October 22, 2024 • 39 mins
Brianna Logan's journey from her parents' Caribbean roots to becoming a successful CEO is inspiring. In our latest episode, Brianna, a first-generation college graduate, shares her personal story of overcoming challenges and finding her path in the professional world. Her experience navigating college and her career without a clear roadmap highlights the power of mentorship and career coaching.
As the founder and CEO of First Gen Evolve, Brianna is committed to supporting first-generation professionals in the workforce. During her time at an ed tech company, she discovered her passion for leading Employee Resource Groups and empowering others through professional development initiatives. Brianna discusses the importance of networking and shares practical advice from her mentors, which helped her overcome initial challenges and build valuable connections. Her insights emphasize the need for students to make the most of college resources to hone their networking skills and prepare for their future careers.
Brianna also delves into the crucial support systems and resources that can aid first-gen students in their transition into the workforce. Through First Gen Evolve, she collaborates with universities and employers to offer mentorship, workshops, and programs focusing on workplace diversity, leadership, and mental health. By spotlighting the unique strengths of first-generation graduates, such as their work ethic and eagerness to learn, Brianna underscores the importance of creating inclusive environments. Her message of dreaming big, taking risks, and effective networking provides invaluable guidance for both students and professionals on their career journeys.
Brianna Logan contact information and bio
https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannalogan/
On YouTube and Instagram as FirstGen Evolve
Brianna Logan is the Founder and CEO of FirstGen Evolve LLC, a B2B consulting company that provides professional development and mentorship services to first-generation employees to help them navigate the workforce and succeed in their careers.
As a first-generation college graduate, Brianna is passionate about creating initiatives to help people from underserved communities feel heard, seen, and valued. This passion started during her junior year at her Alma mater, Skidmore College where she co-founded a student club on campus for Caribbean students (many of whom were first-gen students) like her.
Through FirstGen Evolve, Brianna continues to fulfill that passion by supporting first-generation employees on their professional journeys. When Brianna is not running her business, you can find her mentoring college students in NYC with the City Tutors or leading a group of ninety-five Black Employees at Renaissance Learning where
she hosts professional development events for them on topics including but not limited to mental health, imposter syndrome, and personal branding.
Please help others find this podcast by rating and reviewing wherever you listen!
You can find me at https://www.firstgenfm.com/ and on LinkedIn. My email is jen@firstgenfm.com.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome and welcome back to the First Gen FM podcast
, where we high school andcollege educators strengthen,
celebrate and supportfirst-generation college and
college-bound students.
I'm Jennifer Schoen, your host.
Please call me Jen.
I'd love it if you could leavea review and a rating for this
podcast to help other educatorsfind us.
Thank you so much for takingthe time to do that.
(00:28):
Now let's dive into this week'sepisode.
Today I'm talking with BriannaLogan, who is a first-gen
graduate of Skidmore College andwho is the founder and CEO of
First Gen Evolve, which is a B2Bconsulting company providing
professional development andmentorship services to FirstGen
employees to help them navigatethe workforce and succeed in
(00:51):
their careers.
I'm so excited for you to hearabout all the great things she's
doing and how she is supportingFirstGen professionals as they
enter their career.
So let's get started andwelcome Brianna.
Welcome back to the First GenFM podcast.
I'm here today with BriannaLogan, who is with First Gen
(01:14):
Evolve, and I am really excitedto have her here today because
we're going to talk aboutfirst-gen professionals.
So, brianna, welcome and thanksfor joining me.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Good morning, Jen.
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
I'm excited for our conversation today, me too, me
too, and happy birthday.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
I love that you're willing to record on your
birthday and don't have amillion other things planned, so
thank you.
I always like to ask thequestion you know, what was the
spark that got you into workingwith first generation students?
Like, tell me about that.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Well, first off, I am a first generation college
graduate myself.
My parents emigrated to theUnited States from the Caribbean
.
My mom she's from Trinidad andTobago, so that's where I grew
up with my grandparents, and mydad he's from Trinidad and
Tobago, so that's where I grewup with my grandparents, and my
dad he's from Jamaica.
My mom came to the US when shewas 14 years old.
(02:10):
My dad came when he was 19.
And when they came they didn'tgo to college right.
They didn't have the rightdocumentation to apply for
college in the US, so theyimmediately went straight into
the workforce once they got here.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
All right, and so how did you figure out how to get
to college then?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
With the help of mentors I went to high school in
Brooklyn.
That's where I was born and Ihad teachers and mentors.
I was a part of this nonprofitorganization called Bottom Line
and I had a college counselorhelp me apply to colleges.
I didn't even know whichcollege I wanted to go into, I
(02:52):
just knew that I was a part ofmusical theater in high school.
So I said I think I want tomajor in theater.
So that's when she encouragedme to apply to Skidmore, which
is my alma mater, and I got inand I spent the last four years
in college there.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
That's awesome, that's awesome.
And did you major in musicaltheater?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
No, I did not.
I took a different route.
I majored in internationalaffairs and I minored in
business.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
All right, so, yeah, that is.
That is quite a switch formusical theater, Do you?
Do you find that you usemusical theater as a hobby?
Speaker 2 (03:30):
No, I do not.
I sing in the shower.
I don't know if that counts Allright, so you still sing.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
That's all that matters.
That's very important.
That's very important.
All right, so you had mentorsthat helped you get to college.
You had a successful collegecareer.
You're getting ready to go intothe professional sphere.
What was that transition like?
Because I know that's a bigtransition from college to the
first professional job, and ifindeed, that was your first
(03:58):
professional job?
Speaker 2 (04:00):
It was challenging, besides not knowing about
retirement plans and thedifferent types of retirement
plans that workplaces offer.
Let's take a step back for abit because, to be honest with
you, jen, I didn't even knowwhat type of career I wanted to
go into.
Coming from being raised in aCaribbean household, I had some
(04:22):
family members that said, hey,why don't you be a lawyer or a
nurse?
But I didn't want either ofthose things.
So when I graduated fromcollege, it was hard for me to
find the career that I'm goingto enjoy and that I'm going to
love, because internationalaffairs it was such a broad
major so I could have doneanything with my degree, but I
(04:45):
wanted to make sure that it wassomething that I loved to do.
So I liked writing.
I always loved English class inhigh school.
So I got on LinkedIn one day andI was just applying for jobs
that had communications in them.
I networked with a few Skidmorealumni that worked in public
relations because I thoughtthat's what I wanted to do, but
(05:10):
turns out I wasn't sure.
So the first job that I saw onLinkedIn, it was for a client
success manager role at a socialmedia company and I applied and
I got in and that was my veryfirst job post-college.
I applied and I got in and thatwas my very first job
post-college and that employerhelped me transition into the
(05:31):
workforce by setting me up witha career coach.
And that was my first timeactually having a career coach
where I could sit down with themand say, hey, I like to do this
, but how do I turn that into acareer?
And that was, you know, four orfive years ago and I still get
in contact with that college,that career coach, today.
(05:53):
I actually emailed her a fewmonths ago and I said, hey, I
need help with my resume, mynext career move.
So I really appreciated myemployer for providing me with
that opportunity move.
So I really appreciated myemployer for providing me with
that opportunity.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
That's amazing.
And did you have to ask forthat?
Did they just say, hey, as anew person, you have this or was
it part of a first genprofessional program?
Speaker 2 (06:17):
No, so they already had a partnership with this
career coach, so I didn't haveto ask A lot of the employees at
the time they were fresh out ofcollege, so I think you know
they put two and two togetherand they said, hey, how do we
help these recent collegegraduates, you know, adapt to
the workforce?
So they, they provided us withthat opportunity and we had
(06:39):
check ins with that career coachand it was very helpful for me.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
That's awesome.
You went from mentors to helpyou get into college to mentors
once you got into your career.
Correct, yes.
