Black Women Talk Work - Ep 18: A Conversation On Changing The Narrative - How Kroger Head of Corporate Communications and Media Relations, Kristal Howard Commits To Showing Up As Her Authentic Self And Disrupting The Corporate Status Quo

Ep 18: A Conversation On Changing The Narrative - How Kroger Head of Corporate Communications and Media Relations, Kristal Howard Commits To Showing Up As Her Authentic Self And Disrupting The Corporate Status Quo

06/24/20 • 67 min

Today's episode features Kristal Howard, Head of Corporate Communications and Media Relations at Kroger. Kristal completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Houston, studying Public Relations/Advertising, Retail and Consumer Science. With more than 13 years in the PR industry, and roles spanning agency, freelance and in-house for corporate brands, Kristal is very much so a trailblazer in the PR world, most notably named One of the Top 25 African American PR Millennials to Watch in a 2017 Huffington Post feature.

Listen as we discuss Kristal's journey to leading corporate communications for the world's third largest retailer, including navigating the competitive dynamics of the PR/Communications industry, the power and importance of using her voice while often being the youngest leader and the only Black woman in the room, and why she argues that showing up as your authentic self is your competitive advantage.

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undefined - Ep 17: A Conversation On Personal Branding And Blackness In Medicine - How Dr. Kristamarie Is Using Her Platform To Pull Back The Veil On Being A Black Woman In Medicine

Ep 17: A Conversation On Personal Branding And Blackness In Medicine - How Dr. Kristamarie Is Using Her Platform To Pull Back The Veil On Being A Black Woman In Medicine

Today's episode features Dr. Kristamarie Collman, a family physician current practicing in Charlottesville, Virginia. Dr. Kristamarie completed her BS in Public Health from Rutgers University - New Brunswick and completed her Doctor of Medicine from New York Medical College.

Listen as we discuss Dr. Kristamarie's journey into medicine, including her perspective on how medical school prepared her for life as a practicing physician, the systematic challenges that black students often encounter on the road to medicine and how she is now using her platform to encourage others to overcome naysayers and adversity in pursuit of their professional and personal dreams.

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undefined - Ep 19: A Conversation On Kicking Down The Front Door - How Senior Beauty Editor, Jamé Jackson Broke Past the Traditional Pedigree of a Beauty/Fashion Editor and Now Uses Her Words to Tell the Stories of Blackness In the Industry

Ep 19: A Conversation On Kicking Down The Front Door - How Senior Beauty Editor, Jamé Jackson Broke Past the Traditional Pedigree of a Beauty/Fashion Editor and Now Uses Her Words to Tell the Stories of Blackness In the Industry

Today's episode features Jamé Jackson, Senior Beauty Editor at Verizon Media and Founder of internationally read fashion and beauty site, The BlondeMisfit. Jamé completed her BA in English Language and Literature, and Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature from Howard University. Her career as a beauty and fashion writer has spanned multiple publications including, FashionBombDaily, Time Inc, Yahoo Inc and Buzzfeed.

When I interviewed Jamé late last year she was the Style & Beauty Writer at Buzzfeed, but has since gone on to even greater opportunities, currently as Senior Beauty Editor at Verizon Media and creator of the BlondeMisfit Podcast, where she explores blackness and its impact on the fashion and beauty landscape.

Listen as we discuss how Jamé was able to create her own path into the beauty and fashion editorial world, despite not having the coveted, high profile internships and connections often necessary to gain entry into the industry. The seeds initially sown during her time at Howard University, Jamé details the necessity of telling stories that demonstrate the vastness of blackness in beauty and fashion, the power of ownership and creating your own platform, lessons she learned during her career journey in her early twenties, and how in the end, you'll end up exactly where you're supposed to be.