Cover Story: Having It All

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HAVING IT

ALL

Jetheda Hernandez ’96 Has It All Because She Does It All

Many catchy musical tunes bear the name of “You Can Have It All,” or close approximations of that phrase. George McCrae (Motown), Jason Mraz (light pop), Brian Johnson (Christian rock), Yo La Tengo (indie), and DJ Khaled (rap) have all produced songs about having it all. Jason Mraz rode his version of “Have it All,” to near the top of the pop charts in 2018.

And for Jetheda Hernandez, they’re all singing her tune, which is somewhat appropriate for someone who led her class in the Saint Gertrude Song Contest each year. After graduation, the ’96 (Pink and Navy) grad moved onto other things, embracing the spirit of entrepreneurship essentially from Day One.

And today? “She’s doing everything,” marveled Kaira Boston, Hernandez’s SGHS classmate. “But Jetheda’s drive is not at the expense of anything else that she holds as a priority.”

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“She wears [so many] hats and still manages to always make herself available, whether it be through mentorship or serving.” Melody Short

“Everything” includes playing a key role in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), which is the only federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of minority business enterprises. Hernandez wears that hat while concurrently running her Consult Square Group consultancy. On top of that, Hernandez recently bought and started up a Card My Yard franchise.

Tired yet? In her “spare time,” Hernandez serves on the board of many organizations (such as the Jackson Ward Collective Foundation) and as an adjunct professor at Coppin State University, where she teaches business, with a focus on entrepreneurial studies and market research. She is also a mentor to many. Even with all of that, Hernandez is a wife (married 14 years) and mother (Jaden, 14 and Savannah, 5).

Ah, there is a correlation between “having it all” and “doing it all,” and Hernandez strikes a chord between the two. “Jetheda strives for excellence in all the things that define her,” noted Boston.

The child of a single mother and a father whose Air Force career sited him around the globe, Hernandez was exposed to entrepreneurship by her maternal grandparents, Juanita and Grayson Finney, who helped her mother raise her. Her family, living in Varina, was a big believer in private-school education, making the decision to send her to Saint Patrick’s, in Richmond’s Church Hill area and then to Saint Gertrude High School. Hernandez credits her mother with the choice of SGHS, noting “[My mother] saw that I could take a leadership role in an all-girls environment, and that I would be able to thrive in that setting.”

As she’d been active in the Girl Scouts since she was five years old, Hernandez certainly felt comfortable in such a setting. “[I went to school with] some creatively genius women,” the former cheer captain and honors student recalled. “And that talent captivated the teachers.”

Ironically, after spending her high school years in an all-girl setting, Hernandez found herself living in the only all-girl dormitory (Dingledine Hall) at James Madison University. “I thought I was free,” she chuckled. “But, funny, I wasn’t.”

Soon after becoming a Duke, Hernandez was steered by her college advisor toward a career in business, a path from which she never strayed, initially immersing herself in the world of musical entertainment (see accompanying story).

During the first year of her pursuit of a Master of Business Administration (at the University of Miami), Hernandez (who was still known as Jetheda Warren) met Sherard Hernandez, and the die was cast for a future merger of the two.

Hernandez also had an epiphany of sorts, one that created an abrupt shift and that drove her into the arms of entrepreneurship. While working in Miami:

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I pitched an idea to a senior executive. I was extremely excited about this idea: I thought it was extremely innovative. His response to me: “This is MY company. As long as I am the owner, I’ll run it MY way.”

I had no comeback to that. The more I thought about it, I realized he was 100 percent right. If I want to make change happen, I have to own it. Otherwise, there is always a chance that someone will say ‘no.’ Shortly after that session, I left, frustrated with the environment.

While some might have viewed that encounter as a downer, Hernandez saw it “less a blow and more like a catapult.”

In fact, she catapulted northward to Maryland, where she and Sherard found themselves well-poised to welcome the arrival of Jaydon. “I was in the position to focus on the direction of my life and that of my family,” remembered Hernandez. “It was the most pivotal point of my life.”

Always on the side of the angels, Hernandez worked for a pair of Washington, D.C.-based organizations. The first was the Urban Alliance Foundation (which helps place at-risk students into corporate internships), where she served as the head of its corporate partnership development. The second was the National Association of Consumer Advocates, a nonprofit association of more than 1,500 public and private attorneys and consumer advocates committed to representing consumers’ interests. There, she managed corporate partnerships with consumer lawyer members.

Nearly 10 years ago, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), a component of the United States Department of Commerce, caught her eye, and she joined it as a partnership specialist. The MBDA helps a wide range of American sub-groups, including African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian American, Hasidic Jew, Hispanic American, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. The group

— HAVING IT ALL —

When Demand Exceeds Supply

JETHEDA HERNANDEZ HAS PRIORITIES STRAIGHT

There exist scant souls among us who wish for less time in their days. There are likely even fewer folks seeking fuller work slates. All of us seem to find ourselves with evergrowing demands on our time. Technological advances have paradoxically shrunk our worlds, relative to those who can reach out to us to put more on our plates.

Still, we all want to do our best to succeed, whether success is individually defined as making the world a better place, climbing the corporate ladder, raising the dream family, or earning scads of money (or a combination of the four). The effort that goes into such realization can stretch us in ways that were unthinkable just a generation ago.

Jetheda Hernandez faces such a challenge every day. Her talents are in-demand on a massive scale, whether it be in the area of presenting, teaching, mentoring, executing, planning, or developing. In response, Hernandez has found that she’s had to use a system of prioritization in determining those activities that she’ll add to her plate (as well as those that need to disappear). But first, she had to set some limits. “I remember I was so overloaded with stuff,” she recalled. “I made 2017 the year of ‘no.’ I couldn’t add another organization.”

At year-end, Hernandez developed a personal system for prioritization in considering requests, weighing them in accordance with what was important to her:

First, was it an organization which had a mission or driving activity that served or assisted women of color? Second, was the organization/mission/activity something about which her entire family could get excited?

Third, was the organization/mission/activity one that addressed the area of financial empowerment?

Fourth, are these efforts directed toward communities with which she has been associated (such as Maryland, Richmond, or Miami)?

Hernandez weighed incoming requests against those criteria, knowing that well-meaning, even altruistic, organizations might wind up on the cutting floor. But she also realized that a personal connection and buy-in would result in a higher level of enthusiasm and, of course, contribution. “I needed a point of connection,” she said. “That connection had to be to my community, my past, or my family. Having that connection makes it easy to say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”

For example, Hernandez was invited to be on the board of an organization that was focused on offering academic support and services to help improve the financial and economic literacy of students. While such a goal is right in Hernandez’s sweet spot, the organization serves the New York City area. As a result, the connection wasn’t there for her.

At the same time, she’s been agreeable to many requests. For example, Hernandez has spoken at the following events: „ The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. Conference „ People in Español’s Poderosas Women’s Conference „ The Essence Festival „ Black Enterprise Magazine’s Entrepreneurial Summit „ Walker’s Legacy Awards events „ National Minority Supplier Council Of course, the downside to any prioritization process is that there are things—good things—that are left on the cutting floor. Afterall, there are but 24 hours to each day.

But the way that Hernandez goes about sorting through the many opportunities that come her way, she is certain to be focused on what matters most—to both her and to those who seek her talents. And that is to the satisfaction of all who work with her.

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Jetheda (left) pictured with Vivica A. Fox, actress and entrepreneur, and Henry Childs II, former national director of the Minority Business Development Agency, at the Empowering Women Conference.

even aids aspiring entrepreneurs who were previously incarcerated.

The MBDA has produced some eye-popping statistics. During Fiscal Year 2020, that bureau created nearly 12,000 jobs while generating nearly $8 billion in contracts and capital, with an astounding return on investment (ROI) of 188 percent. The agency’s focus is on Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), which are “fast growing, innovative, and represented in every industry sector in the United States.” The MBDA is involved in a wide range of industry sectors, including wholesale trade, construction, services, manufacturing, and health care.

The bureau’s programs offer customized business development and industry-focused services to provide its clients with greater access to capital, contracts, and markets. Additionally, in 2020, the MBDA kicked off a new collaboration with Amazon Business that focused on helping thousands of minority entrepreneurs grow their businesses and up their sales via e-commerce technology.

In her role with the MBDA, Hernandez manages relationships with over 100 minority-owned corporations and other

Can’t Spell “Work Empowerment” Without W O M E N

OVER THE PAST TWO GENERATIONS, WOMEN HAVE INCREASINGLY MADE THEIR PRESENCE FELT IN THE WORLD OF BUSINESS. THEY ARE TAKING ON STARRING ROLES AS MEMBERS OF CORPORATE BOARDS, IN THE C-SUITES, ACROSS UPPER MANAGEMENT, AND DOWN TO FIRST-LINE LEADERSHIP ROLES.

