September 5, 2023 • 51 mins
Today’s guest Cherrise Wilks, selected a career path that was influenced by serving others. One of her key words she selected to describe herself was strategist. She is exactly that. She started her career by working in municipalities and was able to provide high measurement impact by working in the public sector, the power of public and private partnerships, and how this can support small business. Now it is 20 years later and she launched her company Affinity Consulting Group along with a new company The Fund Finders that helps entrepreneurs find funding for their business. Tune in to hear Cherrise talk about the value of being strategic and using resources around you to grow your business.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:11):
Hi, my name is IsabellaJohnston, and today's tip of
the week is about unconsciousbias as it relates to affinity.
This is also called similarity bias.
It is the tendency people haveto connect with others who share
similar interests, experiences.
Backgrounds.
When companies hire forculture fit, they're likely
(00:33):
falling prey to affinity bias.
When hiring teams meet someone theylike and they really wanna bring onto
the team, it's more often than notbecause the person shares similar
interests, experiences, and backgrounds.
That's human nature, which is nothelping your team grow and diversify.
(00:54):
While similarities shouldn't automaticallydisqualify a candidate, they should
never be the deciding factor either.
To avoid affinity bias,
actively take note of the similaritiesyou share with the candidate so
that you can differentiate betweenattributes that may cloud your
(01:14):
judgment and the concrete skills,experiences, and the unique qualities
that would contribute to your team asa culture ad rather than a culture fit.
So welcome to the Interim Whisperer.
Our show is all about the future of work.
Hi, my name is Isabella, andtoday's guest is Cherrise Wilkes.
(01:34):
She is the founder and C E O of AffinityConsulting Group, an expert in finding
funding for all types of entities.
She's a speaker and she's multifaceted,so she has a, I met her down
at O M G Labs and I'm so glad.
I really have enjoyed getting theopportunity to work with you and.
Just your expertise.
Absolutely.
Thank you for inviting me.
Oh, my pleasure.
(01:56):
So we always kick off our showwith five words that describe
you and why those five words.
So what would you pick?
I would pick that I amnumber one, a strategist.
Mm-hmm.
Yes.
I know that would be your first word.
Yep.
Forward thinking.
Mm-hmm.
Um, I am kind.
Yes.
I would, uh, I like the word multifaceted.
(02:18):
I'll go ahead and use that.
Mm-hmm.
And, uh, that I'm loyal.
Got it.
So now I always ask my guests, well,why those five words, just so you know.
Um, Let's start with strategist, becauseI know what, I'm pretty sure I know
what you're gonna say, but you tell me.
(02:39):
So strategy is actually,uh, my number one strength.
It is something thatI've always excelled at.
I see when I talk topeople, I'm listening.
I listen very intently, um, topick up on what they're saying,
and then I am able to put.
Things together in my headand basically help them figure
out or solve their problems.
(03:01):
So I've done that not only,uh, throughout my career, but
in my personal life as well.
And so I, I see jigsaw puzzles in myhead and I figure out how to solve them.
Hmm.
I like that metaphor that you just usedabout having jigsaw puzzles in your head.
I, I never thought about it, but Iam wired that way also, and I go, oh.
Sometimes, do you ever encounter thisproblem where people think that, wow, you
(03:23):
sound like you're really negative, but no,it's because you like solving problems.
Yeah, I solve problems and thenI'm also thinking, again, future
focused, forward thinking.
Yeah.
I will think five, 10 steps down thepath while people are stuck on step one.
Yeah.
So I think that's whatmakes me a great strategist.
Mm-hmm.
I would agree with you there.
So you mentioned also forward thinker.
(03:44):
Mm-hmm.
Let's talk about thatone a little bit more.
So I chose forward thinking becauseI have, uh, never been the type
of individual, even as a child,to like stick in anyone's box.
Um, again, because of the way I thinkabout solving problems and solutions
and strategy, I am always lookingtowards the future about what's going
(04:05):
to happen, uh, whether it's positive,negative, any of those things.
I just want to, like, think about.
Visualizing.
Mm-hmm.
What's going to happen?
What's gonna happen at the end?
What if you do A, B, and C?
Mm-hmm.
Maybe you need to add a D.
That's just how I see theworld and move about it.
So I definitely like to think thatI am looking for trends, analyzing
(04:26):
what's happening in my environmentand around me all the time.
I have a lot of datathat comes into my head.
Mm-hmm.
So I, uh, Think that I'm forwardthinking in the sense of, like,
I take in a lot of information.
I've been called a littleencyclopedia at times because
of all the things that I know.
Um, I'm constantly reading, constantlylooking at what's happening, what's gonna
(04:48):
be happening in the future, and lookingat the trends and where we're going.
So that's why I callmyself a forward thinker.
I like that.
Kind.
Mm-hmm.
Um, I am kind everyone, uh, has certainlysaid that I am, uh, they use the word nice
so I don't let people use the word nice.
I say that I'm kind because I am aGemini, so I still have two sides of me.
(05:11):
If you believe it's zodiac signs.
So for the most part, I like tobe even keel, like the laugh,
smile, be kind to people.
But if I am pushed, then I canbecome a little, you know, less kind.
Yeah.
I think, uh, most of us can't, and tobe honest, I think that there's a little
bit of truth into the whole zodiac sign.
Mm-hmm.
(05:32):
I find it to be, you know, it'snot how I live my life, but Right.
Yeah.
I think there's some truth in it.
Multifaceted.
So I call myself multifaceted 'causeI've got a lot of varying interest.
Um, and I am somewhat adventurous.
I like to try things at least once, uh,in terms of what I can physically do.
So I say I'm multifaceted.
(05:53):
I, um, am a entrepreneur, but I am alsostill very much a public administrator.
I am also a, um, adjunct lecturer.
I have a lot of different, uh,types of hobbies and they all don't
necessarily co um, I guess, Linear.
Mm-hmm.
To some people.
And I just do whatever feels good to mybody and my spirit, so I move with that.
(06:16):
Very nice and loyal.
I am loyal once I like you.
I like you for life.
Oh, that is very nice to know.
I'm gonna hope I'm in that category.
So, you know, should something gowrong, I will certainly, um, pull
you to the side and talk about itand we're gonna solve the problem,
you know, or whatever the issue isbefore we leave each other's presence.
(06:39):
So I believe in, uh, loyalty.
Hmm, nice and nice to have thattrait, but I'm always surprised at
how many people don't exhibit that.
Correct.
Yeah.
So it is super, super important.
Alright, so we usuallytalk about a career path.
You know, where did you first start?
(07:00):
You can pick anywhere.
Honestly.
Some people have even shared their journeyfrom when they were six years old or, and
they started singing and one did also whenthey were 12 and they were beginning their
first, you know, company, so to speak.
Mm-hmm.
So wherever you wanna start and howdid you end up to where you are now?
How long do you have?
(07:20):
Um, we'll get to spend a littletime on this, but we have a
lot of questions, so, okay.
Let's see if I can speed this up.
So, um, let's see.
I would say there has always been a, um,undertone with messages and the influences
that I had around as a child that.
(07:42):
Probably were steer me to where I amtoday, but I didn't know it at the time.
So even as a teenager, I was.
Pretty much entrepreneurial.
It didn't realize that part.
Um, I had family members.
My family on my mother's side we'republic administrators, and then we
always had a business on the side,so I was picking up those cues
(08:04):
from, uh, family members around me.
So I became entrepreneur.
I started my own babysitting company.
I was selling like candy and snowcones in my town on the side.
A babysitting company.
Yes.
Hmm.
Okay.
So, but I hear the food, soI'm really interested how
this is all getting connected.
'cause it sounds like the BabysitterClub, the book, I had all of them.
(08:25):
Okay.
And I loved that.
I loved that.
And a little House on the Prairie,the rule, the rule connection,
uh, connected me to that.
Yes, I had all of thebabysitter Club books.
In fact, they're still on mychildhood bookshelf back home.
Mm-hmm.
So, yes, I did start a babysittingcompany and started babysitting
for, uh, neighbors and their kids inthe neighborhood at like 13 or 14.
(08:47):
That was a way for me to earn extra money.
I would save it to the sideand actually use it to spend on
buying additional clothes forschool because I liked fashion.
So, um, that's what I did as a child.
And then of course when I turned16, I ended up working, uh,
at the local grocery stores.
Um, and I grew up near Destin,Florida, so obviously, um, vacationers
(09:12):
and all of that thing is likea big huge, you know, popular
destination for people to go vacation.
So a lot of the hotels actuallyhired like a lot of extra
summer help during the summer.
It was great tip money.
I ended up actually going to go cleanrooms because you get tips for doing that.
Wow.
So I did that in vacation homesand, uh, then I went off to school.
(09:35):
So I completed my undergraduate studiesat Florida State University and, uh, I
changed my major a couple of times becauseI did not know what I wanted to be.
I went into school intending to bea doctor, but more so because those
were the images that I saw on TV withthe Cosby Show and a different world.
So I wanted to be a doctor, andso I started school doing that.
(09:58):
I did not have the discipline tostudy the way that I needed to study.
Mm-hmm.
So I switched my major to nursing.
From there, I got really, reallyexcited because I had to pick a minor.
I chose psychology.
From there, I thought, you know what?
I like this better.
I'll be a therapist.
Mm-hmm.
That's what I'm gonna do.
(10:19):
So that's where that thoselistening skills come in.
So I.
Finished school with a degreein family, child and consumer
Sciences, and I immediately starteda master's program in social work
so that I could become a therapist.
And my whole goal wasto own my own practice.
Mm-hmm.
So I started that process.
I got my first job working for theDepartment of Children and Families.
(10:41):
Uh, I think I did eligibility forlike food stamps or something.
Hated that.
Um, 9 11 occurred.
I decided to get out.
After that I had some epiphanies, and thenI started at the Florida Abuse Hotline.
So while I was at the FloridaAbuse Hotline, I, my boss took a,
a, a interest in me and startedhaving me shadow him as a manager.
(11:03):
I.
And there were a slate of policies thatwere being passed that impacted families
in a negative way and caused childrennot to be reunified with their parents.
So I asked him, I said, I wannaunderstand how these policies are
getting made, and I called the capitol.
Found out that they hadan internship program.
(11:24):
I went back to my boss and I askedhim, can I basically work four
10 hour days and on Fridays I'mgonna go to the capitol and intern.
So I did that and got in for an internshipwith the Florida House of Representatives.
I was interning with a representativefrom down in South Florida.
She was awesome rep, former representativeBooker, and they taught me a lot.
(11:45):
I met other representativesthere and then got offered a job
to move to, um, Jacksonville.
Which started kind of more ofthe public administration career.
So while I was doing this internshipat the Capitol, I said, it's not social
work, it's policy, and this is the cruxof how you actually create social change.
(12:06):
And so I switched my major to get aMaster's in public administration.
