BL A C K
2021
Partner
LEADERS Worth Watching
TM
AWARD
Marquetta J. Bryan
Education: JD, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law; BA, Emory University Company Name: Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP Industry: Law Company CEO: N/A Company Headquarters Location: Columbia, South Carolina Number of Employees: 850+ Your Location (if different from above): Atlanta, Georgia Words you live by: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Marianne Williamson Who is your personal hero? My mother, Eva S. Johnson, for every sacrifice she has ever made, so that I could be who I am. What book are you reading? Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement by Tarana Burke What was your first job? Cashier at a local Kmart Favorite charity: American Cancer Society Interests: Travel, photography, and creative writing Family: Children: Campbell (daughter) (18), Carrington (son) (16), Clayborne (son) (11); spouse, Creighton, and pup, Charleston
You Are the Person the World Needs In the words of the poet Rupi Kaur (Core), “I stand on the sacrifices of a million women before me thinking what can I do to make this mountain taller so the women after me can see farther ….” As I reflect on my journey as a woman of color in the law, it is clear to me that the call to balance and to make room for other women in spaces is my duty. As I reflect on my life, I understand that I must answer the call to mentorship, as I have had some amazing transformational mentors who have taught me that my own vulnerability and imperfection could serve as a source of inspiration and empowerment for others.
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2021 Fourth Quarter
Some of the best advice I have received in my career is to be authentically me at all times because that is the person the world needs. As I encourage and mentor other women on this journey, I try to be myself—honest about my strengths and weaknesses at all times—and encourage them to do the same. One of the traits I consider essential to my success, however, is my ability to be a powerful advocate for myself. In my passion for making space for women, and seeking to be of greater service to my community and profession beyond the metrics of collections goals, I founded Girls SPEAK (Seizing Power Education
Advancement and Knowledge), Inc., a vehicle to help girls as young as age 10, develop oral and written advocacy skills and free their voices. As one of the few women of color in my environment, I have been called to lead and serve in the most significant ways. But for me, none of that matters if I am not using my advancements to pull another generation along with me. Also, my community service and life experiences have shown me that the fear women experience that prevents them from speaking up on their own behalf often holds them hostage in bad situations.
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