We were lucky to catch up with LaToia Burkley recently and have shared our conversation below.
LaToia, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I tell people all the time that I’ve been drinking stale office breakroom coffee and walking around with some sort of company asset managed device since I was 19, but it wasn’t until I reached my early 30’s, springtime 2014, standing in front of my bathroom mirror taking allergy meds and anti-redness eye drops to survive another Atlanta Pollenating, that I realized I was living in a cycle of sleep deprivation — wake up and get ready for work — endure a long commute to work — work too much — continue to work after hours — complain to friends and family about the things I hated at work — go to bed way too late worrying about the next day at work, only to do it all over again week after week. At that time, I was an overworked, underpaid HR professional happy to be surviving but hoping, at some point, to be thriving. I was excited to be meeting all the *right* people at the company I worked for who could give me insight into next steps, what it meant to climb the corporate ladder, and be a level-3 certified Adult. But all the networking I was doing, all the TedTalks I watched, and all the “opportunites for exposure” I was putting myself in wasn’t getting me promoted or increasing my salary and I felt like I was slamming my head against the wall trying to advance my career.
In 2016 I was promoted into another division of the company (finally!) and, fortunately, was able to be in a space where I could enjoy a reduced workload. By this time I absorbed a lot of behaviors that might be parodied on any office sitcom today. I was the person who said things like, “let’s circle back on this…”, was considered both a high achiever and top talent, made 3pm runs to the coffee shop downstairs religiously, was a full patron of ‘death by meeting’, donned all the company swag, and crossed every T and dotted every I that told someone I was a Professional who had Executive Presence! But what did all that really mean?
It didn’t take long for my body to answer that question — it all meant nothing if I didn’t have the health to sustain this cushy corporate persona. I started to have incredible migraines, developed two pulmonary embolisms, and had spent much of the mid-2000’s ignoring some uterine issues that had now become one big, fat major problem. I spent a lot of time playing professional, hoping to be a great example for those who didn’t have the level of privilege I did, falling into the Atlas Syndrome: doing *it* for women, young women, young Black women and anyone else who had felt “othered.” Doing all of *it* while not taking care of the person who mattered the most in those moments, me.
I started 2017 on a medical leave of absence and 8 weeks recovery from abdominal myomectomy aka fibroid removal. One of the hardest things for me to do was the one thing I needed to do the most, which was rest. I had never spent that much time off, let alone off my feet, and absent of sending emails and developing programming and recognition initiatives , I had no idea what to do with myself. There were many nights where I stayed awake wondering what my worth was absent from my job. Did I have substance if I wasn’t *the* corporate professional? I turned to the source of comfort and counsel I know best and asked God “why do I feel worthless when I’m not at work?” This lead to some deeper questions like,
Who are you without a badge number?
What are you really really good at that you’re not doing right now?
If this corporate life ever tanks, what’s your next adventure?
How would you show up on stage if you had your big debut?
I started to do with myself what I do with my clients within the first three or four coaching sessions — map out a databank of LaToia: What are my top strengths, what are my transferable skills, what pillars make up my leadership style and are they sustainable, what are my values and am I living in alignment with them. By December 2017 I knew that I wanted to sun-set my corporate career (and I’m sure my leaders and peers could feel it too) and I wanted to start my own business, but not just any business. I wanted to solve the problem I saw in the marketplace. As an HR professional I knew what an executive coach did, but didn’t see many women professionals of color partnered with one UNLESS they were on some sort of performance plan, needed to change to fit into the company’s culture (queue assimilation) or, unbeknownst to them, were on a career treadmill — a device to give the allusion of going somewhere but headed in no particular direction. I saw lots of women of color given the opportunity to work with an executive coach as a check-box activity, not as a way to grow for future roles that gave upward mobility. I also didn’t see many executive coaches who looked like me. The professional coaching space was predominately white and middle-aged if not semi-retired. Most companies offered leadership development programs for newly appointed people-leaders or those who are on the “fast-track” to professional growth, but what about those high level individual contributors? What were the leadership development opportunities for those who wanted to do more “leading from their seat?” From there the blue print for Your Big Debut, LLC was drafted.
January 2018 I hired a business development consultant and we wrote the executive plan for Your Big Debut. The business started with resume and LinkedIn reviewing but quickly grew to a place of activating, educating, and empowering women professionals to take THEIR next step, whatever that may be. I wanted a soft place for women of color to land when they jumped in the air and asked the question, “What’s next for me?!” I wanted to provide leadership development, career strategy and interviewing tips to women who received feedback like, “you’re great! don’t change a thing!” and “keep doing what you’re doing!” but who weren’t really getting the feedback they needed to gain clarity on their career path.
As scary as starting a business was, I knew that I was tapping into my power. I was exercising this inner voice I’d not heard for the better part of six years that reminded me I was good enough and more than ready to step into a work lifestyle that actually worked for me.With the help of sage mentors, a solid Bible-reading schedule, prayer, and learning how to tap into my network, I learned how to hold fear and greatness in the same hand.
