We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Rochelle Parks-Yancy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Rochelle, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Throughout my career, I’ve embraced the mottos “Be Your Best Brand” and “Always Bet on Me.” There have been many times when I’ve felt insecure. But, even though I may FEEL that way, I refuse to allow those feelings to stop me from taking ACTION and going forward. I’ll share two examples:

1. I moved from Washington D.C. to Texas without a job nor other source of income. At the time, I was not married and had no familial financial support. I had decided I was going to move to Texas about year before I moved. I tried very hard to get a job before I moved. But, in the vein of always betting on me, I made the commitment to me that I was moving, job or not. Over 9 months before I moved, I: 1. Stopped spending on anything that wasn’t food, transportation, rent, utilities, etc. I still went out, but I only went places where there was no charge or minimal charge; 2. I planned to rent a room (yes, a room, not an apartment) in Texas and budgeted about how much I would need for three months. I figured it would take about 3 months to get a job. People couldn’t believe that I would move without a job, there were a lot of naysayers. But, they didn’t know and I didn’t tell them that I was cutting my costs down to the bone. When I got to Dallas, in August, it took me exactly 12 weeks to get a job. It came right on time, because I was so scared and feeling financially desperate by that point. But, that experience taught me to never count on jobs or careers or other people more than I count on and believe in me, and I’ve carried that since then.

2. When I was thinking of applying to be a Fulbright Scholar, it was nerve-wracking. This is a huge opportunity to live and work internationally. The application process is almost 2 years and very few Professors around the country are selected for it. No one in the history of the JHJ Business School at Texas Southern University, where I work, had ever been a Fulbright Scholar. But I decided to apply and, even if I didn’t get it, I planned to apply again. Shockingly, I was awarded the Fulbright Scholar to Armenia, where I worked at American University of Armenia, in Yerevan, Armenia. I left my then-5 year old son and husband. Interestingly, many people couldn’t believe I would go. My husband was very supportive and knew this was a huge opportunity for me, professionally. I was gone for almost 5 months. The professional recognition and personal growth I’ve gained by being Fulbright Scholar have been immense. I bet on me and won the bet.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
One of my creative talents is that I am excellent writer, career coach, and public speaker. I write resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn page content, I’ve been a podcast guest, discussing Salary Negotiation Strategies, Managing Performance Evaluations, and Effective Job Hunt Strategies and I have published 3 books. My latest book, written with Dr. Delonia Cooley, is Be Your Best Career Architect: Here are the Blueprints.

In terms of writing/publishing books, I had to be very, very organized and think a lot about the target audience. Developing the book proposal, which outlines what the book will be about and why the target audience should read it, was challenging. I had to learn the following:

1. To be clear about the targeted audience and make sure all of the content and the words, themselves, relate to THAT audience. For example, my first book is for an academic audience (professors), the second book is for college students, college counselors, parents of college students, and my third book, Be Your Best Career Architect: Here are the Blueprints, is for business professionals and entrepreneurs. It took a lot rejection/write it again from publishers and my own circle of writers from whom I would get feedback to make my writing befit the targeted audience.

2. Nothing that’s important in life is easy. It took me 9 months to write my first book. My son was a baby. So, I had to schedule my writing about family/work life. But, I’m super Type A, so having a weekly writing schedule helped me stay on task and make sure the draft was done within the publisher deadlines.

I became Career Coach/Resume Writer because I was always giving that kind advice, anyway. People would ask about their career issues and I would respond. I truly believe we are not put on this settle to stand down on our professional greatness nor to downplay our awesomeness to make other people feel good. We weren’t born to fit in, we were born to stand out. This is why the resumes that I write and the public speaking that I do stands out. I invest in a lot of work and practice on the back end to do great work on the front end.

We are all a living, breathing, walking, talking brand. I am my best brand and I think everyone should see themselves as their own # 1 brand.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
1. NASA (Johnson Space Center): Even if one isn’t into planes and space, the aircraft and spaceships are amazing. And, there’s a lot to do for both adults and kids, in terms of interactive activities.

2. I love zoos. No matter what I’m city I’m in, I want to go to the zoo. Houston Zoo is a great experience, the variety of animals is really good and the overall experience is fun for adults and kids

3. Houston Museum of Natural Science. My fave exhibit is the dinosaurs. However, the other exhibits of animal and plant life are pretty amazing.

4. The Aquarium. The restaurant experience is really unique and the marine life is awesome. It’s so cool to see the sharks and stingrays.

5. Moody Gardens in Galveston. If you’re into nature attractions, as well as water activities, Moody Gardens is it.

6. Killens Steakhouse in Pearland, Texas, hands-down, has some of the best steak. It’s cooked to perfection. The seafood is excellent, too. Also, the service is fabulous.

7. If someone is visiting in March, they must go to the Houston Livestock and Rodeo. It’s not just a Rodeo. It’s major concert performances, a carnival, animal contests, tons of unique clothing and other products, the Rodeo is an unforgettable experience.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to Shoutout two people:

1. My PhD major Advisor, Dr. Nancy DiTomaso, Full Professor, Rutgers University Business School. She taught me how to think and write like a scholar and how to navigate professional pitfalls that come with life. I am very grateful to her.

2. My husband, Malcolm Yancy, Owner of Fitness Masters gym. He’s always supported my personal and professional endeavors and has cheered me on, even when I don’t feel like going forward. When I competed in bodybuilding, his exercise and nutrition expertise are the reasons I won my fitness category.

Website: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rochelle-Parks-Yancy/author/B003BO1Q7I?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rochelle-parks-yancy-0a97495/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOP4vSXIyCw&t=1345s

Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw_CGkP_-jg

Image Credits
Toman Imagery is the photographer for the RED DRESS picture ONLY.

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