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If you've ever stayed somewhere too long because the title looked good on paper, this one's for you. Qiara Suggs got told no for a promotion she'd earned twice over — and turned that no into the executive seat she holds today. We pulled the curtain back on what it actually takes to drive your own career when nobody else is going to drive it for you.

About the Guest

Qiara Suggs is the Chief People Officer at TDECU, the largest credit union in Houston and one of the four largest in Texas, where she leads people strategy, corporate real estate, enterprise strategy, and enterprise project management. A fixture in the Houston HR community and a U of H alum, she's the kind of senior HR voice this show was built for.

What You'll Learn

• Why hope is not a strategy — and the one question a mentor asked Qiara that flipped her entire career
• How to tell when your job description is the floor — and when it's quietly becoming the ceiling
• The difference between leaving for the right reason and leaving because you're hurt (and how to tell which one you're in)
• Why every no is a yes somewhere else — but only if you stay in the driver's seat
• What HR actually does behind the scenes — and why "HR is not your friend" is a worse take than the internet thinks
• How to navigate being the only one in the room without letting it define your brand

Timestamps

00:00 — Cold open: why this conversation matters now

01:49 — Qiara's role at TDECU and the case for going "non-traditional"

04:01 — Mentors, and why your village beats your résumé

06:52 — The leader's job: betting on people who haven't yet bet on themselves

09:18 — "I won't do extra work for free" vs. showing your real ceiling 13:36 — Career growth isn't always vertical — and why that's the point

17:49 — Don't get stuck. Get in the driver's seat.

19:10 — The promotion that didn't happen — and what Njsane did next

24:13 — Every "no" is a "yes" somewhere else

26:54 — Total comp, the dollar trap, and the long game

30:36 — Don't quit mad. Make it a business decision.

33:53 — HR as friend, not villain — and what's really happening behind the scenes

41:12 — Being the only one in the room without losing yourself in it

50:02 — When leadership requires courage, not consensus

52:37 — Closing reflections and what's next

Referenced episode: From Hourly to Salary: Promotion or Prank? — Season 1 on Buzzsprout

Your Move

• Subscribe so you don't miss the next one → https://www.buzzsprout.com/2173681
• Get the newsletter in your inbox every other week → [insert Mailchimp signup link]
• Connect with Qiara Suggs on LinkedIn
• Connect with Njsane → linkedin.com/in/njsanecourtney
• Bringing this conversation to your organization or conference? → myfriendinhr@gmail.com

#MyFriendInHR #HRLeadership #CareerGrowth

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Linkedin: Njsane Courtney
Email: myfriendinhr@gmail.com