During November and December, the FCS Young Members Circle (YMC) presented a three-part virtual event series: "Your Future At Work." In collaboration with exclusive programming partner Forbes, the YMC explored the challenges we faced as marketers in 2020, and the ways in which we work, where we work, and how we work will continue to evolve in 2021.

READ FORBES' RECAP HERE

The first event in the series, Improving Diversity in the Workplace and in Marketing, featuring Nikki Darden, Head of Global Marketing Integration, Citi; Justin Grant, VP Corporate Communications, JPMorgan Chase; James White, Head of D&I, Lord Abbett; and Chardia Christophe-Garcia, Executive Director, Audience and Community Marketing, Forbes, explored how financial brands are finding meaningful ways to create environments of inclusion. View the replay here.

Key takeaways included:

• Culture cannot evolve if it’s not built into a company’s values and business strategy. If a brand wants to successfully build D&I into its DNA, a structural change is needed. However, you don’t always have to start big to affect and achieve organizational changes.
• We often think, “I’m going to go outside the box to find the right people,” when we approach recruiting and hiring talent, but then put these individuals into the same box. It’s the box that needs to change.
• Your differences are your superpowers. We typically don’t meaningfully tap into the things that make us uniquely us, and instead blend into the background. Use your unique energy in a positive way – don’t be afraid to show your superpowers.
• Diversity work is personal – establishing trust and empathy with your colleagues and audiences when working on diversity and inclusion initiatives will help you succeed.

The second event in the series, Financial Marketing’s Future in a Post-Pandemic World, featuring Leonor Palao, VP Brand, J.P. Morgan Asset Management; Vanessa Romann, Chief Growth Officer & Managing Director, Havas; Luigi Laredo, Director of Digital Marketing, Royce Investment Partners; and Sadé Muhammad, Director, Representation & Inclusion Partnerships, Forbes, explored the shifts marketers have made to reach consumers during a global crisis. You can watch the replay here.

The main points from the conversation included:

• The pandemic has allowed brands to take a step back, slow down, and look at what truly hasn’t worked before. It’s given marketers time to pause and connect more humanely to not only their audiences, but also each other. This reset is allowing financial marketers to grow and learn as individuals, and giving companies the opportunity to start a new, more thoughtful trajectory.
• During uncertain and volatile times, consumers crave information and look to brands for guidance and insight. Listening to your audience, gathering data, and doing research is extremely important and will allow consumer-facing messaging to be timelier and more relevant.
• Brands need to be anticipatory, not just adaptive. Consumers want – and need – brands to think three steps ahead, especially in an emotional category like finance.

The last event in the series, Navigating Your Career During Times of Uncertainty, featuring Jim Frawley, CEO and Founder, Bellwether; Tom Jago, Managing Director, The Ward Group; Winnie Sun, Managing Director and Founding Partner, Sun Group Wealth Partners; and Rashaad Denzel, Project Manager, Content Partnerships, Forbes, explored strategies for navigating career paths during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. You can watch the full replay here.

Key discussion points included:

• When things seem challenging in your career or job, remember you do have control. During unexpected macro changes, it’s important to look at the micro changes that you can make in the moment. Little steps, though they may seem small, make a big impact.
• The most important thing you can do right now – no matter where you are in your career –  is to continue to network, even in a virtual world, and your network is not just people you meet at work. Your next job will likely come from your network – you get leads from the people you know when you least expect it.
• Whether you work at a large company, a small company, or have your own company, you have to build your personal brand –  it will open you up to new opportunities. If you are looking for a place to start, include a brief summary of what you can offer to others on your LinkedIn profile and/or resume. However, make sure the brand you build is true to who you are. The more you make yourself known, the more opportunities people can and will bring to you. Some of the best opportunities are the ones that find you, and not where you have to find them.