We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dr. Natasha Patterson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dr. Natasha below.

Alright, Dr. Natasha thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s one of the most important lessons you learned in school?

The most important lesson I’ve learned is to value the village and cultivate it over time. From a young age, I noticed that there were some adults who were doing great things and I wanted to be next to them. I was inspired by them. I doubt if any of them knew how closely I watched them. In high school it was a guidance counselor. She spent time with me even though I was assigned to a different guidance counselor. She helped with my college applications and shared tips and strategies with me. In college it was a professor who I admired, she did great work and always shared her knowledge, wisdom and opportunities with us. It was the ladies who worked at my workstudy job who encouraged me and helped me when I needed it. It was my high school and college friends who I still have close relationships with who supported me. I had a child while in college. It was my village who came together for me, for us. My uncle, who has since passed away, told me to keep going in school. I had all of these people along my journey who encouraged me, helped me, supported me but I also did the same for them. I was purposeful about building and maintaining relationships. Calling and checking in, getting and providing updates, caring about their lives as well. In every space I walk into, I find someone who is a supporter, who encourages, and makes sure that I’m good, and I am happy to do the same for them. With my business, it’s no different. The moment I announced that I was starting a business, the village stepped up. When I published my first book, the village stepped up. I am reminded that there are people who will support you, it may not come from those who want or think, but it will come.

Dr. Natasha, 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?

I have been a college professor for over 17 years. In the time that I have been teaching, I have also served on hiring committees. With this experience, I have learned about the hiring process for those who are pursuing opportunities at the college level. I have also noticed some of the challenges with that process. My company, On the Journey to Better LLC, we assist those looking to obtain a position at a college or university with their materials and preparation. We also assist those colleges and universities with doing a better job with their hiring process and being more inclusive and welcoming for those applying for positions. In addition to the consulting services, we provide speaker services for groups looking to learn more about the process, for example, college hiring committees in need of training or professionals looking to transition from industry to the academic world. Our overall goal is to provide services, based on best practices, and consistently deliver with care and concern and the understanding that we are all looking to DO BETTER in our careers and in our businesses. We may just need guidance along the way. Expect excellence. Expect to be heard. We listen first and we listen to understand you. We tailor our solutions to meet your specific needs and goals.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Coming from a family where I did not witness entrepreneurship, the focus was always on getting a job, working hard for many years then retiring. I had to unlearn the expectation of a “good job” or a “secure job.” because there is no such thing. If we look at the economy and the job market, we see that most jobs are not secure. Over the years, I have been feeling more and more comfortable with branching out on my own. I am feeling more secure and confident in abilities as a business owner and as a content expert to know that what I do holds value.

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

My most significant story of resilience is when I gave birth to a son during my sophomore year of college. At the time, I was a nursing major, but after doing some work in a hospital and getting some experiences, I did not think it was the field for me. I met with the Director of the Nursing Program who did not know I had a child. She told me to “get rid of your boyfriend if you have one” because I wouldn’t have time for anything but nursing school obligations. That conversation sealed the deal for me. I changed my major to sociology because I was always interested in the origins of the human experience, those classes intrigued me the most. I had my workstudy job and my job at home at a local bookstore where I was able to do my homework and bring my son with me to work. There was a space behind the register where he played with his toys, the customers didn’t even notice. One of my uncles watched my son while I went to class and eventually I found a wonderful babysitter who was a woman who went to church with one of my son’s grandmothers. I balanced it all with the grace of God and finished my degree. I started interviewing for jobs about a month before graduation. I landed a full time salaried position that I would start four days after graduation. It was not making a lot of money but it was great experience and I was eventually able to move into my own apartment with my son. Two years later, I went back to school for a Masters degree and the rest is history.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://onthejourneytobetter.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onthejourneytobetter/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070424997185&sk=about

Image Credits
Rundown Studio