We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Ciera Graham a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Ciera, thanks for joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I was raised in a working-class family, my mom worked as a cashier at a neighborhood grocery store, and my dad was a machinist. I also was the oldest child, so naturally there was a lot of responsibility placed on me to care for my younger brother, be a role model, and to work hard to ascend into a middle-class lifestyle. Many working class and first-generation college students grow up with intense pressures to succeed and often possess an unwavering drive to succeed. With a strong desire to succeed, it can be extremely challenging to navigate a world that is classist, and without a blueprint for success. I didn’t grow up with access to generational wealth, or knowledge on how to navigate predominately white and affluent educational systems. I also am a Black female, so I had to navigate feelings around low self-worth and imposter syndrome, while also constantly being fed messages about me being undeserving of my accomplishments, or stereotypes about not working hard enough. Central to the Black identity is the importance of self-preservation and community; I strongly believe these two things are very important to my success today. Self-preservation drove me to seek psychological safety, and this was achieved through acts of self-care such as journaling, rest, finding spaces to retreat to that affirmed by identities as a Black, working-class woman, and learning to discern which situations required my energy and investment, and which did not. I also sought out community and mentors throughout the duration of my young adult life. I found teachers and counselors at school who saw my potential and nurtured my curiosity, and zest for learning; in every single job I had, I made a goal to leave the job with at least one person who could serve as a reference for me. I cultivated relationships with industry mentors, and other college age women that I admired, and I made sure that family stayed at the center. Keeping family at the center allowed me to understand how my success was much bigger than me, and it allowed me to continue to be authentic to who I was and how I was raised. It’s easy to experience a lot of shame around growing up with identities that are not embraced by mainstream America–I never wanted to experience that so I always made sure my familial identity and culture remained a core part of who I am, and I learned to take pride in my upbringing. My mentors exposed me to a wealth of social capital and opportunities that expanded my network, reach and reputation. From meeting someone on campus who helped me secure an internship in DC at a juvenile detention center, to meeting someone in graduate school who wrote a letter of recommendation that led to me being awarded a fellowship to pursue my doctoral studies, and to connecting with people in my community who nominated me to serve on various non-profit boards. Mentors create opportunities. It’s important to use these opportunities to build your own capital and reputation. People need to know you, and they also need to know what you do. Being a strong executor and cultivating a well-known reputation for high execution is what led to my success today.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have always had a passion for helping people, and as cliche as that may sound–I think helping people improve their confidence and position in society is a core part of my life’s mission and work. Working in higher education provided me with opportunities to help and support students navigate a plethora of issues from adjusting to a new environment, making new friends, dealing with the physical and emotional distance of being away from family, managing classes and life, and preparing for life after college. I naturally excelled in the area of career development, both as a student, and as career coach. As soon as I was old enough to have a job, I did my best to work in different types of jobs so I can continuously learn new skills, experience challenges and build my network. Getting just a college degree just wasn’t enough for me, I wanted to be well rounded student with good grades and an extensive work history. After college graduation, I noticed many of my friends struggled to find jobs after high school, and were often told, they didn’t have enough work experience. Job searching and planning for life after college can be extremely stressful and come with a whole host of anxieties, and these anxieties can be even more intensified for women, people of color and first generation college students. I wanted to help and mentor students around how to best position themselves for the job market after college, and help coach them in building their confidence in selling themselves. I have navigated many firsts in my life from being the first to graduate college, being the first to receive a PhD, and being the first employee at a new start-up company. Being the first is scary and exciting, and at times, I’ve felt anxious and managed imposter syndrome. I enjoy helping clients navigate their own career firsts –from their first job interview, their first promotion, their first salary negotiation, or their first lay-off. While I have over 10+ years of career coaching experience, I didn’t start my business (Dr. C Graham, C Consulting) until December of 2020. My mission boils down to this: My specialty is helping millennials and Gen Zers assess their skills, define their strategy, and engage in storytelling to ultimately secure and succeed in the job of their dreams. Career coaching is often phrased as a luxury or something only beneficial to people in C-suite positions–but we never talk about the importance of career coaching and career development across the lifespan. While I don’t disagree that people in C-suite positions don’t need career coaching–I find coaching younger professionals more valuable because they’re more impressionable, coachable, and there’s something profound about being part of someone’s growth and development.

I’m also a millennial through and through. Lover of dogs, fitness, cooking, mental health, coffee and a good self-help podcast. Seattle born and raised but I have lived in the Midwest and East Coast.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy is having an ideal client and a value proposition especially in a market where your type of service may be oversaturated. When I started my business, I was more of a generalist, and wanted to cater to all types of clients regardless of what stage they were in. I initially assumed that a broader scope with lead to more clients wanting to book with me, but it didn’t, Potential clients couldn’t find themselves in my mission, and it became really challenging for them and me to assess whether we would mutually be a good fit. I also realized early on, I was more motivated in helping people who were younger or mid-level managers, while older more seasoned professionals required more work, more motivation and investment on my part. I took note of how I felt when working with younger professionals/client and worked with a business coach to help identify who my ideal client was, my value proposition, and articulating my pitch. Once you do this, it’s easy to design and refocus your brand on your ideal clientele, and produce content that speaks to them directly and aligns to their needs.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My dad was diagnosed with a brain tumor my first year of college. It was a tough time for me and my family. My dad was our rock. It was also a time where I had left home for the first time, was feeling homesick, and not performing well academically (shocking because most people believe I was always a 4.0 student). I ended up getting a 2.5 my first semester of college due to all the new changes and my struggles with adjusting to college in a very small rural town. They successfully removed the tumor and he is now thriving, better than ever. But it was hard for us. Grief ebbs and flows and this was my first real experience of having a loved one so close to me be hospitalized and dealing with uncertainties around their health. We relied on each other and supported each other as we navigated the unknowns of his condition; I refocused and started studying more. I joined school clubs and organizations, and this help build my confidence. This event also unlocked a level of vulnerability in me that was untapped prior; as the oldest child, I always had to be strong, unmoved, independent, self-assured and unemotional. Dealing with the uncertainty of my dad’s health allowed me to confront my emotions head on, express them authentically, and be open to asking for help when I needed it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cieragraham.com/
• Instagram: drcgrahamconsulting
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcieragraham/