WOMEN TO WATCH: NATASHA VALLEY

Natasha Valley is the Head of Brand Strategy at Kiddie Kredit, an innovative app that helps children learn financial literacy through chores. She is a trend-setting brand strategist who has led creative marketing, digital media, social media, and public relations strategy for world-class athletes, entertainers, influencers, and brands. Growing up in England with American parents gave her a global view of sports, entertainment, and business, which lit her flame for branding. After receiving her Bachelor’s & Master’s from Florida A&M University in 2009, she began increasing the profitability of brands through strategy and storytelling. In the past few years, she has joined the founding team of three incredible tech startups. At Kiddie Kredit, she is the Head of Brand Strategy. She is also the Chief Marketing Officer at Solace, a virtual therapy app for Black people with Black providers. And, she served as the Chief Marketing Officer at THE MOST (a startup disrupting the hair care space with tech-enabled tools for women with textured hair), for a year. In December 2020, she founded a social media marketing company called Atus, which provides and implements strategies for startups, professional athletes, and other unique brands. Valley also serves on the Board of Directors for Empower Fives, a foundation dedicated to changing the college basketball landscape.

What are some challenges, if any, have you found in your career, specifically related to being a woman?

My entire career has been in male-dominated spaces. Unfortunately, men often talk over me or repurpose an idea I mentioned minutes earlier. Thankfully, that’s not Kiddie Kredit’s culture. But, I’ve experienced it too many times in other spaces. On the flip side, I had to learn not to apologize for things men don’t apologize for. As women, we are generally quick to say sorry more than we need to in business.

What are five things you wish someone told you when you first started your career path?

Negotiate! Your salary, hourly rate, retainer rate, all of that. I randomly found out the company I worked for after grad school paid me $30k less than a co-worker with comparable qualifications. Although I negotiated on that backend, it wouldn’t have been such a gut-punch if I pushed harder before signing the offer letter.

Don’t be afraid to pivot. I used to question if I was doing something wrong by not sticking in one career field until retirement.

It’s wild that I even have to say this but, curly hair is professional. Natural hair is professional. Braids are professional. Being anti-Black is what’s unprofessional.

Imposter syndrome is something that most of us experience.

Set your own boundaries. What tips would you recommend to women in your industry to help them thrive?

1.Get your rest! Busyness and sleeplessness have been glamourized. We are much more productive and creative when we’re well-rested.

2. Have the audacity! Men apply to jobs they aren’t qualified for, get hired, turn around and get paid more all of the time. Have the audacity to take a chance. Have the audacity to stick up for yourself. Have the audacity to believe in yourself.

3. Never forget that you are just as valuable to the company you work for as they are to you. The “I’m just happy to be here” mentality can cause people to forget how incomparable you are.

4. Create your financial plan as early as possible. Brands like Ellevest make that even more manageable now.

What long-term goals do you have for your career?

I’m excited to learn and grow as Kiddie Kredit expands, as well as Solace and Atus. I also look forward to one day being a VC, so that I can provide women founders with resources, opportunities, and of course, the capital.

We love the concept of Solace, a virtual therapy app for black people. Can you tell us a little bit more about the company?

Thank you! Absolutely! Allyson Valley, my younger cousin, is the founder. As a therapist, she recognized that although therapy is on the rise in the Black community, there is still a barrier with providers who don’t understand how it feels to be Black in this world. It was essential to make seeing a Black therapist regularly as accessible as possible. The app is gearing to launch beta in select cities this summer!

Can you tell us a little more about Kiddie Kredit? What social impact do you see Kiddie Kredit having on our future leaders around the world?

Yes! Kiddie Kredit is a chore-tracking app that simulates the FICO scoring system, assigning “credit scores” for approved chores. A missed chore is like a missed payment, which lowers the kid’s score. Kids can use their score to redeem rewards set by parents or after school organizations. But, if they cash out on more than 30% of their Bamboo Bucks at one time, their score is affected, just like FICO’s credit utilization formula. I believe our impact will create a more financially free generation who can in turn have more say in their career choices, living environments, and overall well-being.

You are a part of a lot of great companies. So what keeps you motivated to wear so many hats?

The mission is vital to me. When I have to press through long days, the mission to make the world a better place in each company’s unique way is what keeps me focused. How can our readers follow you or any of your companies online? Thanks for asking! My handle is @nnvalley across platforms—also, @kiddiekredit, @soulace, and @ atusonsocial.