Podcast appearances and mentions of Sylvia Ann Hewlett

Today we're talking, once again, about mentorship. We dove into this huge topic back in  episode 48 and covered a lot of ground. But one thing we didn't talk about was sponsorship.   A few years ago, sponsorship was a topic I didn't think too much about. But I've found myself talking about it more and more on my Women in Supply Chain series, so I decided it was time to take a closer look. And, as organizations strive to create more inclusive and equitable workplaces, it's important that we do.   Sylvia Ann Hewlett, author of the book Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor said that sponsorship has long been the inside track for white men. Men are 46% more likely than women, and Caucasians are 63% more likely than professionals of color, to have a sponsor seeing to their success.   And those are figures we all have a responsibility to change.   Our panel will be diving into exactly what mentorship and sponsorship mean, and the difference between the two; the big question of whether or not sponsorship is favoritism; and what leaders and individuals can do to create positive sponsorship experiences that work for everyone.     IN THIS EPISODE:   [01.15] Introductions to our Blended panelists.   ·       Ahmed – Global Business Development Director at GN TEQ ·       Sandy – CEO/Owner at Cahill Consulting Marketing ·       Julienne – Principal at J.Ryan Partners ·       Doug – VP of Marketing Strategy at Position : Global ·       Katie – Senior Vice President of Industry Relations and Strategic Initiatives at Manifest: The Future of Logistics   [08.21] The group discuss what sponsorship and mentorship mean, and the difference between the two. ·       Private vs public ·       Advocacy ·       Mentorship o   Emotional support o   Help and tools o   Teaching/knowledge-sharing o   Boost self-esteem o   ‘Special friend'/cheerleader  o   Co-worker o   Organic o   Two-way o   Private relationship  o   Fluid ·       Sponsorship o   Boss/leader o   Introduce opportunities   o   Earned/chosen    o   One-way o   Public relationship o   Influence o   Formal o   Reputation – career impact   ·       Visibility ·       Consistency ·       Putting in the work ·       Setting the foundations ·       Contracts ·       Goals ·       Expectations ·       Responsibility ·       Passion ·       Potential ·       Intent ·       ‘Personal board of advisors' ·       Relationship-building ·       Trust “A mentor is someone that provides advice, support, and coaching… A mentor falls in the private relationship side of things, and sponsorship becomes much more public… Looking at that full spectrum is really important.” Katie “A sponsor can open doors for opportunity. A mentor provides the tools; supports the person and guides so they can open those doors.” Sandy “With sponsorship, the number one implied rule is that, if somethings comes of this as the person being sponsored, you're going to do a great job and make the sponsor look good.” Doug “We've been going through a lot of lay-offs, a lot of transitions. We can't depend on just one person to champion us… I coach people to make themselves visible to multiple people who could advocate for them. And the more you have somebody validating this persons worth, the more chance they have to move ahead. They're no longer one person's favorite.” Julienne   [39.21] The panel reflect on whether or not sponsorship is favoritism, and how we challenge leaders to create a more level playing field across both corporate and small to medium sized environments. ·       Bias ·       Formal programs ·       Managing connections in SMEs versus corporate ·       Resources ·       Education   [51.39] The group explore what individuals can do to open up conversations and create sponsorship opportunities; and they share their personal experiences of sponsorship and what we can learn. ·       Confidence/self-doubt  ·       Imposter syndrome ·       Authenticity ·       Initiative ·       Writing down goals ·       Sharing achievements ·       Asking questions ·       Self-advocacy ·       Understanding your ‘why' ·       ‘Ladder approach' ·       Understanding/learning different communication styles ·       Honesty ·       Respect ·       Empathy ·       Grace ·       Listening ·       Be brave ·       Be proactive ·       Be prepared ·       Be humble   “Every six months or so, jot down what you've done – it's so easy to forget about your accomplishments… When you've got the facts behind you, it's easier to advocate for yourself. Your advocacy is based in accomplishments and objectivity, not just ‘I want.'”  Doug “It's a matter of asking for advice… Be prepared, do your homework. Instead of personalizing it, take a moment to step back and assess: What is your next step? What would really push you forward?” Julienne   [01.16.05] The panel sum-up their thoughts from today's discussion.     RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED: You can connect with Ahmed, Sandy, Julienne, Doug, and Katie over on LinkedIn.   From Ancient Greece to Contemporary Success: The Unstoppable Rise of Mentorship - Episode 48  

Do you remember the age of the "good old boy" network? At the time it was a staple of the workplace culture, often characterized by exclusivity and informality. This network was known for its power to boost careers and open doors—but only for a select few. Despite its negative aspects, the network's core feature was its strong advocacy and protection for its members. Ironically, if the fundamentals of the “good old boy” network could be applied universally to today's workplace, it could go a long way toward improving employee development and diversity in the office place because the primary strength of the network was its ability to mobilize resources and opportunities swiftly and effectively. If we just strip away the exclusivity, we'd find a model of active sponsorship that can be incredibly powerful. Join us for this episode of the Career PROgressions Podcast. Our conversation with Dr. Lisa Toppin will help you learn how to find sponsors for your career and become a career sponsor for others the right way. Dr. Toppin has been an HR leader and champion of diversity for multiple Fortune 500 companies for over 20 years. She has helped business leaders advance inclusion, diversity, equity, and innovation in every aspect of their organization. And, oh yes... she has sponsored and been sponsored throughout her career. I hope you'll reserve some time for a word from our sponsor! Want to learn more about career sponsorships? Check out these resources: Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor by Sylvia Ann Hewlett The Sponsor Effect by Sylvia Ann Hewlett

On this episode of Crina and Kirsten Get to Work our hosts explore executive presence for women at work. Sylvia Ann Hewlett, an economist and the CEO of Hewlett Consulting Partners, said that executive presence is the difference between merit and success.  We can sometimes cringe when we hear and talk about executive presence because it can feel like a call to be someone other than who we are - the requirement to fit into a mold to be a leader.  No, say our hosts!!  The new executive presence is about authenticity and inclusion.     Hewlett conducted surveys in 2012 and again in 2022 that tell a story of significant shifts in our view of executive presence.  The New Rules of Executive Presence (hbr.org).  Hewlett says, “[t]he old ideal—shaped and embodied by white male CEOs who ruled the U.S. and European corporate worlds through the beginning of this century—has long been eroding.”     Executive presence is made up of gravitas (think confidence and decisiveness); communication (think clear and  direct) and appearance (think authenticity).  In 2012, Hewett's survey showed that having “a blue-chip” pedigree was important for gravitas, and that characteristic did not even make the list in 2022.  In 2022, respect and inclusiveness were more important to executive presence than they were in 2012.  Another shift was seen in the communication element of executive presence where in 2012 “forceful” was important and in 2022 “listening to learn” was important to executive presence.  Even our view of executive presence as it relates to appearance has changed - while being polished is still important, authenticity has risen to one of the most important factors in the appearance component.     Executive presence is learnable - and you do not have to master all of the elements.  Focusing on your authentic strengths can improve your executive presence.  Hewlett's work tells us two important things: 1. we can be our authentic selves and have executive presence; and 2. executive presence in the workplace is more inclusive than ever before.  

Episode #104 of the 2B Bolder podcast features Sylvia Ann Hewlett, a distinguished author, economist, and advocate for diversity and inclusion. Dr. Hewlett is CEO of Hewlett Consulting Partners and founded The Center for Talent Innovation, which today is called COQUA, where she is still actively engaged as Chief Emeritus, a groundbreaking think tank that has pioneered Leadership in an Age of Inclusion with a Task Force of 90 global companies. Sylvia is Harvard Business Review's most-published author. She's also written 16 critically acclaimed books, including When the Bough Breaks, Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor, Executive Presence, and #MeToo in the Corporate World, to name just a few. In our conversation, she shares her remarkable path from her roots in South Wales to becoming a key influencer in corporate inclusivity and leadership.The show offers countless nuggets of wisdom and covers ...The driving forces behind Sylvia's career choices and her commitment to enhancing workplace diversity and inclusion.The impact of sponsorship on career development and the importance of executive presence for marginalized groups.Strategies for addressing workplace harassment and discrimination in light of the #MeToo movement.Effective ways to support and retain top female talent, along with navigating through career advancement barriers.Empowering advice for young women on cultivating confidence, tackling imposter syndrome, and mastering public speaking to stand out.Tune in to gain valuable lessons on navigating the complexities of the contemporary workplace with determination, empathy, and strategic insight.  Resources:Sylvia Ann Hewlett on LinkedIn Hewlett Consulting PartnersSylvia Ann Hewlett's websiteSylvia Ann Hewlett's books she's authoredSupport the showWhen you subscribe to the podcast, you are supporting our work's mission, allowing us to continue highlighting successful women in a variety of careers to inspire others helping pay our wonderful editor, Chris, and helping me in paying our hosting expenses.

Chuck and Chris discuss patients with dupuytrens disease (in office and in the OR) including our protocols for care after formal surgery. We also discuss some challenges with needle procedures in the office.  We touch on our trial of AI for clinic note generation and look forward to listener comments.  And finally, we touch on leadership with a deep dive on the HBR article: The New Rules of Executive Presence by Sylvia Ann Hewlett.  This article compares leadership criteria from 2012 to 2022 and the differences in priorities are great discussion points.Subscribe to our newsletter:  https://bit.ly/3iHGFpDSee www.practicelink.com/theupperhand for more information from our partner on job search and career opportunities.See https://checkpointsurgical.com or www.nervemaster.com for information about the company and its products as well as good general information about nerve pathology. Please complete our Survey: bit.ly/3X0Gq89As always, thanks to @iampetermartin for the amazing introduction and conclusion music.Complete podcast catalog at theupperhandpodcast.wustl.edu.  

