Black History Month Interview Series

Meet Jamika Watson, Senior Executive Assistant to the COO & Founder, mPower at Mortgage Bankers Association

Jamika Watson started attending the ELS Forum in DC in 2018, and we were immediately drawn to her energy and passion for the role. We were so impressed by her contributions during the sessions, we invited her to participate on the Executive & EA Roundtable with her COO, Marcia Davies. Jamika entertained us all with unforgettable stories about owning up to your mistakes (remember that time she was a little too proactive?), how to align yourself and grow with your executive, and how to deal with stretch assignments you don’t like! During the discussion, we asked Marcia to share one thing that she’s learned from Jamika over their nine-year partnership. What came to mind immediately was resiliency. Jamika has grit and won’t let any obstacle stand in her way. For example, Jamika is a self-proclaimed email hoarder, and at the time of this interview, she had 25,492 emails in her inbox! But of course, she can find everything in seconds.

Let’s get to know Jamika!

Tell us some fun facts about yourself.

  • I am a mom of two boys (13 & 18) and two fur babies (2-year-old Rottweiler/ 4-year-old Havanese.)
  • I am the family executive assistant.
  • I am a social butterfly, which has helped me develop great personal and professional relationships. Never stop networking!
  • I love being a resource to everything and everyone.
  • I can talk about administrative life all day!

What do you LOVE about your role?

When I think of the absolute best thing I love about my role, I think of all the different people I get to work with. Working with people with different backgrounds, goals, professional levels, work styles, and personalities, I can feed my natural curiosity that makes me who I am. Most EAs are naturally curious to some degree, so to have the ability to immerse myself in projects and the ever-changing day-to-day of assistant life and finding out the Who, What, and Where makes me enjoy what I do.

Tell us about a defining moment in your personal and/or professional life.

A defining moment in my professional life was when I was asked if this was a job or a career. Before I answered, I took some time to think about it. I always knew that I could be good at “office work,” but I hadn’t crossed into the career path of it; I was just running in place.

Once I decided to choose to be an Assistant as a career, the path began to take shape, and it has been the best and most rewarding path ever since.

I believe if I wasn’t confronted with that question, I may have always treated this role as a “job” and would not have seen or experienced the many wonderful and sometimes crazy moments that Assistant life brings. And I love every minute of it! That question definitely defined where I was headed.

What are you most proud of in your career?

There are so many proud moments in my Assistant life, but currently, I am most proud of obtaining my Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) designation this past fall. It was both a personal and professional goal of mine that took me three years to complete. Sometimes, as assistants, we put others’ needs or time before our own (I think we all can relate to this in our personal and professional lives), but I finally decided to invest in myself. And yes, my managers, teammates, and family encouraged me all along the way, but when I finally decided to truly commit to my growth and future, it made me the most proud when it was completed.

What is the best career advice you’ve received? What is your favorite piece of advice to give?

The best career advice I received was:

Never stop learning; there is always someone in the room you can learn something from.

My favorite piece of advice is:

Be the expert in your field, operate as an Executive and you will be treated as an Executive. Stand Up and Stand Out.

At ELS, the role of the executive assistant has been described as the culture carrier. What are some of the pressures of having to be a culture carrier and a person of color that leaders don’t even realize?

As a culture carrier and a person of color, many challenges are faced constantly. As a Black woman in a role that, historically, was already seen as “low on the totem pole,” I have two strikes already and routinely have to prove the stereotypes wrong. When advocating for my executive, speaking up in a meeting, or managing the daily task, I have to prove my level of expertise more often than my counterparts, not make mistakes so my ability is not questioned, not sound aggressive to simply not seem “threatening.” Many times, my simple, “No, I do not agree,” would be interpreted as defensive or be ignored, when in reality I am advocating for the right decision to be made. Nevertheless, I have a commitment to myself, my executive, and the organization to always put our best interests first and to continue forward in reaching the goal.

To continuously strive to be seen as an equal teammate, whether it is because I am the only minority at the table, or because I am the only assistant in the room, will always be a priority of mine.

Is there a specific Black leader who inspires you? What do you admire about this individual and is there a quote you’d like to share?

“Now that I know better, I can do better.” -Maya Angelou

What do you want others to know or remember as they celebrate Black History Month?

There is more to Black History than the month of February, we must remember that the rich culture of our history is engrained in everything we do everyday.