Securing a Board Seat: What You Need to Do (and Know) Beforehand with Jocelyn Moore

Ever wondered what it's like to sit on a board?

Or, better yet, where to even begin when you're interested in serving on one? Well, wonder no more because Jocelyn Moore is here to share her own personal insights when it comes to all things boards.

Jocelyn is a Startup Advisor, and C-Suite Strategist, and check it… she left a role in the U.S. Senate for an unexpected (and pretty-freaking-phenomenal) opportunity with NFL executives.

In this episode, you’ll get insider tips on how to secure a board seat and what factors you should consider before accepting boardroom responsibilities.

But that's not all. This episode isn't just about the board room; it's about the power of human connection and the potential of genuine relationships.

Click play to hear all of this and…

(00:01:44) The journey that led to Jocelyn's role as a startup advisor, C-suite strategist, and reputation builder.

(00:05:43) What Jocelyn learned working in the Senate.

(00:12:22) Jocelyn's (unexpected) opportunity to join the executives at the NFL.

(00:17:27) What it means and what it’s like to sit on a board and the role it plays in corporate entities.

(00:18:57) What to do if you’re interested in serving on a board.

(00:23:25) What you should know BEFORE taking a board seat.

(00:25:38) The best (of many) ways to get on a board.

(00:28:30) Jocelyn's transition from being a board director to starting her own consulting and real estate businesses.

(00:31:48)The importance of inclusive networks and how they can open new doors.

(00:33:15) Advice on leveraging existing networks for career growth.

(00:43:05) The importance of genuine human connections when networking.

For full show notes, visit:

jasminestar.com/podcast/episode415

Transcript

Jasmine Star (00:00:01) - It's a. Welcome back to the Jazmin Starr Show. I could not be. And I say this every time I say I'm so excited. But every time it gets up a little bit more and then a little bit more and a little bit more, and today we are not going to let you down with the one, the only Josslyn more. Now I have to say I did it, I did it. My mentor Susan calls her Jocelyn and I was like, Jocelyn or Jocelyn? Okay, Jocelyn more now you see, I had to say it twice so you don't forget it y'all. I am intrigued with this woman's story because I had to do a little bit of back research. I did my dues and I'm intrigued with her journey in more than anything. Last night at dinner, I had the opportunity to sit with her and find a fellow comrade in saying, we're going to change the game and we're going to change the game by way of exposure, by way of education, and by way of dismantling the previous system that has traditionally kept a few people out.

Jasmine Star (00:01:02) - And on that note, Jasmine, thank you for being here.

Jocelyn Moore (00:01:05) - Oh, thank you so much for having me. I'm super excited. Your energy is infectious.

Jasmine Star (00:01:09) - Well, okay. Well, I had to match yours because last night, last night we're at dinner and we're sitting out on the dock, and you come in and it was like heads turned to you. You just walked. And it was just like, oh my goodness, gone with the wind. Fabulous. You had two tables. I was like, we just felt this. Oh. And so I knew I had to bring my A-game. I had to bring my A-game.

Jocelyn Moore (00:01:27) - I was coming to see you, so I had to bring my A-game. I mean, that's right.

Jasmine Star (00:01:30) - If you don't mind, I'm going to read a little bit of your bio because I want to set the stage. So you are a startup advisor, a C-suite strategist, and basically an all around incredible reputation builder. I wanted to get those words right. Thank you.

Jasmine Star (00:01:44) - Those are words that I would use based on the research that I have done. But if I was meeting you in an elevator and we had about four floors to go down, what do you tell people you do?

Jocelyn Moore (00:01:52) - I say I'm an executive strategist because that's what I spent my career doing and advising CEOs. I've advised members of Congress, I work for four senators, and I continue to advise entrepreneurs and cool people all around the world. So it's a fun life. I have to say. I feel very privileged to be able to live it.

Jasmine Star (00:02:10) - So normally on the podcast, because I'm an avid podcast listener, and the way that most podcasts start will say, let's start with your origin story. And I like to flip the script a little bit on this podcast because I want to first and foremost set the table for what we're going to deliver. I want to know what are people going to be expecting in this? But I think in this particular case, you have done such incredible things in your career that without kind of sharing a little bit of the backstory, it might seem way too much for somebody.

Jasmine Star (00:02:37) - So I'm going to go against what I normally do, but I want to start off with the main mission and why I want to have this conversation. Okay. Last night at dinner, I told you that what I see you doing is so incredible and it seems like you're the black unicorn. Oh, right. Wow, I like that.

Jocelyn Moore (00:02:54) - I can we can we trademark.

Jasmine Star (00:02:56) - That? Yeah, that's pretty much like, you know,,, so you're sitting on boards and you have your own business, and you, while you're not quite Olivia Pope, I kind of do. You do? Does anybody.

Jocelyn Moore (00:03:09) - Ever. This is quite. Yes. I hear this so frequently. The Olivia Pope. And it's an honor to be compared to Olivia Pope. Okay, okay, I love it. I'll take it. Yes.

Jasmine Star (00:03:16) - I see these things. And this idea that you are able to sit on board and you're able to speak up and on behalf and shape and I'm like, I want a piece of that.

Jasmine Star (00:03:27) - And I don't even know what exactly it is I want, because I know nothing about boards. But I made a commitment when I started this podcast that I'm going to share what I know. So for people who want to know, how do specifically underrepresented people, people of color, women, underrepresented genders, how do they get to be in a place that is ultimately shaping public companies? But before we get there, you kind of went in like a non-traditional path to get where you are. You're like, okay, I served on CNN. I was like, wait, wait, wait, okay, like, I know, but let's start.

Jocelyn Moore (00:03:58) - I'm not trying to say it in a, you know, you did it kind of way, but.

Jasmine Star (00:04:00) - Honey, I would be like, so it was four times. Did you hear that? Four times. Okay okay okay okay. Let's start. Let's start though. Let's start with how did you start shaping this journey to be where you are?

