Jodie Taylor makes ambition look good. By day, she’s a corporate strategist, then after her 9 to 5, she’s a content creator and a trusted voice for women. Her followers are women who want the corner office one day with a great sense of style to match. While many of her videos offer tips on how to get ahead professionally, her platform isn’t just about career wins, it’s also about self-care, self-expression and creating connections that matter. Through her content, masterclasses, and captivating point of view, Taylor is demystifying professional access and advancement, and showing women of color how to move with intention.

If you want someone to help you dream bigger, you’ve come to the right person. Find out how Taylor launched her career, the best ways to succeed in a new workplace, and why investing in yourself is one of the smartest career moves you can make.

Can you give me an overview of your career and how you transitioned into content creation?

Jodie Taylor: Absolutely. My first job out of undergrad was at a nonprofit called Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO). We helped students of color get into banking and private equity. That role was rooted in my passion for equity and access; growing up, I didn’t see many people who looked like me in certain spaces, and I remember how isolating that felt. I wanted others to feel seen and supported.

Working at SEO was powerful because I saw firsthand how small pieces of knowledge could dramatically impact a young person’s life. One student might wear the right suit, say the right thing, and walk out with a $200,000 job offer at 21. Another might miss the mark and return home with a very different outcome. That really stuck with me.

From there, I continued working in DEI across various spaces; tech, the Federal Reserve, startups. Throughout, I realized that equity often just comes down to access to information. Knowing how to introduce yourself, how to pitch, how to network — that’s the game-changer.

That’s what inspired me to start creating content. I didn’t like how all this knowledge was siloed in elite circles. I wanted to democratize it. Everyone should know how to join a board, how to negotiate, how to network, so I started sharing that through content.

@jodiektay How to find your zone of genius #jodiesgems #careertok #zoneofgenius ♬ original sound – Jodie

What’s your unique point of view as a content creator?

I think of it like this: everyone should have a unique value proposition. When I was exploring content, I noticed some women focused on career, others on lifestyle or beauty — but rarely all three. I wanted to be the go-to for the multidimensional woman.

If you’re climbing the corporate ladder and want to build a capsule wardrobe, fly to the South of France, and sit on a board, I’m your girl. You don’t need to follow five different people to get that, just me.

Who is your audience?

My core audience is women aged 23 to 35 who are focused on building beautiful, intentional lives. They may be in corporate roles, entrepreneurship, or even stay-at-home moms — but they care about designing lives with purpose.

They want to look good, feel good, work out, build relationships, and thrive professionally. A lot of them are coastal women and women of color who are go-getters, just like me.

How do you juggle your 9-to-5 with content creation?

Let me be real — I don’t always juggle it perfectly. That’s the gag! But I try to make them synergistic, not competitive. Sometimes a work conversation turns into a content idea. I’ve had entire content series come out of things I’ve learned at work.

When I go to brand dinners, I’ll invite a mentor from work to join, it’s all about overlap. But I also accept that I won’t be a 10/10 at everything all the time. Some days I’m not the best friend, or I miss a content deadline. I’ve learned to give myself grace.

I also delegate. I have a chief of staff, personal assistants, and I hire help when I can. Women, especially Black women, need to learn how to delegate and ask for help. You can’t do it all alone.

What advice would you give to women of color starting their careers in NYC?

Observation is everything. Every company has its own culture, and your job is to figure out what’s valued. Is it long hours? Is it relationships? Is it technical skill? Learn what your workplace cares about and adapt.

When I started my first job, I thought “9-to-5” meant showing up at 9. Everyone else was already there by 7:30 am! I just hadn’t paid attention. That experience taught me the importance of watching and learning quietly.

Also, if you’re new to a city or early in your career, use this time to fail fast and smart. Try things, figure out what lights you up, what environments you thrive in, and what you want no part of. The earlier you learn these things, the better decisions you’ll make later on.

@jodiektay GET OUT YOUR NOTEBOOKS! Here is your roadmap to be FINE AF in three phases – starting with Phase I. @Cetaphil @Neutrogena @Youth To The People @Tatcha @Paula’s Choice @SkinCeuticals @Kiehl's Since 1851 @Tower 28 Beauty ♬ original sound – Jodie

You talk a lot about investing in yourself. Why is that so important?

Because how you see yourself is how life will treat you. There’s science behind it — your perception literally changes how you engage with the world. If I assume you don’t like me, I’ll act differently than if I assume we’re vibing. That changes opportunities, relationships, everything.

When you invest in yourself, you’re telling the world you’re worth it. Life responds to that. People treat you differently. Doors open.

My three pillars for self-investment are physical, social, and career:

• Physical: Capsule wardrobes, Pilates, skincare, surgery if you want it, whatever makes you feel good in your body.
• Social: Build your board of directors. Have mentors and sponsors. Join a junior board if you can.
• Career: Get a coach. Learn how to budget. Start a side hustle. Figure out how to make money passively.

Is content creation your only side hustle?

It’s one of many! I’ve also done diversity consulting and created a masterclass for women who want to elevate their lives. And I invest — every paycheck goes straight into the stock market. Not a side hustle per se, but definitely income-generating.

Favorite stock?

My equity from Google. Best investment I’ve ever made!

You’re Jamaican, any favorite island girl beauty tips?

So many! One I love is Vapor Rub or Vaseline with Saran wrap around your waist — it’s like a DIY lymphatic massage before a photo shoot. We also steamed our faces every Sunday with boiling water, then used ice to close the pores. My mom was into egg white face masks, and there’s a bitter herbal tea called “cerasee” we drank for everything.

What’s next for you in 2025?

I’m keeping myself open, that’s the beauty of this moment. I’m continuing my masterclass and content creation, and I hope to build more in-person connections, maybe do some meetups. I’d love to do a podcast as well.

How does your masterclass work?

It’s a three-month virtual program open to women around the world. We focus on the same pillars — physical, social, career — with weekly homework and a final project. I bring in experts: stylists, career coaches, VCs. The goal is to help women gain clarity and act on it.

In my first cohort of 12 women, three launched businesses and two were promoted, all within 12 weeks. And the community is incredible — they’re friends now. They go shopping, support each other’s businesses, the whole thing.

I’m planning to double the next cohort to 25 to 30 women and eventually expand to hundreds.

Follow Jodie Taylor on Instagram or TikTok