Category Archives: On The Rise

On the Rise: Sheryl A. Gauntlett

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Industry: Television

Hats:  Founder of Antoinette Productions/ Executive Assistant to Director, Stan Lathan on BET’s “Real Husbands of Hollywood”

School: Fairleigh Dickinson University

Major: BA, Communication, MA, Media and Professional Communications.

Sheryl A. Gauntlett

Sheryl A. Gauntlett

For many college students, the summer season is the perfect time for seizing internship opportunities. While a paid job has immediate, tangible benefits, an internship also hold the possibility for yielding positive, long-term outcomes. Whether you’re hoping to gain practical work experience before heading into the professional world, or a freshman looking to add work experience to your résumé, an internship is the perfect option.

For Sheryl Gauntlett, the summer season was strictly designated for internships; in fact, she spent every summer of her undergraduate and graduate career interning at various production companies in the Tri- State area. However, it was Sheryl’s third internship at The Martha Stewart Show that jump started her television production career. She was immediately hired at the end of her internship to become a freelance production assistant for the show and the rest was history. Read more on Sheryl’s internship journey below.

Tell me about your background.

I am currently the Executive Assistant to Director Stan Lathan on BET’s “Real Husbands of Hollywood.”  My interest in arts and entertainment started very young.  At the age of four, I was enrolled at The Princeton Ballet School. While in high school, I participated in plays and went as far as applying to acting school afterwards. However, I decided that coming to Fairleigh Dickinson University would be a better fit, because of the financial assistance, but also because of the commute to the city, giving me the opportunity to still audition and pursue my dreams. When you look at it, acting is ageless.  During my collegiate career at FDU, I fell in love with the production side of entertainment. That caused me to further look into internship opportunities during the summer. From being a receptionist, to being an assistant accountant, to being a travel coordinator, to doing talent coordinating, to being a production assistant, I have delved in a lot of responsibilities that have led me into a successful career track in the television industry.

What are some things that you’ve learned during an internship that has helped you in your career?

For me, it was learning the systematic nature of the industry.  Witnessing the behind-the-scenes work required to have a show was an eye opener for me. Also, learning about the sectors in television that I could go into was impressive.

My advice for anyone looking to be in the entertainment industry is to remember to budget every time you have a gig because everything is project based. Periodic unemployment is guaranteed within the earlier years of your career in television.

How do you keep in touch with your professional network?

It depends on how I met the person and the type of relationship I have with them. In the entertainment industry, during off season, it’s a great idea to set a time up, whether it’s lunch or a dinner, to catch up with your colleagues. Usually, during the conversation they will mention a project they are working on or whether or not their company is hiring. LinkedIn is another great tool that I use to keep in touch with my past co-workers. “Every job that I got was because of someone I met from the previous one.”

What are 3 tips you want to share with current interns?

1. Build a relationship with the entry-level employees.

If they have been there for a while, when it’s time to move up the ladder or leave the company, they might give you a heads up about an open position

2. Be on time and be available to help.

At times, when working an unpaid internship, many people tend to clock the least amount of hours and not volunteer for anything that is not in the job description. This approach is a common way to be unnoticed, and perhaps miss out on being considered for a full-time job opportunity. If you are passionate about your work and craft, pursue it and give it your all whether it is paid or not. This is the time to prove you can perform in the field. You want to work so hard that they wish they were paying you with something other than college credit

3. Remember to be gracious and courteous.

Quick story: on the last day of my internship, my co-workers and I baked cookies and made a yearly calendar with our pictures on it. At the time money was tight, so we wanted to be remembered but also wanted to show how much we appreciated the opportunity to work there. Our colleagues loved their personalized gifts. Within a few months of our internship ending and us graduating, each of us got a call to work for the company in some capacity.

If you were to write a letter to your younger self about being successful in your career, what would you say?

Truthfully, I don’t know what I would say. I wouldn’t want to change anything about my past professional experience. All the mistakes, decisions that I’ve made have led me to where I am now.

