Full Transcript for Featuring: Aubria Ralph

kind of the hub for some of the extended family that lives in the States with us. 00:02:51.203 --> 00:02:56.646 And so she ends up just collecting everybody's stuff. 00:02:56.768 --> 00:03:03.492 And so we just decided that it would probably be better to do that. 00:03:03.933 --> 00:03:11.094 To just, Moving. 00:03:11.772 --> 00:03:19.508 Before the place that I'm in now, I think I moved something like six times in seven years. 00:03:19.508 --> 00:03:25.383 Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was during my 20s actually. 00:03:25.383 --> 00:03:27.655 I feel like I was always moving. 00:03:30.682 --> 00:03:38.343 Yeah, like, completely non-committal in the place that I was gonna live. 00:03:38.925 --> 00:04:27.264 And I think part of it is like, this like desire to not be pinned to anything and like just having it's like I've always just really enjoyed freedom in a way you know and mostly like physical freedom the ability to just kind of pick up and do what I want and it's bizarre because I'm also very very structured so like the two personalities working together don't make a lot of sense sometimes because on the one hand I'm little miss open free spirit on the other hand i'm like no it has to be this way and only this way in this order and you know and so like I feel like you have very strong frameworks that you can pick up and move anywhere, is what it sounds like. 00:04:29.446 --> 00:04:31.766 my gosh, amazing. 00:04:31.766 --> 00:04:36.369 Well, why don't you kick us off in your journey line? 00:04:36.369 --> 00:04:42.990 I see we are starting, or so many of folks start, in retail and corporate management. 00:04:42.990 --> 00:04:46.452 Corporate management, around 2003? 00:04:46.452 --> 00:04:47.593 We're kicking things off? 00:04:47.593 --> 00:04:50.286 All right, what's going on in your life then? 00:04:50.286 --> 00:04:56.815 I'm in, I'm like in high school and yeah, so it's my first job. 00:04:56.815 --> 00:05:02.925 I had been trying to get a job for, I don't know, four years at that point, but my mom was just not having it. 00:05:02.925 --> 00:05:11.250 And then I turned 18, I finally turned 18 and she was a little bit more open to me getting a job. 00:05:11.511 --> 00:05:25.338 And it started out as like a part-time, literally one day a week gig, because my mom said I could work weekends, but she really meant Saturday. 00:05:28.321 --> 00:05:31.202 And Sunday was church. 00:05:31.202 --> 00:05:36.086 so we don't do things on Sunday. 00:05:36.086 --> 00:05:37.807 We don't work on Sunday. 00:05:38.341 --> 00:05:47.648 So it was one of those things where I remember like just even getting a retail place to agree to that kind of schedule. 00:05:47.648 --> 00:05:48.920 I can't imagine. 00:05:48.920 --> 00:05:50.440 Just one day? 00:05:50.898 --> 00:05:52.213 Was it in a mall? 00:05:52.213 --> 00:05:53.865 I imagine it's in a mall. 00:05:54.084 --> 00:06:07.125 It was like one of those strip malls out on Long Island and it ended up being a stables and I think the only reason he agreed is because one of my friends from high school recommended me. 00:06:07.125 --> 00:06:11.269 So really my first job, like it wasn't a real application. 00:06:11.269 --> 00:06:13.940 It was like, you should hire her because she's great. 00:06:13.940 --> 00:06:19.204 And like, and so I ended up being like a copy and print center associate. 00:06:20.478 --> 00:06:22.184 Amazing. 00:06:22.502 --> 00:06:31.642 and as a result now have like, wait, I know way too much about like copyright and trademark and all this stuff as a result. 00:06:32.622 --> 00:06:37.802 Yeah, it's like, like I'm the person that's like holding that, is this 24 pound linen? 00:06:37.802 --> 00:06:41.163 And people are like looking at me like, what is wrong with you, Aubria? 00:06:41.163 --> 00:06:43.642 I like why, why are you this way? 00:06:44.023 --> 00:06:47.408 but yeah. 00:06:47.408 --> 00:06:47.608 deep. 00:06:47.608 --> 00:06:53.560 I know people who like started at grocery stores and they're like, I would prefer to pack my own groceries, thank you. 00:06:54.444 --> 00:06:56.855 It's funny how those early jobs stick with us. 00:06:56.855 --> 00:06:57.694 really do. 00:06:57.694 --> 00:07:06.954 I mean, I feel like I learned like looking back, I had a really good set of like managers in that place. 00:07:06.954 --> 00:07:13.194 Like I remember like the copy and print manager, she was just incredible. 00:07:13.194 --> 00:07:17.334 I like you always hear people talk about like servant leadership. 00:07:17.334 --> 00:07:29.125 I feel like she embodied that because she was just always so concerned about each person, like she knew everybody's story and it was constantly in her head. 00:07:29.125 --> 00:07:39.307 So even as she made a schedule, like she was always thinking, you know, like our Jewish employees, like she knew like they don't, they can't be there for Shabbat. 00:07:39.307 --> 00:07:42.728 Like, and it was just like so natural for her. 00:07:42.728 --> 00:08:10.572 Like I think like later on in life, when I started having to even discuss some of the things I had to discuss, it It was so odd to me because I grew up in my work around people who were just so aware and willing to meet people where they are, which I think seems to be going away more and more. 00:08:10.572 --> 00:08:16.230 Although we're talking about it a lot, I feel like there's really less. 00:08:16.230 --> 00:08:17.105 act of it. 00:08:17.105 --> 00:08:20.257 less like actually meeting people where they are. 00:08:20.257 --> 00:08:22.379 It's just, we want to meet you where you are. 00:08:22.379 --> 00:08:28.514 like, but these are all the conditions that are attached, which, doesn't really work. 00:08:28.514 --> 00:08:28.935 Right. 00:08:28.935 --> 00:08:42.296 And so I remember I graduated high school and my, my boss was like, you know, kind of looking for a new manager because the manager, she got promoted. 00:08:42.616 --> 00:08:43.996 cause she was so good.

00:08:44.254 --> 00:08:45.677 And. 00:08:46.047 --> 00:08:51.807 I was starting college and I was like, I don't know if I could do college and like, I don't know I want to risk it. 00:08:51.807 --> 00:08:54.126 Like, I just want to like focus on school. 00:08:54.126 --> 00:09:04.807 So I put in my two week notice and my two week notice was met with a no, no, no, you can't quit because we want to promote you. 00:09:06.167 --> 00:09:20.538 it was, it was funny because, And it's funny, I was just talking about this this past week and I feel like I've been talking about this a lot, just like the money aspect of work. 00:09:20.619 --> 00:09:29.818 And I remember when they said that, I thought about, I was like, well, how much does a manager make? 00:09:30.339 --> 00:09:34.269 And so I think it was like 10 or 12 dollars. 00:09:34.269 --> 00:09:39.619 Like it wasn't a lot of money, but for me it was a lot because I did the math. 00:09:39.623 --> 00:09:44.952 kid in the early 2000s, like that's not a, that's pretty good spending money. 00:09:45.003 --> 00:09:49.586 And then we had stock options too, and full benefits. 00:09:49.826 --> 00:09:56.369 And I lived at home and my mom paid for the car and she paid for the insurance. 00:09:56.369 --> 00:09:58.549 So like, that was all my money. 00:09:58.990 --> 00:10:08.063 And so I remember like saying, okay, like totally renegotiated the terms and now like I was going to be the manager. 00:10:08.063 --> 00:10:09.883 I didn't want to leave anymore. 00:10:09.883 --> 00:10:18.666 But I had the financial capacity to just pay whatever scholarships didn't cover for school as a result. 00:10:18.666 --> 00:10:33.798 And so getting that manager title on my resume that early, like it completely like it, I couldn't imagine, like, I don't know what it looks like. 00:10:33.798 --> 00:10:40.003 I don't know what it looks like to like not have control of your schedule. 00:10:41.489 --> 00:10:42.721 as an employee. 00:10:42.721 --> 00:10:47.780 I've been doing my own schedule since I was 18 and a half. 00:10:49.101 --> 00:11:04.841 So you've always had this like layer of flexibility within your work and working full time as a manager at so early in your career and going to school full time, I'm assuming. 00:11:05.522 --> 00:11:07.351 That's a wild time. 00:11:07.351 --> 00:11:11.802 And you go to SUNY and SUNY? 00:11:11.802 --> 00:11:22.523 so my mom like got in her head that if I went away to school, I was going to like turn into this like rebellious character that she created in her mind. 00:11:27.202 --> 00:11:32.144 And so like. 00:11:32.144 --> 00:11:37.490 I was kind of like, I was annoyed with, I remember being really annoyed with her and just being like, you know what, fine. 00:11:37.490 --> 00:11:42.385 And so I ended up just enrolling in like the local community college. 00:11:42.385 --> 00:11:48.471 And for me, like, it's funny, I hear people talking about, what did I call it? 00:11:48.471 --> 00:11:55.553 It's like the, like the shame, like some kind of, my God. 00:11:55.553 --> 00:12:00.254 We called it 13th grade when people would go to the community college. 00:12:00.254 --> 00:12:01.155 It was. 00:12:01.155 --> 00:12:06.336 In hindsight, 2020, now that I understand money, that's a better idea. 00:12:06.336 --> 00:12:09.477 no, it's like, like total. 00:12:09.477 --> 00:12:14.051 And that, and so for me, this is like the pragmatist in me. 00:12:14.051 --> 00:12:19.104 Like the dreamer in me was like, I'm going away to school. 00:12:19.104 --> 00:12:26.048 But then when I couldn't, it was just kind of like, all right, like, how can you afford school without mom? 00:12:26.948 --> 00:12:30.600 And so like the fact, like, yeah. 00:12:30.600 --> 00:12:31.831 And a lot of them. 00:12:31.831 --> 00:12:33.111 was going to get low. 00:12:33.111 --> 00:12:33.923 And that was the thing. 00:12:33.923 --> 00:12:39.557 I remember I had teachers that were willing to co-sign my loans in high school. 00:12:41.998 --> 00:12:55.063 I mean, that says a lot about, so much, like your ability as a student, the community that you grew up in, but also, now that I understand money, I'm not trying to cosign a loan for any 18 year old. 00:12:55.063 --> 00:13:07.291 for me, like looking back, I'm like, like I had at least three teachers in high school that were like, if you need it, like, I will do it for you. 00:13:07.291 --> 00:13:15.816 And me being like, nah, man, my, you don't know my mother, like, I'm not trying to, I'm not trying to wake that line up. 00:13:15.816 --> 00:13:16.916 Okay. 00:13:17.636 --> 00:13:20.957 and so like, and ultimately I didn't want loans. 00:13:21.870 --> 00:13:24.491 That was not of interest to me. 00:13:24.491 --> 00:13:26.902 And so like the goal was okay. 00:13:26.902 --> 00:13:53.370 We'll just pay for it cash We'll figure out how to pay for it cash and that's why when they offered that management role Like I did the math in my head and I was like, so I could pay for school in like like two to three months of work without overtime But there was always overtime so I could pay for I could pay for a semester of classes unlike maybe a month of school. 00:13:55.014 --> 00:13:56.945 Man, that's huge. 00:13:56.945 --> 00:14:02.490 you, I mean, you're taking a pretty serious load, chemistry and English major and a philosophy minor. 00:14:02.490 --> 00:14:06.216 That's a b- was like, I was such a nerd. 00:14:06.216 --> 00:14:12.397 I still am a huge nerd, even though I like, I try to like, act like really nonchalant. 00:14:13.177 --> 00:14:21.537 Then I like have these savant moments where people are like, wait, but you're, you don't do that for work. 00:14:21.537 --> 00:14:22.947 Why do you know about this? 00:14:22.947 --> 00:14:28.756 And I'm like, I just, I just read a lot. 00:14:30.272 --> 00:14:31.818 I know a lot about a lot of things. 00:14:31.818 --> 00:14:33.279 That's a nice place to be. 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:55.929 of the reason my