Details Executive Presence. This term, often heard in boardrooms and leadership seminars, is not just about gravitas, articulate communication, and maintaining the ‘right' appearance. It's about having the capacity to foster confidence and inspire those around you. Your executive presence determines whether you'll gain access to opportunities. Joining us today is Sylvia Ann Hewlett, an … Continued The post Episode 131: Executive Presence Has New Rules first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

Details Executive Presence. This term, often heard in boardrooms and leadership seminars, is not just about gravitas, articulate communication, and maintaining the ‘right' appearance. It's about having the capacity to foster confidence and inspire those around you. Your executive presence determines whether you'll gain access to opportunities. Joining us today is Sylvia Ann Hewlett, an … Continued The post Episode 131: Executive Presence Has New Rules first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

Most of us think of mentoring a colleague as a one-way street—a gift of professional guidance and advice. But Sylvia Ann Hewlett says sponsorship needs to be a reciprocal relationship. “[T]he younger person has to display a great deal of value. And oftentimes the senior person is looking for a value add, a skill or an experience in the younger person that they don't have themselves,” she explains. “So it's very reciprocal…and it's really about progression for both of the individuals.” Hewlett is an economist, consultant, and the author the book The Sponsor Effect: How to Be a Better Leader by Investing in Others. In this episode, she breaks down the building blocks, risks, and potential rewards of sponsorship. She also offers advice for choosing the right protégé and effectively launching and managing these long-term relationships. Key episode topics include: leadership, leading teams, power and influence, managing people, talent management, sponsorship, mentorship, relationships, development. HBR On Leadership curates the best case studies and conversations with the world's top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week. · Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: The Surprising Benefits of Sponsoring Others at Work (2019)· Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast.· Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org.]]>

Articles references in this episode:13 Tips To Smoothly Transition Into A Leadership PositionAre You Prepared to Lead a Diverse Team?New JBC Research Urges Employers to Create New Non-Linear Career Pathways to Build Tomorrow's WorkforceBooks referenced in this episode:Lead to Win by Carla HarrisMeasure What Matters by John DoerrThe Unexpected Leader by Jacqueline BakerEveryone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently by John MaxwellExecutive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit and Success by Sylvia Ann Hewlett

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 to https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com/quiz Highlights: [01:28] Executive presence – skill or trait? [02:53] Why is executive presence important? [03:36] What does the research show [06:26] What is executive presence? [11:58] Executive presence starts from the inside Quotes: “Executive presence is a skill. It's not a trait. That means it's something that you can cultivate, it's something that you can develop.” – Monica Marquez “According to Sylvia Ann Hewlett's research, executive presence accounted for 26% of what it takes to get promoted to leadership positions.” – Monica Marquez “The secret to great executive presence lies in finding the sweet spot between being that compassionate, authentic leader, but still making tough decisions, and being able to decide and help people move forward and making those hard choices and owning it with confidence and integrity.” – Monica Marquez About Nikki Barua: Nikki Barua is a digital innovator, serial entrepreneur, author & speaker. Website: https://www.nikkibarua.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenikkibarua/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenikkibarua/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenikkibarua/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikkiBarua About Monica Marquez: Monica Marquez is a senior corporate leader, ex-Googler, and diversity expert. Website: https://themonicamarquez.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMonicaMarquez/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themonicamarquez/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themonicamarquez/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/themmarquez

I wonder if you know the difference between a mentor and a sponsor?A client said to me recently: Aren't sponsors the financial backers on a football team! Another one said: I met my sponsor at AA - I said: it's not quite what I'm talking about here, but whatever gets you through the night!Today we are clearing this up. We are talking about how sponsors differ from mentors and what you can do to attract them to help you progress in your career.Presenter: Gillian FoxLooking for more?  Visit...yourbrilliantcareer.com.auFacebookInstagramLinkedIn

Sylvia Ann Hewlett is a world-renowned author, economist, and entrepreneur. She is the Founder and CEO of Hewlett Consulting Partners, a boutique consultancy focused on helping organizations leverage talents and bridge the divides of culture, gender, and generation. Dr. Hewlett is also the Founder and Chair Emeritus of the Center for Talent Innovation (formerly Center for Work-Life Policy), a non-profit leader in diversity and talent management that promotes diversity, equality, and inclusion. She is an advocate for the sponsorship of highly qualified women, people of color, and LGBTQ employees attempting to gain traction in their careers. As a celebrated speaker, Dr. Hewlett has spoken at MWC Barcelona (formerly the Mobile World Congress), the “Women at the Top” conference, and the White House. She is the most published author in the Harvard Business Review with 17 articles and has written 16 books, including When the Bough Breaks, Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor, and #MeToo in the Corporate World. In this episode: What can be done in the workplace for people of color and women? How has the pandemic affected the ways and means by which women progress in their careers? To discover the key to navigating this new world of work, Thomas A. Stewart joins Sylvia Ann Hewlett — whose pioneering work on the importance of sponsorship and the effects of “on-ramps and off-ramps” on women's careers has impacted a new generation of women and work. Dr. Hewlett has long been an expert on the ways in which women's careers are interrupted or stymied. She is a Cambridge-educated economist and expert on gender in the workplace who has worked with leading organizations including Cisco, Goldman Sachs, Cartier, and the State Department. Throughout her career, Dr. Hewlett has focused on promoting progress for professionals despite their gender, age, sexual orientation, race, and culture in the office and beyond — and now she's focused her attention on the ways the pandemic has disrupted the female workforce. Over the past year and a half, women, especially women of color, have left their places of work to take on the role of primary caregiver. Dr. Hewlett has studied the data: when a highly qualified woman steps off the career ladder to care for her family, she decreases her compensation by 18% upon her return to work. Further, Dr. Hewlett explains that only 90% of women who leave the workforce eventually return. How can women come back to work in their respective fields without a decrease in status or compensation? Dr. Hewlett believes that the answer can be found in sponsorship: when a higher-level executive invests their political capital in a protegee's advancement. As she says, women can cultivate a more inclusive culture that promotes their advancement when advocating for one another. However, the value of a more flexible workplace comes at a cost, and remote and hybrid work structures have made sponsorship harder. As they continue to juggle home and work roles, women must take active steps to find and shape the sponsoring relationships so important to their career progression. In this episode of The Leading Edge, Thomas A. Stewart talks with Sylvia Ann Hewlett, world-renowned author, economist, entrepreneur, and Founder and CEO of Hewlett Consulting Partners, to discuss the disadvantages women experience in the workplace and how to overcome them. Dr. Hewlett talks about the displacement of women's roles in the workforce due to the pandemic, how to bring value to your business, and why sponsorship and advocacy are essential for building your career in the current climate.

Dorie Clark reveals the critical skills that help us think long-term and set ourselves up for future success. — YOU'LL LEARN — 1) The three barriers to long-term strategic thinking 2) The top two skills that make you indispensable 3) What to do when you're stuck in a rut Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep704 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT DORIE — Dorie Clark helps individuals and companies get their best ideas heard in a crowded, noisy world. She has been named one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world by Thinkers50, and was honored as the #1 Communication Coach in the world at the Marshall Goldsmith Coaching Awards. She is a keynote speaker and teaches for Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and Columbia Business School. She is the author of Entrepreneurial You, which was named one of Forbes' Top 5 Business Books of the Year, as well as Reinventing You and Stand Out, which was named the #1 Leadership Book of the Year by Inc. magazine. A former presidential campaign spokeswoman, Clark has been described by the New York Times as an “expert at self-reinvention and helping others make changes in their lives.” She is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, and consults and speaks for clients such as Google, Yale University, and the World Bank. She is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School, a producer of a multiple Grammy-winning jazz album, and a Broadway investor. • Dorie's book: The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World • Dorie's website: DorieClark.com • Free assessment: The Long Game: Your Strategic Thinking Self-Assessment — RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Study: “Executive Presence” by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Lauren Leader-Chivée, Laura Sherbin, and Joanne Gordon with Fabiola Dieudonné • Book: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini • Book: The Marshmallow Test: Understanding Self-control and How To Master It by Walter Mischel — THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Setapp. Try out up to 200 of the best software tools in one streamlined place at setapp.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Lois Frankel, author of the Bestseller Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office, knows what it is like to be a reformed nice girl turned badass. She has dedicated her energy and time to work with women of all walks of life and ages to help them feel empowered and confident to speak up and make their presence felt. Today, she talks about the difference between being a nice girl and a nice woman, how important likability really is in the workplace, and a sneak peek into her audiobook Nice Girls Don't Speak Up or Stand Out.  What You Will Hear in This Episode:  Badass women know the correct times to show their badassery.  Being a badass is about feeling seen and heard, and having the confidence to speak up.  It is never too late to practice using your voice at meetings, or in any of your professional and personal relationships.  Lois is a reformed “nice girl” and untaught herself a lot of the expectations to sit and be good without stirring the pot.  Badass doesn't mean you are nasty and mean, it means you actively listen, and help others but also stand your ground and speak up when needed.  One of the biggest traits of why we hire and vote for others is because we view them as likable, and someone we could see ourselves sitting down for a beer with. While it's important for both men and women to be likable, men have it easier for now by being expected to be more direct and straightforward than most women.  There is a new generation of workers that don't respond to fear or authority the same way as we once did. Instead, they respond to traits that have been typically seen as more feminine such as interpersonal skills and connection.  A nice girl is kind and doesn't rock the boat, but a nice woman can do her thing while also being a badass.  In Ageless Women, Timeless Wisdom, Lois interviewed women over 70 and asked them one thing they knew to be true in all their years of life experience. She learned that you can't paint all women with one brush of wisdom, and their learning lessons differed throughout the varied locations.   Quotes:  “I know when to be a badass.”  “When our primary objective is to be liked, we give our power away.”  “We hire and vote for people we think we are going to like.”  “ Everything works out in the end, and if it didn't work out, it's not the end. “ Mentioned Dr. Lois Frankel  Lois Frankel Books  Nice Girls Don't Speak Up or Stand Out  Sylvia Ann Hewlett  Mary Kay Not Done Yet! Not Done Yet! Amazon Bonniemarcusleadership.com Iammusicgroup.com The Politics of Promotion Fb @Bonnie.Marcus LinkedIn: @Bonniemarcus Twitter: @selfpromote IG: @self_promote_ Bonniemarcusleadership.com https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/genderedageismatwork  

