I’m Asya Watkins, PMP®—author of The Little Black Book of Project Management Advice and founder of the global Women Of Project Management® community. This podcast is your seat at the table for bold, honest conversations that amplify the voices of Black women in project management. We break barriers, build careers, and show what leadership really looks like.
📚 Grab The Little Black Book of Project Management Advice on Amazon or at WomenOfPM.com.
S2E1: New Year, New Goals, & New Opportunities For 2021 with Asya Watkins
Jan 01, 2021
Show notes
Join the Women Of Project Management Community Today at www.WomenOfPM.com.
Women Of Project Management is the only community created to support & amplify the voices of women & women of color in every specialty of the project management industry worldwide.
This Community Was Built For You To Evolve In Every Stage Of Your Career!
This community creates space worldwide for women to be supported, educated, & evolve in every specialty of the project management industry worldwide. We do this together, as a community.
Join the Women Of Project Management Community Today at www.WomenOfPM.com
S1E15: PMP® Exam Day: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Dec 22, 2020
Show notes
If you're new to our community, Women Of Project Management is the only community created to support & amplify the voices of women & women of color in every specialty of the project management industry worldwide. We support women in every stage of their career, learn more at Women Of Project Management.
Are You Prepared For Your PMP® Exam Day?
Many of us to study for the exam, but the PMP® Exam day is a totally different scenario. Preparing for everything the PMP® Exam day holds is critical.
This week, I’m highlighting Wausheen Mayes of The Mays Consulting Group and his on-demand course inside the Women Of Project Management Membership, ‘PMP® Exam Day: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly.
Wausheen teaches you what to expect on exam day and how to mentally prepare to make sure you pass the exam before it changes on 01/02/2021!
About Wausheen.
Wausheen Mayes is a (PMP) Project Management Professional from Dallas, Texas who is passionate about preparing professionals to pass the PMP Exam on their 1st try with his boutique style bootcamp offering both individuals and corporations special access to Exam Coaching & Training.
Wausheen’s professional career has spanned Academia, Government Services, AND the Private Sector.
PMP® Coaching
Wausheen brings a wealth of technical knowledge into the project management environment; both from an operational and consulting perspective. As a PMP coach & trainer, he is passionate about providing tools and guidance to others who are pursuing their PMP certification.
Wausheen believes that knowledge sharing is the best way to move the profession forward.
Background.
Wausheen is a proud member of the National Black MBA Association, the Project Management Institute, & the Scrum Alliance.
We Discuss…
– Who Is Wausheen Mayes?
– Wausheen’s Project Management Journey
– Being A Black Man In The Project Management Industry
– Representation Matters In The Project Management Industry
– What’s Your ‘Why’ For Wanting The PMP Certification
– Exam Day: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
– PMP Exam Day: Tips & Tricks: Everything You Need To Know
– PMP Exam Day: Be Mentally Prepared
– PMP Exam Day: What’s Your Exam Day Game Plan
– Get Your PMP Certification!
– Connect With Wausheen
S1E14: When Project Managers Need Project Managers!
Dec 15, 2020
Show notes
If you're new to our community, Women Of Project Management is the only community created to support & amplify the voices of women & women of color in every specialty of the project management industry worldwide. We support women in every stage of their career, learn more at Women Of Project Management.
Ladies, I have news for you! We can’t do it all. Yes, we wear many hats, but we can’t execute 100 different task at the same time with quality.
There comes a time in every project manager's life when we need help with a project or building that business, and that’s what Melanie is helping you understand this week.
This week, I’m highlighting Melanie Williams or MCWriting & Consulting and her on-demand course inside the Women Of Project Management Membership, When Project Managers Need Project Managers’.
About Melanie.
Melanie’s career spans over 6 years as a go-to project management professional in the healthcare industry working with world-renowned healthcare organizations like Emory AND Piedmont Healthcare. Recently, she has utilized her corporate project management skills to help everyday entrepreneurs launch their business projects!
Consulting.
Melanie is the Founder & Creator of MCWriting & Consulting —a firm that was created to support 9-5preneurs with their writing and project management needs in their respective careers and businesses. This firm intentionally empowers professionals to leverage their stories & skills to launch their dream businesses believing that we truly redefine history with our everyday projects and stories!
And Melanie is located in Georgia like I am.
Background.
