Women of Color Rise
Welcome to the Women of Color Rise podcast! I’m Analiza Quiroz Wolf, proud Filipina American, mom of two, and former CEO of a non-profit and Captain in the US Air Force. My mission is to support having more diverse leaders at the table, especially women and people of color. We’ll be talking with successful CEOs and C-suite women leaders of color and learning about their leadership journeys. If you are a woman or woman of color who wants a seat at the table, you’re in the right place. Website: www.analizawolf.com
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78. Friend or Foe: The Art of Developing Relationships with Kathy Waller, Former Chief Financial Officer for The Coca-Cola Company
05/30/2024
78. Friend or Foe: The Art of Developing Relationships with Kathy Waller, Former Chief Financial Officer for The Coca-Cola Company
For this Women of Color Rise Podcast, I talk with Kathy Waller, Executive Director for the Atlanta Committee for Progress (ACP), which provides leadership on the key issues important to economic growth and inclusion for all citizens in Atlanta. Prior to this, Kathy was the Chief Financial Officer for The Coca-Cola Company. Kathy is also a Board member for Delta Airlines, CGI Group, and Beyond Meat. Kathy shares her roots growing up in an all-Black neighborhood in Atlanta and then later attending an almost all-White college at the University Rochester. She shares how one of the key skills that helped her in her career was how to develop relationships, especially with White people. Kathy shares advice on the art of relationships building: Meet people where they are. Kathy shares how sometimes people had preconceived notions of Black people. She saw this as an opportunity for them to get to know her personally and show who Black people really. Understand people to determine if they are a friend or foe. Kathy advises us to observe how the person interacts with people they don’t know and how you can tell a lot about their bias and values. Are they a friend or foe? Can you turn a foe into a friend? Develop relationships by being vulnerable. While it may be uncomfortable to let your walls down, real relationships are based on sharing who you are, which opens the door for them to share as well. Don’t take it personally. If your attempts to convert them from foe to friend through a personal relationship doesn’t work, it’s not about you. They need to go on their own journey to overcome racism. Get full show notes and more information here:
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77. Why Getting Sponsored by White Leaders Matters with Sheila Duke, CEO of Roads to Success
05/16/2024
77. Why Getting Sponsored by White Leaders Matters with Sheila Duke, CEO of Roads to Success
Who is your sponsor? For this Women of Color Rise Podcast, I talk with Sheila Duke, CEO of Roads to Success, a New York City non-profit with the mission of empowering young people to take control of their future through after-school and summer programs. Sheila and I discuss how key to both of our careers was having sponsors, particularly White sponsors. Unlike a mentor who shares guidance, a sponsor actively promotes growth and provides access to opportunities and advocates for career advancement. In the non-profit world, most leadership, fundraising, and decision makers are White, despite often serving Black and Brown communities. For Sheila and me, our White sponsors prepared us and advocated for us with decision makers to get the CEO seat. Sheila and I share advice for how to find a White sponsor. 1. Know there are White leaders who understand why having leaders of color matters and are eager to sponsor leaders of color. In Sheila’s case, her CEO believed that leadership needs to reflect the community they serve. Look for these White leaders at your organization or at DEI conferences or ask your network for leads. 2. Build a relationship. Build a genuine relationship and establish a connection. Set up time to meet where you can ask for advice and also offer support. Remember that a relationship is a two-way street. 3. Ask for what you need. As you build the relationship, you can then ask for help, perhaps an introduction to someone in their network or feedback on how you navigated a leadership situation. You can also ask if they would be willing to sponsor you as you seek career advancement. 4. Stay true to yourself. Sheila has a saying, “Code switch, not soul switch.” Make sure to stay true to your values and your authenticity. As you get advice and learn how to maneuver in different rooms, stay clear on who you are. Get full show notes and more information here:
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76. How to Strategically Build Relationships with Stacey Chavis, Managing Director of Campaigns Academy
05/02/2024
76. How to Strategically Build Relationships with Stacey Chavis, Managing Director of Campaigns Academy
How do you strategically build relationships? For this Women of Color Rise episode, I talk with Stacey Chavis, Managing Director of Campaigns Academy, where she trains leaders to serve in elected office. Having spent her entire career in politics, Stacey points out the challenges women of color face but makes an adamant case about why women of color need to be at the decision making table, We discuss how being liked matters to rising in your career and how to strategically build relationships. Begin with the end in mind. For example, Stacey knew that for her next role, she wanted to transition to fundraising. So she identified people who had jobs she wanted and strategically built relationships with them. Build relationships up, down, and across. Ideally, you want to know people two levels above you, two levels below you, and people who are peers. This will help you gain perspective about your organization and flag any opportunities or challenges ahead of time. Reciprocate. A relationship is not a one-way street. Make sure to offer value - for example, sharing expertise or information that can be helpful to them. Be intentional and efficient. Given our online work environment, we have less opportunities to casually run into each other at the water cooler. Be intentional in setting up time to connect with people. This could be as quick as a 15-minute zoom call to get their input on something. When in doubt, ask them about themselves. It may sometimes be awkward to get a relationship started. But a fool-proof way to get and keep the relationship going is to ask them about their favorite topic - themselves. Get full show notes and more information here:
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75. Live Your Eulogy Life, Not Your Resume Life with Irma Shrivastava, Co-Founder of India Rooted and former Chief Marketing Officer of Randstad
04/18/2024
75. Live Your Eulogy Life, Not Your Resume Life with Irma Shrivastava, Co-Founder of India Rooted and former Chief Marketing Officer of Randstad
Are you living your resume or eulogy life? For this Women of Color Rise episode, I talk with Irma Shrivastava, Co-Founder of India Rooted and former Chief Marketing Officer of Randstad, the world’s largest human resources services firm. Irma and I discuss David Brooks’ advice to live your eulogy life, not your resume life. How can we live our eulogy life? Know that your career is not one path but multiple paths. Early in your career you might focus on skill building. But as you progress, you’ll want to learn more about yourself and your purpose and lean more into this. Given the choice between courage and comfort, choose courage. This might mean being uncomfortable, but discomfort is often a sign of growth. Consider your legacy and how you want to make a difference in the world. Irma and I discuss our shared legacies of helping others be at the table. This includes being on boards and our gratitude for being part of the Stakeholder Leadership and Governance Institute. Irma’s eulogy life includes co-founding India Rooted. It is a two-week experience that takes Indian-American teens to India with the objective of engaging them in cultural experiences that will connect them to their ancestral roots. The inaugural cohort launches in June 2024. More information can be found at . Get full show notes and more information here:
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74. The Art of Listening with Radha Ruparell, Head of the Global Leadership Accelerator, Teach for All
04/04/2024
74. The Art of Listening with Radha Ruparell, Head of the Global Leadership Accelerator, Teach for All
Are you a good listener? For this Women of Color Rise episode, I talk with Radha Ruparell who heads the Global Leadership Accelerator at Teach For All and is the author of Brave Now. Radha and I discuss how leaders often focus on communication but don’t give attention to the art of listening. In these times of polarization, listening is especially important because it can help us build relationships and understand other points of view, so that we can move forward together. We discuss three steps to help us be better listeners: Develop self-awareness of our filters. We may think that we are listening with an open-mind when in reality we are listening with established filters. These filters are often formed when we are young, for example the filters of not feeling like we are smart/good enough. These filters keep us being judgmental instead of truly being open. Put our filters aside. Having self-awareness of our filters allows us then to deliberately put our filters aside so we can be open to the other person. We are no longer planning our response about why they are wrong and why we are right. We are present. Set an intention to be a listening. Once we are able to release ourselves and our judgments, we are more able to be fully present for the other person. We set an intention to be a listening (a noun) for the other person, a vessel open to their perspectives, feelings, hopes, and dreams. It’s such a rare gift to listen to others without any hidden agendas. When was the last time you were listened to with genuine curiosity and openness without judgment? Imagine what is possible when you can truly listen to others. Get full show notes and more information here:
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73. How to Play the Office Politics Game with Dolores Johnson, Former Vice President of International Marketing, Fortune 100 Companies
03/21/2024
73. How to Play the Office Politics Game with Dolores Johnson, Former Vice President of International Marketing, Fortune 100 Companies
What percent of your job is office politics? Dolores Johnson says 60%. For this Women of Color Rise episode, I talk with Dolores, a former Vice President of International Marketing at Fortune 100 tech companies. In her current chapter, Dolores is a writer focused on race and recently wrote her award-winning Say I’m Dead, A Family Memoir of Race, Secrets and Love. Dolores shares gems about how to fast track your career, including how to navigate office politics. Understand office politics - Your job is 40% work and 60% office politics. You need to understand people’s hidden agendas and what is in it for them. This will help you understand how to persuade them to your ideas. Take advantage of pre-meetings to sell and get buy-in for your ideas before the actual meeting. Take time to build relationships - It’s not your work that will get you ahead. It’s your relationships. Take initiative to seek mentorships. Take initiative to network outside of your company. Your job is not guaranteed - and these relationships will help you bounce back when you need a new opportunity. Speak up - Do not fall prey to being quiet. Share your ideas. For Dolores, she needed to learn how to speak more directly, with less detail and more in headlines. Come up with innovative ideas that drive the bottom line - If you want to accelerate your career, be on the lookout for ideas that the organization has not yet tried. You want to be seen as someone who is innovative with ideas that can drive results. Keep your eyes on the prize - If people make comments that question your worth, believe in yourself. Instead of focusing on just this moment, look forward and remind yourself of where you are headed Take care of yourself - The company is not responsible for your career progress or your care. Take care of your mental health, speak up for your pay, negotiate, and also be aware of the risks. Know that the extra hours, trips, and work won’t provide you job security. Get full show notes and more information here:
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72. 3 Steps to Storytelling for People of Color with Arshiya Kherani, Co-Founder of Potluck Stories
03/07/2024
72. 3 Steps to Storytelling for People of Color with Arshiya Kherani, Co-Founder of Potluck Stories
How does a person of color get more comfortable with telling their story? For this Women of Color Rise episode, I talk with Arshiya Kherani who is a Coach, Facilitator, and Co-Founder of Potluck Stories, a LA-based community organization that hosts monthly interactive storytelling events that amplifies underrepresented voices. Arshiya shares how she is often in white male dominated spaces. Being a Muslim woman who wears a hijab has given her the choice to either assimilate into what is expected of her or empower her to share her identity and culture with others. Arshiya chose empowerment We discuss 3 steps people of color can take to tell their stories: Step 1: Be vulnerable, and narrow down to an experience that matters to you. Sometimes people of color feel that their stories need to be their resume. Instead, think of an experience that shaped your life (could be from childhood, young adulthood or even recently). This could be a moment of fear, calling, or overcoming a challenge. Brainstorm for a few minutes, and choose one. Step 2: Pick a specific moment in that story and bring us to that moment. Paint the details. What did you see, smell, taste, hear, feel? Help us be in your shoes. Step 3: Speak it aloud and get out a SFD, shitty first draft. Don’t spend so much time writing and rewriting and trying to make it perfect. The more you do it, the better you’ll get, and the more you’ll be able to tell that same story from different perspectives based on the audience. Get full show notes and more information here:
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71. Your Authentic Leader Brand with Leticia Ossa Daza, Founding Partner and Chair of Latin America Practice, Willkie Farr & Gallagher
02/22/2024
71. Your Authentic Leader Brand with Leticia Ossa Daza, Founding Partner and Chair of Latin America Practice, Willkie Farr & Gallagher
For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Maria-Leticia Ossa Daza, Founding Partner and Chair of Latin America Practice, Willkie Farr & Gallagher Maria-Leticia Ossa Daza Born and raised in Colombia, Leticia knew from an early age that she wanted to be a lawyer. Her parents were both lawyers and supported her dreams, with Leticia getting a scholarship for college in France. After graduating, Leticia found herself in New York as a lawyer, surrounded by mostly white males and not sure how to show up. Leticia shares how she got clear on her authentic leadership brand and how that helped her get recognized and rise at her organization. Analiza and Leticia discuss how to leverage our authentic leadership brand: Step 1: Know and leverage your brand. Your brand is what makes you unique. This includes your strengths, goals, and job history. This also includes aspects of yourself outside of work such as your cultural background and activities such as volunteer work. For Leticia, her brand included being a Latina with an international background. Her brand also included dressing with color instead of the standard dark office attire, using her hands to communicate, and also dancing at the holiday party. She saw that being different could help her stand out. Step 2: Understand how to apply your brand and uniqueness to the organization’s needs. Spot opportunities and share your ideas with senior leaders. For Leticia, her Latin American background gave her the unique lens to see that the organization was missing a big opportunity. She took the initiative to share her idea to start the Latin American practice with a senior leader. That leader applauded the idea, became her mentor, and helped advocate for Leticia to found the Latin American practice. Step 3: Share your brand inside and outside of your organization. Inside her organization, Leticia shared her unique perspective and cultural background. Outside of her organization, Leticia began to write more, starting with LinkedIn. Leticia’s writing got noticed for its unique perspective, and she is now a columnist for La Republica on international business trends. Get full show notes and more information here:
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70. How to Ask for What You Want with Sau-fong Au, Director of the Women’s Center at Brooklyn College
02/08/2024
70. How to Ask for What You Want with Sau-fong Au, Director of the Women’s Center at Brooklyn College
Why is it so hard to ask for what we want? And how do we do it? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Sau-fong Au, Director of the Women’s Center at Brooklyn College. Sau-fong was born in Hong Kong and went to college at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She then followed her boyfriend to the US. Being in America was the first time that Sau-fong was surrounded by people who were different than her. She was told, “You’re not American,” and that there was something wrong with her. She also felt that she should feel grateful and that she shouldn’t ask for more. Having led the Women’s Center at Brooklyn College for 23 years, Sau-fong shares how these myths hold women, especially women of color, back. Sau-fong shares advice about how women of color can ask for and get what we want. Don’t take things personally. Whether successes or failures, it often doesn’t have anything to do with you, personally. Fake it until you make it. You might not feel confident or worthy, but don’t let these mindsets hold you back. You have nothing to lose by asking. But by not asking, you make it 100% sure they will say no. You can be grateful AND ask for more. Women are often taught to be grateful for our small slice of the pie. Instead, think to yourself, “I deserve the whole pie.” Or “I deserve the ingredients to make the pie myself.” Feel the feelings and find a community to support. Depending on whether they say yes or no, you might feel joy, sadness, or anger. Feel these feelings and find a community to support you. Be the change. When you get into positions of power, find ways to make systems more equitable, for example by standardizing pay through salary scales. This evens the playing field for women of color, who often don’t even negotiate. Get full show notes and more information here:
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69. Network in Harmony With Your Culture with Isabel Ching, Executive Director, Hamilton Madison House
01/25/2024
69. Network in Harmony With Your Culture with Isabel Ching, Executive Director, Hamilton Madison House
How can we network while staying true to ourselves? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Isabel Ching, Executive Director of Hamilton Madison House. Born in South America, Isabel moved to Brooklyn, New York where she grew up. In school, she was bullied for being Asian American and put in an ESL class even though she spoke English fluently. Even with these challenges, Isabel shares how she stayed to her identity. As the leader of her organization, she continues to lead, speak at events, and fundraise in harmony with her culture. Isabel shares how to network and present authentically: Get help - If networking and presenting are not a natural skill of yours, seek external help. A good consultant can help you build your executive presence. Decide on what advice to accept - Don’t blindly follow all advice given to you. Ground yourself in your values and who you are. For Isabel, sometimes she’s giggly, jokes around, and uses her hands alot - that’s ok! Take the pressure off - Sometimes Isabel feels like she needs to say something profound and unique, but that brings unnecessary stress. It’s ok not to be the smartest or most eloquent. Know who you are and speak from that place. You don’t need to prove anything. It’s ok to fail - Isabel admits that she has had some misses, including a presentation that went terribly because she was up all night with her sick son. Give yourself compassion and grace. Let go of control - There's only so much you can control. You can’t control what people think about you. If one person is not interested, move on. Keep doing this and you’ll get to the right person who will give you a chance. Get full show notes and more information here:
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68.Better, Not Perfect with Dr. Shai Butler, Founder and CEO of StratHERgies and Author of Better, Not Perfect
01/11/2024
68.Better, Not Perfect with Dr. Shai Butler, Founder and CEO of StratHERgies and Author of Better, Not Perfect
How can you go from hot mess to life success? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Dr. Shai L. Butler, Founder and CEO of StratHERgies and author of Better. Not Perfect. Shai shares her personal journey of becoming a mom at 14, failing out of college, and becoming addicted to alcohol and opioids. Shai shares how she was able to take charge of her life, get her doctorate, and have a decades long career in higher education as a C-suite executive. She also started StatHERgies LLC, a leadership development consultancy that works with current and aspiring C-Suite managers. Dr. Shai debunks the myth that failure is bad. Failing doesn’t make you a failure. Dr. Shai shares her strategies to go from hot mess to life success: Find a faith. You don’t have to shoulder life by yourself. Find a faith that resonates with you so that you are able to share life’s challenges. Invest in a therapist. Our beliefs, including imposter syndrome, are often deeply rooted in childhood trauma. A therapist can help you unpack beliefs that are not serving you. Affirm yourself. Know your strengths and values. Let go of self-critical beliefs and view yourself from an asset-based lens, including all your gifts. Take action. Even though you may face fear or doubt, instead of dwelling here, focus your energy on taking action to move your vision forward. Check out Dr. Shai and her Better, Not Perfect book (also available in audio) . Get full show notes and more information here:
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67. Heal the World by Healing Yourself with Sarah White, Executive Director of South Dakota Education Equity Coalition
12/14/2023
67. Heal the World by Healing Yourself with Sarah White, Executive Director of South Dakota Education Equity Coalition
