An Interview With Maria Angelova
“Don’t ‘should’ all over yourself or other people.” Mistakes are ok. We learn from them, and we learn faster if we eliminate shame. “Should-ing” creates shame that prevents progress. I was hard on myself early in my career. Now I think “we have the opportunity to do this better next time” instead of “we should have gotten that right the first time.” It changed the way I interact with myself and our team.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jamie Strayer.
Jamie is the creator and executive producer of Opportunity Knock$, an altruistic television series on PBS, and the founder of CU Strategic Planning, a community development consultancy which increases access to capital by marginalized populations, people experiencing income inadequacy and distressed communities. She is a member of the Aspen Institute’s Society of Fellows, the World Council of Credit Union’s Global Women’s Leadership Network, and a respected authority on community development finance with work published by the Filene Research Institute. Internationally, she has represented the World Trade Center and the National Cooperative Business Association on goodwill missions and to research best practices. She develops innovative financial products, technology, and partnerships, speaks, writes, and produces television to unlock opportunities for people to build better lives.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path and point in your life?
I love asking people this question and find origin stories significantly shape the careers of many people achieving social impact. I was raised in the historic Village of Zoar, Ohio which stands as one of the most successful examples of cooperative finance in the United States. It guided my life’s work to cooperative and community development finance.
My mother ran the county’s employment office, connecting people to many other community resources and nonprofits. It’s a small community and helping people was more than pushing papers to get an unemployment check. I recall her helping a migrant farming family secure affordable housing. As a teenager meeting their teenage children, I understood the profound impact and need to connect struggling people to resources they may not know are available. This inspired the idea for The Opportunity Finder search tool which Opportunity Knock$ viewers see in the series and can use to connect with nonprofits in their own communities.
My favorite uncle was a corporate inventor, a mechanical engineer securing patents for the ATM and other financial innovations. Growing up visiting his corporate R&D laboratory and advised by his mentorship, I cultivated curiosity around a different type of engineering. I became obsessed with the idea of moving the gears of society forward to create more just financial outcomes. That concept didn’t align well with the business college where I studied finance and media, so I transferred to study social and behavioral sciences which led to an early career in public television. My job at a PBS station was to raise funds to underwrite broadcast and local production. This was a tremendous opportunity, but I felt like I could create more impact if I learned what I was called to produce.
A mentor guided me to write a personal mission statement. Every next step led to the creation of CU Strategic Planning which is now a tremendously respected community development consultancy. Its work is a mix of research, design, impact and invention — all with a social purpose. The business model as we designed it didn’t exist in the cooperative finance field; at the time, a trade association provided a loose network of grant writers. Our experience when we started wasn’t grant writing. We were innovators developing financial products and partnerships with accurate projections and model policies. The team was savvy in projecting and then tracking impacts. The business plans continue to inspire grant investment, which today cumulatively nears $1 billion.
This origin story led to the creation of Opportunity Knock$. The TV series, broadcast on PBS, unlocks opportunities for people that want to build better lives. Its companion technology connects viewers to non-profits including business startup support, legal aid, utility assistance and affordable housing along with access to financial solutions at not-for-profit credit unions and community development financial institutions (CDFIs).
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
The most interesting story to me is the one where an idea became a movement. There is awe in seeing the spark of an idea to help people attract donations to fund an entire TV series on PBS, the creation of technology, and big-network star talent. I believe this is driven by our social mission and values.
We dreamed big and when everyone we asked kept saying “yes,” we kept asking. Landing Brian Spoor as showrunner/director is something that keeps me in awe. He is a legend in reality television. Brian has been a producer or director on over 60 series including The Bachelor, The Apprentice and Big Brother. I said, “We can’t afford you, Brian. We are funded by a nonprofit. But will you join our movement?” The talent he brought with him showed just how much respect Brian’s peers have for his work. Brian’s Season 1 team included a co-executive producer from Undercover Billionaire, an audio mixer from The Voice, cameraman from Love is Blind, an AC from Survivor and more, whom all joined our crew at reduced rates to make a public television series. They believed in the ideal of “Life-changing Television.”