Do you have executive presence? Did you know that it can be learned? According to Sylvia Ann Hewlett, 67% of your executive presence depends on gravitas, communication makes up 28% and appearance accounts for just 5%. In this episode, we share the 3 aspects of executive presence as taught by expert, Sylvia Ann Hewlett, as well as tips and strategies for you to gain executive presence and gravitas. Subscribe to get new episodes every Monday and Wednesday.    Visit https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com where you'll find show notes and links. Highlights: [00:58] What is executive presence [01:06] Sylvia Ann Hewlett: 3 aspects of executive presence [07:24] How Nikki & Monica developed executive presence [12:29] Exhibiting executive presence remotely [14:22] Your choice of words matter Quotes: “90% of communication is how you deliver your message and 10% are the words you use to share your message.” – Monica Marquez “Being deliberate and thoughtful when you are speaking will help you develop executive presence.” – Nikki Barua “Your ability to signal preparedness to someone through your executive presence really comes down to creating a sense of certainty and inspiring confidence in the other person by how you show up.” – Nikki Barua    About Nikki Barua: Nikki Barua is a digital innovator, serial entrepreneur, author & speaker. Website: https://www.nikkibarua.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenikkibarua/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenikkibarua/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenikkibarua/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikkiBarua About Monica Marquez: Monica Marquez is a senior corporate leader, ex-Googler, and diversity expert. Website: https://themonicamarquez.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMonicaMarquez/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themonicamarquez/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themonicamarquez/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/themmarquez

*This excerpt was taken from our 2020 interview. The #MeToo movement has called attention to the prevalence of workplace misconduct. In response, organizations across industries and sectors have had to confront the many risks—legal, reputational, and financial—misconduct and harassment pose to their bottom line. In her book #MeToo in the Corporate World: Power, Privilege, and the Path Forward, labor economist and award-winning author Sylvia Ann Hewlett urges companies to recognize the adverse consequences of toxic workplace cultures. She provides HR leaders and professionals with tools and strategies to create more equitable and safe workplace environments, especially for marginalized groups.

Books, writing and the Literary Aviatrix. Today's guest, Liz Booker, a consummate leader, shares what drives her dedication to amplifying the voices of women in aviation and her ingenuity. With just a GED, she worked herself up the ranks from a non-rate enlistee in the US Coast Guard to lieutenant commander, and eventually attended Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.She knows a thing or two about navigating adversity, flying under pressure, leading the way for women in the male-dominated fields, rising in the ranks (from barnacle scraper to senior military representative), transforming a personal passion into a community project, and books, books, and more books about women and flying. Sylvia and Liz talk about what happened in 2020 that made community building so needed and relevant and the importance of a positive mindset. Liz shares the need behind amplifying the voices of women in aviation any how she promotes books, authors, and discussions via the Aviatrix Book Review website and Facebook Group Aviatrix Book Club. Topics Include:Women, visibility and accessLeveraging social media to build communityCollecting 500 + book titles on women in aviationThe power of vulnerability Leadership and how to be an effective leaderBalancing career and family planning as a working momPlanning as a critical organizational structureBuilding virtual social communitiesMentorshipKiteboarding, seaplanes, and the Paris AirshowAnd much more...Liz Booker is now a full-time writer working on her first novel and living in Florida with her family and dogs. She spent 28-years as a US Coast Guard helicopter pilot and cycled up to various positions such as national security expert, human resources manager, counter-narcotics and trafficking mission operator and foreign diplomat. She is experienced in networking and mentoring women and underrepresented professionals to help them achieve their goals. She holds a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and a Masters of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.Resources Mentioned:Connect with Liz Booker – https://linktr.ee/literaryaviatrixInstagram - @literaryaviatrixAviatrix Book Review Podcast – https://www.buzzsprout.com/1568443On-Ramps and Off-Ramps by Sylvia Ann Hewlett – https://www.amazon.com/Off-Ramps-Ramps-Keeping-Talented-Success/dp/1422101029Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenflyEmail – hello@whenwomenfly.com

Historically speaking, we live in an age of extraordinary abundance. We have long since passed the income thresholds when past economists believed our needs would be more than met and we'd be working 15-hour weeks, puzzling over how to spend our free time. And yet, few of us feel able to exult in leisure, and even many of today's rich toil as if the truest reward for work is more work. Our culture of work would be profoundly puzzling to those who came before us.James Suzman is an anthropologist who has spent the last 30 years living with and studying the Ju/'hoansi people of southern Africa, one of the world's enduring hunter-gatherer societies. And that project has given him a unique lens on our modern obsession with work.As Suzman documents in his new book, “Work: A Deep History From the Stone Age to the Age of Robots,” hunter-gatherer societies like the Ju/'hoansi spent only about 15 hours a week meeting their material needs despite being deeply impoverished by modern standards. But as we've gotten richer and invented more technology, we've developed a machine for generating new needs, new desires, new forms of status competition.So this is a conversation about the past, present and future of humanity's relationship to work and to want. We discuss what economists get wrong about scarcity, the lessons hunter-gatherer societies can teach us about desire, how the advent of farming radically altered people's conceptions of work and time, whether there's such a thing as human nature, the dangers of social and economic inequality, the role of advertising in shaping human desires, whether we should have a wealth tax and universal basic income, and much more.Mentioned: “Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren” by John Maynard Keynes“‘Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren' 75 Years after: A Global Perspective” by Fabrizio Zilibotti“Extreme Jobs: The Dangerous Allure of the 70-Hour Workweek” by Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Carolyn Buck LuceBook recommendations:  King Leopold's Ghost by Adam HochschildEntangled Life by Merlin SheldrakeOther Minds by Peter Godfrey-Smith You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of "The Ezra Klein Show" at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast, and you can find Ezra on Twitter @ezraklein.Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.“The Ezra Klein Show” is produced by Annie Galvin, Jeff Geld and Rogé Karma; fact-checking by Michelle Harris and Kate Sinclair; original music by Isaac Jones; mixing by Jeff Geld, audience strategy by Shannon Busta. Special thanks to Kristin Lin.

This week on the Squiggly Careers podcast, Helen talks to economist and author Sylvia Ann Hewlett about sponsorship. Sylvia is the author of 'Forget a mentor, find a sponsor' and 'The Sponsor Effect' and has a huge amount of insight and expertise on the topic. Together they talk about the difference between sponsorship and mentoring, the importance of starting with what you have to give and how to build a relationship based on trust. It's full of practical examples of people who have put sponsorship into practice in their career.If you'd like to learn more.....Download the Squiggly Careers PodSheet to help you apply the insights from this epsiode from www.amazingif.com/listenJoin PodPlus, a free, weekly, live and interactive session where we dive deeper into the podcast topic and tools that might be helpful.To get in touch....Email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, we do a deep dive into the benefits of sponsorship with sponsor/sponsee pair Jonathan Atwood, former Head of Communications, Global Supply Chain at Unilever and Mita Mallick, Head of Inclusion, Equity and Impact at Carta (formerly Head of Diversity and Inclusion and Cross-Cultural Marketing at Unilever). They candidly share the story of their relationship, how sponsorship works, how it’s different than mentorship, and the power it has to nurture talent from underrepresented groups in particular. Mita also shares some tips for DEI leaders on how to design a sponsorship program.   You can learn more about sponsorship and Jonathan & Mita’s story in the Sylvia Ann Hewlett’s book The Sponsor Effect - http://www.sylviaannhewlett.com/books.html     Follow Mita on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mita-mallick-2b165822  Follow Jonathan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-atwood-%F0%9F%8F%A0%F0%9F%98%B7-08b6637/

For #InVinoFab episode no. 50, Patrice and Laura discuss a few articles related to sexism in the academy and how we can better support career planning for women. Being strategic about your own career path might help women move forward. We discuss mentoring vs. career sponsor. It will be critical to find a career sponsor to get you towards your tenure goal for academia or to climb your own career ladder at work. Sexism in the Academy: Women's narrowing path to tenure nplusonemag.com/issue-34/essays/s…yVRfuX7RWYyqB7Wfg The Right Way to Find a Career Sponsor by Sylvia Ann Hewlett hbr.org/2013/09/the-right-way…find-a-career-sponsor Mentoring @ EDUCAUSE www.educause.edu/careers/special-…ograms/mentoring EDUCAUSE Community Groups Peer Mentoring Program 2019–2020www.educause.edu/community/educau…entoring-programWhat is a Career Sponsor & Why Might You Want One? www.theladders.com/career-advice/h…-might-want-oneOur #InVinoFab Recommended Books & Books We're Reading: HBR Guide for Women at Work (2019) Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor by Sylvia Ann Hewlett Ruby by Cynthia Bond Colonize This!: Young Women of Color on Today's Feminism by Bushra Rehman & Daisy Hernández (Editors) ----In Vino Fabulum! In Wine, Story! Subscribe to #InVinoFab podcast on Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you catch your pods.  Follow us on Twitter @InVinoFab or IG: @invinofab   Email us to be a guest or share a topic suggestion? invinofabulum@gmail.com   Connect with your co-hosts (she/her) on Twitter: @laurapasquini & @profpatrice

We all know those who seem to easily command a room with their charisma and confidence. This is referred to as executive presence, and yes, it can be learned. In this episode, we share the 3 aspects of executive presence as taught by expert, Sylvia Ann Hewlett, as well as tips and strategies for you to gain executive presence and gravitas. Subscribe to get new episodes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Visit https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com where you'll find show notes and links. Highlights: [00:58] What is executive presence [01:06] Sylvia Ann Hewlett: 3 aspects of executive presence [07:24] How Nikki & Monica developed executive presence [12:29] Exhibiting executive presence remotely [14:22] Your choice of words matter Quotes: “90% of communication is how you deliver your message and 10% are the words you use to share your message.” – Monica Marquez “Being deliberate and thoughtful when you are speaking will help you develop executive presence.” – Nikki Barua “Your ability to signal preparedness to someone through your executive presence really comes down to creating a sense of certainty and inspiring confidence in the other person by how you show up.” – Nikki Barua   About Nikki Barua: Nikki Barua is a digital innovator, serial entrepreneur, author & speaker. Website: https://www.nikkibarua.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenikkibarua/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenikkibarua/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenikkibarua/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikkiBarua   About Monica Marquez: Monica Marquez is a senior corporate leader, ex-Googler, and diversity expert. Website: https://themonicamarquez.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMonicaMarquez/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themonicamarquez/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themonicamarquez/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/themmarquez  

Join me and thought leader, Sylvia Ann Hewlett, as she explains how to develop and sustain sponsorship relationships in a remote and hybrid workplace. Learn why sponsorship matters and why it is just the thing you need to ensure your career success.