While it was not terribly long ago that women’s participation in MBA programs was viewed as anomalous, in 2019, fully 39 percent of graduates of such programs were female. Wharton’s School of Business — widely acknowledged as one of the world’s finest — welcomed its most recent incoming class, which includes a majority (52%) of women.

American Express researched and reported that women are making their marks in America’s entrepreneurial space, as well. In that 2019 report, the company highlighted (with sources other than AmEx cited parenthetically): „ There were nearly 13 million women-owned businesses in the U.S. as of 2019. „ Women-owned businesses generated $1.9 trillion in revenue for the U.S. economy in 2019. „ Between 2014 and 2019, the growth rate of the number of women-owned companies was 3.9% annually. That compares with the 1.7% rate that has been realized by all other companies.

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minority-based organizations across the United States. Her goal is to develop strong alliances that aid in the growth, sustainability, and success of those businesses.

In the end, however, in 2013 Hernandez officially became a member of the federal government. That move neither stifled her enthusiasm nor dulled her entrepreneurial drive. In fact, that year was also when she first spread her wings in the entrepreneurial space, starting her consultancy: Square Markets Group, a fullservice business development and growth firm, which is still going strong today. Her group takes the vantage of the front lines of companies (sales force, manufacturing) to determine and ensure that such businesses have the tools needed to achieve scale and to grow.

Even within the MBDA, Hernandez is creating buzz and building new things. For example, in 2017, she kicked off the Enterprising Women of Color (EWOC) initiative after realizing that the minority women entrepreneur population was one of high-growth and that these women were tremendous revenue generators for families, communities, and the nation. Today there are five regional EWOC centers, including Washington (with two centers), Atlanta, New Orleans, and Hawaii.

Minority women, in fact, are the fastest growing population of entrepreneurs. While many women are making tremendous strides in the business world, they still face obstacles as entrepreneurs. MBDA serves as an advocate for women’s economic empowerment by supporting efforts to advance women’s equality and promote women’s economic advancement programming. The vision of EWOC is to ensure women worldwide reach their economic potential.

Her oversight of the EWOC program has Hernandez at her best, doing what she loves: helping to open doors for those who have lacked access to opportunity. “Jetheda is very much cut from the same cloth of women who reach back and bring as many other women as she can alongside her in support of their entrepreneurial or professional endeavors,” noted long-time peer and star of the Richmond business scene, Melody Short. “She wears [so many] hats and still manages to always make herself available, whether it be through mentorship or serving.”

When speaking of EWOC, Hernandez becomes especially animated, as she considers its creation, growth, and impact to be among her top achievements. “We’re making a difference,” she stated. “I was on a call with a partner in Orlando who was

„ Women-owned businesses employ almost 9.4 million people as of 2019. (National Women’s Business Council, 2019 Annual Report) „ Over the past two decades, the number of women entrepreneurs has increased by 114%. (Shana Lebowitz, Business Insider) „ In 1972 women-owned businesses only represented 4.6% of all businesses. In 2019, they represented 42% of all U.S. businesses. „ 1,817 new women-owned businesses were created per day in the U.S. in 2019. „ Employment at women-owned businesses increased by 8% between 2014 and 2019, while for all businesses employment only increased by 1.8%. „ The average female business owner has operated their company for 11 years.

(2019 Visa USA, “State of Female Entrepreneurship”) „ From 2014 to 2019, the number of businesses owned by women of color increased by 43%, doubling the growth rate of women-owned businesses (21%). „ Women of color make up 50% of all women-owned businesses as of 2019. „ Women of color founders employ 2,389,500 people, which makes up 25% of the total employment of women-owned businesses. „ Globally, the rate of female entrepreneurship has been increasing more rapidly than male entrepreneurs. (Visa USA) „ Women founders reported pursuing passion as their top motivator for starting their business. (Visa)

While these statistics are encouraging, at face value, there are some causes for concern. For instance, Morra Aaron-Mele — founder of award-winning social impact agency Women Online and its database of women influencers, The Mission List — notes that, while the economic impact of women entrepreneurs is undeniable, it may not be in the best interests of the women, themselves. She states, “Women-owned businesses are disproportionately in industries where the median receipts are less than $225,000.”

Aaron Mele also feels that most women entrepreneurs face a difficult path in replacing the salary that they earned prior to entering their venture.

Additionally, women face a more challenging hurdle in obtaining financing, as well as striking the right work-life balance.

