Hidden Gems: Meet Shinika McKiever of The McKiever Group Creative Company

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shinika McKiever.

Hi Shinika, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
“The story of my life has been Plan B, more likely because the intended plan A is the one that never works out.” ~Dr. Shinika

I often tell people that my life has always taken the Plan B route, which worked out better than I could’ve ever imagined. I’m Dr. Shinika McKiever, my consulting firm’s founder and Chief Creative Officer of The McKiever Group Creative Company. My hometown is Liberty, NC, but I call High Point home now. I think of my story as a journey of self-discovery informed by my purpose, family, friends, and passion for being the change I wish to see. I have always been ambitious and goal-oriented, and as the oldest of my siblings, I felt it was my responsibility to lead by example. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2005 with my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. I was the first person in my family to accomplish this milestone. I had arrived.

I decided that I wanted to attend law school at a historically black college and university (HBCU), so I applied to North Carolina Central University. I also applied for their Master in Public Administration Program (MPA) as a backup plan. Remember what I said about Plan B always emerging? I didn’t get into law school, but I got accepted into the MPA program at NC Central. This was one of the best things that happened to me. I found my niche in the community and organizational development. My goal was to become a City Manager and work as a public servant at the local level. I graduated at 24 during the worst recession since the Great Depression in 2007. I had no work experience and was applying for jobs constantly, but I only got one call back. It was for an interview for a fellowship at a foundation in Winston-Salem. Another Plan B intervention, that interview was the only one I got, but it was the one that changed my life.

I accepted the fellowship, where I was introduced to philanthropy and grantmaking. The running joke in the philanthropic sector is that we all end up in the field accidentally but on purpose. When you get there, you never leave. I met some awesome people during my fellowship who mentored and coached me. It was a great learning experience, and I gained much knowledge while at the foundation. When my fellowship ended, I knew that I would get a job in DC and transition back to the government sector, but it didn’t happen. Plan B showed up again. I received a call to interview for a position in philanthropic services at a national financial institution. I got the role because the hiring manager was the trustee of the foundation where I worked. He told me that I knew nonprofits. He could teach me trust.

As a Black woman, I hit the concrete ceiling in corporate America. I thought I had it made, but Plan B came calling. I got the job and was in that role for over 3 years before being promoted to a management position on the philanthropic sales team. I loved my manager job and had a great team, all the perks.

What was once an awesome workplace became a toxic work environment filled with dread and stress. I had to fire someone; I was underpaid and overworked. I wasn’t happy. Traveling constantly, living out of a suitcase, my team had doubled with no additional pay. My team was hit with changes I disagreed with, my boss wasn’t supportive of my hiring decisions, and I was not valued nor appreciated. The straw that broke the camel’s back was when I didn’t get an interview for a position I was well qualified for. I decided I wouldn’t stay where I wasn’t valued or appreciated. It was time to move on. I transitioned into higher education fundraising, where I had the privilege of working for one of the largest public HBCUs. I learned a lot and raised over $15 million during my tenure. I also returned to school, which would have never happened if I hadn’t left corporate America.

After finishing my doctorate in leadership studies, I left for a fundraising role at a different institution. While conducting my dissertation research on how women entrepreneurs develop as adaptive leaders, I found my calling. Completing my research was so fulfilling because I saw myself in the experiences of these women entrepreneurs. I was intrigued by their perspectives as they described the challenges, barriers, and obstacles they faced being women in a male-dominated sector. They didn’t identify with leadership because traditional definitions of leadership told them that leaders didn’t look like them. I was finally in a space to embrace my authentic self. I knew that I wanted to use my research to create real change and create spaces and programs that consider the lived experiences of women entrepreneurs from a leadership development perspective.

Since receiving my Ph.D. in 2020 from North Carolina A&T State University, I have intentionally planned the next phase of my career. In June, I decided to take a leap of faith to pursue entrepreneurship full-time. At first, I went on an intensive job search, but nothing was moving forward despite landing interviews. That was my sign that Plan B needed to be activated. Maybe it was time to take a risk on me. My talents, experiences, knowledge, and expertise are unique to me and need to be shared with the world. I’m showing up as my authentic self and taking bold action to redefine how we think about leadership. Through The McKiever Group Creative Company, I am committed to providing inclusive and culturally competent leadership opportunities and strategies for women and organizations. My passion is to help women clarify how they can lead in a way that works for them.