In this episode, James offers invaluable tips from the best-selling book, "Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit and Success", by Sylvia Ann Hewlett. Accomplished leaders have "it", while others strive to attain Executive Presence to get that big break. Using a wealth of hard data, Hewlett reveals Executive Presence (EP) to be a dynamic mix of three things: how you act (Gravitas), how you speak (Communication). and how you look (Appearance). As you make plans to hit the ground in 2021, this episode is just the motivation you need!

This week, I expand on a concept introduced in episode 50 at 34:59 called Executive Presence, also known as EP. I share the three components of EP as defined by Sylvia Ann Hewlett in “Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit & Success”: (1) how you appear (gravitas), (2) how you communicate, and (3) your appearance.   I also explain why having EP can be important to your career, provide tips on how you can express/build these qualities to enhance your own career, and what behaviors typically work against you in professional environments.   Also mentioned in this episode: Toastmasters The Crown Act     ----- Sign up for my contact list to be the first to get details on how to join my new Facebook community.   Also, stay connected with Journey to Jupiter! Email: jetaun@jetaundavis.com Website: jetaundavis.com Instagram: @JourneyJupiter Twitter: @JourneyJupiter Facebook: @JourneyJupiter ----- Produced by Ken Inge of Dead End Hip Hop

Stop Being a Bystander Veteran economist and corporate leader Sylvia Ann Hewlett joins us to talk about her book #MeToo in the Corporate World: Power, Privilege, and the Path Forward. Learn more about Sylvia and her book at SylviaAnnHewlett.com/. Listen to earn half a free leadership PDU while being challenged to stop being a bystander to inappropriate behavior. Join me for our Virtual Project Management Training Program! Learn how to improve your ability to lead and deliver! Join us for the same project management program we deliver in-house at organizations around the world! Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/learning. Use a coupon code of VirtualPM20 to save $150 USD on the entire program! Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, all of our other workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Whether you have a live or virtual event, we can help you invest in your team. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership

The #MeToo movement has called attention to the prevalence of workplace misconduct. In response, organizations across industries and sectors have had to confront the many risks—legal, reputational, and financial—misconduct and harassment pose to their bottom line. In her book #MeToo in the Corporate World: Power, Privilege, and the Path Forward, labor economist and award-winning author Sylvia Ann Hewlett urges companies to recognize the adverse consequences of toxic workplace cultures. She provides HR leaders and professionals with tools and strategies to create more equitable and safe workplace environments, especially for marginalized groups.

Sylvia Ann Hewlett discusses #MeTOO in the corporate world and how to move forward on a path of power to eradicate sexual harassment.

What Matters Most podcast host Paul Samuel Dolman invites Sylvia Ann Hewlett to discuss her book #MeToo In the Corporate World. The post Sylvia Ann Hewlett #640 appeared first on Paul Samuel Dolman.

The #MeToo movement is thriving. Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose have lost their seats. Harvey Weinstein is on trial for rape. The veil of secrecy and shame has been lifted. Does this mean that we can check that box—mission accomplished? Not really. The real corporate world has yet to do all that it will take for environments to fundamentally change. Sylvia Ann Hewlett in her new book, #MeToo in the Corporate World: Power, Privilege, and the Path Forward uses data, analysis, interviews, and her considerable and award-winning skills to help us understand the day-to-day contributing factors of corporate culture that must change. In her fourteenth book, she gives us another critically acclaimed book that is practical, smart, and slightly optimistic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Author Josh Balk, Vice President, Farm Animal Protection 32nd Ward Alderman Scott Waguespack Daniel Charles, Founder of Clear k9 Academy Joan Esposito Live, Local, & Progressive Weekdays 2pm-5pm Chicago's Progressive Talk Radio WCPT 820AM wcpt820.com

Dr. Lois Frankel, author of the Bestseller Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office, knows what it is like to be a reformed nice girl turned badass. She has dedicated her energy and time to work with women of all walks of life and ages to help them feel empowered and confident to speak up and make their presence felt. Today, she talks about the difference between being a nice girl and a nice woman, how important likability really is in the workplace, and a sneak peek into her audiobook Nice Girls Don’t Speak Up or Stand Out.    What You Will Hear in This Episode:  Badass women know the correct times to show their badassery.  Being a badass is about feeling seen and heard, and having the confidence to speak up.  It is never too late to practice using your voice at meetings, or in any of your professional and personal relationships.  Lois is a reformed “nice girl” and untaught herself a lot of the expectations to sit and be good without stirring the pot.  Badass doesn’t mean you are nasty and mean, it means you actively listen, and help others but also stand your ground and speak up when needed.  One of the biggest traits of why we hire and vote for others is because we view them as likable, and someone we could see ourselves sitting down for a beer with. While it’s important for both men and women to be likable, men have it easier for now by being expected to be more direct and straightforward than most women.  There is a new generation of workers that don’t respond to fear or authority the same way as we once did. Instead, they respond to traits that have been typically seen as more feminine such as interpersonal skills and connection.  A nice girl is kind and doesn’t rock the boat, but a nice woman can do her thing while also being a badass.  In Ageless Women, Timeless Wisdom, Lois interviewed women over 70 and asked them one thing they knew to be true in all their years of life experience. She learned that you can’t paint all women with one brush of wisdom, and their learning lessons differed throughout the varied locations.  Everything works out in the end, and if it didn’t work out, it’s not the end.    Quotes:  “I know when to be a badass.” - L  “When our primary objective is to be liked, we give our power away.”  “We hire and vote for people we think we are going to like.”    Mentioned:  Dr. Lois Frankel  Lois Frankel Books  Nice Girls Don’t Speak Up or Stand Out  Sylvia Ann Hewlett  Mary Kay 

As relaunchers, we focus almost myopically on the critical first role post-relaunch. While that is of course crucial, it is also important to consider longer term issues as well. In this episode, iRelaunch Guest Host and Special Advisor Cheryl McGee Wallace speaks with Dr. Sylvia Ann Hewlett, founder and president of the Center for Talent Innovation, about her research on executive presence, the crucial distinction between mentorship and sponsorship, and the importance of building relationships throughout one’s career.

In conversation with Sylvia Ann Hewlett, an expert in talent and gender issues, we discuss her latest book, The Sponsor Effect: How to Be a Better Leader by Investing in Others. We discuss how sponsorship can enhance the careers of sponsors themselves as well as their protégés, why it’s sponsorship, and not mentorship, that really counts in progressing the leadership careers of women and minorities, and how we can design impactful sponsorship programmes in our organisations.

For #InVinoFab episode no. 50, Patrice and Laura discuss a few articles related to sexism in the academy and how we can better support career planning for women. Being strategic about your own career path might help women move forward. We discuss mentoring vs. career sponsor. It will be critical to find a career sponsor to get you towards your tenure goal for academia or to climb your own career ladder at work. Sexism in the Academy: Women's narrowing path to tenure nplusonemag.com/issue-34/essays/s…yVRfuX7RWYyqB7Wfg The Right Way to Find a Career Sponsor by Sylvia Ann Hewlett hbr.org/2013/09/the-right-way…find-a-career-sponsor Mentoring @ EDUCAUSE www.educause.edu/careers/special-…ograms/mentoring EDUCAUSE Community Groups Peer Mentoring Program 2019–2020www.educause.edu/community/educau…entoring-programWhat is a Career Sponsor & Why Might You Want One? www.theladders.com/career-advice/h…-might-want-oneOur #InVinoFab Recommended Books & Books We're Reading: HBR Guide for Women at Work (2019) Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor by Sylvia Ann Hewlett Ruby by Cynthia Bond Colonize This!: Young Women of Color on Today's Feminism by Bushra Rehman & Daisy Hernández (Editors) ----In Vino Fabulum! In Wine, Story!Find the #InVinoFab podcast on Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, & Apple PodcastsTo stay in touch and listen to the next episode of @InVinoFab on: soundcloud.com/invinofab/ twitter.com/invinofab with hashtag: #InVinoFabwww.instagram.com/invinofab/Email us to be a guest or share a topic suggestion? invinofabulum@gmail.com Connect with your co-hosts on Twitter:twitter.com/laurapasquini (she/her)twitter.com/profpatrice (she/her)

Inspired after reading "Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor" by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Andy brings this discussion to the table talking about the importance of the 3 kinds of influencers in our lives: Advisors, Mentors and Sponsors. Listen as the crew outlines the characteristics of each of these people, and how we can play this role in the lives of others now, and in the future. #MoreThanMedicine Music by: BenSound

1. Her definition of a sponsor. 3. Advice on how to identify your own sponsor. Additional Leadership Resources The Sponsor Effect: How to Be a Better Leader by Investing in Others  Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys' Club of Silicon Valley by Emily Chang Learn more about Sylvia Related Episodes The Connectors Advantage with Michelle Tillis Ledermen Managing Talent Risk with Steve Trautman

Sylvia Ann Hewlett talks about how leaders can become better when they invest in others as sponsors.

Sylvia Ann Hewlett, an economist and the founder of the Center for Talent Innovation, has studied the difference between mentoring and sponsorship and what leaders have to gain from the latter. She says it's important to seek out protégés who outperform, are exceptionally trustworthy, and, most importantly, offer skills, knowledge, and perspectives that differ from your own, so you can maximize the benefits for both parties. Hewlett brings real-world lessons from several successful pairings and tips on how to effectively launch and manage these long-term relationships. She's the author of the book "The Sponsor Effect: How to Be a Better Leader by Investing in Others."

