We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sequoyah Glenn a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sequoyah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Early in your career, how did you think through the decision of whether to start your own firm or join an established firm?

When I first started my career, I worked for a large grocery corporation at their headquarters and learned a lot. After realizing I wanted to become a business owner a few years in, I started taking roles at companies that I admired and wanted to be like someday (or so I thought, for some LOL). I made the choice to take the leap after working at several places that lacked diversity, proactive vision, and solutions that I didn’t necessarily believe in. As a Black woman in a white dominated industry, I wanted to show brands that authenticity is real and good business can be done honestly.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I studied marketing and management at both the undergraduate and graduate levels after realizing I didn’t want to continue my math major. I quickly fell in love with consumer insights and behavior and wasn’t quite sure what it was called for nearly half of my career. I was very fortunate to work with small and large companies in-house, at an agency, and at a vendor/firm to really understand what I wanted to do. My experiences of beginning my career as a humble coordinator, but always side-hustling and managing up truly paid off. My background in fine arts is leveraged in my presentations to clients, I sell very well, and have a killer smile – I realized those were my super strengths and leaned into them instead of harping on weaknesses. I’m most proud of my tenacity, grit, and honesty along the way. I was able to keep my head up despite anything crazy that came along the way (like losing a job I was PROMOTED to after not being a cultural fit – wtf). I want folks to know that you can be who you are and stick to your plans; just be flexible enough to go off the beaten path to get there.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

There’s a lot of books that have shaped my mind – I love anything John C. Maxwell; especially getting through corporate leadership. I also more recently fell in love with a book by Luvvie Jones called ‘Professional Trouble Maker: The Fear Fighter Manual” and I highly recommend anyone in business read it. I read it and it encouraged me to take the leap into entrepreneurialism and to be my full self even if it makes folks uncomfortable. I also enjoy a podcast called House of Lo by Lauren Guerrieri – it’s all about women elevating to their highest level of abundance, especially as our businesses are impacted by so many factors outside of ourselves. I love a good mix of academic, personal, professional, and spiritual resources to power through.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’ve had to pivot often in life and in business. One of the most impactful pivots came when I was trying to figure out if I wanted to leave media and do something completely different. I quit my job after a vacation and went on to manage a restaurant startup; it was by far the most impactful job I’ve had in my life. I had a chance to learn about myself, people, and the community – ironically, where I purchased my home several years later. It was my most cherished job, but I abruptly left after being subjected to an overtly racist store operator. I learned, though, what I loved: data and people. I started searching for a new role while Ubering and consulting on marketing and I’m so glad my journey took me there; I met amazing people who are still actively in my life. After some soul searching for about 60 days, I got hired at an ad agency as their first and only researcher; we made magic together until it was time to pivot yet again.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @_databae
• Facebook: facebook.com/924coop
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/sequoyahglenn
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAqDw9wpbgUt6L8nzChcBtg/videos?view=2&live_view=502
• Other: sequoyahglenn.com 924coop.com happyresignationday.com blackmarketerscoaliion.org

Image Credits
Chris Montgomery or Montyangelo Productions