Jocelyn Moore (00:04:09) - Absolutely.

Jocelyn Moore (00:04:10) - So it starts in Atlanta, Georgia, which is where I'm from. And I grew up. I have two brothers, two sisters and I always envision doing something different. What that was was not defined in my, you know, young life. But I went to college at the University of Florida, Go Gators. And that was really a transformative moment in my life. So I served in student government. I was a student body vice president and at the University of Florida, we run, we make campaign speeches. We have to raise money. It's a real thing. And at the time, we had about 44,000 students on campus that we were trying to convince to vote for us.

Jasmine Star (00:04:44) - Wait a minute, wait a minute.

Jocelyn Moore (00:04:45) - Yeah.

Jasmine Star (00:04:46) - You had you had to raise funds. You did. Well, can we talk there? Because that's like that's the start of, like, your business savvy. Did you know that? Like you're getting people to give you a dollar the minute the minute somebody gives you a dollar like you have like this segment?

Jocelyn Moore (00:04:56) - I didn't until you just said it.

Jocelyn Moore (00:04:58) - I didn't even think about it that way. It really, for me was the start of connecting with people on a different level. Right? And learning how to say, this is who I am. This is why you should believe in what I'm doing. And that's where I learned it. And it was phenomenal, phenomenal. At that point I was like, oh my goodness, I've got to go work in the seat of power politics. Like it lights me up. If you talk to me for any period of time and the conversation turns to politics, you can just see I'm like, I'm immediately launching, right? So after I left UDF, I drove my little Corolla up to Washington. I didn't have a job. My background. I was getting a master's in education. I thought I was going to work in student affairs, so I drove up to Washington and I was like, I have to be in the seat of power. This thing, I don't know what it is. I don't really understand it.

Jocelyn Moore (00:05:43) - I just want to be around it. So I moved to D.C., I camped out with my sorority sister on her couch. It was the year 2000. They were doing the census. She was going door to door. So I would just go in the summer to make sure someone was with her. She wasn't by herself. I worked at the mall. At the mall?

Jasmine Star (00:05:58) - What store? Let's let's paint this story.

Jocelyn Moore (00:06:01) - It's all you guys.

Jasmine Star (00:06:04) - You remember that is so.

Jocelyn Moore (00:06:06) - Easy to have those suits in the office to get ready for my eventual job. So I was at. And Taylor loved it. Okay. And so I didn't have a job. But then Zell Miller, who had been governor in Georgia, got appointed to the Senate. So my mom calls, my mom says, oh my goodness, the governor is going to be a senator. You've got to go work for the governor. And that's what she always called him, the governor. He'd been, you know, elected to Senate or appointed to the Senate at that time, the governor.

Jocelyn Moore (00:06:31) - And I was like, mom. You do know there are a lot more people that want to work on the Hill? He's not just going to hire me because I'm from Georgia and she's like, of course he will once he meets you, of course he's going to hire you. Well, my mom, you will find, is often right. And so I applied because I was from Georgia. Right place, right time, ready to hit the ground running. I was hired, and so from there, I worked on the Senate 15 years for four senators, starting with my home state senator.

Jasmine Star (00:06:56) - But what did you do?

Jocelyn Moore (00:06:57) - Oh, I did a few things. So I started out as a lowly, you know, legislative correspondent answering phones. But that's how I got to learn the issues, because people our constituents in Georgia would call in and they tell us exactly what they were thinking, that connection point again to people. That's what it's always a connection to. People really helped me learn. Here's what is important to Georgians.

Jocelyn Moore (00:07:17) - And so I went on and I became a legislative assistant. Then I went to work for the senior senator from Florida, Bob Graham, who I knew. He's also a Gator. I work for him for a few years. He ran for president. That didn't work out. His best friend in the Senate was Jay Rockefeller, who was from the New York Rockefellers but represented West Virginia and my favorite person in all the world. I went to work for him for nine years, so I was his legislative assistant. I led all of his health reform efforts, and then I became his legislative director. And so he broke my heart and retired in 2013. And I thought I was going to leave the Senate at that time. But Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon came calling. He was transitioning.

Jasmine Star (00:07:54) - That's when you know, you're good. You try leaving, you try leaving. And they just tell you.

Jocelyn Moore (00:07:59) - That I was ready. Oh my goodness. And but I had a little bit more in me. And he was going to be the incoming chair of the finance committee, which you know, that was a big deal.

Jocelyn Moore (00:08:07) - The finance committee and a committee working on issues like health care, taxes, trade, all the things. So I really wanted to go over and help him get ready to be the chairman of the committee. So I was his deputy staff director,, working in his office. And it was amazing. It was absolutely amazing. So I did that for a couple of years and then went to the private sector. And none of this is planned, right? My life has ripped, my steps are ordered. I really do believe that. I believe, you know, I'm incredibly blessed. And so I left the hill and went to go work at a lobbying shop. Hadn't really envisioned. That sounded like a good thing. One of my mentors convinced me that that was the next step. And so I did that, and it was awesome.

Jasmine Star (00:08:47) - Now hold on, hold on. So last night at dinner, you had said that you were going, and we're not going to get into specifics because last night we didn't get into specifics, but there was something that happened about somebody drawing something on a napkin.

Jasmine Star (00:08:59) - Was this at that moment? Yes.

Jocelyn Moore (00:09:00) - Is this at that moment okay?

Jasmine Star (00:09:01) - Can we can we go with the story?

Jocelyn Moore (00:09:02) - Because I absolutely.

Jasmine Star (00:09:03) - I feel like it's really important because I think that of the creeping I did of you on the internet,, and I am a creeper., there's been a pattern in your life of people who step in and pour into you, and then you're creating a network, and then you're paying it forward. And so there is like this underlying current that I want to see, like, how is this all connected? And then is it duplicated. So sure, let's go back. You are going to go into the private sector. Yeah. You know that this is a lucrative opportunity. And you know that you need to advocate for yourself. Yes. But where do you begin. So then let's let's go there real quick.