So now I have to ask thequestion did you use the career
center at all whatever they callit at Skidmore to kind of help
you search for jobs and kind ofthink about that?
Move to communication.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yes, I use the Career Center a lot, but I use it
mostly for resume editing andalso for interviewing skills.
At the time communicationsdidn't pop into my head yet.
I mostly used the Career Centerwhen I was applying for
internships.
In fact, I had one internshipin college at Morgan Stanley.
(07:26):
I was an internalcommunications intern and I got
that internship based on luck, Iguess, because my parents
didn't have any connections inMorgan Stanley.
So I just saw the role onLinkedIn one day.
As you can tell, I use LinkedIna lot, yes, that's good advice,
(07:48):
yeah, and I saw the role and itinvolved writing it involved
newsletters, things that Ialready enjoyed doing.
So I took a risk, I applied andI got the job.
I don't know how, but in theinterview, when I had the
interview with my employer atMorgan Stanley, I was just being
(08:09):
myself.
I didn't try to sound polishedor anything.
Of course I had to dressprofessional et cetera, but I
told my story.
I said my parents, I don't haveany connections in Morgan
Stanley, but here's why I'minterested in this role and this
is the value that I can bringto your workplace.
And I got the job.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
So obviously you prepared and you went in and you
were ready.
You were ready to go at thatjob.
So it's not just luck.
Yeah, I would say it's not justluck.
You were, you were ready forthat.
So when you went into this job,what kind of skills from your
college and your experiences inyour internship did you take
with you?
Did you find were transferableskills?
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Communication skills because I was I was not just,
you know, writing professionalemails at that point, but I was
also working in a team.
I was working with colleaguesthat were much older than me,
and that's something that youknow studying business at
Skidmore.
I also gathered those skillsthere because I did a lot of
(09:14):
business presentation.
So I developed those skills atSkidmore through my mentorship,
through my internship excuse methat I was able to pass down
into other roles that I've hadsince then.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Okay, now did you I don't know if you can answer
this, but you know, looking back, did you do some of those
things deliberately because youthought these are some skills
I'm going to need when I getinto the workforce, or did they
just happen to be part of thecurriculum and that you took
advantage of those opportunities?
Speaker 2 (09:46):
They just happened to be a part of my curriculum.
I can think back to myintroduction to business course
at Skidmore.
The very first project that wework on involves analyzing a
company's strategy.
That's a huge project that allfirst year students have to
complete as a business, majorand minor.
(10:08):
So in that project I worked ina team of four, I believe, and
we had to present in front ofexecutives and it was my very
first time doing that.
But it helped build me and ithelped me gain those necessary
skills that I needed in theworkforce and that I still use
in my role as a client successmanager at.
(10:31):
I'm now at an ed tech companythat's my employer.
I have two jobs, so when I'mnot running first gen evolved, I
am a customer success managerat an ed tech company.
I'm also leading an employeeresource group for Black
employees.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
So I wear a lot of hats.
You do wear a lot of hats, butthat's awesome.
You know, it's great thatyou're doing your job, but
you're also lifting others up atthe same time and you're
creating this first gen evolveso that other people can A learn
(11:06):
from your experiences, but alsobenefit from your knowledge.
Is that why you decided to getstarted and tell me that story?
How did you decide to do that?
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Yes.
So when I started working at myed tech employer, I started off
in customer success.
I should mention that I'vealways had a passion for
education as well, but I didn'tknow.
I didn't want to be a teacher,right?
So, again, I used LinkedIn andI stumbled upon this customer
(11:38):
success role at my ed techemployer, and while I enjoyed
giving back to my community inNew York City by visiting
schools and talking about ourproducts and services, it was
just not fulfilling my everydayneeds.
In fact, when I voluntarily gotinto the Black Employee Resource
(12:00):
Group at my ed tech company,that really drove my passion
every day, because I was wakingup feeling very happy on helping
employees feel included andvalued in the workplace, and I
do that through hostingprofessional development events
with them.
I do research, I find externalspeakers to come in talk to them
(12:24):
about imposter syndrome right.
How do you navigate that in theworkplace?
How do you talk about mentalhealth?
And the nice thing about thisvoluntary position that I hold
is that I'm supporting employeesthat are not just first gen
right, a lot of them are olderthan me, they're not first gen,
(12:44):
but they share similarexperiences of not knowing how
to navigate the workforce.
So that drove me to start myown initiative with First Gen
Evolve, and the reason why Ifocus on the first gen
experience is because I canrelate to that a lot more Right
and I wanted to say, hey, Ishare those similar experiences
(13:06):
and I can help you through myconsulting company.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Yeah, that's great.
That's great.
And now you work directly withbusinesses, kind of like your
career coach worked with yourfirst employer.
You work with the businesses toprovide those services.
Correct, yes, entered.
(13:31):
You know that you got frommentors to adapt to the
professional sphere and what isit that you now like to share
that you think is reallyimportant to share with
first-gen professionals makingthat transition?
That's a big question.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Yes, a piece of advice that I got from my
mentors that helped me was keepnetworking right and, of course,
sometimes that may sound veryeasy to some people, but for me
it was a challenge because, likeI said earlier, my parents
didn't have connections in thesecorporate spaces and also
(14:09):
networking was something that Iwas still learning how to do.
Public speaking was not mystrongest skill all throughout
high school or even in college,but I developed that over time
through leading the employeeresource group at my EdTech
employer, through speaking withclients in my role as a customer
(14:29):
success manager, right.
So it's something that Ideveloped over time and I'm
passing down to mentees.
I'm actually a mentor with anonprofit organization in New
York City called the City Tutorsand I help my mentees learn how
to network in the works, in theworkforce.
We also talk about things like,you know, an elevator pitch,
(14:52):
right.
Again, those might sound easyto some people, but for others,
like myself and other first gen,it's hard right, because we
don't know how to, how to.
We're still learning, so tospeak, on how to put ourselves
out there professionally in theworkforce because we don't have,
you know, our parents, don'thave connections or we don't
have someone else in our familyto share those experiences with.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Yeah, I think that part about connections is so
important.
I mean, I work at Northeasternand our students need to do
experiential learning, sotypically they'll do a co-op,
which they'll do a six-monthexperience in a professional
setting, and I think, especiallyfor first-gen students, that's
such a good time to connect andbegin building relationships and
(15:38):
starting to build their ownnetwork that if you don't do
something like you did aninternship, even if you didn't
build your network within thatwithin Morgan Stanley, because
that's not where you wanted tostay, you still had the
opportunity to network and learnfrom different professionals in
that field.
Do you feel that same way, then?
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Yes, yes, I do, Because while I was interning
there, I actually took it uponmyself to reach out to
colleagues in differentdepartments and I set aside a 15
, 20-minute coffee chat and Ijust asked them questions about
their role how did you get there, et cetera.
I also assisted them withprojects, and this was something
(16:20):
that, of course, I had to askmy manager first, right, because
obviously my responsibilitieswere for her team.
But I said, hey, if we don'thave any additional projects on
our team that I can work on, canI reach out to a colleague in
this department and offer tohelp them?
And I did that, and that alsohelped me learn more about
(16:43):
different departments in thecompany.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Yeah, so it sounded like you asked a lot of
questions and you took advantageof that and having a good
relationship with yoursupervisor to say you know, can
I also look at some of theseother places within the company
to see if I can work with themand learn from them too?
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Yeah.
And you had another question.
It was about what type ofadvice would I give to students.
Yes, to students.
So I would tell students tonetwork, but also take advantage
of the events that yourcolleges may have on campus the
Career Development Center.
(17:23):
If they have panel discussionswhere they talk about the
first-gen experience and whatit's like to navigate the
workforce, attend those sessions, ask as many questions as you
can.
Or if you're more introvertedand you know you haven't yet
developed that skill of speakingup and speaking out, just write
down your questions.
