Don’t Drift. Design. How to Build Your Corporate Career on Purpose w/ Chardiney Jackson

"I didnt drift into this life. I built it by working backwards from the goal" - Chardiney Jackson

In this episode of BLKGirl Ambition, Niya Baxter sits down with leadership strategist and executive coach Chardiney Jackson for a masterclass on designing your career on purpose. Chardiney shares her journey from Analyst to Vice President at JPMorgan not as a story of luck or talent alone, but of vision, strategy, and intentional positioning. She breaks down how she reverse-engineered promotions, built leverage before opportunities appeared, and navigated the unspoken politics Black women often face in corporate environments. Together, Niya and Chardiney unpack the reality of going from pet to threat for many women of color and the mental narratives that quietly limit ambition.This conversation is about more than climbing the ladder. Its about designing your next decade with clarity, building relationships that matter, honoring the season youre in, and recognizing that sustainable ambition requires both strategy and self-awareness. If youre a Black woman building inside corporate or considering whats next this episode is your reminder: Dont drift. Design.

Keywords:

Black women in corporate, career strategy, intentional career design, corporate politics, pet to threat, leadership development, executive coaching, career advancement strategies, networking for women, personal branding, career pivots, leadership

Takeaways:

Dont drift into a career. Design it on purpose.

Build relationships before you need them networking is leverage, not small talk.

Black women often navigate unspoken rules in rooms not built with us in mind.

Grit matters but strategy compounds faster.

Your early environment shapes your ambition own it, dont downplay it.

Promotions dont just happen. You position, document, and make your case.

Flexibility isnt confusion its strategic adaptation.