Jocelyn Moore (00:09:36) - And if I could jasmyne let me take it even a further step, please. So when I went to work for Zell Miller, I actually I'd known Senator Graham, as I mentioned, I knew the lobbyists for the University of Florida because I went there and was in student government.

Jocelyn Moore (00:09:48) - So the job for Zell Miller, Senator Miller didn't just happen just because I was from Georgia. Right place there. Right? Right time. Senator Graham made a call on my behalf, as did the head lobbyist for the University of Florida. So I would just say to the audience, relationships, you never know. You never know who's going to step up and advocate on your behalf, whether you expect it or not. Which leads me to the next story. So when I went to go to the private sector, I was negotiating my contract, right? I'd never negotiated a contract. I'd always worked in the government. So I said to a friend who ran her own firm, I was like, you know, I really how do I negotiate this? Like, I have an idea of what I should be paid, but I'm not entirely sure. There's been no, like, role model to model this for me. So I'm I'm coming to you. And so let's pause. Yes.

Jasmine Star (00:10:39) - There's somebody who's listening who has been given an opportunity and they don't know how to frame the opportunity.

Jasmine Star (00:10:45) - And so you did a courageous thing by admitting and being vulnerable. I don't know this. So I'm going to go to you because I trust you to help me.

Jocelyn Moore (00:10:52) - I trust you and I've seen you like I know that you are successful. I've seen what you've done with your own business. You're a strong woman, you're amazing. And if you know anything about me and I just alluded to this. So I've worked for Democrats. This woman, her name is Linda Tarpley. And I want to give her all of her flowers because she's amazing. She is a Republican and she runs this firm in Washington, consulting firm, very successful. Linda sat me down and she's going to remember this moment. She wrote on a napkin. Here are the things you need to think about as you negotiate this contract. And it was like four boxes of things. And she was like, on this issue, you need to do X on this issue, you need to do Y. And here's the range of the salary you should be asking.

Jocelyn Moore (00:11:32) - Scheme for it based on your expertise and experience. And she took it a step further. If you need help as you're negotiating this, here is my business attorney, and I'm going to connect you with him so he can get you through all of the specifics. And that's what she did. He's been my business attorney ever since that moment. And, you know, we're almost ten years since,.

Jasmine Star (00:11:53) - So I'm going to, like, leap pad a little like that. Negotiation and contract worked out definitely in your favor. Oh, it did.

Jocelyn Moore (00:11:58) - It worked out. It was pretty good. I was very happy. How long were you there? I was there about ten months. And not because anything terrible happened. So when I went to Glover Park Group, which is what it was called, it's now,, it has a different name. When I went there, I was not on the National Football League account, but I kept getting called in because they had health and safety issues, which, you know, people know about if they are following the National Football League.

Jocelyn Moore (00:12:22) - So I kept getting called in on their account. I was working with, you know, their top lobbyists. Well, their top lobbyists ended up going to another job at Apple., and at that time my mentor and manager at Clover Park, he calls me into his office. Now, this is a crazy story. Joel and I would meet like, he'd just come plopped down in my office or we, you know, actually, he called me to the conference room. Sorry. Or I go plop down in his office. He's like, what? Let's meet in the conference room. And I was like, oh, boy, this sounds like I'm in trouble. Not sure why I'm in trouble, but it sounds like I'm in trouble. So he calls me into the conference room. We go sit down, and I was like, oh my goodness, what's going on? And he's like, you know, there's this NFL job. I really think that you should apply for it. I think you should go out for it and we will support you, like, because we think that you are the person for the job.

Jocelyn Moore (00:13:06) - You've done a tremendous job here. You know all of their issues. You should apply for the job. My response was, Joel, I just left the hill and I'm not on my BlackBerry. I still had my BlackBerry. Love my BlackBerry 24 over seven. So I really I have some work life balance and I don't believe in work life balance, but this is in my youth.

Jasmine Star (00:13:23) - When you didn't know any better.

Jocelyn Moore (00:13:24) - Right? When I didn't know any better. And I'm like.

Jasmine Star (00:13:26) - Ten months in and you're like, I understand.

Jocelyn Moore (00:13:28) - Okay, what it is., long story short, I said to him, okay, Joel, you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna call my mom. If she thinks it's a good idea, then we'll talk about it. Now, normally, I would call my dad, and this isn't in any, you know, gender specific way. But my dad is a huge sports fan. My mom is a sports fan, but less so. And she would always give me advice that was more attuned to here's what you should do as my daughter, you know, follow your dreams.

Jocelyn Moore (00:13:52) - So she I call her and tell her what's going on. Two seconds flat. This is. What's this? Well, Jocelyn, I don't really see what the problem is like. You have one amazing job that you love, and you're going to go interview for this other amazing job. If you don't get it, you just come back to the job that you love. And I was like, mom, I could have called dad for that. That's literally what I said. I said, now I have to go and like interview because that's what you said. I thought you were going to say you should follow your dreams. And if you have work life balance, that's what you should do. And she's like, oh no, no, no, no, no, you should totally go interview for this job. So long story. I ended up interviewing for it and I, I got the job, became the top lobbyist for the NFL. And again, people advocating on my behalf across the board, which is really, really quite remarkable.

Jasmine Star (00:14:34) - , so that seems like we're breaking up in chapters. So we start with the collegiate chapter, the Hill chapter, and then the lobby NFL chapter kind of got like two. And we got a twofer there because ten months,, ten months moving into this new position after the NFL, what is happening in your life? Because one of the things that Susan had said is that you embody the ability,, heart, soul in mind to be able to make decisions and you connect disparate ideas and you create a thought and action plan. And so I just want to kind of articulate, what are the skill sets that you're picking up along this kind of like myriad of a journey. So after the NFL where do we go?

Jocelyn Moore (00:15:10) - So Susan is so great and is just really a prescient person and having her say that, you know, sometimes we don't see in ourselves what other people see in us. One of the things I know I can do, and I had to do it on the hill, and I do it every day in my job.