I’m using my platform to build community and support women, especially women who look like me. Earlier this year, I started the Spark Sessions with Dr. Shinika platform, where I host weekly interviews with Black women entrepreneurs about their areas of expertise. My goal is to use these Spark Sessions to ignite creativity, inspire learning, and have impactful conversations that are rooted in the purpose, creativity, and lived experiences of Black women.

I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason, so I’m thankful for every lesson learned along my journey of self-discovery. As I prepare to take on this new phase of my journey, I am gracious for having the courage to pursue my dreams. I’ve realized that sometimes you must do it scared because it will never be perfect. Live life by the golden rule and align your purpose; everything else will fall in place. Don’t be afraid to let your light shine.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” ~Margaret Mead

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a smooth road?
My granny always told me that anything worth having was worth working hard for, so no, it hasn’t been a smooth road, but it’s a journey that was well worth it. Throughout my life, I’ve learned how to figure things out and take the initiative to get them done. Being a Black woman who is highly educated can also be a struggle because I’ve had experiences where I couldn’t be my authentic self. Or I was the only person of color on the team dealing with microaggressions but not being able to call them out because the environment lacked cultural competency. That is very challenging and exhausting. I am also a first-generation college graduate, so I am trying to build generational wealth and start from a disadvantage regarding different resources. I choose not to focus on struggles but instead try to learn from the obstacles I’ve faced along my journey to help me build resilience and grow along the way.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The McKiever Group Creative Company uses creative and purpose-driven approaches to provide our clients with impactful and fulfilling strategies. We offer custom solutions that align with our client’s vision to cultivate and grow their business or brand. The TMG Creative Company strives to help our clients meet their goals through effective strategy implementation and action planning to bring ideas from conception to fruition.

We provide our clients with purpose-driven and creative strategies encompassing business and entrepreneurial solutions, nonprofit management planning, and talent and leadership development. Through these core service offerings, we provide results-oriented strategies that are tailored to meet the specific needs of each of our clients.

TMG Creative Company specializes in providing creative and intentional strategies to offer our clients custom solutions tailored to meet their needs. We integrate creativity and passion into our work to make learning fun and engaging. Our niche is developing creative strategies encompassing philanthropy, leadership, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit management. We use culturally competent approaches to incorporate the lived experience of our clients in all aspects of our work. We help our clients lead from within, cultivate their natural gifts and talents, and ignite their inner power using authentic processes.

Our services and programs are rooted in creativity, purpose, passion, and helping our clients find what they are best at while doing what they love. We help small businesses and nonprofit organizations overcome organizational obstacles to bring their ideas from a vision to fruition. We equip clients with the tools to focus on their organizational goals, prioritize ideas, and execute ideas and strategies using step-by-step processes that offer a roadmap for success. Our idea execution methods allow our clients to gain clarity and focus on creating results-driven strategies that align with the organization’s purpose. Our goal is to inspire creative, purposeful, and bold strategies that empower our clients to reach their full potential.

The McKiever Group Creative Company provides authentic and creative approaches to solving our clients’ problems. We help our clients to flush out their ideas in a way that makes sense to them. We care, and our passion shows through our client’s success. My unique expertise in philanthropy, leadership, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit management provides culturally competent programming, training, and services specifically designed to respond to the lived experiences of women and people of color. We are intentional in everything we do, and our purpose is to develop people’s natural talents and leadership capabilities.

Our clients work with us because we provide a space for them to have fun, show up as their authentic selves, and transform the world using creativity, strategy, and leadership.

I’m proud of The McKiever Group Creative Company because it supports my vision of helping women to gain the clarity and support they need to lead in their lives, businesses, or careers. I get to do what I love while doing what I am great at. My work is meaningful and needed; it allows me to give back while making a difference.

I’m officially launching The McKiever Group Creative Company this Fall and will offer group coaching programs, leadership training, and organizational development services. I strive to provide authentic and purpose-driven experiences in all aspects of my business.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned through COVID is to practice gratitude and focus on what is within your control. You can only control what you can control. It’s also important to slow down and gain an awareness of what you value and what is important to you. I was running myself into the ground before COVID and gained a balance and insight on what I valued and where I was headed.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.themckievergroup.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drshinikamckiever/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrShinikaMcKiever/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/shinikainspires
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1LY3L1t6ryNhk4AroTsX9w/featured