Nevertheless, even with these additional challenges women are willing to take the entrepreneurial path, with an increasingly large number finding success in doing so.

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“I want to make this a safe space to learn and express, while allowing me to help prepare my students to learn.”

checking out an EWOC event on Facebook Live. She saw we had 25,000 participants.”

That number, enough to fill a good-sized arena, consisted almost entirely of women of color who either are entrepreneurs or are seeking to jump into the pool. “It was great to see that,” she said. “It reminds me of how important these programs are to making these businesses thrive. They’re able to tap into a program that helps them grow.”

Not content to have a high-profile government position and to have founded and serve as CEO of her own consulting firm, Hernandez also became a small-business owner when she and her husband became franchise owners of Card My Yard, for the Howard, Maryland area. This company is a celebration sign and banner company.

Founded in Austin, Texas, in 2014, Card My Yard has a stated objective of existing to “serve our communities with joy and partner with local organizations to help them celebrate. As the Premier Yard Greeting company, we strive to grow and expand while serving the needs of our customers.”

The Hernandezes had long dreamed of jointly owning a business. “For years we have created events throughout the county and state to bring joy and happiness to others,” stated Jetheda. It continues to be our mission to spread happiness throughout our local community.”

She also continues to spread happiness through her teaching efforts at Coppin State University, the well-known HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), where she was brought on board – as an adjunct professor and guest lecturer – because of her outstanding business experience and acumen. At that university’s School of Business, Hernandez teaches courses on entrepreneurship and on market research.

“During my first semester, I had no idea what I was walking into,” she recalled. “But I jumped in to see if I could do it and be good at doing it. The very first day, I told my students that I wasn’t a

teacher. Rather, [I told them] I build sustainable businesses. I teach them how to take all of these concepts and apply them.”

It seems to have taken, as Hernandez is in her fifth year working with the university. She professes to like the school and her students, as well, showing empathy for those who come from less-than-optimal backgrounds and with tougher life experiences. “I’m helping [Coppin] develop and grow entrepreneurship, but I also realized that the students were not necessarily prepared.”

The Baltimore-based school draws much of its student population of 2,700 from that city, including some of its more challenging areas. “They (her students) face a lot of hurdles that I didn’t have to face, like coming to class while raising kids or with a black eye,” she noted. “I want to make this a safe space to learn and express, while allowing me to help prepare my students to learn.”

Of course, Hernandez’s business acumen, high energy level, and commitment to excellence place her in high demand. Stephanie Wall, the community and economic empowerment director of Howard County, Maryland (and an entrepreneur in her own right),

NAMED AS ONE OF THE 39 UNDER 39 FINEST PROFESSIONALS IN HOWARD CO., MARYLAND BY THE CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION

AWARDED AS ONE OF MARYLAND’S TOP WOMEN BY THE MARYLAND DAILY DIGEST

A 22-YEAR MEMBER OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INC., AS WELL AS NAACP, JACK & JILL OF AMERICA, AND MD BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

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can speak with authority on that fact, having worked with Hernandez on many boards and committees over the past decade. These leadership groups have focused on a wide range of goals, including advocating for small businesses, entrepreneurship, and human rights, as well as educating and placing technology resources and information for budding entrepreneurs to thrive.

“Jetheda is our go-to professional,” averred Wall. “She can get any group from start to finish line, and the results will be talked about for years to come. She provides opportunities and helps lead people to the right place.”

Along the way, Hernandez has earned some accolades, including:

• Named as one of the 39 Under 39 Finest Professionals in Howard Co., Maryland by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

• Awarded as one of Maryland’s Top Women by the Maryland Daily Digest

• A 22-year member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., as well as NAACP, Jack & Jill of America, and MD Black Chamber of Commerce.

“Jetheda’s journey in business does not come as a surprise to me,” said former SGHS classmate Kara Daniel. “I think it is truly how she was made and molded from the beginning of her life. She has loved independent thought and the ability to share those thoughts and ideas. She has grit and persistence, and she has the desire to build community and support her family.”

Indeed, Hernandez possesses the drive and the ability to have it all and to have it on her terms. It is patently obvious that she could walk away from her work with the MBDA and have a good work-life (and income) from her two companies (the consultancy and the franchise). Yet, she continues in the role because it is so important to her that she be able to encourage new businesses and nurture extant ones, particularly among those who have so much in common with her. “You have to create your own path,” she shared.

“This is my path, the path to live out all of my passion and dreams at the same time.”