I have the same awe in considering one of my personal heroes, Jean Chatzky, formerly of the NBC Today Show, joined as talent to serve as an Opportunity Coach. Jean is one of the most respected and well-known women in personal finance. The same of Patrice Washington, whose star is rising so fast that the 9 million downloads of her Redefining Wealth podcast two months ago are 12 million today, and Louis Barajas who is a financial manager to Latino pop music icons. All agreed to pay parity, and none had unreasonable demands. Money was not the deciding factor for these amazing talents.
Each signed on to be part of a movement and that absolutely inspires me.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
If you can imagine a woman standing upon multiple stacked chairs, balancing on one foot, spinning plates on each finger, that is the funniest mistake I made when I first started. The lesson is that it is impossible to do it all. My passion is creating innovative solutions that others evolve and co-produce. There is a temptation for innovators to hold their creations tight, producing every element of their vision. Not only does that result in burn-out, it reduces success, and disenfranchises teams. I believe so deeply in this concept that I generally choose not to be the CEO of the companies I create. There are experts at nurturing collaborative culture. Leading with those leaders is the secret to my success.
Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?
Both organizations where I invest my time, Opportunity Knock$ and CU Strategic Planning are changing lives. The social impact will be even greater next year as more people learn about our show and movement.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
The very first individual we cast in Opportunity Knock$ was Patricia Reyes. She is a bright light of humanity. To meet her is to fall in love with her spirit. I’m awed by her resilience in the face of compounding challenges when we interviewed her to be on the series.
She is a divorced, single mother of six children living on her ranch in the outskirts of El Paso, Texas. The ranch is more than just a home to Patricia: it’s her survival, providing multiple sources of the family’s income. Unfortunately, the property was in a state of disrepair. The well was broken, and she had to wake up multiple times in the middle of the night, every night, to keep it working. She had no heating or cooling, and the ranch was on the brink of foreclosure. For the past 14 years, Patricia taught art classes for The Isaac Center for Arts and Wellness, which she runs from her home. COVID shut the classes down for nearly two years, and the tenants of her rental units couldn’t afford to pay. Down to no income and seven months behind on her mortgage, the bank gave her a COVID relief workout preventing foreclosure. Unfortunately, it punted the issue and she fell three more months behind on mortgage payments, property taxes increased by 68% in a single year, and no property taxes were paid for the ten months. The complex issue was almost too much for anyone to figure out.
Show spoilers ahead: Her life was profoundly changed by the end of Season 1. I’ve seen the episodes countless times and still weep, knowing who she became during the filming, which was more than she even expected. The show resources she used are also available to viewers at home and we are hearing from viewers that miracles are happening in their lives. Knowing this brings tears to my eyes no matter how many times I watch Patricia’s episodes.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Eliminate the shame of income inadequacy. People earning lower incomes are commonly called “poor” and more institutionally, “a low-income person,” but no person deserves to be defined solely by their income. Forty-two percent of households live on survival budgets according to the United Way. When there is an emergency, such as a car breaking down or need for medical care, working families do not have the money to address the crisis. Too many people suffer in silence experiencing hardships because of income inadequacy, and the vast majority are too ashamed to seek help. By changing the way we think, talks about, and engage with people that want to get ahead we more effectively empower them to access resources increasing their chances of economic mobility.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think this might help people?
We just started production of Opportunity Knock$ Season 2, while continuing to populate The Opportunity Finder. It currently includes 17,000 nonprofits. Our goal is to register 50,000 nonprofits by 2024. The TV series has 100% rating on rotten tomatoes, it’s broadcast across the country on PBS stations, streams on PBS Passport and we know people are watching. Our goal is to change the lives of viewers at home. They can only locate nonprofits in their community if individual nonprofits register to appear in The Opportunity Finder, which is free.
What you are doing is not easy. What inspires you to keep moving forward?