And I would also say to thathey, this company actually wants
(18:19):
to support first gen.
I would also say that employeesshould also consider partnering
with colleges and universitiesto allow first gen students to
shadow at their jobs.
I think having more exposure asearly on as possible for these
(18:42):
first-gen students would helpthem develop more clarity on the
type of careers that theywanted.
Like I said, I was fortunateenough where I had an internship
in college.
I also had an internship inhigh school with the help of my
mentors.
But the more workplace explorerthat first-gen students can get
now, they're better preparedthey will be to navigate the
(19:05):
workforce with first-genEvolve's help and also the help
of employers.
Starting those partnershipswith the universities as soon as
possible.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Yeah, I agree 100%.
And it seems like and you cantell me if this is true it seems
like when you did yourinternship and you asked to
speak to other people, peopleweren't like, oh no, I don't
have time for that.
People were really willing andexcited to talk to you, to share
their own experiences, maybeeven going beyond that 15 minute
time that you had set, you know, to help you.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Exactly, and the thing is a lot of the ones.
Once you get into the workforceand you ask questions, you
raise your hand.
Like you said, these employers,they want to talk to you, right
?
They love when people come upwith questions because they were
once in your shoes and younever know.
Sometimes they are also firstgen too and they want to help
(20:00):
you develop the necessary skillsand knowledge that you need to
succeed in your careers.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
Yeah, yeah, I agree, I mean I'm.
I mean for me, I'm always happyto talk to students about sort
of my own path, if they'reinterested in that, to students
about sort of my own path, ifthey're interested in that.
So I really like that.
I think that's so important toask questions and put yourself
out there.
And so I had one student who wasjust at a panel.
(20:26):
She heard from this one of thepanelists and she was like I
really need to connect with him,but I'm nervous, I have no idea
what to say.
So she came up with what Ithink is a brilliant plan.
She went up to him and she saidI really have to run to a
meeting so I can't talk to youright now.
Do you have a card that I cancontact you later?
(20:46):
And so he gave her his card andthen she could think about what
she wanted to ask.
And then she emailed himquestions and it turned out she
ended up having a co-op withthat company and he did become a
mentor.
But I thought, oh my gosh, thatis so smart, so smart.
Get your card, it's, you cantalk later and you can really
(21:07):
think about what it is you wantto ask and what you want to say.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
I love that so much.
And that story just shows, youknow, for first gen students,
while some of us might be, youknow, afraid to network and to
take that first step and raiseour hands, you know, don't be
afraid, right, the worst theycan say is, no, I can't help you
.
But you never know until youtry.
And it all starts withdeveloping that confidence and
(21:33):
knowing that, hey, I can do thisright, even though my parents
was not able to do this, I can.
And it's all about taking riskssometimes, and you never know
what you can achieve unless youtake that risk and take that
first step.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
Right, and I find that oftentimes people, even
when they say no there are veryfew people who just flat out are
like no, I can't help you,right, but a lot of people say
like no, I can't, but I knowsomeone who can or would be
happy to talk to you, and sojust by putting yourself out
there that little bit, even ifit's just to ask for a card, I
(22:08):
think is really powerful,exactly.
Yeah, I love that.
How do you support thetransition for first gen
students?
You've talked about in yourwork a little bit, but also with
first gen evolve, what kinds ofthings do you do and and how
can we you know, all of us whoare listening to you as
educators kind of help with that?
Speaker 2 (22:30):
So, although first gen evolve we primarily focus on
employers right, becausethey're the ones that are going
to be paying for their first genemployee services.
We are not closed off toworking with universities, as I
mentioned earlier.
If universities have careerpanel discussions and they would
like to tap into my network atFirst Gen Evolve to have
(22:53):
first-gen professionals come inand talk to students about their
transition into the workforce,we can do that.
Or if universities would liketheir students to participate in
our mentorship services, we cando that as well, because the
nice thing about our servicesfor our professional development
workshops, panel discussionsand also mentorship we go beyond
(23:16):
just the interviewing skillsand editing resumes, but we
actually talk about the thingsthat you'll experience in the
workplace.
So we talk about what is it liketo work in a diverse team?
Because, as I mentioned earlier, once you get into the
workforce, you're not justworking with
20-something-year-olds, you'reworking with 30-something-years,
40-something-years, et cetera.
(23:37):
Right, we also talk about howdo I become a leader in my
career.
As I mentioned, I'm leading agroup of 95-plus employees in
the Black Employee ResourceGroup at my EdTech employer.
How do I do that?
Right, because I didn't haveexperience leading a group that
(23:58):
large right.
I didn't know how to, but Ikind of fell into that role with
the help of mentors.
Again, at my ed tech company, wealso talk about imposter
syndrome and also mental health.
Mental health is a topic that alot, a lot of students are
talking about nowadays and wewant to make sure that we
continue having thoseconversations to help them
(24:21):
understand that.
What does that look like in theworkforce?
Right, and we help them thinkabout the type of role that
they're in and how do youdiscover your passion, because
sometimes the first job that youhave out of college may not be
the job that you advance in orthat you stay in for a long time
.
All right, so we talk about howdo you move from one career
(24:45):
role to another.
We also provide resources booksthat are written by other first
gen professionals whounderstand the experiences of
being first-gen and they've nowtaken their knowledge and
transformed that intobest-selling author books, and
we also provide those booksthrough our mentorship programs.
(25:06):
So, long story short, we canwork with universities, but if
we do, universities would haveto pay for our services, for the
students.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
If we do, universities would have to pay
for our services for thestudents.
Okay, okay, I love that.
I love that.
I think that would probably bereally beneficial to smaller
colleges that may not have asrobust of a career center but
would love to have some extrahelp, especially for first gen
students.
That's a really cool idea.
That's a really cool idea.
Why is it just importantoverall for employers to support
(25:38):
first-generation employees?
I mean, we talk about, you know, students being career-ready,
but it's also important, I think, for the employers to be ready
for their first-genprofessionals.
So tell me more about yourthoughts on why that's important
, on why that's important.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
I'll answer it from two different perspectives,
Personally.
First, gens, we have a strongwork ethic right.
We want to learn the fact thatour parents did not have the
same experiences that we havenow.
We have a hunger and excitementto raise our hand at the table,
(26:14):
to ask questions, to ask to be apart of opportunities and
initiatives in the workforce.
From a professional standpoint,employers have started to see
the benefits of DEI in theworkplace right.
So the more opportunities thatemployers can provide for
first-gen employees, they willcontinue to see the value add of
(26:36):
supporting first-gen,supporting that group of
employees that really wants tobe at the forefront of
opportunities.
Because we want to excel, wewant to achieve our goals, we
want to be role models in ourfamilies for our younger
siblings, for our future kids,to say, hey, even though your
(26:57):
grandparents did not achievethese things, your parents did
and they're changing that cyclein the family household.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
Yeah, do you think that adds extra pressure to be
successful for first genstudents in their very first
position out of college?
Speaker 2 (27:15):
In some cases it does .
Speaking from personalexperience in my household, I
make the most right and you knowI support my family financially
and while I do love doing that,it's also helpful to have a
balance between you know, takingcare of yourself and your goals
(27:39):
as a professional, but alsowanting to give back and help
your family as a way of you knowthanks for their support along
that journey would say look atthe end goal at the light of the
tunnel and say, hey, if Iinvest in my career development
as early on in the workforce,even in college too, when you
(28:04):
start to think about thosethings and you receive the
support, it can help you alongthe way and help take some of
that pressure off of you.
