Today, we celebrate the strength found in moving forward together, this year’s theme for Women’s History Month. 

Our conversation explores how multicultural women can turn challenges into assets, support each other through community, and redefine leadership on their own terms.

We discuss the idea that failure isn’t a roadblock—it’s a stepping stone. "You have to fail to get to the next level," says co-host Alisa Manjarrez, emphasizing that every setback brings growth and resilience. 

This episode is a powerful reminder that we must break the rules that limit us and bring others along with us. We challenge you to take action—whether it’s mentoring, sponsoring, advocating for inclusivity, or simply choosing joy in daily life.

Episode Highlights:

• Celebrating our 100th episode!

• Why leading with purpose starts with knowing your worth

• How to embrace diversity and turn it into a leadership advantage

• Failing to get to the next level

• Why resilience and intentionality are key

• Building a strong support system and community

• Owning your power through breathwork and mindfulness

• Flexing your style vs compromising your values

• Setting boundaries to maintain authenticity

Mentioned in this Episode:

Open - a studio and app for breathwork

Alisa’s Bio:

Alisa Manjarrez is a storyteller, marketer and executive coach. She is the Managing Director of a B2B creative agency, co-host of the What Rules!? podcast, and has her Master's in Organizational Management & Leadership. Alisa is Mexican American and is passionate about advancing women of color in corporate America as co-CEO of Zera Consulting.

Merary’s Bio:  

Dr. Merary Simeon, a seasoned Human Resources executive, brings 25 years of experience as a trusted advisor to C-suite executives in Fortune 50 corporations. Dr. Merary has a doctorate in Strategic Leadership. She is a best-selling author and co-host of the What Rules!? podcast. As co-CEO of Zera Consulting, she passionately advocates for the advancement of multicultural women in the workplace. Dr. Merary is from Puerto Rico and is fluent in Spanish.

Courtney’s Bio:

As an Accountability and Mindset Coach, Courtney is committed to helping her clients achieve their career goals to gain clarity, confidence, and alignment in their job search. With a passion for coaching and a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed in today's competitive job market, Courtney works closely with clients to provide guidance, support, and actionable strategies that drive results to level up their career.

Connect with us on our social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram andIt's our 100th episode! Since launching in 2020, we've been amplifying the voices of multicultural women in leadership—because our power, our stories, and our impact matter more than ever.

Today, we celebrate the strength found in moving forward together, this year’s theme for Women’s History Month. 

Our conversation explores how multicultural women can turn challenges into assets, support each other through community, and redefine leadership on their own terms.

We discuss the idea that failure isn’t a roadblock—it’s a stepping stone. "You have to fail to get to the next level," says co-host Alisa Manjarrez, emphasizing that every setback brings growth and resilience. 

This episode is a powerful reminder that we must break the rules that limit us and bring others along with us. We challenge you to take action—whether it’s mentoring, sponsoring, advocating for inclusivity, or simply choosing joy in daily life.

Episode Highlights:

• Celebrating our 100th episode!

• Why leading with purpose starts with knowing your worth

• How to embrace diversity and turn it into a leadership advantage

• Failing to get to the next level

• Why resilience and intentionality are key

• Building a strong support system and community

• Owning your power through breathwork and mindfulness

• Flexing your style vs compromising your values

• Setting boundaries to maintain authenticity

Mentioned in this Episode:

Open - a studio and app for breathwork

Alisa’s Bio:

Alisa Manjarrez is a storyteller, marketer and executive coach. She is the Managing Director of a B2B creative agency, co-host of the What Rules!? podcast, and has her Master's in Organizational Management & Leadership. Alisa is Mexican American and is passionate about advancing women of color in corporate America as co-CEO of Zera Consulting.

Merary’s Bio:  

Dr. Merary Simeon, a seasoned Human Resources executive, brings 25 years of experience as a trusted advisor to C-suite executives in Fortune 50 corporations. Dr. Merary has a doctorate in Strategic Leadership. She is a best-selling author and co-host of the What Rules!? podcast. As co-CEO of Zera Consulting, she passionately advocates for the advancement of multicultural women in the workplace. Dr. Merary is from Puerto Rico and is fluent in Spanish.

Courtney’s Bio:

As an Accountability and Mindset Coach, Courtney is committed to helping her clients achieve their career goals to gain clarity, confidence, and alignment in their job search. With a passion for coaching and a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed in today's competitive job market, Courtney works closely with clients to provide guidance, support, and actionable strategies that drive results to level up their career.

Connect with us on our social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn

Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

We take a holistic approach into the critical topic of wellness in the workplace and how it intertwines with our overall career satisfaction and significantly impacts how we show up in our personal lives.

HR executive Dr. Merary Simeon and career coach Courtney Copelin share their insights on how both employers and employees share the responsibility of fostering a healthy work environment. 

Learn how to identify your own needs and stressors, whether they stem from your  workload, workplace culture, or personal circumstances. Get help to better assess these factors, so you can engage in meaningful conversations with your manager about available resources and benefits that can support your well-being.

We also highlight the importance of energy management over traditional notions of work-life balance. How you spend your time outside of work and how those activities contribute to or detract from your overall wellness are also part of the equation.

Episode Highlights:

• Accessing benefits and resources at work

• Taking a holistic perspective with your career

• Identifying your needs

• Setting boundaries

• The role of leaders in supporting wellness

• Wellness beyond the workplace

• Managing your energy, not your time

Mentioned in this Episode:

“More than A Program: A Culture of Women’s Wellbeing at Work” by Gallup, 12/4/24

“Work-Life Balance is a Cycle, Not an Achievement” by Harvard Business Review, 1/29/21

Bright Horizons daycare solutions

2024 State of Workforce Mental Health Report by Lyra Health

The Corporate Athlete by Jack Groppel, PhD

Merary’s Bio:  

Dr. Merary Simeon, a seasoned Human Resources executive, brings 25 years of experience as a trusted advisor to C-suite executives in Fortune 50 corporations. Dr. Merary has a doctorate in Strategic Leadership. She is a best-selling author and co-host of the What Rules!? podcast. As co-CEO of Zera Consulting, she passionately advocates for the advancement of multicultural women in the workplace. Dr. Merary is from Puerto Rico and is fluent in Spanish.

Courtney’s Bio:

As an Accountability and Mindset Coach, Courtney is committed to helping her clients achieve their career goals to gain clarity, confidence, and alignment in their job search. With a passion for coaching and a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed in today's competitive job market, Courtney works closely with clients to provide guidance, support, and actionable strategies that drive results to level up their career.

Connect with us on our social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and...]]>Did you know? Women who experience high levels of stress are 46% more likely to seek new job opportunities.

We take a holistic approach into the critical topic of wellness in the workplace and how it intertwines with our overall career satisfaction and significantly impacts how we show up in our personal lives.

HR executive Dr. Merary Simeon and career coach Courtney Copelin share their insights on how both employers and employees share the responsibility of fostering a healthy work environment. 

Learn how to identify your own needs and stressors, whether they stem from your  workload, workplace culture, or personal circumstances. Get help to better assess these factors, so you can engage in meaningful conversations with your manager about available resources and benefits that can support your well-being.

We also highlight the importance of energy management over traditional notions of work-life balance. How you spend your time outside of work and how those activities contribute to or detract from your overall wellness are also part of the equation.

Episode Highlights:

• Accessing benefits and resources at work

• Taking a holistic perspective with your career

• Identifying your needs

• Setting boundaries

• The role of leaders in supporting wellness

• Wellness beyond the workplace

• Managing your energy, not your time

Mentioned in this Episode:

“More than A Program: A Culture of Women’s Wellbeing at Work” by Gallup, 12/4/24

“Work-Life Balance is a Cycle, Not an Achievement” by Harvard Business Review, 1/29/21

Bright Horizons daycare solutions

2024 State of Workforce Mental Health Report by Lyra Health

The Corporate Athlete by Jack Groppel, PhD

Merary’s Bio:  

Dr. Merary Simeon, a seasoned Human Resources executive, brings 25 years of experience as a trusted advisor to C-suite executives in Fortune 50 corporations. Dr. Merary has a doctorate in Strategic Leadership. She is a best-selling author and co-host of the What Rules!? podcast. As co-CEO of Zera Consulting, she passionately advocates for the advancement of multicultural women in the workplace. Dr. Merary is from Puerto Rico and is fluent in Spanish.