undergrad focus was the way that it was, it's because I remember taking like AP European history in high school and learning about like the Renaissance scholars and deciding I was gonna be a Renaissance scholar in like, in the 21st century. 00:14:59.981 --> 00:15:00.619 Perfect. 00:15:00.619 --> 00:15:02.639 so like that was the goal. 00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:07.609 and so for me, like I graduated high school, think we're like 24. 00:15:07.609 --> 00:15:07.899 Yeah. 00:15:07.899 --> 00:15:10.639 It was like 24 college credits. 00:15:10.839 --> 00:15:14.859 And so I went in. 00:15:15.619 --> 00:15:16.198 Yeah. 00:15:16.198 --> 00:15:22.068 It was like one of, you know, like I, I think I was like, I think we ended with me fifth in class. 00:15:22.068 --> 00:15:23.288 It was like so crazy. 00:15:23.288 --> 00:15:27.999 It was, it was absolutely nuts that I went to community college. 00:15:27.999 --> 00:15:29.259 Let's just put it that way. 00:15:29.259 --> 00:15:30.163 Like. 00:15:30.163 --> 00:15:35.224 When people saw me on campus, they were like, wait, why are you here? 00:15:35.485 --> 00:15:39.504 Like, are you? 00:15:40.086 --> 00:15:43.586 But for me, I never really cared about that. 00:15:43.586 --> 00:15:51.418 I never cared what people thought about what I was doing as long as I felt like it was right for me. 00:15:51.418 --> 00:15:54.809 I was never the kid that was peer pressured in school. 00:15:54.809 --> 00:16:00.977 I always tell people, even now as an adult, people will say, why aren't you doing this or why aren't you doing that? 00:16:00.977 --> 00:16:04.568 And I'm like, you can't peer pressure me, man. 00:16:04.568 --> 00:16:18.811 if, you know, but what I really liked about focusing my studies in the way that I did is, cause it just went back to that freedom that I wanted. 00:16:18.811 --> 00:16:28.619 I wanted to be able to do whatever I chose to, knowing that I had like, just like a vast interest base. 00:16:28.688 --> 00:16:35.361 And so it was one of those things where I was like, I was going to be a brain surgeon when I started college. 00:16:37.302 --> 00:16:42.975 you know, you know, and, and I, I was convinced. 00:16:42.975 --> 00:16:52.433 mean, I had all the credits, you know, like even before law school, I, I remember like thinking like, is it going to be med school? 00:16:52.433 --> 00:16:54.211 Is it going to be law school? 00:16:54.386 --> 00:17:02.211 Like I had that conversation with myself again because I wanted to be sure, but like I actually enjoy law. 00:17:02.211 --> 00:17:12.738 like, like I'm very like, I'm into rules, mostly like if I'm being honest, loopholes in rules. 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:19.972 yeah, and so yeah, it's like, like just constant puzzles, right? 00:17:19.972 --> 00:17:41.621 And I think medicine can be that way too, so I don't wanna like say that it's not, but ultimately my obsession with books and people and how society works made me a better lawyer candidate than a, yeah. 00:17:41.621 --> 00:17:45.876 English and history, like that's so much of the written language. 00:17:45.974 --> 00:17:56.412 Like playing with language, know, writing in such a way where it's like either restrictive or, you know, the embodiment of what you need. 00:17:56.412 --> 00:17:58.344 And so like just playing with that. 00:17:58.344 --> 00:18:08.663 So for me, like one of my heroes was Chaucer because he was a legal scholar. 00:18:08.663 --> 00:18:10.817 Like he, you know, like I think he... 00:18:10.817 --> 00:18:11.414 love that. 00:18:11.414 --> 00:18:18.608 You know, he was like actually like a legal apprentice doing law by day while writing the Canterbury Tales at night. 00:18:18.608 --> 00:18:19.920 Like what? 00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:25.015 And like I read recently that he was like super controversial. 00:18:25.015 --> 00:18:27.523 I don't know, everybody is controversial. 00:18:27.565 --> 00:18:28.894 Yeah, in his time. 00:18:28.894 --> 00:18:35.189 No, but like if you look at him with a modern eye, he's like terrible human man. 00:18:35.189 --> 00:18:37.490 He's like a terrible person, right? 00:18:37.490 --> 00:18:38.691 But like... 00:18:38.770 --> 00:18:41.317 who wasn't in the Middle Ages. 00:18:44.594 --> 00:18:48.128 people's fame brings them throughout history. 00:18:48.128 --> 00:18:50.480 They're either really great or really bad. 00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:58.305 yeah, and you know, and the Dark Ages was just not a time for goodness necessarily. 00:18:58.305 --> 00:19:00.914 Like that's kind of why it was called that. 00:19:05.958 --> 00:19:14.711 You know, they say it's because of like no learning, but like there was a lot of dark stuff happening during the Middle Ages. 00:19:14.711 --> 00:19:18.122 So feel free to look it up on your own time. 00:19:18.122 --> 00:19:19.942 Yeah, yeah, take some time. 00:19:19.942 --> 00:19:23.364 Go educate yourself on the Canterbury Tales and then Chaucer. 00:19:25.385 --> 00:19:30.208 So it looks like you do decide to go to law school though around 2009. 00:19:30.208 --> 00:19:40.972 And then I see just a quick drop, and I also remember that market crash around 2009. 00:19:40.972 --> 00:19:43.067 How did those events play out in your life? 00:19:43.067 --> 00:19:52.573 Yeah, so I was at this point working as like a store manager at an assistant store manager at like Calypso St. 00:19:52.573 --> 00:19:53.634 Barth. 00:19:53.854 --> 00:20:10.796 And that's like, it's one of my favorite places that I worked because it was like, like I went into like a completely different world where people were buying resort wear no matter what time of year it was. 00:20:10.796 --> 00:20:12.866 Like it would be the dead of winter. 00:20:12.990 --> 00:20:20.810 and some beautiful woman would walk through my doors and ask me to help her pick out outfits. 00:20:21.050 --> 00:20:42.384 she would never be, like we would have cashmere and stuff like that, but she'd always want the sarongs and the bathing suits and the tunics

because, know, after the holidays, they were going to Aruba and I got to like, and so like, just lived in this like suspended reality. 00:20:42.384 --> 00:20:44.816 when I worked at this place. 00:20:44.816 --> 00:20:50.157 But I loved, I actually really enjoyed it because it's like I got to play dress up the whole time. 00:20:50.157 --> 00:20:59.241 think prior to that, I was very tomboyish in a sense that like I wore a lot of baggy clothes. 00:20:59.241 --> 00:21:04.963 I think I've definitely regressed to that as an adult. 00:21:05.688 --> 00:21:07.019 Look, I'm in my soft era. 00:21:07.019 --> 00:21:11.224 I'm wearing baggy comfy clothes too, like cozy. 00:21:11.911 --> 00:21:22.619 You know, like, and so for me, I think that was like really good for me because it helped me like learn how to be like a feminine woman, right? 00:21:22.619 --> 00:21:35.330 Just being around women like that in a way that like, I'm sure like if I just paid attention to the women in my family, I could have done that too, but I was so anti as a kid. 00:21:35.330 --> 00:21:39.105 So yeah, yeah. 00:21:39.105 --> 00:21:43.782 it could be exactly what family is saying, but no, no, this person obviously knows. 00:21:43.782 --> 00:21:44.682 came to looks. 00:21:44.682 --> 00:21:56.502 I remember as like, I think I was 16 and my mom wanted me to like, I think she wanted me to do like New York, like do like Miss Junior New York or something like that. 00:21:56.502 --> 00:22:02.432 And I remember looking at her like she was nuts and being like, are you serious? 00:22:02.432 --> 00:22:04.932 I don't wanna be known for being beautiful. 00:22:04.932 --> 00:22:07.603 I wanna be known for being smart. 00:22:07.603 --> 00:22:11.222 And so it was like. 00:22:11.623 --> 00:22:17.276 And so like really minimal focus on looks. 00:22:18.412 --> 00:22:23.374 wonder how many other self-described young nerds go through that. 00:22:23.374 --> 00:22:29.506 Like, I feel like a lot of time young girls are given the choice, you are pretty or you are smart pick. 00:22:29.506 --> 00:22:34.387 And Disney, you know, puts the glasses and then they're smart and takes them off and then they're pretty. 00:22:34.387 --> 00:22:39.147 Interesting that that influence kind of came with you as well. 00:22:39.147 --> 00:22:43.470 And I think it came from like, like I'm West Indian. 00:22:43.470 --> 00:22:53.242 I come from a West Indian family and the mindset's very much kind of like beauty fades and like, you know, it's what you have on the inside that counts. 00:22:53.242 --> 00:23:00.317 Like I feel like they had been like sending me those subliminal messages like since I came out of the womb anyway. 00:23:00.877 --> 00:23:02.117 Yeah. 00:23:02.778 --> 00:23:03.838 You know. 00:23:03.932 --> 00:23:20.296 and then like upset that I didn't want to wear a dress, you know, you know, proves that you can adjust and people will still not be okay. 00:23:20.296 --> 00:23:36.730 know, but yeah, and so like what I,

that place paid for the rest of undergrad, you know, they, I, I was making a lot of money there and they paid for the first masters. 00:23:38.509 --> 00:23:39.641 That's wild. 00:23:39.641 --> 00:23:45.474 Was this part of like the retail, like, pardon me, was this part of their like employee perks? 00:23:45.474 --> 00:23:47.257 Was it tuition reimbursement? 00:23:47.257 --> 00:23:48.865 Or was it just like that cash money? 00:23:48.865 --> 00:23:57.980 paid you cash money, like stupid money for like, like I got paid commissions and I was a good sales. 00:23:57.980 --> 00:24:09.647 was like, although I was managing, I was also really good at sales and managers got to like get their individual commission and then a store bonus as well. 00:24:09.647 --> 00:24:18.801 And I was like, I was so like frugal back then because the goal was always work is funding school. 00:24:19.022 --> 00:24:30.182 It was never like that was always the priority like and so the more money I got just went into my school fund and so I noticed you slipped in first masters. 00:24:31.815 --> 00:24:39.551 so I actually end up getting a master's in medieval studies and so So cool. 00:24:39.838 --> 00:24:41.838 Yeah, they didn't think so. 00:24:42.118 --> 00:24:45.138 The family were not okay with that. 00:24:45.439 --> 00:24:47.597 I remember, I remember. 00:24:47.597 --> 00:24:49.518 I've spent money on worse things. 00:24:50.792 --> 00:25:01.742 But you know, I had gotten into Fordham Law back then and they weren't giving any money for school. 00:25:02.925 --> 00:25:03.679 Mmm. 00:25:03.679 --> 00:25:11.798 And at Calypso, I was in charge of doing the screeners for people that were looking for jobs. 00:25:11.798 --> 00:25:18.618 And I remember interviewing a woman who I think she had graduated from Fordham Law too. 00:25:19.338 --> 00:25:22.499 And she couldn't find a job. 00:25:22.499 --> 00:25:32.118 She had been out of law school, I think, since 2008, which is when the market started becoming crazy. 00:25:32.375 --> 00:25:38.616 And so by like spring of 2009, she still hadn't found a job. 00:25:39.237 --> 00:25:53.301 And the pragmatist in me was kind of like, okay, if she's looking for part-time work here, I can't afford to take that kind of risk right now. 00:25:53.301 --> 00:25:55.142 Like, know. 00:25:56.403 --> 00:25:57.823 Yeah, and. 00:25:57.823 --> 00:26:08.863 And I knew, and I knew law school was going to be the school where I would have to take out some loans just because of the nature of law school. 00:26:08.863 --> 00:26:25.661 And I ended up reaching out to the people at CUNY Brooklyn College, which is where I ended up getting my bachelor's degree, well after the application period for the master's programs and begged them. 00:26:25.661 --> 00:26:35.480 to let me in for fall of 2009 when I find, cause I just had to like come to grips with the fact that like I was not going to law school that fall. 00:26:35.921 --> 00:26:49.104 But I wanted to go to school because I was like, okay, like you have your bachelor's degree, but you don't like, you need to like do more, you know, like, yeah. 00:26:49.104 --> 00:26:49.724 And so. 00:26:49.724 --> 00:26:54.798 feel like I graduated around that time, around 2009, and it was very clear. 00:26:54.919 --> 00:26:58.761 Bachelor's degrees aren't gonna get you very far at this stage. 00:26:59.942 --> 00:27:03.451 So as any responsible student, Medieval Studies. 00:27:03.451 --> 00:27:09.098 I will say looking back, I probably should have gotten an MBA. 00:27:09.682 --> 00:27:11.063 Probably. 00:27:11.482 --> 00:27:24.086 But like, I think I just, that like the anti-person in me, the free spirit in me was kind of like, well, I don't know anything about that period. 00:27:24.386 --> 00:27:26.267 I've read other things. 00:27:26.462 --> 00:27:27.683 I'll focus on this. 00:27:27.683 --> 00:27:36.109 And I ended up being like the only, I think one of two women in the medieval studies program. 00:27:37.290 --> 00:27:42.174 The only one, yeah, no, three people. 00:27:42.335 --> 00:27:51.382 the only, like everybody else was like a 20th century or postmodernist like person, right? 00:27:51.662 --> 00:27:52.481 And. 00:27:52.990 --> 00:27:58.290 So, and then I was like, I think I was the only black person at the school to ever get it. 00:27:58.290 --> 00:28:00.391 Like, it's just like so ridiculous. 00:28:00.391 --> 00:28:05.830 Just like, and so for me, I was like, this is gonna be great. 00:28:05.851 --> 00:28:08.971 And it ended up being really awesome. 00:28:11.171 --> 00:28:12.810 used to know Middle English. 00:28:12.810 --> 00:28:14.711 I don't know it anymore. 00:28:15.730 --> 00:28:41.398 But like, there was like a period of time where like I could and the- coolest part about that role was it was kind of a joke getting that degree because if people with degrees that made sense in 2009 couldn't find a job. 00:28:44.019 --> 00:29:00.895 Getting a degree in medieval studies during a market crash has to be the most that like to me it just it felt like such an act of rebellion like whatever world. 00:29:01.301 --> 00:29:04.694 It's a little like, f--- you economy, f--- you school. 00:29:05.439 --> 00:29:12.999 And I remember my mom being really proud when I told her, yeah, I enrolled in the master's program. 00:29:12.999 --> 00:29:22.019 And I didn't go further until her friends started asking her, what kind of master's is your daughter getting? 00:29:22.058 --> 00:29:29.759 And so I remember her calling me up and being like, you never told me what you're getting your master's in. 00:29:29.759 --> 00:29:32.719 And I was like, medieval studies. 00:29:32.719 --> 00:29:34.515 And she was like, what? 00:29:35.143 --> 00:29:41.767 I like medieval studies, know, like that period of time, like during like, like the 1200s and 1300s. 00:29:41.767 --> 00:29:45.869 And she was like, she was like, I don't understand. 00:29:48.412 --> 00:29:50.512 She was like, I don't understand.

