Having immigrated to the United States at a young age, Ileana Musa learned a lot about a strong work ethic and positive outlook. She grew up a dancer and loved the arts – and thought this is what she’d pursue as a career until her father stepped in and told her she should focus on finance and minor in dance. Fast forward to today, Ileana is the Co-Head of International Wealth Management and the Head of International Banking & Lending for one of the largest financial institutions in the world...
Sep 28, 2022•44 min•Ep. 231
Latina women represent only about 1.6% of C-Suite executives in Fortune 500 companies. While this inequity is rooted in factors like the lack of career mentors, it’s also about navigating cultural norms. As a first-generation corporate Latina, Monica Marquez discusses the unique opportunity for seasoned leaders - who navigated and broke through barriers - to transfer the unspoken rules of success and raise the next generation of Latinos/x. She also shares the pearls of wisdom from the most senio...
Sep 26, 2022•27 min
As a Latina in the C-Suite, Ana Corrales challenges herself to think big and to always contribute. She was an early entrepreneur—selling her handmade scrunchies to her classmates. And although she grew up in a STEM home, she found herself continuing to be interested in sales, so she shadowed a few sales people and realized the field wasn’t as easy as she thought. But, that didn’t stop her. Ana loves learning. As she describes, she finds a subject that interests her and she just “clicks, clicks, ...
Sep 21, 2022•39 min
This year’s theme for Hispanic Heritage Month from the National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers is, "Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation." With 62 million people and over 21 different cultures, Latinos/x are a unique combination of black, Asian, white, indigenous, Middle Eastern, and mixed races. When describing their identity, research shows that over half (51%) of Hispanics and Latinos/x say they most often use their family's country of origin – using such terms as Mexica...
Sep 19, 2022•19 min
The evidence is clear: women tend to be over-mentored and under-sponsored. While a mentor has knowledge and will share it with you, a sponsor has power and will use it for you. Meet Google’s Sharleen Gutierrez, a leading expert in diversity, equity and inclusion. Sharleen is the current Director of REWS Business Enablement Partners and has led teams focused on fairness and equity in Google’s talent processes. In this episode, Sharleen shares her story on how taking courageous leaps, even when sh...
Sep 14, 2022•39 min•Season 3Ep. 227
There’s a reason why people say no one likes change. But for Kimberley Gardiner, Chief Marketing Officer at Tractor Supply Co, change is what she’s learned to thrive on and how she makes the greatest impact. Kimberley knows what it’s like to be the only woman in a room full of executive leaders, and she’s had to learn how to be authentic and boldly share her ideas, even if they were unpopular at the time. From being able to do this, she’s found more happiness and satisfaction from work than she ...
Sep 07, 2022•43 min•Season 3Ep. 226
As a woman in leadership today, taking unconventional paths leads to more success. This means facing that challenge at work that everyone else is avoiding or putting yourself out on the line to make a tough decision. As a Senior Vice President at Publicis Sapient, Alyssa Altman leads the Automotive and Consumer Products industry in North America. She knows firsthand about shaping her company’s leadership. One way she’s done this is through a program called the Fellowship in Transformation Leader...
Aug 31, 2022•55 min•Season 3Ep. 225
Most of us know the stress of multiple commitments: family, work, relationships/marriage, domestic responsibilities, aging parents, special needs care, and the list goes on. Some or all of these factors can have a compounding effect on women in the workplace resulting in burnout. Today’s guest, Laura Pollock, shares her work-life journey and how approaching 50 opened her eyes. As a Founding Partner of Third Street Partners, a lot of her children's youngest years coincided with growing her compan...
Aug 24, 2022•50 min•Season 2Ep. 224
Who loves to hear feedback? Most people cringe the moment they hear someone has feedback for them. However, Mary Pryshlak, Senior Managing Director, Partner, and Head of Investment Research for Wellington Management, is one of the few people I’ve met who equates feedback to being a gift to help people grow. Mary has always been direct with giving feedback since she was a little girl and appreciates the same from others. She believes feedback is a valuable gift and uses it to better herself. That...
Jul 27, 2022•35 min•Season 3Ep. 21
Wendy Berger is a serial entrepreneur. For reasons she can’t even explain, Wendy grew up wanting to be president of a bank. Her journey has led her down the path to where she finds herself today as CEO and Founder of WBS Equities, LLC. Wendy used to always focus on the end result, but now she enjoys the journey. She learned this in part from the traumatic losses of her brother and then her husband three years later. Wendy didn’t allow the tragedy of their deaths to go in vain, instead she learne...
