Episode Eight: Racquel Oden and Toye Wigley, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Knowing when to pivot

While reflecting on their individual career journeys, Racquel and Toye offer examples of the conscious choices they made and why.

Racquel, who leads the Northeast region for Consumer and Wealth at JPMorgan Chase discusses the importance of being 110% prepared. She shares a story of when preparedness unexpectedly catalyzed the trajectory of her career.

Toye delivers marketing and public relations strategy for the firm’s Advancing Black Pathways initiative and makes the case for making strategic career moves even when the role offered may appear to be less than a perfect fit.

Mentors, sponsors and the importance of authenticity

In this episode, we explore why mentors and sponsors are critical to career success and what to expect from these critical relationships. We also learn how Toye previously struggled with authenticity and what ultimately helped her get comfortable bringing her whole self to work.   

Racquel shares a pet peeve with year-end performance reviews and explains why reviews done ineffectively could be the key to what is holding you back.

Talking about empowerment

Empowerment is a recurring theme in this episode and Racquel and Toye share advice on how to empower others as well as yourself.

For Toye, advocating on behalf of the black community is both her personal and professional passion. She points out that a majority of black women are the CFOs of their households and would benefit from financial education around planning, spending, saving and investing. She works to provide this information through the bank’s Advancing Black Pathways initiative.

When in need of moral support or a boost of confidence, remember your networks. Racquel touts the importance of tapping into the encouragement and guidance your colleagues, friends and family can provide.