We recently connected with Ericka Spradley and have shared our conversation below.

Ericka, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?

One of the most important lessons that has been invaluable in my career is that it’s perfectly acceptable to prioritize yourself and pivot as often as you need to. I can remember early in my career, while working full-time and going to school, that I was quietly pushing myself into exhaustion without realizing it. I eventually went to the doctor because something felt off in my body. I didn’t feel sick, but I didn’t feel right either. The doctor gave me an inhaler and wrote me out of work and school for a week. He then said, “Ms. Spradley, you have bronchitis, and that can develop into pneumonia. You know people can die from pneumonia, right?”
Because I’d never had bronchial issues before, I knew I needed to pivot in that moment. I changed my approach to work and life by doing less of what wasn’t working. As a result, I placed myself at the top of my priority list. To this day, I carry that lesson with me and coach women in the workplace to take care of themselves first while caring for the work.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

As a Career Management Strategist/Consultant and Founder of Confident Career Woman, I believe every woman should excel at work and know their worth. This notion has not only resulted in at least 80% of my clients getting hired, but it has also inspired me to start a movement designed to close the leadership gap for women in the workplace. Because women face barriers to career advancement and the wage gap persists, I now help high-performing women get hired, get promoted, get paid, and better manage their careers – in the absence of burnout.

I do this in multiple ways:

(1) I launched an online course platform providing women with 24/7 access to career management strategies and resources that prepare them to better navigate the workplace, experience mobility, and achieve career success. The platform has resources geared towards self-advocacy and salary negotiation (“Stop Sitting On Your Ask”) as well as career advancement (“PowHer Moves: A 30-Day Course for Getting Promoted and Paid”).

(2) My podcast episodes offer strategies designed to help women manage their careers in a matter of minutes.

(3) I partner with organizations that are committed to developing, promoting, and retaining women by offering advancement workshops, a 4-week cohort program, or ongoing monthly support.

(4) I coach clients 1: 1 virtually and have published several books available on Amazon.

(5) I have an AI agent, Ericka GPT, designed to offer coaching to women 24/7.

The initial spark that started this journey was simple: I wanted to go to church on Sundays and have a career that I love. Because choosing one or the other felt like settling and I believed I deserved both, I eventually left my then full-time role. I placed my resume online, provided my employer with a 6-week notice, withdrew the balance of my 401k, and went on vacation. While unemployed and on vacation, a recruiter from Wachovia Bank contacted me for a Financial Center Manager role that I never applied for. What I learned, that I didn’t know, is that skills were transferable. I promised myself I would spend the rest of my life doing this work and here we are.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I recently published my autobiography, “Unwilling: Refusing To Play A Game That Isn’t Mine,” and one story of resilience immediately comes to mind. At one point in my journey, my resume looked good, but my reality didn’t. Said another way, I had a decent job, but I wasn’t happy with the balance in my bank account. I had the work ethic but apparently, something was missing. I recognized quickly that success was so much more than hard work. After deciding to pursue entrepreneurship, I knew I couldn’t afford to quit my job. I relied on a few principles once I committed to building while working full-time:

1. Write the vision and make it plain (Habakkuk 2:2).
2. With man it is impossible, with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).
3. You have not because you ask not (James 4:2).
4. Walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

For a decade, I applied new information, these principles, pursued purpose, continued to develop, worked hard consistently, and intentionally built a brand. I managed my website. I created and facilitated workshops. I published content on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. I secured contracts. I published books and podcasts episodes. I coached clients. I created online courses. I became a College and Career Readiness Adjunct professor. I even completed my college degree! The resilience, adaptability, and elasticity required to keep going over the course of 10 years to accomplish these things while working full-time is the same resilience that sustains Confident Career Woman today.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I believe relationships helped build my reputation in the market. Whether it was the client who referred someone else for coaching or the employee who mentioned my name in rooms I couldn’t access, I am fully aware that success isn’t a solo act. My reputation is the result of the compound effect of individuals sharing my content, resources, and information. It is the result of the consistency and visibility – podcast episodes and social media posts. It is also the result of being kind, being nice, having integrity, sharing knowledge, and treating people well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://erickaspradley.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericka-spradley
• Other: Online Courses: https://www.confidentcareerwoman.com

  “Unwilling: Refusing To Play A Game That Isn’t Mine” (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/Unwilling-Refusing-Play-Game-That/dp/B0GJRLXN5Y/ref=sr_1_2?crid=106E1F1QXRC9F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.cm4bBCeqEAhss9RvOOxZ1TBrp9BZueQDprBvZA2uBh7GcHCuTETdeU94mlY6MQaVme9_KcIDVXdRVro_8sbzEL7pBm-Ek0idYs1YsAlKCfo.fIlmUb0ZR2ugwvm0WYgUar1spjVCEZL3qBP7hjOYu7M&dib_tag=se&keywords=ericka+spradley&qid=1777661454&sprefix=ericka+sp%2Caps%2C571&sr=8-2

  The Black Woman’s Corporate Brief (Substack): https://substack.com/@thecorporatebrief?r=3asp49&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=profile&shareImageVariant=image