Nicole Clark
In Pursuit of a window into the experiences of women who live, work, and breathe diversity and entrepreneurship, we recently shared an engaging conversation with Nicole S. Clark, who is a Vice President at an Investment Bank and the creator of TheXpatLife and I Find It Incredible. Nicole shares with us her views on finding balance, the importance of mastering your ego, and her advice to black women seeking to follow their dreams. This piece forms part of our series on Entrepreneurship and Diversity in the Workplace.
Can you tell us about your career to-date?
When I started College at Howard University, I quickly went from wanting to be become a doctor, to majoring in Business (specifically Finance) and doing internships each summer through a programme called INROADS. Picture a baby-faced 18-year old in a suit showing up to work in Internal Audit – not everyone took me seriously at first but I loved changing perceptions on who they thought I was and the respect and power that came from being smart and asking the right questions.
After graduating, I moved to New York but my job there as an Analyst was not right for me and I was eager to move on. Luckily, I was headhunted for a consulting role at a smaller boutique company, and my three years there were right before, during, and then right after the financial crisis. It was a very interesting time and I learned a lot.
I decided I wanted to be more of a subject matter expert and that it was time for a new opportunity. A friend told me about a fellowship which would provide me with a role at an Investment Bank and that I would be based in London! I was nervous for the change but equally excited for what it could bring both personally and professionally. The decision to tell my wonderful Manager that I wanted to leave – and that I also wanted her to write a recommendation – was a pivotal moment in my career! I remember the stress of that meeting but I eventually got the words out and unbelievably she explained that she was also leaving (to go to Culinary School) and hadn’t known how to tell me. That moment is one I hold onto to remind myself to never let fear stop me from trying something new, go after what I want and what’s best for me, and not try do what other people want me to do. When you make those decisions, the universe will align itself.
The move to London ended up frustratingly delayed by several months due to changes in the UK’s immigration laws, but it happened finally in August 2010. Over the course of a few promotions I made Vice President in 2016 and now I co-manage a team within London and Warsaw related to a regulatory function. In July, I will transition (within the same Firm) into a Chief of Staff role which is totally different but it will help align my personal interests into my “9-5” and that is very important to me. My career hasn’t been a clear path of one thing to the next but I’ve learned that when you take a risk and follow your intuition of what is best for you; it will work out for the best and at times even exceed your expectations.
How would you define entrepreneurship within the context of an organisation?
Entrepreneurship represents freedom. Often referred to as intrapreneurship, I believe it creates an atmosphere in which members of an organisation feel empowered to express their thoughts, and where their interests and ideas are allowed to thrive. It allows adequate space to brainstorm, collaborate and ultimately, to invoke ideas into a bigger framework.
It is said that “entrepreneurship is no longer a single definition word” and is more vital to an organisation’s ability to be transformative as a whole. Do you agree?
I agree with that 100%. Entrepreneurship allows for the constant reinvention and improvement of an organisation to service clients, audience, and stakeholders effectively over a long period of time. Without an organisation honouring entrepreneurship, people will not perform at their best and will ultimately leave! There would be a lack of new ideas and enthusiasm, which breeds staleness and redundancy. I believe it will be absolutely vital for more traditional firms/organisations to invoke intrapreneurship as a key factor within their culture, in order to stay competitive as time passes.
"Entrepreneurship allows for the constant reinvention and improvement of an organisation to service clients, audience, and stakeholders effectively over a long period of time."
Can you give us an example of how you demonstrate an entrepreneurial mindset in your role?
I try to run myself as a business, in the way that the Firm that I work for runs itself! I recognise that we are in a partnership while I continue to work here. If there are ideas that I want to pursue, I pursue them. I consistently do the work and showcase leadership in the areas I oversight and manage, while trying to do it my authentic way. I try to show up with fresh ideas and do things differently from how they’ve been done by taking an idea from origination through execution and bringing others along. I will also consistently raise my hand and represent for what/who is most important to me as much as possible and think outside the box.
Studies have shown that there is a connection between innovation value and the degree of diversity within a team. Have you experienced this connection?
