[00:00:00] Casey Harrison: Welcome to today's episode of See Yourself IN, where you'll learn about cool jobs, people and companies in Indiana. You'll hear about skills that will help you find success. And most importantly, we hope to inspire you to dream big. I'm Casey Harrison, your host. On today's show, we're going to dive into Indiana's advanced industries and why they're important.
We'll talk about skills that are transferable across jobs and industries and determine some of the best ways to start exploring these opportunities. So we're going to get into all of that and more on today's episode of See Yourself IN.
I'm here with Kristen Lampkin, director of Business Equity for Indy, who is also incredibly active in the community as a volunteer leader and the founder of two companies, HR Guru and co-founder of Black HR in Indy. Kristen is a vibrant leader, networking queen, and passionate about advancing equity today.
We're thrilled to have you on. See Yourself IN Kristen.
[00:01:07] Kristen Lampkin: Thank you so much, Casey. That intro, I need you with me all the time.
[00:01:10] Casey Harrison: I would love that. So, listeners, you're going to recognize pretty quickly that I know Kristen in real life, and I'm so incredibly excited for you to get to know her. And we're going to dive right in to today's episode. So, Kristen, Where are you from? Were you born in Indiana?
[00:01:25] Kristen Lampkin: So I wasn't born here. I was actually born in Evanston, Illinois, and I moved here at the age of 10. So I say I wasn't born, but I was raised here in Indiana.
[00:01:34] Casey Harrison: Okay. Why did your family choose Indiana?
[00:01:36] Kristen Lampkin: So unfortunately, my father passed away of a heart attack and my mom wanted to be closer to our family and so my grandmother lived here already and my aunt, who is my mom's oldest sister. So she wanted to be closer to family and thought that it'd be a great place for us to come.
[00:01:51] Casey Harrison: And it is, right?
[00:01:52] Kristen Lampkin: Yes. I love Indy. Love Indy.
[00:01:54] Casey Harrison: Yeah. Well, we're going to get to that and more, but I want to rewind back a little bit to when you were in high school. And when you were in high school, I want to know, were you thinking about life after graduation?
[00:02:04] Kristen Lampkin: So yes, I was. I, you know, I initially always thought I wanted to be a news anchor. And so that's why I did choose to go to Ball State for undergrad. One of the good things in high school is that I had a really good counselor that really took time. Well, I had two counselors, one that was my counselor and then one that just took heed to some young black talent and he really set time with us and told us the importance of networking. So my journey of networking, I tell people they see I do it really well, but. It started in high school. So he told us the importance of building relationships and networking and how that is essential in our careers and even in college.
And so I was, I've made that really a priority for myself. But then I said, I want to go to Ball State because they have one of the best telecommunications programs in the country. And so I, I chose Ball State because I thought I was going to be on the news.
[00:02:55] Casey Harrison: So you've got the skill of networking. You head off to Muncie, you get to Ball State, and do you stay in telecommunications?
[00:03:03] Kristen Lampkin: I do job shadowing, which was a game changer. So I tell anyone that is up and coming in trying to figure out what they want to do, that job shadows and internships help you really figure out what Truly you enjoy and so I shadowed Cheryl Parker who was on the news at the time and she was very honest She said my husband lives in another state. I miss most holidays with my family and everything she's telling me I'm like, this is not for Kristen. And so family is so important to me. It's one of my top priorities and so I thought about it and she told me about her salary when she first started as a reporter and I said well who's gonna pay for where am I gonna live?
I didn't have, you know, I wasn't fortunate enough to have my mom, they could just afford to pay for my place or apartment, but I knew I was very passionate about people, but I just knew that that probably wasn't the best direction. So I still stayed thinking, okay, well, maybe I'll look at radio sales. So I interned at Radio One, which was a great opportunity.
A lady named Kay Feeney-Caito was one of the people that took me under her wing and she was so kind. We were in the promotions and sales department and I'm a girly girl. She said, I'll make sure you stay inside with me. I'll have you do the things on the inside. You don't have to go put up the banners and things of that nature. We'll make sure you still get an experience.
But I realized that wasn't for me as well. And so that really helped me on my journey of thinking. What works and what doesn't work, I interned again at Enterprise Rent A Car, which taught me a lot of transferable skills because often people think because they may start somewhere that it won't help them later.
But I learned problem solving from that internship, networking, building relationships, and really being able to connect with people even when they are irate because they don't have the vehicle that they wanted at Enterprise Rent A Car. So that was very helpful for me and helping me figure out, okay, I do know people. Again, people was the synergy. So I ended up changing my major and my minor. I switched them. So my major became Communication Studies with a focus on interpersonal relationships. And I had an amazing professor. His name was Dr. Joe, and he was the dean at the time at Ball State over telecommunications but him and I just connected. He would always say, hey kiddo, I could see you being the first person that people see when they come to college, like parents and students or managing a hotel. And this was in 2009 when the recession was coming. . Yeah. And so I just didn't know. I was like, well, I don't know what I'm gonna do, but let me go apply.
