‘’Early on in my career, I felt that I needed to look like the traditional male banker in plain suits and unflattering workwear to fit in, to be taken seriously and to become successful. As I’ve grown in my career, I’ve become more comfortable and confident in expressing my personal workstyle that defines me.’’ Jessica Davis
The Davis Standard
Jessica Davis is a woman of ambition. She is a mother, a senior finance professional, fashion blogger and Instagram influencer. She is by all accounts a multi-faceted citizen of the world, traveling to new cities and sharing her wardrobe and life experiences online.
Jessica Davis started The Davis Standard to inspire and build a community of strong working women and moms who are ambitious, career-driven and love fashion as she does. Davis believes that social media/influencer community often gets a bad reputation but she believes when utilized properly, it can be impactful. While Davis initially started with the intention of focusing on workwear inspirations, The Davis Standard has now evolved into include self-care for working women, career tips and women related issues that she has learned during her 17 year Wall Street career.
‘’With The Davis Standard, I hope to share my inspirations with other women who are looking to make some investment pieces, are resourceful and want to feel comfortable and confident in the workplace’’ Jessica Davis
How would you describe your style?
Modern, timeless, classic and versatile.
Why did you pursue a career on Wall Street?
While I’ve always loved fashion, I really enjoyed math and finance in college. I majored in Business Administration at UC Berkeley. I’ve always been intrigued by the financial markets, corporate finance and personal investing. Early on in my career as an investment banking analyst, I worked really long hours but I learned so much and am grateful for the experience that has helped me become who I am today.
Give us some tips you share with your readers about balancing motherhood, career, and love of fashion.
Balancing it all is really hard but when you are passionate about what you are doing, I think it makes it easier. I do have a lot of hired and non-hired help at home to make sure I can do the best job I can at work, have the quality time I want with the kids (usually that is an hour before school and an hour or so before they go to bed on weekdays). I’m also very organized and love multi- tasking so that helps a lot. Balance is also achieved by working together as a partnership – my husband and I both work pretty hard so we really try our best to divide and conquer, take quality time for ourselves, for our family and our own individual passions.
Where do you find inspiration from when you shop for a new outfit?
I love Net-a-porter, Barneys and Intermix. I try not to always follow the hot trend and go with what feels most comfortable and stylish to me.
How do you stay young as a working mom?
Great skincare and try to exercise at least 2 times a week. I have a pretty strict skincare routine every evening consisting of cleansing, exfoliating, toning, serums, brightening and anti-aging creams. I do masks 3 times a week and I love using the LED home kit device and the Nuface microcurrent wand 3-4 times a week. Every month, I get a champagne facial at Savor Beauty with a lifting massage. It’s the best!
Share some advice from your work experience.
Always put forth your best work in whatever you produce. You should take ownership and accountability of everything you are working on. We are in a people business – cultivate the relationships you form up and down the organization. Always push your boundaries and raise your hand for new challenges. Don’t wait for them to fall on your lap – be proactive.
To what do you attribute your success?
Tenacity and perseverance. I always strive to do my best and be as resourceful as I can. If I’m not familiar with something or I need help, I find the people who can help me and get it right. We’re never going to be experts in everything and we will be constantly facing new challenges at work. How you address these challenges and figure out a solution is an important part of learning and moving up in your career.
If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?
Be open-minded and learn as much as you can. When you are just starting out in your first job, you usually have a lot of questions – Am I passionate about what I’m doing? Where do I want to go in my career? Should I stay at this firm for a long time or not? Who do I want to be in 5 years? You don’t need to figure that out when you are starting, but you need to be open-minded, work hard and be like a sponge. In my career, the best people (and ultimately those who had much success in their careers) were those that were open-minded and eager to learn as much as they can.
How do you think modern women can be more fulfilled in their lives?
Getting involved in philanthropy and charity work as early as you can. With our busy lives, I know it’s hard to take a step back and think about how we want to make a difference in our communities in our lifetime. To me, the most fulfilling times have been making a positive impact on someone in need or giving back. It can be small things but I encourage everyone to set aside some time to give back and find organizations/communities you feel passionate about and reach out to help them and get involved. I’m doing that more with my oldest son now who is 7 and I feel that it’s one of the most rewarding experiences we share together as a family.
Follow more Jessica Davis inspiration on the website The Davis Standard or Instagram.
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