Yes, very much so. Simply put, innovation will become stale if the sources of ideas are identical or very similar in beliefs, views of the world and experiences in life to-date. Richer ideas come when there is diversity of thought and experiences. Additionally, solutions derived from diverse teams tend to generate dynamic solutions and also serve a bigger population, which helps more people experience satisfaction.
A great characteristic of entrepreneurship is failure, have you experienced this and how have you learnt from this in the workplace?
Entrepreneurship is multi-faceted, it requires various skills at work simultaneously and the ability to also find balance. I learned a few years ago that if I'm focused on just one side of something and not finding the balance for myself (i.e. fixing my development areas but not focusing on my strengths, or only focusing on work and not honouring personal interests), I will become incredibly unhappy and there will be a decrease in my work output. Unfortunately, in the past this caused me to be overlooked for opportunities and advancement because I wasn't performing to my fullest potential. When I am balanced, I thrive. When I'm unbalanced and unfocused on my priorities, my work suffers. It took me quite some time to determine the importance of prioritizing for myself and I constantly try to find a personal, healthy balance between work and personal interests. Simply put, you NEED hobbies and interests to enjoy outside of work. You need to find something that brings you joy and allows you to find solace outside of just how you earn a living.
What is the greatest lesson you’ve learnt to date in your career and that you’d like to pass on as a piece of advice?
There isn't just one but I can share my top three:
You MUST bring your whole self to work. This means sharing your perspective, highlighting your personal interests to colleagues and trying to align personal interests to your work life. Anything less than your whole self provides much disservice to all parties.
Most difficulties or conflicts are rooted in ego – learn to control and conquer yours. The only thing you can only control is yourself so focus on checking your own ego. It helps in the long run in maintaining your sanity. If there is a difficult person, their actions will come to light without your involvement so just focus on being your best self.
You're not crazy. Everyone won't get or understand you but do not let that diminish or discourage you from working to the best of your ability. You must not dim your light or forget you “got the juice” to make others feel comfortable or to fit into a box someone is trying to make you fit into. However, it's equally important not to diminish the light of others. You never know how you or others will evolve and you don't want to have burned a bridge that you may need in the future because of a misunderstanding in the present.
What was the single most important decision you’ve made that completely changed the trajectory of your career?
When I figured out and pursued my personal interests and passion, it helped me to perform better at work. I became more focused at work when I had other outlets (outside of my day-to-day job) to maintain and spend time cultivating. For me the key ingredient was travel, and when I started taking a trip once a month (for nearly 3 years), it caused me to get work done, organise my time more effectively, plan out my weeks better to accommodate my schedule and just made me feel joyful which spilled over into my daily interactions and work output. It created the balance that I needed to focus and to get things done. You need to lean on more than your day-to-day job to keep you going. Value your relationships and other interests as much as you do your “9-5” so you can keep yourself honest and focused.
What would you do if you weren’t doing your day job? Describe that alternative career for us.
My dream career or dream job involves empowering people and building helpful communities for people to connect. I especially want to help create ventures that help people from the black diaspora to live their best lives. I also want to increase awareness around the importance of travel for enhancing worldviews and facilitating personal growth – no matter how far you go, how long the trip, or how often you travel. I’ve started working on both of these goals through the TheXpatLife (a vibrant and active community of expats across the globe) and I Find It Incredible (which curates events to promote sisterhood and wellbeing for black women), which are platforms I started for myself and with friends in mind. Next up is for me to launch a podcast for TheXpatLife and to curate a multi-day event for I Find It Incredible regarding wellness, sisterhood and vision. At the top of the year, I hosted a pop up Vision Board event, which was really powerful. I basically want to help make sure people win! My alternative career would simply entail what I call being a “connector” to help build communities that ultimately help people strive for and live their best lives. I would simply ensure my spirit of encouragement and creativity are front and centre.
"WHEN I FIGURED OUT AND PURSUED MY PERSONAL INTERESTS AND PASSION, IT HELPED ME TO PERFORM BETTER AT WORK. I BECAME MORE FOCUSED AT WORK WHEN I HAD OTHER OUTLETS (OUTSIDE OF MY DAY-TO-DAY JOB) TO MAINTAIN AND SPEND TIME CULTIVATING."
Who is Nicole?