Melanie earned her Masters of Business Administration from Brenau University with a concentration in Project Management, her CAPM® (Certified Associate of Project Management) global certification from the Project Management Institute, her LEAN Six Sigma Certification from Brenau University, and her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences from Auburn University.
We Discuss…
– Who Is Melanie Williams?
– Why Would Project Managers Need Project Managers?
– Melanie’s Project Management Journey
– Connecting The Dots In The Project Management Industry
– A Day In The Life Of A Healthcare Project Manager
– Project Manager By Day, Boss By Night
– Faith, Career, & Business: How They All Connect.
If you're new to our community, Women Of Project Management is the only community created to support & amplify the voices of women & women of color in every specialty of the project management industry worldwide. We support women in every stage of their career, learn more at Women Of Project Management.
Good News. Bad News.
As my 6 year old likes to start every conversation these days, “I have some good news, and I have some bad news, which one do you want first?”
Well, the bad news is that 2020 birthed a global pandemic in the midst of you navigating your project management career (not to mention the rest of you life).
But, the good news is that there are practical skills to pivot & still thrive in the midst of it all!
This week, I’m highlighting Katrena Mayes and her on-demand course inside the Women Of Project Management Membership, ‘Life & Career Transitions: Pivoting In A Pandemic’. Katrena is here to teach you how to navigate career transitions and guide those who are faced with voluntary or, involuntary changes in the workforce.
About Katrena.
Katrena Mayes is a Human Resources professional with over 20 years of experience with expertise in employee relations, facilitation, career development, organizational change, and talent management. She has worked as an Area Vice President, in Human Resources for TD Auto Finance, she has also sown into other professionals as an Adjunct Professor of Human Resources Management for DeVry University, & most recently she has served as the Market Human Resource Manager for retail giant Walmart.
2nd Half Of Her Career.
In this second half of her career journey, Katrena has returned to her first love of mental wellness with a focus on grief. Katrena is an Advanced Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, coach, author, & international speaker from Dallas, Texas. Her educational background includes a Master of Business Administration with a Human Resource focus and a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology.
Supporting You.
Katrena offers coaching and grief support which includes life and career transition guidance to individuals & businesses who are faced with voluntary or, involuntary changes in the workforce. Additionally, with her expertise in grief work, she helps organizations create or modify bereavement policies to ensure a successful re-entry after experiencing a loss.
We Discuss…
– Who Is Katrena Mayes?
– Katrena’s Career Journey
– The Human Side Of Human Resources
– Pivoting In The Midst Of Grief
– What Happens When You Are Faced With Voluntary Workforce Changes?
– What Happens When You Are Faced With Involuntary Workforce Changes?
If you're new to our community, Women Of Project Management is the only community created to support & amplify the voices of women & women of color in every specialty of the project management industry worldwide. We support women in every stage of their career, learn more at Women Of Project Management.
This week I get the pleasure of featuring Ordonna Sargeant.
Ordonna has a knack for cultivating new project managers and she has mentored & coached many women inside our membership.
Donna’s passion for technical project management has led to multiple successfully delivered projects. Donna has led software, infrastructure, and network projects ranging from SharePoint upgrades, disaster recovery, migration initiatives, and data governance for both the public and private sectors.
Background.
Ordonna's career in project management spans over 10 years supporting clients such as Credit Suisse, Viacom, NBCU, Goldman Sachs, Volkswagen, and General Motors. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Business Management from the illustrious HBCU, Hampton University. Donna earned her MPA degree in Public Administration and Affairs program at Metropolitan College of New York. She also completed a Business Analytics program with Wharton University.
In addition to her passion for projects, she is also passionate about ensuring women like herself, do not let fear stop or hold them down from becoming who they desire to be.
Certified!
Donna understands the importance of continuous education and has multiple certifications as a PMP® (Project Management Professional), Certified Scrum Master, and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. She recently launched Ordonnasgt.com and @ABlackPMP to mentor/coach new aspiring Project managers.
We Discuss…
– Who Is Ordonna Sargeant?
– What Does A Digital Program Manager Do?
– What Is Digital Marketing?
– SEO, Say What?
– Creating Your Digital Imprint
– How To Promote Yourself As A Professional Online
If you're new to our community, Women Of Project Management is the only community created to support & amplify the voices of women & women of color in every specialty of the project management industry worldwide. We support women in every stage of their career, learn more at Women Of Project Management.