“How you act (gravitas), how you speak (communication), and how you look (appearance) count for a lot in determining your leadership presence.” Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Author Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor: The New Way to Fast-Track Your Career Steps to establishing your Presence: Your Poise/confidence and grace under pressure Your Decisiveness and showing teeth Your Integrity Your Brand/Reputation and standing Your Emotional Intelligence Your Vision/Charisma

About our Guest:   Chad Bennett Chad Bennett is an HR veteran, who previously worked at staffing agency Creative Circle and has worked in-house Human resource for Verizon corporate. He now currently works at IPG Mediabrands on the ad agency side. As a self-described creative when he’s not killing the HR game, Chad loves to create content and has turned his passion into the Abstract Square Podcast, a podcast focusing on different perspectives to which his audience members relate.   Episode Summary The current corporate environment necessitates being ahead of the game, even after you land a job. Sharing tips he has obtained from personal experience and from discussions with HR representatives, Kevin gives listeners ten tips for making sure that you are constantly taking steps to move forward in your career. Chad Bennett (Human resource professional), answers a myriad of questions from our audience, covering topics from salary negotiations to neutral non-job specific skills. If you’ve ever wondered about the hiring process, this episode will ensure you are well-prepared for your next interview.   Insight from this episode: Strategies for amping up your confidence before walking into an interview. Secrets to a company’s behind-the-scenes salary negotiation process. How to utilize altruism to advance in the workplace. Strategies for obtaining recognition from the high-level leaders at your company. How to employ the use of situational questions to master an interview. How to make your resume stand out from the pile.   Quotes from the show: “You do not want to be limited by your current title. Dream bigger.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Episode 130 “What is the difference between a mentor and a sponsor? In short,  mentors advise; sponsors act.” - attributed to Sylvia Ann Hewlett, quoted by Kevin Y Brown, Episode 130 “You want to be present for the higher level conversations that are taking place, because this is what’s going to set you apart and make your life different from most other people.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Episode 130 “I think that it’s important to be the person who seeks alternative ways of thinking, doing, and being to breakthrough current standards in your field.”  - Kevin Y. Brown, Episode 130 “The first thing that everyone needs to do before they walk into that interview is get their confidence level to the highest possible.” - Chad Bennett, Episode 130 “You want to make sure that your resume is able to tell a story when you’re not in the room.” - Chad Bennett, Episode 130 “You have to be able to show that you’re capable of doing whatever it is in this job. And the only way you’re able to do that is by representing your transferable skills.” - Chad Bennett, Episode 130   Resources Mentioned: Phone   Favorite Book:   The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley by Malcolm X, Alex Haley, and Attallah Shabazz     Favorite Quote: “Do you, be you.”   3 keys to Create Your Best Life: Surround yourself with people who have positive energy. Establish a relationship with God, whoever your God is. Be happy. Find happiness.   Stay Connected:   Create Your Life Series:   https://www.facebook.com/cylseries/ https://www.instagram.com/cylseries/   Kevin: www.kevinybrown.com www.instagram.com/kevinybrown www.twitter.com/kevinybrown www.facebook.com/kevbrown001   Chad Bennett: www.linkedin.com/in/bennettchad twitter.com/chadbennett_?lang=en   Abstract Square Podcast: soundcloud.com/abstractsquare itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/abstract-square-podcast/ player.fm/series/2150346 Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on  itunes, google play, stitcher and www.createyourlifeseries.com/podcast