00:29:50.733 --> 00:29:54.006 and I was like, yeah, no, I just thought it'd be really interesting. 00:29:54.006 --> 00:29:56.928 And I mean, I'm, paying out of pocket, so it's fine. 00:29:56.928 --> 00:29:57.657 Right. 00:29:57.657 --> 00:29:59.962 And she, and she was like, okay. 00:29:59.962 --> 00:30:05.212 I remember just like hanging up the phone and like, absolutely like dismay right. 00:30:07.084 --> 00:30:29.810 Two years later, it's like my spring, the spring I'm graduating, and one of my professors has put my name on a short list to get one of the three positions they're offering to graduates to be a professor, to be like, I think we were, yeah, like adjunct professors, like for the fall of that year. 00:30:29.810 --> 00:30:31.046 studies, I assume. 00:30:31.634 --> 00:30:32.747 Cool. 00:30:32.934 --> 00:30:37.686 And so like graduation day, and and I got a job. 00:30:37.686 --> 00:30:43.137 Like, I found out about that I think in like March that they were doing that. 00:30:43.137 --> 00:30:51.701 And then I like got a job as an assistant GM at Papyrus, the card store, the overpriced card store. 00:30:51.701 --> 00:30:52.721 So good. 00:30:54.507 --> 00:30:55.859 some stationary. 00:30:57.439 --> 00:31:03.199 I have way too much stuff from Papyrus still, from my stint working there. 00:31:03.199 --> 00:31:08.538 But I ended up getting a job there because I was like, well, it's adjunct day. 00:31:08.538 --> 00:31:14.959 I knew adjunct professors who didn't do very well financially. 00:31:14.959 --> 00:31:17.598 And I was like, I'd be not doing that. 00:31:17.598 --> 00:31:22.358 It's cool to say you're a professor, but it's cool to have money. 00:31:22.358 --> 00:31:26.159 so I did that. 00:31:26.439 --> 00:31:33.023 I remember like on graduation day, my mom was like, yeah, know, know, my stepdad was there too. 00:31:33.023 --> 00:31:34.905 And they're like so proud. 00:31:34.905 --> 00:31:42.010 And I didn't tell her about the, when I finally got, you know, I knew by then that I got the, the adjunct professor role. 00:31:42.019 --> 00:31:47.375 I was like, just so you know, I got a job because of this degree. 00:31:47.375 --> 00:31:56.403 And she was so happy because now she could like go back and report to her friends that now she had a college professor daughter. 00:31:57.548 --> 00:32:02.790 you know, but, but like for me, like it just worked out. 00:32:02.790 --> 00:32:22.702 so like, one of the things I always tell people, you know, that I meet is, you know, my life like didn't go the way I planned it, but I've gotten some really cool like bonus things along the way that I can't really explain. 00:32:22.702 --> 00:32:28.186 Like, I don't know why that professor took an interest in me and not an interest in other people. 00:32:28.186 --> 00:32:30.137 Like, I don't know why, right? 00:32:30.137 --> 00:32:39.382 I don't know why when I showed up for to quit my job as an 18 year old, my manager was like, no, no, no. 00:32:39.382 --> 00:32:48.455 Like, like I don't, you know, like, and as much as I think I'm great, like there are a lot of great people who didn't have those opportunities, right? 00:32:48.455 --> 00:32:52.017 And like, that's something I like always remind myself, like. 00:32:52.027 --> 00:32:54.866 Yes, like I've worked really hard. 00:32:54.866 --> 00:33:20.759 You know, I've been in the right place at the right time and like all of, you know, like I've planned and I've done all these things, but I know a lot of people who did, who worked, who even worked harder than I did and planned better and didn't like think it was a joke to spend two years getting a master's in medieval studies. 00:33:21.858 --> 00:33:24.570 who didn't get the opportunities, right? 00:33:24.570 --> 00:33:42.240 And so, I always remind my, and this is where my faith comes into things, because I'm like, the only way I can explain some of the things that have happened is like, God has to be real for me. 00:33:42.240 --> 00:33:46.143 Because there's just too many coincidences. 00:33:46.143 --> 00:33:56.407 There are too many things where I'm like, that wasn't supposed to work out that Like it was just so like it's like packaged so well, no struggle, right? 00:33:56.407 --> 00:33:59.859 Like I remember showing up for that interview. 00:33:59.859 --> 00:34:02.335 That was like the coolest interview I ever had. 00:34:02.335 --> 00:34:04.252 I like, and I took it seriously. 00:34:04.252 --> 00:34:09.326 Like I showed up, you know, in my suit with, you know, I actually combed my hair that day. 00:34:09.326 --> 00:34:13.807 Like I was really, you know, I was ready, right? 00:34:14.108 --> 00:34:19.210 Show up and two of the three people doing the interview for that role. 00:34:19.391 --> 00:34:21.155 We're past professors. 00:34:22.476 --> 00:34:24.304 You like know the whole interview panel. 00:34:24.304 --> 00:34:26.797 And they didn't even interview me. 00:34:27.057 --> 00:34:33.923 The two who knew me were concerned that the other person had never met me. 00:34:33.923 --> 00:34:38.208 And so they spent the entire time telling her all the great things about me. 00:34:38.208 --> 00:34:40.889 I didn't have to answer one question. 00:34:41.751 --> 00:34:44.847 We have more interviews that are actually just compliment panels. 00:34:44.847 --> 00:34:47.608 That would, that's my new goal. 00:34:47.811 --> 00:34:50.492 Change the interview process, compliment panels. 00:34:51.619 --> 00:35:11.777 but it was like i remember like i always think back on like and that's one of the things where i'm like what are the odds right the person who applies late gets a random degree but also the person who called and begged to be in that program. 00:35:11.777 --> 00:35:19.943 The person who since high school has been investing time and energy into medieval studies. 00:35:19.943 --> 00:35:25.677 So yes, and I think, you know, a little sprinkle of faith and showing up. 00:35:25.677 --> 00:35:38.298 no, and so I'm

definitely a believer that you can have all the faith in the world, but if you're not doing anything, and that's not even just me. 00:35:38.298 --> 00:35:41.623 The whole Bible says that. 00:35:41.623 --> 00:35:43.884 Faith without work is dead. 00:35:45.101 --> 00:35:47.711 So, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:35:47.711 --> 00:35:52.521 So you are, you're a professor for a long time, like eight years, nine years. 00:35:52.521 --> 00:35:53.264 and half years. 00:35:53.264 --> 00:35:54.748 It's crazy. 00:35:55.701 --> 00:35:57.702 and the school doesn't stop. 00:35:57.702 --> 00:35:58.505 No. 00:36:01.619 --> 00:36:13.251 I think I was trying to convince people to pay me to be a scholar and it just didn't, like I was trying to send subliminal messages to the universe to get me to be a paid student. 00:36:13.251 --> 00:36:20.780 Like just go to school, learn things, come up with ideas and go back to more school. 00:36:20.780 --> 00:36:23.322 But there was just no. 00:36:24.014 --> 00:36:27.184 just didn't, gave it your best shot. 00:36:27.184 --> 00:36:31.014 You get a master's in non-profit finance, is that what that is? 00:36:31.014 --> 00:36:40.972 yeah, so, it's And it feels like kind of out of, it feels very independent and free-spirited. 00:36:41.572 --> 00:36:46.797 Law school, English, chemistry, medieval stick, finance. 00:36:49.197 --> 00:36:50.306 how and why. 00:36:50.306 --> 00:37:04.056 So finance, so I actually never took a finance class, but being a store manager, you have to manage the budgets, you have to manage the finances of the store. 00:37:04.056 --> 00:37:07.867 And so I think that's where the interest came. 00:37:08.186 --> 00:37:12.047 But also I've always been a money girl. 00:37:13.427 --> 00:37:17.246 I negotiated when I was 12. 00:37:17.246 --> 00:37:25.827 12 and a half, 13 with my mom that for every hundred that I got on tests, she would give me a hundred bucks. 00:37:25.887 --> 00:37:30.507 And she ended up having so good. 00:37:31.106 --> 00:37:38.467 she like, I've always been like, although I'm a good student, I'm a lazy student. 00:37:38.467 --> 00:37:46.706 And why I say that is like, I want to do as little as possible and get the highest grade possible. 00:37:46.706 --> 00:37:47.097 Right? 00:37:47.097 --> 00:37:52.989 And I know, like, you're not supposed to say that, but like, that's just who I am. 00:37:52.989 --> 00:38:00.490 And I feel like it got me, I mean, it got me through law school. 00:38:00.490 --> 00:38:02.731 Like, that's just how I've lived my life. 00:38:02.731 --> 00:38:16.338 Like, I never spent a lot of time studying, but if I'm like, I pay attention in class, I'm engaged, I always do the reading, because I'm a fast reader, and I have really good. 00:38:16.338 --> 00:38:18.311 reading comprehension skills, right? 00:38:18.311 --> 00:38:30.159 And so like for me, it's like, I'm the kid that has to show up to class because I need to like ask my questions because I don't want to teach myself anything. 00:38:30.159 --> 00:38:32.822 Like that's just, it's like. 00:38:32.822 --> 00:38:35.268 Like you've already got this time reserved to learn it. 00:38:35.268 --> 00:38:36.552 It's in class. 00:38:36.552 --> 00:38:37.804 I'm going to do it now. 00:38:37.804 --> 00:38:38.394 How smart. 00:38:38.394 --> 00:38:40.349 I wish I would have thought of that. 00:38:40.349 --> 00:38:45.836 I gotta go make money when I'm not out in class, which is kind of my mindset. 00:38:45.836 --> 00:38:53.335 And I feel like even in college, they let me get away with that where like, remember like not so. 00:38:53.335 --> 00:38:54.893 they let you get away with it. 00:38:54.893 --> 00:38:56.608 I don't think that's what they were doing. 00:38:56.608 --> 00:38:58.460 I think you were just a good student. 00:38:58.460 --> 00:39:05.661 why I say that is like, like every college has attendance policies, right? 00:39:05.681 --> 00:39:23.646 But they didn't always apply to me because if I wasn't gonna like, I would like give my professors notice, like I'd be like, I'm not gonna be in class for the next like three weeks, because like, it was like a busy time at work or something. 00:39:24.047 --> 00:39:50.739 And then I'd be like, But please find attached the like next like two to three assignments and they were just like Let me like even on stuff They hadn't taught sometimes because like they hadn't gotten to that in the lesson but it was like something I had learned before and could like write at that level and so like it's Talking about loopholes and so was like on the one hand. 00:39:50.739 --> 00:40:04.221 I feel like some of them were kind of like Here she goes again But like, no one ever like pulled me aside except for one professor and I think she just like, there's always that one, right? 00:40:04.221 --> 00:40:06.199 Where it's like, you need to be here. 00:40:06.199 --> 00:40:16.155 And I was like, I was like, thank you, but don't like penalize me because I did it by without coming to class. 00:40:16.155 --> 00:40:17.465 Like that's not cool, right? 00:40:17.465 --> 00:40:24.746 Cause like we're in college to learn and if I'm learning and showing you that I'm meeting the milestones. 00:40:24.922 --> 00:40:35.753 Or at least, to me, the very minimum, if you're giving me an A, it means I've surpassed basic expectations. 00:40:35.753 --> 00:40:42.269 That's really terrible. 00:40:42.269 --> 00:40:45.242 So bad advice for college students right now. 00:40:46.016 --> 00:40:53.949 No, because the rest of the advice is show up when you can, do the reading, do the homework, and if you're gonna miss, get ahead. 00:40:53.949 --> 00:41:00.083 like show them that like you're not being a slacker and nine out of ten times you'll be rewarded, right? 00:41:00.083 --> 00:41:06.152 And so See, I just didn't show up to class and my teachers liked me less. 00:41:07.516 --> 00:41:10.121 So I think your approach is quite nice, quite nice. 00:41:10.121 --> 00:41:19.940 I mean,

