Case

“The Full Circle Connection”

Roz McP

The ROZ Group Inc.

Introduction

Roz was a citizen of the world from birth in the 1950s and that upbringing shaped her career, allowing her to fully experience new people and new places.  The daughter of an Army officer and an adventurous school teacher, her family represented the USA and Black Americans with grace and dignity, enjoying freedoms abroad more so than the freedoms at home, the very freedoms that her Dad was sent to protect.  Her parents were like ambassadors, always respectful of the culture of the host country and enjoying being immersed in each new community.  People loved the young family wherever they went in France, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Kansas, and New York. 

By the time Roz entered the corporate world in 1976, she was a well-honed traveler who was accustomed to entering new situations, much like the Star Trek crew – “go where no man has gone before...”   She was confident enough in what she had to offer as a well-rounded professional and she had a broad exposure that fostered a comfort level in her workplaces.  She was determined to succeed and she loved the excitement of being in New York City.  In spite of the demeaning subtleties that were regularly heaped upon people of African descent in the corporate world, a world unaccustomed to Black people outside of subservient domestic professionalism, she continued to make her own way occasionally stumbling, often excelling and building upon each new experience.

To ensure that she was constantly improving, Roz enrolled in management courses, eventually an MBA program, and then more courses.  The most impactful was at the Center for Creative Leadership.  She was feeding her inner thirst for knowledge and ensuring that she would always remain competitive. AND Roz knew that book knowledge alone was not going to be the sole factor in her upward mobility.  Connections and relationships were critical to success.   

Professional Challenge

She and her closest friends had often lamented that because of circumstances, the conversations around their family dinner tables had never been about office politics and moving up the corporate ladder.  As aspiring black professionals, they envied the fast tracks of the young white executives, especially guys, who came armed with the rolodexes of their parents and their blue blood connections. 

There were few African American role models or people to serve as mentors but Roz had grown up making new friends so she continued this practice, adding colleagues and associates along the way managing to stay in touch with many in her growing network. 

On one occasion during her tenure as a circulation manager, she decided to meet with one of the Circulation Directors as part of her career building strategy.  This woman, a young expectant mother, seemed approachable. Roz thought that she might have good insights to offer.  As the meeting began, Roz expressed her aspirations.  Much to Roz's shock and disappointment, the woman immediately told Roz that she had never seen Roz as “star material” and that she did not have much to offer her in the way of advice.  It was all Roz could do to contain herself long enough to leave the woman’s office and recover privately from the harsh, discouraging words. 

Roz did recover and decided that never again would she allow someone to define who she was or was not.  It was not about being a “star”.  It was about growth and development.  Roz knew that she would not remain here long. She instead sought to learn what she could, namely the financial training and direct response forecasting, and then move on.  She would not become invisible and her talents would continue to evolve.

Eventually, Roz was laid off.  She gladly took the “package” and decided to try working as an independent consultant.  She had good contacts in educational publishing and she had worked in both marketing and editorial.  Starting a home-based business would allow her to manage her family and earn a good income.  It was a bold and risky move, but with the blessing of her family, she started providing services for textbook companies.  She thrived in this work, in spite of the long hours because of the challenging assignments, fascinating clients, and travel to other cities.

 But alas a bad economy in 1991, forced her to explore new options and ironically enough, she was hired by the same company, now bigger, and with a different division.  She relocated to Alexandria, VA.  Some of those very same people were still within the corporation and they began to hear about the ground-breaking history series that she was leading.   She felt vindicated.

Roz’s career had not been methodically planned.  Instead it had evolved along the way and when new opportunities presented themselves, she did not hesitate to “go for it.”  In many instances, her new position was the result of a blossoming and fostered relationship, an authentic conversation, and a sharing of personal perspectives.

 Her career had been the basis of the things about which she had always been passionate:  the love of reading; history and science; world travel; and the study of different cultures.  So her career paths came naturally to her, first in educational publishing and eventually in museum management, cultural arts and tourism.  And her career afforded her a lifestyle that was conducive to raising children with the advantages of good school systems and well-rounded social and cultural experiences.   

When Roz decided to start a new company in 2005, she was building upon the prior knowledge, leveraging her contacts and participating in ground-breaking projects.  She was once again forging ahead in an uncertain world.

The result is that almost 40 years later, Roz continues to have an expansive network of people upon whom she can calls whether to simply say hello or to connect people and opportunities.  

Background with “Aha Moment”

One day it hit Roz that she was no longer that young person wishing for a mentor, that special someone whom she could trust.  People were regularly contacting her to share her experiences. She had been out in the world long enough and she had evolved to a different place.  Her realization was both humbling and inspiring.

One day her own daughter called her for advice and to simply vent about office politics.  It was an unbelievable and gratifying twist of fate to have her daughter, one that had always said she would never enter the corporate world, begin to regularly call to talk, ask questions, and request advice. By the time Roz’s daughter was in her early thirties, she had worked for three of the same companies that Roz had worked for. And in each of those companies, the relationships that Roz had nurtured over the years had been played a role in the opening of a door. 

Roz’s daughter began to express an appreciation for what she now knew that Roz had endured.  She understood the beauty of what a career in the corporate setting could provide both personally and professionally.  And she also understood the frustrations that come with ambition and upward mobility, especially for executives of color.   While race relations had improved over the years, many barriers remained in place.  However, there was a whole new generation of mentors now, the very friends with whom Roz had once lamented were now in a position to provide guidance.  Connections and connectedness had come full circle and relationships were at the core of mentoring.

The mother and daughter had come full circle, and daughter was beginning to do some mentoring, networking, and connecting others as well.

Personal Challenges

Roz’s family journey was as fulfilling as it was tumultuous.  She suffered through three divorces, coped with the mental illness and subsequent suicide of her son, and endured thyroid cancer.  For many years she had succumbed to the familiar womanly trap of trying to be all things to an extended family, desperate to make it all perfect and for everyone to be happy.   But the minor tiffs and easily resolved situations of the Cosby Show and The Brady Bunch were elusive. A teenager with bi-polar disorder was confusing and debilitating for the family. There were times when she was so exhausted from trying to manage it all that she went through the days on auto-pilot coupled with denial. 

One day, she could not get out of bed.  Surely it must be cancer she thought and she went to her physician.  But instead she discovered that she had broken down.  With the help of a therapist, Roz began to see that balance is essential to a woman’s well-being.  She began to pay attention to what it means to nourish one’s soul and take a moment for physical rejuvenation.  And it was through her network that she found the people who could help with her personal healing.  And now these lessons are part of the advice she gives.