In this episode, Ade and Ola sit down and discuss LGBTQ identity in the workplace with Janet Pope, North America Corporate Responsibility Director for Capgemini. Length: 50:28Host: Ade | Ola#Pride #LGBTQ #MenareChoppedLiverTRANSCRIPTAde: Today, 85% of Fortune 500 companies have protective policies that address sexual orientation, up from 51% in 2000. Nonetheless, surveys show that many LGBT employees still view their sexual orientation as a hindrance on the job. A full 48% of LGBT respondents report remaining closeted at work. Further, LGBT workers who feel forced to lie about their identity and relationships typically don't engage in [inaudible] banter about such things such as weekend activities, banter that forges important workplace bonds. Some 42% of closeted employees said they felt isolated at work versus only 24% of openly LGBT employees. These factors may explain why 52% of all closeted employees, which is 36% of out employees, believe they're [inaudible]. This is an excerpt from four LGBT workers being out brings advantages, a 2011 article by Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Karen Sumberg in the Harvard Business Review. I believe it presents a strong case for living authentically as an LGBTQ person in corporate America, but how do you build courage to live authentically in unknown environments? How do you leverage existing protective policies? And how do you thrive on the ways in which you differ? This is Ade, and you're listening to Living Corporate.Ade: Okay. So today we're talking about existing on the LGBTQ spectrum at work.Ola: Right. And to get the discussion started, let me ask: how do you identify?Ade: Thanks for asking. So I identify as a queer woman. Queer is such a broad spectrum, but primarily what that means is my dating preferences are, like, pretty fluid, and I generally don't like to explain that to people, and that's specifically why I chose queer to, like, describe myself, as my label, because there's, like, this understanding that queer is a personal thing that you explain, and it gets kind of awkward when you're maybe at Pride and you see older queer people, and they ask you about yourself and you say "queer," and, like, their faces are like, "The children say that now?" But besides that, yeah, that's typically what I go with. How about you?Ola: So it kind of depends on who's asking.Ade: Yeah.Ola: In certain ways that I present myself I just say, "I'm a queer black fem." For me, blackness is a really important part of it. I also say queer so people kind of stop asking questions.Ade: Right.Ola: I always think of, like, Hagrid in Harry Potter. "No more questions. Don't ask anymore questions."Ade: [laughs]Ola: And then there's also--if I'm feeling generous and open maybe I'll call myself pansexual.Ade: Sure.Ola: Or sometimes if I don't feel like answering what pansexual means I'll say bisexual.Ade: You like pots and pans. You're super duper attached to griddles.Ola: Right? Exactly. I really love--I really love cooking. Not a lie. [laughs] So that's basically how I identify.Ade: Sure.Ola: So what would you say has been the impact of your identity on your work life? Like, what kinds of things does it make you do, perhaps differently from people outside of the community?Ade: Sure. So I curate my experiences a lot. If you walk into my current workspace, you'll notice that, like, my walls are relatively bare. I have, like, calendars up. I have reminders up. I have a picture of, like, a kid that I sponsor in Uganda up, but there are no real pictures of my partners, like, my family or anything like that, and that's pretty intentional. I used to have a picture of my ex-girlfriend up in my workspace, and it got problematic because a coworker who I knew--who had made pretty homophobic remarks at one point at one point walked into my workspace and, like, made really aggressive eye contact with those pictures, and it made me really uncomfortable.Ola: Ugh. That's rough.Ade: Yeah, and at different points and different situations I've had, like, a coworker ask me out. Ola: Hm.Ade: One I don't date coworkers...Ola: Hm.Ade: Two... no. [laughs] Ola: [laughs]Ade: Like, I'm not attracted to you, right? Oh, man. Like, what is going on here? Like, a cishet man at that, and so this whole conversation, and then kind of what we were saying earlier about, like, sharing your day or sharing your week or sharing your weekend plans. Where my coworkers can be like, "Oh, me and my husband are doing this," or "My wife and I are gonna go on a trip," or "I had a really great time this weekend with my wife and kids," I usually hesitate. Like, I'm very, very careful. I usually just state "My partner and I," and I just got comfortable with that.Ola: Right.Ade: In general I'm not, like, a big sharer, particularly at work. You can ask anybody who knows me. Like, in general I keep most of my details of my personal life to myself, but especially at work I'm not about to tell you that I took this girl on a date because I'm just not trying to hear from HR about how I'm making people uncomfortable with, like, my rabid gayness. Ola: Right, right.Ade: So yeah, that's just, like, a couple of benign examples. There are other ways in which I feel that my queerness has added to hostility I've gotten at different places and different times, and of course there's also that intersection of my other identities of being a black fem that have added to how I feel I'm perceived.Ola: Right.Ade: So it does, in a lot of different ways, effect the way that I communicate, not just with myself--and, again, I'm a consultant, so I have different interactions with people on my team and people who are not on my team where I'm just a contractor supporting, so there's that.Ola: Right, right. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.Ade: Is there anything you struggle with with being LGTBQ in the workplace?Ola: Well, I think it's not usually around being out. I think I was mentioning before I'm pretty single, so I don't necessarily have to tell anyone that I'm doing anything with a significant other. The person, the other, does not exist.Ade: [laughs] Right.Ola: What I normally kind of struggle with is that we have our employee resource groups, but for me those spaces have always been very, very white in ways that feel a little bit--not hostile, but the same way I feel about the Midwest. Like, well-meaning but awkward. Ade: [laughs]Ola: Like, if I walk into an LGBTQ space with, like, my fro out, and they're just like, "Yes, girl!" I'm like, "You're white." [laughs] I'm like, "Stop."Ade: [laughs] Oh, my God. Like, you didn't have to put on your black girl voice for that. Ola: Right, right. Ade: Like, we can celebrate me being awesome.Ola: Right? Like, you should at least have a little bit more shame than that.Ade: Right.Ola: So that's really where I struggle is, like, not really wanting to take advantage of some of the resources available just because it's usually a pretty white space, as corporate America tends to be.Ade: Right. I definitely understand that, I hear it, but wouldn’t it be great if we could talk to someone with years and years of experience navigating their queer identity in the workplace and someone who has taken on the role of maybe being, like, a corporate champion for intersectional diverse spaces, particularly in multinational companies?Ola: You mean like our guest Janet Pope, North American Corporate Responsibility Director at Capgemini? Both: What?Ade: DJ, go ahead and, like, drop the air horns right here. *imitates air horns*[Sound Man drops ‘em in]Both: [laughs]Ade: Next up, we’re gonna get into our interview with our guest Janet Pope. Hope y’all enjoy. And we’re back with Janet Pope. Janet, welcome to the pod.Janet: Hi.Ade: How are you doing?Janet: Doing great today.Ade: On the call today also we have Ola. Ola, say your shout out to the people.Ola: Hey, y’all. [laughs]Ade: How you doin’?Ola: Happy to be here.Ade: Yeah. [laughs]Ola: [laughs]Ade: So Janet, tell us a little bit about yourself.Janet: Sure. So I am a native or am originally from South Carolina. I identify as a black gay woman who happens to be at 36 years of wonderful life, I guess. I have a little bit of an interesting career story, only because, as you mentioned, I’m the North American Corporate Social Responsibility Director for Capgemini, but the way that I got there is a little interesting based on the fact that my background, from an education perspective anyway, is computer engineering. So I’m a techie at heart. I was hired to Capgemini as a techie. In my 13 years there, I probably worked for seven years as a technology transformation specialist, and then around that seven-year mark I really felt like I wasn’t doing enough to help people, if I’m honest. So I talked to a couple of people who I really respected as mentors and, you know, business leaders that I was working with at the time, and I just started asking questions. “Now, how can I do more to help people?” I got different answers. “Oh, well, we’re helping clients. There’s a lot of things that we do to help clients,” and it was sort of “Yeah, yeah, I get that, but I just feel like I need to do more to help people,” and long story short, about the same time an HR leader at that time was looking to have a full-time dedicated diversity and inclusion leader, and I applied with a number of other people and, you know, for whatever reason the stars aligned and I was chosen to be the diversity and inclusion leader for North America, which then, over time, over about five years--I guess three years was the first time I looked after not only diversity but environmental sustainability and community engagement as well. So the role grew as the need grew for the North American market, but I’ve always made sure to share that piece of my journey just because I think it’s pretty odd for someone who started in computer engineering to be a corporate social responsibility director, or I thought it was odd, but the more I meet D&I leaders that really love what they do and can connect on the business and the more I meet corporate social responsibility practitioners that are really tied and tapped into how to drive it from a business perspective--many of them do not have traditional routes to those roles so they, you know, did something else in the business or in the field first. So I found that pretty interesting for the space.Ade: Cool.Janet: Other personal things that I’d say are I live in Houston now. No rhyme or reason. I wish I could say, like, “I chose Houston.” Houston sort of chose me. I was a traveling consultant for many years, and just my last major client was in Houston, and I liked the city and stayed. I also, in my not-so-abundant free time, try to DJ. So I actually have--Ola: Interesting.Janet: Yeah. Turntables in my home, and a couple buddies, we have sort of DJ happy hours where we have fun sort of mixing different music. So that’s a little bit about me. I went to Clemson, went to Duke for my Master’s. I’m from a family of eight. So there were six siblings, and five of us grew up in the same house, and that was really fun. So lots of good stories about all of that too. And then, relevant to this conversation--and I’ll probably make sure to weave him into my story at some point--my youngest brother is F2M, and I helped with a little piece of his transition journey as well, or I’d like to think that I was a positive influence as a part of that. But that’s a little bit about me.Ola: So you said you identify as a black gay woman, but when did you come out? Was it before joining the workforce or after? How did that impact kind of your entry into the corporate world?Janet: Yeah. Again, I think one of the themes we’ll probably hear throughout the podcast and my story is it’s not traditional at all I think, in terms of the coming out stories that I hear from a number of my friends, mostly because I think a lot of people, at least that I talk to, you know, they knew when they were eight or three or 13. All of these are pretty young ages. Maybe not that they were gay or lesbian or queer, but they knew that something was different in terms of their journey or their sexuality or they felt in their bodies and that sort of thing. I think I knew that I was a tomboy. I think that was really clear. I think I drove my mom crazy because I never really wanted to wear dresses to church and--you know, but nothing that would flag anything different than any heterosexual tomboy, right, that’s grown up, has peers and, you know, married men? I think, for my journey, where I sort of realized that, you know, I was attracted to women and that that was really a big part of my identity, I was 26 and met, or reconnected, with someone and just realized that my feelings weren’t the same way that I felt about friends, and recognizing, you know, what that was and what it meant, and I struggled with it if I’m honest, probably because of my own faith. I struggled a bit with, you know, what does all this mean, and is it contradictory to my faith or can they coexist? I’ve sorted that out now in the last decade, but, you know, 26 was where I sort of realized that--I don’t know. The best way that I can put it is I think maybe I normalized my experience before and felt like I was supposed to have boyfriends and I was supposed to date guys. There was nothing wrong with it. I never--you know, I don’t have horror stories like others where they just, you know, knew things were wrong or felt really, really awkward about having a boyfriend, I don’t remember anything like that. Mine is more I had eaten chopped liver all my life, and then I had a filet mignon and I was like, “Why did I ever settle for chopped liver?”Ola: Okay. [laughs] Yes.Ade: [laughs]All: [inaudible]Janet: Yeah. I mean, that’s kind of what it was.Ola: #MenAreChoppedLiver. Sorry. [laughs]Ade: [laughs]Janet: And the only reason I struggle with that analogy is because I think some people hear that and they think, “Oh, well, you chose to be gay,” and it’s like, “No, no. I didn’t choose to be gay.” To me it’s no different than, you know, being more attracted to someone that they’ve really recognized has a core value of honesty versus something else. So it was more about, you know, what are you attracted to? And I think most people will tell you they don’t know why they’re attracted to a certain trait over another trait, but they absolutely don’t have the right chemistry without those traits, right? So I think for me it was just recognizing, you know, that, that I could try to force something different, but it wasn’t where I was my happiest or most fulfilled in terms of the types of relationships that I was having with women. Ade: Great.Janet: And so coming out--’cause that’s where you’re going, right? I haven’t dealt with that yet.Ola: Mm-hmm.Ade: [laughs]Janet: I hope I don’t turn into, like, Grandpa Storytime here, but for me it was at 28. So 26 I sort of recognized, “Okay, this is something I need to deal with and sort of settle.” At 28 I felt like I’d settled it, and I decided--I needed to tell my parents that, which, again, kind of different from most people’s 13, 15, 18 coming out stories. I was 28 years old. So, needless to say, they were surprised because I’d never talked about feeling, you know, those types of feelings for a woman. I don’t think I had ever done anything to make them think that I was gay, so--I told my siblings first actually, and they--some took it easier than others. Like, I remember really vividly one of my brothers saying to me, “Oh, my God. I’m so happy,” and he gave me a hug, mostly because I think he was just happy that I wasn’t alone, meaning I wasn’t talking about whom I was dating, and so he’s like, “I’m just glad you’re not alone and you’re in a relationship. I don’t care who it’s with. I just worried about, you know, being by yourself.” I was like, “Okay, that’s great.”Ola: Aw.Ade: That’s cute.Ola: Yeah.Janet: And then, you know, different ranges of reaction. I had a sister that was very surprised, again--because I’m the second to the oldest, and so again she just--she looked up to me. We shared clothes. She never heard me talk about anything other than boyfriends so it sort of shocked her, and then a brother who sort of started quoting Bible verses at me. As I mentioned, you know, we grew up religious. Not overly religious or--you know, I know some people tell stories about being preacher’s children and that kind of thing. It wasn’t anything like that. I think it was pretty normal, but we went to church, you know, every week, every other week. Whenever there was church we went, and so, you know, he sort of dealt with it like that, and I took that as it was, and all of that’s evolved over time. They’ve all settled it now, but that gave me I guess just the ground for telling my parents, and so I came out to my parents at 28 years old, and really just--I think I said, you know, “I fell in love with a woman,” [laughs] “and I want to make sure that I tell you because I’m tired of hiding it.” And honestly, had it not been this particular woman and my feelings for her I probably would’ve just continued to hide it for a while longer honestly. I just--I was tired of not being able to talk about her. I cared about her so much that I, you know, wanted to share that with people.Ade: So 28 sounds well into your career. So what did that transition look like? When you came out to your family, did that also kind of pour into your professional life? How did that transition happen? [inaudible]Janet: Yeah, it definitely did. It was actually easier to come out at work than it was with my family, I feel. Now don’t get me wrong, I can look back and say that now. I think in the process of it there was some fear around “Will people treat me differently?” But I think I recognized that a lot of the fears that I had were more of things that I had generated than actually played out over time. So I’ll give you an example. So I actually had a lesbian manager. She identifies as lesbian, and she is married now but had a domestic partner at the time, was open about that, and there were a couple different people on the team on a project in Boston, and I very candidly remember her saying to me, “I think you’re a great performer. I think you do a really good job, but I’m not so sure that you want to be here,” and it caught me off guard because I knew that I was doing my work, but when I started to unpack that with a mentor that I trusted, what she was saying was “I don’t know if I can trust you because I don’t know much about you,” and as I reflected on it I realized, you know--my peers, we’d return from, I don’t know, Memorial Day vacation, something like that, and people would talk about what they did with their spouses or their partners or, you know, just share things about their life, but because I was in the closet I didn’t share anything like that. I’d sort of say, “Oh, I had fun,” and keep it very short, right? And so what I didn’t recognize at that time because I thought I was being professional and, you know, leaving my personal life out of the conversation and that was unnecessary. You know, all these good things that we probably think we’re doing all the time, I was actually impacting the way that I was viewed and perceived in terms of people’s ability to trust me because I wasn’t sharing in a way that they were sharing, which I didn’t recognize factored into whether they trusted me or not. And so it actually--because I had started to unpack that, I recognized that coming out was gonna help me relationally at work, just because it would enable me to have a more authentic experience in sharing with others, and that would help me grow trust in a way that I hadn’t been able to do before.Ade: No, that’s a really great point because there’s actually--I think Harvard Business Review actually put out an article to that point saying that often times minorities in the workplace will--due to the fact that, you know, often times you just can’t relate to what is popular culture, we’ll refrain from sharing too much for fear of “I don’t want to bring my whole self to work just in case my whole self isn’t palatable,” and it ends up hurting rather than helping because people just feel like they don’t know you. To the point that you made, often times you’re just not trusted by your coworkers and such because they don’t see the full picture of you.Ola: Right, and they don’t know why you’re not sharing. [laughs] It always comes off as more sinister.Ade: Exactly, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, like, everyone’s talking about their partner and you’re kind of like, “Hm, yeah, that’s nice. Minding my business.” And then they’re like, “Oh, this is shady.”Janet: Right, exactly. And I think what woke me up and why I coach people around this experience for me all the time now is I didn’t recognize that not sharing something personal could impact the way they felt about my ability to do my job.Ola: Well, so on the flip side of that, and I know this is probably more prevalent in consulting, I’ve definitely felt like in, like, spaces specific to the firm it’s probably better to be out than not, but then it’s always a toss up in terms of a client. So is there any situation you’ve been in where you felt like you couldn’t be or that it would be a hindrance on your professional presence?Janet: Yeah, that’s a really good point. I haven’t experienced that, but I’ve definitely, based on my role and since I’ve been in my role, worked with employees who have certainly experienced that, where they are happy and, you know, feel safe to be out at Capgemini but are with a really conservative bank or, you know, a really conservative oil and gas client, or whatever the industry is where they’re not so sure that the executives or the client partners that they’re working with on the client side will be as accepting, and we’ve definitely had to help people navigate that. I mean, the best advice I give and something that we’re trying to do at Capgemini right now is just understand where our clients have employee resource groups, because if that oil and gas company or if that bank have an LGBT group then, while you certainly can’t ever determine, based on a company’s initiatives, how one individual is gonna, you know, interact with you differently or perceive you differently or talk to you differently based on finding that out. If their companies have, you know, articulated values around diversity and inclusion and investment around specific identities, then certainly they’ll need to deal with that in a different way probably than a company that hasn’t done anything like that, if that makes sense. So we’ve tried to help people close the gap by, you know, not only doing the work on the client based on the contract, but how are they building relationships across these employee resource groups networks, business affinity groups, whatever the companies are calling them? Because we do recognize that that is a way to build relationship, right? And relationship, back to that earlier theme, is important in terms of building trust and people’s perceptions of, you know, your ability to do the work and to grow accounts and bigger deals, if I’m really honest.Both: Right.Ade: So what have you struggled with the most in corporate America? And we can talk about over time where you were at 28 versus where you are now at 36. So what have you struggled most with in corporate spaces in the past, and what do you struggle with now as you’ve grown in your career and in your roles?Janet: Yeah, that’s a tough--a tough one. I think what I struggled with at 28 was a little bit of “Why does this matter?” Right? So, you know, yeah, there’s some freedom to not feeling like I need to hide a big part of my life anymore, and there’s definitely energy that went into that that now I have back and I can use for other things that are more productive from a work or personal perspective, but I think I didn’t--I didn’t really get, you know, how authenticity could really make me more productive in the way that I understand it now, and I think I was naive in terms of how--I don’t want to say political because people always look at organizational politics as, like, a bad thing. I don’t necessarily mean that. I think politics is just for a reason, and that’s probably a podcast for another day, but I think that, you know, when you’re young you don’t really understand how important relationships are and how much relationships impact opportunities for honestly promotion, opportunities for the stretch roles, opportunities for the assignments that are gonna get you visibility at the levels that you need in order to really have growth and longevity in organizations. I think, again, when I was younger it was “If I keep my head down and do a really good job, people will see what I’m capable of and my experience and my knowledge will speak for itself,” and I didn’t necessarily think through the relational component of that. Now don’t get me wrong. Some people take this too far. They go way left with it, and they’re not good at their jobs, and they think they can, you know, grow everything or lay everything on the foundation of really solid relationships, and they probably get so far with that, and they just annoy everybody else that’s really trying to do a good job and works really hard. I’m saying there’s a middle ground to that. There’s a way that you balance really recognizing when and where to pick your battles, what relationships you should invest in, and how to balance that with doing a really good job. And so I just--for whatever reason, I was naive about that when I was 28, and I was naive about, you know, recognizing what--how much my personal character and, you know, the fact that integrity is really important to me as a core value and other things in my personal life--I really downplayed how big an impact being authentic would have in professional life, and so now I recognize that there’s not two separate things. There’s no Professional Janet and Personal Janet. There’s one Janet and, you know, while I’m not telling anybody that they shouldn’t have boundaries, because you absolutely should have boundaries, they’re important, and there are certain things I don’t want to hear about at work.Ola: For real. For real. [laughs]Janet: But what I’m saying is that we can’t treat our lives like there’s, you know, a mask that we wear at work or, you know, that we wear anywhere, in any environment, and then there’s a different mask that we wear at home. There’s just--the energy that it takes to maintain something like that isn’t worth it, and it’s really not how our brains are wired to work. And so just recognizing that and understanding how to make sure I’m showing up in all those different hats, right? Like, sometimes--this is one of my favorite things to say--sometimes I’m showing up as a black gay woman. Sometimes I’m showing up as a woman who’s gay and black. Sometimes I’m showing up as a gay black woman, right? And so if you understand where the priority is on any given day, which can be based on, you know, what’s going on in the news with Starbucks or, you know, what’s happening in the world around the #MeToo movement, or what happened at work yesterday around any given thing, right? And so, based on the reality of my world at any moment, the priority might be on any one of--and those are three identities, but there are many more, right? I have faith. You know, I’m a millennial by some timelines. Ola: Yeah. [laughs]Janet: So all of that shows up in different ways depending on the need and, I think, just recognizing that the context of how we’re authentic is really important.Ola: Yeah, and I think that leads perfectly into our next question, which is when you deal with intersections, like, how have some of those impacted your work life? Whether it’s within, like, one ERG or another, and how those--like, if you’ve had to teach people about these intersections or how you’ve navigated that through your experience.Janet: Yeah. I think the way that it showed up for me first was within the women’s forums or the women’s initiatives and women’s groups because, just based on the numbers, right, the demographics, if you’re not careful the women’s conversation turns into the white women’s conversation, if we’re really honest, right? And so how to make sure that women of color really felt like they had a voice in the discussion and that LGBT women felt like they had a voice in the conversation, or queer women, and so just how to balance that when, you know, if you’re not careful the majority of the minority group can have the loudest voice. I just felt it was really important to make sure--and sometimes it was just as simple as awareness, like “How do we just rise that concern to the surface to enable us to either put in the right checkpoints or make sure that any committee or leadership team has the right intersections of diversity?” Or simple things to help people mitigate their bias around different topics, and so those were some simple ways. Of course none of that is a silver bullet to solve--you know, every time we’re talking about women we’re including women of color, but it certainly was the right direction to make sure we’re thinking that, and one of the ways we do that at Capgemini formally is all of the employee resource groups have to have certain events that are in collaboration with other employee resource groups. So they can’t just do things siloed in a box, and I think that’s really helped drive just making sure they’re collaborating, and we’ve seen a lot of great things come out of that. We’ve seen, you know, a focus of black veterans in Black History Month as an example, or we’ve seen highlights and spotlights of queer and lesbian women as part of Women’s History Month. Just simple examples, right? And so having that--I don’t want to say forced collaboration, but just having an expectation with the employee resource group leaders that you will collaborate with the other employee resource groups really raised their awareness of “Okay, we need to be thinking about intersections,” and honestly there’s some benefit for them, even from a practical matter of budget, right? If I’m partnering with three other employee resource groups--and we have 12 at Capgemini by the way, which makes my job really fun--but if I’m partnering with other groups, you know, there’s more budget for this particular initiative or program, and they like that part if nothing else. But that’s one of the ways to manage that. I think the other way is just to make sure people are talking about themselves holistically, right? So how do I make sure that, you know, when I’m in a conversation I’m being authentic about the things that matter to me and challenging people? I remember being challenged by someone in HR who happens to be Asian and black that they didn’t feel comfortable with our African-American and black employee resource group reaching out to them for specific questions or surveys or that sort of thing because they’re more than just black, which, you know, I don’t--I don’t want to say whether I agree or disagree, but people are multiple things, and we don’t ever want to feel like we’re putting people in a box. So I liked being challenged on that because it made me think about it. “Okay. Well, if you’re raising this as a mixed race individual, then there could certainly be other mixed race individuals who are offended,” and, you know, we need to think about how to make sure we’re including people and not turning them off from any language or communications. You know, that was a well-meaning thing. They were like, “Oh, yeah. We’ll just reach out to everybody who’s self-identified as black and we’ll ask them their opinion something,” and a couple of people raised their hands to say, “Yeah, that’s great. I can do it, but I’m not just black. That’s not the only thing I am,” which is--you know, it starts the dialogue that we need to have in organizations, and again I think recognizing--’cause some people say, “Why? Why does it matter? Why do we care? Why do we have to talk about our identities at work?” I think, you know, it just goes back to how we started this conversation. If we can’t do that and if we’re not thinking about the way that we’re all sort of showing up in the workplace, we’re not gonna get the best ideas. We’re not gonna get the right level of engagement, right? If I feel like you’re only engaging the part of me that is a woman or you’re only engaging the part of me that is millennial, or you’re--let’s take it a step further. You’re only engaging the part of me that’s technology-minded? Then I’m not going to be as productive. We’re not gonna come up with the best solution for our clients or our own organization.Ola: So this question is about when you are definitely are in a toxic work environment. Maybe you’ve exhausted your tools to try to resolve it. How do you kind of make a decision on when it’s best for you to leave? And how do you best go about that in a way that, like, minimizes that impact on your career?Janet: I think I would say, you know--and this is whether you’re in a toxic work environment around a particular aspect of identity or a toxic work environment based on anything, I’d say the same advice--I think Steve Jobs said best something to the notion of “If you’re waking up day in and day out and you don’t love what you do more than you hate what you do, you should probably find something else to do.” Right? Or somewhere else to do it. That’s the gist of it anyway.Ola: Mm-hmm.Janet: And so, you know, I truly believe that if you’ve done all you can to navigate making sure you’re on a project that’s conducive to, you know, your skills and your ability to succeed and you still aren’t finding that or you just really feel like this environment isn’t one where you can be authentic and you have gotten some mentorship and counsel that what you’re asking for isn’t unreasonable, because I don’t want to pretend like some of us aren’t walking around entitled and think that, you know, “I can bring my Kanye West album to my cubicle and blast it as loud as I want to, and anybody that’s gonna stop me? Forget about ‘em. I’ll leave if I can’t do this.” [laughs] Right?Ola: Right. [laughs]Janet: So I want to just assume we’re all reasonable professionals and want to be in a work environment where everybody can be successful and we realize that we’re part of that equation, but with that said, you know, I do agree that if you do not see clear career growth for yourself or career opportunities or feel like you’re not getting them, and you’ve tried, you’ve seeked, you know, different types of mentors at different levels with different backgrounds and experiences and none of them are able to, you know, help you meet new people or get new opportunities or give you advice on how to do that for yourself, then it might be time to find, you know, a different--at least a different role or a different organization.Ade: Okay. Our next segment is called Favorite Things. If you cannot tell, it’s where we talk about what our favorite things are these days. I am Ade speaking. We have our guest, Janet Pope, on the line. Do you want to say a shout out?Janet: Hello.Ade: What’s up? And we also have the ever-dope, ever-delightful Ola with us. You want to say hi, Ola?Ola: Hey, all.Ade: Yes. Okay, Ola, do you want to start us off with what your favorite thing is?Ola: Yes. So my favorite thing is Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo”, and for those of you who don’t know or haven’t heard, this is a book by Zora Neale Hurston. It’s a non-fiction work, and it’s based on her interviews in 1931 with Cudjo Lewis, the last living survivor of the Middle Passage, and if you’re not familiar with Zora Neale Hurston’s work, get your life together, okay? The way she writes is so incredible. I’ve mostly read her fiction works over and over and over again, but this is one of the few things that she did that was non-fiction, and it’s amazing. You should go get it. You should read it however you can. Library, Amazon, whatever. Go do it. Ade: How about you, Janet? Janet: So my favorite thing right now is actually I guess the Oprah SuperSoul Conversations podcast. Now, I just want to make sure we’re clear, this comes #2 to the podcast that we’re on right now.Ade: Yes!Janet: And this is just one of my favorite things based on the different topics and different guests that Oprah’s having on everything from Buddhism to Christianity to atheists to mindfulness to spirituality, and there’s something there for everyone as it relates to the mind and the soul, and so the way that the different perspectives are presented in looking at spirituality and the soul in many different ways is really interesting. I mean, one of the things that stood out was an early on session where someone who is Bahai just talked about how that faith for them--they thought about art being like prayer, and so just the different, like I said, perspectives resonate with me, and of course there’s lots of celebrities that are sharing different opinions, but it’s just cool to hear people talk about things that you don’t really typically hear them talk about on your traditional interviews. Ade: You guys were super highbrow and, like, really lit with your favorite things, but mine is, like, super childish and I’m kind of embarrassed to share, but, you know, I’m gonna proceed. I’m gonna power through my embarrassment. So my favorite thing this week actually is bath time, and I hate how childish this sounds, but to be more specific, my favorite thing right now? Bath bombs. I love everything that goes into my bath time process these days. Like, it’s been super, like, relaxing, and it’s been this whole process for me. So everything from candles to my bath salts, my oils, all of it, but most specifically I have, like, this set of bath bombs, and let me tell you, okay?Ola and Janet: [laughs]Ade: I swear to God I spent, like, three hours longer than usual in the bath, than I usually would, just because of how amazing it sounds and just makes me feel. So, like, shout out to whoever came up with the idea of bath bombs, and shout out to all of the people in my life who love me and have kept me well-stocked with bath bombs because y’all are the real ones, the absolute MVPs of all my days because, like--y’all, bath time is essential, okay? Ola: [laughs]Ade: Any shout outs? Any final shout outs before we close out?Janet: Yeah, I’d love to give a shout out to my family. I hope that the Pope family is listening to this podcast and, specifically because I’ve called him out, my youngest brother who goes simply by Pope because he’s [smarter?] than all of us.Ola: Okay. [laughs] Hell yeah.Janet: A major shout out to him.Ade: [inaudible].Janet: Yeah, and then two other quick shout outs. One, there’s a group--we’ve talked about how important community is and how it’s important to just really have people that you can share what you’re going through and experience at work or just different things as it relates to life and mindfulness, and there’s a small community here in Houston that is absolutely that for me, and we sort of call ourselves the Hat Chat group. It came from the fact that we would get together and throw different topics in a hat, questions that we wanted to explore as a group, and then talk--usually over drinks--about our answers to those questions, and so we called it Hat Chat because we were chatting about the topics in a hat. But that group has kept me grounded, and I probably don’t know where I would be in Houston without them. And my last shout out is probably gonna sound cheesy and corny but I think goes with the theme of this podcast is honestly for love because I would not be out had I not fallen in love and not want it to be a secret anymore. So a big shout out to love.Ade: Right. I’m just gonna continue being weird because that’s just been the space I’ve been in for the last couple of days, but my shout out this week is to water.Ola: [laughs] 70% of the body, okay? 70% of the world.Ade: Don’t play me. [laughs] Look. Listen. Listen, girl. It’s so essential.Janet: Water’s [amazing?]. I like it. I’m with it. I’m a water baby. So there’s a bath time in the water? [inaudible].Ade: Yes! Okay, like, November 1st I’m just--I’m really here for--and you know what the hilarious thing is? I don’t actually know how to swim. Y’all don’t hound me. Don’t play me. But, like, my happiest place is being underwater, so, like, I have this, like, dichotomy of, like, being happy or being alive, so I have that frequent struggle. But yeah, so, like, shout out to water. Shout out to drinking it, being under it, floating in it. All--warm water, hot water, cold water--and if you haven’t been drinking water, go ahead and chug a gallon or two. It’s good for you, I promise. But yeah, that’s [inaudible].Janet: What about water signs? I’m a Scorpio. Does that count?Ola and Ade: Same!Ade: Oh, my God. Wait, for real?Janet: Wow.Ola: Yo.Ade: [laughs]Ola: That’s funny. [laughs]Janet: [inaudible].Ola: I know.Ade: [laughs]Ola: [laughs] I love the puns.Ade: Wait, we have to [inaudible].Ola: Oh, it’s staying in.Ade: Yeah. So we’re good, right?Janet: Big ups to Scorpios. Last shout out.Ade: *imitates air horns*[Sound Man drops ‘em in]Ola: Perfect placement. Perfect placement for a DJ horn.Ade: [laughs]Ola: Right. Thank you.Ade: Thank you so much for joining us. Much appreciated.Janet: Happy to do it, and if for whatever reason somebody decides they want to hear my voice again I’m happy to do another one on another topic.Ola: Awesome.Ade: Definitely. Like, we appreciate your time so, so much.Janet: Yeah, no problem. Ola: And that’s our show. Thank you for joining us on the Living Corporate podcast. Make sure you follow us on Instagram @LivingCorporate, Twitter @LivingCorp_Pod, and subscribe to our newsletter through www.living-corporate.com. If you have a question you’d like us to answer and read on the show, make sure you email us at livingcorporatepodcast@gmail.com. Also, don’t forget to check out our Patreon at LivingCorporate as well. And that does it for us on this show. My name is Ola.Ade: And this has been Ade.Both: Peace.Latricia: Living Corporate is a podcast by Living Corporate, LLC. Our logo was designed by David Dawkins. Our theme music was produced by Ken Brown. Additional music production by Antoine Franklin from Musical Elevation. Post-production is handled by Jeremy Jackson. Got a topic suggestion? Email us at livingcorporatepodcast@gmail.com. You can find us online on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and living-corporate.com. Thanks for listening. Stay tuned.