Courtney’s Bio:

As an Accountability and Mindset Coach, Courtney is committed to helping her clients achieve their career goals to gain clarity, confidence, and alignment in their job search. With a passion for coaching and a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed in today's competitive job market, Courtney works closely with clients to provide guidance, support, and actionable strategies that drive results to level up their career.

Connect with us on our social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn

Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

HR executive Dr. Merary Simeon and career coach Courtney Copelin reflect on the ongoing challenges faced by multicultural women and argue the continued need for systemic change. 

We get candid about the barriers to advocacy and provide a variety of ways multicultural women can take action because if we, as a community, do not advocate for ourselves, we can’t expect others to do so. 

“If we don’t care, then who will?” says Dr. Merary. 

Episode Highlights:

• Shocking news for gender diversity

• Why multicultural women need to advocate for DEI

• The power of multicultural women despite underrepresentation

• What’s holding us back

• Feedback as advocacy

• Small steps for big change

Mentioned in this Episode:

“LeanIn Says DEI Commitments to Women Just Declined for the First Time in 10 Years” by USA Today, 9/7/24

“Largest Report on Women in Corporate America Reveals Women’s Progress Is Fragile and Unsustainable” by LeanIn and McKinsey & Company, 9/17/24

Women in the Workplace 2024: The 10th Anniversary Report by LeanIn and McKinsey & Co,

Ep 72: How Managers Can Fix the Broken Rung

Ep 74: How Employees Can Fix the Broken Rung

Ep 76: How Organizations Can Fix the Broken Rung

Ep 84: How to Find Mentors & Sponsors

Ep 97: Harnessing Feedback for Growth

Merary’s Bio:  

Dr. Merary Simeon, a seasoned Human Resources executive, brings 25 years of experience as a trusted advisor to C-suite executives in Fortune 50 corporations. Dr. Merary has a doctorate in Strategic Leadership. She is a best-selling author and co-host of the What Rules!? podcast. As co-CEO of Zera Consulting, she passionately advocates for the advancement of multicultural women in the workplace. Dr. Merary is from Puerto Rico and is fluent in Spanish.

Courtney’s Bio:

As an Accountability and Mindset Coach, Courtney is committed to helping her clients achieve their career goals to gain clarity, confidence, and alignment in their job search. With a passion for coaching and a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed in today's competitive job market, Courtney works closely with clients to provide guidance, support, and actionable strategies that drive results to level up their career.

Connect with us on social media: “LeanIn Says DEI Commitments to Women Just Declined for the First Time in 10 Years” by USA Today, 9/7/24

“Largest Report on Women in Corporate America Reveals Women’s Progress Is Fragile and Unsustainable” by LeanIn and McKinsey & Company, 9/17/24

Women in the Workplace 2024: The 10th Anniversary Report by LeanIn and McKinsey & Co,

Ep 72: How Managers Can Fix the Broken Rung

Ep 74: How Employees Can Fix the Broken Rung

Ep 76: How Organizations Can Fix the Broken Rung

Ep 84: How to Find Mentors & Sponsors

Ep 97: Harnessing Feedback for Growth

Merary’s Bio:  

Dr. Merary Simeon, a seasoned Human Resources executive, brings 25 years of experience as a trusted advisor to C-suite executives in Fortune 50 corporations. Dr. Merary has a doctorate in Strategic Leadership. She is a best-selling author and co-host of the What Rules!? podcast. As co-CEO of Zera Consulting, she passionately advocates for the advancement of multicultural women in the workplace. Dr. Merary is from Puerto Rico and is fluent in Spanish.

Courtney’s Bio:

As an Accountability and Mindset Coach, Courtney is committed to helping her clients achieve their career goals to gain clarity, confidence, and alignment in their job search. With a passion for coaching and a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed in today's competitive job market, Courtney works closely with clients to provide guidance, support, and actionable strategies that drive results to level up their career.

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn

Sign up for our newsletter at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

We dive into the critical role that feedback plays in professional development, especially for multicultural women who are trying to advance their careers. 

We tackle the significant gap with feedback in the workplace: many women report not receiving the feedback they need, or when they do, it lacks relevance and actionability.

As we navigate the complexities of asking for and receiving feedback, we address the challenges that can arise. Hosts Dr. Merary Simeon and Courtney Copelin share their personal experiences and discuss how to handle feedback that may come across as emotionally charged or unconstructive.

We also cover the importance of discerning the validity of the feedback you receive. Not all feedback is created equal, and some may stem from the giver's biases rather than an accurate assessment of your abilities.

Episode Highlights:

• How feedback affects multicultural women

• How to ask for feedback

• How to receive feedback

• Using the R.E.A.C.H. framework for better feedback

•  Not all feedback is good for you

•  Recognizing bias feedback

•  How to give feedback

•  Feedback advice for leaders

Mentioned in this Episode:

2023 Language Bias in Performance Feedback by Textio

“Feedback Culture: Great Learning Design as a Bridge to Culture Building” by McKinsey & Co., 4/30/24

Merary’s Bio:  

Dr. Merary Simeon, a seasoned Human Resources executive, brings 25 years of experience as a trusted advisor to C-suite executives in Fortune 50 corporations. Dr. Merary has a doctorate in Strategic Leadership. She is a best-selling author and co-host of the What Rules!? podcast. As co-CEO of Zera Consulting, she passionately advocates for the advancement of multicultural women in the workplace. Dr. Merary is from Puerto Rico and is fluent in Spanish.

Courtney’s Bio:

As an Accountability and Mindset Coach, Courtney is committed to helping her clients achieve their career goals to gain clarity, confidence, and alignment in their job search. With a passion for coaching and a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed in today's competitive job market, Courtney works closely with clients to provide guidance, support, and actionable strategies that drive results to level up their career.

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn

Sign up for our newsletter at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

In this super candid and honest conversation celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, we chat with Maria about the realities of being a multicultural woman in corporate America. Maria points out all the voices around us—the ones we should listen to and how to work through all the other noise. “The biggest element of success is what your mind thinks and the influences that you let in,” says Maria.

Passionate about advancing women in the workplace, Maria shares the #1 thing she’s learned from her corporate climb, how she’s bucked the traditional family and the three questions she asks herself when making big career moves.

Theme: Changing Course Without Hesitation

Episode Highlights:

• Don’t let others define what success looks like for you
• How to make big career decisions
• Defining failure
• Breaking cultural rules
• What leaders can do to advance multicultural women

Maria’s Bio: 

Maria Lensing is the Global Chief Information Officer & Chief Technology Officer at Sorenson Communications. Prior, she was the Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance. Before that, Maria was the CTO at McKesson. And prior to McKesson, Maria spent 11 years at AT&T in both technical and business leadership roles. She was VP of Healthcare Solutions and she was also Chief of Staff for the Chief Executive Officer of AT&T Business.

Maria has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Christian Brothers University (CBU). She completed her Executive Education at Harvard Business School. She is also an independent director at Sorenson Communications and a board director for the Hispanic IT Executive Council (HITEC). 

Maria is passionate about STEM opportunities for youth, women in leadership and promoting minority inclusion in the executive ranks. She has received a lot of recognition, including the 2023 Top 100 Latinas by Latino Leaders Magazine and HITEC 100 Leaders for 2022, 2021 and 2020.