Stay connected with Sheryl

Website| LinkedIn| Twitter| Instagram

 

On the Rise: Akilah C. Thompson

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School: North Carolina A&T State University

Major: Bachelor of Science degrees in Accounting and Business Economics

Founder and CEO of ACT Inspires INC.

Akilah C. Thompson

Akilah C. Thompson

Have you ever thought, “What is my purpose in life? What is my passion? Where do I go from here?”
While many people struggle with these questions, few follow up on the sentiments behind them. This, however, was not the case for successful Deloitte Tax LLP manager, Akilah C.Thompson, who made her mark in the world of accounting at a very young age. After years of working in corporate America, Akilah threw in the towel, following a rotational trip to India. Akilah simply did not feel as if she was fulfilling her purpose. She walked away from a six figure job and a comfortable life, to embark on a journey to inspire “others” to unleash their BEAST and become their absolute BEST. Read more on her journey below.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I was raised in Long Island, NY and I left the area to pursue my Bachelors in Accounting & Business Economics at North Carolina A&T State University. After spending six years in corporate America as a Tax Accountant, I decided to pursue my other talents, and started my trademark company ACT Inspires Inc.

I am now an inspirational speaker, teen guru and certified life coach, which allows me to literally transform lives.  Under ACT, I aim to inspire people through speaking, acting, modeling, fitness and writing. I am also the Executive Director of  a nonprofit, Generations Inspired Inc, where we focus on empowering youth and young adults to achieve their fullest potential through innovative, interactive, informative, and inspirational programs. Under Generations Inspired, I created I AM BEAUTY which is an empowerment program for teen girls 11-18 years of age, which has now blossomed into six to ten week development boot camps, girl talks, coaching, and much more.

Where were you five months after graduating from North Carolina A&T State University?

I was a Tax associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where I had the opportunity to work with large entertainment clients such as Omnicom and Viacom providing them with corporate tax compliance services. During this time period I began volunteering on the New York National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) board. Under the supervision of NABA board member, Natara Holloway, who is now the Vice President of Consumer Products for the NFL, I created and spearheaded flagship NABA NY events such as “Meet the Firms” and “Reflect and Inspire.”

Let’s cut to the chase, what made you take the leap of faith, to leave corporate?

Honestly, I was at the point of my career where I was praying to get fired. I had totally lost the fire and desire to be constrained to my cubicle for some weeks almost 100 hours!  I would have dreams of wanting to get the call that it was my last day.  I normally strive to be an overachiever, so this feeling of almost wanting to fail was alarming and I knew it was time to move on. So I did.

Who helped you during your transition period, after leaving Deloitte?

One of my good friends Otwan, who had also left corporate America to start his own company, supported me in my decision. He told me “Akilah you’re talented, ambitious and you know how to network. You don’t need a 9-5. Do this… write down everything you know how to do well and research how much money you can make. Once you do that, I can assure you that you won’t feel like you need to ever work for anybody.  To this day that was the best advice anyone could have given me.

Tell me about your latest projects.

I will be partnering with Hempstead High School to have a girls summit titled  ”Keeping it 1000.” which we will discuss teen issues with a 1,000+  girls. Also, I have the “I am B.E.A.U.T.Y.” Girls Guide and a blog coming out this fall.

What does the phrase “My Freshman Year of Life” means to you?

It’s anytime you embark on new territory and have to learn the ropes all over again. It’s an adventurous time of exploration and self-discovery.  This is my third time being a freshman, first being a freshman in college, and then being a freshman in corporate America and now as an entrepreneur.

What advice do you have for people who are at jobs that they don’t like?

  1. Discover what gives you joy and satisfaction.  Passion will lead you to your purpose.
  2. Find out if you can use your passion where you are currently working.
  3. Do something about it! If you are working somewhere you hate ,  ultimately it will start effecting your psyche and confidence. Anytime you get to a place in life where being mediocre is cool, it’s time to go! Get to the heart of the matter and do something about it.

If you were to write a letter to your younger self about being an entrepreneur, what would it say?

