We were lucky to catch up with Nancy Brownlee recently and have shared our conversation below.
Nancy, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?
I’ve learned that success doesn’t look like perfection. For me, success is completion. There is no, one shoe fits all to achieve greatness and success. It has taken a great deal of ambition, perseverance, and no’s to get to where I am today.
Nancy, 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?
Tokenism is real. Feeling singled out is a real feeling. The subtle micro-aggressions that came with being an openly gay woman is what launched my baby, Prideworks Agency LLC. Prideworks is a staffing, recruiting, and business consulting company with an emphasis with creating career and business opportunities for other members of the Black and Brown LGBT community and those with disabilities. We provide a safe space for those that are contemplating their next steps in life. Some companies say they invest in DEI, but that is not always the case. We pride ourselves in looking like the people we serve. I know what it is like to be on the other side seeking help. I wanted people that looked like me to help me. I wanted someone to help me find a career and not just a job. We take each customer and nurture them and give them the confidence to go after the things that they want. The work doesn’t just stop in Memphis, TN, but we are trying to go national. If we can get people hired based on their qualifications versus how they dress, then the world would be a much better place.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I am not from Memphis. I am from a small country town in Mississippi. However, since my time in Memphis, I have managed to network, network, and network! You never know who is in the room. I have supported numerous LGBT events to make sure I got my name out there. People may not remember how they know me, but they know me. I made sure to align myself with people that were on the move. That was not to move with them, but to learn the spaces I wanted to operate in. I also know that I am not afraid to take chances. I am not afraid to fail. A long time ago, I started asking myself, “why not me?” I attempted to project my ideas on to other people, and they would do a variation of what I was asking.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
One of my favorite books is “The Hard Thing About Hard Things” by Ben Horowitz. One of his quotes are “the only thing that prepares you to run a company is running a company.” That could not have been a truer statement. If I had not tried at all, I wouldn’t know what I know now. My life story comes full circle when I think about it. I could not keep a job to save my life, and I got a job as a career advisor. I knew all the nuances of what not to do. So I built a brand on top of that. Hopefully through my story, someone else can become great.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.prideworksagency.com
- Instagram: @prideworksagency
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrideworksAgency
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/prideworks-agency-llc/
Image Credits
Ashley Weaver Larry Cashmere