Connect with us on our social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

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Alisa and Dr. Merary highlight the crucial role of advancing multicultural women in the insights field and its positive impact on businesses. They also share three actionable strategies for industry professionals to support and promote women of color into leadership roles.

Discover valuable tips to make a difference in your organization, whether you’re climbing the corporate ladder or already in the C-suite.

Episode Highlights:

• Where women stand in the insights industry
• The benefits of having more multicultural women in leadership 
• Advancing through sponsorship, mentoring and coaching
• The #1 thing women need to advance their careers

Alisa’s Bio:

Alisa Manjarrez is a storyteller, marketer and executive coach. She is the Managing Director of a B2B creative agency, co-host of the What Rules!? podcast, and has her Master's in Organizational Management & Leadership. Alisa is Mexican American and is passionate about advancing women of color in corporate America as co-CEO of Zera Consulting.

Dr. Merary’s Bio:  

Dr. Merary Simeon, a seasoned Human Resources executive, brings 25 years of experience as a trusted advisor to C-suite executives in Fortune 50 corporations. Dr. Merary has a doctorate in Strategic Leadership. She is a best-selling author and co-host of the What Rules!? podcast. As co-CEO of Zera Consulting, she passionately advocates for the advancement of multicultural women in the workplace. Dr. Merary is from Puerto Rico and is fluent in Spanish.

Connect with us on our social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

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Sign up for our newsletter at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

Krystal has been charting her own career course since her 20s, from moving solo to South America to embarking on a new adventure in Singapore with her husband.

This fearless Latina shares her insights on why working abroad can be a game-changer and what you need to know before making the move.

“I like to think of myself as a creator,” says Krystal. “I create connections and I create opportunities.”

We also chat about creating community wherever you go, the impact of in-person meetings and the advantage of being the only woman in the room.  

Theme: Create What You Want to See

Episode Highlights:

• Creating community at different stages of your life
• Moving abroad to advance your career
• The impact of meeting in person vs virtual
• How being the only woman in the room can be a superpower

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

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Denise shares her inspirational story of how she blossomed from an introverted young girl to the outspoken powerhouse she is today as the Chief Marketing Officer at Collibra, a software development company.

We chat about owning your voice in the workplace, learning from failure and how to find the right mentor—and cultivate the relationship. 

“Have a voice, be yourself and think about what you want and ask for it,” says Denise. “You cannot get to professional success without breaking some rules.”

Theme: Own Your Power

Episode Highlights:

• Working with different cultures
• Learning from failure
• Breaking the rule of being a quiet Asian immigrant
• Asking for what you want
• Cultivating relationships with mentors and sponsors
• How to find the right mentor
• There’s no such thing as being perfect
• Careers are marathons, not sprints
• Early career advice

Mentioned in this Episode:

Refugee Girl: They called us “The Boat People” by Hang Pham Sonnenberg

Denise’s Bio: 

Denise Vu Broady is the Chief Marketing Officer for Collibra and is responsible for accelerating the company’s marketing strategy, brand recognition, and growth marketing across the globe. 

Denise has 25+ years of enterprise technology experience and has held leadership roles at Appian, WorkForce Software, and SAP, with experience in go-to market, product launches, strategy, marketing, communications, and operations. 

Denise holds a double bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Production & Operations from Virginia Tech.

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More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn

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While we’re encouraged to advance as quickly as possible, Paula Ramos, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, at Kimberly-Clark, believes in the opposite. Paula tells us how she has broken the rules by looking at her career as a sailboat and letting her curiosity guide her.

“A sailboat allows me to explore,” says Paula. “And it puts the control on me on how fast I go.” 

Get off the fast lane and sail your way into a rewarding career with Paula’s insight and advice.

Theme: Know What You Want

Episode Highlights:

• Looking at your career as a sailboat vs speedboat
• Determining how fast you want to go in your career
• How to find variety within your role and company
• Forging your own path at every stage of your career
• The trap of comparing yourself to others
• Are you a knower or a learner?
• Mentoring, sponsoring and being an example to others

Paula’s Bio: 

Paula Ramos is the Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer for Kimberly-Clark Corporation, where she has global responsibility for the company's enterprise strategy and the transformation initiatives designed to accelerate growth and value creation. 

Paula’s ambition is to fuse commercial instinct, pragmatism, technology and market insight to navigate ambiguity, champion consumer experience, and enable sustainable growth. With empathy, collaboration, and a passion for unlocking human potential, she builds inclusive teams that play to win and leave their mark upon the world.

Prior to joining Kimberly-Clark in 2021, Paula was a partner at McKinsey & Company. In her 18 years at McKinsey, she advised some of the world's largest consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, and pharmaceutical companies on finding new sources of growth, transforming business portfolios, driving commercial and culture transformations, and building lasting competitive advantages. She led the firm's global consumer health practice and played pivotal roles in McKinsey's inclusion and diversity programs.

A native Brazilian, Paula holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Magna Cum Laude high honors degree in Commerce from McGill University. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters.

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

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Do you think you’re only one person and can’t change the status quo? 

Are you afraid to sponsor another woman of color because she may make you look bad? 

Do you believe everyone should pay their dues as they climb the ladder?

These are all myths! Check out how we disprove each and offer ways to help and support each other when we choose community over competition. 

Episode Highlights:

• The impact one person make can on another woman’s career and life
• What to remember when you have the chance to help someone
• Easy ways to support another woman of color NOW
• What your role is (and isn’t) as a sponsor 
• What it means to refer someone 
• The benefits of sponsoring each other
• Why paying our dues hurts all of us

Mentioned in this Episode:

The P.I.E. Theory of Success—Performance, Image, Exposure

2023 Women in the Workplace by McKinsey & Company

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

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Meredith is the Chief Information Security Officer at Synchrony, a Fortune 500 company that is one of the largest issuers of store credit cards in the U.S. She shares how she has often been the only woman of color throughout her 30-year career in tech and how other strong women partnered with her to get ahead.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation with Meredith on how to challenge authority at work so that it benefits you and your company. “It's about being bold and it’s about being noisy,” she says.

Theme: Don’t Do It Alone

Episode Highlights:

• What your LinkedIn banner says about you
• Chase after experiences, not roles
• It’s ok to be different 
• Challenging authority at work
• Pushing back benefits everyone
• Be bold and noisy to create change
• Resources to grow your career in tech and other industries
• Work integration with your personal life
• Infuse levity into whatever you’re doing

Mentioned in this Episode:

Empowering Black, Latina, and Native American Women in Tech by McKinsey & Company, 8/29/23

ISACA, a global association for professionals in information security, governance, assurance, risk, and privacy and quality. 

ISC2, the world’s leading member association for cybersecurity professionals

SANS, an institute that offers cybersecurity training, certifications and research

Meredith’s Bio: 

Meredith Harper is a strategic leader with 30 years of experience, who is passionate about her greatest assets—her team members. Her success has been attributed to her ability to manage large-scale complex programs that cross functional areas while advancing the skill sets and careers of her team members.

Meredith is passionate about empowering women and people of color to embark upon careers in technology, especially in information security, where those populations are underrepresented. She’s committed to transforming the industry by driving engaging and provocative discussions around diversity, equity, inclusion and empowerment and the value it brings. It is her hope that the industry transforms at a more rapid pace so that women and people of color are normalized in tech and security spaces. 

Meredith is a proud alumna of the University of Detroit Mercy and the Loyola Chicago School of Law where she received a Master’s in Health Services Administration, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems, and Master's of Jurisprudence in Compliance, respectively.

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and It’s Black History Month and Meredith Harper is on a mission—to empower women and people of color to embark upon careers in tech. Black, Latina and Native American women make up only 4% of tech roles in the U.S.