That's why our services aredesigned by first-gen
professionals with years ofexperience under their belt who
are willing to pass thatknowledge and skills down to you
to help you navigate throughsome of those pressures.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Yeah, I think that's so important because I see that
in the college students thatdrive to, I'm going to make a
big difference with my family,and sometimes the difficulty in,
oh I need to send them kind ofeverything now, but I also need
to succeed here and how do Ibalance that and having that and
(28:48):
having mental health as part ofyour discussion and your
services, those two things, thatworking through that pressure
and and it's it can be a goodpressure but it can also be a
little too stressful too attimes.
So walking that fine line Ithink is so important and I love
that you're talking about thatjust right up front.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
And that that's what my parents did when they
immigrated to the US.
Even though they did not go tocollege, they went into the
workforce, so they had jobs andthey were focused on when they
had made their money, they werefocused on sending it back home
to their respective islands tohelp families right, to help
their families.
So oftentimes they could notsave or they could not budget
(29:36):
right and they didn't have thefinancial education on how to do
those things.
So, coming into now that I'vecome into this position and I've
started my own company, I wantto have conversations with
first-gen students around thatas well.
We actually have financialliteracy topics where we talk
about how to budget, how to saveand how to manage our money
(29:59):
overall Because, to your point,sometimes, first-gen, we want to
help family, we want to makesure that they're okay
financially, but it's all abouta balance between that and what
that looks like.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Yeah, yeah.
So how do you work with thefirst gen employers to get them
ready?
So maybe, let me put it thisway You're meeting with the
first gen employer for the firsttime, like what's one of the
things that you're going to doright off the bat?
Speaker 2 (30:31):
One of the things that I do right off the bat.
I help them understand whyfirst-gen right, because we can
talk about supporting all oftheir employees, but the real
focus here is the first genright.
So I help them see the valuethat first gen employees bring
to the workforce.
(30:52):
Speaking from my own personalexperiences and I've also been
targeting people in theworkforce that are first gen as
well so employers that identifyas being first gen in my
marketing I reach out to thosepeople because they understand
the experiences of being firstgen and it helps make those
(31:14):
conversations easier when I meetwith them because they're like
hey, I can relate to that and Iwant person evolved to be a part
of my workforce so we cancontinue supporting them
together.
So in my marketing I look forpeople that have first-gen
advocates in their bios andheadlines and I reach out to
them and we strike up aconversation and that's how I
(31:38):
help them see the value offirst-gen employees and what
they bring to the workplace.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
That is such good marketing to really focus on
that group and to find thosepeople who get it Like right off
the bat.
Like I was first gen, Iunderstand that.
Or even I was a first gen ally,I very much understand that.
I really think that's important.
When you look back, you knowit's interesting to tell your
story.
So musical, theater, business,administration, you know in
(32:08):
international affairs andbusiness.
Then you go into, you know youhave an internship in Morgan
Stanley and then communicationand now you know running your
own business.
In addition to the leadershipat the work that you're doing,
what advice would you give toyourself, like as a freshman or
sophomore in college, that thatyou maybe wish you had known?
Speaker 2 (32:30):
now that you see the path you've taken, An advice
that I would have given myselfis to never stop dreaming, never
stop taking risks.
Because, like I said, I wouldhave never thought that I would
be sitting here today with you,because public speaking was not
my strongest skill.
But I would have told myselfcontinue to take as much, take
(32:56):
advantage of as manyopportunities as you can.
Even if you think that youcannot achieve that position,
apply for it and and network.
Keep networking right.
Even if you do apply for aposition at a company, find out
who the talent acquisitionperson is, or someone in HR, and
(33:16):
reach out to them and offer toschedule a meeting.
And if they respond and theywant to meet with you, that's
great.
But to your point earlier,sometimes these professionals
are busy, so sometimes they maynot be able to meet with you.
But these professionals arebusy, so sometimes they may not
be able to meet with you, butthey can point you into the
direction of someone who can.
And the nice thing about FirstGen Evolved is that, through our
(33:36):
mentorship, our mentors canpoint their mentees into the
direction.
If they don't know who to helptheir mentees reach out to, to
strike up a conversation, tonetwork, they can point them
into the direction.
If they don't know who to helptheir mentees reach out to to
strike up a conversation, tonetwork, they can point them
into the direction of someonewho can, and that's more than
anything.
First Gen Evolve is a communityfor First Gen students and also
(33:59):
First Gen employees.
That's the main thing.
If I want you to leave thispodcast here today with Jen, I
want you to know that First GenEvolve creates a strong
community for other first gensto be able to tap into, strike
up conversations and learn moreabout how they can network, how
they can advance in theircareers and what that looks like
.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
Yeah, I love that.
I applaud you for therisk-taking that you did, you
know, by putting yourself outthere, by saying I can help
other people, other first gens,by creating this business that I
have an idea for, because Ithink that does take, you know,
a lot of guts and gumption to dothat.
I'm dating myself with wordslike gumption, right, but I
(34:42):
think it's such a good word.
So what would be your finalwords of advice for folks like
me who are in higher ed to helpstudents prepare to transition
into the workplace?
Speaker 2 (34:54):
My advice to you and other people in higher ed would
be continue to be that supportsystem for first-gen students
right and have a conversationwith them.
Ask them what type of careerroles are you interested in,
right as early as freshman yearand help them create sort of a
(35:15):
map on what that looks like.
And then, once you've had thatconversation, you can also tap
into your networks, right yourprofessional networks and help
them create, strike up thatfirst initial conversation so
they can start to network and Ithink not just you or anyone
(35:35):
else in higher ed, but peoplewho are allies to your point
right students.
Have those conversations withthem.
Tap into your own networks,make those introductions on
their behalf and help them seethat, hey, I'm here to help
support you.
Even though I was not a FrenchM myself, I see your drive, I
(35:59):
see your dedication, you reallywanted to succeed and I want to
help you.
And that can make things alittle bit easier too for
first-gen students or first-genemployees that are not used to
speaking up or they don't feelcomfortable speaking up and
putting themselves out there.
So it helps to have someone intheir corner who's willing to
(36:19):
take those actions on theirbehalf to help them.
Speaker 1 (36:22):
Yeah, yeah, thank you so much.
I agree wholeheartedly withthat.
How can people reach you ifthey have questions, or maybe
they want to get involved orthey just want to know more?
How can they find you?
Speaker 2 (36:36):
You can find me on LinkedIn at Brianna Logan.
You can also follow First GenEvolve on Instagram at First Gen
Evolve, on YouTube First GenEvolve, tiktok, first Gen Evolve
and also on LinkedIn.
Our business page is calledFirst Gen Evolve LLC.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
I will put all of that in the show notes for folks
who want to reach out to you.
I just smiled because you saidLinkedIn first, because I know
that's your go-to.
Smiled because you saidLinkedIn first because I know
that's your go-to.
Definitely.
I mean, I think sometimesstudents overlook LinkedIn as a
great way to make connections,especially as you said.
You know you went to Skidmorealums and I think a lot of
(37:20):
colleges have specific alumnigroups set up on LinkedIn and
there's one thing you have incommon right from the start, so
that's a great way to reach outto those folks and have at least
an in to the beginning of theconversation.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
Yes, and here's the thing about LinkedIn.
What I've discovered is thatsome students just don't know
how to use it.
Like, as I mentioned, I'm amentor with the city tutors, so
a lot of the times I'm helpingmy mentees learn how to use the
platform and I'm helping themfigure out how can they grow
their followers.
So I think that's what might bekeeping students from using it.
(37:57):
But also, if your college has aspecific career center, which
Skidmore did we had a wholewebsite where alumni could
connect with students.
But I use both, but I useLinkedIn a little bit more
because that's where mostprofessionals live.
But also, linkedin is kind ofchanging in terms of the types
of posts that you see nowadays.
(38:17):
But that's OK, right, as longas you know the goal that you
have in mind and how you want touse the platform, you can still
reach out to people.
And you know, by LinkedInchanging, I don't mean it in a
bad way, because change can begood, right, I've just seen a
lot of people reposting theirTikTok videos on LinkedIn et
cetera, which is okay.