Want to heal the world? Start by healing yourself first. For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Sarah White, Oglala Lakota and Executive Director of the South Dakota Education Equity Coalition (SDEEC) and 2019 Bush Fellow. Raised to value spirituality and education, Sarah saw how the system was failing her people with indigenous people falling further behind in the achievement gap. She decided to found SDEEC, a grassroots movement of community stakeholders committed to promoting diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning for future generations. After years of working, Sarah noticed that her response to coping with trauma was achievement to give her a sense of self-worth. She realized that if she wanted to heal her community and world, she needed to start by heal herself. Sarah shares strategies to heal: Develop awareness of where we find your self-worth. For Sarah, she realized that she had been seeking worthiness through achievement. She believed that achieving would lead to wellness and being happy. This pattern of thinking set her up on a never ending cycle of looking outward instead of inward. Notice that when we focus on outward success, we are the furthest away from ourselves. When we are on the hamster wheel of striving for outward achievement, we lose sight of our own belief in ourselves, that we are enough as we are. We can come back to ourselves to heal. This includes self-care, even basic things like not skipping meals and drinking water. Let go of martyrdom. Sarah shares that women generally more often than men suffer and martyr ourselves, falsely believing that it’s going to contribute to some sort of prosperity. But that’s never going to be sustainable. The key is to nurture our spirits, focus on healing, and recognize that this is going to be synonymous with the healing that we need to see within our professional work as well. Get full show notes and more information here:
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66. Keep Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Moving Forward with Rhonda Broussard, CEO of Beloved Community
11/30/2023
66. Keep Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Moving Forward with Rhonda Broussard, CEO of Beloved Community
With the backlash against DEI, critical race theory, and LGBTQ rights, what can we do? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Rhonda Broussard, CEO of Beloved Community, a non-profit to create sustainable paths to regional racial and economic equity. Her vision for Beloved Community is informed by her leadership in education and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s goal “to create a beloved community” that would “require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives.” With DEI efforts such as critical race theory and LGBTQ rights under attack, Rhonda offers actions we can take to keep DEI moving forward: Educate our children at home. School can’t do it all. For Rhonda as a child, MLK Day was not yet a federal holiday, so her family practiced celebrating this day at home. Ensure that politicians have an understanding of the issues. Make sure they have access to training, which can have a big impact on the local level. Consider for running for office yourself. Be part of the action and check out runforsomething.net which provides recruiting and support for young progressives. Or if not, identify your role in the movement. Are you more a behind the scenes leader? Don’t back off with sharing your belief in DEI. If you are a leader in an organization, make sure you have legal resources to support you. Find your support group. Doing this work is hard. You are not alone. Find a place to share, reset, and release toxicity. Get full show notes and more information here:
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65. Aspire to be CEO with Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund
11/16/2023
65. Aspire to be CEO with Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund
Can a woman really aspire to become CEO? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Cheryl Crazy Bull, Wacinyanpi Win (They Depend on Her), a member of the Sicangu Lakota nation. Cheryl is President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund and is an advocate for self-determination focused on Native voice, philosophy, and traditions as the heart of the people’s work in building prosperity for current and future generations. Cheryl shares advice for women to aspire to top roles: Know that women as leaders is not new. If we reach back to our cultures and histories, we’ll see that women have always led. Leadership starts at home with family. Among the Lakotas and other tribes, your responsibility is to be a good relative. This includes respect and reciprocity where you give to and receive from others. Believe in yourself. If we face feelings of impostor syndrome, we can fill ourselves with our belief in our own worthiness. For Cheryl, she told herself, “You can be that good. You can take your vision and apply it.” Be a learner and stay humble. This allows people to get close to you, see you as human and believe you will help them. Power is not bad. Power is about influence and the ability to allocate resources and move towards a vision of serving others. Get full show notes and more information here:
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64. Share Your Story to Change Your Life, Viridiana (Viri) Carrizales, CEO of ImmSchools
11/02/2023
64. Share Your Story to Change Your Life, Viridiana (Viri) Carrizales, CEO of ImmSchools
Can sharing your story change your life? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Viridiana (Viri) Carrizales, CEO of ImmSchools. Born in Michoacán, Mexico, Viri didn’t realize she was poor until age 11. Her father decided to make the trek to the US for better schools for his four girls. A year later, Viri, her sisters, and mother followed, almost getting lost walking in the desert. In America, Viri's challenges continued. Even after graduating high school with top honors, she could not go to college due to her undocumented status. Despite the risk, she contacted a newspaper who published her picture and story on the front page. Because of that story, one reader reached out and told her, “I'm an undocumented student in college. You can go to college, here's how, here's the law.” Viri founded ImmSchools, a nonprofit that works with schools to create safe and welcoming classrooms for immigrant and undocumented students. While she gained her US citizenship through her husband, millions of other undocumented students remain in limbo, not able to contribute to the highest of their ability to our country, and at risk of deportation. Despite the unfavorable political climate for passing laws to support the undocumented, Viri shares advice about what we can do to help: Break stereotypes of the undocumented. Learn stories of those formerly undocumented and how their change of status are allowing them to contribute to the country as teachers, engineers, and leaders like Viri. Vote. Support candidates with similar values. Educate ourselves. The media’s misinformation prevents us from better understanding how undocumented children and people are being hurt. Empathize. What would you do for your loved ones? For parents, what would you be willing to do for your child? If you were in a similar position, what would you do? Consider supporting Viri and ImmSchools . Get full show notes and more information here:
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63. Answer Your Ancestral Calling with Chandra Roxanne, Former Managing Director of the Astia Edge Fund
10/19/2023
63. Answer Your Ancestral Calling with Chandra Roxanne, Former Managing Director of the Astia Edge Fund
How can you answer your ancestral calling and apply that to business? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Chandra Roxanne, Former Managing Director of the Astia Edge Fund, a $20M fund which invests in Black and Latina women. Chandra made a pivot into venture capital after participating in Linda Lautenberg and Judy Schoenberg’s program and realizing her ancestral calling. Chandra believes in the transformative power of venture capital when used consciously and empowers Black and Latina women by investing in their ideas. Chandra is a graduate of the London School of Economics. Chandra shares how to answer our ancestral calling: Know your unique positionality. Know that your perspective, experience, and ancestry matter. Similar to a color in a rainbow, we each have a unique background that is important to the entire rainbow. Without it, the rainbow would not be the same. Learn and find pride in your ancestors. As part of emotional reparations work for people of color, it’s about restoration of culture. When your people are forced to give up language and culture, you may think that America is the start and finish of your history. But it is not. We need to reach back and understand who we and our people were before. Connect your people’s history and legacy to your higher purpose. When you look back and connect to your culture, find that part of your story that is your people’s legacy. This is also where you can find your ancestral calling and higher purpose. This higher purpose can be applied to businesses, where we can serve something bigger, not just for financial gain. Are you or do you know of any Black and Latina women entrepreneurs at the seed stage? Please send them to to get support. Get full show notes and more information here:
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62. Tap Into Your Body’s Wisdom with Tina Fernandez, Former Executive Director, Achieve Atlanta
10/05/2023
62. Tap Into Your Body’s Wisdom with Tina Fernandez, Former Executive Director, Achieve Atlanta
How can we bring emotions and body wisdom to work? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Tina Fernandez, Former CEO, Achieve Atlanta. Tina is currently a Fellow at Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative. She is in a new chapter with a divorce, kids out of the home, and stepping down from her CEO role. Tina has learned over the years that our bodies have wisdom. Assuming that only the mind should be valued at work without feelings is a white supremacist belief. Tina encourages women of color to bring all parts of ourselves to work - our mind, body, and spirit. Here are strategies to use to leverage our body wisdom: Get to know yourself. How does your body react when you are stressed? How can you self-soothe? Take time to calm your nervous system down. Practice breathing, meditating, mindfulness, and somatics. Stay in your body. Even though it may feel uncomfortable, stay in your body instead of disconnecting. Give yourself grace. It’s ok to take a break. If there is an issue, you don’t need to fight immediately. Give yourself grace to take time and come back later. Get full show notes and more information here:
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61. How Pickleball Can Promote DEIB with Betty Ng, Founder and CEO of Inspiring Diversity
09/21/2023
61. How Pickleball Can Promote DEIB with Betty Ng, Founder and CEO of Inspiring Diversity
We all know the importance of DEIB. Yet many are feeling burned out. How do we stay motivated? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Betty Ng, Founder and CEO of Inspiring Diversity. Betty grew up in Chinatown, NYC and experienced bullying because she was Asian American. After graduating from Stanford with her BA and Harvard with her MBA, she continued to experience challenges as an Asian American during her 20+ year corporate career, including roles at Citibank and American Express. Betty transformed this pain to find her power and purpose, starting Inspiring Diversity, which helps organizations, educators, and families foster cultures of diversity and inclusion. For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Betty Ng, Founder and CEO of Inspiring Diversity. Betty grew up in Chinatown, NYC and experienced bullying because she was Asian American. After graduating from Stanford with her BA and Harvard with her MBA, she continued to experience challenges as an Asian American during her 20+ corporate career. Betty transformed this pain to find her power and purpose, starting Inspiring Diversity, which helps organizations, educators, and families foster cultures of diversity and inclusion. Betty shares the importance of doing DEIB to build strong cultures and how to keep people motivated and engaged: Make it individual - While policies, programs, and training are helpful, real transformation happens at the individual level since a culture is the sum of individual people. Inspiring Diversity includes individual assessments with recommendations of what to change. Focus on conscious inclusion and well-being - DEIB encompasses many things. Inspiring Diversity hones in on conscious inclusion, which means asking how we can be more inclusive of each other, and well-being instead of bad behavior. Make it playful - Team and culture building is powerful when we can incorporate play. How about incorporating play into DEIB too? Betty (a certified pickleball coach) has a pickleball program that integrates DEIB. Get full show notes and more information here:
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60. What Got You Here Won’t Get You There with Jenise Terrell, CEO, Public Allies
09/07/2023
60. What Got You Here Won’t Get You There with Jenise Terrell, CEO, Public Allies
What does it take to thrive in a top role? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Jenise Terrell, CEO of Public Allies. The mission of Public Allies is to create a just and equitable society and the diverse leadership to sustain it. Jenise spent almost her entire career 20+ years at Public Allies, beginning as a Public Allies AmeriCorps member herself in 1997. Jenise shares key leadership moves she made: Stop holding all the pieces - As women of color, we are often the ones who are holding all the pieces of the pie. Jenise needed to move from being a technical expert to one who coaches and inspires others to manage all of the details. Provide entry points for others - Marginalized groups often don’t have access to opportunities because they lack entry points. Public Allies was the entry point for Jenise and provided training and opportunities for her to grow. Similarly, reflect for yourself - am I giving consideration to others and providing entry points? Find your tribe who can be honest with you and support you - Jenise’s leadership team gives her feedback. We need all of us helping each other. Get full show notes and more information here:
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59. Be a Covert Systems Changer for Racial Justice with Leah Gordon, Associate Dean, Boston College
08/24/2023
59. Be a Covert Systems Changer for Racial Justice with Leah Gordon, Associate Dean, Boston College
How do you go from being anti-system to being a system changemaker for racial justice? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Leah Gordon, Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence, Diversity, and Belonging as well as an Associate Professor of the Practice at Boston College. Leah shares how she was consistently told she was not enough. She was a mom at 19, on welfare, and told no many times for jobs because she didn’t have the right degree. Leah points to not just her perseverance and mentors who spotted her talent that got her where she is today. She also had the vision to be a systems changemaker, to rise to leadership so that marginalized communities would not face injustice. Leah shares the keys to being a systems changemaker: Don’t listen to the many voices that will tell you that you can’t do it. You can. Source that belief from yourself and seek out mentors who can uplift you. Be your full authentic self and also practice thoughtful restraint. Before speaking your truth and burning up the system, consider whether restraint might help you now. Later, you can share stories of the injustice you faced to urge others to change. Get the support of the “mothership” organizations with authority to back why DEI is important. In Leah’s case, she had health organizations such as the National League of Nursing and American Nurses Association that influence nursing education. Take care of yourself. Rest is a form of resistance. Prioritize you for the benefit of the movement. Get full show notes and more information here:
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58. You are Not Your Work with Judie Saunders, Partner, ASK LLP
08/10/2023
58. You are Not Your Work with Judie Saunders, Partner, ASK LLP
