you're going to get there.

: 1154

00:54:08,120 --> 00:54:11,730

Chris P. Reed: You've let your actual

support system and your spiritual

: 1155

00:54:11,730 --> 00:54:16,100

support system navigate through, through

the mirage of negativity that exists,

: 1156

00:54:16,140 --> 00:54:17,700

that you realize that's not real.

: 1157

00:54:17,900 --> 00:54:19,390

That's not where they just saying stuff.

: 1158

00:54:19,390 --> 00:54:20,180

Don't believe that.

: 1159

00:54:20,490 --> 00:54:22,960

And I'm glad you've been

able to reinforce yourself.

: 1160

00:54:23,275 --> 00:54:27,515

Uh, with that type of fortitude, uh,

what can we do at a black executive

: 1161

00:54:27,535 --> 00:54:29,375

perspective podcast to help you?

: 1162

00:54:29,965 --> 00:54:33,355

Your journey as you continue to

ascend because you young as hell.

: 1163

00:54:33,355 --> 00:54:34,285

Like this ain't over.

: 1164

00:54:34,435 --> 00:54:37,210

That seemed like I know a lot

of, she said she was watching the

: 1165

00:54:37,210 --> 00:54:37,690

Tony Tidbit: Cosby Show,

: 1166

00:54:41,030 --> 00:54:42,655

I'm like, I was out there leaving.

: 1167

00:54:42,715 --> 00:54:44,485

I couldn't watch the co show

: 1168

00:54:47,275 --> 00:54:47,695

on the bone.

: 1169

00:54:49,615 --> 00:54:50,370

Candice C. Jones: I

was, I was watching tv.

: 1170

00:54:54,210 --> 00:54:55,000

Chris P. Reed: So what can we do?

: 1171

00:54:55,030 --> 00:54:55,340

I

: 1172

00:54:55,370 --> 00:54:57,350

Candice C. Jones: just, you

know, one, I love this platform.

: 1173

00:54:57,350 --> 00:54:59,350

I love that you guys are

engaging in these conversations.

: 1174

00:54:59,370 --> 00:55:01,320

I want people to just know about our work.

: 1175

00:55:01,360 --> 00:55:03,350

Follow us at public welfare.

: 1176

00:55:03,690 --> 00:55:04,350

org.

: 1177

00:55:04,660 --> 00:55:09,650

We are public welfare on all the handles,

Twitter, Instagram, and I want people to

: 1178

00:55:09,650 --> 00:55:12,750

know some of the work that we're doing

with organizations all over the country.

: 1179

00:55:12,750 --> 00:55:15,530

They do incredible work on

behalf of people every day.

: 1180

00:55:15,820 --> 00:55:18,580

I really want people to take the

opportunity to learn about their

: 1181

00:55:18,580 --> 00:55:20,870

work and engage more if they can.

: 1182

00:55:20,880 --> 00:55:21,380

And I think.

: 1183

00:55:21,610 --> 00:55:24,600

Having platforms like this, talking

about these issues, spreading

: 1184

00:55:24,600 --> 00:55:25,870

the word about our good work.

: 1185

00:55:26,120 --> 00:55:27,480

I couldn't ask for anything more.

: 1186

00:55:27,480 --> 00:55:30,070

I just appreciate the opportunity

to be here with you guys.

: 1187

00:55:30,400 --> 00:55:32,810

Tony Tidbit: Well, listen,

we're blessed to have you here.

: 1188

00:55:33,190 --> 00:55:35,980

Um, our society is blessed to have you.

: 1189

00:55:36,360 --> 00:55:37,000

Okay.

: 1190

00:55:37,010 --> 00:55:40,710

If we've had, we have more people

like you, Candice, and I'm not, again,

: 1191

00:55:40,710 --> 00:55:42,600

I'm just, we call it like we see it.

: 1192

00:55:42,700 --> 00:55:43,360

Okay.

: 1193

00:55:43,680 --> 00:55:44,670

That's out there.

: 1194

00:55:44,670 --> 00:55:45,870

That's making stuff happen.

: 1195

00:55:45,870 --> 00:55:48,550

And more importantly, provide,

you know, at the end of the day,

: 1196

00:55:48,680 --> 00:55:50,090

I learned this a long time ago.

: 1197

00:55:51,515 --> 00:55:56,565

It's, we're all trees, and at the end of

the day, you can tell a healthy tree is

: 1198

00:55:56,565 --> 00:55:59,255

by how many branches does that tree have.

: 1199

00:55:59,900 --> 00:56:03,590

How many other people has,

has that tree helped, right?

: 1200

00:56:03,770 --> 00:56:06,720

And I can tell you've helped, you've

helped us, you've helped people

: 1201

00:56:06,720 --> 00:56:07,590

who are going to listen to this.