Authenticity is a buzzword that crops up a lot these days. We're all meant to 'be ourselves' at work. But how realistic a goal is that for women, really? In this show I speak to Sylvia Ann Hewlett, author of the book Executive Presence. Sylvia says women have to find the right balance of being themselves and having the perfect combination of gravitas, communication skills and appearance to get to the top. Lauren Tucker is pretty much there. Still, she says meshing her forthright personality with the workplace is no picnic, even at her level. And why should she even have to try? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Natalie shares insights on mentoring from a recently delivered keynote address. She begins by defining mentoring and stating its importance relative to advancing in one's career.  Natalie and Joy go on to discuss the benefits and shortcomings of both formal mentoring programs as well as mentoring relationships that are cultivated more "organically." They share their own experiences as mentors to others and also as the recipients of mentoring.  Natalie and Joy introduce and explain a 7-step framework (created by Natalie and posted on her website) for establishing and maintaining a strong mentoring relationship: Why - Know why you need a mentor Who - Identify potential mentor candidates Introductions - Connect with several mentor candidates Pre-meeting homework - Research who you are meeting with Meet with potential mentors Meeting follow up Nurture and follow through Joy then describes foundational steps for establishing a mentoring relationship, which include categorizing and assessing the strength of our network. She explains this via an article by Linda Hill and Kent Lineback, The Three Networks you Need. Joy also makes the point that mentoring can be a great path toward addressing development areas and gaps in experience. Connect with joy at http://www.joyschwartz.com and Natalie at http://smalltownleadership.com Authors and sources cited in this episode include: Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Connections.mic on meeting organically, “The Three Networks you Need,” by Linda Hill and Kent Lineback, and last but not least, Natalie's website: http://smalltownleadership.com/ with mentoring-specific resources, located here. 

