Episode 13: It’s Been a Long Time
I shouldn't have left you, without a dope beat to step to...
What I’m Thinking About
What’s up y'all! I’ve been intending to write for a few weeks now. Life escalated for me in March and I am still adjusting to my new normal.
Before I get started, congrats to my friend, Nicole W., for winning my first March Madness tournament challenge!! I hope everyone who participated enjoyed themselves, and watching the games! Me and my friend Janel made it up to Albany, NY to watch the regional games and it was so much fun. Mentally I am still here:
So, what is my new normal? Going back to worrrrrk - more specifically going back to the office which is something I once said I’d never do again. God will humble you and laugh at your plans every time!
For a quick FAQ on the job situation:
Where do I work: Genuine Parts Company (GPC) - they own NAPA Auto Parts stores
What do I do: My title is Senior User Experience Researcher, just like before. I primarily do research for the Supply Chain and Payments teams.
How did I find it: I didn’t, they found me! My resume is on Indeed and I had a recruiter reach out to me to interview with a company called Synergis. It was super sketchy initially but it worked out lol
How often am I in the office: 3 days a week. It’s not that bad because I did need a routine in my life and to move my body a bit more than I was during my sabbatical/layoff, so there’s that. I also get free breakfast and lunch, which is a nice add.
What is my commute: It takes me 30-35mins to get to work in the morning, but it almost always takes me 50-60 mins to get home :-/
This role is a 6-month contract, so I am very much still on the job market. I need some PAID Time Off real bad (as a contractor I get health insurance, but I do not get paid time off.). If you see any Senior/Lead UX Research roles pop up, holla!
Overall going into the office hasn’t been too bad, but I definitely felt like I was in the TWILIGHT zone when I first started. Like what the heck am I doing back in an office? I haven’t been in an office since I quit my job at Apple in Jan 2018. Between becoming a germaphobe during COVID and this one girl in the office talking VERY LOUD, I was struggling lol. Luckily there were 3 other Black women on my team and one of them is a Delta, so that has been great. We created a group text thread ASAP to have a safe space to vent and talk about these work folks lol. Sadly my soror’s last day is Thursday and I honestly don’t know how I am going to function without her at work. I am happy she got out though. Love that for her, hate that for meeee.
What else have I been doing?
The short answer is a lot lol. Before I started this job, I was in the Full Stack Product Management online program. We met every Thursday for 8 long weeks from March to May, and most Monday’s. It was a great program to learn more about what it means to be a Product Manager. It also confirmed my suspicions that all of my experience as a UX Designer, Researcher, and business owner were transferable skills for this role type.
In between those classes and work, I attended the 50th Annual NSBE Convention and it was soooo good to see all of my NSBE family. I was the MC/hostess with the mostess for the BlackcomputeHER Virtual Symposium in April. I also hosted my family who came from Rocky Mount to see me in the “big city” lol.
In May I served as the keynote speaker for the NC State College of Engineering Celebration of Graduates. Speaking at NC State was super special because of how layered that opportunity was for me as a Black woman and a first generation engineering graduate. The College of Engineering has been around for 100 years and I couldn’t help but think about the fact that the first Black students didn’t come to campus until 68 years ago. My grandma is 72. That was not that long ago! My dream to become Dr. KB began at NC State, so to give my first commencement-ish speech one year after graduating is something I still can’t put into words.
My speech was 9-10ish mins and you can watch it here. I get introduced around the 54-minute mark!
Also, I am officially a Season Ticket holder for the Atlanta Dream and have enjoyed going to games this season! #DoItForTheDream
I owe you all another post about how bad my mental health was around this time last year and how much better it is now. I’ll aim to drop that on the 1-year anniversary of my layoff (July 6th) and use it as a time for reflection. In case you missed it, last year was tough and it wasn’t because of the layoff. There was a lot of life happening to me. You can brush up on that here in the meantime!
I hope y’all have been well and have some cool summer plans!
Until next time,
Dr. KB
What I’m Reading
Dear Black Girls - by A’ja Wilson
If you’ve known me long enough, then you know I love me some A’ja Wilson and South Carolina Women’s Basketball.
A’ja wrote this book specifically for young Black girls, but I feel like anyone can take gems away from her lessons. There are a lot of relatable moments for me as a Black woman and I often found myself saying “Girl, yes!!”. I enjoyed learning more about her journey to where she is now and how her family was truly the foundation for who she is today. As a grandmas girl, I enjoyed learning about the special bond she had with her late grandmother. How great is it for A’ja to have her own statue on the campus of the University of South Carolina - a campus her very own grandmother couldn’t walk on/through for majority of her life. I get chills thinking about it. Shoutout to legendary Coach Dawn Staley for making that happen - I enjoyed learning more about their bond as well.
If you have a young Black girl in your life, this book will make the perfect gift!! I can’t wait for her second book to drop (speaking it into existence), as she continues to break records.
What I’m Watching
Love The Game: A Gamecock WBB DocuSeries
I’m personally still not over the South Carolina Gamecok’s UNDEFEATED basketball season and you shouldn’t be either. We witnessed history over the course of the 2023-2024 basketball season and I am so happy for Coach Dawn Staley and her team. Since the sports media has decided to only focus on one person/narrative, you can always count on me to inform you of other sports stories.
Check out this short six episode DocuSeries highlighting the undefeated season and what it took for them to get there. One of my favorite parts are when they surprised Kamilla Cardoso with a visit from her mother and sister from Brazil. It was their first time seeing her play in the states after trying to get a visa 6 times! I was crying like a little baby lol. I also loved to hear Raven Johnson speak on her revenge tour and how she made it her mission to come back bigger and better, and that she did!
Here’s episode 1:
What I’m Vibin’ to
Since it’s been a minute, I’m going to leave yall with three albums to transition you into the summer!
TIMELESS - Kaytranda
Cafe Noir by Flower Child & Grimm Lynn
Why Lawd? - NxWorries, Anderson, .Paak, Knxwledge