Meredith is the Chief Information Security Officer at Synchrony, a Fortune 500 company that is one of the largest issuers of store credit cards in the U.S. She shares how she has often been the only woman of color throughout her 30-year career in tech and how other strong women partnered with her to get ahead.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation with Meredith on how to challenge authority at work so that it benefits you and your company. “It's about being bold and it’s about being noisy,” she says.

Theme: Don’t Do It Alone

Episode Highlights:

• What your LinkedIn banner says about you
• Chase after experiences, not roles
• It’s ok to be different 
• Challenging authority at work
• Pushing back benefits everyone
• Be bold and noisy to create change
• Resources to grow your career in tech and other industries
• Work integration with your personal life
• Infuse levity into whatever you’re doing

Empowering Black, Latina, and Native American Women in Tech by McKinsey & Company, 8/29/23

ISACA, a global association for professionals in information security, governance, assurance, risk, and privacy and quality. 

ISC2, the world’s leading member association for cybersecurity professionals

SANS, an institute that offers cybersecurity training, certifications and research

Meredith’s Bio: 

Meredith Harper is a strategic leader with 30 years of experience, who is passionate about her greatest assets—her team members. Her success has been attributed to her ability to manage large-scale complex programs that cross functional areas while advancing the skill sets and careers of her team members.

Meredith is passionate about empowering women and people of color to embark upon careers in technology, especially in information security, where those populations are underrepresented. She’s committed to transforming the industry by driving engaging and provocative discussions around diversity, equity, inclusion and empowerment and the value it brings. It is her hope that the industry transforms at a more rapid pace so that women and people of color are normalized in tech and security spaces. 

Meredith is a proud alumna of the University of Detroit Mercy and the Loyola Chicago School of Law where she received a Master’s in Health Services Administration, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems, and Master's of Jurisprudence in Compliance, respectively.

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

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As an Asian American, Cindy talks about how she was raised to be empathetic with everyone and how it’s helped her advance in her career. 

“That general commitment to adding value and helping others succeed,” says Cindy. “It makes other people want to help you.”

Tune in for how empathy can take you (and others!) far in the workplace. “It’s much more powerful to have others lift you up than for you to get there by yourself,” says Cindy.

Theme: Don’t Do It Alone

Episode Highlights:

• Cindy’s TEDx Talk
• Breaking through cultural barriers at work
• Learning from white male mentors
• Recognizing ego vs humbleness
• Lifting others to get ahead together
• How empathy impacts companies
• Lack of empathy between women
• Finding people who support you
• Having a multicultural woman as a leader
• Resonating with others while on your journey
• Helping others makes people want to help you

Cindy’s Bio: 

Cindy Tran is a Managing Director at Slalom, a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. She has over 20 years of experience in professional services, currently focused on Slalom go-to-market expansion into Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. 

Cindy has a strong commitment to serving customers and enabling teams to achieve strategic outcomes. Cindy is passionate about mentoring early career young professionals and community give-back opportunities.  

Together, Cindy and her husband are raising two young boys and are small business owners.

Mentioned in this episode:

Cindy Tran’s TEDx Talk: Untold Complexities Between 1st and 2nd Generation Immigrants

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We’re here to tell you why multicultural women are needed in corporate America and what it means if more of us decide to leave.

Before you choose the path of entrepreneurship or the corporate world, check out our convo!

Episode Highlights:

• Women of color are leaving corporate America
• Why it’s important for multicultural women to stay in corporate America
• Wanting something different 
• Opting out of your power
• Choosing your own path
• Needing both entrepreneurs and corporate women
• Fitting into corporate culture if there were more women of color
• Taking care of yourself 
• Outsmarting the game  

Research Mentioned:

2/15/23: The Harris Poll: America This Week Wave 155

March 2021: More Women of Color are Ready to Leave the Workforce by Fairygodboss and nFormation

May 2020: Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters by McKinsey & Company

6/24/20: Why Diversity and Inclusion Matter (Quick Take) by Catalyst

2022 Women in the Workplace by McKinsey & Company

Check out these additional episodes:

Ep 64: The 4 L’s to Advance Your Career featuring Tanika Cabral

Ep 71: Transform Your Limiting Beliefs to Get Ahead featuring Thear Suzuki

Ep 73: 3 Moves to Improve Your Next Meeting featuring Monique Lanaux

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More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn

Sign up for our...]]>Are you thinking about leaving corporate America? You’re not alone. 1 in 3 women of color currently in the workplace plan to leave their jobs over the next year. 

We’re here to tell you why multicultural women are needed in corporate America and what it means if more of us decide to leave.

Before you choose the path of entrepreneurship or the corporate world, check out our convo!

Episode Highlights:

• Women of color are leaving corporate America
• Why it’s important for multicultural women to stay in corporate America
• Wanting something different 
• Opting out of your power
• Choosing your own path
• Needing both entrepreneurs and corporate women
• Fitting into corporate culture if there were more women of color
• Taking care of yourself 
• Outsmarting the game  

Research Mentioned:

2/15/23: The Harris Poll: America This Week Wave 155

March 2021: More Women of Color are Ready to Leave the Workforce by Fairygodboss and nFormation

May 2020: Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters by McKinsey & Company

6/24/20: Why Diversity and Inclusion Matter (Quick Take) by Catalyst

2022 Women in the Workplace by McKinsey & Company

Check out these additional episodes:

Ep 64: The 4 L’s to Advance Your Career featuring Tanika Cabral

Ep 71: Transform Your Limiting Beliefs to Get Ahead featuring Thear Suzuki

Ep 73: 3 Moves to Improve Your Next Meeting featuring Monique Lanaux

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

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Shellye learned early in her career that you should have multiple mentors and she figured out how to do that—without asking! And it’s easier than you think!

Suffering from impostor syndrome? Don’t worry, Shellye points out it affects all of us, including herself, and she offers ways to beat it when it sneaks up on you. 

Striving to land a paid seat on a corporate board? Shellye shares how she did it and how you can, too! 

Want people to remember you? Introduce yourself using Shellye’s technique and you’ll be on people’s minds long after you meet them.

With over 30 years of corporate experience, Shellye, author of Unapologetically Ambitious, shares some golden nuggets you won’t want to miss! 

Theme: Don’t Do It Alone

Episode Highlights:

• Mixing business and pleasure
• Achieving work-life integration
• How to get a mentor without asking
• Get paid to serve on a board
• How to set goals and stay on track
• How to beat impostor syndrome
• 3 ways leaders can advance multicultural women in the workplace
• Introduce yourself so people remember you

Mentioned in this Episode:

Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Own Terms by Shellye Archambeau

LinkedIn Learning Course: Unapologetically Ambitious by Shellye Archambeau

2023 Gender Diversity Index Report by 50/50 Women on Boards

Shellye’s Bio: 

Shellye Archambeau is an experienced CEO and Board Director with a track record of accomplishments building brands, high performance teams, and organizations. Currently, Shellye serves on the boards of Verizon, Roper Technologies, and Okta. She is also a CEO mentor with the EXCO Group and serves on the board of two national nonprofits, Catalyst and Braven. 

Shellye has over 30 years of experience in technology. She is the former CEO of MetricStream, a Silicon Valley-based, governance, risk, and compliance software company. During her tenure MetricStream grew from a fledgling startup into a global market leader. 

Shellye is the author of Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers and Create Success on Your Own Terms. A book that will inspire you and provide the tools to enable you to fight the battles, make the tradeoffs and create the life you want. 

Shellye enjoys the performing arts, traveling and cooking.

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More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and Are you looking for a mentor? We’ve got a surefire way to get as many mentors as you want, thanks to Shellye Archambeau, a Fortune 500 board director and one of the first Black female CEOs in the tech industry.

Shellye learned early in her career that you should have multiple mentors and she figured out how to do that—without asking! And it’s easier than you think!

Suffering from impostor syndrome? Don’t worry, Shellye points out it affects all of us, including herself, and she offers ways to beat it when it sneaks up on you. 