Jul 20, 2022•46 min•Season 3Ep. 221
From an early age, B. Pagels-Minor found the tech world to be an exciting place. And, driven by that excitement, they started from the ground up with a job in technical support. B worked their way through well-known companies like Apple and Netflix to work today for a Fortune 100 company. Though B. was always curious by nature, they didn’t quite know what options they’d have to pursue as they figured out, “What they wanted to be when they grew up”. B. recognized that they can learn how to do any...
Jul 13, 2022•43 min•Season 3Ep. 221
With the looming recession, soaring inflation, rising interest rates, and compounding workplace stressors at an all-time high, BURNOUT is only worsening. What's worse is a recent global study indicates that for women and BIPOC women, their “everyday” workplace experiences are having a detrimental impact on their lives and careers, including work/life integration and wellbeing. In this episode, we dig into what's happening and what we can do to help ourselves get through this. Highlights: [00:36]...
Jul 11, 2022•15 min•Season 3Ep. 220
September 11th was a defining moment for millions of people around the world. And for Maria Kim, it was just that. At that time, she was working in the insurance industry, but the impact of that tragic day made her want to work with purpose. She eventually found herself as President & CEO of REDF, focusing on creating jobs for others. The daughter of immigrants, she jokes her nurse mother and entrepreneur father made her a social entrepreneur determined to help others. In this podcast, Maria...
Jul 06, 2022•34 min•Season 3Ep. 219
Lexi B didn’t grow up dreaming about working in the world of tech. In fact, she assumed anyone in the tech industry was skilled in coding, so a career in the tech world was just simply out of reach. So, imagine her surprise to now find herself in a Chief of Staff role for key leaders at Twitter. However, it is really no surprise that Lexi B forged her way into a leadership role. From an early age, Lexi has been a connector. Even as a freshman in her Stanford dorm, she realized that while her pee...
Jun 29, 2022•51 min•Season 3Ep. 218
How did you decide what you wanted to be when you grew up? Some of us are still trying to decide. Things don’t always go as planned, especially when it comes to our careers. Whether we were looking to get promoted, change jobs, or transition into a new role — being curious and taking risks is part of growing professionally. For this podcast, Robyn Shepherd, Partner and Head of Corporate Engagement at Bridgewater Associates tells us about her risk-taking experiences and making her voice heard. Sh...
Jun 22, 2022•50 min•Season 3Ep. 217
Do you worry about being liked by others? Do you hold back from what you really think or want for fear of upsetting others? The desire to be liked, whether it’s right or wrong, has a critical relationship to power. The characteristics we tend to “expect or accept” in women like modesty and humility are not the qualities that get professional recognition. Which is unlike the qualities that society likes to see in men such as self-confidence and assertiveness. These are the qualities that get tale...
Jun 15, 2022•45 min•Season 3Ep. 216
Ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things when they expect more of themselves. That’s the message from our guest, Keisha Bell, who has overcome obstacles and achieved extraordinary success by ignoring the doubts and doubters. Keisha Bell is the Managing Director and Head of Diverse Talent Management and Advancement at DTCC where she is responsible for developing the next generation of leaders through focused sponsorships and talent advancement strategies. Keisha understands what it takes ...
Jun 08, 2022•39 min•Season 3Ep. 215
Strong leadership is rooted in intellectual curiosity about how things work and what drives people. But how do you build relationships and find your voice when you are an introvert? Our guest, Shifra Ansonoff, a brilliant leader and an introvert, reveals what helped her reach the top of her industry and build a powerful professional network. Shifra believes the key is caring about people and helping them achieve their goals, rather than focusing on what you can get from them. When you follow you...
Jun 01, 2022•33 min•Season 3Ep. 214
Twenty years ago, when I first came to America, I felt like a complete outsider. I didn't look like, sound like, or dress like people around me. I chased goals that I didn’t really care about because I thought that’s what was expected of me. But the harder I tried to fit in, the more I struggled personally and professionally. You see, I was defining success from other people’s perspective. Our guest today is US Congresswoman Sharice Davids, from Kansas’ Third Congressional District, who shares h...
May 25, 2022•47 min•Season 3Ep. 213
Do you have trouble knowing when to say no or being authentic in your everyday life at work? Many of us spend a significant amount of time devoted to our jobs, and if we aren’t honest about ourselves and our situations, we add stress to our already full lives. A rewarding work-life involves authenticity, tapping into our passions, and finding the right support. Theresa Ludvigson is the Senior Vice President of People at Qualified, the #1 pipeline generation platform for Salesforce, where Theresa...