I applied for school over in Jacksonville,took the job, and I left Tallahassee.
So while I was going to school andworking for a state representative,
um, I saw another internshipopportunity open up with the city of
Jacksonville, and it was a managementinternship where they had the interns
(12:27):
on a track to become city managers.
Wow.
So the uh, person who createdthat program was Dan Clayman.
He actually used to be the citymanager for the city of Tallahassee
for over two decades, and hewas working in Jacksonville.
Under Mayor John Peyton, who isthe, uh, C E O of Gate Petroleum.
(12:47):
And I wanted to just take on this,uh, entrepreneurship and city manager
role and learn from them becauseyou had a public administrator and
also a businessman running the city.
Mm-hmm.
And so it was great times.
I, they, I love the internship.
They sent me to like Lean SixSigma training, project management
(13:10):
training, just everything.
And they allowed me to work on, um,two large projects where I actually got
to reorganize city government twice.
So, um, I worked with a team of anotherintern and the chief of staff, and
we basically did that for a coupleyears and reorganized city government.
So from there I said, Hey, Idon't know anything about finance.
(13:34):
While we're reorganizingthese departments, we also
had some reduction in force.
All of these things deal with money.
You have to move money around.
So I specifically asked them, putme into the finance department.
They put me into the finance department.
So these are all skills that I needed tolearn in order to become a city manager,
(13:55):
which is what I was being groomed for.
So I went into the financedepartment, I became the assistant
Capital improvement officer.
While I was also a management andbudget analyst, I had the largest
departments that I oversaw their budget.
So public works.
I helped with police andfire economic development.
I learned everything about moneywhen it comes into the city.
(14:18):
How do you attract corporations?
You know, how do you put publicprivate partnerships together?
And then one day the mayor'schief of staff came down to the
office and she said, Hey, I.
Um, we have a person who has, is tryingto create a grants office, but he's
moving into a different position.
The mayor would like for you to create acentralized grants office for the city.
(14:39):
I, um, Laughed at her when shesaid that because I said, why
would you tap me to do that?
I know nothing about grants at the time.
What she did not know was I hadactually started having a series
of dreams, which I only shared withmy I graduate school classmates to
actually start a grant writing company,but I knew nothing about grants.
(15:00):
So these two thingshappen at the same time.
Mm-hmm.
I did not create that company untilthree years later in 2010, which
was the start of Affinity ConsultingGroup, which is my current company.
I did go on to become theGrants administrator for the
City of Jacksonville, whichis a consolidated city county.
So I oversaw and created a officefor grants management and compliance
(15:23):
and oversaw all of the grantsand even bought in $26 million.
While I was there, I had auntapped, uh, skill and writing
grants that I did not know I had.
So that moved me along the pathwith more funding opportunities.
Wow.
That sounds like a reallygood, you're right, strategist.
That is the word that I would use tohonestly describe you because the fact
(15:47):
that you saw the benefit of moving intodifferent departments, I've said that.
Mm-hmm.
To students that are want lookingfor internships, and I've said the
best thing you can do is go work ina company that's going to allow you.
They're gonna pay you and work inevery single department, so you'll
know how to, if you think you wannarun your own business, absolutely.
You need to go and work in everydepartment so you can see what are
(16:09):
the processes, how do they do that?
Mm-hmm.
It's so valuable and you were doing it at.
That time, I don't know how oldyou were, but is irrelevant.
Twenties, yeah, twenties, thirties.
Yeah.
I definitely took ownership of that,and then the mentors that I had around
me at that time also poured into meand they taught me negotiation skills.
(16:30):
They taught me to ask for what Iwanted, which is partially where
the confidence comes from sometimes.
Yeah.
I don't have it all thetime, but it's there.
But just ask for what you want.
The worst anyone can say is no.
I'm writing this down here.
Yeah.
'cause that was a, a really good quote tomake sure that you ask for what you want.
Mm-hmm.
'cause no one's gonna advocatefor you or do it for you, so you
(16:52):
have to be your own advocate.
You sure do.
Yep.
So now let's talk about Affinity.
Yes.
Okay.
So I started Affinity in 2010 while I wasstill working at the city of Jacksonville.
My goal at that time was, Hey, I'm gonnawork with small businesses and nonprofits
on the side, helping them with grants.
(17:14):
Funding, working on passionprojects that I would not have
necessarily had access to work onduring the daytime for my employer.
So I created the company.
Um, and it has morphed over theyears where I've added in more of the
skillsets that I've learned along theway in those of colleagues and, um,
(17:34):
people within my network who I met.
So Affinity Consulting Group is now a13 year old management consulting firm.
We actually serve government clients,um, and also small business clients.
We were serving nonprofits, but rightnow we no longer serve nonprofits.
I, for me, as a C E O, I prefer to lendmy time, talent, and treasures being,
(17:57):
um, in board positions with nonprofitsversus doing consulting with them.
So, um, for the small businesses, weprovide small business advisory services.
So we actually help with incorporation.
We do strategic and business planning.
We also help them get access tocapital, their business certifications
in case they want to actually get intocorporate and government contracting.
(18:21):
So those are the services thatwe provide to small businesses.
And then for the government side, we,uh, provide disaster recovery services.
We help on community developmentprojects, and we do grant
and contract administration.
That's quite a bit.
I've taken, um, Rollins College,and I'm sure you know this Yes.
Has their own grants program.
(18:41):
Yes.
I went through that program there.
I did, uh, take a two yearcertificate of nonprofit management.
Mm-hmm.
And I learned so much from thatand it's definitely benefited me.
Mm-hmm.
Obviously, and I've been a grantwriter for the Nature Conservancy
Center for Independent Living andalso over there at Rollins College.
I, I think that most people think,um, it, it is, It's a special skill.
(19:04):
Mm-hmm.
It's a technical type of writing, butpeople think that there's like mystery
around it and it's, it's just not thatmysterious, it's technical writing.
Mm-hmm.
You just stick to the facts.
What do you think, um, are someof the myths about grant writing?
Have you encountered any, peoplethink you're like a magician
when you can get grants?
(19:25):
Um, well, I do actually tellpeople it is part magic, especially
if you are an expert at it.
Mm-hmm.
So, um, I've been successful todate, acquiring over $84 million.
Um, I've also managed grants, sothat in itself makes me a little bit
more unique compared to some of theother yeah, people on the job market
(19:46):
when it comes to that skillset.
A lot of people are, um,they're very singular.
We either, they write grants.
But they don't necessarily handlethe finances, and they don't
necessarily manage the money.
So for me and how I operate, I like tobe a well-rounded individual and learn
all facets of a life cycle with a mm-hmm.
Solu a problem or a solution.
(20:07):
So when it comes to grants, um,more specifically, I think people
think that it is easy and that.
You can put a grant together becausethey know someone who has also
gotten lucky at winning a grant.
Mm-hmm.
But they do not realize that asyou pursue more types of funding
or larger amounts of money, yeah.
(20:28):
It takes a lot more work.
What that can look like is instead ofa two page grant or a 10 page grant,
trying to bring in millions of dollars.
Yes.
Will basically, you're writing.
A dissertation.
Yes.
Or you are sending in binders that areinches thick, full of documentation
and there's many facets of it.
(20:49):
You have to bring in teams andpartners and have contracts in place,
and also leverage other fundingfrom different types of funders.
Mm-hmm.
So I've been blessed to wearworking for the government as my
first experience getting into that.
I have been able to build public privatepartnerships where there's public
dollars coming from the government,but there's also private dollars.
(21:10):
Yeah.
And those types of projects arecertainly more complicated than maybe
what a nonprofit typically does.
So, um, I think that some people, again,they hear, oh, there's all this money.
We can go get everything.
Right.
That's a myth.
That's absolutely not true.
A myth.
Yeah.
That's the thing that I'm talking about.
Mm-hmm.
There's that myth and theyfeel like, oh yeah, we'll write
(21:30):
it and they'll give us money.
Yes.
But they don't also understand.
You have to submit a reportwith how you spent the money.
Mm-hmm.
And you have to make sure that youhave somebody that's keeping track
of that in a very specific way.
Yes.
They don't understand theother side of the equation.
Correct.
They just think, oh yeah,I'm gonna write a grant.
I'll get money.
(21:50):
I.
Or that what you wrote, if you're notmanaging that money properly, that, that
you not managing that money can impactyour ability to get future dollars.
Exactly.
They don't understand that it's,uh, it's all interconnected.
Mm-hmm.
Which is where strategy comes in.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
You have to keep all of the moving pieces.
You know, rolling at the same time.
(22:12):
Mm-hmm.
And make sure thateverything runs smoothly.
So one of the things that I used to,uh, be very proud of was any funds
that were managed in my office, we didnot have any audit findings on those.
Our programs were managed ata hundred percent compliance.
So I had to learn, youknow, compliance and mm-hmm.
Understand how attorneys, uh, writethings, how right they speak, um,
(22:35):
read case law, all of those things.
Are much greater than justwriting technical writing.
Right, right.
I, and that's whatmakes me great at doing.
I agree.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, I would agree with you 100%.
That's been my experience also.
Mm-hmm.
So when we talk about the otherbusiness that you've started,
let's talk about that one.
(22:55):
Yes.
So with Affinity Consulting Group, we arenow moving into a phase where I am at a
place where I want to give back to thecommunity and teach them how they can.
Successfully create public-privatepartnerships and get funding
from multiple sources.
So we have created a brand underAffinity called the Fund Finders Academy.
(23:16):
So the Fund Finders Academy is goingto be our online educational academy
where we will provide a library anda library of resources of classes
that specifically talk about.
Funding, what is it?
How do you get it?
And walk you through the step-by-step,um, uh, mechanisms that you need
in order to secure different typesof funding for your business.
(23:39):
For nonprofits.
And then also at some point we will addin, uh, classes related to government.
So we are launching that at the end ofthis month and we are starting out with a
class, the top five ways to find businessfunding and resources behind that.
I have other classes, the Top 10 Businessgrant questions and how to answer them.
Um, I've been successful winningbusiness grants for Affinity Consulting.
(24:01):
So I want to, and I've actuallymentored and trained other people
out of some business masterminds,how to follow the steps to be able
to get money, tell their story, andget money for their, um, companies.
So we wanna be able to teach those things.
I.
I do intend to bring inother subject matter experts.
Those experts may be experts incrowdfunding or they may be experts in,
(24:25):
uh, business insurance and how you can usebusiness insurance to fund your business.
So I'm bringing in peoplethat I know are practitioners.
They are not, uh, brand new.
I call them influencers who justdecided to say that they do these
things right during the pandemic,but they've actually had a career.
Actually excelling at these typesof, uh, funding mechanisms and
(24:50):
actually helping people achievewinning those opportunities.
So, um, I'm just curious.
Yeah.
I wanna sign up for this.
So, how, how do people find this place?