: 1202

00:56:07,880 --> 00:56:12,490

And I know for a fact, you have a big,

beautiful tree of branches of people

: 1203

00:56:12,490 --> 00:56:13,830

that you've helped along the way.

: 1204

00:56:13,830 --> 00:56:16,260

So we really appreciate you joining.

: 1205

00:56:16,550 --> 00:56:19,610

We really thank you for the

love and the passion, the

: 1206

00:56:19,610 --> 00:56:21,330

intellect that you share today.

: 1207

00:56:21,470 --> 00:56:23,800

And we want you to stay along

because we want your help in

: 1208

00:56:23,800 --> 00:56:24,950

terms of our call to action.

: 1209

00:56:24,950 --> 00:56:25,480

How does that sound?

: 1210

00:56:26,050 --> 00:56:27,080

Candice C. Jones: Sounds great.

: 1211

00:56:27,310 --> 00:56:27,730

Tony Tidbit: Okay.

: 1212

00:56:27,730 --> 00:56:28,060

Awesome.

: 1213

00:56:28,060 --> 00:56:31,280

So now I think it's

time for Tony's tidbit.

: 1214

00:56:31,310 --> 00:56:31,690

Okay.

: 1215

00:56:31,690 --> 00:56:34,630

And it's always a tidbit is

always about what we talked about.

: 1216

00:56:34,630 --> 00:56:39,600

So today's tidbit is mentorship serves

as a critical link between overcoming

: 1217

00:56:39,650 --> 00:56:42,080

obstacles and obtaining success.

: 1218

00:56:42,480 --> 00:56:47,150

Wholeheartedly embrace it to elevate

the next wave of black women leaders,

: 1219

00:56:47,560 --> 00:56:49,060

build your network deliberately.

: 1220

00:56:49,565 --> 00:56:53,255

It is not merely about your

connections, but about who you

: 1221

00:56:53,255 --> 00:56:56,245

inspire and who inspires you.

: 1222

00:56:56,965 --> 00:57:01,305

And you heard that today from

Candice C Jones, and we loved

: 1223

00:57:01,305 --> 00:57:03,455

her because she inspired us.

: 1224

00:57:04,915 --> 00:57:05,455

Chris P. Reed: Absolutely.

: 1225

00:57:06,265 --> 00:57:10,805

And just remember to tune in for

another inspirational black lady that

: 1226

00:57:10,805 --> 00:57:14,925

we have in our segment, need to know

with Nsenga, or, you know, every week.

: 1227

00:57:15,490 --> 00:57:19,860

I need to know with Nsenga she

discusses topics and subject matter

: 1228

00:57:20,080 --> 00:57:21,630

that shape our community and world.

: 1229

00:57:21,640 --> 00:57:21,990

Dr.

: 1230

00:57:21,990 --> 00:57:26,040

Nsenga Burton You should tune into her

and make sure you gain the unique insights

: 1231

00:57:26,040 --> 00:57:30,250

and perspectives and understanding issues

that matter to us and matter to the world.

: 1232

00:57:30,450 --> 00:57:31,890

This is something you don't want to miss.

: 1233

00:57:31,930 --> 00:57:32,180

Trust.

: 1234

00:57:32,180 --> 00:57:32,320

No,

: 1235

00:57:32,320 --> 00:57:32,850

Tony Tidbit: you don't.

: 1236

00:57:32,860 --> 00:57:35,660

She just finished in,

uh, her last recording.

: 1237

00:57:35,660 --> 00:57:36,540

So it's going to be awesome.

: 1238

00:57:36,540 --> 00:57:38,260

So definitely check it out on Thursday.

: 1239

00:57:38,460 --> 00:57:41,320

I hope you enjoyed today's

episode, vision and vigor.

: 1240

00:57:41,675 --> 00:57:43,875

Prospects for black women in leadership.

: 1241

00:57:44,405 --> 00:57:49,615

Chris P. Reed: And we want to remind you

to always embrace the call to action that

: 1242

00:57:49,625 --> 00:57:56,875

we have, which is less L E S S the first

L or the L there is for learn, educate

: 1243

00:57:56,875 --> 00:57:59,915

yourself on racial and cultural nuances.

: 1244

00:58:00,115 --> 00:58:03,385

So you can pass that information

down and mentor the next generation.

: 1245

00:58:03,395 --> 00:58:04,125

Tony Tidbit: Absolutely.

: 1246

00:58:04,125 --> 00:58:05,855

Chris, because our goal is to decrease.

: 1247

00:58:06,400 --> 00:58:07,800

All type of discrimination.