This Week (& Every Week) I’m Thankful For Brilliant Women Of Project Management
And Stella Ihenacho is certainly one of them! Stella is teaching you about what it means to be a SCRUM Master, getting certified, and the limitless opportunities inside the Women Of Project Management Membership.
About Stella.
Stella Ihenacho is the Cofounder and Scrum Master Faculty lead at NSTAR Technologies where she leads the Scrum Master Comprehensive program providing career coaching and opportunities for anyone who is interested in becoming a successful scrum master.
Background.
Her professional background includes overseeing complex programs/projects in varied industries including finance, education, and technology.
In addition to her passion for projects, she is also passionate about ensuring women like herself, do not let fear stop or hold them down from becoming who they desire to be.
Women Doing It Afraid.
Having understood and still understanding how fear can cripple dreams and purpose, she started Women Doing It Afraid which is a community of and for women who are tired of their fears holding them down. This community is catered to helping women break through their fears by providing them with tools, workshops, and coaching to guarantee personal success.
“Jack” Of All Trades.
Stella is currently a Project Manager at PTC where she manages projects for manufacturing companies that are moving towards implementing smart technology with a foundation in augmented reality and Industrial Internet of things. She has an MBA from the University of Wales, her CSM (Certified Scrum master) from Scrum Alliance, and her PSM11 (Professional Scrum Master 11) from Scrum.org.
We Discuss…
– Who Is Stella Ihenacho
– What Is Smart Technology?
– How Does One Become A SCRUM Master?
– Women Doing It Afraid? How Do We Get Over Our Fears?
– The Best Advice Stella Has For You If You Want To Become A SCRUM Master
If you're new to our community, Women Of Project Management is the only community created to support & amplify the voices of women & women of color in every specialty of the project management industry worldwide. We support women in every stage of their career, learn more at Women Of Project Management.
Friends Don’t Let Friends Use Legal Zoom!
And that’s straight from my lawyer here at Women Of Project Management.
Confession: I’m not a big fan of lawyers! In social settings, lawyers typically annoy me for some strange reason…maybe it’s just those sleazy lawyers.
So when it was time to get a lawyer for Women Of Project Management, Chandler Holsapple of Chandler J Law came highly recommended, and I haven’t looked back!
You can probably tell by her masterclass inside the membership, “How Not To F**k Up The Legal Side Of Your Business” that she’s not your average lawyer. Chandler is here to get straight down to business and teach you how to protect your business legally as well as scale your business!
Chandler gives out so many legal tips that we literally had to start this course with a legal disclaimer (…of course we did!).
About Chandler.
Chandler earned her Juris Doctorate from Drake Law University while working at a Civil Rights law firm in Iowa. Upon moving to Arizona, she opened her own law firm to serve entrepreneurs and creatives, ----------especially in the online industry.
Like A Boss.
Chandler is the Founder of Chandler J. Law—the boutique law firm committed to serving women in business. She is also the Creator of Law Boss Collective – a premiere legal membership providing business owners an affordable and accessible way to level up their legal.
Chandler is the go-to lawyer for entrepreneur’s looking to build and scale their business while implementing a solid legal foundation. She works to educate women about the importance of protecting their business & brand ---especially in today’s competitive market.
We Discuss…
– Who is Chandler Holsapple?
– Lessons Learned & Being The Lawyer for Women Of Project Management, LLC.
– How Not To F**k Up The Legal Side Of Your Business
– How Not To F**k Up Protecting Your Business
– How Not To F**k Up Filing Your Business With The State
– How Not To F**k Up Copyrights, Patents, & Trademarks
– How Not To F**k Up Enforcement Of Your Copyright
If you're new to our community, Women Of Project Management is the only community created to support & amplify the voices of women & women of color in every specialty of the project management industry worldwide. We support women in every stage of their career, learn more at Women Of Project Management.
Yes, you can be fabulous & suffer from Imposter Syndrome at the same. damn. time!
I’m living proof and so is our featured speaker of the week, Haja Tunkara speaking inside the Women Of Project Management Membership with her on-demand course, “Imposter Syndrome & Project Management”.
Get ready for good vibes and practical ways to give yourself some grace in the workplace and know that you are deserving!
About Haja.