The Fund Finders Academy?
So I normally save that for the end,but I wanna, you know, tie it in here.
Okay.
So the Fund Finders Academy, the websiteand everything will be live next week.
It's www dot.
(25:10):
The fund finders.com.
That will be your gatewayinto our online academy.
The academy is hosted on anotherwebsite, but that will be your entry to
go ahead and sign up for a subscriptionservice To get access to the academy.
In the Academy, we're gonna have theclasses, we're gonna have templates,
we're gonna have resources, we'regonna have live q and as, once or
(25:30):
twice a month with these expertswhere you can have that one-on-one in.
Exchange with them and ask them directquestions about your particular situation.
So, um, we are partneringwith, uh, government entities,
nonprofits, um, communitydevelopment, financial institutions.
Those are our best partners, and they havethose built in audiences of businesses
(25:53):
and individuals who need these services.
I like that.
Now I'm just gonna make sure ourlisteners know so that we actually, uh,
when this show airs, she will alreadyhave that website up, just so you know.
So, um, even though she said nextweek, don't wait, look right away.
Yes.
You'll find that website.
Absolutely.
It will be up by the time this airs.
(26:14):
Yeah, that's definitely true.
So, let's ask some fun questions,some a different direction.
What is a favorite quote that you live by?
One of my favorite quotes is actuallya Bible verse, uh, Jeremiah 29 11.
Um, it says, for I know theplans that I have for you.
Plans of peace, not of evil, um,so that you have, uh, hope, uh,
(26:37):
can't remember the rest of it.
So that, uh, and not of evil togive you a future and hope, hope.
Thank you for that.
Yes.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So that is one of my favorite, uh,quotes that I live by or bible verses.
Um, it just reminds me of, Hey, I maynot know all of the answers today.
Yeah.
But I've got a future.
There's going to be things that,opportunities abound that come along
(27:00):
my path, and as long as I stay focusedand wanna serve and help others, then
those opportunities will be fruitful.
And I'll add one more thing becauseeven though it's a Bible verse,
it says, for I know the thoughts.
And so that helps.
I think anybody that is a believerto be able to go and say, okay, I
know somebody else is in charge ofthis, that's God, and I'm gonna just
(27:24):
do what I am supposed to do and he'sgonna do what he is supposed to do.
Absolutely.
I talk a lot about obedience.
Yeah.
And how that has factored intomy life when I am obedient and.
The plans and the dreams that aredownloaded in me when I actually do
them and move, yeah, walk towards them.
Everything opens up in a positivemanner, but if I am fearful or
(27:46):
being resistant, things go wrong.
Mm-hmm.
I do know that one too.
I know both sides of us, becausewe have to get burned a little bit.
Yes.
To sit here and go, oh yeah,let me do it this way instead.
Right.
We, we either need to stick to theplan or just surrender completely.
Yeah.
What is the hardest lesson you learnedthat changed your life for the better?
(28:07):
Um, I would say the hardest lessons I havelearned have come from, um, my ability to
meet people, um, bring them into my life.
Um, but I don't al I haven't always in thepast trusted my intuition if things with,
uh, those relationships didn't work out.
(28:28):
So, um, I would say thatis the hardest lesson is.
Not believing in myself and my intuitionand trusting my gut from the jump.
So I am now past that.
I am delivered, I believe, you know,and feel everything, um, and stick
to my intuition and I go with thatand I don't waiver from it anymore.
Mm-hmm.
(28:50):
I agree.
Um, what are you most grateful for?
Um, I am honestly most grateful justto wake up and enjoy life every day.
Um, there have been periods throughoutmy career where mental health, um,
running a business, you know, caringfor employees, things of that nature.
I haven't always been a solo practitioner.
(29:10):
I've had staff, um, the pressure ofthose families and running a business and
bringing in enough money to feed everyone.
All of those thingscan take a toll on you.
So, um, I have had periods, darkperiods where my mental health was
not the best, and so I've, you know,not, I've had thoughts of, you know,
(29:32):
perhaps not being on this earth.
And so I had to move past that andmake sure that I got myself back into
better spirits and started practicinggratitude and living also in the
present versus just the future, butdefinitely living in the present.
And being grateful for what I have now.
Yeah.
(29:52):
I think that, you know, I, I don'tknow the statistics, but I know
it's very high for entrepreneursbecause it's, it's very stressful.
Mm-hmm.
We choose to do this.
Yes.
You know, we, we choose, and I always.
I don't know what it's like for beingin a war, but I, I think it's pretty
stressful, obviously, because somebody cantake your life, but it, it seems that it's
(30:15):
pretty high up there is what I rememberthe statistic being because it is, we,
we choose to carry all of this stress,whether it's just on ourselves or the
responsibility of having people with us.
Absolutely.
And honestly, I think most of theentrepreneurs that I know who are, I'll
say successful, and they haven't given up.
(30:36):
They were already high achievers.
I think it is a part of beinga high achiever as well.
Yeah, there's anxiety, there'sdepression, there's all of the different
feelings that you can have, andthis is not for the faint at heart,
and it is a rollercoaster at times.
You're gonna have ups and you'regonna have downs, and so you're.
Keeping a positive, um, mindsetand, um, focusing on your physical,
(31:01):
spiritual, and mental health ishighly important as an entrepreneur.
Hmm.
Preach.
I'm just saying.
Just preach.
Yep.
Take care of, um, mental, emotional,and all of those other things.
And physical.
Yes.
Get lots of sleep.
Yes, that too.
Yeah.
Have a routine.
Yes.
A good routine.
Mm-hmm.
So who in your life hashad the biggest impact?
(31:24):
For me, my, um, maternal grandparentshave had the biggest impact on my life.
Um, my, uh, maternalgrandfather is no longer here.
He passed away, uh, in 2017, Marchof 2017, but my grandmother is
still here and thriving at 82.
But they were the biggestimpact for me because they.
Set a legacy and a mindset formy mother's side of the family.
(31:49):
Um, again, they were publicadministrators, so they have
a great, they have a greatspirit and always served people.
And so I grew up knowing that I wassupposed to serve others first, um, for
better or worse, but definitely having aservant spirit, um, and being a solution
and providing people with resources.
I saw them do that in their communities.
(32:11):
How they operated within the family.
So I think that they set a greatprecedence for the rest of us and, um,
their, uh, principles and the things thatthey taught us, I hold those dear today.
Hmm, that is lovely.
I'm curious, was your, um,grandparent, I guess it would've been
(32:31):
your grandfather, uh, was he alsosomebody that served in the church?
I think public administration,they kind of go hand in hand.
No.
Um, he actually, I think probablymore so went to church because of my
grandmother, but he actually was aconstruction, um, worker, he at, on a
military base and he owned, uh, property.
So he was a real estate investor,so he had a business, uh, doing
(32:55):
the real estate investing.
And he also got his certificationsto become a licensed plumber
and, uh, electrician.
So he believed in various skills andusing those skills to create businesses.
And then he bought theproperties with that funding.
My mother, or sorry grandmother, I callher mom, she worked in a doctor's office.
So I was around the doctor andtheir nurses, um, many of times,
(33:20):
and they became the family doctor.
Um, and even the nurse practitionerwho now runs the clinic, she's
still the family doctor ornurse practitioner as well.
So it was very, you know, familyoriented and just seeing them at work.
They were always serving otherpeople and even in their businesses,
they had service-based businesses.
So it was about service.
(33:40):
Yeah.
I like the fact that yourgrandfather, he was pretty smart.
Mm-hmm.
He'd go build a house.
And then he probably figured, okay, wellI'll be the plumber and the person that
they contact because I built the house.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
It was pretty smart to be ableto tie those things together.
Yes.
What would we had strategy.
Oh gosh.
Yeah.
And that's definitely where you got it.
(34:00):
Yes.
Yeah.
Well, from both sides I'm sure.
Yes.
Uh, what would you like to beremembered for in your life?
Um, I think what I want to be rememberedfor is, again, um, I definitely, of
course, in terms of family want, youknow, there to be positive thoughts
about my impact on the family legacy,but it is certainly leaving legacies.
(34:21):
I do have a desire toleave a community legacy.
Any city that I've ever lived inor um, communities that I work
with, I try to strategically pickprojects where it's going to not
just impact one person, but many.
And so my goal is, youknow, to make sure that.
(34:41):
I'm impacting as many people as possible,making sure that I'm getting resources
for programs, for capital projects, etcetera, that will be there long after,
you know, I am no longer on this earth.
So there are parks, there areprograms that are still running.
Um, There is economic developmenthappening in places where I help
(35:02):
set those things up and bring inmoney, um, to make that happen.
So that is what I would say I want mylegacy to be is just that, you know,
SRIs served as many people as she couldand served as many communities and
help them grow and prosper and, uh,develop communities for all families.
(35:22):
Gotcha.
Well, we're gonna take a realbrief break for acknowledging
Transcend Network as our sponsor.
Transcend Network helps early stagestartup founders find product market
fit through weekly experiments, receivefundraising support and build a global
founder investor network for EdTechand the future of Work Technologies.
(35:45):
The Intern Whisperer is affiliatedwith Employers for Change and
we thank Transcend Network forbeing a sponsor of our show.
We're back in the second half of our showwhere we talk about the future of work.
And so Cherise, what do you think 2030is gonna look like as it relates to work?
You can pick any category youwant, industries, jobs, whatever.
(36:07):
Um, I think 2030 is going tolook like people are still
mostly in a hybrid environment.
Um, I hope that we actually havemore electric and autonomous vehicles
driving us around and even, um,Air, autonomous vehicles in the air.
(36:27):
That would be cool.
Right?
Jetsons?
It'll be, yes.
Definitely looking forwardto the Jetsons Air.
Yeah.
Um, I think that, We will be lookingfor opportunities for us to work smarter
and not as hard and perhaps, uh, withless people should there be population
declines, things of that nature.
(36:49):
So I do foresee the need foradditional automation, um,
robots, things of that nature.
And I think that it's gonna beimperative for people to understand
how to work with them or.
In this arena versus being fearful of it.
Yeah.
We're not gonna be able to hideour head in the sand or ignore
them because they're already here.
(37:10):
Absolutely.
Then in Osceola County there's robots.
Yes.
Have you been there to that restaurant?
I'm going next week.
Okay.
Well, I look forward to hearingwhat you have to say about it.
Um, and for our listeners,we're in Orlando, Florida.
If you're new, but pretty sure youmight, you might know this, so.
We also discuss robots, ai,augmented reality, virtual reality.
(37:31):
Pick any of those categories andjust share what your thoughts
are about it, because there's alot of fear about these things.
AI has brought us chat, G P T.
And does that mean peopleare gonna lose jobs?
Um, we always have heardpeople will get new jobs.
There's gonna be different ways.
What are your thoughts?
Because it's.
It does impact government.