Striving to land a paid seat on a corporate board? Shellye shares how she did it and how you can, too! 

Want people to remember you? Introduce yourself using Shellye’s technique and you’ll be on people’s minds long after you meet them.

With over 30 years of corporate experience, Shellye, author of Unapologetically Ambitious, shares some golden nuggets you won’t want to miss! 

Theme: Don’t Do It Alone

Episode Highlights:

• Mixing business and pleasure
• Achieving work-life integration
• How to get a mentor without asking
• Get paid to serve on a board
• How to set goals and stay on track
• How to beat impostor syndrome
• 3 ways leaders can advance multicultural women in the workplace
• Introduce yourself so people remember you

Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Own Terms by Shellye Archambeau

LinkedIn Learning Course: Unapologetically Ambitious by Shellye Archambeau

2023 Gender Diversity Index Report by 50/50 Women on Boards

Shellye’s Bio: 

Shellye Archambeau is an experienced CEO and Board Director with a track record of accomplishments building brands, high performance teams, and organizations. Currently, Shellye serves on the boards of Verizon, Roper Technologies, and Okta. She is also a CEO mentor with the EXCO Group and serves on the board of two national nonprofits, Catalyst and Braven. 

Shellye has over 30 years of experience in technology. She is the former CEO of MetricStream, a Silicon Valley-based, governance, risk, and compliance software company. During her tenure MetricStream grew from a fledgling startup into a global market leader. 

Shellye is the author of Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers and Create Success on Your Own Terms. A book that will inspire you and provide the tools to enable you to fight the battles, make the tradeoffs and create the life you want. 

Shellye enjoys the performing arts, traveling and cooking.

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Brianna was doing just fine as a senior patent attorney at Microsoft before Yum! Brands came calling (during the pandemic!) with an opportunity to switch to the restaurant industry, a new field for her. 

“Here I was looking to do something completely different, in an industry that I knew nothing about,” says Brianna. “I have four to five people that I really respect their input and they all gave me great advice.”

Brianna shares how she decided to accept the new challenge and who she turns to for career advice.

Is it time for you to take on a new challenge? We discuss the signs it’s likely time to change course, who you should talk to about it, and some revealing questions to ask yourself when making big decisions.

We also cover how to decide if the timing is right to take on a new challenge and working in your zone of excellence vs zone of genius.

Theme: Change Course Without Hesitation

Episode Highlights:

• Changing course with your career
• Being curious
• Having a growth mindset
• Are you doing your job with your eyes closed?
• Questions to ask yourself when considering a big career move
• Working in your zone of excellence vs zone of genius
• Is it the right time for a new challenge?
• Who to talk to when making big decisions
• Saying no to an opportunity when the timing isn’t right
• How leaders can advance multicultural talent and build diverse teams

Mentioned in this episode:

The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level by Gay Hendricks

Brianna’s Bio:

Briana Hinojosa-Smith joined Yum! Brands in August of 2020 and currently serves as their Chief Legal Officer, Digital & Technology. In her role at Yum!, Brianna oversees a broad range of commercial and technology-related legal matters, including commercial contracts and licenses, data rights and intellectual property protection, as well as funding strategies to commercialize data and technology.

Additionally, Brianna manages Yum!’s global patent portfolio, including coordinating the evaluation and filing of patents across the four brands (Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC, Habit Burger Grill) and Yum!.

Prior to joining Yum!, Brianna was a Senior Patent Attorney at Microsoft where she supported the Devices business (including Xbox/Gaming and Surface) in the areas of patent prosecution, conflict matters and licensing, as well as general legal support for the Devices client.

In her 20-plus years as a patent attorney, Brianna’s experience includes patent prosecution, acquisition due diligence, patent licensing and litigation, patent monetization, validity and infringement analysis, and trademark and copyright protection. 

Prior to joining Yum!, Brianna worked in both the private and public sector including Gardere & Wynne, BlackBerry, Nortel and Uniden.

Brianna earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Trinity University in San Antonio, a J.D. from St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, and an MBA from the University of Texas at Arlington. When Brianna is not working, she enjoys serving her community as an elected official, spending time with her family, running and writing.

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More from Alisa Manjarrez: The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level by Gay Hendricks

Brianna’s Bio:

Briana Hinojosa-Smith joined Yum! Brands in August of 2020 and currently serves as their Chief Legal Officer, Digital & Technology. In her role at Yum!, Brianna oversees a broad range of commercial and technology-related legal matters, including commercial contracts and licenses, data rights and intellectual property protection, as well as funding strategies to commercialize data and technology.

Additionally, Brianna manages Yum!’s global patent portfolio, including coordinating the evaluation and filing of patents across the four brands (Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC, Habit Burger Grill) and Yum!.

Prior to joining Yum!, Brianna was a Senior Patent Attorney at Microsoft where she supported the Devices business (including Xbox/Gaming and Surface) in the areas of patent prosecution, conflict matters and licensing, as well as general legal support for the Devices client.

In her 20-plus years as a patent attorney, Brianna’s experience includes patent prosecution, acquisition due diligence, patent licensing and litigation, patent monetization, validity and infringement analysis, and trademark and copyright protection. 

Prior to joining Yum!, Brianna worked in both the private and public sector including Gardere & Wynne, BlackBerry, Nortel and Uniden.

Brianna earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Trinity University in San Antonio, a J.D. from St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, and an MBA from the University of Texas at Arlington. When Brianna is not working, she enjoys serving her community as an elected official, spending time with her family, running and writing.

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Wendy believes that “you have to be the owner of your own career,” and that means defining what you want outside of your current role. She tells us about the time she did just that at Microsoft when her position was eliminated and she had to create a new position for herself.

“Oftentimes a job description just tells you the status quo for today,” says Wendy, who grew up in China. “It doesn’t tell you what’s going to be next for you, so always extend yourself into other areas that may set you up for longer-term success.” 

We chat about three keys to defining your career and Wendy encourages us to seek help along the way!

Theme: Know What You Want

Episode Highlights:

• Work life blend vs work life balance
• Always give your best effort at work and life
• Go beyond the job description
• Create your own opportunities
• Talk to others about their jobs
• Try out a role and pivoting as necessary
• Be aware of how you feel 
• Volunteer to develop new skills
• Ask for help along the way

Wendy's Bio:

Wendy Wu brings over 20 years of experience in B2B enterprise marketing to her role at SailPoint as the company’s Chief Marketing Officer. At SailPoint, she’s focused on accelerating the company’s growth through modern, digital marketing, elevating SailPoint’s brand recognition, driving product adoption, and helping to deliver against the company’s business goals worldwide.

Prior to joining SailPoint, Wendy was Vice President of Marketing at Box, where she led the global demand generation team to fuel the growth of the business as a leading content cloud platform. 

Before Box, Wendy spent eight years at Google Cloud. While there, she built the demand generation team for the Google Cloud Platform, eventually scaling the global marketing programs to support a multi-billion-dollar business. 

Before Google, Wendy held various product marketing and marketing leadership roles at Microsoft and other global companies.

Wendy received her bachelor’s degree in English from Fudan University and her master’s degrees in Public Policy and Cultural Anthropology from Duke University.

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In Part 3 of our Own Your Power Series, we reveal why you need both. “If you’re not sure what you want to do, go to a mentor,” says co-host Alisa Manjarrez. “As soon as you know, go to a sponsor.” 

We tell you how to find a mentor who you can trust and is a good fit for you. 

We also fill you in on how a sponsor can help you get ahead and the best way to approach a possible candidate. 

Theme: Own Your Power

Episode Highlights:

• What is a mentor 
• How to find the right mentor for you
• How to approach a possible mentor
• How many mentors you should have
• What is a sponsor
• How a sponsor can help you advance in your career
• How to find the right sponsor for you
• How to approach a possible sponsor

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Expect to Win by Carla Harris

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Discovering and growing your strengths is worth it. Research says people who have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs.