this was I think I had a chemistry teacher that would call on me when I'd be sleeping in her class, because I was so tired from work. 00:41:20.221 --> 00:41:22.282 she would always call on me. 00:41:22.431 --> 00:41:29.918 And I, you know, and I remember like being startled so many times. 00:41:29.918 --> 00:41:33.570 But again, because I was did the reading. 00:41:34.840 --> 00:41:40.293 And guess I was like in those lectures by osmosis sometimes. 00:41:42.916 --> 00:41:52.804 Because I definitely like would answer the questions right and then she would be annoyed that like I was able to answer the questions, you know? 00:41:52.804 --> 00:41:59.438 But like, I don't know, I think part of it is like I grew up partially in the Caribbean. 00:41:59.438 --> 00:42:02.349 learned like school was just different there. 00:42:03.536 --> 00:42:05.807 And so when I moved here, I was ahead. 00:42:05.807 --> 00:42:08.911 I was ahead by like two to three years. 00:42:09.992 --> 00:42:19.768 And so it just, I feel like the things that I learned here in the States, I ended up reinforcing so much. 00:42:19.768 --> 00:42:30.447 Like they're just things I'll never forget because I had to learn the same thing over and over again for like, you know, yeah. 00:42:30.447 --> 00:42:42.284 You know, and so imagine like having a teacher teach you the same thing over and over again like five times for five years. 00:42:43.974 --> 00:42:45.577 You're not an engaged student anymore. 00:42:45.577 --> 00:42:47.768 You're just, I've got it at this point. 00:42:47.768 --> 00:43:12.601 yeah, and that's why I did a lot of outside reading, because like that was interesting to me, like, you know, and, and so finance, finance, because, like, like I said before, I'm a money girl, like, I don't think about life from like an emotional standpoint, I actually think about it from like an economic standpoint. 00:43:13.559 --> 00:43:13.851 Mm. 00:43:13.851 --> 00:43:30.623 even policy, like every, and I've looked at policy from an economic standpoint since I was a student in like, you know, I think the first time I made an economic argument for policy, I was in probably ninth grade. 00:43:30.811 --> 00:43:34.746 And I remember people looking at me like I was crazy. 00:43:34.746 --> 00:43:36.768 People still look at me like I'm crazy now. 00:43:36.768 --> 00:43:38.378 And I'm like, don't you understand? 00:43:38.378 --> 00:43:41.820 Like you can have the... 00:43:41.864 --> 00:43:43.637 heart that bleeds the most. 00:43:43.637 --> 00:43:52.791 But if you don't have money to effect change in society and you have to rely on somebody else to fund it. 00:43:55.021 --> 00:43:55.597 That ain't it. 00:43:55.597 --> 00:43:56.782 no guarantee there. 00:43:56.782 --> 00:44:00.221 People change their mind all the time. 00:44:00.242 --> 00:44:02.186 Just look at our Congress. 00:44:04.375 --> 00:44:06.065 Can I not actually? 00:44:08.668 --> 00:44:18.905 It's wild that so young you had that realization because I think so many of us are just, my hope and dreams and persistence will impact change. 00:44:18.905 --> 00:44:21.471 And you're coming in saying, money, and money. 00:44:21.471 --> 00:44:22.891 cash. 00:44:22.990 --> 00:44:24.690 need coal hard cash. 00:44:26.070 --> 00:44:39.510 But I think, honestly, I think that comes from the pragmatic side of myself, where it's, just, I read all of those philosophers, those political philosophers and economic philosophers. 00:44:41.110 --> 00:44:45.590 Why was I reading Descartes and Hume? 00:44:45.811 --> 00:44:47.300 I don't know why. 00:44:47.300 --> 00:44:49.110 Why was I reading that? 00:44:49.731 --> 00:44:58.248 Like I want to tell myself it was interesting, but I don't know like I think it was just it was more like curiosity Like what are these people thinking? 00:44:58.248 --> 00:45:00.239 What are they talking about? 00:45:00.420 --> 00:45:06.625 And how do we apply it like everything I read I'm like, okay, how does this apply in real life? 00:45:06.625 --> 00:45:09.927 You know, like the Bible how does this apply in real life? 00:45:09.927 --> 00:45:12.289 Like, you know and trying to like see like okay. 00:45:12.289 --> 00:45:24.599 Well, that doesn't really work but like how do we like shift this from a metaphor to like, what am I supposed to be learning when I read this particular thing? 00:45:24.599 --> 00:45:25.954 And I think that's. 00:45:25.954 --> 00:45:29.519 the sweeping lesson, what can I apply to my real life? 00:45:29.621 --> 00:45:30.152 Yeah. 00:45:30.152 --> 00:45:44.891 like, and I think that's what has kind of driven my, my curiosity is like this constant me constantly like challenging what I already know by reading more and more. 00:45:44.891 --> 00:45:57.275 You know, like, I was only a philosophy minor because I wanted to learn about like, other types of like religions and all of that. 00:45:57.311 --> 00:46:05.210 And I knew I didn't have the discipline at the time or maybe even the time to do it on my own. 00:46:05.630 --> 00:46:10.811 But I could do it in school. 00:46:10.811 --> 00:46:11.570 I'm like. 00:46:11.570 --> 00:46:15.021 the school would force you, not unlike those $100 bills for the 100. 00:46:15.021 --> 00:46:16.302 I care about grades. 00:46:16.302 --> 00:46:20.655 I know people say, it's not about the grades, but it is. 00:46:21.251 --> 00:46:26.340 It matters. 00:46:26.340 --> 00:46:31.925 I graduated law school five years ago, and people are still asking for my transcript. 00:46:32.974 --> 00:46:41.360 Speaking of, you, after two side quest masters, you finally land in law school in 2017. 00:46:41.711 --> 00:47:14.090 and you can thank the people in the nonprofit finance master's program for giving me like a good boot because, you know, before that degree, it was a student who challenged me because I always ask my students, you know, the first couple of days of class, we did an exercise where they had to do like a diagnostic essay just to see their

reading and writing skills. 00:47:14.110 --> 00:47:23.251 And I always just asked them where they saw themselves in five years, best case scenario, and had them write it out. 00:47:23.530 --> 00:47:34.510 And in 2015, spring 2015, a student was like, professor, what's your five year plan? 00:47:35.815 --> 00:47:39.257 And I looked at her and I was like, oops. 00:47:39.257 --> 00:47:49.181 I'm like, know, but like, remember it was like, to me that was like a nice slap. 00:47:49.181 --> 00:47:51.981 Like, wake up, what are you doing right now? 00:47:52.603 --> 00:48:00.726 And because I should have been in law school at that point and I just hadn't done it. 00:48:00.726 --> 00:48:01.862 And there were like a lot of. 00:48:01.862 --> 00:48:07.137 you think you were still scared from that gal you interviewed who was still looking for a job? 00:48:07.137 --> 00:48:10.878 Were you kind of like hesitant to jump back into that wish or? 00:48:10.878 --> 00:48:23.998 No, I think I was just comfortable because I worked really hard the first two years after I graduated from my medieval studies program. 00:48:23.998 --> 00:48:38.070 I worked really hard because I had like a full-time job that started out as like an assistant manager position ended up with like a regional recruiting manager role. 00:48:38.463 --> 00:48:42.282 You know, and I only did that work for two and a half years. 00:48:42.282 --> 00:48:44.893 And I was teaching the whole time. 00:48:44.893 --> 00:48:49.043 So I was just like busy working, working, working, working. 00:48:49.043 --> 00:48:57.907 And then I think it was spring of, yeah, spring of 2013, I told the people I was working with that. 00:48:59.559 --> 00:49:06.467 I was gonna have a four day work week and make the same amount of money that I was making at the time. 00:49:07.489 --> 00:49:10.231 And then I made it happen. 00:49:13.358 --> 00:49:18.943 Yes! because by fall of that year, I was doing that. 00:49:19.103 --> 00:49:28.483 And I literally, like I taught my classes four days a week and then I would like just pick up random odd things to do. 00:49:28.483 --> 00:49:39.902 And I'll pick the oddest thing that I ended up doing, which was I was a professional gift wrapper for billionaires on the Upper East Side. 00:49:40.382 --> 00:49:41.271 And... 00:49:41.581 --> 00:49:46.396 That sounds like such a satisfying task-oriented job. 00:49:47.918 --> 00:49:49.567 those edges, crisp. 00:49:49.567 --> 00:49:50.927 It's wonderful. 00:49:51.670 --> 00:49:52.871 It's wonderful. 00:49:52.871 --> 00:49:58.440 And I did it for like four to six weeks every fall. 00:49:59.322 --> 00:50:05.811 Made anywhere from like five to 10 grand per four years straight. 00:50:06.766 --> 00:50:09.603 I have been doing the wrong things in my life, Aabria. 00:50:10.813 --> 00:50:22.260 And then they made them, they ruined it because like, I think it was like year four, they were like, we were thinking we could like bring you on as like a full-time team member. 00:50:22.920 --> 00:50:27.262 And, and in my head, I was like, to wrap gifts? 00:50:27.664 --> 00:50:35.628 But then they like explained like, she had like different house managers and I would be one of the house managers. 00:50:35.989 --> 00:50:38.335 And I mean, don't get me wrong. 00:50:38.335 --> 00:50:41.434 It was like psychotic money. 00:50:41.434 --> 00:50:48.369 Like, I think it was like two, $250,000 a year plus bonuses. 00:50:48.369 --> 00:50:51.525 like that pay comes with a price tag. 00:50:51.525 --> 00:50:55.155 yeah, and your girl likes her freedom. 00:50:55.155 --> 00:50:59.376 So that wasn't going to be it for me. 00:50:59.376 --> 00:51:05.998 And I remember, I remember like telling them, yeah, it was year four when I finally stopped. 00:51:05.998 --> 00:51:09.380 And I remember telling them at the end, like, thank you so much. 00:51:09.380 --> 00:51:11.710 I really appreciate it. 00:51:11.710 --> 00:51:15.280 and they also wanted me to sign an NDA that year too. 00:51:15.641 --> 00:51:19.552 And I remember, I remember being like, thank you so much. 00:51:19.552 --> 00:51:21.182 This has been so great. 00:51:21.182 --> 00:51:25.023 but I'm actually gonna go to law school. 00:51:28.103 --> 00:51:33.842 And they were like, we didn't realize that you were thinking about going to law school. 00:51:33.842 --> 00:51:37.242 And I was like, yeah, know, I'm actually a professor right now. 00:51:37.242 --> 00:51:39.802 They were like, what, you're a professor? 00:51:40.322 --> 00:51:43.702 And you know, I really value my privacy. 00:51:43.702 --> 00:51:47.402 think privacy helps you have a lot of freedom too. 00:51:47.402 --> 00:51:48.967 And so... 00:51:48.967 --> 00:51:58.634 I remember when they found out all these things about me in just that one conversation, they were like, it makes sense why you wouldn't want to do this then, right? 00:51:59.755 --> 00:52:06.469 But so yeah, it was, I will say it was comfort because I was going away every January. 00:52:06.469 --> 00:52:15.806 Like I would like get my family these like lavish like Christmas presents and birthday presents because of my job as a gift wrapper. 00:52:16.286 --> 00:52:19.427 And then I would go away every January for a month. 00:52:21.047 --> 00:52:21.936 So good. 00:52:21.936 --> 00:52:23.748 it was like wonderful. 00:52:24.289 --> 00:52:31.954 And so like, extremely comfortable, you know, I was like helping my mom. 00:52:32.347 --> 00:52:39.882 I was like co parenting my younger sister with my mom at the time too, because like, her dad ended up passing away as well. 00:52:39.882 --> 00:52:44.905 And so it was like, there was just a lot of stuff happening during that time. 00:52:45.027 --> 00:52:53.275 But when that student said that to me, was like, okay, this is literally like God being like, bro, what are you doing? 00:52:53.275 --> 00:52:57.534 Like, like you need to get on with your life. 00:52:57.534 --> 00:53:07.275 And so that that that second master's