Jocelyn Moore (00:15:24) - I take vast amounts of information. So if you ask me, going back to your question, what do I do? So I deal in information and relationships. That's that's what I do. I'm an executive strategist. I'm a column strategist. I take enormous amounts of information on a daily basis, and I'm scanning that information for, you know, how do I advise my clients? Is there something I need to know to, you know, better my background or education on an issue? My relationships, those are like, you know, sacred to me. And they've led to this wonderful life that I have. And so it's been amazing to kind of be able to do all of those things. And so after the NFL, again, relationships and this was completely serendipitous. So I had I left the NFL, I decided I was going to dip my toe into the venture capital space knowing nothing about it. I just said, hey, I want to be in venture capital. So what I do is I stalk people on LinkedIn, and during Covid, it has become a great democratization of access, right?

Jasmine Star (00:16:21) - That's true.

Jocelyn Moore (00:16:21) - Any person that's true, that I reach out to on LinkedIn to a person responds. And so I reached out to this gentleman who was starting his own venture capital firm. He was a friend of a friend, so we were like connected to the third degree. Okay. Then my friend introduced us, so I signed on as a venture partner. He was working on getting funding for diverse founders, and so that was like right up my alley. Yes. I want to be a part of. So this is 2021 VC. Yes. Okay. 2020 want to learn VC? So I start doing that. And one of his partners is this amazing woman. She lives in Paris, so she recommends me for a board opportunity. She heard from her friend Roberta. Roberta Sydney lives in Boston and is amazing. I'm gonna give her a shout out as well. So I get connected to Roberta. I talked to Roberta. This board opportunity really isn't a good fit, and I do want to emphasize the importance of saying no because there are so many opportunities.

Jocelyn Moore (00:17:12) - And sometimes you feel like there's pressure to say yes, this one not a good fit. And I said, you know, Roberta, I really appreciate it, but this isn't you know, I don't think this is something that I want to do for opportunities. So this is.

Jasmine Star (00:17:24) - Your first board opportunity. Yes. Yes. And you're saying no?

Jocelyn Moore (00:17:27) - Yes. Because I didn't think it was a good fit for my skill set. And what I'm interested in and passionate about it was in like the transportation sector.

Jasmine Star (00:17:33) - Okay. But can we pause for a second because there is somebody listening? I want to make sure that all of us are getting the same amount, if not more, from this story. So there's somebody who's listening. Can you explain sitting on a board and the role that a board plays like, I'm five years old because I want to understand like this is an important and a powerful space. And so let's democratize what you know about boards to a listener.

Jocelyn Moore (00:17:57) - So sitting on boards and again, my background, I would have never imagined sitting on boards.

Jocelyn Moore (00:18:01) - And so it is really the seat at the table. We're sitting at this table here. It is a seat at the table for corporate entities. So I serve on two public boards and public boards or boards that have stocks traded on either the New York Stock Exchange or one of the exchanges and or Nasdaq. And a private board which does not is not a public company. So it's purely, you know, private investor owned, it hasn't gone public, not IPO or anything like that. So two public boards, DraftKings and OP five private board Omaze. So when I joined the board of DraftKings and I'm going to come back to that story of how I got there when I joined the board of DraftKings, it was my first board, right? And at that time when I started, they just gone public. I led I.

Jasmine Star (00:18:40) - Feel like I want to pause, though.

Jocelyn Moore (00:18:41) - Yes, please.

Jasmine Star (00:18:43) - Your first board seat is for DraftKings. It is a public company, and so there's so many people who are vying for board seats now.

Jasmine Star (00:18:51) - What is the importance of the board? What decisions are they making? Is there the structure of power? What can you explain that? Sure.

Jocelyn Moore (00:18:57) - So it's really like executive strategy on steroids. So you have the folks who are the funders, like leading funders for the board who may still be on the board. Then you have the folks who are like captains of industry. So DraftKings, we have folks from movies, from media, from all sorts of we're an entertainment and media company. So we have people from all walks of sports and film and every aspect of media and business, and they we really advise the CEO, the founders, the executive team from that executive level, that experience level, saying, hey, you should think about this. And then my unique vantage point, because I've worked in government for so long, when you're in a highly regulated industry, which both of my boards are. So DraftKings is regulated.

Jasmine Star (00:19:39) - Interesting. Your girl just got caught up. Oh, highly regulated industry industries endure.

Jasmine Star (00:19:47) - ..

Jocelyn Moore (00:19:48) - Okay. So that's the nexus. So it's the highly regulated industries. DraftKings is regulated in every state. And so that means I as a board member have to be regulated in every state. But more importantly I understand the regulatory dynamic federal government, state government and otherwise that the company is facing on a daily basis. And so that's value that I bring to the board. Also, as an executive strategist and a column strategist, I bring that to the board as well. But the board really is we are not the operators of the company. We're there for strategic advice and counsel. We are there to help the founders, the CEO, the executive leadership team see you around corners and use our expertise to do that. But also we use our expertise in relationships to help build bridges, to help with contacts. And so again, information and relationships, you know, back. Yes, those are the things that I deal in. Okay.

Jasmine Star (00:20:39) - So we're now at the point of the story where you're interested or you never thought about sitting on a board.

Jasmine Star (00:20:44) - No. You were given an opportunity in the transportation sector and then you just know yourself well enough.

Jocelyn Moore (00:20:49) - I just knew it.

Jasmine Star (00:20:50) - Was just like, yes, this is not my train, right?

Jocelyn Moore (00:20:52) - Right. Wasn't my train. And I, you know, and again, I still was grappling with what does it even mean to be on a board. And we're in this moment. And keep in mind we're post George Floyd. Right. So there's this moment where everyone is saying, and I'm going to come back to the saying versus the doing, saying, you know, we want to improve access on corporate boards, we want to improve access in corporate America across, you know, all industries. And so it was really that moment in which I got on my first board seat. But I want people to be very clear because sometimes I get asked a question, you know, you're in this moment. So do you feel like you got on the board of DraftKings because of all that was happening post George Floyd? No, no no, no, no, I helped lead the sports betting strategy for the National Football League.