And I applied for a job which was in the post-secondary, so it wasn't necessarily at a higher ed, but post-secondary school where I was able to get a lot of skill sets there and. gain a lot of experience and it was dealing with people and recruiting
[00:05:49] Casey Harrison: what I love about your journey. I don't know that we've ever talked about this, but my experience was similar, I had no idea what I wanted to do when I grew up. I just knew I wanted to like it. And I love how you describe almost the process of elimination of doing less of what you don't like on this journey to find where you might fit in in the corporate world, right?
[00:06:09] Kristen Lampkin: Yes.
[00:06:10] Casey Harrison: I think that's beautiful.
[00:06:11] Kristen Lampkin: Thank you.
[00:06:11] Casey Harrison: So you're getting these experiences you're at Ball State and getting ready to graduate from Ball State and you decide to stay in Indy.
[00:06:18] Kristen Lampkin: Yes. So my family ended up migrating here from Gary, Indiana and from Illinois. My aunts and uncles, so all of my grandmother's children, except for one lives here. And I have always loved Indy. There's so much beauty in Indy. There's so many opportunities. As I think about the people that helped cultivate me throughout my career, whether that was being part of Center for Leadership Development, going to North Central High School and the teachers and the staff there, and then going to Ball State. I knew that there was opportunities and I wanted to stay in Indy because I just love the city. I love the people. And I think that there is something very unique about Indy.
[00:06:57] Casey Harrison: Yeah. At what point in your career trajectory did you start spinning up your businesses? Because you also, outside of your role with the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership and Business Equity for Indy, you also own HR Guru and you're the co-founder of Black HR in Indy. So when did all of these companies start forming?
[00:07:17] Kristen Lampkin: So actually they started in 2020, which you would think like, wow, 2020 when COVID hit, is that a great time to start a business? But luckily the business services that I offer were needed because unfortunately a lot of people experience layoffs, job eliminations.
And so really in 2019, I was supposed to speak at a conference in Vegas where there was going to be over 9,000 people attending, and it was focused on the retail industry. And so my hairstylist said, well, Kristen, you need a website. And think about a service you can offer so then when people hear you speak, they can follow up.
So I literally worked with Brandon Wright, which is a local photographer here. He took my pictures, I made my own website, and I really networked with people that I knew already had their business and some of the things that they did well. And then I talked to my mentors and said, what can I do with my business that won't impact my nine to five?
Because I work and I have a responsibility for the work I do, and I've been working in HR and diversity, equity and inclusion for over 10 years, but I had to think about what could I do that doesn't take time away from my nine to five or my family, and so that's when I discovered to do LinkedIn and resumes and also speak as a global speaker on these topics, and that's really allowed me to be successful in having a business that allows me to do my passion and helping others and also having a career that does that as well. And then with black and HR Indy, that was really birthed through amazing man named Murdoch, um, Anthony Murdoch. He approached me and my business partner, Jalen Fisher and said, Hey, I noticed there's a lot of black HR professionals, but you all don't have a community.
You all should start the community. And that's how Black in HR Indy was developed. We have over a hundred members that are really trying to grow in HR or working in HR and we've been able to make impact. So I always say sometimes if it's, you don't have to move away because maybe something's not in your city. You can create that. And that's what we were able to do with Black in HR Indy.
[00:09:16] Casey Harrison: Well, it sounds like you didn't just create it, but you created it, and it's made a tremendous impact right here in indy.
[00:09:22] Kristen Lampkin: Yes. It's been great to see our members get job opportunities, get promoted, and just have a safe space to talk with someone that looks like them that may be experiencing some of the challenges.
And also be thought of when a job opportunity comes, several organizations across Indiana reach out to us to share job opportunities because they want to be intentional with finding diverse talent in the HR space.
[00:09:45] Casey Harrison: Well, I want to pivot a little bit because I think it makes a lot of sense because your side hustles, both of them align really closely with the work that you do through CICP and Business Equity for Indy. So talk to us a little bit about Business Equity for Indy or BEI and what you do as the director.
[00:10:02] Kristen Lampkin: Yes. So being the director of Business Equity for Indy, it's a great opportunity for organizations across central Indiana. to show their commitment to equity and truly looking at economic opportunities for black residents and people of color.
And so we're able to do that through three pillars, people, procurement and policy. And so I really focus on the people portion when it comes to the efforts of finding and attracting black talent and knowing what strategies and resources are out there to help companies across central Indiana identify that and have these free resources and for the free membership. I'm really proud that I'm able to do work that impacts the community that I'm part of, as well as impact companies to have a better understanding of what they can do as an employer.
[00:10:47] Casey Harrison: Oh, absolutely. What does it mean to be a black woman leading this equity work right here in your hometown?
[00:10:55] Kristen Lampkin: I won't get choked up about it, but it's really rewarding to know that I'm able to not just impact companies and understanding that, but I'm giving those women that look like me an opportunity too to be seen in a way that maybe they didn't before because organizations are thinking differently and moving differently and seeing them in a way that maybe they haven't been seen before.
And so that to me is once one of the most rewarding pieces of being able to do the work I do. I tell people I'm excited and sometimes there's challenges. That's with everything, but there's more excitement than anything.
[00:11:26] Casey Harrison: So when you were back in Muncie in college, could you have ever pictured creating companies and building a career right here in Indy?
[00:11:36] Kristen Lampkin: I always knew I loved Indy, so I never thought about living in another city or looking at another college. Because I knew that there was so many possibilities and opportunities from seeing others that were before me, as well as seeing even some of my peers that have been able to be successful. And so because there's so much beauty here that I couldn't see myself anywhere else.
[00:11:56] Casey Harrison: I guess I'm curious, as people listening are thinking about, you know, I'm interested in doing work That allows me to be at the intersection of not only things that propel my career and fulfill me, but also things that I'm passionate about. What would you say to them to start helping them figure out what steps they should take?
[00:12:15] Kristen Lampkin: I would say that it's really important to also and engaged in the city you're in. So sometimes people say, there's nothing to do in Indy. And I'm like, well, hold on, let me give you a list. What do you want to do? Are we doing arts? Are you looking at games? Are you looking at a nice restaurant? I think it's important to explore the city and see what type of organizations you can consider.
So the Indianapolis Urban League was a great resource for me and being part of their exchange, the Young Professionals, because I got exposed to different things that were going on in the city and then also being involved with IndySHRM, which is the local chapter for Society of Human Resource Management.
I knew that I wanted to propel and do stuff in HR, but being part of that organization got me to be able to see all the different sectors of HR. There's not just recruiting. There's not just benefits. There's so many areas. So I would encourage them to think about what are you passionate about? And then getting engaged and involved in organizations that are here locally that can help you get experience and exposure.
[00:13:13] Casey Harrison: No, I think that makes a lot of sense. And you've given some, some good next steps. Are there any other ways that you would encourage people listening to start plugging into Business Equity for Indy, HR Guru, or Black in HR indy?
[00:13:26] Kristen Lampkin: Yes, so definitely please connect with me. I would love to. I'm on LinkedIn, Kristen Lampkin. I post for all three things on there. LinkedIn is a really great tool as well to utilize, to find things going on in your city. My website's kristenlampkin.com. Make sure you visit businessequityindy.com and then blackinhrindy.com. So those are a lot of websites, but if you definitely go to my LinkedIn you'll find all of those resources in my featured section.
[00:13:53] Casey Harrison: Yeah. Well, it's important. We know where to plug in. Right. So I want to pivot a little bit now, because I think one of the things we haven't talked about that I know you're incredibly passionate about is personal brands. And so let's take a step back maybe. Can you define what is a personal brand and does everybody have or need one?
[00:14:10] Kristen Lampkin: Yes, so I love asking this question when I'm on a panel, if I'm speaking, if you have a personal brand, and you have one regardless if you want one or not. So when you come in the room, there's things people say to describe you.
There's things that people say when you're around and when you're not around. And so it's really important to think about how am I showing up. So one first step is looking at your core values. That helps you understand who you are and how you're able to show up in rooms. And we can adjust that and we have the space to evolve.
So I want to encourage all the young people in the room. So if you think about who you were your freshman year of high school, and then as you've evolved, maybe you're a junior. It's okay. If you made some mistakes, we all fall short, but know that you can change that through your personal brand, by marketing yourself through your resume, through your LinkedIn, and how you show up in rooms.
And so if you want to be someone that is known to have integrity and loyalty, you want to make sure that people are. feeling that when they're around you as well. And so I tell people it's really important to know that your personal brand consists of several things about you. So my personal brand is just not that I work at CICP and the director of BEI, but I'm also a mother. I'm also a wife. I'm also a business owner and those pieces make me who I am. And so that is your personal brand. But I want to give you the encouragement to know that we all have space to evolve and grow. And it's okay if we fall short. So give yourself grace and know that your personal brand is something that you can help control by being the energy that you want to be.
[00:15:40] Casey Harrison: Let's talk a little bit about if, if we have a personal brand or we've spent the time to really think about what our personal brand could be. How do we take that with us when we go to networking events or we go to job interviews or even if we just are applying or trying to connect with someone off of a cold email or LinkedIn application, like how do we actually take this personality that we've created and walk it out into the world.
[00:16:04] Kristen Lampkin: So I always say think about your elevator pitch, right? So, how do you introduce yourself to people? So one thing I tell people I'm a mix of Michelle Obama meets Winnie the Pooh The reason why I say that is because I'm very direct but I'm very inclusive and want people to feel connected because I know what it feels like to feel excluded. So think of something catchy that can make someone laugh when they first meet you and think about how do you describe yourself?
So that is one way that you can definitely keep your personal brand moving is by sharing here is who I am, what I do and what I want to be known for. And so when you step into a room at a networking event, it makes it easy that you know what you're going to say. And then also we have and now we can have a digital business card for people to connect with you so even if you're a person like going to networking events makes me anxious. So just think about two things you want to say to that individual. Have them scan your digital business card and then connect with them later if you're more of a one on one individual.
[00:17:00] Casey Harrison: I think this conversation is so interesting because what we're talking about in both the equity and in a lot of ways the HR spaces, those have become very transferable skills that we can all use and leverage, but we have to know how.
[00:17:14] Kristen Lampkin: Yes. Yes. And I think people often often think like, oh, I see a job description. I can't apply for this job because I don't have the skills. But things are so transferable in your personal and your professional life. Think about if you worked on a special project at school, like you have so many skills that are transferable, your collaborative, your teamwork, your listening, and those skills are essential for any job that you do. So I want you to encourage the audience to think about what are things that you do personally and professionally and don't think that something so small does not matter because it does and know that you can actually transfer into several different industries. Now, if you want to be a doctor, you do got to go further your education in that area, but there are skills that are transferable from when you may have worked at McDonald's that could take you to other industries and other job opportunities from those skill sets. So don't ever underestimate that.
[00:18:04] Casey Harrison: Well, and what we're learning through See Yourself IN is that you can want to work in the medical field and not have to be a doctor. Right? Or you can want to work in manufacturing and actually be part of the technology team that's working on robotics.
And so I think what we're learning is that there's so much opportunity, and it all really is dependent on those transferable skills.
[00:18:24] Kristen Lampkin: Agreed 100%. Going back to the medical field, my lash tech that I used to go to, she is now going to school for nursing and her skills from owning her own lash system and being able to build relationships with people and connecting and listening are going to make her a phenomenal caretaker for people in nursing. They are coming to get services at the medical facilities. So you're right. There are several skills. You don't have to necessarily have a degree to take you there. There is benefits in it, but there's so many transferable skills you can get from learning from others and other jobs and people that you meet that you can use to take you to the next level.
[00:18:58] Casey Harrison: Oh, without question. I want to go back a little bit. I know you've talked a lot about this equity work and the, and the importance of it, but what would you say to people listening that may be in positions or with companies that maybe it's not equity, but they're finding that the company doesn't quite fit for them, or maybe the value system doesn't quite match what they want to be doing. What advice would you give them?
[00:19:20] Kristen Lampkin: I would advise them to sit back and understand that we kind of control our destiny in a sense. If I'm working somewhere and it's not in alignment, I'm going to find an opportunity that allows me to do that. Now, I'm not going to leave without having another opportunity, but I'm going to really take heed to see. Okay what is stepping back and reflecting what is missing and having the conversation, giving my leader the opportunity to kind of address some of those things that may be, Hey, I'm looking for more professional development. Is there an opportunity for 2024 for me to get some development by attending conferences or workshops and sharing the things I want to focus on?
And if I don't have that support, there's several organizations here in central Indiana and Indiana in general that can help me be able to do that. So I tell people, encourage people that you first. to have the conversation because we're not mind readers, but then allowing people the opportunity to truly look and see what's out there, who are the top companies to work for and who's really focused on the things that I'm passionate about that align with my core values and my goals.
[00:20:20] Casey Harrison: Well, and I think it's worth saying there's so much opportunity here in Indy. And I think you're a testament to the fact that if you can't find that, maybe you can create that.
[00:20:30] Kristen Lampkin: Yes. That part. Yeah. I agree 100%. Thank you so much, Casey.
[00:20:35] Casey Harrison: Thank you for stopping by, Kristen.
We're so glad that you were able to join us today to learn about Indiana's advanced industries and how you can start or enhance your career journey.
Until next time, we hope that you'll be able to see yourself in the unlimited opportunities in Indiana.