Mm-hmm.
It impacts every industry.
(37:52):
Absolutely.
So lately I have, uh, focused a lotmore on machine learning and ai.
I have been teaching about it.
Um, I teach at Tulane University,so I have a technology and
civic leadership class.
So in this class, in thepublic administration program.
So we've got the public administrators inthere who may become future legislators.
(38:12):
And policy makers.
So we are talking about the fact thatthe government is behind, um, technology
right now and they have not kept up and,um, thought about the impacts to the
various groups who may actually alreadybe disenfranchised from the process.
Mm-hmm.
So there, um, is certainly a need tocreate more legislation around this.
(38:35):
To create safeguards for vulnerablepopulations and communities.
I personally have adopted utilizationof the machine learning that exists,
that everyone is also coining as ai.
Um, I can't wait till we getto the point of true artificial
intelligence for the masses.
I know it already exists, but, um, havinga a system be able to, Think, um, as you
(39:01):
do is very intriguing, to say the least.
Um, but in the meantime with whatwe have with machine learning,
I'm actively using it myself.
I've used chat, G P T I useit just about every other day.
Um, I use it to enhance the things thatI am doing and to save time and also
money in my business and for my clients.
(39:24):
So I.
Actively use it.
Love it.
I think it's a great tool.
I think that the companies whoare incorporating, uh, open AI
into their apps, into their techenabled software, I think that
they will be forward thinking by.
Moving in that direction.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
(39:45):
I agree.
Yeah.
Have you used chat G P T?
Yeah, I use it a lot.
Yeah.
Have you, you know, one of myfriends, I'm not gonna say where,
um, used chat G P T to write a grant.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, a proposal, a response to thegrant, and their grant got funded.
Mm-hmm.
So I'm going, wow.
(40:05):
That's an example of how it worked for.
And a federal grant.
Mm-hmm.
To be clear.
So those are hard, those are thehardest ones that you ever write.
Um, hey, can you tell the differencebetween the chat and the human one?
I mean, a poorly written one?
Yes.
You get that one?
Yes.
Yeah.
Um, I can spot differences becauseI, um, again, being a writer, you
(40:27):
know what feels authentic, right?
However, chat g p t can be trained.
To write the way that atechnical writer does.
So I think it's as you can't tellif you've got a great writer who is.
Prompting it to write as that writer does.
Mm-hmm.
So it'll become a little less detectable,but most people, unfortunately,
(40:50):
are just putting things in chat,G P T, and they copy it verbatim.
They don't think about rephrasing it, theydon't think about citations and sources.
Right.
Um, these are all technical skillsthat you learn, or I've learned,
at least through academic writing.
Right.
So I know too.
Take what chat?
G P T.
If I put something in there, whichis my preference, I like to seed
(41:10):
it first and to train it withsomething that I've already written
and ask it to enhance what I wrote.
Mm-hmm.
And then if I take something fromscratch, I ask it a question.
I always take that.
I rephrase it and then I alsoput it into a secondary AI system
and have it rephrase it again.
Nice.
That's really good.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
(41:31):
And have you seen that it's been success?
Has it saved you time?
I think that's the, itdefinitely has saved me time.
I have recently used it for emails.
I.
I have used it for proposals.
I have used it to actually writeout a script for a commercial
that I made for one of my clients.
I have used it, um, for research purposes.
(41:52):
I've used it to create FAQs.
Mm-hmm.
Um, frequently asked questions.
I have used it for social mediapost, uh, what else have I done?
Sounds like a lot more than most people.
Yes.
Yeah, definitely.
Yes.
I am gonna be using it, uh,with the Fund Finders Academy.
We are going to have a 10 week cohortfor business plans, and I have figured
(42:15):
out how to use it to actually helpwrite sections of a business plan.
Oh, very good.
Very, very good.
All right.
Um, well, I'm curious on the robot side.
Yes.
I wanna go back to that one.
Um, have you seen thoseBoston, uh, technology robots
that will do the dancing?
They they dance?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Um, have you seen any of those in Orlando?
(42:35):
Orlando?
Because I'm looking for asighting of anything like that.
They, you know, just so our listenersknow, They have, um, four little legs.
They kind of walk around like a dogand they'll dance in the, uh, video.
You can find it on YouTube or Facebook.
I'm pretty sure you canfind it on Facebook too.
Uh, it's very entertaining andit has some fun music in there.
Um, but.
(42:56):
I saw those types of robots inBlack Mirror, but I haven't seen
them in real life here in Florida.
Have you?
So I have not seen those types of robots.
Uh, I am going on a tour over in OsceolaCounty next week where I, uh, will, that's
where they're probably have exposureto, uh, some of the automation and tech
that exist out there in New York City.
(43:17):
However, the closest thing that I'veseen with robots, not four-legged,
um, well, let me not say that.
I am aware of those robots when itcomes to law enforcement agencies.
Oh, okay.
So I know that they exist andthat they can be very helpful.
I have seen.
Video demonstrations from othercommunities, especially out west that
(43:39):
already deploy those to help assist policeofficers, whether it's with bombs or
other types of, um, criminal activities.
They have been helpful in law enforcement.
Um, the closest thing I've seen toa robot here in Orlando community
has been out in Lake Nona.
They actually use robotic instrumentsto mow lawns and do right.
(44:01):
Gardening, uh, lawn care out in Lake Nona.
Mm-hmm.
I also heard there's, uh, littletrolleys that go around with Yes.
Those are autonomous.
Yeah.
With no drivers.
Correct.
Just our listeners know.
So the, um, so they're here in Orlando,Florida and people will say, oh gosh,
that just sounds so, so unbelievable.
Yeah.
They're everywhere.
You just may not noticethat they're there.
(44:23):
Yes.
I have driven past.
Drive, um, fast food restaurants,drive-throughs that have no humans.
They are all 100% automated, but Ichoose not to frequent those restaurants.
Okay, we'll talk about that offline.
Okay.
Alright.
Um, what ethical dilemmas do youforesee with this type of technology?
(44:45):
Because I think that everybodyis focused on, well, this
is what it's supposed to be.
And then there's those that are fearfulabout it and think that it's obviously,
yes, it's gonna take jobs, but there'ssupposed to be a replacement of jobs.
My concern is always, well,Just because we can do something
that way doesn't mean we should.
Absolutely.
So what are your thoughts?
So I think that there are a lot of ethicaldilemmas that have already presented
(45:08):
themselves with machine learning and ai.
Mm-hmm.
And this technology, they, I, again,because I scour for this to help teach.
I am already aware of the deepfakeaccounts where people have utilized
artificial intelligence to mimic, uh,people's voices, right, their likeness.
By having AI headshots and usingthem as an avatar, um, people have.
(45:33):
Already done kind of nefariousthings with this technology to trick
people out of handing over money forransoms, uh, pretending that they
have kidnapped their children, right?
And sending them phone calls andletting them know, Hey, we have your
child and you need to send us money.
And they will have thechild's voice on the phone.
And it's simply because theyrecorded it from online or some
(45:56):
other, I don't know how they gotit, but they have their voice.
So I think.
The government has to create legislation,number one to a help protect children.
Yep.
Um, but also to create task force,um, law enforcement policies and
procedures so that people have amechanism if a crime has been committed
(46:19):
in their likeness and it was notthem, if they can prove it Right.
You know?
They should be able to reclaim theirname or have a civil suit against
whoever did this, if they can find them.
So there's that part.
The other piece of thisthat concerns me is I.
You know, tech firms createthese things in a bubble, right?
(46:41):
And there is a lack of diversityand equity around the table, and
everyone's voices are not heard.
The, uh, developers, the engineers,they get into rooms and they just
go and they create, and they.
Put it out to market, but they maynot necessarily reiterate the program
or do continuous improvement wherethey are incorporating feedback from
(47:03):
different viewpoints or different voices.
And I think that that's important that weneed different voices around the table.
How is this gonna impact vulnerablepopulations, elderly, disabled,
minorities, women, children?
Have them at the table as you're creatingthis software, these robots, these things,
and find out what's going to be the impactto them, both positive and negatively.
(47:27):
Yeah, I think that was really wellsaid because a lot of the, um,
There's not always a lot of discussionaround people that are vulnerable.
Mm-hmm.
And that can be seniors, that canbe people with disabilities, that
can be, uh, homeless, that are likeoff the grid or internationals.
There's so many people thatcan be impacted by this and.
(47:49):
I think that sometimes peoplego, oh, they're invisible.
Nobody's gonna noticethat they're missing.
Somebody will, there will be a patternthat gets established and it's gonna
be important to pay attention to that.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Um, so what is the best mentoringadvice that you would wanna
share with our listeners?
So the best mentoring advice, um,that I would like to share with the
(48:13):
listeners is number one, uh, makesure you are always advocating for
yourself and negotiate everything, um,and ask for what you want on the firm.
Mm-hmm.
The worst that people can say is no.
And no does not necessarilymean no forever.
It can mean not right now.
(48:33):
So I think we need to be able to useour voices and speak up for ourselves
and others and certainly, uh, ask.
Yeah, I agree.
Yeah.
And if you don't ask,you can never receive.
We know that's, uh,certainly from the Bible too.
Um.
I pulled some of the Bible verses in.
(48:54):
I know my show's not onethat's, uh, necessarily under
the religious spec spectrum.
Yes.
But, um, being a person of faith mm-hmm.
It's important that we acknowledge that.
So I appreciate that you're even puttingthat out there and admire it greatly.
Thank you.
So, yeah.
Um, okay.
So how can our listeners contact you?
Listeners can contact me on social media.
(49:18):
You can reach me.
The best way is on LinkedIn.
That's where I am hanging out these days.
You can find me with myname, Cherise Wilkes.
Also, of course, I have socialmedia handles for my business.
The best one is the Fun Finders.
We're on Instagram, YouTube,and Twitter with that one.
Mm-hmm.
For Affinity Consulting Group, themanagement consulting side, we have uh, a
(49:39):
page on LinkedIn and also Facebook, whichthe handle for Facebook is a C G F L C O.
Got it.
Um, okay, well we justflew through that show.
I don't know if you noticed it, butvery articulate, really admire the
fact that you came in and you were.
Oozing confidence.
I love that.
(50:00):
Um, because sometimes people come onand they're not always, they're a little
afraid of being on camera and beingon a podcast, but it's just like, no.
You know, they begin to relax andthey realize, oh, it's not that scary.
Yes.
Yeah.
So you're coming in just a conversation.
Yeah, it's just a conversation.
Anyway, thank you so much for beinghere and I look forward to another
(50:21):
conversation with you offline.
Thank you for having me.
Thank you to our sponsor, CAT 5Studios and our video production
and editing team, Dave LaPorte,Tommy Meyers and Andrew Piggott.
Music is by Sophie Lloyd.
