A professional development strategist urged students who are part of a Tulsa Regional Chamber initiative called Tulsa’s NextGEN Talent (TNT) to chase their passions. 

“Dreams are fleeting; motivation is fleeting,” Cordney McClain said. “Inspiration is eternal. Inspiration is going to keep you going.

“When it comes to professional acumen, resumes, interviews, being able to delve into white spaces, I am an expert in training people how to do that. Whether it’s an internship or whatever, I want you to be able to go into a space. Most spaces will not look like you.”

McClain, a Tulsan, was among several speakers who spoke to TNT on Friday. Backed by local employers, TNT pairs college-bound, Black high school students with local companies and organizations and provides three weeks of career exploration and experiential learning.

The program seeks to retain diverse talent for the Tulsa region and assist companies in expanding their diverse talent pipeline.

McClain, who also is an actor, performance poet and U.S. Army veteran, titled his presentation “Branding While Black.” He told his audience members to find out what makes them unique and be unafraid to enter a field crowded with competitors.

“A great example: walk down a bread aisle,” he said. “What do you see in a bread aisle? A whole bunch of different brands. So, whatever you want to do, there is a space for you to do it. 

“You don’t just want to be seen as great. You want to be seen as one of the very best options.” 

TNT’s morning session also featured Jonathan Long, the Chamber’s vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, who talked about how students can leverage their network for success. 

“You win this game by your network,” Long said. 

Making sure others are familiar with you is important, too, he said. 

“It’s not what you know; it’s not who you know,” Long said. “It’s who knows you.  

“If you know people who can help you, but they don’t know you, that doesn’t really help you, does it? As you think about the experience or the opportunity that you want to have, you have to think about who knows you that can help you get that opportunity.”

When networking, Long said it is helpful to set specific goals. 

“Don’t just say, ‘I’m going to walk in and walk around two times and then leave,’” he said. “Say, ‘I’m going to talk to three people.’ And afterward, make connections, which means follow up with the people.” 

TNT students heard from three other speakers during the afternoon session: Scott Robin, vice president, manager, community and employee engagement at BOK Financial; Nicole Monson Hines, senior vice president, equity and engagement, The Estee’ Lauder Companies, Inc.;and her husband, Michael Hines, a CISCO networking engineer/instructor from Maryland.