Haja's career as a project manager has evolved over the last 16 years. Having started at the ripe age of 24, Haja did not have the confidence (nor education) to thrive in this field - or so her #impostersyndrome told her.
Haja did in fact thrive in this field moving into a senior level project manager role in well renowned companies including Progressive Insurance, Vitamix, Farmers Insurance, Dole Foods and PNC Bank. She has also supported the Cleveland GiveCamp annual initiative to provide IT services to Non-Profit organizations during a 72 hour weekend project culminating in the completion of databases, websites and other technical system implementations.
Background.
Haja obtained a Bachelors degree in Business Administration graduating with honors from Hiram College in Northeast Ohio. She later obtained her PMP (Project Management Professional) a globally recognized certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI).
While achievements ran high, Haja still believed she had not earned her place. In an effort to manage her imposter syndrome, Haja became a certified positive psychology practitioner to not only manage her personal imposter thoughts but also to assist her clients and colleagues with managing theirs.
Mindset Coaching & PM Training.
Haja is working as a project management consultant while also managing her mindset coaching & project management training business for women. Through engagement and mindset practices she helps women address and conquer their #impostersyndrome so they may better serve their families and organizations. She helps women realize they are Deserving!
We Discuss…
– Who is Haja Tunkara?
– Haja’s Project Management Journey
– What Was Your 1st Experience In The Project Management Industry?
– Imposter Syndrome & How To Find Your Good Vibes!
– Are You Getting In Your Own Way?
– An Honest Discussion On Being A Black Woman In Project Management
If you're new to our community, Women Of Project Management is the only community created to support & amplify the voices of women & women of color in every specialty of the project management industry worldwide. We support women in every stage of their career, learn more at Women Of Project Management.
This week I’m sneaking in some extra content that’s good for your soul! We don’t shy away from hard discussions and today is no different.
This week, I’m adding a new discussion I had with member, Holly Knolls of The Consult Code and we turned it into an on-demand course inside the Women Of Project Management Membership, ‘Allies In The Workplace: An Honest Conversation.’
This year, racial injustice has been at an all time high and explaining the plight of black women has been …well, Exhausting!
But this conversation is a beautiful example of two women, who understand this industry, being open & honest and creating space to discuss race in the workplace and how to be an ally.
We swap war stories, giggles, but most of all, we respect each other’s perspectives and have some tough conversations. This year, this community, these conversations have showed me —when we share our experiences, that’s when the real healing begins.
About Holly.
Holly Knoll has spent over 20 years in the program management industry. After starting her career as a software developer, Holly quickly realized her superpowers resided in bringing people together to solve complex problems and deliver technology solutions. Holly has since implemented complex technology programs and has built PMOs at companies like Accenture, Target, and Sephora.
The Consultant Code.
In 2015, Holly decided to exit corporate America and start a freelance consulting business, which she scaled to a high six-figure business. She now helps other mid-career women do the same, in 60 days or less, through her digital course The Consultant Code.
Work/Life Balance.
When Holly is not helping her clients achieve career freedom, she is planning her next international travel adventure, reading spy novels, or concocting a new green smoothie recipe.
If you're new to our community, Women Of Project Management is the only community created to support & amplify the voices of women & women of color in every specialty of the project management industry worldwide. We support women in every stage of their career, learn more at Women Of Project Management.
Another Week. Another Way To Support You In Your Career!
This week I’m speaking with Edi Hayes of Her Career Café inside the Women Of Project Management Membership teaching you, “How Not To F**k Up A Project Management Interview”.
Don’t let the nepotism fool you! Yes, she’s my baby sister but she’s a professional in everything she does!⠀⠀
About Edi.
Edi’s career spans 15 years in Human Resources (HR) as a subject matter expert within Diversity & Inclusion and Talent Acquisition. She’s held various positions within HR at several Fortune 100 corporations such as Target, Walgreens, Liberty Mutual Insurance, & Dell Technologies.
Background.
Edi earned her Masters OF Business in Human Resource Management from DeVry University, her SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management) global certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute, and her LEAN Six Sigma Certification from SunTrust Bank’s Center of Excellence as well as her undergraduate degree in Human Resource Management from Illinois State University.
Her Career Café.
Edi is the Founder & Creator of Her Career Café —a community that was intentionally created to provide career guidance and promote confidence in the workplace for people of color.