Who are you? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Judie Saunders, Partner at ASK LLP. Judie grew up in Alabama, the daughter of parents who immigrated from Trinidad and Tobago. Her father was a professor of African American studies at Howard University. Judie grew up with values of education and justice and after graduating from University of Maryland with her J.D, she became an attorney supporting clients who suffered from sexual abuse. Judie also co-wrote A War on My Body with Gloria Allred and Paxton Smith. As a mother, Judie decided to focus on her family, while keeping a foot solidly in her work. But this led to an identity crisis. She realized she was so much more than her work. How? Embrace the tensions. These are your teachers. For Judie, her teachers were her kids who wanted her attention and her partner, a fellow litigator with an ambitious career. Judie saw how these tensions and teachers could help her learn more about herself. You are not your work. Eckart Tolle’s The New Earth describes how we are not what society’s definition of success. We are not our careers, titles, or even motherhood. We are a consciousness. Be flexible. Rather than hold on to external expectations, release resistance and allow yourself to accept what is in front of you in life. Take time to heal. For Judy, this includes daily practices like meditation, boundaries, and journaling. Her daily prompts are: What are your goals for the year/decade? Why are you here? What are the top 3 things you will accomplish today? Judie also credits participating in Linda and Judy’s Evolve Me program to help her clarify her identity, rev up, and come back to her career. Get full show notes and more information here:
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57. What Two Mediocre White Guys Taught Me About Negotiation with Kianti Brown Whitney, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Relay Graduate School of Education
07/27/2023
57. What Two Mediocre White Guys Taught Me About Negotiation with Kianti Brown Whitney, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Relay Graduate School of Education
How often do you ask for what you want? For this Women of Color Rise podcast, Analiza talks with Kianti Brown Whitney, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the Relay Graduate School of Education. Kianti shares how her parents saved for all four of their children to attend private school. This led Kianti to a career path in education, where she leverages her passions of stories and marketing. Kianti learned early on to always ask for what you want. In college, she overheard two white male students discussing their salaries. Before that, she had believed in the myth that you take what is given to you and negotiation was a faux paus. She reflected, “If these two mediocre white males could do it, I knew I could ask for more, too.” Kianti shares these salary negotiation strategies: Know the salary offered. Make sure this is in line with your expectations. Do a values assessment of what most matters in addition to money. This could be flexibility or professional development or something else. Know your worth. When Kianti was offered a job in advertising, she immediately countered and asked for ten percent more. They responded, “You’re lucky to get one of these rare jobs in advertising. We don’t negotiate.” But Kianti knew her worth and didn’t budge. And voila! They gave her what she wanted. Go for it. If it helps, imagine you are another person, and you are negotiating on behalf of the person so it feels less personal. To help the person get paid what they are worth, you’ll make sure to negotiate. Check out Kianti’s new podcast, Black Girls Bonding, where Black women can come and feel safe to share their experiences and challenge the status quo. From managing relationships and career, to navigating day-to-day life, this is a space for community blackgirlsbonding.buzzsprout.com Get full show notes and more information here:
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56.Negotiate Like a Pro - at Work and at Home with Michelle Palmer, Executive Director of Breakthrough Greater Philadelphia
07/13/2023
56.Negotiate Like a Pro - at Work and at Home with Michelle Palmer, Executive Director of Breakthrough Greater Philadelphia
How do you go from imposter syndrome to negotiator pro? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Michelle Palmer, Executive Director of Breakthrough Greater Philadelphia. Growing up with a single mom in Philadelphia, Michelle lacked confidence and felt imposter syndrome. Michelle was the first person in her family to attend college. After graduating from Temple University, Michelle tried different jobs starting with radio. Later, she tried development at a non-profit, which she loved. Michelle realized that the key to being a leader was believing in herself. This confidence has helped her ask for what she wants - at work and at home. She’s gotten promotions, raises, donations, and agreements with her kids. Michelle shares how to negotiate like a pro: Believe in yourself. Noone is better than the other. You deserve to be at the table. Think about the sacrifices you made (for example, working additional hours). You deserve this raise. See negotiation as not about one big event but a series of conversations. Know what you want and why. If you are negotiating your salary, list where you started and where you are now - your work, impact, and value. You have nothing to lose. The worst thing that happens is they say no. “You’ll miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” (Wayne Gretzky) Get full show notes and more information here:
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55. What to Do if Your Family Doesn’t Understand You with Sonia Pérez, COO and Former Interim CEO of UnidosUS
06/29/2023
55. What to Do if Your Family Doesn’t Understand You with Sonia Pérez, COO and Former Interim CEO of UnidosUS
You have a dream. Yet your family is completely opposed to it. What do you do? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Sonia Pérez, COO of UnidosUS, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization. Sonia was the youngest of eight siblings, growing up in the projects in Brooklyn, New York. Despite limited access to quality schools, she was able to enter an elite public high school and then later Brown University. But her father did not understand why Sonia wanted to leave their community to attend Brown. He did not speak to Sonia for the entire summer. What did Sonia do? She stayed true to her commitment to education and opportunity. She also stayed true to her family. She knew she was not leaving for good. Her plan was to come back. The day before Sonia left for Brown, her father reconciled with her, “You will always have a home here.” Sonia shares how this experience helped shape her life choices. She returned to family–caring for her mother in law in Puerto Rico and then back to New York. She also chose a career in education policy after attending the Kennedy School at Harvard. During her three-decade career at UnidosUS, she has served many roles, including Interim CEO. Get full show notes and more information here:
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54. The EQ Edge with Marcelle Fowler, Chief Coaching Officer, C-Suite Coach
06/15/2023
54. The EQ Edge with Marcelle Fowler, Chief Coaching Officer, C-Suite Coach
