Travis Robinson
Spotify
Washington, DC USA
"There’s a time and a moment for opportunity and there’s always a place where you can get out of [a bad situation] because someone believed in you and believed that you could make a difference."
Career Roadmap
Travis's work combines: Business, Entrepreneurship, and Communicating / Sharing Stories
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
When I moved to Atlanta, it was my first time being in a predominately African American community. It was a tough adjustment for me and I confided in and relied on people in my life that could relate to my experience and support me. Surround yourself with positivity and people that support that because that is how you succeed. The people you surround yourself with tell the story of who you really are.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Accounting
Lee University
Bachelor's Degree
Business Administration and Management, General
Lee University
Graduate Degree
Public Relations/Image Management
George Washington University
Doctorate
Public Relations/Image Management
George Washington University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Grew up outside of Richmond, VA, in a suburb that was predominately white—says as a kid he knew he was different, but that it wasn’t really an issue.
2.
His older brother passed away very suddenly from meningitis when they were teenagers.
3.
After his brother died and he saw the impact he’d made on everyone's life, it made him believe that an individual could make a difference in the world.
4.
In college, he was an accounting major with a pre-law focus and intended on going to law school, but quickly realized that he wasn’t passionate about it.
5.
He did an internship at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, which introduced him to communications and aspects of human resources.
6.
During the financial crisis, he worked two eight-hour jobs back-to-back to make ends meet and gain experience.
7.
Got the opportunity to build out the campus recruiting program for the Federal Reserve Bank—says that connecting people and helping them realize their dreams is his purpose in life.
8.
He is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion and now leads the global talent acquisition team at Spotify, working to showcase the power one individual can make.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
You don't seem black or you aren't black enough.
How I responded:
When I moved to Atlanta, it was my first time being in a predominately African American community. It was a tough adjustment for me and I confided in and relied on people in my life that could relate to my experience and support me. Surround yourself with positivity and people that support that because that is how you succeed. The people you surround yourself with tell the story of who you really are.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Struggled during the financial crisis a few years ago. I was working two jobs back to back from 11pm to 3pm to make ends meet and get experience.
I was an accounting major with a pre-law focus in college but slowly realized that I didn't like it. I was so close to finishing my degree that I couldn't change my major, so I did internships to gain experience in the fields I did enjoy.
It is still an ongoing journey of acceptance.
My parents didn't really give me an option to not go to college. They wanted me to have better opportunities than they had.
For me, I believed that with hard work, building key relationships, having faith in God, and believing that I could make a difference through my journey, it would all work out.
My older brother passed away as a teenager from meningitis. Seeing the impact his life had on others inspired me to believe in myself and that I could make a difference.