(38:37):
It's still a business platformand I would recommend students
look into it and learn moreabout how you can use it to your
advantage and it really helps.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
Yeah, awesome.
Well, I have really enjoyed ourconversation today.
Brianna, thank you so much forjoining me on your birthday.
Hopefully it's a good start toyour day and I so appreciate you
being here, thank you.
Speaker 2 (39:03):
Thank you so much, jen.
I enjoyed our conversation aswell and, yes you.
Thank you so much, Jen.
I enjoyed our conversation aswell and, yes, it was a great
start to my birthday.
Thank you so much and I lookforward to continuing this
conversation with anyone that'sinterested in being a part of
First Gen Evolve, and I lookforward to seeing this recording
out soon.
Speaker 1 (39:22):
Oh, fantastic, fantastic, Thanks.
If you want to get in touchwith me, you can find me at Jen,
that's J-E-N, at firstgenfmcomand at my website is
firstgenfmcom.
I look forward to talking withyou again next week and, as
always, I love to hear a ratingand review and helps other
(39:43):
people find the podcast.
Thanks so much for today andwe'll talk to you next week.
Welcome and welcome back to the First Gen FM podcast
, where we high school andcollege educators strengthen,
celebrate and supportfirst-generation college and
college-bound students.
I'm Jennifer Schoen, your host.
Please call me Jen.
I'd love it if you could leavea review and a rating for this
podcast to help other educatorsfind us.
Thank you so much for takingthe time to do that.
(00:28):
Now let's dive into this week'sepisode.
Today I'm talking with BriannaLogan, who is a first-gen
graduate of Skidmore College andwho is the founder and CEO of
First Gen Evolve, which is a B2Bconsulting company providing
professional development andmentorship services to FirstGen
employees to help them navigatethe workforce and succeed in
(00:51):
their careers.
I'm so excited for you to hearabout all the great things she's
doing and how she is supportingFirstGen professionals as they
enter their career.
So let's get started andwelcome Brianna.
Welcome back to the First GenFM podcast.
I'm here today with BriannaLogan, who is with First Gen
(01:14):
Evolve, and I am really excitedto have her here today because
we're going to talk aboutfirst-gen professionals.
So, brianna, welcome and thanksfor joining me.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Good morning, Jen.
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
I'm excited for our conversation today, me too, me
too, and happy birthday.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
I love that you're willing to record on your
birthday and don't have amillion other things planned, so
thank you.
I always like to ask thequestion you know, what was the
spark that got you into workingwith first generation students?
Like, tell me about that.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Well, first off, I am a first generation college
graduate myself.
My parents emigrated to theUnited States from the Caribbean
.
My mom she's from Trinidad andTobago, so that's where I grew
up with my grandparents, and mydad he's from Trinidad and
Tobago, so that's where I grewup with my grandparents, and my
dad he's from Jamaica.
My mom came to the US when shewas 14 years old.
(02:10):
My dad came when he was 19.
And when they came they didn'tgo to college right.
They didn't have the rightdocumentation to apply for
college in the US, so theyimmediately went straight into
the workforce once they got here.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
All right, and so how did you figure out how to get
to college then?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
With the help of mentors I went to high school in
Brooklyn.
That's where I was born and Ihad teachers and mentors.
I was a part of this nonprofitorganization called Bottom Line
and I had a college counselorhelp me apply to colleges.
I didn't even know whichcollege I wanted to go into, I
(02:52):
just knew that I was a part ofmusical theater in high school.
So I said I think I want tomajor in theater.
So that's when she encouragedme to apply to Skidmore, which
is my alma mater, and I got inand I spent the last four years
in college there.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
That's awesome, that's awesome.
And did you major in musicaltheater?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
No, I did not.
I took a different route.
I majored in internationalaffairs and I minored in
business.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
All right, so, yeah, that is.
That is quite a switch formusical theater, Do you?
Do you find that you usemusical theater as a hobby?
Speaker 2 (03:30):
No, I do not.
I sing in the shower.
I don't know if that counts Allright, so you still sing.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
That's all that matters.
That's very important.
That's very important.
All right, so you had mentorsthat helped you get to college.
You had a successful collegecareer.
You're getting ready to go intothe professional sphere.
What was that transition like?
Because I know that's a bigtransition from college to the
first professional job, and ifindeed, that was your first
(03:58):
professional job?
Speaker 2 (04:00):
It was challenging, besides not knowing about
retirement plans and thedifferent types of retirement
plans that workplaces offer.
Let's take a step back for abit because, to be honest with
you, jen, I didn't even knowwhat type of career I wanted to
go into.
Coming from being raised in aCaribbean household, I had some
(04:22):
family members that said, hey,why don't you be a lawyer or a
nurse?
But I didn't want either ofthose things.
So when I graduated fromcollege, it was hard for me to
find the career that I'm goingto enjoy and that I'm going to
love, because internationalaffairs it was such a broad
major so I could have doneanything with my degree, but I
(04:45):
wanted to make sure that it wassomething that I loved to do.
So I liked writing.
I always loved English class inhigh school.
So I got on LinkedIn one day andI was just applying for jobs
that had communications in them.
I networked with a few Skidmorealumni that worked in public
relations because I thoughtthat's what I wanted to do, but
(05:10):
turns out I wasn't sure.
So the first job that I saw onLinkedIn, it was for a client
success manager role at a socialmedia company and I applied and
I got in and that was my veryfirst job post-college.
I applied and I got in and thatwas my very first job
post-college and that employerhelped me transition into the
(05:31):
workforce by setting me up witha career coach.
And that was my first timeactually having a career coach
where I could sit down with themand say, hey, I like to do this
, but how do I turn that into acareer?
And that was, you know, four orfive years ago and I still get
in contact with that college,that career coach, today.
(05:53):
I actually emailed her a fewmonths ago and I said, hey, I
need help with my resume, mynext career move.
So I really appreciated myemployer for providing me with
that opportunity move.
So I really appreciated myemployer for providing me with
that opportunity.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
That's amazing.
And did you have to ask forthat?
Did they just say, hey, as anew person, you have this or was
it part of a first genprofessional program?
Speaker 2 (06:17):
No, so they already had a partnership with this
career coach, so I didn't haveto ask A lot of the employees at
the time they were fresh out ofcollege, so I think you know
they put two and two togetherand they said, hey, how do we
help these recent collegegraduates, you know, adapt to
the workforce?
So they, they provided us withthat opportunity and we had
(06:39):
check ins with that career coachand it was very helpful for me.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
That's awesome.
You went from mentors to helpyou get into college to mentors
once you got into your career.
Correct, yes.
So now I have to ask thequestion did you use the career
center at all whatever they callit at Skidmore to kind of help
you search for jobs and kind ofthink about that?
Move to communication.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yes, I use the Career Center a lot, but I use it
mostly for resume editing andalso for interviewing skills.
At the time communicationsdidn't pop into my head yet.
I mostly used the Career Centerwhen I was applying for
internships.
In fact, I had one internshipin college at Morgan Stanley.
(07:26):
I was an internalcommunications intern and I got
that internship based on luck, Iguess, because my parents
didn't have any connections inMorgan Stanley.
So I just saw the role onLinkedIn one day.
As you can tell, I use LinkedIna lot, yes, that's good advice,
(07:48):
yeah, and I saw the role and itinvolved writing it involved
newsletters, things that Ialready enjoyed doing.
So I took a risk, I applied andI got the job.
I don't know how, but in theinterview, when I had the
interview with my employer atMorgan Stanley, I was just being
(08:09):
myself.
I didn't try to sound polishedor anything.
Of course I had to dressprofessional et cetera, but I
told my story.
I said my parents, I don't haveany connections in Morgan
Stanley, but here's why I'minterested in this role and this
is the value that I can bringto your workplace.
