It's our 100th episode! Since launching in 2020, we've been amplifying the voices of multicultural women in leadership—because our power, our stories, and our impact matter more than ever. Today, we celebrate the strength found in moving forward together, this year’s theme for Women’s History Month. Our conversation explores how multicultural women can turn challenges into assets, support each other through community, and redefine leadership on their own terms. We discuss the idea that failure i...
Mar 05, 2025•48 min•Ep. 100
Did you know? Women who experience high levels of stress are 46% more likely to seek new job opportunities. We take a holistic approach into the critical topic of wellness in the workplace and how it intertwines with our overall career satisfaction and significantly impacts how we show up in our personal lives. HR executive Dr. Merary Simeon and career coach Courtney Copelin share their insights on how both employers and employees share the responsibility of fostering a healthy work environment....
Feb 05, 2025•39 min•Ep. 99
We’ve got a lot to say after LeanIn and McKinsey & Company's recent Women in the Workplace 2024: The 10th Anniversary Report. HR executive Dr. Merary Simeon and career coach Courtney Copelin reflect on the ongoing challenges faced by multicultural women and argue the continued need for systemic change. We get candid about the barriers to advocacy and provide a variety of ways multicultural women can take action because if we, as a community, do not advocate for ourselves, we can’t expect oth...
Dec 11, 2024•33 min•Ep. 98
Feedback is a powerful tool for growth if you can harness it effectively. We dive into the critical role that feedback plays in professional development, especially for multicultural women who are trying to advance their careers. We tackle the significant gap with feedback in the workplace: many women report not receiving the feedback they need, or when they do, it lacks relevance and actionability. As we navigate the complexities of asking for and receiving feedback, we address the challenges t...
Nov 06, 2024•38 min•Ep. 97
Fortune 30 C-level executive Maria Lensing tells us about the many rules—both corporate and cultural—she’s broken to advance her career. This Latina powerhouse from Peru has been a leader at Walgreens, McKesson and AT&T, and is now the Global CIO & CTO at Sorenson Communications. In this super candid and honest conversation celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, we chat with Maria about the realities of being a multicultural woman in corporate America. Maria points out all the voices aroun...
Sep 18, 2024•43 min•Ep. 96
Hosts Alisa Manjarrez and Dr. Merary Simeon get real about the current landscape for women in the insights industry during this live recording at IIEX North America, one of the largest insights conferences in the world. Alisa and Dr. Merary highlight the crucial role of advancing multicultural women in the insights field and its positive impact on businesses. They also share three actionable strategies for industry professionals to support and promote women of color into leadership roles. Discov...
Aug 14, 2024•40 min•Ep. 95
One of our core themes is Create What You Want to See. This is nothing new for Krystal Solorzano, Principal of Business Development at 10SB, a global architectural firm. Krystal has been charting her own career course since her 20s, from moving solo to South America to embarking on a new adventure in Singapore with her husband. This fearless Latina shares her insights on why working abroad can be a game-changer and what you need to know before making the move. “I like to think of myself as a cre...
Jun 05, 2024•32 min•Ep. 94
We’re celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with Denise Vu Broady, a Vietnamese refugee who has climbed the corporate ladder into the C-suite and is now a mentor to other women in the tech industry. Denise shares her inspirational story of how she blossomed from an introverted young girl to the outspoken powerhouse she is today as the Chief Marketing Officer at Collibra, a software development company. We chat about owning your voice in the workplace, learning fro...
May 01, 2024•32 min•Ep. 93
If you’re comparing yourself to others, wondering if you should be further along in your career, our guest today shares how to get ahead at your own speed. While we’re encouraged to advance as quickly as possible, Paula Ramos, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, at Kimberly-Clark, believes in the opposite. Paula tells us how she has broken the rules by looking at her career as a sailboat and letting her curiosity guide her. “A sailboat allows me to explore,” says Paula. “And it puts the c...
Apr 10, 2024•27 min•Ep. 92
For Women’s History Month, we debunk three myths many multicultural women have about supporting each other in corporate America. Do you think you’re only one person and can’t change the status quo? Are you afraid to sponsor another woman of color because she may make you look bad? Do you believe everyone should pay their dues as they climb the ladder? These are all myths! Check out how we disprove each and offer ways to help and support each other when we choose community over competition. Episo...