Don’t be afraid to lose everything and everybody to gain everything and everybody.

Sincerely,

Akilah C. Thompson

Stay connected with Akilah

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter

On the Rise: Raven Robinson

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Industry: Public Relations

Hat: CEO of PR2Politics “The Firm that treats you Like a Candidate”

School: The City College of New York

Major:  Political Science

Raven Robinson

Raven Robinson

At the age of 23, Raven credits her determination to her hometown of South Bronx. It was through grassroots projects and volunteering for campaigns in her community that she was lead to her passion for both politics and public relations. To understand her hustle is to know this amazing woman’s story. With clients such as The Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention, Women Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN) and author of Epiphany Kendell, this PR maven is one whose name will be talked about for many years to come.Read more about her journey below.

Where were you five months after graduating from the City of College of New York?

I was a bit disappointed with how things were going. I had applied to every job you can think of, and I did not get a response back at all. However, when I realized that I wasn’t getting anywhere I started to look for opportunities and that meant asking for what I want. During that same time, I volunteered myself to a young lady who was running for Senate and did not have a Publicist. That’s when PR2Politics became my full-time job.

When did you create PR2Politics?

As President of the Public Relations Students Society of America (PRSSA) of my school, some of the e-board members requested that we kept up with the latest social media outlets, and twitter at the time was one of the must haves on the list.  It took me a quite a while to get acquainted with twitter, however, once I was there I wanted my name to be a brand, something that people could refer to when they needed PR advice. Pr2Politics was supposed to be my side gig, a place where I consult people while maintaining my “full-time” job. However, I’ve never imagined Pr2Politics being my career.

What does the phrase “My Freshman Year of Life” means to you?

My freshman year of life is the moment I became a self-starter and created my own opportunities, which meant doing something out of the norm. My freshman year of life took place the day after I graduated college, that was the wake up call for me. With all the internships I had throughout my college career, I literally thought that a job offer was waiting for me at the podium. That wasn’t the case. That’s when I realized I have to be a go getter to be successful in life.

Tell me about your latest projects?

I recently published my first workbook “Your Campaign: A Business Owner’s Guide to Understanding Public Relations: (Volume 1). It is a guide for those who don’t have any knowledge of PR and are looking to better their brand and their business’. I want to give people who can’t afford PR,  the tools necessary to promote themselves. Also, because I’m always looking for a way to better myself and my community this workbook is essentially my gift to the hood.

You’re the CEO of PR2Politics and a career advice writer for Sixincheshigher.com; how do you manage your time?

I work between 8 AM and  1 AM every day ( seven days a week) that’s the promise I made to myself when I started as an entrepreneur. It bothers me that we as humans we are always in a hurry to help someone else, but when it comes to ourselves we always procrastinate.

No matter how busy I might be, I make sure that I get to my bed by 1am. I use my time to do research, look for prospect clients, meditate, read my bible and attend meetings. With that being said, having a planner and a to-do list helps me organize my day.

When you’re not wearing your CEO hat, what do you do on your spare time?

I love to spend time with family, go out to eat and I attend Broadway shows.

What would you tell people who are unsure of which career path to follow?

Pray. If you’re not Christian, stay spiritually grounded. It can be tempting to do something that someone else is doing because they are successful at it. Not everyone has the same destiny; create your own path.

Also, I’m one of those who strongly encourages people to do everything, because you never know what will truly make you happy. However, it is best to work on 3 projects at a time, think of it as a college course. All skills are transferable.

If you were to write a letter to your younger self about being an entrepreneur, what would it say?

Dear 17-year-old Raven,

Save your money, all the items you spend your money on now (shoes,clothes etc.), won’t be worth a thing. As you grow wiser you’ll find out that saving even 10$ a month and having an investment account would’ve been beneficial to owning your business. Although you will be amazing, a little cash in the bank could have lessened some stress, but you’re a smart girl you’ll figure it out.

Sincerely,

Wiser Raven.

Stay connected with Raven

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter