#8: From Musician Touring the World to Sr. Director at Salesforce with Latrice Barnett

Career Hacker Secrets

Welcome to the sixth episode of the Career Hackers Secrets Podcast. Today we welcome Latrice Barnett. Latrice was once a band musician touring the world, and now she is a Senior Director at Salesforce in Silicon Valley. We'll get into the details of how she decided to completely change her life after 9/11 when she quit her very lucrative job to become a full-time musician.

Latrice learned a lot about becoming an artist, becoming comfortable on stage, and connecting with an audience. Then, utilizing these skills, she pivoted into a project management role in a creative agency and later into tech.

As always, we dig deep into the challenges and behind-the-scenes struggles. Latrice successfully transitioned from being a night owl to being back in a corporate setting, all while dealing with impostor syndrome and being a black woman in tech.

If you are looking to see how your current skills can help you pivot into a new opportunity in a top tech company from an incredibly different type of job or lifestyle, this episode is for you.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introducing Latrice Barnett

04:34 - Latrice’s background: Moving abroad, joining a band, and studying literature

07:10 - Coming back to the States, doing tech and quitting to being an artist full-time

11:02 - Pivoting into tech and project management: From landing an opportunity as a project manager and producer to joining Salesforce

14:13 - The most challenging part of transitioning from being a musician on the road to being in an office

15:16 - How did you approach landing interviews to break into different jobs? Understanding who your audience is and what do they want

17:12 - What skills did you feel you didn't have? Book smarts vs. experience, and having the freedom to fail

19:15 - Being open during the interviews process: The similarities between the music business and small businesses

21:04 - The experience at Salesforce so far: Carving out a place for yourself at a larger company

23:33 - What do you wish you would have known before getting into tech? The challenge of being a black woman in tech / The brainpower of many is more valuable than the brainpower of one

25:34 - Advice for coping with impostor syndrome: Listen to your gut and look for people who can help you

28:02 - Don't be afraid to reach out and connect with other people

29:44 - Where to find out more about Latrice

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