Johnnie Turnage’s Post

🎙️NEW PODCAST EPISODE! Michigan VCtalk, produced by Michigan Venture Capital Association released its 40th episode today (hard to believe we have been going strong for 4 yrs)! I had a great conversation with Mykolas Rambus, a serial entrepreneur and Co-Founder of Hush. Check out my conversation with Mykolas! Link is below 👇 Special thanks to our sponsors Michigan Rise and our new sponsor, Michigan Economic Development Corporation

I🎉 Celebrating 3 Incredible Years at Amazon! 🎉 A few days ago marked my three-year anniversary at AWS, and I am truly thankful for all the congratulatory messages I've received. Amazon has been an amazing journey, and I have met some incredible humans along the way. I am deeply grateful for my leaders Mark Young Nicole Johnston Dave who have poured into my career development these past 3 years. Watching them in action and the feedback and support they’ve provided have empowered me to become more bold and truly walk in my power. Their commitment to creating safe spaces and promoting DEI within our workplace has created an environment where I feel seen, heard, and empowered. I am thankful for the opportunity to be a leader in this space and work alongside an amazing team Tamara “Tammy” S. W. Manny Huerta Eric Sikes Farris Cunningham Hammad Imran, CISSP, CISM, CISA Joshua Latz Eric Kam Ken Morris Zach Smith Jennifer Black, A-CSM Inder Bhullar Mihir Patel Kinya Franklin and many more. I'm also honored to be part of the Black Employee Network (BEN-DMV) and serve on its Board of Directors. I am thankful for the community and sense of belonging it has provided, and I am so proud of the impact this network has had and the important work it is doing. Courtney J Lewis, PMP, CSM, ITIL, GSLC, GSTRT Chris “CAsh” Ashley Chynna W. Oru Okogbule-Wonodi Marquis Thorpe Cedric Z. Tyreik Talley Tyson Thompkins Jessica Reyes, MBA Omotayo Akintoye, EMBA, PMP, CSM Adewale Omoniyi Jerome Johnson, II Christopher Willis, MBA, PMP David Levy Sharifa Bernard Hera McLeod Emily Hawkins Nichole Becknel Bianca Stacey Keona Bailey André Kearns Aisha Lawrey ⭐️ 📌Over the past few years, I’ve had quite a few inquiries from women starting their careers in tech asking for advice related to working in the industry, navigating through corporate environments, and flourishing in the workplace. Here’s what I’ve learned over my 10+ years working in Tech. 1. Be confident in your value and skills others might doubt, but never doubt yourself, you are wildly capable. 2. If a job looks interesting, apply for it. Ignore the urge to fit 100% of the qualifications. Studies show that men only look at and fulfill maybe 25% of them. 3. Getting a sponsor is more important than a mentor (IMO). A sponsor is someone who can speak to the quality of your work/work ethic and will go to bat for your during performance reviews or in landing your next project/gig. In essence, they are willing to risk their social & professional capital in order to increase yours. 4. In the majority of work team environments you may be the only black female. Be intentional in your decisions, speak up and never be afraid to make mistakes. That is how you will learn. Also, always have a goal that is targeted towards career growth that you are actively working towards. 5. Network, you’ll realize later how important connections are. (⬇️📝See the remaining tips in my comment section)

Programs are great. Checks are better. I want to see a thousand more black female founders get their ideas funded and then a thousand more. I would've never been able to start Healthy Roots Dollswithout receiving a grant from the Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University. Let's fund great ideas.

I used to make $67k a year and struggled to make ends meet, living paycheck to paycheck. Then, I discovered the power of changing industries and learning new skills. When I changed industries, I started making $115k and transformed my life. Now I own a company Tribaja.co, where we help busy adults access these skills to increase their earning potential. You can learn skills for free and apply them to your career or business. I’ve researched the top skills that you can learn for free so you don’t have to. Access my free list of in-demand skills and certifications through in the comments below ⬇️ . ✨ #CareerGrowth #TechSkills #UpskillNow #Tribaja #femaleceo #techcareer #womenintech #busyadult #adultlearner #phillytech #careerchange