Jocelyn Moore (00:21:33) - So I'm on the board of DraftKings because I understand sports betting very well. And from a strategic lens. And so that's what the CEO and the board was looking for. So going back to Roberta, I say no to that opportunity. So Roberta then says, and it's always just like Linda said with the attorney. Roberta then says, I understand this may not be a good opportunity, but I'm going to connect you with my friend Alana Wolfe. Do you know who Alana Wolfe is? Know. And I'm going to give her her flowers. One of my favorite people, Alana, is at Goldman Sachs. She is the person that leads their effort. And they announced this in 2020 to diversify all the boards of their portfolio companies to make sure they had at least one woman, but also go far beyond that. So this is Alana. So I get a call again. I don't know Roberta, I don't know Alana, but Roberta sets me up with Alana. So I have this call with Alana and you know me.

Jocelyn Moore (00:22:24) - I'm like, oh, it was a great call. She was amazing. I love talking to her. I don't think anything of it right. Alana is a woman of her word again, doesn't know me from Adam. Three weeks later, 3 to 4 weeks later, I get a call from her and she says, Jocelyn, I don't know if you've heard of this company called DraftKings, but would you be interested in serving on their board? And so I kind of laugh and I was like, Alana, is this a joke? It's like, of course I know DraftKings. I sat across the table from their CEO when I was at the league, and I know him and she's like, oh, well, they have this amazing board opportunity and we're going to put your name for it. We think it would be great. And so the rest is history. I'm on that board. It's the first board I joined I've been on for over three years. It is by far one of the best experiences of my life being on that board.

Jasmine Star (00:23:11) - Okay, so can I ask a small detail? Of course, yes. When you transition from the Hill, you met with a lawyer to help negotiate. When you first sat on your board, were you going back and seeking legal counsel? Yes. Okay. Yes.

Jocelyn Moore (00:23:25) - So my lawyer, his name is Bill Reynolds. I'm going to give him a shout out to. He negotiates all of my contracts. He sees everything. Anything that I'm signing, anything that I'm negotiating. He sees all of it. And is that, you know, he's really the right hand. That helps me make sure that I'm, you know, getting my value. Okay. And it's reflected in everything I do. But yes, for a board contract, let me tell you something about boards. So this is where I'm going to get really real with the audience. Oh please. Oh my goodness. You have to be prepared not just with a lawyer. You have to be prepared with an accountant. Because one of the things I learned serving on boards.

Jocelyn Moore (00:23:58) - Now, keep in mind, my parents both served in the government., my mom retired after 20 years. My dad worked a little bit longer than that. We don't live in an age where we can retire after 20 years. Right? But there. I didn't know about boards. I didn't I had very little information going in to serving on DraftKings. But thankfully, DraftKings has a really good collegial infrastructure. So my fellow board members have been great, and I ask questions and I get the information and I'm not shy. You may have picked that up, so I get information that I need, but my attorney was instrumental because what I didn't know, when you get equity shares in a company and they vest and that tax bill is quite a surprise., so my accounting team helped me, like, figure it. Like, there are so many different things that you have to know. And having been on the finance committee, I didn't know any of it. And I felt like I was like, how do I not know this? So I learned it along the way.

Jocelyn Moore (00:24:55) - And so now I know all the things that you have to do from a accounting perspective, a tax perspective, a good governance perspective as a board member, what type of insurance you have to have all of that because I have a great accountant and a great attorney.

Jasmine Star (00:25:08) - So you are sitting on the board of DraftKings. Does this start opening other doors for you? And so this is where I really want to start honing in on this idea of sitting on a board creating networks. Because even if even if my goals or ambitions don't map exactly to that, I can create a microcosm in different levels of community to do the same thing. So I just want to look at the overall model. What are you doing? What information do you know? Who are you reaching out to so we can start duplicating that?

Jocelyn Moore (00:25:38) - The overall model is, you know, every relationship is meaningful, right? And you never know when a conversation that you had a year ago, a week ago, two minutes ago, even this conversation that you and I have, it's because of the relationship I have with Susan.

Jocelyn Moore (00:25:52) - Right? Right. And that you have with Susan. She's brought us together, and we're going to create even more networking and opportunities for women. So I would say to the audience, no matter where you are, what community, what industry you are in relationships, right? Don't let any relationship don't leave it to chance. Right. Take those opportunities. I am constantly meeting people and it can be someone. So my brother told me this story. This is a good story. He just told me this yesterday. So my sister was in Chile. She was there working and my brother and sister speak Portuguese and Spanish. Me English only because I took Latin and do well on the SAT. Go figure. Not a smart move, but I think you're doing okay.

Jasmine Star (00:26:33) - Honey. I think you're doing okay. Because I just kept lying, baby.

Jocelyn Moore (00:26:37) - Well, I need to need it to do well in the SAT. So those two Portuguese and Spanish. So she was in Chile. He had to go over and meet her there.

Jocelyn Moore (00:26:46) - And so when he went over they met this young man like for it was like ten minutes they met this guy for ten minutes, like. And they were, you know, connections last week this young man. So he's moved to Atlanta. He moved to Atlanta at some point at the end of last year. And he's.

Jasmine Star (00:27:00) - Chilean. He's Chilean okay.

Jocelyn Moore (00:27:01) - Moved to Atlanta. My brother's a pastor. He shows up at my brother's church and they have my brother is like, oh my gosh, wait. We only like I remember you. We met for ten minutes, ten minutes. So the young man is now he's flipping houses doing all this stuff, but now is going to likely join my brother's church and they're back in connection. Ten minutes, ten minutes. This young man new to Atlanta doesn't have family in Atlanta. We will be his surrogate family because of that ten minute meeting. Right. So it doesn't matter. Do not leave any relationship. It could be one minute, two minute, ten minutes.

