Imani Frierson, M.A.

I attribute my success to perseverance and having strong female role models in my life. I was raised by women, particularly single mothers, who showed me that we are capable of anything we want. Success looks different for everybody, but these women made their dreams come true and worked hard for everything they had. I've never been shown an example otherwise - if I wanted it and I set my mind to it, I deserved it and I could achieve it. They weren't necessarily all directors or in big leadership roles, but they were people who demonstrated that with hard work and determination, you can accomplish your goals. I'm very grateful for having that kind of leadership and those examples throughout my life.

The most impactful career advice I've received came from the strong women who raised me. I was told to continue to show up and meet doubt with excellence. I've learned that I'll be in rooms where I earned my seat at the table, and yet I might still feel like people don't respect me for it. But the advice was to let my work speak for itself, because that is undeniable. This is what motivates me even when things get hard and I face adversities. I remind myself that my work speaks for itself, and I speak for myself as well. There are times when you need to advocate for yourself, but your excellence and outstanding work performance is what you meet that doubt with. That's been the guiding principle that has helped me navigate challenges in the workplace.

My advice to young women entering this industry is don't doubt your capabilities. Trust that you earned your role and your position because they saw what talent, what education, and what experience you have. Doors open for you because you deserve for those doors to be opened, so walk through them confidently. Every day is not going to be easy, and there are times when your voice may not be wholly respected, but as long as it is heard and you keep speaking up and showing up, that is what matters most. Self-doubt is always going to creep in, but remind yourself that you would not be here if you didn't deserve it. You have the capabilities, the education, and the experience that got you to where you are, so trust in that and don't let anyone make you question your worth or your place at the table.

One of the biggest challenges in my field, especially on the financial accountability side, is that sometimes there are pieces to the puzzle that you may not be fully privy to. You'll be aware that something's missing and something is not making sense, but what you can do is ensure that you dot your I's and cross your T's. The challenge is being confident in knowing that certain things are outside of your control, but you control what is within your power. Another significant challenge is that there are not a lot of women, especially younger women, in the finance world right now. On top of that, as a Black woman, I don't see a lot of Black women in my role or similar roles. That can be intimidating at times, but it says nothing to your ability, experience, or capability of doing your job. The opportunity here is that by meeting that doubt with excellence, you help crack open a door for more women that look like you, or don't look like you, to come into that space - people of other genders as well. The goal is to make it a more diverse representation, because historically, finance has been more of a white male-dominated field.

The values most important to me are integrity, honesty, and a level of selflessness. I always tie myself to work that is meaningful and impactful to human beings - it's always been related in some capacity to social work. These values are what guide me in my current role working with the unhoused population. I believe that we can disagree on how we get to the final destination, but as long as we keep honesty and integrity in there, we can figure it out. Those principles are what matter most to me in both my professional and personal life, and they're what allow me to do work that truly makes a difference in people's lives.