Joi McCrary is busy dismantling the “fine print” of entrepreneurship. As the founder of a multifaceted portfolio — including the career-coaching firm ResumeMe and Grants with Joi — McCrary has spent 15 years navigating a professional landscape that often views her through a narrow lens.
“It is tough as a Black woman in professional spaces,” McCrary told the Indianapolis Recorder. “People barely want to pay me to talk to me because I’m just ‘talking,’ but I’m actually educating.”
As the country celebrates Women’s History Month, McCrary hopes her work stands as a testament to a new era of Black and Brown women who are no longer asking for permission to take up space. Instead, they are building their own.
Breaking the “Superwoman” standard
For many Black women, the pressure to perform at a higher level than their counterparts is a constant, albeit exhausting, reality. McCrary, however, has adopted a radical approach: she acknowledges the systemic barriers but refuses to let them set the tone for her interactions.
“I genuinely go into a room, I tell them who I am, and I set a boundary,” she says. “Respect is one of my non-negotiables.”
McCrary notes that Black women are often expected to enter professional rooms with a forced vulnerability, making jokes about motherhood or “just being glad to be away from home” to make others comfortable. McCrary rejects this “damsel in distress” narrative. By leaning into her diverse trajectory — from HR professional to grant writer and thought leader — she emerges at the intersection of competence and authenticity.
Closing the “Funding Gap” through brains and mindfulness
When it comes to the stark funding gap facing Black and Brown women entrepreneurs, McCrary believes a mindset shift toward mindfulness and substance is key.
“I want more brain over aesthetics,” McCrary said. “Women are often focused on just getting in the room, but we can use our brains to get us there rather than trying to keep up with what we’re supposed to look like.”
As a current member of the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana, McCrary is actively working to transform how resources are distributed in the city. She is pushing for more initiatives that create large-scale, sustainable impact for women and girls.
Building a continuum of success
McCrary sees her work as a bridge to sustainability for Black-led nonprofits and businesses. By helping organizations narrow their missions and focus on “optimal functioning,” she ensures the next generation of leaders has a solid foundation.
“I’m not the savior of Black nonprofits,” McCrary said. “But I want to show that we can help ourselves as Black people, as women, and as mothers.”
For the woman currently working a 9-to-5 while dreaming of her first LLC, McCrary’s roadmap to success begins with strategic networking — not just to meet people, but to hear the stories and lessons of those who have paved the way. She emphasizes that while you must “press your foot down on the gas,” you must also narrow your mission; rather than trying to save the entire world, impact comes from focused, intentional work.
Above all, she believes that prioritizing internal mindfulness and resilience — turning past traumas into a growth methodology — is what allows an entrepreneur to remain focused on their own path rather than the competition.
“Mindfulness is everything,” McCrary said. “It is the key to personalizing, professionalizing, and your health.”
This article was written by Indianapolis Recorder reporter Noral Parham.