Today we’d like to introduce you to D’Yanna Craighead.
D’Yanna, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
When I was in high school, I took an interest in learning about computers. It wasn’t quite called technology yet, but I had a knack for logic and figuring things out. My guidance counselor introduced me to computer programming by enrolling me into a class my senior year. I was the popular captain of the cheerleading team, who walked into a classroom of all boys and no one of color. It wasn’t the first time being the only person of color in a classroom, but the only girl caught me off guard. I could have easily dropped that class and decided it wasn’t for me because I had nothing in common with the people in the class, but I quickly learned that I did. Despite the fact that I didn’t look like them, I soon had a love and passion for computer programming just like they did. So I stayed in the class and that started me on my journey to software engineering.
I went on to college and majored in Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh with a minor in Computer Science, continuing to be the only girl in the class sometimes or the only Black person sometimes and sometimes both. This would become the norm as I entered into the professional work force as a software engineer. I later got my MBA from the University of Maryland Global Campus so that I could merge the worlds of technology with business. This mix positioned me to start moving more into management and leadership roles.
In 2016, I joined a Diversity and Inclusion team and learned that year only 22% of U.S technology workforce were women and only 3% were Black women. That statistic sparked a passion in me to no longer be a technology unicorn. Growing up in the inner city of Pittsburgh and raised in a single parent home to many meant that I wouldn’t make it far in life due to my circumstances. But I had become very successful in my career despite those circumstances and I wanted other women to see that if I could make it, so could they. I made it a point to no longer stay hidden behind my desk and start doing community outreach and mentoring in order to inspire other women and girls to pursue careers in technology.
In 2024, although the number of women in technology has grown, the percentage of Black women remains the same. Because of that, my focus has veered more towards remaining in the field and not just entering it. The climb to management and executive levels as a woman and then a Black woman is a mountain with various levels of terrains and complexity and I try to use my own story and career success journey as inspiration. In 2022, I created YARA SKY LLC as my own platform for mentorship and career coaching. YARA means small butterfly in Arabic and Sky representing learning to spread your wings and fly. As a part of my company, I created the Butterfly Code Framework which compares our personal and professional journey to the transformation of a caterpillar to a butterfly. I use the framework for one-on-one mentorship, transformation masterclasses, and speaking engagements to encourage anyone (not just women) to go after their goals and dreams, but trust the process along the way. From that, my book The Butterfly Code: Learning To Spread Your Wings Through Personal Evolution and Transformation, was brought to life.
At this point in my life and career, I’ve accomplished so much as a successful senior leader in software engineering that I was ready to share that journey with the world through my book and speaking engagements to encourage others to never give up. I’ve had my own hurdles, set backs, disappointments (such as divorce and becoming a single mother myself), and let downs that I’ve overcome because I never gave up. Now I have the wings to soar as I emerged into the butterfly that I am.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve had many obstacles and challenges along the way.
– First: When I walk into a room, I don’t look like what someone has in their mind as an engineer or technology leader. As a woman and a woman of color, for some reason people assume you aren’t technical or technical enough. Despite the fact that I have multiple degrees and some people in higher roles may not.
– Second: The career climb is more challenging because I’ve had to work twice as hard just to prove myself. My resume, degrees, certifications, and experience aren’t enough. I’ve had to spend months and sometimes years proving that I can do the job that I want to be promoted into versus watching others be given the chance.
– Once you become a role model to others, you have the tremendous pressure of people watching your career for inspiration. If you succeed, then great! But if you fail, you feel like you are letting everyone down that is watching you.
– I’ve also had personal setbacks along the way. I went through a divorce and became a single mother when my daughter was 5. That meant for many years, I had to slow my career climb down. I had to balance my full time job with also being a full time mother. I moved to Orlando not knowing a single person to follow my dreams but that meant I had to make some sacrifices in my personal life. I had no back up, I had no family here, I had no help and my job at one point was once a means of survival. Eventually, I began to thrive but it took me some years to get there.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about YARA SKY LLC?
Although I have a successful career as a senior technology leader, I created YARA SKY LLC to follow my personal passion to inspire others to follow your dreams by setting clear goals but also trusting the process.
As a woman and minority owned company, the mission of YARA SKY LLC is to empower women and members of underrepresented groups to reach personal and professional goals through growth and transformation. Founded and started by me in 2022 as a platform to inspire and encourage women and underrepresented groups to embrace and achieve their goals in life despite circumstances.
The vision of YARA SKY LLC is all about evolving, transformation and emerging into the version of yourself meant to soar.
Inspired by the journey of a caterpillar to a butterfly, YARA SKY, LLC applies coaching and mentoring concepts to help people take flight and embrace change through growth and transformation.
From that vision, I created The Butterfly Code Framework which walks you through five steps: Preparation, You must crawl before you can fly, Evolve, You aren’t meant to stay a caterpillar, Transformation: Embrace change while being still in your chrysalis. Emerge, Strengthen your wings. Transcend and Soar, this is who you are meant to be. I used this framework to follow my own dreams of becoming a published author of my book, The Butterfly Code: Learning To Spread Your Wings Through Personal Evolution and Transformation. I now share the framework and my story with the world as an inspirational speaker and what I call transformation coaching through masterclasses, guided journals, and more.
What sets me apart is that I am in this small 3% of Black women who have entered the technology workforce, remained in it and continues to climb, so I have a story of never giving up. I have a story of overcoming obstacles. But most importantly, I want to see others do the same. Brand wise, I’m most proud when I see others accomplish their goals and grow into butterflies themselves and tell me I helped inspire them. You can learn more at www.thebutterfly.com or my personal website www.dyannacraighead.com
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
The biggest risk I take every day is being willing to have the uncomfortable conversations and actually speak up about the challenges women and people of color have in their careers when it comes to exposure and advancement. It’s a fine line when someone asks me what its like to be a woman of color working in the technology industry. There are hurdles and there are things that may not be comfortable to address but are a reality. Finding a way to speak about it in a way that’s honest but doesn’t paint your company in a negative light is a fine line. It’s important to note that many of the struggles would be found anywhere at any company. But not speaking up about them doesn’t give an organization an opportunity to address it or rectify.
Pricing:
- Hard Cover Book = $27.99
- eBook and Audio Book = $9.99
- Tranformation MasterClass = $299
- Personal Coaching = Varies
- Speaking Engagements = Varies
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dyannacraighead.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/dyannacraighead
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thebutterflycode
- Linkedin: www.linked.com/in/dyanna
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/dyannacraighead
- Other: www.thebutterflycode.com
