Woman of the Week

At Silver & Riley, our strongest value is supporting women. We do this in several ways, including our Buy 1, Give 5 program that awards 5% of revenue to women entrepreneurs. The women of the week series will highlight, celebrate and tell the story of the amazing women in our Silver & Riley community and their diverse career fields, while inspiring a community of women by showcasing what's possible. To be considered for a woman of the week feature, please email us at hello@silverandriley.com.

 

Week of February 13th - Kemi Adetiba

Critically acclaimed filmmaker, television director and music video director, Kemi Adetiba, is our woman of the week. While many may recognize her for her first feature film, the box-office hit The Wedding Party, Kemi has been blazing the trails in the media industry for well over a decade. We sat down with Kemi to discuss her career and some words of advice for those aspiring to have a career in media. 

Describe your career and what inspired you towards it?        
I’m a filmmaker right now, but this is just the latest evolution in a journey that’s included being an on-air-personality (radio & TV), being a DJ and music video director for many years prior. It’s a melting pot of so many elements, and phases, so if I could use film genres to describe my career, it would be an action-thriller with a mix of comedy, and lots of suspense – simply because there are so many pulse-racing moments, and I really do not know what’s going to happen next, till it actually happens.

I’m not quite sure what inspired me towards filmmaking,  as it’s been so long now. But I will say I’ve always been a director in my heart, from when I was a kid. Building stories and directing characters in my head was a constant thing when I was little. I had very low self-esteem growing up, so my imagination was my escape. In this fantasy world, I would build characters and manipulate them to do or say what I wanted them to. So I guess you could say my career is a natural progression from that.

"I’ve always been a director in my heart, from when I was a kid. My imagination was my escape"" 

What gets you most excited about your career? 
The ability to tell stories… It is such an honor. The gift and experience of seeing people react to MY FILMS… It’s mind-blowing and humbling at the same time. I know with every blood vessel in my body, I am in the career I was born to do. So it feels exciting and such a privilege to be able to wake up every day, and do this job I love so much, having every conviction that I am walking my true purpose. 

What motivates you? How do you balance it all?  
I’m not sure I’m balancing it all.. LOL, but I do the best I can. I try to take breaks in-between each project because each project has a life of its own and can be emotionally/physically/mentally draining. But I love my job, and my motivation is etching my name in history stones whenever one talks about NOLLYWOOD (Nigerian Cinema Industry) and its defining moments. 

What has been your biggest career lesson learned? 

"Do it Afraid” – Someone could look at my career and think I’ve taken every great opportunity that has come my way with great courage. But the reality is, even I have to pep talk myself into taking risks and making bold statements in my career. It’s very natural to feel anxious about your career and evolving in it, but don’t let it cripple you. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. The world won’t give you pass for being nervous to jump off the cliff and TRUST. The key is not being afraid to fail… I’m still learning this. 

"Biggest career lesson learned - Do it afraid"" 

What is particularly challenging about your career and how do you navigate through those obstacles?  
NOLLYWOOD is still growing and making great progress while doing so, so it’s understandable that our infrastructure is not as advanced as say, HOLLYWOOD. This however makes funding, hiring skilled hands (both talent and crew), getting choice locations, distribution, and so many other things, more difficult and expensive.

What advice would you give to someone considering your career field? 
Learn from the greats. Obsess over your favs and be inspired by their work… but make sure you find your own voice. 

"Learn from the greats. Obsess over your favs and be inspired by their work… but make sure you find your own voice." 

What is your favorite Silver & Riley product and why?         
The Convertible Executive leather bag!! I have it in olive green, and eyeing few other colors… Especially that croc red. LOL. It’s seamlessly transitions from cross-body playful, to – as the name says – Executive! It’s also one of those bags that would interest the younger or older woman.

 

 

 

Week of January 15th - Anya Bazzell

Family Medicine resident physician and style blogger Anya Bazzell is our woman of the week. We sat down with Anya to discuss her career and some words of advice for those aspiring to have a career in medicine. 

