We were lucky to catch up with Whitney Gilliard recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Whitney thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

“This can either go really good and save a lot of lives, or it can go really bad and I lose everything”. Those were the constant thoughts that went through my head during the development of Gilliard and Company. Growing up in the system, I didn’t have traditional schooling. There was no classes like regular public school that I went to where my focus was education. My main priority in the system was feeding myself, getting into the fastest way to earn money, and running from the trauma that taunted me. My education was outdated textbooks and being in a class of 5 or 20 girls (depending on the placement I was in), reading the same thing, all with different grade levels and ages. If I signed my name on the school work, that was good enough.

I wasn’t taught to read the right way, or to be a good student, let alone be a business leader one day. So the sector of business & leadership was a territory that didn’t belong in my walk of life.

But I wanted to make a difference, I wanted to do better for myself… after years of being arrested and thrown into the juvenile detention centers, after having my son while I was still in foster care- it shook me that I had to be better. My drive was to build a better future for him.

I’ve always been very street savvy. After all, I grew up fighting the world around me and every day I had to make a decision if I wanted to walk on sidewalks or the street. People didn’t trust me… I didn’t trust me.

When I decided to build Gilliard and Company, I wanted a different life for the young adults aging out of the system. But the business end of building a non profit was nowhere near the scope of where my education brought me. I had to depend on the professionals around me to teach me how to file for a 501(c)3, understanding tax exemptions, understanding insurance for the organization, and much more. I believe that was the biggest risk. Trusting others.

I feared that my ideas would be taken, I feared that the money I paid to get things done would be taken advantage of, the risk of hiring trusted employees to help me- a former youth in the system with a dream… would be taken advantage of.

But I remembered the times when I had to trust while I was in foster care. Some moments turned out great, then other moments turned out life-threatening to me. Every ounce of building this organization required me to tap into my instinctive survival skills from foster care to take risks and trust that there are good people who WILL help, who WILL guide me.

Today, the people who I took the risk of trusting are still here… some have faded away. The risk I took in trusting people with a charity built from my childhood experiences in foster care, reminded me of the same protective barrier that I have for the young adults in my care, “no one gets to be fairweather in your life”.

Whitney, 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 entered foster care at 14 years old. I didn’t age out until I was 21. Currently, I have only been out of foster for 7 years. Throughout my life, I have always had the drive to deliver an impact on the underserved.

Growing up in foster care was difficult. There were many moments when I wondered about my existence, what got me here, and why should I continue to fight for a better outcome. The options for me as a teenager in the system were bleak. Foster homes became slim, group homes were filled, and the only options were hospital residential. I grew up a majority of my life as a mental health patient. Asking permission to go to the bathroom was normal to me, suicide watch was a common phrase, and the sounds of distress screaming was regular.

I didn’t create Gilliard and Company out of a blissful opportunity out of college. It derived from the pain and suffering I had as an adolescent and young adult in foster care, with a simple hope that perhaps my despair will be useful for someone’s survival road map.

It’s with the hope that the person reading this will be able to see that real business requires real-life experience. Success is not linear.

Gilliard and Company were actually gifted to me by a woman who saw immense talent and potential within my service work as a Project Manager for another foster care non-profit that I worked for 5 years ago. I challenged the system, and eventually knew I was going to get fired for standing up for people who needed the money donated for services- beyond administrative advocacy. I was right, before the week of anticipating my resignation, a woman by the name of Ebony Harris who was observant in the background of the work I was doing in Georgia pulled me to the side and said “I’d like to gift you the roadmap of creating a housing service for youth in foster care should you ever decide you want to go that route.”

Floored, but honored, I kept her faith in me by my side throughout the journey of building Gilliard and Company. Right now, Gilliard and Company is a local 501(c)3 organization that has been voted the best non-profit by our local cities and currently has the largest housing site capacity in the low country for aging youth in foster care. We also provide services in preventing human sex trafficking, emergency funding for at-risk families, mentorship, and trauma intervention rooms- all targeting the foster care sector.

When looking at where Gilliard and Company stand today, I cannot help but look back at the people who believed in me and the mission. Our everyday case managers who do this beyond an employment opportunity but as a way of life. The community stands strong by our side and is unwavering when it comes to steadfast support for us.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Trust and integrity. Every day I don’t take advantage of the advantages I have in leading a successful non-profit. I thank God every when I come into my office and have the ability to serve. I communicate my humility every chance that I get, especially in areas where I am weakest in knowledge. I rely on the support of other subject matter experts as well as include those who can serve others in their strong suit.

Foster care is a population that our society is naturally skeptical about. As a leader, you must show what is the outcome of believing in the mission of your organization.

Our young adults and families did not have an easy life, oftentimes having to choose between the lesser evils just to be able to get by. In a position of mercy, grace, as well as forgiveness, our team strives to deliver a brighter future for those we serve. The mission is to ensure that the very people who had to make difficult decisions can see that they are not the sum of their mistakes.

In operating a non-profit, people have to trust that you will do the right thing… even when no one is looking. Down to your personal life. While I have made mistakes, I don’t shy away from honesty. Something that I have always prided myself in, is the ability to communicate my shortcomings, as I believe that non-profit leaders must embody the resilience that they wish for their clients.

Every day in my daily actions, I constantly think of the impact it will have on Gilliard and Company’s clients.

Any advice for managing a team?

“Working with Gilliard and Company has afforded me the ability to help fill a gap that’s missing which is preparing young adults with the skills, knowledge, and support to be successful members of society. I’ve never worked with an agency that shows true compassion and heartfelt advocacy for this population. As a Director, Whitney is completely hands-on in every aspect of the business, she has a true desire to see each of these young adults succeed. I enjoy coming to work every day because this is more than a job it’s family.”- Ms. Monique Bostick, Chief of Staff & Senior Case Manager

I believe you have to take care of your team like they are family to you. After all, they have left theirs to come and serve the purpose of your dream and mission. My team members are family to me. I entrust them with the responsibilities that they have with full confidence they will embody their roles accordingly, so I don’t micromanage them. One of my key values of maintaining high morale is actually within the hiring process. I consider all aspects of their longevity here and determine if this is the best place to serve the prospective candidates, not the other way around.

“Working at Gilliard and Company has been nothing but amazing. Ms. Whitney is the CEO that I strive to be and she has created an atmosphere that highlights our mission. She is attentive, caring, and loving to everyone in the office and everyone who walks through the doors, she is the first to ask us about our mental health and what she can do to support us in any way. The office space is not only an empowering and safe place for us and the young adults we service but it is also our home away from home. I couldn’t ever imagine working in a better environment or under a better leader.”- Ms. Natasha Federico, Permanency Mentor Coordinator.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.gilliardandcompany.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gilliardandcompany/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GilliardandCompany

Image Credits
Marvis Herring Interview with WJCL Best of Pooler 2022 by Pooler Magazine