Apr 27, 2022•39 min•Season 3Ep. 212
Everyone faces fears. But, what some people do better than others is pushing through that fear to get to the other side of it. In our work and personal lives, we make a lot of decisions on a daily basis, and some of those decisions impact other people. How do we stay on track and focus on accomplishing our goals when we face these challenges? Our guest, Dr. Kerry Murphy Healey is the inaugural president of the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream in Washington, DC. In this episode, she...
Apr 20, 2022•40 min•Season 3Ep. 211
A good leader sets the tone for an organization. Without good leadership, employees won’t know the right direction to take or what they can improve upon. While men and women may generally have different needs and motivations, the qualities that make a good leader are the same for both. What is also important and needed for all leaders to succeed is to continuously seek out next level mentors with fresh perspective so they don’t get caught up in their own echo chamber and get left behind. Dr. Ann...
Apr 13, 2022•58 min•Season 3Ep. 210
Executive presence - is it a skill or a trait people are born with? It’s a term that’s often perceived as something magical, or mystical that many people struggle to understand. What is it, why is it important, and how can I get it? In this episode, Monica shares the research on executive presence, what exactly is executive presence, and why it’s important to accelerating your success. DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS & BARRIERS TO SUCCESS Take the free assessment and get your personalized report. Go...
Apr 11, 2022•18 min•Season 3Ep. 209
What would happen if you let go of control and embrace life no matter what comes your way? Serendipitous moments have the power to shape your destiny. Meet Anouck Gotlib, CEO of Belgian Boys, who shares how a fortuitous seating arrangement on a plane ride from Belgium to New York led to meeting her husband, building a multi-million dollar company, and becoming the proud mama of two adorable boys. Anouck was born in Belgium, studied Fashion Design and then worked at fashion houses in NYC. After m...
Apr 06, 2022•42 min•Season 3Ep. 208
At some point in our lives, we have all engaged in creative activities simply for casual enjoyment or as a hobby. From painting to writing to cooking or singing, there are many ways that creativity plays a part in our daily lives. But creative expression is far more than a hobby or a vocation. Throughout history, creativity has played a role in many aspects of human life. From technological advancements to mental health and well being, creative expression can unlock the roadblocks and barriers a...
Mar 30, 2022•55 min•Season 3Ep. 207
Adam Bryant, author of the bestselling book, Corner Office, asked over 700 CEOs, “What qualities do you see most often in those who succeed?”. The number one answer: Curiosity. Most of the ingenious inventions and extraordinary ideas throughout history all have something in common. From Thomas Edison’s light bulb, Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone to self-driving cars, they are all a result of curiosity. Meet our guest and Forbes 50 over 50 winner, Fran Dunaway, who is the co-founder of TomboyX,...
Mar 23, 2022•31 min•Season 3Ep. 206
What are you passionate about and enjoy doing? Is it aligned to your work? At first glance, the question, "What are you passionate about and enjoy doing?", presents itself as an innocent question. But, as you begin to answer that question, it can become more difficult to connect the dots between those passions and skill sets you love, to the actual work you do on a day-to-day basis. How do you gain this clarity and get more aligned in your career? Where do you even begin? In this episode, Monica...
Mar 21, 2022•19 min•Season 3Ep. 205
The phrase “reach for the stars” is said to come from a poem written by Virgil called the Aeneid. This Latin poem was written sometime between 29 and 19 BC. The simple meaning behind it was to “set your goals in life high in order to achieve success.” It’s an inspiring quote. However, we often overlook the word “stars” and set our sights on one “big” North Star. We then design a single path to reach that goal and forget to appreciate the collection of stars we acquire along the way that make up ...
Mar 16, 2022•49 min•Season 3Ep. 204
Tuesday, March 8th was International Women’s Day! And this year’s theme is #BreakTheBias –to imagine a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated.Yet, our reality is in stark contrast to this future vision. We are living in very challenging times. Itseems like there are new obstacles and conflicts every day. And women are being disproportionately affected everywhere. In this episode, Mon...
Mar 14, 2022•17 min•Season 3Ep. 203
Magical things happen when your passions meet purpose and ultimately leads to your profession. When it happens, it sparks curiosity, confidence and motivates you to explore the awe of the unknown. You’re able to tap into your wow factor and create impact for others and for yourself along the way. But, as we all know, it’s much easier said than done and it takes courage to follow your heart and not conform to cultural and societal norms. Meet our guest Ida Liu, who shares her journey of following...
Mar 09, 2022•41 min•Season 3Ep. 202