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— SOUNDTRACK TO A LIFE —

Jetheda Hernandez’s Long-Term Relationship with Song

“MUSIC GIVES A SOUL TO THE UNIVERSE, WINGS TO THE MIND, FLIGHT TO THE IMAGINATION AND LIFE TO EVERYTHING.”

― PLATO —

For her entire life, Jetheda Hernandez has been a songstress, including working in the field for a spell. During her days at Saint Gertrude, she was a musical leader, including as a member of the ensemble and as a pianist. In fact, she co-led her class in the annual Song Contest during all four years of her time as a Gator, with her Pink and Navy crew finishing as the winners or as runners-up every single year.

“The two-person team that we became was pretty cool,” recalled Kara Daniel, the class’s co-lead for Song Contest. “That experience showed me that you can look differently, think differently, lead differently, and still produce a positive outcome and have a friendship that was full of plenty of laughter and appreciation.”

“WITHOUT MUSIC, LIFE WOULD BE A BLANK TO ME.”

― JANE AUSTEN —

“We put a lot into Song Contest,” recalled Hernandez. “We spent so much time together, even having sleepovers with the entire class at someone’s house.”

Hernandez, however, lacks the gooey sentimentality one might have of those times. “I realize it was the first opportunity to test and flex leadership skills,” she stated. “We had lots of talented people and creative thinkers. I still see that shining through.”

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“MUSIC WAS MY REFUGE. I COULD CRAWL INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN THE NOTES AND CURL MY BACK TO LONELINESS.”

― MAYA ANGELOU —

Hernandez’s chance to shine through (and to flex a tremendous work ethic) came in the summer after her junior year at James Madison University. That is when she took on two full-time internships: one with Sony and one with Black Entertainment Television (BET), both in Washington, D.C. “I wanted a music experience,” she said. “And I loved everything about it.”

“Everything” included catching up on any sleep on the floor of one of her mother’s friend’s condominiums in Maryland. Still, her determination and performance netted Hernandez full-time offers, and she accepted a position with Sony Music, that ran throughout the rest of her time in Harrisonburg. “I was on the highway every week with 20 crates of goodies to sort, ship, and deliver,” she recalled.

As one of a dozen college marketing representatives across the country, Hernandez worked with DJs and artists to catch her generation’s attention for the massive Sony library of song that the company distributed on behalf of major record labels, including Columbia and Epic Records.

“She was absolutely in her element,” recalled Melody Short, who worked with Hernandez at the company, and is today known as the co-founder of The Jackson Ward Collective and the Richmond Night Market, as well as the director of marketing and communications for the Metropolitan Business League. “[She was] immersed in the music industry while using her marketing skills to drive visibility and sales for each respective artist.”

Hernandez worked with artists such as the Wu-Tang Clan, Destiny’s Child, and The Ragged Edge, to name a few. As a long-time fan of Beyoncé, Hernandez could not have found herself in a more exciting spot.

“MUSIC IS THE GREAT UNITER. AN INCREDIBLE FORCE. SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WHO DIFFER ON EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING ELSE CAN HAVE IN COMMON.”

― SARAH DESSEN —

Upon graduation, Hernandez faced the enviable problem of deciding between BET and Sony for her full-time position and opted for the former. At BET, she worked closely with different producers in creating marketing materials for their shows. She estimates that about 90 percent of those shows were musically-based productions.

Over the course of her career, Hernandez has had “gigs” with Sony Entertainment, BET, BMG Records, MTV, and Viacom networks, all known for their heavy involvement in the world of entertainment.

After three years of seasoning at BET, Hernandez headed south to earn her MBA from the University of Miami. Her concentration? Music and Entertainment, of course. While at Miami, she did much of her work in the school’s music department while continuing to work with heavy music players, such as MTV (including working as a producer on its Superbowl pregame show) and the BMG Latin record label.

As she started her family, Hernandez found the volatility of the industry was less than an ideal match with the family lifestyle she desired. She has, however, maintained more than a passing interest, which she has seemingly passed along: her son plays three distinctly different instruments (piano, violin, and trumpet) and her daughter is already tickling the ivories, at the tender age of five.

“Music has always been extremely important to me,” Hernandez said. “It still resonates with what I do today.”

“WE ONLY HAVE ONE RULE AND THAT IS THERE ARE NO RULES. SO, STAND UP AND SING AS MUCH AS YOU WANT TO.”

― NATALIE MAINES —

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