was literally me being like, I don't know if I could like do like classes anymore. 00:53:07.275 --> 00:53:10.795 So I did that master's for that purpose. 00:53:11.565 --> 00:53:18.416 and it was a it also was like, I was thinking, maybe you can like start your nonprofit that you want to start. 00:53:18.416 --> 00:53:31.784 And so it was like one of those things where I was like, it's information and education you'll be able to use later, but you'll know if you could actually like make it through law school, if you can make it through this program. 00:53:31.784 --> 00:53:34.646 And so it was like an accelerated one year program. 00:53:34.646 --> 00:53:43.161 so during that program, one, I think it was my contract, it was like a contracts class that I took. 00:53:43.798 --> 00:53:47.599 And the professor, he was actually an attorney. 00:53:47.599 --> 00:53:53.333 And I remember like having office hours with him and he was kind of like, okay, so like, what are your goals? 00:53:53.333 --> 00:53:59.268 You know, and I was like telling him, you know, I'm like thinking about law school, but I'm doing this. 00:53:59.268 --> 00:54:12.670 And he was like, okay, that sounds great, but your responses in my class look like what the JD students, which are like law school students should be doing. 00:54:12.670 --> 00:54:18.710 And so like, if you want to go to law school, you just need to go to law school and stop wasting time. 00:54:21.170 --> 00:54:24.791 I was like, okay. 00:54:24.791 --> 00:54:31.951 And so, yes, I had to retake the LSAC because I had dilly dallyed a little too long at that point. 00:54:31.951 --> 00:54:42.775 And then I applied to law school, fall of 2016 was when I submitted applications and got into like four of them. 00:54:43.463 --> 00:54:47.719 chose Brooklyn Law School because they had a two-year program. 00:54:47.719 --> 00:54:54.039 And if I am a money girl, I'm definitely a time girl. 00:54:54.882 --> 00:54:58.592 There's some pragmatism in there as well, right? 00:54:58.592 --> 00:55:01.501 Like shorter money, get it done. 00:55:01.501 --> 00:55:03.570 You've been waiting a long time to start. 00:55:03.570 --> 00:55:07.811 and so was one of those things where I was like, you just you cannot delay it. 00:55:07.811 --> 00:55:10.030 Just like get it over with. 00:55:10.110 --> 00:55:19.311 And I knew whether I did a two or three year program, I was not going to be able to work like full time eight hours. 00:55:19.311 --> 00:55:57.632 And so that year leading up to law school, I ended up getting a random store manager retail position for a high end brand to save money to save more money to to help me yeah to pay for to like just pick up wherever but i i still knew like i knew i was gonna have to take out loans and i was like but you need to have money in your coifers like you can't you can't like just go in there blind and just take as many loans as you want No, you're not doing that. 00:55:57.632 --> 00:56:06.985 So like that for me started like doing that to your program, which they don't they don't have it anymore. 00:56:06.985 --> 00:56:11.097 I don't think any of the law schools that ended up doing it have it anymore. 00:56:11.197 --> 00:56:20.940 But like that was I think maybe it was just invented for that time so that I would like go and get my like. 00:56:22.121 --> 00:56:23.931 Yeah, like it was like if. 00:56:23.931 --> 00:56:24.581 it. 00:56:25.163 --> 00:56:33.824 Like, like God and the angels got together and they were like, if we don't get this set up the right way, she's going to find an excuse not to go again. 00:56:33.826 --> 00:56:36.666 And so like, I just ran with it. 00:56:36.666 --> 00:56:38.882 And I remember like quitting. 00:56:38.882 --> 00:56:46.809 I remember, I remember thinking I was going to like stay with that like retail job, like longer than I ended up staying. 00:56:47.710 --> 00:56:52.431 And the only reason I was going to stay, I think like three or four months longer. 00:56:52.572 --> 00:57:02.349 And it was mostly because I felt a little bit guilty about abandoning them after I'd like we'd like built something really cool together. 00:57:03.530 --> 00:57:12.275 But when I told the manager, like the regional manager about it, she was like nice to me to my face. 00:57:12.496 --> 00:57:19.960 But then she like told my staff that I don't know what I'm getting myself into. 00:57:21.003 --> 00:57:24.987 And she hopes You're like, no, no, I have a pretty great idea actually. 00:57:24.987 --> 00:57:26.367 make it. 00:57:26.367 --> 00:57:28.507 And then they told me that. 00:57:28.507 --> 00:57:35.106 And I was like, And I was rearranging my life to be able to help them. 00:57:35.106 --> 00:57:40.586 And I remember just reaching out to her and being like, hey, I thought about it. 00:57:40.586 --> 00:57:43.266 And it actually just makes sense for me to be done. 00:57:43.266 --> 00:57:47.746 And I inserted the date and ended it. 00:57:47.827 --> 00:57:51.934 And I think maybe that was the last time I was loyal. 00:57:52.190 --> 00:57:53.931 to a job like that. 00:57:56.594 --> 00:58:13.085 You know, and I had to, you know, cause like, think up until even like being a professor that long, like it was just this like sense of loyalty that I had to my employers, but also to the students too. 00:58:13.085 --> 00:58:21.086 Like I feel like I created this like false sense of duty in being there to. 00:58:21.086 --> 00:58:25.846 to maybe avoid life, to avoid being a grown up. 00:58:26.135 --> 00:58:28.836 Well, speaking of life, it comes at you fast. 00:58:28.836 --> 00:58:33.427 And while you're in law school, your journey line is so interesting. 00:58:33.427 --> 00:58:41.490 We have two thirds of the things below the journey line happen in your two year law school. 00:58:42.550 --> 00:58:46.302 You're hit by a car and then we go up and you're a summer associate. 00:58:46.302 --> 00:58:49.813 And then we go down again because you have a mask removed.

00:58:49.914 --> 00:58:51.534 What the hell? 00:58:52.284 --> 00:58:54.068 That year was so annoying. 00:58:55.851 --> 00:59:04.876 That fear was so annoying! I mean, so I was literally well on my way, right? 00:59:04.876 --> 00:59:07.858 Like it was like I finally got a groove. 00:59:07.858 --> 00:59:11.701 I found out about like big law opportunities. 00:59:11.701 --> 00:59:15.402 I went into law school as a public interest fellow. 00:59:16.864 --> 00:59:25.170 And then like the smartest kid in our like class, he cornered me in the elevator one night. 00:59:25.170 --> 00:59:27.103 We're like headed to like property. 00:59:27.103 --> 00:59:27.987 class together. 00:59:27.987 --> 00:59:29.385 I shouldn't say he cornered me. 00:59:29.385 --> 00:59:31.547 We just ended up in the elevator together. 00:59:31.547 --> 00:59:33.429 So dramatic. 00:59:33.429 --> 00:59:39.083 And he like looks me in the face and he's like, so you're going to be doing big law too, right? 00:59:39.083 --> 00:59:49.184 I didn't know what he was talking about, but I thought to myself, well, he is certainly threatened that I'm going to be doing whatever it is this is. 00:59:49.184 --> 00:59:51.867 And so I said, sure looks like it. 00:59:52.798 --> 00:59:58.458 And then I like just, and then I was just quiet the rest of the ride, right? 00:59:58.458 --> 01:00:05.818 Hop out, go to the bathroom, take out my phone, Google what's big law. 01:00:06.818 --> 01:00:08.333 So ashamed. 01:00:08.333 --> 01:00:11.336 sure looks like it after I figure out what it looks like. 01:00:11.336 --> 01:00:15.208 And I remember seeing that, like what that was. 01:00:15.208 --> 01:00:23.614 And like I had heard about like corporate law and like top law firms, but like I didn't really know about the salary. 01:00:24.614 --> 01:00:30.737 looking back, I'm like, for a money girl, the fact that you didn't know about this is really hilarious. 01:00:30.737 --> 01:00:39.922 But I think for me, going into law school was more about getting my piece of paper than it was about getting money. 01:00:40.742 --> 01:00:44.324 because I knew and I, right? 01:00:44.324 --> 01:00:59.251 And so, but I knew with that piece of paper, I can get, I could guarantee myself at least$100,000 a year, which like in New York City, for the average person is not a lot of money. 01:00:59.251 --> 01:01:05.965 But for somebody like me who can like commit to eating rice and beans forever, it can be a lot. 01:01:06.416 --> 01:01:19.438 And so, and so like it was one of those things where that's why public interest looked interesting to me because I thought well I could do this but I can do like all my other odd things that I do anyway, you know. 01:01:19.547 --> 01:01:28.806 And I find out about this opportunity that's available and I look it up and I'm just kind of like wait what? 01:01:28.806 --> 01:01:32.469 They're paying people 40 grand to work for 10 weeks? 01:01:32.769 --> 01:01:33.900 How do I get this? 01:01:33.900 --> 01:01:34.690 I need to... 01:01:34.690 --> 01:01:38.117 I need to look into that! associate role. 01:01:38.117 --> 01:01:41.619 And I remember being like, we're getting one of those. 01:01:41.619 --> 01:01:50.864 And I wasn't even thinking like, I know people are to be so mad when they see this podcast, but, but, I'm okay with that. 01:01:50.864 --> 01:01:52.215 They're, they're already mad. 01:01:52.215 --> 01:01:54.085 This was as making more. 01:01:54.965 --> 01:02:06.579 And so like it, what was really funny and fun for me about it was I thought, girl, you're probably gonna work hard anyway. 01:02:07.978 --> 01:02:15.798 So if they're gonna pay you to work hard, you should at least try. 01:02:16.099 --> 01:02:29.338 And so like, I found out about it with enough time to make sure my grades were in line with what they were looking for, right? 01:02:29.338 --> 01:02:42.773 And so like, I think like my first semester grades, I had like a B plus average, which really annoyed me, even though I already told you I don't really work that hard. 01:02:42.773 --> 01:02:53.740 And so I was mad, but I think I was more annoyed when I found out that I could get a raw score of a 90 or better and still end up with a B plus. 01:02:53.740 --> 01:02:57.523 Like, it just didn't feel like justice to me. 01:02:57.523 --> 01:03:03.086 And I was in law school and I thought law school was about, I thought law school was about justice. 01:03:03.132 --> 01:03:11.610 And then they explained the curve to me and I was like, so like you guys only give out like X amount of A's? 01:03:12.050 --> 01:03:13.851 I was not aware of that. 01:03:13.891 --> 01:03:19.956 And so I literally made sure and they did like a percentage. 01:03:19.976 --> 01:03:31.806 And so for the rest of law school, I don't think I ever took a class that had less than like 50 people in it because I knew I could like keep doing. 01:03:32.518 --> 01:04:08.648 my current system of being a student and get and and for me like like people they're like they need the a plus like i was not that kid i just need it to start with a so it could be a minus it could be a it could be a plus i don't care as long as that letter has a like my name we're cool and so like i remember like doing the math and thinking okay well this class is like 100 people, they can only give out like 12 A's in this class. 01:04:09.389 --> 01:04:11.510 I think I could be one of those A's. 01:04:12.150 --> 01:04:17.244 And I would just sign, like I literally chose my classes in that way. 01:04:17.244 --> 01:04:29.885 And so I remember my GPA jumped so that I had like an A minus average by the end of my second semester. 01:04:30.246 --> 01:04:31.996 And then I got hit by a car. 01:04:33.907 --> 01:04:34.702 Jesus. 01:04:34.702 --> 01:04:36.487 Like a month later. 01:04:37.293 --> 01:04:40.788 And you're like, crush it, I genuinely forgot for a second. 01:04:40.788 --> 01:04:42.262 And you're like, yeah, I'm doing so great. 01:04:42.262 -->