And I got the job.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
So obviously you prepared and you went in and you
were ready.
You were ready to go at thatjob.
So it's not just luck.
Yeah, I would say it's not justluck.
You were, you were ready forthat.
So when you went into this job,what kind of skills from your
college and your experiences inyour internship did you take
with you?
Did you find were transferableskills?
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Communication skills because I was I was not just,
you know, writing professionalemails at that point, but I was
also working in a team.
I was working with colleaguesthat were much older than me,
and that's something that youknow studying business at
Skidmore.
I also gathered those skillsthere because I did a lot of
(09:14):
business presentation.
So I developed those skills atSkidmore through my mentorship,
through my internship excuse methat I was able to pass down
into other roles that I've hadsince then.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Okay, now did you I don't know if you can answer
this, but you know, looking back, did you do some of those
things deliberately because youthought these are some skills
I'm going to need when I getinto the workforce, or did they
just happen to be part of thecurriculum and that you took
advantage of those opportunities?
Speaker 2 (09:46):
They just happened to be a part of my curriculum.
I can think back to myintroduction to business course
at Skidmore.
The very first project that wework on involves analyzing a
company's strategy.
That's a huge project that allfirst year students have to
complete as a business, majorand minor.
(10:08):
So in that project I worked ina team of four, I believe, and
we had to present in front ofexecutives and it was my very
first time doing that.
But it helped build me and ithelped me gain those necessary
skills that I needed in theworkforce and that I still use
in my role as a client successmanager at.
(10:31):
I'm now at an ed tech companythat's my employer.
I have two jobs, so when I'mnot running first gen evolved, I
am a customer success managerat an ed tech company.
I'm also leading an employeeresource group for Black
employees.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
So I wear a lot of hats.
You do wear a lot of hats, butthat's awesome.
You know, it's great thatyou're doing your job, but
you're also lifting others up atthe same time and you're
creating this first gen evolveso that other people can A learn
(11:06):
from your experiences, but alsobenefit from your knowledge.
Is that why you decided to getstarted and tell me that story?
How did you decide to do that?
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Yes.
So when I started working at myed tech employer, I started off
in customer success.
I should mention that I'vealways had a passion for
education as well, but I didn'tknow.
I didn't want to be a teacher,right?
So, again, I used LinkedIn andI stumbled upon this customer
(11:38):
success role at my ed techemployer, and while I enjoyed
giving back to my community inNew York City by visiting
schools and talking about ourproducts and services, it was
just not fulfilling my everydayneeds.
In fact, when I voluntarily gotinto the Black Employee Resource
(12:00):
Group at my ed tech company,that really drove my passion
every day, because I was wakingup feeling very happy on helping
employees feel included andvalued in the workplace, and I
do that through hostingprofessional development events
with them.
I do research, I find externalspeakers to come in talk to them
(12:24):
about imposter syndrome right.
How do you navigate that in theworkplace?
How do you talk about mentalhealth?
And the nice thing about thisvoluntary position that I hold
is that I'm supporting employeesthat are not just first gen
right, a lot of them are olderthan me, they're not first gen,
(12:44):
but they share similarexperiences of not knowing how
to navigate the workforce.
So that drove me to start myown initiative with First Gen
Evolve, and the reason why Ifocus on the first gen
experience is because I canrelate to that a lot more Right
and I wanted to say, hey, Ishare those similar experiences
(13:06):
and I can help you through myconsulting company.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Yeah, that's great.
That's great.
And now you work directly withbusinesses, kind of like your
career coach worked with yourfirst employer.
You work with the businesses toprovide those services.
Correct, yes, entered.
(13:31):
You know that you got frommentors to adapt to the
professional sphere and what isit that you now like to share
that you think is reallyimportant to share with
first-gen professionals makingthat transition?
That's a big question.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Yes, a piece of advice that I got from my
mentors that helped me was keepnetworking right and, of course,
sometimes that may sound veryeasy to some people, but for me
it was a challenge because, likeI said earlier, my parents
didn't have connections in thesecorporate spaces and also
(14:09):
networking was something that Iwas still learning how to do.
Public speaking was not mystrongest skill all throughout
high school or even in college,but I developed that over time
through leading the employeeresource group at my EdTech
employer, through speaking withclients in my role as a customer
(14:29):
success manager, right.
So it's something that Ideveloped over time and I'm
passing down to mentees.
I'm actually a mentor with anonprofit organization in New
York City called the City Tutorsand I help my mentees learn how
to network in the works, in theworkforce.
We also talk about things like,you know, an elevator pitch,
(14:52):
right.
Again, those might sound easyto some people, but for others,
like myself and other first gen,it's hard right, because we
don't know how to, how to.
We're still learning, so tospeak, on how to put ourselves
out there professionally in theworkforce because we don't have,
you know, our parents, don'thave connections or we don't
have someone else in our familyto share those experiences with.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Yeah, I think that part about connections is so
important.
I mean, I work at Northeasternand our students need to do
experiential learning, sotypically they'll do a co-op,
which they'll do a six-monthexperience in a professional
setting, and I think, especiallyfor first-gen students, that's
such a good time to connect andbegin building relationships and
(15:38):
starting to build their ownnetwork that if you don't do
something like you did aninternship, even if you didn't
build your network within thatwithin Morgan Stanley, because
that's not where you wanted tostay, you still had the
opportunity to network and learnfrom different professionals in
that field.
Do you feel that same way, then?
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Yes, yes, I do, Because while I was interning
there, I actually took it uponmyself to reach out to
colleagues in differentdepartments and I set aside a 15
, 20-minute coffee chat and Ijust asked them questions about
their role how did you get there, et cetera.
I also assisted them withprojects, and this was something
(16:20):
that, of course, I had to askmy manager first, right, because
obviously my responsibilitieswere for her team.
But I said, hey, if we don'thave any additional projects on
our team that I can work on, canI reach out to a colleague in
this department and offer tohelp them?
And I did that, and that alsohelped me learn more about
(16:43):
different departments in thecompany.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Yeah, so it sounded like you asked a lot of
questions and you took advantageof that and having a good
relationship with yoursupervisor to say you know, can
I also look at some of theseother places within the company
to see if I can work with themand learn from them too?
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Yeah.
And you had another question.
It was about what type ofadvice would I give to students.
Yes, to students.
So I would tell students tonetwork, but also take advantage
of the events that yourcolleges may have on campus the
Career Development Center.
(17:23):
If they have panel discussionswhere they talk about the
first-gen experience and whatit's like to navigate the
workforce, attend those sessions, ask as many questions as you
can.
Or if you're more introvertedand you know you haven't yet
developed that skill of speakingup and speaking out, just write
down your questions.
And I would also say to thathey, this company actually wants
(18:19):
to support first gen.
I would also say that employeesshould also consider partnering
with colleges and universitiesto allow first gen students to
shadow at their jobs.
I think having more exposure asearly on as possible for these
(18:42):
first-gen students would helpthem develop more clarity on the
type of careers that theywanted.
Like I said, I was fortunateenough where I had an internship
in college.
I also had an internship inhigh school with the help of my
mentors.
But the more workplace explorerthat first-gen students can get
now, they're better preparedthey will be to navigate the
(19:05):
workforce with first-genEvolve's help and also the help
of employers.
Starting those partnershipswith the universities as soon as
possible.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Yeah, I agree 100%.
And it seems like and you cantell me if this is true it seems
like when you did yourinternship and you asked to
speak to other people, peopleweren't like, oh no, I don't
have time for that.
People were really willing andexcited to talk to you, to share
their own experiences, maybeeven going beyond that 15 minute
time that you had set, you know, to help you.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Exactly, and the thing is a lot of the ones.
Once you get into the workforceand you ask questions, you
raise your hand.
Like you said, these employers,they want to talk to you, right
?