We offer tools that will help you identify your strengths and build on them. “We all have areas that we consistently stand out in,” says co-host Dr. Merary Simeon. “Once we understand what they are, those are our strength zones.”

Theme: Own Your Power

Episode Highlights:

• Focusing on your strengths instead of your weaknesses
• Building your strengths over time
• Tools to identify your strengths—CliftonStrengths Assessment, HIGH5 Strengths Test
• How managers can build on the talent of multicultural women
• How others perceive your strengths
• Getting help to grow your strengths

Mentioned in this Episode: 

CliftonStrengths Assessment

HIGH5 Strengths Test

StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Gallup

Strengths Based Leadership by Gallup

More episodes about using your strengths:

Ep 70: Making Big Bold Moves Even When You’re Fearful

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In this episode, we show you the first step to owning your power: how to own your identity. Why is this important? “Your identity shapes how you experience and see the world,” says co-host Dr. Merary Simeon in Part 1 of our series.

We provide you with tools, such as the Identity Circle, to think about all the factors that make up your identity. And we share how owning your identity can open doors for yourself and others.

“Ultimately, understanding and embracing your identity will put you in control of how you respond to opportunities and challenges that you face as a multicultural woman,” says Dr. Merary.

Theme: Own Your Power

Episode Highlights:

• Why owning your identity is important
• What makes up your identity 
• Consequences of covering parts of your identity
• Building a support system
• The Identity Circle, a tool to own your identity
• Opening doors for yourself and others
• How leaders can advance multicultural women

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Ep 9: Thelma Haylock, Change Leader on Embracing Her Story

Identity Circle

More episodes about owning your identity:

Ep 80: Creating Your Own Career Path

Ep 78: Leading with Vulnerability

Ep 71: Transform Your Limiting Beliefs to Get Ahead

Ep 68: How to Be Strategic with Your Next Career Move

Ep 64: Dr. Carey Yazeed: Truth Teller, Fire Starter

Ep 60: How Understanding Your Identity Opens the Doors to Success

Ep 58: Focused on Her Faith

Ep 47: When In Doubt, Figure It Out

Ep 46: Learning to Win as an Outsider

Ep 43: Turning Your Insecurities into Your Superpowers

Ep 19: Welcome to the Own Your Power Series! In three short episodes, we’ll help you advance your career as a woman of color. AND we provide leaders with surefire ways to advance the multicultural women at their organizations.

In this episode, we show you the first step to owning your power: how to own your identity. Why is this important? “Your identity shapes how you experience and see the world,” says co-host Dr. Merary Simeon in Part 1 of our series.

We provide you with tools, such as the Identity Circle, to think about all the factors that make up your identity. And we share how owning your identity can open doors for yourself and others.

“Ultimately, understanding and embracing your identity will put you in control of how you respond to opportunities and challenges that you face as a multicultural woman,” says Dr. Merary.

Theme: Own Your Power

Episode Highlights:

• Why owning your identity is important
• What makes up your identity 
• Consequences of covering parts of your identity
• Building a support system
• The Identity Circle, a tool to own your identity
• Opening doors for yourself and others
• How leaders can advance multicultural women

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Ep 9: Thelma Haylock, Change Leader on Embracing Her Story

Identity Circle

More episodes about owning your identity:

Ep 80: Creating Your Own Career Path

Ep 78: Leading with Vulnerability

Ep 71: Transform Your Limiting Beliefs to Get Ahead

Ep 68: How to Be Strategic with Your Next Career Move

Ep 64: Dr. Carey Yazeed: Truth Teller, Fire Starter

Ep 60: How Understanding Your Identity Opens the Doors to Success

Ep 58: Focused on Her Faith

Ep 47: When In Doubt, Figure It Out

Ep 46: Learning to Win as an Outsider

Ep 43: Turning Your Insecurities into Your Superpowers

Ep 19: Sabina Ewing, Tech Exec on Fitting into Your Own Shoes

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Today, Agnes is the Chief Marketing Officer at Shiseido U.S. and she credits her differences for standing out and getting ahead in the workplace. “Because I have an accent, people listen more closely,” says Agnes, who’s Puerto Rican. 

We chat about being open to new opportunities, like the five years Agnes worked in France without knowing French! Being able to “figure it out along the way,” she says, is key.  

Theme: Don’t Do It Alone

Episode Highlights:

• The power of mentors and sponsors

• Creating your own opportunities

• Working internationally

• Embracing your differences

• Standing out to advance your career

• Focusing on your strengths

Register Now!

The What Rules!? Leadership Conference is on 10/25/23. Learn more and register at Eventbrite.

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At age 32, Erica is the first DE&I leader at Cartier, the global luxury jewelry company. She shares how she’s followed her instinct to create her own career path to become the Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Cartier North America. 

Erica encourages all women to show up as themselves in the workplace. “I’ve learned that no matter how old you are, no matter how much experience you have or don’t have,” says Erica, who’s Black American, “you still have a right to be in the room and share what’s on your mind.”

Theme: Create What You Want to See

Episode Highlights:

• Following your instinct
• Sharing your ideas at a young age
• Taking opportunities offered to you
• The power of exposure
• When others see potential in you
• Being the first in a role
• Working with different cultures
• Figuring out your own path
• Following your North Star

Register Now!

The What Rules!? Leadership Conference is on 10/25/23. Learn more and register at Eventbrite.

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Cuban American Ivonne shares how everyone around her, from neighbors to recruiters, have contributed to her career success. She has secured mentors and sponsors at every job and she has built an advisory board that helps with her career moves.

We chat about the cultural taboo of bragging vs stating the facts, aka our accomplishments, and Ivonne teaches us that there is nothing wrong with telling people what you want!

“If you want something, tell people because we are a very tightly knit community and we love helping each other,” she says. 

Ivonne also reminds us that you don’t have to do it alone when outsourcing elements of your life can help you be more efficient and prioritize what matters.

Theme: Don’t Do It Alone

Episode Highlights:

• How to be persistent in a job search
• Bringing your uniqueness to a job
• Challenging a job description
• Leveraging your transferable skills
• Setting aside your ego to get ahead
• Learning from your failures
• Building an advisory board
• Making career moves with the help of mentors and sponsors
• Bragging vs facts
• Outsourcing to work smarter, not harder
• Prioritize what matters

Mentioned In This Episode:

“Work-Life Balance Is a Cycle, Not an Achievement” article by Harvard Business Review

Register Now!

The What Rules!? Leadership Conference is on 10/25/23. Learn more and register at Eventbrite.

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Mimi grew up in Korea, where she “essentially didn’t have a voice,” she tells us. So when she started her career in the U.S., “I wanted to be like everyone else, but me.”

Thanks to a personality assessment, Mimi learned it was ok to be herself and she began to open up to her co-workers. Today, Mimi leads with vulnerability to build trust and authenticity with her team and her boss.

“The thing about vulnerability is that it can only come from a sense of security,” Mimi says. She points out there’s a time and place to be vulnerable in the workplace and we discuss when it’s psychologically safe to do so.

Theme: Turn Your Adversity into Your Strength

Episode Highlights:

• Seeing the big picture through change management
• Growing up with no voice
• Reacting to life with black and white thinking
• DiSC personality assessment
• Feeling you're not enough
• Being vulnerable in the workplace
• Leading with vulnerability
• Managing as a servant leader

Mentioned In This Episode:

Mimi’s InformationWeek article: Maximizing AI ROI Through Change Management

DiSC personality assessment

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

Register Now!

The What Rules!? Leadership Conference is on 10/25/23. Learn more and register at Eventbrite.

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As the SVP of Engineering, Platform at Slack, Rukmini tells us about the “network of incredible women” in her industry, who are open about sharing compensation data with one another. The results? They lift each other up and land better paying jobs.

