We were lucky to catch up with Dr. Jayco McCowan recently and have shared our conversation below.
Dr. Jayco , appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
As I have evolved and experienced things professionally and personally, I have learned that with every decision made, I create my own destiny. No one has to live with my decisions but me; that said, I try to be purposeful in making sure that I positively impact and/or inspire people that I cross paths with, in life. To go deeper, I believe that with most decisions made, a risk is taken, however, one must decide if the risk in question is worth it in the end. Taking risks gives one perspective and experience to enhance life’s lessons. To expound, your decision not to take risks in life may be what blocks you from truly basking in your purpose.
A couple years ago, I decided to take a risk and start a 501(c)(3) nonprofit called And I Stand. I knew that I wanted to provide educational tools and resources to underserved communities (i.e. communities of color) highlighting mental health stigmas, sexual assault/rape, domestic violence, and alcohol/substance abuse. All areas mentioned are huge challenges that pose lasting impact in some cases. With everything I was involved with at that stage in my life, I did not know how I was going to start a nonprofit, but I believed that if it was meant to be everything would fall into place. I also believed, that being an advocate and assisting people with ensuring they acquire the help they need to combat these challenges was worth the risk.
As a new nonprofit, And I Stand, is in the upward development phase of truly being intentional with our initiatives and how we can positively reach more people in our efforts through partnerships and donations. Since starting in 2020, we have collaborated with over 15 organizations like End Rape On Campus, MADD, The Women’s Resource Group @ The University of Texas Medical Branch, Unbound Now, and Winn Publications to name a few. In addition, we have made it a point to connect with members of the Divine Nine to stay engaged in the community. And I Stand was named “Community Partner of the Year” for our domestic violence collaborative effort with the Women of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, Omicron Gamma Zeta Chapter. While we have reached hundreds of people through collaborations and outreach efforts; our hope is to reach thousands of people. Our story is just getting started and the reward of taking this risk, was worth it!
Dr. Jayco , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
With a passion to advocate for oppressed populations despaired from quality resources to overcome adversities, I knew I had to be progressive and intentional in developing an innovative platform to make effective change and address challenges in the Black and other minority communities aligned to mental health stigmas, sexual assault/rape, domestic violence, and alcohol/substance abuse. As a survivor, I noticed a scarcity in resources and tools that were relatable to communities of color. To act on my vision, And I Stand was created as a hub to bridge the gap in obtaining effective resources around the above-mentioned challenges that affect communities of color. Additionally, the platform was implemented with the help of six Board Members and additional leaders that believed in the vision to include: Dr. Ebony Beaudoin (Board Member), Dr. Tamikia Greene (Board Member), Dr. Natasha Dominguez (Board Member), Dr. Ebony Baylor (Board Member), Mrs. Katrina Anderson (Board Member), Mr. Kevin Trent (Board Member), Mrs. Kuntumie Holston, Mrs. Jessica Smith, and Mrs. Porcha Beasley.
Outside of the nonprofit, I have over 15+ years of professional experience from diverse industries holding various leadership/consulting positions and I am a published author. Educationally, I hold a doctorate in business administration, a lean six sigma black belt, and I am a certified HR scholar.
When I help others, it’s not for accolades…I truly want to help, advocate, and invest in my community. However, sometimes when you are presented with honors, it makes you stop and reflect on the positive impact you made through all the hard work. As I reflect, I am humbled and proud to be listed as one of the 2022 Houston Business Journal 40 Under 40 honorees, recognized as the 2020 Houston Area Zeta Phi Beta Centennial Scholarship Recipient, acknowledged as a 2019 HYPE Impact Award Business Leader Nominee, selected as a 2018 -2019 member of the FBISD Board of Trustee Academy Cohort, and was recognized by executive leaders as a 2017 University of Texas Medical Branch Emerging Leader.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
This may come as a shock, but the lesson I had to unlearn was the old saying, “treat people like you want to be treated”. In my professional and personal life, I had to learn that not everyone wants the same things and there is no true “one size fits all” when it comes to interacting with people. Our world, our country, and our city/town are one big melting pot; what might be ok for one person may be totally different for another person.
I had an employee that hated to be recognized for their hard work publicly. While other members of the team looked forward to public accolades this particular employee frowned upon public displays of recognition. I learned the hard way when trying to recognize his hard work in front of the team; he asked to be excused and walked out. I later caught up with my employee offline and we discussed his actions. In our discussion, it turned out that something traumatizing happened with a past employer. I immediately wanted to provide an apology and show my support for my employee; that is what I would have wanted if it was me. But the employee rejected it and said I do not want anything; I just ask that you respect my request of no public accolades. It was at that point, it clicked. Throughout our time working together, we came up with alternative ways to recognize his efforts and for that he was appreciative that he was heard.
People want to be valued and respected, and as a leader, you have to be intentional in understanding what that looks like for people on your team. This is the same for anyone you come in contact with; you have to approach people outside your limitation of what you require and understand what others require to effectively communicate etc. The old saying should be revised to, “treat people the way THEY want to be treated.”
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
When I started my doctoral studies; there was a statement made I would never forget in my first year of residency. My professor at the time said, ‘you will go through many unfortunate circumstances throughout your doctoral journey; you will lose friends, you will have challenges in your relationships, you will mentally break at times, and the list goes on. But how you overcome, will determine if you will be on the other side as a graduate of the highest level of education’. In my initial thought towards the statement, I was taken back…but I quickly realized, what was conveyed was the harsh truth!
I had extreme challenges throughout my doctoral journey that was life changing. However, I realized that what I was going through was preparing me for something bigger in life. I believe that if you are comfortable, you will never grow. While life throws You are your own competition and you have to challenge yourself to do better and be better everyday. Its ok to give your cape a rest but do not get comfortable because you have super powers that need to be unleashed so you can keep going forward.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sociatap.com/DrJaycoMcCowan/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaycomccowan/
- Other: And I Stand Nonprofit Website: www.andistand.org Unmasking the Truth Behind: “I’m Good” Book: https://www.amazon.com/Unmasking-Truth-Behind-Im-Good-ebook/dp/B08RN6W9YV
Image Credits
Houston Business Journal