Zuryna: Welcome to Operations
Unfiltered, the podcast that
takes you behind the scenes of
influencer and talent management.
I'm your host, Zaina.
Today's episode is a little different
because I'm giving you a front
row seat to my personal journey.
Journal entry style.
Yes.
I'm bringing you inside my thoughts,
my experiences, and my occasional
overthinking because let's be
real, I tend to do that a lot.
So let's set the scene.
I have officially embarked on week
one of a six week board member
pipeline leadership program with
the associated Black Charities
organization here in Baltimore.
And honestly, this has been
on my vision board for years.
For those of you who are unfamiliar
Associated Black Charities was
founded in 1985 as a way to represent
and respond to issues impacting
Maryland's black communities.
It started with a $100,000
planning grant from the United Way
since its establishment in 1985.
Associated Black Charities
has been instrumental in
advocating for black people.
They do this through five focus
areas, education, support,
resources, advocacy, and engagement.
Some of their premier initiatives
include the A, B, C, gala support
in the workplace and their board
pipeline leadership development
training program, which is what I'm in.
Now I've always heard about the prestige
of being on a board of directors.
Like how many times have you heard
someone say, oh, I know Joe Schmo.
We sat on the board together.
Honestly, in my mind, it's
basically like corporate America's
version of, we go way back.
But here's the thing, when I looked
around at who was actually on these
boards, it was a sea of older white men.
And don't get me wrong, I have learned
so much from white men who have
supported me in my career, but be very
clear, I have never had one actively
sponsor me in a corporate setting.
And that distinction truly matters.
So let's rewind.
Picture this.
It is 2016 and your girl just
graduated from the Stevenson
University with a bachelor's
degree in business Communication.
And I just started my first big
girl job at a major insurance
company here in Baltimore.
I went through a tumultuous time figuring
out how to navigate the corporate side
of things, understanding the corporate
nuance, if you know, you know, girl.
And one day I found out that my
department's vice president, who was
a woman of color that I truly admired,
she was a member of several boards.
I spent some time getting to know her,
her assistant, just trying to get the
lay of the land to understand how she
had time to do all of those things.
And honestly, that's when the
light bulb moment happened for me.
Board member service wasn't just about
prestige, it was truly about impact.
Representation, sparking change.
And if you're from Baltimore, you
know this city thrives on connections.
Honestly, they don't call
it Baltimore for nothing.
For me, I literally run into people I
went to elementary school with, like
I'm talking about fourth graders.
So this is a city where board
service can really open doors.
But here's where my overachiever
tendencies kick in, because
once I realized I needed
experience to even get on a board
the perfectionist in me panicked.
One year turned into two, then
covid hit, then I had a baby.
Then life was lifeing, and
suddenly my ambitions shift,
but something in me changed.
Maybe it was my incessant
replays of the Wicked soundtrack.
Maybe it was Divine Timing, but in
January, 2025, I finally did it.
I applied for the Associated Black
Charities Board Pipeline program and
y'all, this program is different.
They are equipping black professionals
with the tools to serve on nonprofit
boards, not just a seat at the table.
Real knowledge, real
strategy, real impact.
Now, like I said, this is week
one and my nerves are real.
They were so bad.
I've been working remotely for three years
and let's just say social interactions
can feel a little bit awkward for me.
And to top it off, I am the most
introverted extrovert you will ever meet.
When I first got to the meeting,
we started off with some
icebreakers, which immediately
gave me flashbacks to RA training.
If you are an RA at Stevenson,
you know, but go Mustangs.
But honestly, I walked in with zero
expectations and immediately I was
hit with some serious inspiration.
Our first meeting was with Chrissy
Thornton, the president and CEO
of associated Black Charities.
And you know when you meet somebody that
just commands the room, that was her.
The moment she started
speaking, I was like, oh, okay.
I need to be in the room with her.
I need to shake her hand.
I need to add her on LinkedIn immediately.
But more than that week
one, it kind of felt like.
Syllabus day in college, like
you're getting the lay of the
land, but also hitting us with
some harsh facts and realities.
Like honestly, the lack of
black representation in board
service is really staggering.
And while we didn't really get into
the mechanics just yet, which kind of
gave me anxiety because the project
manager and me was looking for action
items, we focused on the why, the
mission, and , that hit different.
After week one, I kind of sat down,
digested everything, looked at my
notes, and I wrote a list of social
causes that really inspire me.
And y'all, that list was long.
I'm talking things like cannabis reform,
equity, and access to cannabis ownership.
Financial literacy beyond kids, because
the middle class needs that education too.
The insane black maternal mortality rate,
food insecurity, housing insecurity.
But one issue that really stood out to me.
And it might sound crazy.
Social media equity as a project
manager, a talent booking agent,
a marketing project manager.
And let's be real.
I'm truly just a girly, trying
to be the modern day Olivia Pope.
I have seen how much black
content creators are undervalued,
underpaid, and overlook.
Honestly, the transparency
just isn't there.
And on top of that, we
need social media literacy.
Kids are jumping on these platforms
so young and it's impacting their
mental health in ways that we
don't even fully understand yet.
And then there's the elephant in the
room, NIL, name, image, and likeness.
A whole new world, a whole new
frontier that parents and young
athletes need to understand.
Honestly, we could be creating
generational wealth from our iPhones, but
we not ready for that conversation yet.
Whew Chow.
If week one was this eyeopening,
I cannot wait for what's next.
I'm truly excited for this
journey, and I'm excited about
the impact that I'm gonna be able
to make in Baltimore and beyond.
And of course, you know, I'm gonna be
bringing you guys along for the journey.
So what do you think, have you
ever considered serving on a board?
What causes fire you up?
Is it cannabis reform?
Is it the insane black
maternal mortality rate?
Food insecurity?
Let me know.
Let's talk about it.
But until then, keep making an impact and
I'll catch up with you guys next time.
Thanks for tuning in.