“I’m not shy about discussing money,” says Rukmini, who’s Indian. “I encourage all women to call a friend and tell them how much you make, and just be really uncomfortable.”

Rukmini also fills us in on why you should scrutinize the feedback you receive at work and how you can manage impostor syndrome as a multicultural woman.

Theme: Own Your Power

Episode Highlights:

• Having a squad of people you can trust
• Not taking feedback at face value
• Aspiring to be on a paid board
• Talking about money
• Power of data
• Changing jobs every few years to grow
• Being the only woman and person of color at work
• Managing impostor syndrome as a multicultural woman
• Documenting your accomplishments

Mentioned In This Episode:

Rukmini’s LinkedIn article, “I’m a VP of engineering and a woman of color. These 5 lessons got me here.”

Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader by Herminia Ibarra

Board of directors salary in United States by Indeed

Register Now!

The What Rules!? Leadership Conference is on 10/25/23. Learn more and register at Eventbrite.

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The broken rung, the biggest hurdle multicultural women face climbing the corporate ladder, is a systemic issue. That’s why we’re covering what organizations can do to fix it in our last episode of our Broken Rung series.

We talk about the holistic strategies companies can implement so they can promote more women of color from individual contributor to manager. We highlight the benefits of having more multicultural executive coaches to serve as catalysts. And we discuss the importance of providing psychological safety for multicultural women employees in the workplace.

Remember, you don’t have to do it alone! We’re here to help with this three-part series and with our upcoming What Rules!? Leadership Conference, specifically developed for multicultural women and their managers, on 10/25/23. Learn more at whatrulespodcast.com. 

Listen to parts one and two of our Broken Rung series, where we cover how managers and employees can fix the broken rung. Episodes linked below. 

Episode Highlights:

• Zera Consulting announcement
• What is the broken rung? 
• Organizations need to be aware of the broken rung
• Organizations need to hire more multicultural executive coaches
• Organizations need to ensure psychological safety at work

Mentioned In this Episode:

2019 Women in the Workplace by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org

Listen to the rest of our Broken Rung series:

Ep 72: How Managers Can Fix the Broken Rung

Ep 74: How Employees Can Fix the Broken Rung

Register Now!

The What Rules!? Leadership Conference is on 10/25/23. Learn more and register at Eventbrite.

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We chat with Sha about her career pivot to non-profit after working in corporate America for 20-plus years at some of the biggest companies, including  Walmart, Pfizer and Sam’s Club. Sha tells us about the tough decision to leave and how her faith helped her work through her doubts.

After five years, Sha is back in corporate as the Chief Human Resources Officer for Allvue Systems, a private-equity backed SaaS company. She shares how her career pivot opened the door to the C-suite and how discomfort can help you grow as a person and advance your career.

“If you’re not uncomfortable at least one day a week at your job, then it’s time for a new job because it means you’re not growing,” says Sha, who’s African American.

Theme: Change Course Without Hesitation

Episode Highlights:

• What holds you back from making decisions
• Getting neutral
• Making a career pivot to advance your career
• Using faith to work through doubts 
• Overcome hesitation by being intentional
• Do it scared and take a leap of faith
• Leaving corporate to get a higher title
• Changing environment to open the door to the C-suite
• Look at opportunities holistically
• Don’t hesitate for things that don’t matter
• Discomfort helps you grow
• Why you should apply for a job even if you’re not 100% qualified
• Getting on a paid board of directors 

Mentioned In This Episode:

Sacred Pace by Terry Looper

Ep 58: Focused on Her Faith with Dr. Janice Stain

National Director of Corporate Directors Directorship Certification

Register Now!

The What Rules!? Leadership Conference is on 10/25/23. Learn more and register at Eventbrite.

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn

Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

In our special three-part series, we've been tackling how managers, employees and organizations can fix the “broken rung,” the biggest obstacle that prevents women from climbing the corporate ladder. Even worse, it disproportionately affects women of color.

In this second episode, we talk directly to multicultural women employees, like yourself, and how you can own your narrative to address the broken rung. While many of us are told to “call out the bias,” we offer real-life situations that can come up at work and how to be strategic when handling them as a woman of color. Alisa, Merary and Courtney share their personal experiences with bias and provide steps to deal with it.

Remember, you don’t have to do it alone! We’re here to help with this series and with our upcoming What Rules!? Leadership Conference, specifically developed for multicultural women and their managers, on 10/25/23. Learn more at whatrulespodcast.com.

Listen to parts one and three of our Broken Rung series, where we cover how managers and organizations can fix the broken rung. Episodes linked below.

Episode Highlights:

• What is the broken rung?
• Being an “only” and “double only”
• Turning your weakness into a strength
• Embracing your differences
• How to be strategic when addressing biases in the workplace
• Turning to allies for advice and support
• Accepting help from others
• Reinforcing the good instead of being critical
• How to get noticed at work

Research Mentioned:

2022 Women in the Workplace by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org

“Women of Color Get Less Support at Work. Here’s How Managers Can Change That.” by Harvard Business Review

Episode Mentioned:

Ep 73: 3 Moves to Improve Your Next Meeting with Monique Lanaux

Listen to the rest of our Broken Rung series:

Ep 72: How Managers Can Fix the Broken Rung

Ep 76: How Organizations Can Fix the Broken Rung

Register Now!

The What Rules!? Leadership Conference is on 10/25/23. Learn more and register at Eventbrite.

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Courtney Copelin: Multicultural women are often “double onlys” in the workplace, meaning they are the only woman AND person of color in the room. This burden is mainly due to the “broken rung.”

In our special three-part series, we've been tackling how managers, employees and organizations can fix the “broken rung,” the biggest obstacle that prevents women from climbing the corporate ladder. Even worse, it disproportionately affects women of color.

In this second episode, we talk directly to multicultural women employees, like yourself, and how you can own your narrative to address the broken rung. While many of us are told to “call out the bias,” we offer real-life situations that can come up at work and how to be strategic when handling them as a woman of color. Alisa, Merary and Courtney share their personal experiences with bias and provide steps to deal with it.

Remember, you don’t have to do it alone! We’re here to help with this series and with our upcoming What Rules!? Leadership Conference, specifically developed for multicultural women and their managers, on 10/25/23. Learn more at whatrulespodcast.com.

Listen to parts one and three of our Broken Rung series, where we cover how managers and organizations can fix the broken rung. Episodes linked below.

Episode Highlights:

• What is the broken rung?
• Being an “only” and “double only”
• Turning your weakness into a strength
• Embracing your differences
• How to be strategic when addressing biases in the workplace
• Turning to allies for advice and support
• Accepting help from others
• Reinforcing the good instead of being critical
• How to get noticed at work

Research Mentioned:

2022 Women in the Workplace by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org

“Women of Color Get Less Support at Work. Here’s How Managers Can Change That.” by Harvard Business Review

Episode Mentioned:

Ep 73: 3 Moves to Improve Your Next Meeting with Monique Lanaux

Listen to the rest of our Broken Rung series:

Ep 72: How Managers Can Fix the Broken Rung

Ep 76: How Organizations Can Fix the Broken Rung

Register Now!

The What Rules!? Leadership Conference is on 10/25/23. Learn more and register at Eventbrite.

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn

Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

We also chat about the rubber balls vs glass balls we all juggle with our career. And Monique reveals her secret weapon to getting what she wants in life. Hint: You’ll need some sticky notes! 

Theme: Know What You Want

Episode Highlights:

• Importance of the “meeting before the meeting”
• Having agency over your career
• Figuring out what you want and don’t want
• The power of writing things down
• Seeing life as juggling rubber balls vs glass balls
• Reverse engineering your career based on your intentions
• Saying out loud what you want so that people can help you
• Mentoring others – asking questions and letting them be themselves
• Meetings as a sporting event
• What you can do before, during and after a meeting to advance your career

Book Mentioned:

Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less by Tiffany Dufu

Register Now!