Jocelyn Moore (00:27:37) - And you never know when that person is going to either come back into your orbit, advocate on your behalf, be your sponsor. You just never know. And so the relationships that we have big, small, everything in between, they all matter.

Jasmine Star (00:27:51) - I love this. So on the note of relationships you're on the board of at DraftKings, how do you start getting on the other boards?

Jocelyn Moore (00:27:57) - Oh my goodness. So well multiple opportunities. The other board.

Jasmine Star (00:28:01) - Was, oh I'm sorry, but real quick, yes, you're getting another board and you're also starting your own yes business. Yes. Okay. So then can you now share the story? Because last night I was on this roller coaster. Oh I was like, so she must never sleep. She's part vampire I do. And you have two amazing dogs and you have beautiful homes. And so I want to make sure that we're making sure that we're also incorporating the fact that it's not just board life. This is business life and this is your life.

Jasmine Star (00:28:30) - So right now in this story, this is where I really want to go a little bit deeper. Yeah. So from DraftKings now let's open up this new chapter. Yeah.

Jocelyn Moore (00:28:37) - So the consulting that was really just an outward expression of what I've always been doing, like starting my own business, but I've always been a people. I don't know if you call it people whisperer, but certainly a strategist and advisor. So if you think about the work in the Senate advising senators on how to get legislation done, how to, you know, cut deals and all of that. So it's just it's always what I've done. And now I have a business doing it. But that's not my only business. So I do lots of things and my goal is to follow my passion. So real estate is another passion. I don't just have a bunch of or I don't have real estate for the fun of it. It is a passion project, but it's also how you can build generational wealth. Yeah, my mom was a realtor on the side, so my mom, I learned very early on to have a side hustle.

Jocelyn Moore (00:29:21) - So she worked for the government. She was also a realtor. She was an accountant with the government, but she did all these other things so I could see, you know, she modeled for me some of the things that I do in my life. So yes, I'm in the real estate space. I'm a producer. I produced a Broadway play with my producing partner, and that's a. That came about because I'm on the board of DraftKings. So that was an introduction. We met at a dinner randomly. We had a conversation about our shared love of the arts. He calls me months later and says, I remember that conversation. His name is Scott Delman. I'm going to give him his flowers as well. One of my bro.

Jasmine Star (00:29:56) - You better be having. You better be having some gardening in the back. I am, I know I am, I love it, I love it, I love it.

Jocelyn Moore (00:30:03) - But it's these are all extraordinary people. Yes. Been part of my story and I just love them so much.

Jocelyn Moore (00:30:08) - And Scott calls. He was in London and he calls and he's like, so I remember our conversation. I have this opportunity, I'm going to invest in a play called The Piano Lesson. Samuel Jackson originated it on Broadway 30 years ago. He's coming back. And I was wondering if you'd be willing to be my producing partner. And I'm like, wait, what? Is that even a question? This is like the DraftKings question. Is that even a question? Yes is the answer. And he taught me the ropes. So the other thing I would say to the audience in everything I'm constantly learning. I'm constantly learning. So there is nothing that I do where I'm not learning something, taking some lesson from it and applying it to my life in some way. DraftKings. I mean, you have, as I said, the titans of industry that sit on that board. And I've been able to sit and listen and hear how they think about things, how they approach business, you know, some of the opportunities that they participate in.

Jocelyn Moore (00:31:06) - And it's opened up a huge new world for me that I otherwise would not have accessed. And I would say, I'm on the board of Omaze because the CEO of DraftKings recommended me for that board. So that's how that opportunity, and again, not a guarantee. I still have to go in and interview and convince them that I'm a good fit. Right. But that recommendation, it meant something pretty significant when one CEO says to another, hey, Jocelyn's on our board and has done a terrific job, we think she'd be great for your board because you two are in an entertainment and media, highly regulated space. And so that's how that opportunity came about.

Jasmine Star (00:31:40) - So it sounds like boards are created by way of recommendation. Are there any people who lobby to get on board or jostle to get on board? Yes.

Jocelyn Moore (00:31:48) - So boards are created several ways. So there are search firms, executive search firms that really, you know, find people for boards or boards will hire those firms to find people for them.

Jocelyn Moore (00:31:58) - But the most likely pathway to getting on a board are the networks and the relationships, which is why we have to make sure that networks are broader, that they're more inclusive. Because I didn't go to Harvard, I didn't go to Princeton, I went to the University of Florida and again, go Gators. And we have an amazing network. But sometimes these are closed loop systems, right? Right. And we really have to work to open them. And I'll say the CEO of DraftKings, Jason Robbins, has been a leader in the space. So when I joined the board of DraftKings, Valerie Mosley, another black woman, also joined at the same time, which is unheard of really, right. We're still in an era where you may have a woman definitely unlikely to be a woman of color. You certainly don't have two women. We have three women on the board of DraftKings. Marney Walden is also on our board, so I feel like we are in a space that is leading and will continue to lead.

Jocelyn Moore (00:32:50) - The same is true with op fi we have. There are two women on the board and it's really earth shattering and it shouldn't be. It shouldn't be groundbreaking or shattering, but it is.

Jasmine Star (00:33:00) - So you have people who are making introductions. I did a little bit of research and you really believe in helping other people as well. And so in what ways? So somebody listening is just like, well, I, I need a Jocelyn in my life. Oh, you can call me, I like you careful. Be careful, I can I.

Jocelyn Moore (00:33:15) - Mean I want people to reach.

Jasmine Star (00:33:17) - Out. So how does somebody go out and actively start networking with somebody who would be able to open doors and has different accessibility?

Jocelyn Moore (00:33:23) - Again, LinkedIn. So I try to respond to anyone who reaches out to me on LinkedIn is likely to get a response. It may take me a little while. So it's not immediate like the same day, but I try to respond. And I do have a lot of folks who reach out and say, I want to be on a board, or I'm in a career transition.