01:04:43.465 And then I got hit by a car. 01:04:43.465 --> 01:04:53.251 then no, and for me, like, I think that's why, and that was like February 2nd, 2018, most annoying day of my life. 01:04:54.306 --> 01:04:55.722 Were you in a car? 01:04:55.722 --> 01:04:57.503 Were you not in a car? 01:04:57.503 --> 01:04:58.463 How? 01:04:58.918 --> 01:05:01.175 my- class. 01:05:02.239 --> 01:05:06.005 And yeah, no, it was it was crazy. 01:05:08.679 --> 01:05:12.650 It's like, it's like the car bounced off of me, man. 01:05:14.030 --> 01:05:15.836 think you might have bounced off of the car. 01:05:15.836 --> 01:05:17.135 I didn't fall. 01:05:18.233 --> 01:05:19.186 that's nice. 01:05:19.802 --> 01:05:28.934 And like, I used to think so, but like the pain that persists as a result of me not falling. 01:05:30.641 --> 01:05:32.192 It's kind of incredible. 01:05:32.192 --> 01:05:49.146 Like it's funny when I think about like that day, although I think if I had fallen, I wouldn't be here because I don't think he would have stopped because I think the person was on their cell phone at the time. 01:05:49.487 --> 01:05:52.289 And they just turned into me. 01:05:53.391 --> 01:05:56.041 And so like, I was, it's funny. 01:05:56.041 --> 01:05:59.414 It would have been a funnier story if I was headed to Torts. 01:05:59.795 --> 01:06:04.976 But I was, torts, they do like personal injury stuff in torts law. 01:06:06.498 --> 01:06:19.385 So like, that would have made it like, for me, like, it's like the only thing that I'm like, if I could change a fact about that day, it would have been I was like headed to torts and then I got hit by a car. 01:06:20.146 --> 01:06:23.206 But I was headed to contracts. 01:06:26.730 --> 01:06:28.789 No, it's good, no it's good. 01:06:29.905 --> 01:06:47.260 And so like my professors, had to like figure out and I'm so grateful for them because they ended up figuring out how to help me in my quest to not take a leave of absence. 01:06:48.579 --> 01:06:51.521 Because I was just kind of like, I only have two years. 01:06:51.521 --> 01:07:07.893 I'm not extending, I didn't want to extend my time in law school because like, I was already on the two year pay structure and too much money had already been spent kind of thing. 01:07:10.059 --> 01:07:10.998 No. 01:07:11.240 --> 01:07:12.481 I am... 01:07:13.559 --> 01:07:15.211 Were you dealing with injuries? 01:07:15.211 --> 01:07:16.664 Like, how were you managing? 01:07:16.664 --> 01:07:18.967 Were you scared to walk to class again? 01:07:18.967 --> 01:07:19.889 having... 01:07:23.400 --> 01:07:40.478 four bulged discs in my neck and three in my lower back and a bruised sacrum so it hurt to sit and lay down. 01:07:41.878 --> 01:07:53.322 And so sometimes I would have to like stand in the middle of class and some people were smart enough to know that like something was going on that was probably none of their business. 01:07:53.626 --> 01:07:59.760 And then there were people who would like come and

be like, why don't you just find another chair? 01:07:59.760 --> 01:08:00.932 And it's like. 01:08:02.594 --> 01:08:05.483 You are not one of the 12 A's, are you, huh? 01:08:05.628 --> 01:08:07.800 You know, yeah. 01:08:07.800 --> 01:08:13.429 so, but like, I will say, like, I remember when I told, I told, I think it was my con law professor. 01:08:13.429 --> 01:08:14.268 Yeah, it was him. 01:08:14.268 --> 01:08:17.984 I told him about what happened. 01:08:18.078 --> 01:08:22.002 And he was like, no, we need to get you accommodations. 01:08:22.002 --> 01:08:30.670 And I think probably for the first time in my law school's history, they recorded all of the classes that I was in. 01:08:32.198 --> 01:08:33.534 And. 01:08:33.770 --> 01:08:35.207 Great accommodation. 01:08:35.207 --> 01:08:38.198 and every student got the benefit of it. 01:08:39.212 --> 01:08:40.061 Yes. 01:08:40.262 --> 01:08:41.203 Yes. 01:08:41.524 --> 01:08:46.961 Normally how that works when we do inclusive things, everyone benefits from it. 01:08:46.961 --> 01:08:54.693 And it was like, and I remember when I stopped being like a big baby about the whole thing. 01:08:56.470 --> 01:09:06.216 It was when I realized how, like I've never had any physical issues my whole life, right? 01:09:06.536 --> 01:09:16.671 And so like, as much as I think I'm aware and I'm like always paying attention to people, like I know I've definitely missed it before. 01:09:16.671 --> 01:09:37.211 this happened to me, but it raised my awareness like so much that now like if I'm headed anywhere, I'm thinking, wait, they haven't considered people who might be in a wheelchair, like how are they gonna get in here? 01:09:37.211 --> 01:09:45.261 Like I'm thinking about, it's like, I feel like I've always thought about like people with mental illness or. 01:09:45.560 --> 01:09:50.573 you know, or neurodivergent, you know, personalities, right. 01:09:50.573 --> 01:09:54.573 But I've, it's so crazy when I think about it. 01:09:55.993 --> 01:10:07.478 I didn't really consider physical disability nearly as much until after, until after, right. 01:10:07.478 --> 01:10:09.297 And yeah. 01:10:10.378 --> 01:10:11.338 Yeah. 01:10:11.338 --> 01:10:11.863 Yeah. 01:10:11.863 --> 01:10:13.804 you have another thing. 01:10:13.831 --> 01:10:14.712 exactly. 01:10:14.712 --> 01:10:21.454 so like, for me, like, it like I remember I had a coach in high school. 01:10:21.815 --> 01:10:26.198 She called me Arugula because she like she just couldn't say my name. 01:10:26.278 --> 01:10:29.279 And so it's like really terrible. 01:10:29.279 --> 01:10:31.381 And I love he's lit. 01:10:31.381 --> 01:10:33.046 I know my name is like super easy. 01:10:33.046 --> 01:10:35.871 I think she just loved calling me Arugula. 01:10:35.871 --> 01:10:37.661 So we'll go with that. 01:10:37.661 --> 01:10:45.622 And she used to always say to us that our team was as strong as the weakest link. 01:10:47.198 --> 01:10:52.755 And I started thinking about that statement. 01:10:55.302 --> 01:10:56.944 I got hit by a car. 01:10:58.587 --> 01:11:12.059 Being hit by a car actually ended up being more of a blessing than it was a curse because as they were doing all of these MRIs and CAT scans, they stumbled upon this mass. 01:11:13.777 --> 01:11:29.046 And so I actually found out about the mass about a month after I got hit by a The hits keep on coming! I remember being like, God, are you for real? 01:11:29.046 --> 01:11:30.707 What is your problem? 01:11:30.707 --> 01:11:34.046 Are you mad at me because I took forever to come back here? 01:11:34.046 --> 01:11:35.867 What is your deal? 01:11:38.207 --> 01:11:46.447 Give me a break, And it really did. 01:11:46.447 --> 01:11:51.117 felt like, I used this image earlier this year. 01:11:51.117 --> 01:11:53.082 I felt like I was an ant. 01:11:53.082 --> 01:11:58.086 under Billy's magnifying glass in the height of summer. 01:11:58.206 --> 01:12:02.047 Like that's how I felt during that time. 01:12:02.507 --> 01:12:21.399 And, and you know, I think rightfully so, you know, but what was really, again, it was like all of these crazy things, like really negative things were happening simultaneously. 01:12:21.567 --> 01:12:30.686 It was like, remember talking to my doctor and him being like, my God, we need to check that and like, get in on it. 01:12:30.686 --> 01:12:37.425 you know, like, I mean, I've been, I think I've been seeing my doc, my OBGYN since I was. 01:12:38.911 --> 01:12:44.440 22 and he had to have been like 26, 27. 01:12:44.440 --> 01:12:48.220 Like I was like one of his like first patients he ever had kind of thing. 01:12:48.220 --> 01:12:57.591 And so it was like one of those things where it was like in my mind being like, this is why I still come to you because like you take care of me. 01:12:58.180 --> 01:13:05.131 and then his mentor ended up being the surgeon that took the mass out. 01:13:05.751 --> 01:13:15.609 And if I don't know if I would have been able to have his mentor do that for me if he wasn't my doctor. 01:13:16.070 --> 01:13:24.248 Because he normally had like a four month wait for an appointment and I was able to have an appointment in a week. 01:13:26.298 --> 01:13:34.029 And he examined me and he was like, listen, we can get you in and take it out. 01:13:34.029 --> 01:13:36.771 And he was like, we can have a date within a month. 01:13:36.771 --> 01:13:38.953 I checked my schedule already. 01:13:39.114 --> 01:13:44.201 But that would have been in the middle of a very critical semester for me. 01:13:47.242 --> 01:13:50.233 I mean, school comes first, clearly. 01:13:50.233 --> 01:13:51.634 like totally right. 01:13:51.634 --> 01:14:05.805 Totally and it was really funny because he was kind of like, well, we can put you on some hormones so that it doesn't grow anymore because we determined that it wasn't malignant. 01:14:06.448 --> 01:14:10.690 But it was just obstructing my digestion. 01:14:12.694 --> 01:14:13.854 It's causing

