Karissa Braxton on Empowering Voices and working with Seattle Leadership
Photos by Susan Fried
In commemorating Women's History Month, Karissa Braxton, the Senior Communications Director at the Seattle Office of the Mayor, joined Trae Holiday on The Day With Trae's in a discussion ranging from Braxton's illustrious career in communications within Seattle politics to her advice for young women aspiring to leadership roles. Delving into the segment, Braxton explained the driving force behind her career journey since graduating from Howard University in 2014.
"I wanted to be able to speak truth to power, but I wanted to tell the stories that I knew were not always captured in the ways that I thought were helpful," Braxton said. "I also wanted to be a disrupter of those narratives that I saw people were picking up and putting other people down in the process."
Continuing on that sentiment, Braxton expresses her profound perspective on her role and its impact on the community.
"I truly believe that with the tongue, we speak life or death, and that's not just in religious settings. With the tongue, we speak life or death from our pulpit, from our podiums, for the people that we work with. You're always speaking life or death," Braxton said. "What I want to make sure happens at the end of my day [is] that everything that I either wrote, everything that I said, or anything that I was a part of: that created something to be is life-giving and that's really what drives me."
Braxton, who has been working with the mayor's office for a number of years, highlighted some career peaks and challenges that have led her to her current position today, citing her participation in the political campaign for Erin Jones, who ran for Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2016. Braxton was in her early 20s at the time.
"I was put in a space where I was not comfortable. I did not feel qualified. I felt intimidated because I was significantly younger than everybody, and I've never done it before," Braxton said." She really pushed me and told me to basically do it afraid. Although we didn't win that campaign, the amount of learning I had in that role [and] all the skills that I learned there transitioned with me when I eventually did come to the city in a different capacity."
Since then, Braxton conveyed that she has carried this mindset when transitioning into the mayor's office role, something she was initially hesitant to take.
"My first reaction was not, "Oh Karissa, This is an amazing opportunity. They've seen the work you've been doing over time; you should lean into this." I was afraid and had to step back and think, "Am I ready to jump into something new and something that I wasn't looking for at the time?" I'm embarrassed to say it, but I almost said no," Braxton said. "My village was the one who basically was like, "Listen, are you crazy? You need to step into this. You are more than capable. You're more than ready. They're not calling you just because they woke up one day and decided. Your works have spoken for you; this is your opportunity." Just jump. And I did."
Braxton emphasizes that apprehension experienced when stepping into a new role can be a powerful tool for demonstrating one's readiness and capability.
"If the anxiousness is driven by "I don't think I'm perfect yet," then I know I'm in the right place that I need to be, and I know I need to jump because I have evidence that every time I've jumped, I was ready," Braxton said. "Yes, I'll grow, but I had everything that I needed. I just needed to trust myself and trust that I'd be caught on the other side of really faith."
Braxton credited her parents with instilling in her the drive to pursue leadership positions, attributing her father's outgoing personality and vocation to her mother's quieter yet influential presence.
"Growing up, I had two distinctly different but complementary visions of "what does it mean to lead," and at the root of both of those leadership examples is service. They're servant leaders," Braxton said. "The village that I grew up with and that raised me, they are all servant leaders, no matter what occupation they have. They are all rooted in serving someone else and not just "I want to be in front for the sake of my own ego."
Braxton highlighted the significance of diverse leadership styles, recognizing that while dominant personalities may have historically garnered attention, effective leadership transcends personality types.
"Never be afraid and think that if you're leading from the background, it's not valid because that's where a lot of power is as well. I try to balance those things as I navigate my roles, and I encourage other people who are leading. If you're quiet, it's okay to lead quietly, but you're still leading," Braxton said. "If you're loud, lead loud, create space, but use everything you have to stay grounded in your values, and I think that those are the most important things you have to remember."
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"I encourage young people, particularly if you're going to step into roles of leadership, first and foremost, be prepared. There will be great times when everybody will love you, and everything you say will be magical, and your personality will shine, and then there will be times where you have to make a decision that's tough," Braxton said. "Can you show up at that tough point, and can you rally the people around you when things are challenging and it's not clear? Can you rally them to keep moving forward and let them know it's going to be hard, but it's going to be okay? You have to keep moving forward."
To discover more stories about inspirational women making an impact in King County, tune into Trae every weekday at 11 am on all Converge Media platforms and The Day With Trae YouTube Channel.
