We were lucky to catch up with Norma Reyes, PhD recently and have shared our conversation below.
Norma, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?
One of the most important lessons I learned at one of my first personal jobs, was that you have to be accountable to yourself first. As a first-generation American, there are a lot of unknowns, and you just kinda get used to ‘figuring it out.’ So that’s how I’ve learned to navigate my career. As a young 26-year-old, I really didn’t know what I was doing. I had my bachelor’s in psychology and was working in HR for a major theme park.
I then landed a job as a case manager at a community center working with out=of-school youth. The role was helping and supporting these adolescents to complete their GEDs and then either enter the workforce or go into college. I truly enjoyed it, it really made me feel like I was fulfilling my purpose in life.
The downfall? While I enjoyed the work I was doing, there was no formal way of doing the work. I was trained by a peer and merely given the basics of the role. Well turns out I didn’t know my role expectations. No one met with me on a regular basis or told me that I was doing anything wrong.
Honestly, it was the first time that I failed to really know the difference between working and meeting outcomes. We can all work day in and day out and never meet expectations. This isn’t because someone doesn’t want to meet the goals, it can simply mean they don’t know what the expectation or outcome of the job is.
So fast forward to a year later, it was 2010 and it was the recession. Funding was cut to a lot of programs and that program was one of them. We all knew layoffs were coming. I figured I would be on the chopping block since I was one of the last people hired.
There I am, I get called in knowing I’d probably get a pink slip. And the conversation when as I expected but also in ways I didn’t expect. I was told that due to me not meeting metrics that I was being let go. I was honestly shocked because not once did anyone tell me I wasn’t performing or that I needed to improve.
What made this even more clear, was when I found out that the peer who trained and had been there 5 years, was also being let go for the same reason.
I realized then, that one you really need to know your job expectations and figure it out for yourself. Be accountable for yourself. I wasn’t let go because I was the newest person and tenure didn’t keep you from being let go. You really have to show your VALUE, otherwise you’re more likely to be let go.
Well you best, believe that I took this lesson to heart. And I took it to my next job. I made sure I understood what was expected from me and kept my own system to ensure I was on track each month.
And that’s not the only place, in my current role as a leader I also make sure that those that work for me have clear expectations and guidelines. I check in on them regularly and review any improvements needed.
Essentially I’m the boss I wish I had and ensuring that everyone is set up for success. After
Norma, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Growing up as a First-Get American, I saw going to school as my way out of poverty and having success. I’m a bookworm, so after a while, I noticed books written by PhDs. And around 4th grade, I decided I wanted one too. I had no idea what a PhD. was or what it meant. But I just knew I wanted one.
As my education and career unfolded, I still had a strong desire to get a Ph.D. I was accepted into the Adult, Professional, and Community Education doctoral program at Texas State in 2014. At the time, I had my career planned out in my mind. Get my Ph.D., get “my foot in the door” in higher ed and then work my way into being a university president.
In May of 2019, I completed my Ph.D. and my career had gone in a whole other direction. I was a Behavioral Health Clinical Manager for a Fortune 50 Company in the health industry. Looking back at my grand career plan, I realize that my dreams of being in higher ed were short-sighted. It felt like my only option, the next logical step for someone like me and my current degrees. After having my son in August 2019, I had a realization, a wake-up call. I wanted to do more than be an employee. And I wanted to empower other women to make bold career choices. Women whom also saw education as a way out of poverty but hadn’t really thought about what they wanted to do in life.
That’s when I started my business and officially in November 2019 I had my first clients. For my first coaching program was on overcoming imposter syndrome. Since then I’ve worked with many women looking to overcome their self-doubt and gain clarity on what they really want for their career growth.
Then last year, in March of 2021, I launched the Manifest Your Career Podcast. I started the podcast as a way to reach more women and have a bigger impact. I also wanted to share the career journey of successful women so that others could see that no one has their career all planned out. And those who are most successful are the ones that allow their careers to ebb and flow with life.
Now in 2022, I’m offering 1:1 Career Mindset Coaching and season 2 of the Manifest Your Career is underway. We hit 9,000 downloads this past month and are on track to hit 10k next month.
Manifest Your Career is a career coaching business, and a podcast that takes an unconventional approach to career coaching and guidance. I take a more wholistic approach that brings in Spiritually practices like meditation, moon magic, and getting in-tuned with our intuition to make intentional career choices. But this isn’t a sit and wait type of coaching, there’s lots of practical steps too.
I used my education research to establish my practices. My research was on the career development of executive Latinas because I wanted to study how Latinas were able to be successful despite the challenges they face.
I’m most proud of that, that despite where statistics say I should be as a first-gen American I am beyond that and more. Statistics say that I should be uneducated, pregnant, and on welfare. Someone like me isn’t suppose to be successful. I grew up in a home that was less than 600 square feet total. Despite all of the challenges I faced, I kept hope alive within me knowing that I could make life different for myself and my children.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
A current lesson that I’ve had to unlearn and still actively work on is that you have to ‘work hard’ to get ahead in life. Honestly, there are a lot of successful people that don’t ‘work hard’ but are still successful. This hustle culture that was developed for I don’t what, just isn’t what I want or what anyone wants really.
My parents are immigrants, and working hard was absolutely necessary for them. They worked labor-intensive jobs and they still currently do. Both my parents are in retirement age and are still working. It’s instilled in them and in me that we have to keep moving, keep hustling to make ends meet.
So, I’m working to unlearn, that it’s okay to rest. I teach it to my clients all the time. Remind them that what is meant to be for them, such as a job opportunity, will come no matter what. It will not pass them up. There’s a time for the hustle and there’s a time for rest and recharge. Both are needed to really be in the flow of abundance.
We can’t pour from an empty cup and the only way to refill our souls is by resting. Having productive rest, and I’m not talking about sleeping. Sleeping is important but rest is different. Rest recharges your mind, body, and spirit and keeps you connected to the divine.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy to growing my business has been making authentic connections. As they say, people don’t care what you do until they know how much you care.
Honestly, there’s so much bad sales advice. It’s not about talking to a hundred people to make one sale. It’s about making authentic connections that may lead to a sale or something else. Every connection you make should be enriching from both sides.
And if you’re not connecting with someone that’s okay too! Move on, don’t waste your energy talking to those that don’t connect with you. Talk to people you genuinely want to get to know and not just because they can help you gain something. People can sense when you’re inauthentic.
So the best way to grow your business or attract more clients is making authentic connections.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.manifestyourcareer.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifestyourcareer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ManifestYourCareer
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manifestyourcareer/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NormaReyesPhD
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPkOW7WVI-cUxW7L-_fJe-g
Image Credits
Emely Torres