Tiana Davis Kara is an advocate for the future female workforce, and the Executive Director for BUILT BY GIRLS. She oversees strategic direction and brand development for the social impact brand; furthering its mission to equip the next generation of female and non-binary tech leaders, builders and creators. We are so excited for her to speak at our upcoming conference, Get Money Get Paid, happening in Brooklyn on November 2nd. We sat down with Tiana where shared the best advice her mother ever shared with her and the moments in her career that she is most proud of.

What is the best money advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice I’ve received was from my mother. She told me that black women have to work 2-3x as hard to make it as far as our white peers. I thought she was crazy, but I still followed her guidance. “Don’t settle. Always outperform and overachieve.” Now as an adult, looking at the pay wage and opportunity gap and how black women are affected, I’m certain she was right. I’m not sure where I would be if I wasn’t mindful of her advice.

What’s a moment in your career that you’re really proud of?

Two moments stand out to me. 1) When I gave myself permission to step away from a job that was dissatisfying to discover what made me feel whole. 2)When I was promoted to the Executive Director role for BUILT BY GIRLS, an org that has had the same leadership for 5 years and was handed over to me by that leader/founder. Getting that promotion was proof that my decision to step away from an unfulfilling role wasn’t in vain and that often following your gut is the most rewarding thing you can do for yourself. 

Who is a woman you admire (living or dead)?

Toni Morrison – she was a stunning author who created because she wanted to see stories that only existed in her head, come to life. A quote from her will forever live with me. “You wanna fly, you’ve got to let go of the shit that weighs you down.” This is my mantra.

Learn more money advice from Tiana, and our other amazing speakers on November 2nd in Brooklyn. Grab your ticket before they sell out!