Hello! I'm Sylvia

I know what it feels like to struggle in your career; spending countless sleepless nights wondering how you will earn a seat at the table. 

Years ago I was right where you are

Just like you, I wanted to advance to a role in which impactful strategic decisions where being made.

Here I was a woman, a person of color, and well, I will just say it, a bit too chubby; I called it the three strikes you are out of the game trifecta!

Let me paint you a picture (this is pre-social media proliferation)

Imagine the person I just described walking into an interview at a financial services firm, and as far as the eyes can see in any direction, there is not a single person of color and the men outnumber the women four to one.  The glass walls on the perimeter mark the management offices, all filled with, yes you guessed it, white men. You are quickly guided into the conference room where you will be interviewed, and you wait and wait for your interviewer. He finally arrives and quickly asks, "So, you are Sylvia Singleton?" My oral response was, yes sir, it is a pleasure to meet you.  But in my thoughts, my response was, "gotcha!"

William Shakespeare wrote, "What is in a name?" To that question, I answer, everything! I have my mother to thank for naming me Sylvia so I could get a good job someday, her words.  And I have my husband to thank for his family name, Singleton.  The impact my name has had on my career has been as the MasterCard commercials say, "priceless."  My name, plus the lack of my face plastered across social media platforms, was the primary reason why I had the opportunity to interview for positions which were not accessible to POC and, yes, even limited to women in general.

The door was opened because of my name, but it could have been quickly slammed in my face if I did not play the game just right. So what could I do?

Well, I would have about ninety seconds to strike, I call it, the KO Punch! 90 seconds to make this man forget the chubby, caramel colored, woman he saw before him and see the brilliant mind, charismatic, yet with killer instincts, businesswoman who would become his greatest asset.  If you do not believe it would take a KO punch, for a highly educated and credentialed woman like me to be giving a chance to prove my worth, you do not understand the plight of a POC.

What about my professional career, education, and credentials

I have had a distinguished professional career over the last 20+ years in which I held several key and leadership roles across several industry sectors.  I worked in the corporate sector in accounting and business management, in the public sector at CPA firms, in the wealth management industry as a Financial Advisor, and in academia as a Director of Graduate Programs. I hold two master degrees (Northeastern University and Bentley University), a Certified Public Accountant license, and a Master Personal Financial Planner Certificate.  Let's Connect on LinkedIn

Now that you have a glimpse of my background and the challenges I faced, you may be wondering how I was able to have such a remarkable career across various industries

It all started with the words of my father, which are ever-present in my mind, "Baby girl, when you walk into the room you should look like a lady but walk with the prowess of a man; take command of the room as if it is your universe to rule."  I understood my father's message to be, they will only let you play the game, or at least warm the bench, if they can see a reflection of themselves in you. While also being very careful to not make them feel challenged, hence, the look like a lady part of the message.  My father was a minister and I saw how we would deliver the word of God from the pulpit with such prowess but also with charisma, and grace; I learned from his example, and his words of wisdom have served me well.

But before I could put my father's advice to use, I had to eliminate all of the potential excuses that they could use to deny me an interview; I called it the POC gatekeeper rule book. I had to have the knowledge, skills, and credentials required for the roles I wanted.  Without these elements the doors would remain close since I had no "good old boys' club," friendships or nepotism to rely on for a shot to prove myself.  So, as you now know, I earned the degrees and credentials needed, but more importantly, I gained the knowledge and skills needed to earn the shot, and believe me it mattered. There were times when an interviewer asked me to take an impromptu exam to test my knowledge.  I would ask if it was normal procedure at the firm and the response was basically the same, we have just started implementing it, which of course meant, the test was just for me.  But I always scored a perfect score, so again it was a "gotcha" moment.

The last phase of infiltrating a world that was not welcoming to POC or women in leadership, is what I have deemed the Infiltrate, Disrupt, and Lead Ascension Plan; doing it all with Grace.  The Ascension Plan includes the strategies for seeking career advancement, the keys to success which I use to help countless students reach their career goals.