problems. 01:14:13.854 --> 01:14:15.176 Like everything. 01:14:15.176 --> 01:14:16.667 It was a pain, right? 01:14:16.667 --> 01:14:23.860 And so like, but he ended, we ended up like, and I was like, well, how long can I like keep this thing in me realistically? 01:14:24.801 --> 01:14:30.154 And you know, and he was like, well, you can wait until after you graduate if you wanted to. 01:14:30.154 --> 01:14:36.488 I wouldn't recommend it, but you could if you're okay with like having this discomfort. 01:14:37.007 --> 01:14:40.689 And so I just, I let it rip. 01:14:40.689 --> 01:14:41.850 And so. 01:14:42.302 --> 01:14:52.881 I knew it was crazy because like I knew for a year and a half before that thing came out of me that it was in me. 01:14:52.881 --> 01:14:55.798 a ticking time bomb just chilling inside of you. 01:14:55.798 --> 01:14:58.520 and it was the size of a softball. 01:14:59.532 --> 01:15:00.987 Ooh, good size. 01:15:01.150 --> 01:15:02.911 Yeah, it huge. 01:15:03.671 --> 01:15:10.190 But I ended up getting 12 interviews for Big Law opportunities. 01:15:12.533 --> 01:15:14.948 You and your tumor, taking on the world. 01:15:15.563 --> 01:15:18.826 I ended up doing like a China abroad thing. 01:15:18.826 --> 01:15:47.930 I did like a China abroad thing that like that same It's so crazy like that six month period is bananas Because I get hit by a car Find out about this mass go to China Get these 12 interviews Get callbacks get a gig at like a magic circle firm, you know, and It's like a top It was like a top UK firm that like nobody ever heard of. 01:15:47.930 --> 01:15:49.579 But I was like, I like that name. 01:15:49.579 --> 01:15:51.001 I think I'm gonna work there. 01:15:51.001 --> 01:15:53.541 And so it was my first choice. 01:15:54.162 --> 01:15:57.073 The first firm I worked at was my first choice firm. 01:15:57.073 --> 01:16:04.925 And as soon as their offer came, actually, let me not lie. 01:16:05.465 --> 01:16:13.527 As soon as I met those people, I convinced myself that they loved me as much as I loved them. 01:16:13.831 --> 01:16:17.261 And I did not take any further interviews. 01:16:17.524 --> 01:16:20.060 Because I don't like to waste people's time. 01:16:20.845 --> 01:16:22.975 Hold move. 01:16:22.975 --> 01:16:31.059 And my career services advisor almost had a heart attack because she was kind of like, girl, nobody does that. 01:16:31.059 --> 01:16:32.810 And I was like, we'll be fine. 01:16:32.810 --> 01:16:33.699 Don't worry. 01:16:33.699 --> 01:16:35.280 We'll be okay. 01:16:35.900 --> 01:16:38.801 And a week later I got my call. 01:16:39.002 --> 01:16:49.247 And by then that was like, I think the second to last week in August, like we had just gotten back to school for the fall and... 01:16:49.444 --> 01:16:54.923 I was walking in the courtyard, got a call from that firm telling me, I was like, yeah. 01:16:54.923 --> 01:16:57.375 They were like, we just want to welcome you. 01:16:57.375 --> 01:17:01.149 And I remember

being like, yes, it's that. 01:17:01.149 --> 01:17:02.672 celebrating in the quad. 01:17:02.672 --> 01:17:07.305 I feel like that's like a 90s movie moment of you just... 01:17:07.591 --> 01:17:12.793 and I actually did it too, which was like, look back, I'm like, who are you like early? 01:17:13.033 --> 01:17:21.478 But it was so like, I mean, it was like, almost like, yes, like things are finally going in the direction that they need to go kind of thing. 01:17:21.478 --> 01:17:25.460 And I feel like it did like it was just thing. 01:17:25.460 --> 01:17:30.462 It was just smooth sailing my second year of law school. 01:17:30.521 --> 01:17:33.542 And then I graduated high summer. 01:17:34.556 --> 01:17:36.793 My cousin finally got married. 01:17:38.154 --> 01:17:39.595 Congrats, cuz. 01:17:39.658 --> 01:17:44.780 And you stay at Allen and Overy for a while after your summer associates. 01:17:44.780 --> 01:17:46.470 so I ended up, it's crazy. 01:17:46.470 --> 01:18:00.650 So I ended up taking, they wanted me to start right away after I did the summer associate thing, but because I had delayed getting the surgery, I had to postpone that. 01:18:00.850 --> 01:18:07.310 And so I remember when I had those conversations with them, they were like, okay, no problem. 01:18:07.451 --> 01:18:12.978 And the fact that they even asked me to start right away. 01:18:13.853 --> 01:18:17.404 was something that like never happens. 01:18:17.463 --> 01:18:24.065 But because I had already graduated at that point, they were willing to make an exception. 01:18:24.265 --> 01:18:46.613 And so like they ultimately in my book, like they solidified themselves as a really good place to work because they were so accommodating and not in a way like I think there's like levels of accommodations where... 01:18:49.533 --> 01:18:58.520 As somebody who has had accommodations since this accident, I think that... 01:19:00.393 --> 01:19:08.905 There are a lot of people that have expectations of the workplace that just can't be met. 01:19:10.046 --> 01:19:11.587 They just can't be. 01:19:12.688 --> 01:19:21.872 And you kind of have to get creative about how you get those things met, right? 01:19:21.872 --> 01:19:28.582 Whether it's like negotiating it, because there's just no playbook for it, right? 01:19:28.582 --> 01:19:35.962 And it's so it's like doing it in a way that gets you the yes rather than a no. 01:19:36.353 --> 01:19:37.875 Yeah. 01:19:37.875 --> 01:19:44.203 I think going in with like your fist almost never gets you what you want. 01:19:44.203 --> 01:19:46.984 It certainly hasn't gotten me what I wanted. 01:19:48.087 --> 01:19:55.502 I mean, coming from the HR side of it, definitely like, I like honey more than fists, you know? 01:19:55.884 --> 01:20:03.911 And I think, you know, it's on the HR partner to be collaborative and responsive and listen, but yeah, make accommodations. 01:20:03.911 --> 01:20:08.073 Because as we already learned, they're probably gonna help more people than just the one. 01:20:08.859 --> 01:20:20.532 you know, and so for me, like, you know, I just want to plug them because like, feel like Like, I know that that's not how it is. 01:20:20.532 --> 01:20:26.069 Like there were just things at that organization that were just standard. 01:20:27.152 --> 01:20:29.935 Like you didn't need an accommodation letter. 01:20:29.935 --> 01:20:35.363 You didn't have to bring in your private doctors. 01:20:35.511 --> 01:20:37.353 Doctor Medical Records. 01:20:37.353 --> 01:20:37.994 Oof. 01:20:37.994 --> 01:20:45.478 like they just, it was just like some of this stuff was just standard, right? 01:20:45.679 --> 01:21:02.305 And I think when you're coming from a place of true inclusivity, you're thinking from the lens of we're only as good as our weakest link. 01:21:03.126 --> 01:21:10.198 And if the organization happens to be the weakest link, in that scenario, that's a problem. 01:21:13.158 --> 01:21:13.563 I love that. 01:21:13.563 --> 01:21:15.099 That's a mic drop. 01:21:16.180 --> 01:21:17.912 Well, you stay there for a while. 01:21:17.912 --> 01:21:19.533 You do your summer associate there. 01:21:19.533 --> 01:21:23.105 You're there for another two years post-grad. 01:21:24.863 --> 01:21:28.737 And then you move on to a new associate role. 01:21:29.618 --> 01:21:32.541 Keep stacking up. 01:21:33.481 --> 01:21:36.864 Tell me about the, we're towards the end of your journey line. 01:21:36.864 --> 01:21:42.369 Tell me what's ending and I'm excited about your last block and what's happening next. 01:21:42.800 --> 01:21:47.782 so I always wanted to be like, it's funny. 01:21:47.782 --> 01:21:56.244 Like I did have that blip where I wanted to be a brain surgeon, but I have childhood memories of wanting to be a lawyer. 01:21:56.546 --> 01:22:00.827 I've always been obsessed with like legal shows. 01:22:00.828 --> 01:22:09.291 To this day, like I'm like, so like if there's something about the law happening in the show or the movie. 01:22:09.860 --> 01:22:14.113 even if I've seen it a thousand times, I will sit there and watch it again. 01:22:14.135 --> 01:22:16.426 Like, it's that, like, for me. 01:22:16.426 --> 01:22:26.764 And it's crazy because most legal shows are about litigation, but I ended up becoming a transactional attorney. 01:22:26.805 --> 01:22:33.511 And again, that was actually a very intentional, strategic move for me. 01:22:33.971 --> 01:22:38.284 And it was a form of activism for me as well. 01:22:38.559 --> 01:22:46.738 because there aren't a lot of women, black women, doing finance. 01:22:47.319 --> 01:23:00.538 And it was something I was just naturally good at because no schooling, but the more I heard the concepts, they just kind of stuck to me like glue. 01:23:00.538 --> 01:23:05.430 I would think about it in a very just... 01:23:06.483 --> 01:23:21.748 just Broadway, like I'd get into the nitty gritty, but I'd also look at the big pictures while like it just always excited me in a way

that even like, I remember asking myself sometimes like, are you for real right now? 01:23:21.748 --> 01:23:23.699 Like, why are you this excited about this? 01:23:23.699 --> 01:23:30.733 Like, this is like, like not even the people that have been doing this for 20 years are excited, like calm down. 01:23:31.512 --> 01:23:35.734 You know, but it just really excited me as it. 01:23:35.856 --> 01:23:55.762 It's funny because like I will never I know you're not supposed to say that It's very, very, very, very, very unlikely that you will ever catch me outside at a rally. 01:23:57.229 --> 01:23:57.858 Mmm. 01:23:57.858 --> 01:23:59.793 just not my ministry. 01:24:01.119 --> 01:24:03.836 It takes all types. 01:24:03.836 --> 01:24:08.970 Some are loud, some are out there, and some gotta work behind the scenes. 01:24:08.970 --> 01:24:19.490 And so like, when I was a professor, I could have tried to go and work at like an NYU, especially after I got my experience. 01:24:19.490 --> 01:24:30.150 I could have tried to like go to one of these other places, but I stayed with CUNY because I got to work with first-generation kids a lot of the times. 01:24:30.150 --> 01:24:32.788 I'm first-generation everything. 01:24:33.212 --> 01:24:35.762 I got to work with black women. 01:24:35.762 --> 01:24:41.747 I got to work with immigrant kids. 01:24:41.747 --> 01:24:55.063 so them seeing me and me being able to help them get what they wanted for me was always more important than me going. 01:24:55.063 --> 01:24:56.993 To me, I could be loud. 01:24:56.993 --> 01:25:01.832 I could be that person that is on the TV. 01:25:01.832 --> 01:25:10.238 I can do all that, but for me it's like I'm more interested in getting and people don't like this sometimes. 01:25:10.238 --> 01:25:14.684 I want bodies in the Mmm, okay. 01:25:15.127 --> 01:25:15.969 I'm here for it. 01:25:15.969 --> 01:25:16.716 Bring them together. 01:25:16.716 --> 01:25:26.582 you know, like I know there's been like this, I like really hate this quote, like, surround yourself with people who talk about you in the room. 01:25:28.990 --> 01:25:30.770 I'm not very trusting. 01:25:31.211 --> 01:25:34.511 So I want to be in the room. 01:25:34.511 --> 01:25:46.038 And I want to and for me, it's like I would rather have you come in the room and speak for yourself than pretend that I have the ability to speak for you. 01:25:47.484 --> 01:25:48.519 I love that. 01:25:48.635 --> 01:26:06.865 And so like for me embodying that was being a finance attorney, being the only dark skinned black person and like there were always people that identified as black but like they had to tell you. 01:26:07.667 --> 01:26:16.735 I don't have to tell you that there has to be some African in me, right? 01:26:16.735 --> 01:26:18.716 Like you just see it. 01:26:18.938 --> 01:26:23.961 And so in fact, I might have to explain the other parts of me more. 01:26:24.722 --> 01:26:39.634 And so, you know, which is why I always check the black box because it's like, it's just easier for me where I'm like, now I don't have to like, go through my whole family tree and show you where all the intersections happen. 01:26:40.775 --> 01:26:44.297 no one deserves to know all of that when they first meet, y'know? 01:26:44.297 --> 01:26:46.688 Like, it's a nuanced conversation. 01:26:46.688 --> 01:26:50.128 Like, people are trying to figure out their own family dreams, you know? 01:26:50.128 --> 01:26:59.900 And so, and for me, it's like, I actually like, I think I, I think I'm like most other black people in that way. 01:26:59.900 --> 01:27:04.332 Like, it's just the embodiment, right? 01:27:04.332 --> 01:27:12.173 And so one of my goals was people would see my face as a finance attorney. 01:27:12.390 --> 01:27:17.426 and they were in law school and they would think, that's an option. 01:27:18.862 --> 01:27:19.845 Hell yeah. 01:27:20.618 --> 01:27:21.515 That's an option. 01:27:21.515 --> 01:27:22.216 an option. 01:27:22.216 --> 01:27:24.935 Like you don't have to do it, but that's an option. 01:27:24.935 --> 01:27:32.868 And, and what I loved about the first room I worked at was they let me play a little bit when I first started. 01:27:32.868 --> 01:27:35.930 So I didn't just do finance work. 01:27:35.930 --> 01:27:40.841 got to do like some capital markets, like, you know, securities type work. 01:27:41.480 --> 01:27:44.731 but they like really valued pro bono work as well. 01:27:44.731 --> 01:27:48.479 So I got to do like immigration law stuff. 01:27:48.479 --> 01:27:51.738 help do memos for the litigation department. 01:27:51.738 --> 01:27:56.958 So I got to do a lot of cool things while working with them. 01:27:57.099 --> 01:28:08.359 And so my face ended up being in a lot of places, doing a lot of things, showing the different options that are available to you. 01:28:08.819 --> 01:28:25.395 And so for me, I can't afford to be in a box because I think part of my reason for being is to just show people. 01:28:27.016 --> 01:28:29.670 that they're possible? 01:28:31.577 --> 01:28:34.967 and like, and just be that for them. 01:28:35.208 --> 01:28:48.873 And like, it takes sacrifice because like sometimes I just want to go on a road trip and like live my life and not be visible and be visible. 01:28:49.734 --> 01:29:00.458 Which is why when I'm not online or, you know, in public, I spend a lot of time alone or just with immediate family. 01:29:00.606 --> 01:29:07.966 because I'm like, you can't be public all the time, Juan. 01:29:08.646 --> 01:29:10.846 Yeah, yeah. 01:29:11.546 --> 01:29:12.886 Exactly. 01:29:12.886 --> 01:29:16.997 And you kind of, and like for me, like I have to live my own life too. 01:29:16.997 --> 01:29:26.103 And so it's like balancing this like new evolved form of activism where it's like. 01:29:28.070 --> 01:29:43.385 When I left law last year, you know, I left because I had come to a crossroads where I was going to have to fight to stay. 01:29:44.225 --> 01:29:51.534 But I