Jocelyn Moore (00:33:40) - And how did you do X? Or I want to get in sports and entertainment. How did you make that transition from public policy to sports? And so I, you know, reach out to the people that you want to talk to and they will respond. LinkedIn. Again, I guarantee you people will respond. But even if it's not LinkedIn, I often say to folks, how are you leveraging your current network? So forget about the new networks that you want to establish.

Jasmine Star (00:34:04) - So even if you don't know, tap here.

Jocelyn Moore (00:34:06) - How are you leveraging your current network? So what networks am I talking about? If you went to you know, you can leverage your network even going back to high school because there are people on high school that you know are doing amazing things, and I leverage that network. I leverage my college network, as you hear me say, over and over again, because I love that place, dear place in my heart. I leverage my network from the Hill. And so every network that we have, you know, again, don't take those opportunities for granted.

Jocelyn Moore (00:34:32) - And don't assume that everyone has a network. Everyone. And so when you look down that list. So if I'm looking down. The list of graduates from my high school. Again, amazing things. I ran into one recently when I was back home in Atlanta. Who's leading habitat for humanity, right? Oh wow. Again, that's an amazing network. So I would encourage folks, don't wait. You don't have to create something new in order to have the network that you need. So look around you figure out who the people are. First, define what it is you're trying to do right. Figure out who the people are in your existing networks who can help you with that. And if there aren't people in your existing networks, or just because you can create new networks but be strategic about it.

Jasmine Star (00:35:12) - So,, very basic question. When you say leverage your network, you look at people who went to college with you, look at people you went to high school with. You look at people in your church community or your synagogue or your mosque or the PTA.

Jasmine Star (00:35:26) - Yes. And so are you looking at I mean, I'm talking about like, let's get granular. Are you looking at a list of names and then googling them?

Jocelyn Moore (00:35:33) - So it's different for me because I,, so let's I'll try to give a real world example. So please, I reach out to people on LinkedIn all the time, like I said. So okay. There's something I'm interested in. So for example in real estate. So there's something I'm trying to do in real estate right now. There's a woman on LinkedIn. There was a Business Insider article written about her, and I was like, oh my goodness, this is the person that I need to contact because she she's already done what I'm trying to do. I don't.

Jasmine Star (00:36:00) - Know, you're reading Business Insider.

Jocelyn Moore (00:36:02) - Doing enormous amounts of information. And so I see there's this woman who's doing something in real estate that I need help with. So I'm reaching out to.

Jasmine Star (00:36:11) - Her on LinkedIn.

Jocelyn Moore (00:36:12) - Yes, yes. And then if I can't find her on LinkedIn, like, you know, how to go to the message and you find the email, I'll email the person.

Jocelyn Moore (00:36:18) - Yeah, I have no fear. And I think no one should. I mean, that's people are on there for professional connections, but you can do the same on Instagram. You can do the same on Facebook. So because I have so many ways that I'm getting information, I always see, well, this would be an interesting opportunity. Why don't I talk to this person? The other thing, let's talk about new networks. So I may have been in Vegas a week or so ago. I was at the airport on a connecting flight. I'm standing by this gentleman and I go to him and I was like, hey, is this seat taken? Because he's standing right by the seat and I want to sit down. He's like, no, it isn't. I was like, hey, are you going to Super Bowl? So we struck up a conversation. This guy, whose name is Dexter Awesome just met him. He's like, hey, wait a minute, I remember you. Didn't you work at the NFL? Because I told him my name was Jocelyn.

Jocelyn Moore (00:37:04) - He's like, yes, I know you. And I was rooting for you in that job. This is what he says. And he's like, I'm in DC. I worked on the Hill too. This is literally what he says. And so you never know. Like, I didn't know that when I spoke to him and said, hey, are you I just struck up a conversation. And so there are people all around us who can be part of our journey. And so he and I, he's also in construction. He does a lot of other stuff, but I'm like, I need to talk to you about this. So again, don't leave it to change. Don't take no relationship for granted because they can all. And I don't mean this in a transactional, self-serving way. Right? Right. Dexter, you know, while I was in Vegas, like he came along to all the things and he was in my network because I just met him at the airport. Right. So, however I could be helpful to him.

Jocelyn Moore (00:37:50) - You want to do this? You want to do that. Let's see if we can make it happen.

Jasmine Star (00:37:55) - Okay. I'm like, I have like so many thoughts right now. Are you an extrovert?

Jocelyn Moore (00:38:01) - Are I? Well, in some instances I am, sometimes I am, I'm more of an introvert, but I become extroverted in certain moments. That's what I've learned.

Jasmine Star (00:38:10) - It's just so funny when I map. So what happens is the human psyche. We learn the most by storytelling. So by you putting all of us at JFK airport and asking, Dexter, is that seat taken? We are either in your shoes asking, or we are either Dexter listening or we're watching from the outside it happening. However, however, somebody's going to insert themselves in the story. And so I am watching this go down. And if I was in your shoes, I would not ask if the chair was taken. I would go two terminals down and sit in the empty one by myself until they were about to board.

Jasmine Star (00:38:43) - And so I actively take myself out of conversations. That's how much of an introvert I am. So I think to myself, I'm probably robbing myself of opportunities. But how do I still stay true? Like, even if I did ask Dexter, is that seat taken? I probably would be like I'm an open, extra thick book and be like, I am riveted.

Jocelyn Moore (00:39:01) - By this, by this page.

Jasmine Star (00:39:03) - How do I make myself? Because if I genuinely want to start seeing the world in the beauty of humanity and believe that people want to help me or make a connection.

Jocelyn Moore (00:39:12) - And it's what you and I are doing here now, right? You you believe in this connection? I just met you, right? Yeah, but.

Jasmine Star (00:39:19) - But but here's the thing. It's like I had, like, the FBI voucher. Like Susan's like the FBI of human human capital and intelligence. You know, like her EQ radar is so high that I don't have to second guess. And so, like, it's same.

Jasmine Star (00:39:33) - Same. Not really.