They love when people come upwith questions because they were
once in your shoes and younever know.
Sometimes they are also firstgen too and they want to help
(20:00):
you develop the necessary skillsand knowledge that you need to
succeed in your careers.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
Yeah, yeah, I agree, I mean I'm.
I mean for me, I'm always happyto talk to students about sort
of my own path, if they'reinterested in that, to students
about sort of my own path, ifthey're interested in that.
So I really like that.
I think that's so important toask questions and put yourself
out there.
And so I had one student who wasjust at a panel.
(20:26):
She heard from this one of thepanelists and she was like I
really need to connect with him,but I'm nervous, I have no idea
what to say.
So she came up with what Ithink is a brilliant plan.
She went up to him and she saidI really have to run to a
meeting so I can't talk to youright now.
Do you have a card that I cancontact you later?
(20:46):
And so he gave her his card andthen she could think about what
she wanted to ask.
And then she emailed himquestions and it turned out she
ended up having a co-op withthat company and he did become a
mentor.
But I thought, oh my gosh, thatis so smart, so smart.
Get your card, it's, you cantalk later and you can really
(21:07):
think about what it is you wantto ask and what you want to say.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
I love that so much.
And that story just shows, youknow, for first gen students,
while some of us might be, youknow, afraid to network and to
take that first step and raiseour hands, you know, don't be
afraid, right, the worst theycan say is, no, I can't help you
.
But you never know until youtry.
And it all starts withdeveloping that confidence and
(21:33):
knowing that, hey, I can do thisright, even though my parents
was not able to do this, I can.
And it's all about taking riskssometimes, and you never know
what you can achieve unless youtake that risk and take that
first step.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
Right, and I find that oftentimes people, even
when they say no there are veryfew people who just flat out are
like no, I can't help you,right, but a lot of people say
like no, I can't, but I knowsomeone who can or would be
happy to talk to you, and sojust by putting yourself out
there that little bit, even ifit's just to ask for a card, I
(22:08):
think is really powerful,exactly.
Yeah, I love that.
How do you support thetransition for first gen
students?
You've talked about in yourwork a little bit, but also with
first gen evolve, what kinds ofthings do you do and and how
can we you know, all of us whoare listening to you as
educators kind of help with that?
Speaker 2 (22:30):
So, although first gen evolve we primarily focus on
employers right, becausethey're the ones that are going
to be paying for their first genemployee services.
We are not closed off toworking with universities, as I
mentioned earlier.
If universities have careerpanel discussions and they would
like to tap into my network atFirst Gen Evolve to have
(22:53):
first-gen professionals come inand talk to students about their
transition into the workforce,we can do that.
Or if universities would liketheir students to participate in
our mentorship services, we cando that as well, because the
nice thing about our servicesfor our professional development
workshops, panel discussionsand also mentorship we go beyond
(23:16):
just the interviewing skillsand editing resumes, but we
actually talk about the thingsthat you'll experience in the
workplace.
So we talk about what is it liketo work in a diverse team?
Because, as I mentioned earlier, once you get into the
workforce, you're not justworking with
20-something-year-olds, you'reworking with 30-something-years,
40-something-years, et cetera.
(23:37):
Right, we also talk about howdo I become a leader in my
career.
As I mentioned, I'm leading agroup of 95-plus employees in
the Black Employee ResourceGroup at my EdTech employer.
How do I do that?
Right, because I didn't haveexperience leading a group that
(23:58):
large right.
I didn't know how to, but Ikind of fell into that role with
the help of mentors.
Again, at my ed tech company, wealso talk about imposter
syndrome and also mental health.
Mental health is a topic that alot, a lot of students are
talking about nowadays and wewant to make sure that we
continue having thoseconversations to help them
(24:21):
understand that.
What does that look like in theworkforce?
Right, and we help them thinkabout the type of role that
they're in and how do youdiscover your passion, because
sometimes the first job that youhave out of college may not be
the job that you advance in orthat you stay in for a long time
.
All right, so we talk about howdo you move from one career
(24:45):
role to another.
We also provide resources booksthat are written by other first
gen professionals whounderstand the experiences of
being first-gen and they've nowtaken their knowledge and
transformed that intobest-selling author books, and
we also provide those booksthrough our mentorship programs.
(25:06):
So, long story short, we canwork with universities, but if
we do, universities would haveto pay for our services, for the
students.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
If we do, universities would have to pay
for our services for thestudents.
Okay, okay, I love that.
I love that.
I think that would probably bereally beneficial to smaller
colleges that may not have asrobust of a career center but
would love to have some extrahelp, especially for first gen
students.
That's a really cool idea.
That's a really cool idea.
Why is it just importantoverall for employers to support
(25:38):
first-generation employees?
I mean, we talk about, you know, students being career-ready,
but it's also important, I think, for the employers to be ready
for their first-genprofessionals.
So tell me more about yourthoughts on why that's important
, on why that's important.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
I'll answer it from two different perspectives,
Personally.
First, gens, we have a strongwork ethic right.
We want to learn the fact thatour parents did not have the
same experiences that we havenow.
We have a hunger and excitementto raise our hand at the table,
(26:14):
to ask questions, to ask to be apart of opportunities and
initiatives in the workforce.
From a professional standpoint,employers have started to see
the benefits of DEI in theworkplace right.
So the more opportunities thatemployers can provide for
first-gen employees, they willcontinue to see the value add of
(26:36):
supporting first-gen,supporting that group of
employees that really wants tobe at the forefront of
opportunities.
Because we want to excel, wewant to achieve our goals, we
want to be role models in ourfamilies for our younger
siblings, for our future kids,to say, hey, even though your
(26:57):
grandparents did not achievethese things, your parents did
and they're changing that cyclein the family household.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
Yeah, do you think that adds extra pressure to be
successful for first genstudents in their very first
position out of college?
Speaker 2 (27:15):
In some cases it does .
Speaking from personalexperience in my household, I
make the most right and you knowI support my family financially
and while I do love doing that,it's also helpful to have a
balance between you know, takingcare of yourself and your goals
(27:39):
as a professional, but alsowanting to give back and help
your family as a way of you knowthanks for their support along
that journey would say look atthe end goal at the light of the
tunnel and say, hey, if Iinvest in my career development
as early on in the workforce,even in college too, when you
(28:04):
start to think about thosethings and you receive the
support, it can help you alongthe way and help take some of
that pressure off of you.
That's why our services aredesigned by first-gen
professionals with years ofexperience under their belt who
are willing to pass thatknowledge and skills down to you
to help you navigate throughsome of those pressures.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Yeah, I think that's so important because I see that
in the college students thatdrive to, I'm going to make a
big difference with my family,and sometimes the difficulty in,
oh I need to send them kind ofeverything now, but I also need
to succeed here and how do Ibalance that and having that and
(28:48):
having mental health as part ofyour discussion and your
services, those two things, thatworking through that pressure
and and it's it can be a goodpressure but it can also be a
little too stressful too attimes.
So walking that fine line Ithink is so important and I love
that you're talking about thatjust right up front.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
And that that's what my parents did when they
immigrated to the US.
Even though they did not go tocollege, they went into the
workforce, so they had jobs andthey were focused on when they
had made their money, they werefocused on sending it back home
to their respective islands tohelp families right, to help
their families.
So oftentimes they could notsave or they could not budget
(29:36):
right and they didn't have thefinancial education on how to do
those things.
So, coming into now that I'vecome into this position and I've
started my own company, I wantto have conversations with
first-gen students around thatas well.
We actually have financialliteracy topics where we talk
about how to budget, how to saveand how to manage our money
(29:59):
overall Because, to your point,sometimes, first-gen, we want to
help family, we want to makesure that they're okay
financially, but it's all abouta balance between that and what
that looks like.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Yeah, yeah.
So how do you work with thefirst gen employers to get them
ready?