What’s more important to rising in your career: hard skills or soft skills? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Marcelle Fowler, Chief Coaching Officer, C-Suite Coach. C-Suite Coach is a multimillion-dollar, Black Woman-owned business that empowers diverse professionals through leadership coaching and diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Marcelle brings more than 30 years’ experience in organizational effectiveness, talent development and internal communications with companies such as Capital One, Dow Chemical and UPS. Over the course of her career, Marcelle has coached C-Suite executives, County Police Chiefs and US Navy Commanders. Through her experience coaching women of color leaders, Marcelle shares a few common struggles women of color face in rising in their career including developing EQ or soft skills especially with communication and relationship management. EQ skills include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and social management. Marcelle shares how important soft skills are, so much so that in corporations, these are now called Essential Skills. She shares how to develop these skills: For self awareness, recognize your beliefs and feelings. Perhaps you are feeling scared or nervous. Know that these feelings are valid. For beliefs, Marcelle shared an example of a Latina who was taught by her mother to be grateful, which led this woman not to ask for promotions or projects to help her career. For self management, you can choose which beliefs best serve you. For example, you can take on that belief that I deserve this. Or a belief that to whom much is given, much is expected, and that’s why I need to lean in to speaking up and taking on new assignments. For social awareness and management, it’s important to build relationships and network. Contrary to popular belief, you can do this authentically and on your own terms. It doesn’t have to happen after work - you can connect with people on your commute, before or after meetings, at lunch, or a few minutes at the beginning or end of the day. You can build relationships as your authentic self and connect with others as people. While you may want to network with people who look like you, it’s important to bring in others, including white males, who could open up connections and opportunities. Even if you might be nervous to form a new connection, don’t self-select out. Try anyway - you never know how they will respond until you try. Marcelle shares how she got a job because she had built a personal connection with a senior leader of the hiring team. Get full show notes and more information here:
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53. How to Interrupt Generational Trauma with Elaine Miller-Karas, Co-Founder and Director, Trauma Resource Institute
06/01/2023
53. How to Interrupt Generational Trauma with Elaine Miller-Karas, Co-Founder and Director, Trauma Resource Institute
How can you heal generational trauma? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Latina Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, co-founder and the Director of Innovation of the Trauma Resource Institute. Elaine is the key developer of the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models. She is also the author of Building Resiliency to Trauma, the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models which was selected by the United Nations and Taylor as one of the innovations helping meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. She is also a Senior Consultant to Emory University’s SEE Learning program, launched by the Dalai Lama. Elaine also has a podcast called Resiliency Within, Building Resiliency during Unprecedented Times. Elaine shares how her mother and grandmother immigrated from El Salvador and how she grew up in the Bay Area. She did not see poverty until she visited El Salvador when she was 11, embedding in her a desire to help others. Elaine later became a social worker and through her research at Stanford University created the Community Resiliency Model, which is used by people from all over the world, from children to adults in schools, hospital, and war-torn countries. Based on Elaine’s expertise and experience as a trauma therapist, she shares how to heal from generational trauma. Traditionally, Western medicine using talk therapy to heal but for some, it’s difficult to share (ex. for a soldier to talk about war can be retraumatizing). Acknowledge that we have trauma passed down from our ancestors and how embedded shame is in our culture. For example, the feeling of not enough is pervasive. It comes from white male patriarchal colonialism and capitalism. Growing up in this culture, our ancestors transported this trauma and feelings to us. We are then striving to show we belong, to show “I’m not an accident, my ideas matter.” But despite being dressed well, speaking properly, and being educated, we still don’t feel like we are enough. The Community Resiliency Model offers strategies to heal. It is about the connection between our mind, body and feelings. We all have a nervous system. When we experience trauma, our body responds to protect ourselves. Our implicit memory then triggers our nervous system when we face future similar experiences. For example, if we experienced an attack as a child by a person who had a specific cologne, smelling that cologne later in life could bring us back to that moment, and we feel that we’re being attacked even though we are safe. The goal is to intercept and calm our nervous system. When we learn to notice what is happening in the body, we can notice when we are activated. For example, Elaine knows that she is triggered when she feels her ears get hot. This clues her in that her nervous system is reacting, and she can use CRM strategy such as grounding or rubbing her fingers together to self-soothe. There are other CRM “Help Now” strategies too. We can also use words to calm ourselves. “I’m good. I’m good enough.” These affirmations change our mindset and help provide well-being in the body. You don’t have to be a trained therapist or avid meditator to attain peace and calm, even in the most challenging of situations. Even children use these strategies! Where attention goes, energy flows. Especially for women of color facing patriarchy as we lead, we can continue to be change agents. Get full show notes and more information here:
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52. The Power of Introverts as Leaders with Diana Cournoyer, CEO, National Indian Education Association
05/18/2023
52. The Power of Introverts as Leaders with Diana Cournoyer, CEO, National Indian Education Association
Do high performing CEOs tend to be extroverted or introverted? While many people assume that leadership roles require a natural level of extroversion, found 40% of leaders identify themselves as extroverts. These include: Avon's chief executive, Andrea Jung, civil rights leader Rosa Parks, singer Christina Aguilera, and President Barack Obama. What makes introverts powerful leaders? In this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Diana Cournoyer, CEO of the National Indian Education Association, member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and self-proclaimed introvert. As a child, she was “very shy, very introverted, borderline fearful of the world” so her childhood dream was to help animals not people. But once she took a class in Native American studies and a multicultural communications class in college, she realized the injustice of her own people and decided to commit her life to supporting Native students. Diana’s work has included testifying before the U.S. Congress in support of Native education, creating more opportunities for visits to tribal communities, acquiring millions in grant funding for NIEA, and inspiring trust and collaboration among her team, organizations, and Native nations across the country. Diana shares how she was able to lead authentically as an introvert: Focusing on her why. Diana’s passion is to educate and support Native students and educators in general. Remember that she loves to have conversations. So when she is doing keynote events or public speaking engagements, she considers these as opportunities to share what she is passionate about. Lean on stories. To get her point across, Diana focuses on stories which include personal stories from her own life to connect with her audience, have them question their view of the world, and take action. Believe in your expertise. Diana’s grandmother would tell her, “There should be no fear in you standing up in front of people, because you're the expert.” Diana would ensure she was well-prepared and researched and also be confident in her unique experiences and expertise. Practice pausing and being thoughtful, a natural strength of being introverted. Stop, Think, Process, Breathe. Diana inspires us - introvert or not - that we can be ourselves and also have the impact we want to change the world! Get full show notes and more information here:
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51. Be Fearless with Meralis Hood, CEO, EforAll
05/04/2023
51. Be Fearless with Meralis Hood, CEO, EforAll
How can we move from imposter syndrome to being fearless as a CEO? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Meralis Hood, CEO of EforAll, a nonprofit whose mission is to accelerate economic and social impact through inclusive entrepreneurship. Before EforAll, Meralis was the market president for City Year. Meralis was born and raised in Milwaukee after her mother was recruited from Puerto Rico to serve as a bilingual educator in the city. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Marquette University, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and an Education Specialist degree in educational leadership and administration from National Louis University. Meralis shares how her darkest moments struggling with mental health, self-harm, and losing her home were pivotal to how she shows up today as a CEO and mom. Meralis shares her path to being fearless: Know that these dark moments are a gift. As bad as they were, she survived and will survive anything else that comes her way. So whatever is in her path today, go for it. As a CEO for EforAll, she is leading her team to go from serving 500 entrepreneurs to 50,000. Instead of fearing this goal, Meralis is inspiring her team to be fearless. She shares with them, “What’s the worst that can happen?” Invest in therapy, mindfulness, and meditation. These weekly and daily practices have helped Meralis notice her thoughts and to release those that don’t serve her, such as not believing in herself. Meralis and her husband also invest in weekly therapy for their daughter. Unlearn myths taught to her by her mom such as needing to be perfect. Struggling with perfectionism led Meralis to not be vulnerable, which prevented her from connecting with others and developing relationships. Now, Meralis has learned to share and to do so with boundaries (knowing who to share with, when, and how much). This has helped Meralis to connect with people at work and in her life, ask for help, and build a strong community. Believe that she belongs. If she truly believes in social justice and belonging, she needs to model what it means to feel included. As a CEO, she has learned to overcome imposter syndrome, own her strengths, and believe that she deserves to be here. Get full show notes and more information here: https://analizawolf.com/episode-51-be-fearless-with-meralis-hood
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50. Be a Digital Nomad with Melissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO, eWebinar
04/20/2023
50. Be a Digital Nomad with Melissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO, eWebinar
Women of Color Rise supports more diverse leaders at the table, especially women and people of color. We’ll be talking with CEOs and C-suite women leaders of color and learning about their leadership journeys. How can you travel the world while running a successful start-up? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Melissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO, eWebinar. Melissa has spent twelve years in startups and built three successful companies without venture capital backing. Her previous startup, a real estate tech company, was acquired in 2019. Four years ago, Melissa decided to leave NYC to travel the world while working on her third start-up eWebinar. She shares advice about what makes a successful entrepreneur: Be relentless. Especially at the worst of times, don’t give up. Focus. Figure out what you want to serve to your core customer and stick to it. Melissa shared that with her first company, she kept saying yes to customers and spread her services too wide, which limited her company’s growth. Emotionally detach from your company so that you don’t take things personally. Separate your company from yourself. When a customer says no, they are not saying to you, they are saying that your product doesn’t deliver what they need. Have fun! Life isn’t about work. Rather than say, “When I retire, then I will travel,” imagine traveling now and do it. If you have the chance to work remote, do it now, even if it’s just temporary. Melissa believes that happiness should be the foundation of one’s career, not the other way around, and that the way to achieve this is by intentionally designing one’s life. She’s all about living life now and encouraging others to live their lives now too. Get full show notes and more information here:
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49. Be Vulnerable for Business Success with Kathy Kuo, CEO, Kathy Kuo Home
04/06/2023
49. Be Vulnerable for Business Success with Kathy Kuo, CEO, Kathy Kuo Home
Women of Color Rise supports more diverse leaders at the table, especially women and people of color. We’ll be talking with CEOs and C-suite women leaders of color and learning about their leadership journeys. How can revealing our most vulnerable selves help us with business success? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Kathy Kuo, CEO of Kathy Kuo Home. Kathy shares how as a daughter of a diplomat she moved eight times throughout her childhood, even changing her name from Janet to Victoria to Katherine. This experience taught her humility, resiliency, and the power of observation and also how important having a place to call home was to her. This helped lead her to start Kathy Kuo Home, a luxury interiors destination specializing in designer furniture and home decor. Kathy grew her business from 22 people to now 250 people. Key to her success has been embedding vulnerability and radical candor into the culture. Kathy shares that business problems rarely have to do with questions such as, Can we do it? Problems tend to be more around the politics such as, Should we do it? Who am I going to offend? Is this my responsibility? Developing a culture of radical candor has allowed Kathy and her team to move these problems in a heart-centered way. Here’s how she did it: 1. It starts at the top. Ensure you have an excellent executive team. Make sure each person is excellent at their job and also values aligned. 2. Within your team, build a common understanding and language of what it means to be above the line and below the line. Above the line means being empathetic, open, curious, maintaining a positive outlook, assuming positive intent. Being below the line is opposite of this, closed off, judgmental, defensive. It’s ok to be below the line, but you want to be aware of where you are and name it so that you can take time to move above the line. Set expectations and model calling out for yourself and others when you are below the line. 3. Own your 100% and make sure the rest of our team does too. This means taking 100% ownership and responsibility, even what we are talking about is not in your realm of work. If each person were to all lean in 100%, for example, it's an issue on customer service damages, what can I do in ops, in service, in trade? When one person owns their 100%, this sets up other members of the team to own their 100%. It shifts the culture to unpack issues and find solutions. This culture has helped Kathy and her team not just with business success but also at home too, with team members bringing this to their own families. Get full show notes and more information here:
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