Visit Employers 4 Change at www.e4c.techto learn how you can create real diversity
(50:46):
and inclusive culture while skillingyour people for the future of work.
We also want to thank you for supportingthe Intern Whisper by subscribing
to us on Pod Beam, our employersfor Change YouTube channel, or your
favorite podcast streaming channel.
And please be sure to leave usa comment and share the show.
Hi, my name is IsabellaJohnston, and today's tip of
the week is about unconsciousbias as it relates to affinity.
This is also called similarity bias.
It is the tendency people haveto connect with others who share
similar interests, experiences.
Backgrounds.
When companies hire forculture fit, they're likely
(00:33):
falling prey to affinity bias.
When hiring teams meet someone theylike and they really wanna bring onto
the team, it's more often than notbecause the person shares similar
interests, experiences, and backgrounds.
That's human nature, which is nothelping your team grow and diversify.
(00:54):
While similarities shouldn't automaticallydisqualify a candidate, they should
never be the deciding factor either.
To avoid affinity bias,
actively take note of the similaritiesyou share with the candidate so
that you can differentiate betweenattributes that may cloud your
(01:14):
judgment and the concrete skills,experiences, and the unique qualities
that would contribute to your team asa culture ad rather than a culture fit.
So welcome to the Interim Whisperer.
Our show is all about the future of work.
Hi, my name is Isabella, andtoday's guest is Cherrise Wilkes.
(01:34):
She is the founder and C E O of AffinityConsulting Group, an expert in finding
funding for all types of entities.
She's a speaker and she's multifaceted,so she has a, I met her down
at O M G Labs and I'm so glad.
I really have enjoyed getting theopportunity to work with you and.
Just your expertise.
Absolutely.
Thank you for inviting me.
Oh, my pleasure.
(01:56):
So we always kick off our showwith five words that describe
you and why those five words.
So what would you pick?
I would pick that I amnumber one, a strategist.
Mm-hmm.
Yes.
I know that would be your first word.
Yep.
Forward thinking.
Mm-hmm.
Um, I am kind.
Yes.
I would, uh, I like the word multifaceted.
(02:18):
I'll go ahead and use that.
Mm-hmm.
And, uh, that I'm loyal.
Got it.
So now I always ask my guests, well,why those five words, just so you know.
Um, Let's start with strategist, becauseI know what, I'm pretty sure I know
what you're gonna say, but you tell me.
(02:39):
So strategy is actually,uh, my number one strength.
It is something thatI've always excelled at.
I see when I talk topeople, I'm listening.
I listen very intently, um, topick up on what they're saying,
and then I am able to put.
Things together in my headand basically help them figure
out or solve their problems.
(03:01):
So I've done that not only,uh, throughout my career, but
in my personal life as well.
And so I, I see jigsaw puzzles in myhead and I figure out how to solve them.
Hmm.
I like that metaphor that you just usedabout having jigsaw puzzles in your head.
I, I never thought about it, but Iam wired that way also, and I go, oh.
Sometimes, do you ever encounter thisproblem where people think that, wow, you
(03:23):
sound like you're really negative, but no,it's because you like solving problems.
Yeah, I solve problems and thenI'm also thinking, again, future
focused, forward thinking.
Yeah.
I will think five, 10 steps down thepath while people are stuck on step one.
Yeah.
So I think that's whatmakes me a great strategist.
Mm-hmm.
I would agree with you there.
So you mentioned also forward thinker.
(03:44):
Mm-hmm.
Let's talk about thatone a little bit more.
So I chose forward thinking becauseI have, uh, never been the type
of individual, even as a child,to like stick in anyone's box.
Um, again, because of the way I thinkabout solving problems and solutions
and strategy, I am always lookingtowards the future about what's going
(04:05):
to happen, uh, whether it's positive,negative, any of those things.
I just want to, like, think about.
Visualizing.
Mm-hmm.
What's going to happen?
What's gonna happen at the end?
What if you do A, B, and C?
Mm-hmm.
Maybe you need to add a D.
That's just how I see theworld and move about it.
So I definitely like to think thatI am looking for trends, analyzing
(04:26):
what's happening in my environmentand around me all the time.
I have a lot of datathat comes into my head.
Mm-hmm.
So I, uh, Think that I'm forwardthinking in the sense of, like,
I take in a lot of information.
I've been called a littleencyclopedia at times because
of all the things that I know.
Um, I'm constantly reading, constantlylooking at what's happening, what's gonna
(04:48):
be happening in the future, and lookingat the trends and where we're going.
So that's why I callmyself a forward thinker.
I like that.
Kind.
Mm-hmm.
Um, I am kind everyone, uh, has certainlysaid that I am, uh, they use the word nice
so I don't let people use the word nice.
I say that I'm kind because I am aGemini, so I still have two sides of me.
(05:11):
If you believe it's zodiac signs.
So for the most part, I like tobe even keel, like the laugh,
smile, be kind to people.
But if I am pushed, then I canbecome a little, you know, less kind.
Yeah.
I think, uh, most of us can't, and tobe honest, I think that there's a little
bit of truth into the whole zodiac sign.
Mm-hmm.
(05:32):
I find it to be, you know, it'snot how I live my life, but Right.
Yeah.
I think there's some truth in it.
Multifaceted.
So I call myself multifaceted 'causeI've got a lot of varying interest.
Um, and I am somewhat adventurous.
I like to try things at least once, uh,in terms of what I can physically do.
So I say I'm multifaceted.
(05:53):
I, um, am a entrepreneur, but I am alsostill very much a public administrator.
I am also a, um, adjunct lecturer.
I have a lot of different, uh,types of hobbies and they all don't
necessarily co um, I guess, Linear.
Mm-hmm.
To some people.
And I just do whatever feels good to mybody and my spirit, so I move with that.
(06:16):
Very nice and loyal.
I am loyal once I like you.
I like you for life.
Oh, that is very nice to know.
I'm gonna hope I'm in that category.
So, you know, should something gowrong, I will certainly, um, pull
you to the side and talk about itand we're gonna solve the problem,
you know, or whatever the issue isbefore we leave each other's presence.
(06:39):
So I believe in, uh, loyalty.
Hmm, nice and nice to have thattrait, but I'm always surprised at
how many people don't exhibit that.
Correct.
Yeah.
So it is super, super important.
Alright, so we usuallytalk about a career path.
You know, where did you first start?
(07:00):
You can pick anywhere.
Honestly.
Some people have even shared their journeyfrom when they were six years old or, and
they started singing and one did also whenthey were 12 and they were beginning their
first, you know, company, so to speak.
Mm-hmm.
So wherever you wanna start and howdid you end up to where you are now?
How long do you have?
(07:20):
Um, we'll get to spend a littletime on this, but we have a
lot of questions, so, okay.
Let's see if I can speed this up.
So, um, let's see.
I would say there has always been a, um,undertone with messages and the influences
that I had around as a child that.
(07:42):
Probably were steer me to where I amtoday, but I didn't know it at the time.
So even as a teenager, I was.
Pretty much entrepreneurial.
It didn't realize that part.
Um, I had family members.
My family on my mother's side we'republic administrators, and then we
always had a business on the side,so I was picking up those cues
(08:04):
from, uh, family members around me.
So I became entrepreneur.
I started my own babysitting company.
I was selling like candy and snowcones in my town on the side.
A babysitting company.
Yes.
Hmm.
Okay.
So, but I hear the food, soI'm really interested how
this is all getting connected.
'cause it sounds like the BabysitterClub, the book, I had all of them.
(08:25):
Okay.
And I loved that.
I loved that.
And a little House on the Prairie,the rule, the rule connection,
uh, connected me to that.
Yes, I had all of thebabysitter Club books.
In fact, they're still on mychildhood bookshelf back home.
Mm-hmm.
So, yes, I did start a babysittingcompany and started babysitting
for, uh, neighbors and their kids inthe neighborhood at like 13 or 14.
(08:47):
That was a way for me to earn extra money.
I would save it to the sideand actually use it to spend on
buying additional clothes forschool because I liked fashion.
So, um, that's what I did as a child.
And then of course when I turned16, I ended up working, uh,
at the local grocery stores.
Um, and I grew up near Destin,Florida, so obviously, um, vacationers
(09:12):
and all of that thing is likea big huge, you know, popular
destination for people to go vacation.
So a lot of the hotels actuallyhired like a lot of extra
summer help during the summer.
It was great tip money.
I ended up actually going to go cleanrooms because you get tips for doing that.
Wow.
So I did that in vacation homesand, uh, then I went off to school.
(09:35):
So I completed my undergraduate studiesat Florida State University and, uh, I
changed my major a couple of times becauseI did not know what I wanted to be.
I went into school intending to bea doctor, but more so because those
were the images that I saw on TV withthe Cosby Show and a different world.
So I wanted to be a doctor, andso I started school doing that.
(09:58):
I did not have the discipline tostudy the way that I needed to study.
Mm-hmm.
So I switched my major to nursing.
From there, I got really, reallyexcited because I had to pick a minor.
I chose psychology.
From there, I thought, you know what?
I like this better.
I'll be a therapist.
Mm-hmm.
That's what I'm gonna do.
(10:19):
So that's where that thoselistening skills come in.
So I.
Finished school with a degreein family, child and consumer
Sciences, and I immediately starteda master's program in social work
so that I could become a therapist.
And my whole goal wasto own my own practice.
Mm-hmm.
So I started that process.
I got my first job working for theDepartment of Children and Families.
(10:41):
Uh, I think I did eligibility forlike food stamps or something.
Hated that.
Um, 9 11 occurred.
I decided to get out.
After that I had some epiphanies, and thenI started at the Florida Abuse Hotline.
So while I was at the FloridaAbuse Hotline, I, my boss took a,
a, a interest in me and startedhaving me shadow him as a manager.
(11:03):
I.
And there were a slate of policies thatwere being passed that impacted families
in a negative way and caused childrennot to be reunified with their parents.
So I asked him, I said, I wannaunderstand how these policies are
getting made, and I called the capitol.
Found out that they hadan internship program.
(11:24):
I went back to my boss and I askedhim, can I basically work four
10 hour days and on Fridays I'mgonna go to the capitol and intern.
So I did that and got in for an internshipwith the Florida House of Representatives.
I was interning with a representativefrom down in South Florida.
She was awesome rep, former representativeBooker, and they taught me a lot.
(11:45):
I met other representativesthere and then got offered a job
to move to, um, Jacksonville.
Which started kind of more ofthe public administration career.
So while I was doing this internshipat the Capitol, I said, it's not social
work, it's policy, and this is the cruxof how you actually create social change.
(12:06):
And so I switched my major to get aMaster's in public administration.
I applied for school over in Jacksonville,took the job, and I left Tallahassee.
So while I was going to school andworking for a state representative,
um, I saw another internshipopportunity open up with the city of
Jacksonville, and it was a managementinternship where they had the interns
(12:27):
on a track to become city managers.
