Goal-Getters: 1-on-1 with Karriema Calhoun
“Goal-getter (noun): a Bad-A$$ who sets goals, takes risks, and never gives up to make their dreams a reality.”
The Goal-Getter series is committed to showcasing women who have made bold and significant career changes in order to go after their goals this year.
In this installment of the series I had the chance to interview Karriema Calhoun is the founder of KC Consulting LLC where she provides consulting and writing services to “enhance and complement personal and professional brands.” She identifies as a “professional career pivoter” and prides herself in her ability to utilize communication and networking to achieve her professional goals.
In addition to running her successful consulting business, Karriema also works as a manager at a Fortune 500 company, and is part of a leadership rotation program, a position that she started during the pandemic.
In this interview she shares gems and lessons that she attributes to her success as a leader in the corporate space. We also discuss the challenges of navigating career transitions and networking during a pandemic. If you are interested in leadership, networking, or career pivoting, this interview is for you.
Tell the audience a bit about who you are and what your current job is at work.
I’m a professional career pivoter! Networking, being open-minded and being open to new opportunities has taken my career to places I never thought I would be in.
I’m a fairly new first line manager, overseeing contracts in Facilities & Asset Management. From graduating college with a degree in Journalism & Mass Communications, I started my career working in project management. I went back to school, obtained an MBA and a Security+ certification and shifted to working in cybersecurity compliance. Once I found my place in the STEM field, I obtained a second Master’s degree in Information Systems Technology Management.
After nearly 10 years of working in IT, I was ready for another challenge and to move into a leadership role. In February 2021, I was accepted into the Boeing Leadership Rotation Program and became a manager as a result of yet another career pivot. This three-year program allows me to rotate into different job functions as a manager every 12-months.
Since your current role in the leadership rotation program requires you to change departments frequently, how have you managed maintaining a professional network that is constantly growing and changing?
I am very intentional when it comes to networking and relationship building. I absolutely want to grow my network, but I must also continue to cultivate and maintain my existing relationships.
Adding recurring meetings to my calendar is a must. I meet with some people on a monthly basis and others are bi-monthly, quarterly, etc. The majority of these meetings are with my mentors and sponsors. Although my professional network is growing and I’m meeting more people, I’m also mentoring more younger professionals, which I love. It’s always great when I can make time to help them in their careers. In many cases, we can talk or make time to meet outside of work, and that type of flexibility is always helpful for my schedule.
Overall, planning ahead works best for maintaining my professional network. Even when I reach out to get on people’s calendars, if the closest date they have is three months out, I take it anyway to claim my spot.
Do you have any advice for maintaining a professional network while working remotely?
For anyone who is willing to meet face-to-face, ask to meet them for coffee or brunch. While working remotely, it’s so much easier to get burned out on meetings, Zoom, virtual engagement, etc. So take the break for yourself, and the person you’re meeting might appreciate it too.
Again, even if you have to request to get on someone’s calendar two or three months out, plan ahead, set the date and lock it in. Additionally, when you’re wrapping up with that person, go ahead and set the next date.
Since your job provides you the opportunity to observe and learn various leadership skills/strategies, what advice do you have for aspiring leaders?
Find your true authentic self, including your leadership style, voice, etc. Find what works for you, what bothers you, what causes anxiety, what makes you happy… Because you will come to the point where you need to establish boundaries to protect your sanity and enable your self-care.
Know how to thrive in good times and how to thrive and survive the low times, too.
What unique challenges came from being in this program during a global pandemic and how did you adjust to those challenges?
I returned to the office, reporting back onsite everyday after working virtually for 11 months. That was quite the transition! After a week or two, I had a new routine established, and I adjusted well to going back to the office. Also, with the leadership program, normally the kickoff includes an in-person multiple-day orientation with the other cohort members. Of course during the pandemic, that was cancelled and was rescheduled to be virtual. My only way to adjust to that was to leverage my webcam more as I met and communicated with other people in the program.
How have your professional goals shifted throughout the past year?
If anything, my professional goals have elevated over the past year. After speaking with more leaders at all levels, my ambition for the level of leadership that I’m striving to get to is now higher.
In addition to your demanding position in your 9-5, you also have a successful business. How have your skills in the corporate world translated to the success of KC Consulting LLC?
Communication, relationship building and professionalism are the first few skills that easily come to mind and are likely the ones I use the most. Whether it’s building trust and making an impression on a potential client or enhancing my relationship with a recurring client, communication is a great foundation to lay for building relationships. Strategic planning and project management are skills I leverage, as well.
You took multiple professional and entrepreneurial leaps in the past year during a time when some people chose to play it safe. What do you think motivated that "goal getter" spirit in you?
I’m usually the person that stays busy being involved in a little bit of everything. So until the pandemic, I never had the “free time” to explore what being an entrepreneur would look like. I always had a goal in the back of my mind to return to writing and turn my passion for resume writing into a business.
When the pandemic began and I found myself home with lots of extra time in the evenings, I revisited those goals and built a plan to make it real. In 2020, my birthday gift to myself was launching my business. My motivation was to not let myself down, to share that birthday gift with the world, and I did just that.
Over 18 months later, my business is growing, and I’m motivated to take it to the next level and help even more people. It’s the growth for me!
Is there anything else that you want the audience to know about you?
I constantly challenge myself not to get too comfortable. Being comfortable may feel good, but I’m not one to settle. If there’s an opportunity to explore, I don’t want to stand in my own way and miss out.
I have a network I call my “trusted circle,” and when I need advice or someone to give it to me straight, that’s where I go, especially when I’m at a crossroad. I’m so thankful for those friends, mentors and advisors that tell what I need to hear, especially when I have to conquer a little fear and anxiety stepping outside of my comfort zone.
Because I’ve experienced so much growth and many successes, I’m thankful for those moments when I decided to go for it and witness growth that I would have never imagined.
Embrace change, be open minded and dare to do something different; I did and have no regrets!
If you felt drawn to Karriema’s story because you too are looking to explore corporate leadership, or even entrepreneurship, learning how to leverage your current career skills could be the first step in your entrepreneurial journey.
Karriema’s top 2 StandOut assessment strengths are Stimulator and Pioneer.
Book a Career Mapping session today to identify your strengths and develop a plan to use them to build your desired business.