Mar 20, 2024•35 min•Ep. 91
It’s Black History Month and Meredith Harper is on a mission—to empower women and people of color to embark upon careers in tech. Black, Latina and Native American women make up only 4% of tech roles in the U.S. Meredith is the Chief Information Security Officer at Synchrony, a Fortune 500 company that is one of the largest issuers of store credit cards in the U.S. She shares how she has often been the only woman of color throughout her 30-year career in tech and how other strong women partnered...
Feb 07, 2024•27 min•Ep. 90
Let’s advance together in 2024! Today, we chat about lifting others to get ahead collectively with Cindy Tran, Managing Director at Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company. As an Asian American, Cindy talks about how she was raised to be empathetic with everyone and how it’s helped her advance in her career. “That general commitment to adding value and helping others succeed,” says Cindy. “It makes other people want to help you.” Tune in for how empathy can take you (and othe...
Jan 03, 2024•32 min•Ep. 89
Are you thinking about leaving corporate America? You’re not alone. 1 in 3 women of color currently in the workplace plan to leave their jobs over the next year. We’re here to tell you why multicultural women are needed in corporate America and what it means if more of us decide to leave. Before you choose the path of entrepreneurship or the corporate world, check out our convo! Episode Highlights: Women of color are leaving corporate America Why it’s important for multicultural women to stay in...
Dec 20, 2023•31 min•Ep. 88
Are you looking for a mentor? We’ve got a surefire way to get as many mentors as you want, thanks to Shellye Archambeau, a Fortune 500 board director and one of the first Black female CEOs in the tech industry. Shellye learned early in her career that you should have multiple mentors and she figured out how to do that—without asking! And it’s easier than you think! Suffering from impostor syndrome? Don’t worry, Shellye points out it affects all of us, including herself, and she offers ways to be...
Dec 06, 2023•38 min•Ep. 87
We chat with Brianna Hinojosa-Smith, Chief Legal Officer of Digital & Technology for Yum! Brands, the world’s largest restaurant company. Brianna was doing just fine as a senior patent attorney at Microsoft before Yum! Brands came calling (during the pandemic!) with an opportunity to switch to the restaurant industry, a new field for her. “Here I was looking to do something completely different, in an industry that I knew nothing about,” says Brianna. “I have four to five people that I reall...
Nov 22, 2023•40 min•Ep. 86
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. That's the motto that's taken Wendy Wu far—from Microsoft to Google, and now to software developer SailPoint, where she is the Chief Marketing Officer. Wendy believes that “you have to be the owner of your own career,” and that means defining what you want outside of your current role. She tells us about the time she did just that at Microsoft when her position was eliminated and she had to create a new position for herself. “Oftentimes a job description just...
Nov 08, 2023•27 min•Ep. 85
In Part 2 of our Own Your Power Series, we share how you can leverage your strengths to get ahead in your career. Discovering and growing your strengths is worth it. Research says people who have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs. We offer tools that will help you identify your strengths and build on them. “We all have areas that we consistently stand out in,” says co-host Dr. Merary Simeon. “Once we understand what they are...
Oct 25, 2023•17 min•Ep. 83
The #1 question we get from women of color is, how do I find a mentor and sponsor? In Part 3 of our Own Your Power Series, we reveal why you need both. “If you’re not sure what you want to do, go to a mentor,” says co-host Alisa Manjarrez. “As soon as you know, go to a sponsor.” We tell you how to find a mentor who you can trust and is a good fit for you. We also fill you in on how a sponsor can help you get ahead and the best way to approach a possible candidate. Theme: Own Your Power Episode H...
Oct 25, 2023•18 min•Ep. 84
Welcome to the Own Your Power Series! In three short episodes, we’ll help you advance your career as a woman of color. AND we provide leaders with surefire ways to advance the multicultural women at their organizations. In this episode, we show you the first step to owning your power: how to own your identity. Why is this important? “Your identity shapes how you experience and see the world,” says co-host Dr. Merary Simeon in Part 1 of our series. We provide you with tools, such as the Identity ...
Oct 25, 2023•16 min•Ep. 82
Shiseido exec Agnes Landau has an accent and speaks with her hands—two things she tried to tone down at the start of her career. Not anymore! Today, Agnes is the Chief Marketing Officer at Shiseido U.S. and she credits her differences for standing out and getting ahead in the workplace. “Because I have an accent, people listen more closely,” says Agnes, who’s Puerto Rican. We chat about being open to new opportunities, like the five years Agnes worked in France without knowing French! Being able...