Wow.
So the uh, person who createdthat program was Dan Clayman.
He actually used to be the citymanager for the city of Tallahassee
for over two decades, and hewas working in Jacksonville.
Under Mayor John Peyton, who isthe, uh, C E O of Gate Petroleum.
(12:47):
And I wanted to just take on this,uh, entrepreneurship and city manager
role and learn from them becauseyou had a public administrator and
also a businessman running the city.
Mm-hmm.
And so it was great times.
I, they, I love the internship.
They sent me to like Lean SixSigma training, project management
(13:10):
training, just everything.
And they allowed me to work on, um,two large projects where I actually got
to reorganize city government twice.
So, um, I worked with a team of anotherintern and the chief of staff, and
we basically did that for a coupleyears and reorganized city government.
So from there I said, Hey, Idon't know anything about finance.
(13:34):
While we're reorganizingthese departments, we also
had some reduction in force.
All of these things deal with money.
You have to move money around.
So I specifically asked them, putme into the finance department.
They put me into the finance department.
So these are all skills that I needed tolearn in order to become a city manager,
(13:55):
which is what I was being groomed for.
So I went into the financedepartment, I became the assistant
Capital improvement officer.
While I was also a management andbudget analyst, I had the largest
departments that I oversaw their budget.
So public works.
I helped with police andfire economic development.
I learned everything about moneywhen it comes into the city.
(14:18):
How do you attract corporations?
You know, how do you put publicprivate partnerships together?
And then one day the mayor'schief of staff came down to the
office and she said, Hey, I.
Um, we have a person who has, is tryingto create a grants office, but he's
moving into a different position.
The mayor would like for you to create acentralized grants office for the city.
(14:39):
I, um, Laughed at her when shesaid that because I said, why
would you tap me to do that?
I know nothing about grants at the time.
What she did not know was I hadactually started having a series
of dreams, which I only shared withmy I graduate school classmates to
actually start a grant writing company,but I knew nothing about grants.
(15:00):
So these two thingshappen at the same time.
Mm-hmm.
I did not create that company untilthree years later in 2010, which
was the start of Affinity ConsultingGroup, which is my current company.
I did go on to become theGrants administrator for the
City of Jacksonville, whichis a consolidated city county.
So I oversaw and created a officefor grants management and compliance
(15:23):
and oversaw all of the grantsand even bought in $26 million.
While I was there, I had auntapped, uh, skill and writing
grants that I did not know I had.
So that moved me along the pathwith more funding opportunities.
Wow.
That sounds like a reallygood, you're right, strategist.
That is the word that I would use tohonestly describe you because the fact
(15:47):
that you saw the benefit of moving intodifferent departments, I've said that.
Mm-hmm.
To students that are want lookingfor internships, and I've said the
best thing you can do is go work ina company that's going to allow you.
They're gonna pay you and work inevery single department, so you'll
know how to, if you think you wannarun your own business, absolutely.
You need to go and work in everydepartment so you can see what are
(16:09):
the processes, how do they do that?
Mm-hmm.
It's so valuable and you were doing it at.
That time, I don't know how oldyou were, but is irrelevant.
Twenties, yeah, twenties, thirties.
Yeah.
I definitely took ownership of that,and then the mentors that I had around
me at that time also poured into meand they taught me negotiation skills.
(16:30):
They taught me to ask for what Iwanted, which is partially where
the confidence comes from sometimes.
Yeah.
I don't have it all thetime, but it's there.
But just ask for what you want.
The worst anyone can say is no.
I'm writing this down here.
Yeah.
'cause that was a, a really good quote tomake sure that you ask for what you want.
Mm-hmm.
'cause no one's gonna advocatefor you or do it for you, so you
(16:52):
have to be your own advocate.
You sure do.
Yep.
So now let's talk about Affinity.
Yes.
Okay.
So I started Affinity in 2010 while I wasstill working at the city of Jacksonville.
My goal at that time was, Hey, I'm gonnawork with small businesses and nonprofits
on the side, helping them with grants.
(17:14):
Funding, working on passionprojects that I would not have
necessarily had access to work onduring the daytime for my employer.
So I created the company.
Um, and it has morphed over theyears where I've added in more of the
skillsets that I've learned along theway in those of colleagues and, um,
(17:34):
people within my network who I met.
So Affinity Consulting Group is now a13 year old management consulting firm.
We actually serve government clients,um, and also small business clients.
We were serving nonprofits, but rightnow we no longer serve nonprofits.
I, for me, as a C E O, I prefer to lendmy time, talent, and treasures being,
(17:57):
um, in board positions with nonprofitsversus doing consulting with them.
So, um, for the small businesses, weprovide small business advisory services.
So we actually help with incorporation.
We do strategic and business planning.
We also help them get access tocapital, their business certifications
in case they want to actually get intocorporate and government contracting.
(18:21):
So those are the services thatwe provide to small businesses.
And then for the government side, we,uh, provide disaster recovery services.
We help on community developmentprojects, and we do grant
and contract administration.
That's quite a bit.
I've taken, um, Rollins College,and I'm sure you know this Yes.
Has their own grants program.
(18:41):
Yes.
I went through that program there.
I did, uh, take a two yearcertificate of nonprofit management.
Mm-hmm.
And I learned so much from thatand it's definitely benefited me.
Mm-hmm.
Obviously, and I've been a grantwriter for the Nature Conservancy
Center for Independent Living andalso over there at Rollins College.
I, I think that most people think,um, it, it is, It's a special skill.
(19:04):
Mm-hmm.
It's a technical type of writing, butpeople think that there's like mystery
around it and it's, it's just not thatmysterious, it's technical writing.
Mm-hmm.
You just stick to the facts.
What do you think, um, are someof the myths about grant writing?
Have you encountered any, peoplethink you're like a magician
when you can get grants?
(19:25):
Um, well, I do actually tellpeople it is part magic, especially
if you are an expert at it.
Mm-hmm.
So, um, I've been successful todate, acquiring over $84 million.
Um, I've also managed grants, sothat in itself makes me a little bit
more unique compared to some of theother yeah, people on the job market
(19:46):
when it comes to that skillset.
A lot of people are, um,they're very singular.
We either, they write grants.
But they don't necessarily handlethe finances, and they don't
necessarily manage the money.
So for me and how I operate, I like tobe a well-rounded individual and learn
all facets of a life cycle with a mm-hmm.
Solu a problem or a solution.
(20:07):
So when it comes to grants, um,more specifically, I think people
think that it is easy and that.
You can put a grant together becausethey know someone who has also
gotten lucky at winning a grant.
Mm-hmm.
But they do not realize that asyou pursue more types of funding
or larger amounts of money, yeah.
(20:28):
It takes a lot more work.
What that can look like is instead ofa two page grant or a 10 page grant,
trying to bring in millions of dollars.
Yes.
Will basically, you're writing.
A dissertation.
Yes.
Or you are sending in binders that areinches thick, full of documentation
and there's many facets of it.
(20:49):
You have to bring in teams andpartners and have contracts in place,
and also leverage other fundingfrom different types of funders.
Mm-hmm.
So I've been blessed to wearworking for the government as my
first experience getting into that.
I have been able to build public privatepartnerships where there's public
dollars coming from the government,but there's also private dollars.
(21:10):
Yeah.
And those types of projects arecertainly more complicated than maybe
what a nonprofit typically does.
So, um, I think that some people, again,they hear, oh, there's all this money.
We can go get everything.
Right.
That's a myth.
That's absolutely not true.
A myth.
Yeah.
That's the thing that I'm talking about.
Mm-hmm.
There's that myth and theyfeel like, oh yeah, we'll write
(21:30):
it and they'll give us money.
Yes.
But they don't also understand.
You have to submit a reportwith how you spent the money.
Mm-hmm.
And you have to make sure that youhave somebody that's keeping track
of that in a very specific way.
Yes.
They don't understand theother side of the equation.
Correct.
They just think, oh yeah,I'm gonna write a grant.
I'll get money.
(21:50):
I.
Or that what you wrote, if you're notmanaging that money properly, that, that
you not managing that money can impactyour ability to get future dollars.
Exactly.
They don't understand that it's,uh, it's all interconnected.
Mm-hmm.
Which is where strategy comes in.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
You have to keep all of the moving pieces.
You know, rolling at the same time.
(22:12):
Mm-hmm.
And make sure thateverything runs smoothly.
So one of the things that I used to,uh, be very proud of was any funds
that were managed in my office, we didnot have any audit findings on those.
Our programs were managed ata hundred percent compliance.
So I had to learn, youknow, compliance and mm-hmm.
Understand how attorneys, uh, writethings, how right they speak, um,
(22:35):
read case law, all of those things.
Are much greater than justwriting technical writing.
Right, right.
I, and that's whatmakes me great at doing.
I agree.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, I would agree with you 100%.
That's been my experience also.
Mm-hmm.
So when we talk about the otherbusiness that you've started,
let's talk about that one.
(22:55):
Yes.
So with Affinity Consulting Group, we arenow moving into a phase where I am at a
place where I want to give back to thecommunity and teach them how they can.
Successfully create public-privatepartnerships and get funding
from multiple sources.
So we have created a brand underAffinity called the Fund Finders Academy.
(23:16):
So the Fund Finders Academy is goingto be our online educational academy
where we will provide a library anda library of resources of classes
that specifically talk about.
Funding, what is it?
How do you get it?
And walk you through the step-by-step,um, uh, mechanisms that you need
in order to secure different typesof funding for your business.
(23:39):
For nonprofits.
And then also at some point we will addin, uh, classes related to government.
So we are launching that at the end ofthis month and we are starting out with a
class, the top five ways to find businessfunding and resources behind that.
I have other classes, the Top 10 Businessgrant questions and how to answer them.
Um, I've been successful winningbusiness grants for Affinity Consulting.
(24:01):
So I want to, and I've actuallymentored and trained other people
out of some business masterminds,how to follow the steps to be able
to get money, tell their story, andget money for their, um, companies.
So we wanna be able to teach those things.
I.
I do intend to bring inother subject matter experts.
Those experts may be experts incrowdfunding or they may be experts in,
(24:25):
uh, business insurance and how you can usebusiness insurance to fund your business.
So I'm bringing in peoplethat I know are practitioners.
They are not, uh, brand new.
I call them influencers who justdecided to say that they do these
things right during the pandemic,but they've actually had a career.
Actually excelling at these typesof, uh, funding mechanisms and
(24:50):
actually helping people achievewinning those opportunities.
So, um, I'm just curious.
Yeah.
I wanna sign up for this.
So, how, how do people find this place?
The Fund Finders Academy?
So I normally save that for the end,but I wanna, you know, tie it in here.
Okay.
So the Fund Finders Academy, the websiteand everything will be live next week.
It's www dot.
(25:10):
The fund finders.com.
