Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittny Ferguson.
Brittny, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was actually born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, which is a very diverse community in the heart of the Midwest. Growing up in a small town like KC allowed me to experience very humble beginnings which will forever keep me grounded. To this day, I still acknowledge my elders in passing as my grandparents instructed me to and speak with a “country twang” that never quite seems to escape me. I now reside with my family in San Diego, CA, and I would say that never being scared to write a new chapter is what I attribute most to where I am today. My core values consist of family, faith, community, growth, meaningful work, and inspiration, so every decision and choice that I make in life is always centered around that. With family being at the top of that list, I decided to start my own after graduating from The University of Missouri-Kansas City with my Bachelor’s Degree and had my beautiful daughter and greatest inspiration Mykel Michele. I then decided to make another life change and relocated to California shortly after her first birthday. While I initially aspired to establish a career as a Broadcast Journalist, the Finance/Banking Industry proved to be a bit more feasible for a new mom starting off on a new career path.
Now almost 16 years later, I’m an Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager for U.S. Bank by day, and the Founder of Once Upon Her Life by calling. In that regard, I see myself as a “Parallel-prenuer” based on having a 9-5 while simultaneously owning my own business. One of the things that I love most about my career is that it affords me the work-life balance needed to give back to my community through volunteerism and philanthropy. During this timeframe, I also decided to transition back into school to further my skill set and education, so I obtained my MBA with a specialization in Organizational Leadership from the Forbes School of Business and Technology at the University of Arizona Global Campus as a working professional. I honestly love being able to help others succeed financially while also helping to meet my community’s total financial needs. One thing that I discovered by working at large, professional organizations and corporations is that in many cases, they have the capacity to make a bigger impact where needed in our local communities. I am able to bring my passion for giving back into my 9-5 each day because I made sure that the company I work for also embodies the same vision and values that I do, especially as it relates to social responsibility and community development.
One of the most impactful lessons that I’ve learned over time is that I could also utilize the proceeds from my career to help fund my bigger dream of inspiring others to follow in my own footsteps. It’s never too late to write chapter 1, 2, or 3 of a new life story as long as you don’t allow fear or a lack of discipline to hold you back from reaching your full potential. My company Once Upon Her Life and my book, Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself provide beneficial tools and guidance to help bring a person’s personal, professional and financial goals into fruition. Owning my own business for the past few years and writing my book has truly been life-changing for me! The biggest highlight by far is when my clients reach out to me to express their appreciation for the impact, abundance, and growth that I helped to create in their lives. I don’t think there’s any greater gift than serving others, so being able to do that with something that started as a simple vision is honestly priceless. I also received the honor of being recognized as one of San Diego’s Top 40 Business Leaders Under 40 by the San Diego Business Journal in 2019 based on the things that I have been able to accomplish through Once Upon Her Life, so that showcased to me that my work is both meaningful and necessary in my community. More importantly, the fact that my life’s work up to this point is in complete alignment with my core values makes it that much more meaningful and fulfilling to me personally.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s definitely been a journey, but one motto that consistently stays with me is that you should always seek to grow through what you go through. Based on that, I try to view every setback as an opportunity to learn and grow. As an example, being a single, working mom for a few years in my early twenties showed me that I had the ability to persevere past both my perceived and unperceived limits on my own. As an African American businesswoman working in Corporate America, I was also able to overcome many traditional barriers and a few glass ceilings by never forgetting my worth and honestly just doing the work that many refuse to do. Having a work ethic grounded in discipline and focusing on outdoing myself vs. the next man or woman has always helped me to remain successful on my own terms.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve been an Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager with U.S. Bank for two and a half years, but I’ve had a career in Banking and Finance for over 16 years. My overall objective in my current role is to help our customers succeed financially, inspire and lead my team to reach their greatest professional potential and cultivate meaningful relationships as a leader within my community. I think what I love most about my career at U.S. Bank is that we truly strive to make community possible. I am able to take advantage of numerous opportunities afforded to me on behalf of the bank to volunteer, give back and serve others. Based on that being a passion of mine, I would say that I’m most known for is my consistent effort to show up for others through community service, along with my commitment to civic leadership and social responsibility. I always say that if we aren’t here to serve others, then what on Earth are we here for? My commitment to my community is not a choice – it’s truly my responsibility and privilege. None of us were put here to do life alone, so I actively volunteer with numerous non-profit organizations and currently serve as a Board Member with Junior Achievement’s Young Executive Society, the Show Me Shoes Foundation and K.I.D.Z. Just Wanna Have Fun.
Under the Show Me Shoes Foundation, I am also the San Diego Director for Prom Project, which sponsors local high school students who aren’t able to afford the expenses of prom. I am also the Volunteer Coordinator for the U.S. Bank San Diego Market Coastal District and serve as a Board Member for the U.S. Bank Virtual African American Business Resource Group (BRG) and the San Diego Employee Development Network. In addition, I am an active member of the U.S. Bank Women, the Spectrum LGBTQ BRG and the Native American BRG. Based on my efforts, I was honored to receive the 2020 U.S. Bank Top Volunteer Award in the San Diego Market and was selected as the highlighted employee for the U.S. Bank Employee Giving Campaign in 2019 based on having over 300 recorded volunteer hours. I think what I’m most proud of was being featured in a promotional video based on my volunteer efforts alongside our CEO Andrew Cecere last year. What makes me the happiest about such an honor is when my peers or employees express to me that I’ve sparked a desire within them to also volunteer and pay it forward in some capacity -especially this year. While I haven’t been able to volunteer as much due to COVID-19 restrictions, it felt good to know that people still wanted to help support the things that I was able to participate in (i.e. providing first responders and essential workers with lunch from local small businesses, helping military families with drive-thru farmer’s markets and providing virtual financial literacy classes to students, etc).
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Well, I’d honestly have to say that I do believe luck plays a part in all of our lives because not all of us are given the same chances or equalized opportunities at the same time to help create the life that we desire. Some people don’t believe that luck plays a part in success at all, but I honestly can’t completely discredit the concept. The circumstances that we are born into (both good and bad) can 100% affect our opportunities from the very beginning of our lives and inevitably put us in a better position to succeed. Irrespective of this fact, I wholeheartedly believe that you still need the skillset, persistence, dedication and awareness to fully capitalize on those said opportunities. Luck can become somewhat of a crutch if you’re not careful because it isn’t an edge in my opinion; it’s not what pushes me to think critically or to stretch my inner creativity or to stay up until 4am in pursuit of another degree when I have a bank to open at 8am and a staff to manage, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with a genuine smile on my face, lol.
For me, luck is something to leverage, but not at all something that I anticipate. I definitely believe that I have been blessed with an abundance of things (my amazing family, my beautiful daughter, my loving fiancé, wonderful friends, warm home, and a great career) – truly a life that I absolutely love. I leverage these things often because they are what help me to stay inspired, grounded, and focused. When things present themselves to me that I consider to be an unexpected blessing (or luck), then I try my best to remain aware enough to realize what’s in front of me, take advantage of the opportunity when it makes sense and remains resilient in spite of whatever circumstances may arise. In addition, I do my best to intentionally pay it forward and return those blessings to others. I have always lived by the notion that everything happens for a reason and that my own personal choices and decisions greatly contribute to my reality. While I may not be able to control everything that happens in my life, I can 100% control how I react to it. I think that’s how you ultimately become the master of your own fate in a sense.
Contact Info:
- Email: brittny.ferguson@usbank.com
- Website: www.onceuponherlife.com
- Instagram: onceuponherlife
- Other: http://www.usbank.com/index.html