Describe your career and what inspired you towards it?        
I am a Family Medicine resident physician especially interested in Women's Health. After I complete my training this year, I will be specializing in obstetrics and outpatient gynecologic care. Growing up, my home included my parents,  brothers and my grandparents. I watched as my Mom and grandparents struggled to navigate the health care system with my grandparents' health issues in tow. I began to wonder how many more people who look like me face the same struggles. I do this for my community. I look forward to a career dedicated to ensuring Black Women have the health care, resources, and advocacy we deserve. If you have a healthy woman, you have a healthy family and, therefore, a healthy community. Enhancing the health of my community via impact on Black women is my overall goal. 

"If you have a healthy woman, you have a healthy family and, therefore, a healthy community."

 

What gets you most excited about your career? 
I'm most excited about the education I can provide to my patients. I love seeing my patients' aha moments in clinic. I love seeing how empowered they feel after learning more about their bodies and how to take care of them. It's a joy to celebrate my patients when they achieve their health care goals. There's nothing like it. I am also excited to develop a mentorship arm as a part of my practice. I have spoken to and helped so many students after sharing the academic challenges I faced in medical school. I look forward to creating a more streamlined way to assist students in similar circumstances, ultimately helping to create more doctors for our community. 

What motivates you? How do you balance it all?  
Achieving my goals definitely motivates me. I have set so many in and out of medicine and have worked tooth and nail to accomplish what I have. Those accomplishments make me want to go even harder. I am able to balance medicine and content creation because I truly enjoy both. It's a lot of work to foster a business during residency training, but with time management and passion, I am able to get things done! 

What has been your biggest career lesson learned? 

The biggest career lesson I've learned is that people are always watching. Some are cheering you on. Others are hoping you fail and/or trying to make you fail. You have to keep running your race. Baby, give them a show! You have to speak up for and advocate for yourself, never stopping short of your goal. And if you decide not to move forward with something, let it be because that's what you want; NOT because of what someone else said or did. Translation: Don't let nobody play in your face, especially not in the workplace.

What is particularly challenging about your career and how do you navigate through those obstacles?  
The racism my patients experience in various health care settings is especially hard to deal with. I am coming from an HBCU medical school where this dynamic was not really a consideration. Having to advocate for my patients, remind other providers of their humanity, manage their health care, and still learn as a physician in training is hard. Still, I will show up and do it every single day.

What advice would you give to someone considering your career field? 
Be clear on why you want to be a physician. The commitment, the hours, and the sacrifice are grueling. Know your why and remind yourself daily. Keep your blinders on and don't compare your path to anyone else's. More and more physicians have non-traditional paths now and that is more than ok. The only difference between those who don't and those who do is those who do...never give up. So make the decision you want this and never give up! I believe in YOU!

What is your favorite Silver & Riley product and why?         
The Convertible Executive Leather Bag in Olive Green is absolutely my fave! It's sleek, it's sexy, and it's so versatile. You can stunt while at brunch with your girls or in the airport on the way to your next destination. The bag is perfection. The color options go with everything. And I just saw the new mini version I may have to add to cart!

 

 

Week of December 4th - Chie Nicholson

 Wall Street veteran and Financial Markets leader Chie Nicholson is our woman of the week. We sat down with Chie to discuss her career and some words of advice for those aspiring to have a career in Capital Markets.

 

Describe your career and what inspired you towards it?        
I have spent most of my career in the Capital Markets space – more specifically working with businesses to develop and execute strategies around their foreign currency transactions. I have always enjoyed a face-paced environment and you can’t get much more fast paced than a market that changes by the second! I began my career on the trading side and am now on the sales side as Managing Director with Bannockburn Global Forex, a boutique foreign currency trading firm. I get to be out and about making new friends every day! 

What gets you most excited about your career? 
I love that nothing in our industry stays the same day-to-day. Economic news in Japan or Europe can directly affect a client I have in Chicago, and I enjoy being able to assist them in navigating that. The connections are what really makes my career fulfilling. I meet new people every day, many of which will be life-long friends.
 
What motivates you? How do you balance it all?  
Balancing can sometimes feel like a challenge, but my family definitely keeps me grounded. I have a wonderful husband, three beautiful children and two rambunctious pups. It can be difficult keeping it all together, especially when you begin to compare yourself to other moms and feel like you should be doing more. My kids seem to think I’m doing a decent job? Well, maybe not my teenagers, LOL.

