In this edition of Nav.igator Spotlight, we spoke to Francisca Posada-Brown who is part of the WPP Fellowship, a three-year leadership program designed to give fellows experience across a range of marketing disciplines. For her that means working in a range of locations, which you better believe means she is nav.ing different money mindsets along the way.
Right now she is working as a Talent Manager at Essence in New York, a role that describes as fulfilling her daily purpose of empowering others to be their best.
Tell us about your journey as a WPP Fellow.
Being a Fellow has given me the opportunity to work across three different disciplines in three different countries: brand strategy in London, client management in Singapore, and talent management in New York. The process of navigating constant change, immersing myself in new cultures, and building relationships with a diverse mix of people makes for an inimitable learning experience!
What is your current focus as Talent Manager at Essence?
At Essence so far, I’ve been looking at specific parts of the talent experience (e.g., how people are onboarded, what their career development looks like, how they learn), to gain a sense of what’s working well and where we can improve. Moving forward, I’ll mainly be focusing on diversity and inclusion at Essence; thinking about how to ensure we welcome and celebrate difference, and have a culture where everyone can find a place to belong.
Have you dealt with any boys clubs while nav.ing your career?
I’ve been very lucky to have supportive peers and mentors throughout my life. That said, I know a few of my managers have had difficulty navigating boys clubs throughout their careers in tech and media: from not being taken seriously because of their age and/or gender, to suffering outright bullying in the workplace.
I think that actually made them more determined to break that cycle and empower those, including me, on their own teams. I’m grateful that I’ve been surrounded by people who have given me confidence, and my goal is to do the same for others in their careers.
What are your top pieces of advice for young women who want to make #bossmoves in their careers?
I would sum up my advice as: help others, ask for help, and thank those who help you.
In more detail, this means the following:
Help others: Say yes! Think of helping people as an opportunity to learn, build trust, and strengthen relationships. If you don’t think you can help, make the effort to connect the person with other people and resources that might be helpful. You never know what opportunities might result from this later down the line.
Ask for help: Don’t go it alone! It might mean asking for a quick chat with someone you don’t know, asking for feedback from honest friends and colleagues, or asking someone with experience to help you navigate something new.
Thank those who help you: Show gratitude! By thanking someone, you are not only strengthening relationships, but you are building resilience because resilience is built on gratitude. A “thank you” email doesn’t take long and can go a long way.
How do you think about your financial health?
I think of my financial health in the same way that I think of my physical and mental health: being healthy is about being thoughtful and disciplined, but not hyper-controlled.
I like to exercise and eat healthily, I like to practice being mindful, and I like to think about how best to manage my finances – but you won’t find me on a rigid diet and exercise regime, or obsessing over every financial decision. Balance is everything!
More specifically on financial health, I like the 50/30/20 rule: the simple idea of spending 50 percent of what you earn on needs (rent, utilities, etc.), 30 percent on wants (entertainment, restaurants etc.) and 20 percent on savings and investments.
It’s a good guide, but I also think the ratio evolves according to where you are in your life. For example, when I was living in Singapore, low tax rates and cost of living meant that I could easily make an effort to save and invest more. Living in New York is a totally new (and expensive!) experience, so I’m focusing on enjoying it and being a bit more relaxed about finances.
What’s your best #moneymove?
Listening to people who know more about money than I do! It means I’ve made investments sooner and hopefully have built a healthy financial mindset.
What’s something you still don’t understand about money?
A lot of things! Stock market moves (Nav.it has a guide on the market and weekly recaps!), cryptocurrency, how the US pension system works…there’s a lot to learn!
What is your 2020 money mindset?
My 2020 money mindset is to enjoy the present, whilst not losing sight of long-term financial goals.
We’re changing the narrative around money but change can’t happen with a one-sided conversation. That’s why we’re excited to bring different voices and experts to share their wisdom. Send us an email and let us know what you think. And remember the nav.it money app offers you free tools for checking in and managing your money moves. You can download it at Google Play and the Apple Store.
