Today we’d like to introduce you to Aubrey Leatherman.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My whole life, I’ve had a passion for serving others. My metaphorical “cup” fills up when I’m helping my friends, family, and others in my community. That’s why I always found myself drawn to volunteering in my community, picking up every leadership position I could in high school/college, and doing anything for my friends at the drop of a hat. After receiving my business degree in marketing at Texas A&M, I took a typical 9-5 desk job with a prominent Houston energy company. But even after my first week of work, I felt like something was missing. I felt this hole in myself, that I wasn’t using my full potential. I began daydreaming at my desk about working for a non-profit, making a real difference in the lives of my community. I was scared though to take that leap of faith and completely change the course of my career — from for-profit life to non-profit life. After a year of daydreaming at my desk, I was laid off from my job. It came as a huge shock, but also a huge relief. Finally, the push I needed to really make the career change I had been dreaming of for the past year. While I was at my desk job, I had sparingly applied for jobs in the non-profit sector but nothing ever turned out. But now, I can devote my time unemployed to landing my first job to serve my community. For the next three months, I worked tirelessly, applying and interviewing for jobs, networking, and asking for advice from friends I knew in the field. All of my experiences during that time led me to my job offer from Heroes for Children, an organization that provides financial and social assistance to families with a child battling cancer. Over the next almost three years, I ran the Houston office, executing all fundraising events and managing various programs for these families. It brought me so much joy to help and develop relationships with these families that were going through the hardest times of their life. I finally felt like my career meant something. After my years at Heroes for Children, I took another leap of faith in my career and accepted an incredible opportunity with the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation. HFC gave me the foundation for my non-profit career and ability to help Houston families battling cancer. Now, I will be helping to raise the much-needed funds to improve the quality of lives through the power of literacy. As I continue to grow in my career, I look back and appreciate all the ups and downs that got me to where I am today.
Has it been a smooth road?
I like to see myself as a very positive, glass half full type of gal — but that doesn’t mean I don’t get discouraged and down. I think the biggest struggle in any career journey is keeping that focus on the end goal. It can be so easy to get down on yourself and want to give up on yourself after being laid off or rejected from a job. But, once you get a taste of hard work paying off, it makes those struggles a little more bearable. Of course, that’s easier to see in hindsight. Throughout my times of unemployment or job searching one thing that helped me the most was talking to others about my goals and asking their advice. I especially appreciated seeking the advice of other successful women in the non-profit field. The more we lean on each other and learn from each other, the better we can serve our communities. The non-profit field has an abundance of strong, driven, compassionate women. I’m constantly connecting myself with these women and learning from their journeys to better serve my own.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
My position with Heroes for Children allowed me to be a Jack of All Trades. I was able to acquire skills from administrative work to event planning to donor development, all the way to directly serving the community. This experience helped me to be the most well-rounded individual I could be. The largest focus in my non-profit career has been a fundraising event and donor relations. In these roles, I have the opportunity to work with a variety of people in the community. I rally these people to come together to raise money for the mission. Non-profit organizations are nothing without their staff and their community supporters. It truly takes a village. I pride myself on developing relationships with these incredible supporters and educating them on how important their support is. To me, my job isn’t just a job, it’s a calling and a duty. I believe my sincerity towards helping the organizations I am a part of allows me to create genuine bonds with my community and supporters. I feel privileged to have a career in helping others and making a difference!
What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
Like I mentioned earlier, the non-profit sector is filled with incredibly strong and inspiring women. I feel so lucky to be among these women. I’ve been in work environments though where female leadership was non-existent. It’s a completely different ball game in those instances. I felt that I was constantly having to prove myself in a way others were not expected to. Doing the job well was never enough it seemed, even if I was going above and beyond. On the flip side, I’ve been In an environment of all women employees. It was an incredibly empowering and encouraging place to work. As long as we can continue to encourage each other, we can break these barriers in the working world. I think at the start of our careers, and for our entire careers honestly, we should never stop learning. Always take advantage of any opportunity to meet with people in your industry to learn from their experiences. You’ll have a better world view if you learn from people with different backgrounds.
Contact Info:
- Email: mccu2692@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aubrey_leatherman/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aubrey.mccullar.9
Image Credit:
Quy Tran Photography, Dream Photo & Video
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