: 1248

00:58:07,810 --> 00:58:12,200

So after you learn, you have

E, E stands for empathy.

: 1249

00:58:12,340 --> 00:58:16,500

Now you should be more empathetic

against your fellow human being.

: 1250

00:58:17,810 --> 00:58:21,050

Candice C. Jones: And the S,

that first S there is for share.

: 1251

00:58:21,300 --> 00:58:23,310

After you've learned and

you're more empathetic.

: 1252

00:58:23,380 --> 00:58:23,800

Aesthetic.

: 1253

00:58:23,800 --> 00:58:27,700

Share what, you know, share your

personal story and educate somebody

: 1254

00:58:27,700 --> 00:58:29,470

else that's gonna help them grow.

: 1255

00:58:29,700 --> 00:58:30,780

Tony Tidbit: Absolutely.

: 1256

00:58:30,780 --> 00:58:31,530

Absolutely.

: 1257

00:58:31,530 --> 00:58:33,510

And the final S is for stop.

: 1258

00:58:34,110 --> 00:58:37,200

You want to stop discrimination

as it walks in your path.

: 1259

00:58:37,460 --> 00:58:40,340

So if you hear grandma at the

grand at the Thanksgiving table.

: 1260

00:58:40,550 --> 00:58:41,920

Saying something inappropriate.

: 1261

00:58:42,120 --> 00:58:45,110

You say, grandma, we

don't say that, right?

: 1262

00:58:45,110 --> 00:58:46,540

You stop it right there.

: 1263

00:58:46,740 --> 00:58:51,020

And by everyone incorporating less,

we're going to build a more fair, more

: 1264

00:58:51,130 --> 00:58:55,900

understanding world, and we're going

to see the change that we want to see.

: 1265

00:58:56,185 --> 00:58:58,325

Because less will become more.

: 1266

00:58:59,405 --> 00:59:02,065

Chris P. Reed: We definitely want

you to tune in for our next episodes.

: 1267

00:59:02,065 --> 00:59:02,945

It's going to be powerful.

: 1268

00:59:02,945 --> 00:59:05,575

May I, I'm hoping that it

stays as powerful as this one.

: 1269

00:59:05,575 --> 00:59:07,205

This was a high mark to me,

: 1270

00:59:07,765 --> 00:59:08,205

Tony Tidbit: but, uh,

: 1271

00:59:08,605 --> 00:59:11,535

Chris P. Reed: we, we also want

you to go to our website and

: 1272

00:59:11,535 --> 00:59:12,785

sign up for the newsletter.

: 1273

00:59:13,015 --> 00:59:15,125

We want you to leave us

reviews and speak to us.

: 1274

00:59:15,125 --> 00:59:18,105

We want you to subscribe wherever

you're listening to this podcast.

: 1275

00:59:18,335 --> 00:59:21,585

It'll help us help you where you are,

because we want to continue to bring

: 1276

00:59:21,595 --> 00:59:24,690

great talent, great individuals,

great human beings, great people.

: 1277

00:59:24,860 --> 00:59:27,750

To this platform to speak their

story and you'll realize the

: 1278

00:59:27,750 --> 00:59:29,260

world is not as desperate.

: 1279

00:59:29,510 --> 00:59:32,970

It's not as it's not as divided

as they want you to believe

: 1280

00:59:32,970 --> 00:59:34,680

in this mirage of negativity.

: 1281

00:59:35,000 --> 00:59:35,900

It's just a mirage.

: 1282

00:59:36,150 --> 00:59:36,710

Tony Tidbit: Exactly.

: 1283

00:59:36,720 --> 00:59:39,520

And you can follow a black

executive perspective podcast on

: 1284

00:59:39,550 --> 00:59:44,490

all of our socials at LinkedIn X,

YouTube, Facebook, and tick tock at

: 1285

00:59:44,490 --> 00:59:47,240

Ablackexec for our fabulous guests.

: 1286

00:59:47,340 --> 00:59:48,280

Candice C.

: 1287

00:59:48,280 --> 00:59:52,450

Jones who brought the power and the

love and the knowledge today for the

: 1288

00:59:52,490 --> 00:59:54,760

co host with the most, my man, Chris P.

: 1289

00:59:54,770 --> 00:59:58,910

Reed for Noel Miller, who's behind

the glass that made all this happen.

: 1290

00:59:59,180 --> 01:00:00,340

I'm Tony tidbit.

: 1291

01:00:00,640 --> 01:00:01,780

We talked about it.

: 1292

01:00:02,030 --> 01:00:03,740

We love you and we're out

: 1293

01:00:07,810 --> 01:00:08,430

BEP Narrator: a black

: 1294

01:00:08,760 --> 01:00:10,240

executive perspective.