Today, Your Big Debut, LLC is a coaching and consulting firm helping women professionals to serve at their highest sense of self. This means learning who they are at their core, working within their values and learning to stand in their own professional power, regardless of what mainstream culture tells them is/is not acceptable to be considered a “professional.” We help women leaders gain clarity along their career path and know how to answer the question, “how will you show up for your big debut?” We focus on strengths-based skill building and purpose-driven, values-aligned professional development.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is LaToia Burkley and I am founder/owner of Your Big Debut, LLC. I am a certified professional diversity coach who holds an ACC from the International Coaching Federation. I was born in Chicago, Il but left the midwest as a small child. My father took a baseball scholarship to Arizona State University in the early 80’s and moved his fledging family of three to the Southwest. I stayed in Arizona until high school graduation and then took my talents to Atlanta, GA. From there I jumped into the job market and have been working ever since. In 2019 I moved to Providence, RI and have been enjoying New England (minus that whole COVID lockdown thing) and all that northeast living has to offer. *the snow is not that great*
Fun facts: Portuguese is my second language and I use it in many facets of my personal and business life. When I’m not working with clients or tending to work items, I LOVE to read and you’ll always catch me with a book in my hand. Spa, rest and recharge are items that are always at the top of my list, and travel brings me joy.
As a certified coach, I specialize in helping women leaders serve at their highest sense of self. I got into this work because I saw the need for women of color to have the executive and leadership development support they, most often, weren’t getting in the very homogenous work environments they were in. I am a sucker for the human experience, so it was of no surprise that I’d take my talents as an HR practitioner, combine them with my business operations savvy and get into the world of executive coaching. I also wanted to see a professional coaching landscape that included coaches who looked like me, in an industry that is most white and semi-retired.
Today, Your Big Debut, LLC is a coaching and consulting firm helping women professionals to serve at their highest sense of self. This means learning who they are at their core, working within their values and learning to stand in their own professional power, regardless of what mainstream culture tells them is/is not acceptable to be considered a “professional.” We help women leaders gain clarity along their career path and know how to answer the question, “how will you show up for your big debut?” We focus on strengths-based skill building and purpose-driven, values-aligned professional development. We also help organizations build strategies that ensure all employees can show up as their best self, which often time includes unlearning exclusive behaviors and preparing for radical transformation.
YBD offers 1:1 coaching, group coaching, leadership/career development and DEI consulting. As a founder, I’m often asked to speak about topics like burnout, career transition, how to negotiate and advocate for yourself, and confidence building.
The client journey at YBD is unique because, since coaching being a client-led experience, the client really is the subject matter expert because their professional life is the “product” we’re working together on. We curate sessions to serve the needs of the client from where they are and with what they have. We don’t offer cookie-cutter solutions, recognizing that one size does NOT fit all. We help individuals move their action(s) forward at a pace that serves them and preserves their well-being. Our thought-partnership with individuals has led to breakthroughs on career next steps, promotions, leaving the workplace all together to spend more time focusing on environmental work, and unlearning behaviors that held them back from making deep connections in and out of the workplace.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
YES! I’ve read and re-read a number of times Dr. Carol Dweck’s book Mindset. In it one learns the difference between growth and fixed mindset and how to shift from a place of excuses to a place of endless possibilities. I have gifted this book to mentees, friends and fellow entrepreneurs, especially during the hard times when the quarterly outlook is bleak, or they find themselves asking the question, “why did I ever start a business?!?!”
Entrepreneurship STARTS with mindset.
The second go-to resource is anything by Amy Cuddy. Her research on presence, how we can battle imposter syndrome and tone down the voice inside of us that says we’re not enough or don’t deserve to be here is priceless.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
Your Big Debut, LLC operates as a boutique practice and is centered on going deep with clients on their professional journey. I’ve always believed that networking doesn’t have to be sales-y or feel “icky” as I’ve heard a lot of people describe it. Relationship building is at the core of YBD because we believe that human interaction is crucial to a healthy professional ecosystem.
From the time the client or potential client reaches out, they receive a response within 24-48 hours in a manner that works for both parties. We don’t make it complicated for clients to contact us, nor are we overly concerned about formalities. We genuinely care for people and about people so we make regular “how you doing?” email visits for those who are up for that. Not everyone is zoom-friendly nor wants to be on camera, so when in session, we honor how the client wants to connect. As a coach, it’s important for me to present my best, authentic self. When I can shine the light on my own strengths and value, I open the door for the client to do the same, whether that’s on social media, one on one, or in a group. Basic principles include:
1.) Getting to know each client on a human level, not just as someone who’s purchased a service.
2.) Listen more and talk less.
3.) Honor each person and give them space to be seen, heard, and valued — which can be done in a 2 minute interaction AND an hour long one. Make people feel centered when they’re in your presence.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.yourbigdebutnow.com
- Instagram: @yourbigdebut
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourbigdebut
Image Credits
Dee Speaks