Jocelyn Moore (00:39:33) - I think we have to approach every person with. And as if like just how we would want people to see us. That's how I see people. Plus, I come from a big family, so there's never not a moment when we're not talking. And, you know, I have a dad who never met a stranger. So I think we've all picked up a little bit of that. And there are my moments when I'm more introverted than extroverted. But yeah, I'm probably I think it's I'm an extroverted introvert is how it's. Yes. So I think that's right. But no, you just I don't know it. It never occurred to me to not talk to him.

Jasmine Star (00:40:09) - So somebody who's listening and who is probably hard wired a little bit more like introvert, like myself. What is one thing that you tell yourself, like, do you shift modes like at the airport? Were you in possibly extrovert, an outgoing introvert mode, or were you in introvert mode? Or how do you flip between? I was.

Jocelyn Moore (00:40:26) - Just in fun mode, like, right, okay, I was just ready.

Jasmine Star (00:40:28) - I'm going to Vegas.

Jocelyn Moore (00:40:29) - I'm going to Vegas. And I actually saw another friend who I've known for a number of years at the same airport. It was a layover flight into Minnesota. Oh, Minnesota, of all places, is where I where the layover was. But at that point, everybody's going to Vegas, right? Okay. Flights going to Vegas. So I'm there and I don't, you know, again, it was just a person standing there who I thought might have been using the seat. But then when I turned and talked to him about it, friendly face, and I was like, hey, are you and I, he had to be going to the Super Bowl. What are the you know, what are the odds that he is? He isn't. Had to be going to the Super Bowl. Look like he was going to the Super Bowl I think may have been wearing team jersey. And so it just it never occurred to me not to talk to him and just say, hey, who are you going for? What team? Like, you know, are you meeting your friends there like all that? That's the conversation that we had.

Jocelyn Moore (00:41:15) - The friend he was meeting is someone that I know from Washington. She leads the Black Mayors Association. Her name is Phyllis. That's who he was meeting. And I was like, oh my gosh, small world.

Jasmine Star (00:41:24) - Okay. Yeah. I mean, I much like your dad, I don't think you've ever met a stranger. I haven't just only meet strangers because my family makes fun of me, because I put my head down and I just go. I don't give opportunities for for kismet moments.

Jocelyn Moore (00:41:39) - We have to give opportunities for kismet because of the state of the world that we live in. And this is where I lead, as Susan would say with my heart, if we don't have conversations, part of the reason I left the Hill when I did is because it had become so polarizing. You couldn't have. If I said the sky was blue, someone else will say the sky is red. And then they'd be personally offended that I said, the sky is blue. We've got to get to a place in our country and in our livelihoods where this isn't like, yes, we need to have more personal connection.

Jocelyn Moore (00:42:06) - We have to give people grace. And that starts with conversation about moments and places of commonality. So, Dexter, I didn't know Dexter from John, Joe, Jim, Adam, anybody. But when I asked him was the seat taken and I said, hey, are you going to the Super Bowl? We immediately had a connection. He was going to the Super Bowl, too. And that conversation expanded to or are you meeting friends? Well, I'm meeting friends. Well, as it turns out, your friend is my friend. Had we not engaged, I would have never known that. I wouldn't have had the benefit of his company and that of his extended network in Vegas, and we wouldn't be connected now, which we are. So I would just say to everyone, step outside of the comfort zone, whatever it is, and it's easy to say, hi, how's your day going? Right. Just starting with hi, hi, how are you? Even if that person says, you know what, I've had a crappy time at the airport today.

Jocelyn Moore (00:42:53) - They lost my luggage. Well, I'm sure you've had an experience where your luggage has been lost, and maybe you can offer some, you know, consolation or something to that person. So starting with high, you know, there's not a wrong way to go if you start with.

Jasmine Star (00:43:05) - Hello, the humanity of connection. Yeah. So we started off the conversation by really dismantling and unveiling what a board is and what it does and your path, albeit a little untraditional. And the reason I loved it so much was because you now get to make the circle bigger, and you get to advocate and encourage and make connections for other people. And then we broke down the ideology of how you make connections. And it was so simple, like it was silly. It was like, girl, be friendly, be be friendly, like restore the humanity and have conversations even if you don't see it. So we go back to this idea that not everybody on the hill saw eye to eye. But your goal then was to create like, let's both get to yes.

Jasmine Star (00:43:47) - And you do that by inviting conversations and invitations. And so as people want to connect with you and as they want to go deeper and as they want to root for your journey and see you on more boards, but then also see you advocate for other people who are underrepresented on boards, where do they go to connect with you?

Jocelyn Moore (00:44:02) - Oh my goodness, LinkedIn. I you know, big shout out to LinkedIn. They should, I don't know I should be a spokesperson for LinkedIn.

Jasmine Star (00:44:08) - I know, I mean it.

Jocelyn Moore (00:44:09) - It's such a democratization and access to amazing people. That's one way intro I'm on intro. So I encourage people who want to connect to find me there., and then I have a website, Jocelyn Morcombe. You can also find me there. And if you don't hear from me, just give me a little bit of time. I will get back to you.

Jasmine Star (00:44:26) - We'll make sure and we'll link everything in the show. Yes, please. Specifically your your email address as you go on and build your businesses and multiple properties and sit on boards and change the world.

Jasmine Star (00:44:35) - And you know, I'm just going to go by. Black unicorn.com right now, and then sell it back to you at a profit. Wow, look at you, I love that. I mean.

Jocelyn Moore (00:44:42) - Always the business mind. Always a hustler. I love it. Thank you for.

Jasmine Star (00:44:47) - Watching and listening the Jasmine Starr Show. Be sure just to drop Jocelyn a little note on LinkedIn saying you loved it and you listen to it. And may we all remember that we have the opportunity to create a connection as long as we leave ourselves open. I'm saying I'm the first to learn it and be committed to it. Thank you for listening to The Jasmine Star Show. If you like and love, please leave a review. It has a massive impact on the show. I read every single one of them. I hope you have a blessed day. It's.