Dedicated. Soulful. Rockstar. These are the first words that come to mind when I think about the man called John Mayer. I was already familiar with his debut Room for Squares but when I was 16, I was obsessed when he released Continuum. John Mayer spoke to my heart when I listened to his music. I thought he was soulful, gifted, and brilliant at his craft. Although I temporarily boycotted his music for a lengthy season after a memorable and disappointing Rolling Stone cover story I learned about, I eventually put it behind me and remained a fan. Despite his personal life, I can appreciate the amazing music he’s made. I really enjoyed his work Battle Studies, but to this day Continuum remains one of my favorites. It’s awesome from start to finish and worth checking out if you’ve never listened to it before. In fact, get a dose of Continuum here. He’s an artist you just can’t get out of your head. And his guitar skills? Legendary. Check him out sometime.
As you embark on your career, I want you to know some things and stay woke about what you’ll be up against. Please understand that no matter what, you have value, and you matter. Always remember that. As progressive as this world and different workplaces may seem, every workplace has a culture. You’ll be in different places where a lot of people who don’t look like you will be in the room. But know that you belong in those rooms too. Spend some time observing and studying those spaces and learn as much as you can. There will be people you work with who will make presumptions about your competence, education, and ability to fulfill your job duties. There will be more who will think less of you because of the color of your skin and try to disqualify you the moment you make an error, mistake, or ask questions about things you may not understand. This will all feel uncomfortable and you may get insecure, feel like you’re all by yourself, and think you don’t belong there, but ride it out...