GREAT TEAMS START WITH GREAT PEOPLE.

Meet Paquetia Goodwin

What is your role at MorganFranklin, and what do you do?

I am a senior business analyst/project manager, CSM (certified scrum master).

What appealed to you about a career working in cybersecurity?

My background is identity access management. Working with elevated accounts, provisioning models, and user profiles is interconnected with cybersecurity. It was a natural transition.

What do you particularly enjoy about the work you do, and why did you choose to work at MorganFranklin Consulting?

My role with the client is constantly changing. However, I love leading by supporting as a scrum master and BA/PM. (I bounce between these hats.) There is an art to collaboration. I love driving discussions that deliver precise requirements and understanding between the teams. Vaco hired me in 2017. I was converted by the client a year later and realized the culture I enjoyed was being part of the Vaco family. As Vaco has grown and become MorganFranklin, I have appreciated some of the changes to bridge us together.

How would you describe MorganFranklin’s culture?

Inclusive. The Friday forums provide a level of transparency to processes and leadership that I have not experienced in other organizations.

How have you taken ownership of your career at MorganFranklin Consulting? What does “own your career” mean to you and in the work, you do?

I call this “own your space.” Early in my career, my manager would always say that to me. “Remember, own your space, Ms. Goodwin.” I was not too fond of it, to be honest. But now, I recognize that he was encouraging me to be accountable and responsible. Venting is fine, but you must find a solution for your team and yourself when done. I look for opportunities to be resourceful. If I don’t have the answer, I know someone who knows someone who does.

What does an ideal Saturday look like for you?

It varies. I’m happy with a latte and my back porch. I’m also an early morning shopper at Lowe’s. Saturdays are pretty chill.

What is one unique thing that others may not know about you?

I love old kung fu movies. I’m a major Shaw Brothers fan. I used to go to this old movie theater to hear something from Confucius.

What’s one go-to office hack that makes your day more productive?

Thirty- to 60-minute sprints. I take essential tasks and focus on them in these time boxes. I do it for everything—cleaning, cooking, shopping, working.

If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, real or fictional, who would you choose, and why?

My grandmother. She died the day of my eight grade social studies exam. She was a beautiful person inside and out. She was a businesswoman; she owned a delicatessen and other property. She was the first representation of possibilities for me. I would have tons of questions for her today.

What is your motto or personal mantra?

Take what you need now, so you can give what you can later. Whether it’s rest, learning, validation, or help, when it’s available to us, be willing to accept it. At some point, you will need to pour into someone else’s life. You can only give from a full cup.