The idea that “everyone deserves access to opportunity” keeps me moving forward. I’ve had the privilege of access. That’s not true for everyone. The idea for Opportunity Knock$ came while I was mourning my mother’s passing. I thought of the nonprofits she would refer people to for assistance, and it occurred to me that more people could be helped by the elimination of predatory loans and access to capital to start businesses if they saw the miracles created by nonprofit organizations, not-for-profit credit unions and CDFIs. Reaching people that need access to opportunities and showing them solutions was an epiphany that came from thinking of my mom’s work and the legacy she left by inspiring my own career in community development finance. Legacy is not easy but having one means you are always moving forward with purpose.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
- There is a tremendous and growing volume of research that shows ambitious women are unfairly judged, creating inequities in opportunities and pay, along with personal and professional relationship stress. I wish that research was known sooner. For years I held myself back considering the impact to others of being intimidating. When I let go of that, my joy increased and I became a better role model for other women. One colleague said to me, “I was intimidated by you at first, but now I see you created a path for women to be leaders.” She was the first recipient of B shares at CU Strategic Planning. She worked her way from administrative support to VP during the past 15 years.
- “Leadership is not a title.” I’m an innovator, not an administrator and I don’t strive for power. By leaning into our strengths and collaborating with peers that have complementary strengths, we can accomplish greater impacts with more joy in our lives. Innovators can be leaders without being CEOs. True leadership is not in the title or power, it is in the stewardship that inspires results.
- “Don’t ‘should’ all over yourself or other people.” Mistakes are ok. We learn from them, and we learn faster if we eliminate shame. “Should-ing” creates shame that prevents progress. I was hard on myself early in my career. Now I think “we have the opportunity to do this better next time” instead of “we should have gotten that right the first time.” It changed the way I interact with myself and our team.
- “Seek information that makes you wrong.” The U.S. culture reflects a need to be right and to reject everything that makes us wrong. It is visible from politics to the media and at family gatherings. This defensiveness is rationalized with confirmation bias. Defending ourselves from learning prevents innovation. How can we learn and evolve if we aren’t open to new information or a different perspective? It took me one significant double-down failure, and loss of investment to learn this lesson. I’m grateful to have experienced that financial loss. It became an investment in my education which paid significant dividends.
- “Write a personal mission statement.” Choose who you want to show up as in the world and let it be your North Star. Early in my career I applied for jobs and did not ask questions in interviews. By writing a personal mission statement I set a path to create a life I love doing meaningful work with people and organizations that share my values.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I believe I am doing exactly that, inspiring a movement. Join us. If you work at a nonprofit, register it to appear in The Opportunity Finder. We are showing people in your community that they can build better lives. If your nonprofit is not listed in the tool, people in your community can’t find you.
If you are an executive at a corporation which believes in social responsibility, join us by providing funding to underwrite the production of Season 2. If you know of someone struggling, tell them to watch Opportunity Knock$. If you work at a grant making agency or foundation, encourage the nonprofits you fund to partner with CDFIs. The nonprofit can achieve more when its clients have access to capital they’ve otherwise been denied.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“I am…” is my favorite quote. No source citation is needed because we hear it all the time. Whatever follows is exactly who you show up as to yourself and the world. We make decisions based on what we believe about ourselves. People make choices to join, support or avoid our efforts based on who we tell them we are.
My “I am” is “I am making a difference.”
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
It would be an honor to share a meal with Melinda French Gates and MacKenzie Scott. I believe the purpose of our work and legacies to be aligned. Scott philanthropically invests in organizations working to advance the opportunities of people in underserved communities. French Gates’ work ensures that all people — especially those with the fewest resources — have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. The community development research is clear that if every nonprofit they invest in partners with a community development financial institution (CDFI), the access to capital by the organization and the clients (and/or parents of students) they serve, will magnify the impacts of their philanthropic giving. For example, when a CDFI eliminates a predatory auto loan and the family saves hundreds of dollars a month, it is less likely to be reliant on utility assistance the next month. When a woman receiving housing at the YWCA can secure her own apartment in half the time due to credit establishment with a CDFI, a room is freed for another woman and her children to escape domestic violence.
This is happening across the U.S. The influence of these two women could create attention overnight to spread the best practices. Millions of lives would be changed without either woman making an additional investment.
Both women reside in Seattle. While the chances of lunch are slim, one can dream of unlocking what I know could be groundbreaking.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Readers can follow my work on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiestrayer/ and follow Opportunity Knocks at www.opportunityknocks.net.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Jamie Strayer Of Opportunity Knock$ Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.