That will be your gatewayinto our online academy.
The academy is hosted on anotherwebsite, but that will be your entry to
go ahead and sign up for a subscriptionservice To get access to the academy.
In the Academy, we're gonna have theclasses, we're gonna have templates,
we're gonna have resources, we'regonna have live q and as, once or
(25:30):
twice a month with these expertswhere you can have that one-on-one in.
Exchange with them and ask them directquestions about your particular situation.
So, um, we are partneringwith, uh, government entities,
nonprofits, um, communitydevelopment, financial institutions.
Those are our best partners, and they havethose built in audiences of businesses
(25:53):
and individuals who need these services.
I like that.
Now I'm just gonna make sure ourlisteners know so that we actually, uh,
when this show airs, she will alreadyhave that website up, just so you know.
So, um, even though she said nextweek, don't wait, look right away.
Yes.
You'll find that website.
Absolutely.
It will be up by the time this airs.
(26:14):
Yeah, that's definitely true.
So, let's ask some fun questions,some a different direction.
What is a favorite quote that you live by?
One of my favorite quotes is actuallya Bible verse, uh, Jeremiah 29 11.
Um, it says, for I know theplans that I have for you.
Plans of peace, not of evil, um,so that you have, uh, hope, uh,
(26:37):
can't remember the rest of it.
So that, uh, and not of evil togive you a future and hope, hope.
Thank you for that.
Yes.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So that is one of my favorite, uh,quotes that I live by or bible verses.
Um, it just reminds me of, Hey, I maynot know all of the answers today.
Yeah.
But I've got a future.
There's going to be things that,opportunities abound that come along
(27:00):
my path, and as long as I stay focusedand wanna serve and help others, then
those opportunities will be fruitful.
And I'll add one more thing becauseeven though it's a Bible verse,
it says, for I know the thoughts.
And so that helps.
I think anybody that is a believerto be able to go and say, okay, I
know somebody else is in charge ofthis, that's God, and I'm gonna just
(27:24):
do what I am supposed to do and he'sgonna do what he is supposed to do.
Absolutely.
I talk a lot about obedience.
Yeah.
And how that has factored intomy life when I am obedient and.
The plans and the dreams that aredownloaded in me when I actually do
them and move, yeah, walk towards them.
Everything opens up in a positivemanner, but if I am fearful or
(27:46):
being resistant, things go wrong.
Mm-hmm.
I do know that one too.
I know both sides of us, becausewe have to get burned a little bit.
Yes.
To sit here and go, oh yeah,let me do it this way instead.
Right.
We, we either need to stick to theplan or just surrender completely.
Yeah.
What is the hardest lesson you learnedthat changed your life for the better?
(28:07):
Um, I would say the hardest lessons I havelearned have come from, um, my ability to
meet people, um, bring them into my life.
Um, but I don't al I haven't always in thepast trusted my intuition if things with,
uh, those relationships didn't work out.
(28:28):
So, um, I would say thatis the hardest lesson is.
Not believing in myself and my intuitionand trusting my gut from the jump.
So I am now past that.
I am delivered, I believe, you know,and feel everything, um, and stick
to my intuition and I go with thatand I don't waiver from it anymore.
Mm-hmm.
(28:50):
I agree.
Um, what are you most grateful for?
Um, I am honestly most grateful justto wake up and enjoy life every day.
Um, there have been periods throughoutmy career where mental health, um,
running a business, you know, caringfor employees, things of that nature.
I haven't always been a solo practitioner.
(29:10):
I've had staff, um, the pressure ofthose families and running a business and
bringing in enough money to feed everyone.
All of those thingscan take a toll on you.
So, um, I have had periods, darkperiods where my mental health was
not the best, and so I've, you know,not, I've had thoughts of, you know,
(29:32):
perhaps not being on this earth.
And so I had to move past that andmake sure that I got myself back into
better spirits and started practicinggratitude and living also in the
present versus just the future, butdefinitely living in the present.
And being grateful for what I have now.
Yeah.
(29:52):
I think that, you know, I, I don'tknow the statistics, but I know
it's very high for entrepreneursbecause it's, it's very stressful.
Mm-hmm.
We choose to do this.
Yes.
You know, we, we choose, and I always.
I don't know what it's like for beingin a war, but I, I think it's pretty
stressful, obviously, because somebody cantake your life, but it, it seems that it's
(30:15):
pretty high up there is what I rememberthe statistic being because it is, we,
we choose to carry all of this stress,whether it's just on ourselves or the
responsibility of having people with us.
Absolutely.
And honestly, I think most of theentrepreneurs that I know who are, I'll
say successful, and they haven't given up.
(30:36):
They were already high achievers.
I think it is a part of beinga high achiever as well.
Yeah, there's anxiety, there'sdepression, there's all of the different
feelings that you can have, andthis is not for the faint at heart,
and it is a rollercoaster at times.
You're gonna have ups and you'regonna have downs, and so you're.
Keeping a positive, um, mindsetand, um, focusing on your physical,
(31:01):
spiritual, and mental health ishighly important as an entrepreneur.
Hmm.
Preach.
I'm just saying.
Just preach.
Yep.
Take care of, um, mental, emotional,and all of those other things.
And physical.
Yes.
Get lots of sleep.
Yes, that too.
Yeah.
Have a routine.
Yes.
A good routine.
Mm-hmm.
So who in your life hashad the biggest impact?
(31:24):
For me, my, um, maternal grandparentshave had the biggest impact on my life.
Um, my, uh, maternalgrandfather is no longer here.
He passed away, uh, in 2017, Marchof 2017, but my grandmother is
still here and thriving at 82.
But they were the biggestimpact for me because they.
Set a legacy and a mindset formy mother's side of the family.
(31:49):
Um, again, they were publicadministrators, so they have
a great, they have a greatspirit and always served people.
And so I grew up knowing that I wassupposed to serve others first, um, for
better or worse, but definitely having aservant spirit, um, and being a solution
and providing people with resources.
I saw them do that in their communities.
(32:11):
How they operated within the family.
So I think that they set a greatprecedence for the rest of us and, um,
their, uh, principles and the things thatthey taught us, I hold those dear today.
Hmm, that is lovely.
I'm curious, was your, um,grandparent, I guess it would've been
(32:31):
your grandfather, uh, was he alsosomebody that served in the church?
I think public administration,they kind of go hand in hand.
No.
Um, he actually, I think probablymore so went to church because of my
grandmother, but he actually was aconstruction, um, worker, he at, on a
military base and he owned, uh, property.
So he was a real estate investor,so he had a business, uh, doing
(32:55):
the real estate investing.
And he also got his certificationsto become a licensed plumber
and, uh, electrician.
So he believed in various skills andusing those skills to create businesses.
And then he bought theproperties with that funding.
My mother, or sorry grandmother, I callher mom, she worked in a doctor's office.
So I was around the doctor andtheir nurses, um, many of times,
(33:20):
and they became the family doctor.
Um, and even the nurse practitionerwho now runs the clinic, she's
still the family doctor ornurse practitioner as well.
So it was very, you know, familyoriented and just seeing them at work.
They were always serving otherpeople and even in their businesses,
they had service-based businesses.
So it was about service.
(33:40):
Yeah.
I like the fact that yourgrandfather, he was pretty smart.
Mm-hmm.
He'd go build a house.
And then he probably figured, okay, wellI'll be the plumber and the person that
they contact because I built the house.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
It was pretty smart to be ableto tie those things together.
Yes.
What would we had strategy.
Oh gosh.
Yeah.
And that's definitely where you got it.
(34:00):
Yes.
Yeah.
Well, from both sides I'm sure.
Yes.
Uh, what would you like to beremembered for in your life?
Um, I think what I want to be rememberedfor is, again, um, I definitely, of
course, in terms of family want, youknow, there to be positive thoughts
about my impact on the family legacy,but it is certainly leaving legacies.
(34:21):
I do have a desire toleave a community legacy.
Any city that I've ever lived inor um, communities that I work
with, I try to strategically pickprojects where it's going to not
just impact one person, but many.
And so my goal is, youknow, to make sure that.
(34:41):
I'm impacting as many people as possible,making sure that I'm getting resources
for programs, for capital projects, etcetera, that will be there long after,
you know, I am no longer on this earth.
So there are parks, there areprograms that are still running.
Um, There is economic developmenthappening in places where I help
(35:02):
set those things up and bring inmoney, um, to make that happen.
So that is what I would say I want mylegacy to be is just that, you know,
SRIs served as many people as she couldand served as many communities and
help them grow and prosper and, uh,develop communities for all families.
(35:22):
Gotcha.
Well, we're gonna take a realbrief break for acknowledging
Transcend Network as our sponsor.
Transcend Network helps early stagestartup founders find product market
fit through weekly experiments, receivefundraising support and build a global
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(35:45):
The Intern Whisperer is affiliatedwith Employers for Change and
we thank Transcend Network forbeing a sponsor of our show.
We're back in the second half of our showwhere we talk about the future of work.
And so Cherise, what do you think 2030is gonna look like as it relates to work?
You can pick any category youwant, industries, jobs, whatever.
(36:07):
Um, I think 2030 is going tolook like people are still
mostly in a hybrid environment.
Um, I hope that we actually havemore electric and autonomous vehicles
driving us around and even, um,Air, autonomous vehicles in the air.
(36:27):
That would be cool.
Right?
Jetsons?
It'll be, yes.
Definitely looking forwardto the Jetsons Air.
Yeah.
Um, I think that, We will be lookingfor opportunities for us to work smarter
and not as hard and perhaps, uh, withless people should there be population
declines, things of that nature.
(36:49):
So I do foresee the need foradditional automation, um,
robots, things of that nature.
And I think that it's gonna beimperative for people to understand
how to work with them or.
In this arena versus being fearful of it.
Yeah.
We're not gonna be able to hideour head in the sand or ignore
them because they're already here.
(37:10):
Absolutely.
Then in Osceola County there's robots.
Yes.
Have you been there to that restaurant?
I'm going next week.
Okay.
Well, I look forward to hearingwhat you have to say about it.
Um, and for our listeners,we're in Orlando, Florida.
If you're new, but pretty sure youmight, you might know this, so.
We also discuss robots, ai,augmented reality, virtual reality.
(37:31):
Pick any of those categories andjust share what your thoughts
are about it, because there's alot of fear about these things.
AI has brought us chat, G P T.
And does that mean peopleare gonna lose jobs?
Um, we always have heardpeople will get new jobs.
There's gonna be different ways.
What are your thoughts?
Because it's.
It does impact government.
Mm-hmm.
It impacts every industry.
(37:52):
Absolutely.
So lately I have, uh, focused a lotmore on machine learning and ai.
I have been teaching about it.
Um, I teach at Tulane University,so I have a technology and
civic leadership class.
So in this class, in thepublic administration program.
