Female Disruptors: Dr. Syreeta Bond Of Edgy Opulence Lifestyle On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Vanessa Morcom
…There is nothing wrong with making something better and there is nothing wrong with failing at it either. Some systems are in place because they just work best that way and that is cool. Really dig deep within the process and as soon as you see a bottleneck, that is your chance to pounce as the disruptor!
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, we had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Syreeta Bond.
Dr. Bond’s career spans 20 years as an in-demand expert in the project management industry, working with top-tier brands like Apple, Inc. and Barclays Bank. She has served as the VP of Technology for the PMI Los Angeles Chapter and the Assistant VP of Marketing for the PMI UAE Khaleeji Chapter in Dubai, as well as Chapter President for the National Society of Leadership and Success. Dr. Bond is the founder of Edgy Opulence Lifestyle Branding Co., shares her expertise through her IGTV series Syreeta’s Project Management Tips, and is a sought-after speaker and author with a new book coming in spring 2024.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I am someone who has always been a fighter for one. I take every negative situation or experience and turn it into a positive, motivating force. This drive for change, this drive for a better life, more positive impacts, more positive social change, led me to the career journey and business path I have today. I came from humble beginnings in Wilmington Delaware and now work as a consultant, advisor, fashion brand owner, speaker, author, and fashion sustainability advocate.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
Yes, I would love to! I disrupt in two segments, project management and sustainable fashion. As someone that is often the only woman of color in the project management space in tech, I choose to disrupt by showing up as my authentic self and bringing fire, wisdom, fearlessness, and passion into every project that I work on. I disrupt the fashion field by being one of few brands that is certified carbon neutral and offsets its carbon footprint, removes plastic from the ocean, and plants trees with every purchase on my website. We collaborate with trusted and respected disruptors EcoCart and Greenspark to make meaningful impacts on a global level. But I am not stopping there, I am on a mission to help fashion brands also become sustainable by combining my project management expertise and fashion knowledge and consulting small and large scale businesses on how they can also become sustainable brands. We disrupt by thinking futuristically, and that is technology and socially based. We are here to make those significant changes that are permanent, not temporary, not a fad or a trend, we are doing better business for the planet and for our customers. I have a saying for my fashion brand “We give a f*ck about the Earth and so should you”.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Wow I made the mistake of thinking I can just open my fashion business and the customers will flood in without any investment in marketing whatsoever. It was heartbreaking because I built this website from scratch, had tons of inventory, packaging, labels, fashion shows lined up, the works, and no clients. Ha! What I learned from that is if you build it they will NOT come. IF you invest in solid messaging and a key product or service and build from there, then you will have a ROI. I was so concerned about getting ready operationally but did not focus on how to actually get the target audience to my door. That is most important before you jump in.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
I worked with the SBA in the beginning through a business plan writing class offered with the YWCA in Delaware. They helped with funding and setting up all of the legal aspects of my business. My mother of course supported my creative ideas and actually gave me the inspiration to start my fashion business after asking her to help me sew a skirt that I couldn’t find in my size at the time.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
Honestly, I think being a disruptor is similar to publicity, all publicity is good publicity so all disruption is good disruption. It takes guts and grit to step into an industry that is usually stuck doing things a certain way and offer them a point of view to do things better or to make a change. We have been in those spaces where as soon as we say the word change, all hell breaks loose and people start to cringe. But there is beauty in that cringe! There is nothing wrong with making something better and there is nothing wrong with failing at it either. Some systems are in place because they just work best that way and that is cool. Really dig deep within the process and as soon as you see a bottleneck, that is your chance to pounce as the disruptor!
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
1. “If you are in the meeting, have something to say.” I remember being the shy girl with no confidence sharing ideas just to have my male counterpart give the same idea and it gets accepted. I remember being someone scared to death to say anything in meetings. As you grow in your career, be that fearless person in the room and ask questions, share ideas, and be vocal. That’s how you get noticed.
2. “Be consistent.” I remember my manager telling me that I am not consistent in my work. But what I think he really meant to say was that I was not consistent doing my best work. One project will go well and the next will be a flop. Where was the consistency? It wasn’t until I truly understood what passion and drive for results really meant that I began to put the same energy into all of my projects and the consistency became consistent.
3. “Advocate for your damn self” That is a piece from my upcoming book “Unleash Your Inner Bad Bitch” and I will tell you as a AfroLatina and Black women in tech and financial industries, I have been overlooked and underestimated for every promotion under the sun. I gave up. But then something said you know what, why let them win. When you tell me no, I am going to show you what a yes looks like. That comes from advocating for your own self in your personal development. Take those classes, get certified, create those opportunities for growth, especially when you don’t have managerial support.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
Ah yes with my next book, I am disrupting the tech space and Black women career growth spaces by sharing the ugly truth about my journey but also giving you hope and encouragement to keep going. I am working on more sustainable goals for my fashion business as well, expanding into more products and services in that space.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
We are ignored! The good ole’ boys club still exists which is sickening! Yes we made strides, but the numbers don’t lie, we are still underpaid, not promoted, not c-suite, not equal, and it just needs to end, period. Why are you doubting our capabilities when we are mothers, caregivers, and flat out Goddesses WITH our full time jobs?
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
Yes, my book of course was a bit triggering because as I was writing, I had to relive the moments and experiences that were hurtful. But as I was writing, it made me think of how I could have reacted a different way or I could have fought harder and then the fire rose. This work is going to help someone that is possibly going through the same thing and I refuse for them to feel alone. I don’t want to see another woman get hurt or hurt themselves because they feel like there is no way out of a situation.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
Yes, if I could gather every single fashion house, conglomerate, retail chain, boutique brand and have them all get aligned on making fashion more sustainable and less detrimental to the environment, I will do it! I want us all to do our part to get rid of those huge mountainous piles of clothes stuck in Africa. I want us all to do our part to remove the invasion of plastics and chemicals from our lakes and rivers. I want us to completely eradicate child labor and horrendous labor practices in India and Asia. We need to have a fashion summit and agreement to get on the ball.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite life lesson quote is a Puerto Rican proverb “El due no se embrace no se salva” which means those who don’t embark, don’t survive. This proverb is a constant reminder for me to take risks, embrace challenges, and overcome obstacles in every facet of my life. I have lived my life this way since childhood and I will keep doing so.
How can our readers follow you online?
Yes I am available on Instagram, X, and Threads as fashionablepmp. You can also connect with me on my business sites lipstickkillerscollection.com, edgyopulencebranding.world, and drsyreetabond.com.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Morcom is a millennial mom of three and founder of Morcom Media, a performance PR shop for thought leaders. She earned her degree in journalism and worked for Canada’s largest social enterprise. She can be reached at vanessa@morcom.media