So maybe, let me put it thisway You're meeting with the
first gen employer for the firsttime, like what's one of the
things that you're going to doright off the bat?
Speaker 2 (30:31):
One of the things that I do right off the bat.
I help them understand whyfirst-gen right, because we can
talk about supporting all oftheir employees, but the real
focus here is the first genright.
So I help them see the valuethat first gen employees bring
to the workforce.
(30:52):
Speaking from my own personalexperiences and I've also been
targeting people in theworkforce that are first gen as
well so employers that identifyas being first gen in my
marketing I reach out to thosepeople because they understand
the experiences of being firstgen and it helps make those
(31:14):
conversations easier when I meetwith them because they're like
hey, I can relate to that and Iwant person evolved to be a part
of my workforce so we cancontinue supporting them
together.
So in my marketing I look forpeople that have first-gen
advocates in their bios andheadlines and I reach out to
them and we strike up aconversation and that's how I
(31:38):
help them see the value offirst-gen employees and what
they bring to the workplace.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
That is such good marketing to really focus on
that group and to find thosepeople who get it Like right off
the bat.
Like I was first gen, Iunderstand that.
Or even I was a first gen ally,I very much understand that.
I really think that's important.
When you look back, you knowit's interesting to tell your
story.
So musical, theater, business,administration, you know in
(32:08):
international affairs andbusiness.
Then you go into, you know youhave an internship in Morgan
Stanley and then communicationand now you know running your
own business.
In addition to the leadershipat the work that you're doing,
what advice would you give toyourself, like as a freshman or
sophomore in college, that thatyou maybe wish you had known?
Speaker 2 (32:30):
now that you see the path you've taken, An advice
that I would have given myselfis to never stop dreaming, never
stop taking risks.
Because, like I said, I wouldhave never thought that I would
be sitting here today with you,because public speaking was not
my strongest skill.
But I would have told myselfcontinue to take as much, take
(32:56):
advantage of as manyopportunities as you can.
Even if you think that youcannot achieve that position,
apply for it and and network.
Keep networking right.
Even if you do apply for aposition at a company, find out
who the talent acquisitionperson is, or someone in HR, and
(33:16):
reach out to them and offer toschedule a meeting.
And if they respond and theywant to meet with you, that's
great.
But to your point earlier,sometimes these professionals
are busy, so sometimes they maynot be able to meet with you.
But these professionals arebusy, so sometimes they may not
be able to meet with you, butthey can point you into the
direction of someone who can.
And the nice thing about FirstGen Evolved is that, through our
(33:36):
mentorship, our mentors canpoint their mentees into the
direction.
If they don't know who to helptheir mentees reach out to, to
strike up a conversation, tonetwork, they can point them
into the direction.
If they don't know who to helptheir mentees reach out to to
strike up a conversation, tonetwork, they can point them
into the direction of someonewho can, and that's more than
anything.
First Gen Evolve is a communityfor First Gen students and also
(33:59):
First Gen employees.
That's the main thing.
If I want you to leave thispodcast here today with Jen, I
want you to know that First GenEvolve creates a strong
community for other first gensto be able to tap into, strike
up conversations and learn moreabout how they can network, how
they can advance in theircareers and what that looks like
.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
Yeah, I love that.
I applaud you for therisk-taking that you did, you
know, by putting yourself outthere, by saying I can help
other people, other first gens,by creating this business that I
have an idea for, because Ithink that does take, you know,
a lot of guts and gumption to dothat.
I'm dating myself with wordslike gumption, right, but I
(34:42):
think it's such a good word.
So what would be your finalwords of advice for folks like
me who are in higher ed to helpstudents prepare to transition
into the workplace?
Speaker 2 (34:54):
My advice to you and other people in higher ed would
be continue to be that supportsystem for first-gen students
right and have a conversationwith them.
Ask them what type of careerroles are you interested in,
right as early as freshman yearand help them create sort of a
(35:15):
map on what that looks like.
And then, once you've had thatconversation, you can also tap
into your networks, right yourprofessional networks and help
them create, strike up thatfirst initial conversation so
they can start to network and Ithink not just you or anyone
(35:35):
else in higher ed, but peoplewho are allies to your point
right students.
Have those conversations withthem.
Tap into your own networks,make those introductions on
their behalf and help them seethat, hey, I'm here to help
support you.
Even though I was not a FrenchM myself, I see your drive, I
(35:59):
see your dedication, you reallywanted to succeed and I want to
help you.
And that can make things alittle bit easier too for
first-gen students or first-genemployees that are not used to
speaking up or they don't feelcomfortable speaking up and
putting themselves out there.
So it helps to have someone intheir corner who's willing to
(36:19):
take those actions on theirbehalf to help them.
Speaker 1 (36:22):
Yeah, yeah, thank you so much.
I agree wholeheartedly withthat.
How can people reach you ifthey have questions, or maybe
they want to get involved orthey just want to know more?
How can they find you?
Speaker 2 (36:36):
You can find me on LinkedIn at Brianna Logan.
You can also follow First GenEvolve on Instagram at First Gen
Evolve, on YouTube First GenEvolve, tiktok, first Gen Evolve
and also on LinkedIn.
Our business page is calledFirst Gen Evolve LLC.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
I will put all of that in the show notes for folks
who want to reach out to you.
I just smiled because you saidLinkedIn first, because I know
that's your go-to.
Smiled because you saidLinkedIn first because I know
that's your go-to.
Definitely.
I mean, I think sometimesstudents overlook LinkedIn as a
great way to make connections,especially as you said.
You know you went to Skidmorealums and I think a lot of
(37:20):
colleges have specific alumnigroups set up on LinkedIn and
there's one thing you have incommon right from the start, so
that's a great way to reach outto those folks and have at least
an in to the beginning of theconversation.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
Yes, and here's the thing about LinkedIn.
What I've discovered is thatsome students just don't know
how to use it.
Like, as I mentioned, I'm amentor with the city tutors, so
a lot of the times I'm helpingmy mentees learn how to use the
platform and I'm helping themfigure out how can they grow
their followers.
So I think that's what might bekeeping students from using it.
(37:57):
But also, if your college has aspecific career center, which
Skidmore did we had a wholewebsite where alumni could
connect with students.
But I use both, but I useLinkedIn a little bit more
because that's where mostprofessionals live.
But also, linkedin is kind ofchanging in terms of the types
of posts that you see nowadays.
(38:17):
But that's OK, right, as longas you know the goal that you
have in mind and how you want touse the platform, you can still
reach out to people.
And you know, by LinkedInchanging, I don't mean it in a
bad way, because change can begood, right, I've just seen a
lot of people reposting theirTikTok videos on LinkedIn et
cetera, which is okay.
(38:37):
It's still a business platformand I would recommend students
look into it and learn moreabout how you can use it to your
advantage and it really helps.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
Yeah, awesome.
Well, I have really enjoyed ourconversation today.
Brianna, thank you so much forjoining me on your birthday.
Hopefully it's a good start toyour day and I so appreciate you
being here, thank you.
Speaker 2 (39:03):
Thank you so much, jen.
I enjoyed our conversation aswell and, yes you.
Thank you so much, Jen.
I enjoyed our conversation aswell and, yes, it was a great
start to my birthday.
Thank you so much and I lookforward to continuing this
conversation with anyone that'sinterested in being a part of
First Gen Evolve, and I lookforward to seeing this recording
out soon.
Speaker 1 (39:22):
Oh, fantastic, fantastic, Thanks.
If you want to get in touchwith me, you can find me at Jen,
that's J-E-N, at firstgenfmcomand at my website is
firstgenfmcom.
I look forward to talking withyou again next week and, as
always, I love to hear a ratingand review and helps other
(39:43):
people find the podcast.
Thanks so much for today andwe'll talk to you next week.
Popular Podcasts
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com