'Authenticity' is a buzzword that crops up a lot in articles about the workplace. We're all meant to be in an era where we can 'be ourselves' at work. But how realistic a goal is that for women really? In this show I speak to author and speaker Sylvia Ann Hewlett, whose most recent book is Executive Presence. Sylvia says women have to find the right balance of being themselves and having the perfect combination of gravitas, communication skills and appearance to be considered for leadership positions. She talks about how to pull that off. Lauren Tucker leads her own division at an ad agency, but she says meshing her forthright personality with the workplace is no picnic, even at her level. And why should she even have to try? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Social Network Show welcomes back Dorie Clark for another episode in her series on "Reinventing You", March 21, 2014. Dorie Clark tackles the very timely topic of how people can use her book to help them re-enter the workforce or change careers. Dorie gives suggestions to those who have been out of the workforce regarding tuning their skills and building their confidence. Regarding the way that other people see you, Dorie suggests not leaving it "to chance". Hear her talk about body language, temp jobs, attitude and "owning your story". Check out the book that Dorie suggests written by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Off Ramps and On Ramps: Keeping Talented Women on the Road to Success. Dorie Clark, is a branding expert, an author, a marketing strategy consultant, an adjunct professor, and a former presidential campaign spokeswoman. She is a contributor to the Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and is the author of Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future (Harvard Business Review Press, 2013). Her clients include Google, Fidelity, Microsoft, Yale University, Morgan Stanley and the World Bank. Dorie is an Adjunct Professor of Business Administration at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and has taught at the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler School of Business and HEC-Paris. She has also guest lectured at Harvard Business School, the Harvard Kennedy School, Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, and the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School. Dorie has also been published in the Harvard Business Review Guide to Getting the Right Job and the Harvard Business Review Guide to Networking and she has appeared in the media including NPR, BBC and MSNBC. Learn more and connect with Dorie at her website 

Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Ripa Rashid, authors of "Winning the War for Talent in Emerging Markets: Why Women Are the Solution."

Sylvia Ann Hewlett, founding president of the Center for Work-Life Policy and coauthor of the HBR article "How Gen Y and Boomers Will Reshape Your Agenda."

Sylvia Ann Hewlett, founding president of the Center for Work-Life Policy and author of "Off-Ramps and On-Ramps."

Sylvia Ann Hewlett, founding president of the Center for Work-Life Policy.