So we've got the public administrators inthere who may become future legislators.
(38:12):
And policy makers.
So we are talking about the fact thatthe government is behind, um, technology
right now and they have not kept up and,um, thought about the impacts to the
various groups who may actually alreadybe disenfranchised from the process.
Mm-hmm.
So there, um, is certainly a need tocreate more legislation around this.
(38:35):
To create safeguards for vulnerablepopulations and communities.
I personally have adopted utilizationof the machine learning that exists,
that everyone is also coining as ai.
Um, I can't wait till we getto the point of true artificial
intelligence for the masses.
I know it already exists, but, um, havinga a system be able to, Think, um, as you
(39:01):
do is very intriguing, to say the least.
Um, but in the meantime with whatwe have with machine learning,
I'm actively using it myself.
I've used chat, G P T I useit just about every other day.
Um, I use it to enhance the things thatI am doing and to save time and also
money in my business and for my clients.
(39:24):
So I.
Actively use it.
Love it.
I think it's a great tool.
I think that the companies whoare incorporating, uh, open AI
into their apps, into their techenabled software, I think that
they will be forward thinking by.
Moving in that direction.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
(39:45):
I agree.
Yeah.
Have you used chat G P T?
Yeah, I use it a lot.
Yeah.
Have you, you know, one of myfriends, I'm not gonna say where,
um, used chat G P T to write a grant.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, a proposal, a response to thegrant, and their grant got funded.
Mm-hmm.
So I'm going, wow.
(40:05):
That's an example of how it worked for.
And a federal grant.
Mm-hmm.
To be clear.
So those are hard, those are thehardest ones that you ever write.
Um, hey, can you tell the differencebetween the chat and the human one?
I mean, a poorly written one?
Yes.
You get that one?
Yes.
Yeah.
Um, I can spot differences becauseI, um, again, being a writer, you
(40:27):
know what feels authentic, right?
However, chat g p t can be trained.
To write the way that atechnical writer does.
So I think it's as you can't tellif you've got a great writer who is.
Prompting it to write as that writer does.
Mm-hmm.
So it'll become a little less detectable,but most people, unfortunately,
(40:50):
are just putting things in chat,G P T, and they copy it verbatim.
They don't think about rephrasing it, theydon't think about citations and sources.
Right.
Um, these are all technical skillsthat you learn, or I've learned,
at least through academic writing.
Right.
So I know too.
Take what chat?
G P T.
If I put something in there, whichis my preference, I like to seed
(41:10):
it first and to train it withsomething that I've already written
and ask it to enhance what I wrote.
Mm-hmm.
And then if I take something fromscratch, I ask it a question.
I always take that.
I rephrase it and then I alsoput it into a secondary AI system
and have it rephrase it again.
Nice.
That's really good.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
(41:31):
And have you seen that it's been success?
Has it saved you time?
I think that's the, itdefinitely has saved me time.
I have recently used it for emails.
I.
I have used it for proposals.
I have used it to actually writeout a script for a commercial
that I made for one of my clients.
I have used it, um, for research purposes.
(41:52):
I've used it to create FAQs.
Mm-hmm.
Um, frequently asked questions.
I have used it for social mediapost, uh, what else have I done?
Sounds like a lot more than most people.
Yes.
Yeah, definitely.
Yes.
I am gonna be using it, uh,with the Fund Finders Academy.
We are going to have a 10 week cohortfor business plans, and I have figured
(42:15):
out how to use it to actually helpwrite sections of a business plan.
Oh, very good.
Very, very good.
All right.
Um, well, I'm curious on the robot side.
Yes.
I wanna go back to that one.
Um, have you seen thoseBoston, uh, technology robots
that will do the dancing?
They they dance?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Um, have you seen any of those in Orlando?
(42:35):
Orlando?
Because I'm looking for asighting of anything like that.
They, you know, just so our listenersknow, They have, um, four little legs.
They kind of walk around like a dogand they'll dance in the, uh, video.
You can find it on YouTube or Facebook.
I'm pretty sure you canfind it on Facebook too.
Uh, it's very entertaining andit has some fun music in there.
Um, but.
(42:56):
I saw those types of robots inBlack Mirror, but I haven't seen
them in real life here in Florida.
Have you?
So I have not seen those types of robots.
Uh, I am going on a tour over in OsceolaCounty next week where I, uh, will, that's
where they're probably have exposureto, uh, some of the automation and tech
that exist out there in New York City.
(43:17):
However, the closest thing that I'veseen with robots, not four-legged,
um, well, let me not say that.
I am aware of those robots when itcomes to law enforcement agencies.
Oh, okay.
So I know that they exist andthat they can be very helpful.
I have seen.
Video demonstrations from othercommunities, especially out west that
(43:39):
already deploy those to help assist policeofficers, whether it's with bombs or
other types of, um, criminal activities.
They have been helpful in law enforcement.
Um, the closest thing I've seen toa robot here in Orlando community
has been out in Lake Nona.
They actually use robotic instrumentsto mow lawns and do right.
(44:01):
Gardening, uh, lawn care out in Lake Nona.
Mm-hmm.
I also heard there's, uh, littletrolleys that go around with Yes.
Those are autonomous.
Yeah.
With no drivers.
Correct.
Just our listeners know.
So the, um, so they're here in Orlando,Florida and people will say, oh gosh,
that just sounds so, so unbelievable.
Yeah.
They're everywhere.
You just may not noticethat they're there.
(44:23):
Yes.
I have driven past.
Drive, um, fast food restaurants,drive-throughs that have no humans.
They are all 100% automated, but Ichoose not to frequent those restaurants.
Okay, we'll talk about that offline.
Okay.
Alright.
Um, what ethical dilemmas do youforesee with this type of technology?
(44:45):
Because I think that everybodyis focused on, well, this
is what it's supposed to be.
And then there's those that are fearfulabout it and think that it's obviously,
yes, it's gonna take jobs, but there'ssupposed to be a replacement of jobs.
My concern is always, well,Just because we can do something
that way doesn't mean we should.
Absolutely.
So what are your thoughts?
So I think that there are a lot of ethicaldilemmas that have already presented
(45:08):
themselves with machine learning and ai.
Mm-hmm.
And this technology, they, I, again,because I scour for this to help teach.
I am already aware of the deepfakeaccounts where people have utilized
artificial intelligence to mimic, uh,people's voices, right, their likeness.
By having AI headshots and usingthem as an avatar, um, people have.
(45:33):
Already done kind of nefariousthings with this technology to trick
people out of handing over money forransoms, uh, pretending that they
have kidnapped their children, right?
And sending them phone calls andletting them know, Hey, we have your
child and you need to send us money.
And they will have thechild's voice on the phone.
And it's simply because theyrecorded it from online or some
(45:56):
other, I don't know how they gotit, but they have their voice.
So I think.
The government has to create legislation,number one to a help protect children.
Yep.
Um, but also to create task force,um, law enforcement policies and
procedures so that people have amechanism if a crime has been committed
(46:19):
in their likeness and it was notthem, if they can prove it Right.
You know?
They should be able to reclaim theirname or have a civil suit against
whoever did this, if they can find them.
So there's that part.
The other piece of thisthat concerns me is I.
You know, tech firms createthese things in a bubble, right?
(46:41):
And there is a lack of diversityand equity around the table, and
everyone's voices are not heard.
The, uh, developers, the engineers,they get into rooms and they just
go and they create, and they.
Put it out to market, but they maynot necessarily reiterate the program
or do continuous improvement wherethey are incorporating feedback from
(47:03):
different viewpoints or different voices.
And I think that that's important that weneed different voices around the table.
How is this gonna impact vulnerablepopulations, elderly, disabled,
minorities, women, children?
Have them at the table as you're creatingthis software, these robots, these things,
and find out what's going to be the impactto them, both positive and negatively.
(47:27):
Yeah, I think that was really wellsaid because a lot of the, um,
There's not always a lot of discussionaround people that are vulnerable.
Mm-hmm.
And that can be seniors, that canbe people with disabilities, that
can be, uh, homeless, that are likeoff the grid or internationals.
There's so many people thatcan be impacted by this and.
(47:49):
I think that sometimes peoplego, oh, they're invisible.
Nobody's gonna noticethat they're missing.
Somebody will, there will be a patternthat gets established and it's gonna
be important to pay attention to that.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Um, so what is the best mentoringadvice that you would wanna
share with our listeners?
So the best mentoring advice, um,that I would like to share with the
(48:13):
listeners is number one, uh, makesure you are always advocating for
yourself and negotiate everything, um,and ask for what you want on the firm.
Mm-hmm.
The worst that people can say is no.
And no does not necessarilymean no forever.
It can mean not right now.
(48:33):
So I think we need to be able to useour voices and speak up for ourselves
and others and certainly, uh, ask.
Yeah, I agree.
Yeah.
And if you don't ask,you can never receive.
We know that's, uh,certainly from the Bible too.
Um.
I pulled some of the Bible verses in.
(48:54):
I know my show's not onethat's, uh, necessarily under
the religious spec spectrum.
Yes.
But, um, being a person of faith mm-hmm.
It's important that we acknowledge that.
So I appreciate that you're even puttingthat out there and admire it greatly.
Thank you.
So, yeah.
Um, okay.
So how can our listeners contact you?
Listeners can contact me on social media.
(49:18):
You can reach me.
The best way is on LinkedIn.
That's where I am hanging out these days.
You can find me with myname, Cherise Wilkes.
Also, of course, I have socialmedia handles for my business.
The best one is the Fun Finders.
We're on Instagram, YouTube,and Twitter with that one.
Mm-hmm.
For Affinity Consulting Group, themanagement consulting side, we have uh, a
(49:39):
page on LinkedIn and also Facebook, whichthe handle for Facebook is a C G F L C O.
Got it.
Um, okay, well we justflew through that show.
I don't know if you noticed it, butvery articulate, really admire the
fact that you came in and you were.
Oozing confidence.
I love that.
(50:00):
Um, because sometimes people come onand they're not always, they're a little
afraid of being on camera and beingon a podcast, but it's just like, no.
You know, they begin to relax andthey realize, oh, it's not that scary.
Yes.
Yeah.
So you're coming in just a conversation.
Yeah, it's just a conversation.
Anyway, thank you so much for beinghere and I look forward to another
(50:21):
conversation with you offline.
Thank you for having me.
Thank you to our sponsor, CAT 5Studios and our video production
and editing team, Dave LaPorte,Tommy Meyers and Andrew Piggott.
Music is by Sophie Lloyd.
Visit Employers 4 Change at www.e4c.techto learn how you can create real diversity
(50:46):
and inclusive culture while skillingyour people for the future of work.
We also want to thank you for supportingthe Intern Whisper by subscribing
to us on Pod Beam, our employersfor Change YouTube channel, or your
favorite podcast streaming channel.
And please be sure to leave usa comment and share the show.
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