A ‘Confident Career Woman’

“I’m a woman who woke up in my 30s, didn’t know what I wanted professionally and didn’t have a college degree,” says Ericka Spradley (BBA ’12).

Finding herself in a position that might be familiar to other Strayer students and alumni, Ericka set out on a new path, finding clarity around her goals and what it would take to achieve them, including earning a college degree.

“Because I pursued my degree later in life, I strategically selected classes that would serve as a foundation for both short- and long-term success,” she says. “My elective courses were focused on entrepreneurship. I wrote a business plan that helped me get my company off the ground and I still refer to it today.”

Ericka’s consulting firm, Confident Career Woman, started with one idea: helping others improve their interviewing skills. “It’s so important,” she advises. “What happens when a person can’t land a job because they don’t interview well? How will they sustain themselves? How can they build wealth? This painful reality sparked a business idea, but it also led me to my purpose.”

Today, Ericka’s purpose has evolved to help women with career strategy, workplace guidance and interview mastery. She does this through individual coaching sessions or workshops, but she has also developed courses that she offers free: “SWOT Your Way to the Top,” “Ditch the Downplay,” and “How to Communicate with Confidence and Credibility.”

Connect with Ericka on LinkedIn to access her free course, “How to Communicate with Confidence and Credibility.”