Ever-changing. Loving but disciplined about ensuring that people are treated fairly. Self-aware. Committed. High Achiever. But I also I want to see everyone [who wants to] win along with me. I enjoy supporting people in going after their dreams.
How do you take care of Nicole?
By unplugging to help ensure I’m not wearing myself thin. My Dad has a saying, “You bend, but you don’t break”. So, if you imagine a ruler, it can bend and bend but eventually if it bends too far, it will break and I try to always keep that analogy in my mind and ask myself, “Am I bending or am I breaking?”. I want to ensure that I am giving enough to all of the many aspects of who I am but not at the cost of overexertion. I slow down, unplug and try to be kind to myself if I need to take a break and do nothing.
Could you tell us about your favourite book – one that has had an impact on you?
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday. Outliers blew my mind, it made me think differently, made me think outside of what society told me (directly or indirectly) about what I could be as a black woman, and about what I wanted to achieve. It provided me reassurance that my culture and experiences [LI1] Outliers was one thing that made me see and believe in success differently. My favourite quote is by a woman named Uta Hagan and it says, “We must overcome the notion that we must be regular. It robs us of the chance to be extraordinary and leads us to the mediocre”. I translate this for myself to say, “I got the Juice”. I tell my friends that as well. I feel that I have a superpower within me, or a purpose that’s bigger than what can be defined by whatever box that people want me to be in. As long as I’m pursuing that and going towards the light, genuinely, I think I can be anything that I want to. Outliers taught me that it’s not all about the situation you’re born into to or by what you’ve chosen to do in life, some of it is situational, some of it luck, some of it is faith but some of it is down to being at the right time and the right place to pursue your passions. So, I will do the work to ensure that I stay ready!
Ego is the Enemy was pivotal for me because I’m not someone that allows injustice to stand. Where I see injustices occurring, I’ve always felt like it was my right or duty to help make that situation better, from the time I was a little girl. What I realised as an adult is that a lot of that was down to the ego that I had that said my ideas were always right, that my solutions were the truth. The book taught me that sometimes that might be the case but a lot of times, it’s down to that imbalance inside ourselves that prevents us from minimising our ego and living present (in truth). What that book helped me do is think about conflict differently, think about relationships with myself differently and it’s also helped me check that inner voice to question whether I’m responding from my ego or a more genuine place. It’s helped me see my extracurricular desires more clearly, and has helped me considerably in dealing with any conflicts and letting go of habits that will not serve me on a path of becoming my best self.
Who do you respect and admire most?
Michelle Obama. A lot of it has to do with her grace, her style but more so it’s about each time she was challenged and critiqued in such a public forum and she never lost her cool and never lost who she was. The woman we first saw years ago at the beginning of President Obama’s presidential campaign until now has been so consistent with representing grace, class and authenticity. She’s never lost the sense of who she was. And for me, that’s admirable and what I hope to emulate. It’s not fame, position, status, or community, it’s about me, Nicole, always being able to keep my sense of purpose and keep my sense of self. What is also beautiful about Michelle is that she didn’t have to be that way, she could’ve gone quiet, she could’ve fallen to the background, and she could’ve just let it be about Barack and his Presidency. Instead she took up the challenge of representing things that were much bigger than her, for women (and men) who needed her to show up as her authentic self and she didn’t let us down.
What advice would you give young women reading your story?
I would remind them that “They got the juice!”. I’m personally interested in helping black women, particularly, explore the fact that no matter where they come from, no matter how early or late they start something that there’s always time and that they can do it. A lot of times there’s pressure from social media, family, friends, movements like #blackgirlmagic – which I love- but this focus on living your best life can sometimes make people feel as though they’re not good enough. It’s the “I’m too this or that” that kills way more dreams than a classic attempt of trying something and it just failing. Enjoy the present and where you are in life right now, the one thing that cannot be earned, bought or replaced is time, so live like it.
To all women, I say that it’s never too late. Your experiences are what prepared you and helped you get to this moment and the perspectives that you have are valid. Somewhere there is somebody that needs to hear from you and benefit from your gifts, at this moment. Don’t ever think that you’re not good enough, that you’re too anything - late, early, crazy, ambitious – to go after your dreams because “You got the juice!”