Oct 11, 2023•31 min•Ep. 81
When others see potential in you and offer you opportunities, take them even when you’re scared. It’s paid off for Cartier exec Erica Lovett. At age 32, Erica is the first DE&I leader at Cartier, the global luxury jewelry company. She shares how she’s followed her instinct to create her own career path to become the Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Cartier North America. Erica encourages all women to show up as themselves in the workplace. “I’ve learned that no matter how old you are, no...
Sep 27, 2023•35 min•Ep. 80
Learn how to build a community that will open doors and grow your career, thanks to Ivonne Valdes, Chief Channel Officer at Sorenson Communications. Cuban American Ivonne shares how everyone around her, from neighbors to recruiters, have contributed to her career success. She has secured mentors and sponsors at every job and she has built an advisory board that helps with her career moves. We chat about the cultural taboo of bragging vs stating the facts, aka our accomplishments, and Ivonne teac...
Sep 13, 2023•39 min•Ep. 79
Get ready for a deep dive into vulnerability with Mimi Park, a Field Chief Technology Officer at Databricks. Mimi grew up in Korea, where she “essentially didn’t have a voice,” she tells us. So when she started her career in the U.S., “I wanted to be like everyone else, but me.” Thanks to a personality assessment, Mimi learned it was ok to be herself and she began to open up to her co-workers. Today, Mimi leads with vulnerability to build trust and authenticity with her team and her boss. “The t...
Aug 30, 2023•34 min•Ep. 78
What’s more badass than talking about money? Although most of us cringe at the thought of sharing our salary with others, Slack exec Rukmini Reddy believes it’s one of the best ways to advance your career. As the SVP of Engineering, Platform at Slack, Rukmini tells us about the “network of incredible women” in her industry, who are open about sharing compensation data with one another. The results? They lift each other up and land better paying jobs. “I’m not shy about discussing money,” says Ru...
Aug 16, 2023•36 min•Ep. 77
Did you know there could be one million more women in management in corporate America if the “broken rung” was fixed? The broken rung, the biggest hurdle multicultural women face climbing the corporate ladder, is a systemic issue. That’s why we’re covering what organizations can do to fix it in our last episode of our Broken Rung series. We talk about the holistic strategies companies can implement so they can promote more women of color from individual contributor to manager. We highlight the b...
Aug 02, 2023•29 min•Ep. 76
Do you avoid discomfort at work? Human Resources exec Lashanna “Sha” Farley reveals why feeling uncomfortable is, actually, good for your career. We chat with Sha about her career pivot to non-profit after working in corporate America for 20-plus years at some of the biggest companies, including Walmart, Pfizer and Sam’s Club. Sha tells us about the tough decision to leave and how her faith helped her work through her doubts. After five years, Sha is back in corporate as the Chief Human Resource...
Jul 19, 2023•30 min•Ep. 75
Multicultural women are often “double onlys” in the workplace, meaning they are the only woman AND person of color in the room. This burden is mainly due to the “broken rung.” In our special three-part series, we've been tackling how managers, employees and organizations can fix the “broken rung,” the biggest obstacle that prevents women from climbing the corporate ladder. Even worse, it disproportionately affects women of color. In this second episode, we talk directly to multicultural women em...
Jul 05, 2023•46 min•Ep. 74
Want to slay your next work meeting? Monique Lanaux, Chief Talent & Diversity Officer at Albertsons Companies, shares what you can do before, during and after a meeting to be seen and be heard—and get ahead. “Meetings are like a sport,” says Monique, who’s Caribbean American. “So, you have to start strong and finish strong.” We also chat about the rubber balls vs glass balls we all juggle with our career. And Monique reveals her secret weapon to getting what she wants in life. Hint: You’ll n...
Jun 21, 2023•47 min•Ep. 73
Women face their biggest hurdle to becoming leaders at the very first step up the corporate ladder. Known as the “broken rung,” this obstacle prevents women from reaching even the most entry-level management roles. Worse yet, it disproportionately affects multicultural women. In a special three-part series, we tackle how managers, employees and organizations can fix the broken rung by breaking the rules. In this first episode, we talk directly to leaders on how they can uplift multicultural wome...
Jun 07, 2023•36 min•Ep. 72
It’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and we are happy to chat with Thear Suzuki, Global Client Service Partner at EY, one of the largest professional services networks in the world. Ten years ago, Thear started her transformation from living in “survival mode” as a refugee from Cambodia and having “this limiting belief that I was lesser than other people,” she says. With the help of an executive coach, Thear was able to change her mindset and behaviors to become a healthy indi...
May 24, 2023•29 min•Ep. 71