What has been your biggest career lesson learned? 
Take chances! Wayne Gretzky summed it up well, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”. I think that is applicable not only in your career but life in general.

What is particularly challenging about your career and how do you navigate through those obstacles?  
My industry tends to be very male dominated. To keep some balance, I enjoy hosting events specifically for women, whether it be dinners, lunches, tea time or spa themed.

What advice would you give to someone considering your career field? 
Have fun! When you’re in a sales role, it is very obvious if you are enjoying yourself or just getting through your day. When you have fun and enjoy what you do, that can be contagious and attractive to potential clients. Also, find a best friend at work. Someone you can laugh with that will help get you through the tough days.

What is your favorite Silver & Riley product and why?         
Definitely the Convertible Executive Leather Bag in Olive Green. First off, the color! My initial thought was to go with black because I thought it would match everything. Lola convinced me to go with olive green and it turns out olive green goes with everything. Love, love the color! The “convertible” aspect is also a plus that  you typically don’t see in a work bag. Commuting in Chicago, I am able to use it at as backpack on my walk to the train and then turn it into a stylish shoulder bag for my networking event in the evening. Perfection!

 

 

Week of November 27th - Jerosyln Johnson

Dynamic Journalist and Host Jeroslyn Johnson is our woman of the week. We sat down with Jeroslyn to discuss her career and some words of advice for other aspiring journalists.

 

Describe your career and what inspired you towards it?        
I knew I wanted to work in media hosting from a young age. After watching Carson Daly on TRL and then watching 106th and Park, I was convinced that this was something I could do. From a young age, I’ve always volunteered to be at the forefront. I spoke at assemblies, hosted school talent shows and a number of radio shows throughout college. I stayed focused and never accepted the idea that my dreams weren’t meant to come true. I truly believed in that dream. 

What gets you most excited about your career?      
What gets me the most excited about my career is sharing news and information. I love discourse as well as being able to tell stories and enlighten others. It’s my natural passion and to be able to profit from my passion is a true blessing.
 
What motivates you? How do you balance it all?                  
What motivates me is my constant drive and determination to succeed. I believe it’s a natural characteristic of mine to strive for greatness. I believe in astrology and I am a Capricorn with the same birthday as LeBron James. From a young age, I took pride in education and being intelligent, witty and charismatic. My desire for what I deem as greatness is my daily motivating factor. I balance my busy days by waking up early and being mindful and present as I start my day. I like to meditate in the shower and exercise and meditate for a few more minutes before I turn on my computer. I’m on the go for the next five hours or so and then I make sure I enjoy some me time once I finish my work. Reminding myself to take deep breaths or just step outside (since I work remotely) also helps me get out of my head and remember to smile and be grateful because to live is a blessing in itself.

What has been your biggest career lesson learned?                    
The biggest career lesson I’ve learned is to trust the process because you’re always where you’re supposed to be. 

What is particularly challenging about your career and how do you navigate through those obstacles?  
The most challenging part of my career as a host and journalist are the last-minute demands or schedule changes. Even when you have your day planned out and expect it to go smoothly, you may get hit with additional work or requests that impacts your schedule. But I love what I do, so I’m never bothered by the challenges. I just go with the flow.

What advice would you give to someone considering your career field? 
I would advice anyone with desires to be a Journalist/Host to write and read and write some more. A solid writer will go far as a journalist, especially in entertainment. Often times, people aim to be in front of the camera but don’t want to do the work to tell the story in the written word. A writer who is comfortable on-screen and can also write is a lot more valuable to a company than someone who can’t write and just wants to host. Also, good writers are great speakers and writing helps improve vocabulary, which will aid you when doing on-camera work. 

What is your favorite Silver & Riley product and why?         
My favorite Silver & Riley product is, of course, the Convertible Leather Executive Bag. It’s a game-changer! So chic, has the look of luxury, and it’s resourceful. It’s every woman’s dream bag. 

 

 

Week of November 20th - Dr. Amira Ogunleye