shouldn't have had to fight to stay. 01:29:52.715 --> 01:29:59.494 It was one of those things where I just decided I'm not gonna fight. 01:29:59.835 --> 01:30:04.515 I'm just gonna see how far you will take it. 01:30:04.515 --> 01:30:15.479 And however far you decide to take it, I hope you're willing to deal with whatever consequences come as a result of. 01:30:16.636 --> 01:30:18.567 the actions that you take. 01:30:19.448 --> 01:30:26.109 so, and normally that's not my personality. 01:30:28.327 --> 01:30:38.443 I, while I will fight for myself, I'm not a, I'm not a like confrontational person, although people think I'm confrontational person. 01:30:38.443 --> 01:30:39.693 I'm really not. 01:30:41.253 --> 01:30:46.255 I would rather like not be that person. 01:30:46.556 --> 01:30:53.408 but I have the inability to smell something that stinks and not say something. 01:30:53.748 --> 01:30:56.009 I just don't have that ability. 01:30:56.170 --> 01:31:07.306 And so, you know, I came to this point where I've actually quit all of my jobs except for my first job. 01:31:07.306 --> 01:31:16.734 I was fired from that job and I was fired because somebody was bullying me. 01:31:18.259 --> 01:31:24.881 They knew that this person was bullying me when I complained there was retaliation. 01:31:25.890 --> 01:31:26.716 Mm. 01:31:27.560 --> 01:31:31.474 And my only saving grace back then was... 01:31:33.502 --> 01:31:38.143 Cause at that point I had like transferred to a different location or whatever. 01:31:38.563 --> 01:31:43.743 I had been working part time at this Calypso place that I was really enjoying. 01:31:43.743 --> 01:31:48.243 So I already had like my second job in play. 01:31:48.243 --> 01:31:48.863 Yeah. 01:31:48.863 --> 01:31:54.042 And so like, like I didn't, you know, I was annoyed, but I was just kind of like, whatever. 01:31:54.042 --> 01:31:55.323 I have my degree. 01:31:55.323 --> 01:32:00.042 Like you already paid for the bachelor's calm down, you know? 01:32:00.443 --> 01:32:01.863 And out. 01:32:02.301 --> 01:32:14.317 You know, but I remember like I thought about it's crazy because after they fired me, they asked me to come back. 01:32:16.310 --> 01:32:17.310 Amazing. 01:32:17.918 --> 01:32:23.359 because the person who fired me didn't like run it up the chain. 01:32:23.359 --> 01:32:30.738 And so up the chain, I found out they had already like put my name was already on the list to be promoted. 01:32:30.738 --> 01:32:34.742 So I started getting calls about why I left. 01:32:36.447 --> 01:32:38.807 because they had no idea where I left. 01:32:38.967 --> 01:32:45.951 Because on the books, it was like I quit, but they had actually fired me. 01:32:45.951 --> 01:32:58.612 And so it was like, and I remember being like, thank you so much for reaching out, but I don't want to work for a place that doesn't have accountability and oversight or words like that. 01:32:58.612 --> 01:33:10.661 I don't think I use those words, you know, but like, I was

having a similar type of situation at this place, right? 01:33:10.661 --> 01:33:17.100 And it was after, I'm gonna speak it. 01:33:17.100 --> 01:33:22.167 And it was after they poached me from the first firm. 01:33:23.954 --> 01:33:33.390 They spent seven months trying to get me to even just submit my resume. 01:33:36.006 --> 01:33:48.368 And then they waited three months after I submitted my resume because I didn't want to leave my first job high and dry because I was in the middle of like a psychotic deal. 01:33:48.368 --> 01:33:55.463 And I wouldn't be able to tell somebody how to pick up where I was leaving off. 01:33:55.463 --> 01:33:57.506 There was just too many moving parts. 01:33:57.506 --> 01:34:05.954 And so I negotiated to start three months after I accepted their Okay. 01:34:06.716 --> 01:34:10.197 I didn't get a sign on bonus, but I didn't want that. 01:34:10.636 --> 01:34:12.078 I wanted time. 01:34:12.677 --> 01:34:16.279 And so they just offered time. 01:34:16.359 --> 01:34:18.640 I didn't have to negotiate that. 01:34:19.180 --> 01:34:27.884 And the time was I lost a year by delaying starting at that first firm for a year. 01:34:28.824 --> 01:34:37.873 But because of how much work I had done at my first firm in those 22 months that I worked there. 01:34:39.871 --> 01:34:48.331 I had done more work than people that would have been 40 years at the new place. 01:34:48.970 --> 01:34:53.211 So they made me a third year associate. 01:34:54.331 --> 01:34:55.430 Right? 01:34:55.511 --> 01:35:03.850 And then two years after that moment, I had people trying to convince me that I didn't know what I was doing. 01:35:03.871 --> 01:35:07.686 And it's kind of hard to skip a person a year. 01:35:09.266 --> 01:35:12.127 and then tell them they don't know what they're doing. 01:35:12.127 --> 01:35:13.560 It's just hard. 01:35:15.528 --> 01:35:18.851 So, I'm assuming you decided to leave. 01:35:18.851 --> 01:35:24.359 so I ended up leaving and I started Scrappy Girl Project. 01:35:26.542 --> 01:35:28.166 Scrappy Girl Project. 01:35:28.712 --> 01:35:29.595 I love it. 01:35:29.595 --> 01:35:39.899 the name is funny because like people think that like it's because I want it to be like a woman centric company, but the name is all about me. 01:35:40.180 --> 01:35:42.091 It's not about the people. 01:35:42.091 --> 01:35:53.655 It's really all about me because if you look, you know, but like it's about it's really about like a mindset. 01:35:53.655 --> 01:36:03.729 It's about a lifestyle of no matter what life throws me, it doesn't matter what scraps you give me, I'm gonna make a masterpiece out of it. 01:36:03.729 --> 01:36:06.871 That's what Scrappy Girl Project is all about. 01:36:07.091 --> 01:36:22.078 And if you look at my background, if you look at my journey line, just the parts I've shown you, you see, wait a minute, this stuff doesn't really fit until you meet Aubria. 01:36:22.078 --> 01:36:26.779 And you're like, This makes sense. 01:36:28.515

--> 01:36:29.476 Right? 01:36:30.171 --> 01:36:35.311 Now that I have met you and heard the whole story, it does kind of make sense. 01:36:35.311 --> 01:37:03.055 you know and and it's crazy because I can actually rewrite my story to make every single piece fit exactly perfect but I don't do that on purpose because I like I have to be honest about it for myself so I remember like no girl you didn't plan that don't lie to those people You didn't plan on being a professor. 01:37:03.055 --> 01:37:04.332 You didn't even think about it. 01:37:04.332 --> 01:37:05.786 It just happened. 01:37:06.850 --> 01:37:21.639 And, you know, I think that's why this is so interesting because like sometimes you just stumble into the right path and going from retail to professor to lawyer to now CEO and author. 01:37:21.639 --> 01:37:25.305 yeah, and I wrote children's books randomly too, somewhere in there. 01:37:26.220 --> 01:37:30.252 Yeah, just a little sprinkling of literature. 01:37:31.814 --> 01:37:34.836 Avria, that's the end of your journey line. 01:37:34.836 --> 01:37:37.161 What are you looking forward to next? 01:37:37.161 --> 01:37:45.475 So I'm actually entertaining law firms right now because I miss, I actually miss being a lawyer. 01:37:45.490 --> 01:37:52.030 And I didn't think I would miss it as much as I did initially. 01:37:52.030 --> 01:37:56.543 And so like, know, I know I've never had that before. 01:37:56.543 --> 01:38:05.369 This is the first time I've moved on from something where I'm like, you need to go back and like, you're not done. 01:38:06.270 --> 01:38:17.730 And And I think part of it is the rest of my journey really relies on me completing this leg. 01:38:18.032 --> 01:38:21.313 And so what does that mean for Scrappy Girl Project? 01:38:21.313 --> 01:38:26.085 Like, how do I keep doing that while also being an attorney? 01:38:26.085 --> 01:38:32.139 And I think for me, it's less about me as a crutch. 01:38:32.139 --> 01:38:33.259 I think... 01:38:33.592 --> 01:38:38.583 I don't have to be involved in every day all the time. 01:38:39.103 --> 01:38:43.456 And it's more about empowering people. 01:38:43.456 --> 01:39:03.448 And so I've been doing that by creating resources for people because my goal, even as a company owner, is not like most people's goals because I don't really want repeat customers, at least not for repeat. 01:39:03.448 --> 01:39:05.559 not for repeat problems. 01:39:06.619 --> 01:39:17.063 Like I'll help you solve a new problem, but we're not going to spend the next 10 years of my life trying to work out. 01:39:17.063 --> 01:39:20.344 Like we grow and build. 01:39:20.344 --> 01:39:31.367 And so you kind of have to be a certain kind of client to work with me, where like you have to be serious about wanting to. 01:39:32.359 --> 01:39:41.359 finish what you start and build on what you're doing so that you are in charge of what comes next. 01:39:41.800 --> 01:39:51.079 that there are a lot of, I wouldn't say I'm a coach and I know that I'm not because I don't want to be in your ear 24 seven. 01:39:51.100 --> 01:40:00.127 I want you to be in your own ear 24 seven because I've been in my own ear, although I've had coaches. 01:40:00.648 --> 01:40:06.713 And I do seek counsel and advice for pretty much everything. 01:40:07.234 --> 01:40:11.699 At the end of the day, my mindset is... 01:40:14.680 --> 01:40:15.104 to live with every decision that you make. 01:40:15.805 --> 01:40:20.971 give anybody percent over your next move. 01:40:20.971 --> 01:40:24.854 Like you have to, you have to decide this is what you want. 01:40:24.954 --> 01:40:28.618 And you know, and so that's kind of, I guess that's it. 01:40:28.618 --> 01:40:37.345 The goal is go finish being a while also helping anybody who wants to. 01:40:37.411 --> 01:40:49.238 keep pushing the envelope of where they are, know, develop that mindset, that mentality, and get it done. 01:40:50.408 --> 01:40:52.150 get it done. 01:40:52.150 --> 01:40:56.225 Well, Aubria, thank you so much for joining us today. 01:40:56.225 --> 01:41:05.069 Y'all can check out all of her links and information and her journey line in the description, and we'll see you next time. 01:41:05.069 --> 01:41:06.104 Bye, everyone. 01:41:06.104 --> 01:41:07.190 Thank you.