The What Rules!? Leadership Conference is on 10/25/23. Learn more and register at Eventbrite.

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn

Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

In a special three-part series, we tackle how managers, employees and organizations can fix the broken rung by breaking the rules.

In this first episode, we talk directly to leaders on how they can uplift multicultural women early in their careers when they’re most likely to encounter the broken rung as well as seasoned professionals who have been overlooked as a consequence of the broken rung.

We offer practical actionable steps for managers to support their best talent before they burn out and quit. Whether you’re a leader or working on advancing your career, this episode is for you!

Listen to parts two and three of our Broken Rung series, where we cover how employees and organizations can fix the broken rung. Episodes linked below. 

Episode Highlights:

• What is the broken rung?
• The consequences of the broken rung for multicultural women 
• Taking a stand against microaggressions and unconscious bias
• Sponsoring multicultural women
• Building relationships to fix the broken rung

Research Mentioned:

2022 Women in the Workplace by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org

Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters (2020) by McKinsey & Company

Repairing the Broken Rung on the Career Ladder for Women in Technical Roles (2022) by McKinsey & Company

The P.I.E. Theory of Success: Performance, Image, Exposure by Arrowhead Consulting 

Half of U.S. Workforce Suffers Panic Attacks and Depression Due to Money Worries, New Survey Finds (2019)  by Salary Finance

2019 Women in the Workplace by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org

2023 Mental Health at Work: Managers and Money by The Workforce Institute at UKG

Listen to the rest of our Broken Rung series:

Ep 74: How Employees Can Fix the Broken Rung

Ep 76: How Organizations Can Fix the Broken Rung

Register Now!

The What Rules!? Leadership Conference is on 10/25/23. Learn more and register at Eventbrite....]]>Women face their biggest hurdle to becoming leaders at the very first step up the corporate ladder. Known as the “broken rung,” this obstacle prevents women from reaching even the most entry-level management roles. Worse yet, it disproportionately affects multicultural women. 

In a special three-part series, we tackle how managers, employees and organizations can fix the broken rung by breaking the rules.

In this first episode, we talk directly to leaders on how they can uplift multicultural women early in their careers when they’re most likely to encounter the broken rung as well as seasoned professionals who have been overlooked as a consequence of the broken rung.

We offer practical actionable steps for managers to support their best talent before they burn out and quit. Whether you’re a leader or working on advancing your career, this episode is for you!

Listen to parts two and three of our Broken Rung series, where we cover how employees and organizations can fix the broken rung. Episodes linked below. 

Episode Highlights:

• What is the broken rung?
• The consequences of the broken rung for multicultural women 
• Taking a stand against microaggressions and unconscious bias
• Sponsoring multicultural women
• Building relationships to fix the broken rung

Research Mentioned:

2022 Women in the Workplace by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org

Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters (2020) by McKinsey & Company

Repairing the Broken Rung on the Career Ladder for Women in Technical Roles (2022) by McKinsey & Company

The P.I.E. Theory of Success: Performance, Image, Exposure by Arrowhead Consulting 

Half of U.S. Workforce Suffers Panic Attacks and Depression Due to Money Worries, New Survey Finds (2019)  by Salary Finance

2019 Women in the Workplace by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org

2023 Mental Health at Work: Managers and Money by The Workforce Institute at UKG

Listen to the rest of our Broken Rung series:

Ep 74: How Employees Can Fix the Broken Rung

Ep 76: How Organizations Can Fix the Broken Rung

Register Now!

The What Rules!? Leadership Conference is on 10/25/23. Learn more and register at Eventbrite.

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn

Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

Ten years ago, Thear started her transformation from living in “survival mode” as a refugee from Cambodia and having “this limiting belief that I was lesser than other people,” she says. With the help of an executive coach, Thear was able to change her mindset and behaviors to become a healthy individual, engaged mom and impactful leader. “I realized through this internal work over the past decade that I needed to see my own value,” says Thear, who’s Chinese and Vietnamese. 

Thear shares her advice to empower Asian women in the workplace and her book recommendations to own your power and transform your limiting beliefs to get ahead in your career and life.

Theme: Own Your Power

Episode Highlights:

• Writing a personal mission statement or purpose statement
• Coming to the U.S. as a refugee 
• Working with an executive coach 
• “Life by design” exercise
• Recognizing unhelpful behaviors
• Working through limiting beliefs
• Transforming your mindset and behaviors
• Giving yourself grace while you figure out what you want
• Owning your power by uplifting others
• Succeeding despite your limiting beliefs
• Changing habits leads to transformation
• Book recommendations for self development
• Empowering Asian women to lead
• The importance of leadership development

Books mentioned:

Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn

Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

Viviana tells us how knowing your strengths (hers are connecting with others, choosing to be positive and taking action) can help you overcome adversity and make big bold moves in your career—even when you're fearful.

“Titles come and go, but a jefa mindset stays forever,” says Viviana. “It’s living a life where you’re leading change and you’re leading by example.”

Theme: Turn Your Adversity into Your Strength

Episode Highlights:

• Making big bold moves
• Putting yourself first
• Connecting with others and building relationships to get ahead
• Taking action when you're fearful
• Choosing to be positive despite having experienced diversity
• Reframing a situation
• Maximizing your strengths
• Rooting for ourselves

More from Viviana Maldonado: TiKTok and The Jefa Life

Learn more about the CliftonStrengths Assessment

Take the HIGH5 Strengths Test

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn

Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

Nicole, a Black American, shares how she found mentors and sponsors who helped advance her career. She recalls how her street smarts from growing up in the Bronx, NY, developed her unique strengths and became transferable skills in the workplace. She also tells us about the 3 L's to consider when you're stuck about making a career move.

Theme: Turn Your Adversity into Your Strength

Episode Highlights:

• Questioning authority when it's a roadblock
• Asking for and taking feedback to improve in the workplace
• Developing your strengths even when growing up with adversity
• The real meaning of courage
• Paying it forward by mentoring other multicultural women
• Finding the right mentor and sponsor
• Setting up informational interviews
• Being intentional with your career
• The 3 L's to help you make a career move—level, learnings and location

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn

Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

As a South Asian woman, Kanchan explains how your culture, like being raised by immigrants, is an advantage that can help you change course quicker with your career and without hesitation. "As women of culture, we really need to honor our past, bring it forward and know that we are the women we are today in the world today for a reason," says Kanchan.

Theme: Change Course Without Hesitation

Episode Highlights:

• Breaking cultural rules
• Fitting in vs belonging in the workplace
• How to ask for specific feedback to develop your voice and be heard
• Having a trusted person who can give you honest feedback
• Being strategic with your next career move
• Getting clear on when it's time to pivot
• Getting help working out when to change course

More from Kanchan Prinsloo: KaPri Consulting and LinkedIn

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn

Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

Tanika also credits her curiosity and courage to ask "why?” for getting further faster in her career and in life. "Rule-breaking is all about knowing that you can push past what someone has told you that you can't do," she says.

Theme: Know What You Want

Episode Highlights:

• Be curious and ask "why?"
• Question authority to go further faster
• Getting your voice back after it's been squashed
• The 4 L's for career advancement: Learn, Lead, create a Legacy and Leave
• Part of knowing what you want is knowing what you don't want
• Deciding when to leave your job

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn

Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

So, get ready for a new season of brave chats and amazing advice on how to advance your career from top multicultural executives at some of the biggest companies in the U.S.

Theme: Own Your Power

Episode Highlights:

• Connecting with others when networking
• Don't hide behind a screen—go directly to the source.
• Personal connections are worth making.
• Persistance pays off.
• Asking those bold questions!
• Trusting yourself and showing up!

Welcome our new co-host, Courtney Copelin, on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn

Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

Connect with us on our social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn

Join our LinkedIn community where we discuss rule-breaking strategies for multicultural women.

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn

Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn

Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

As much as we'd all like to forget it, reflecting on the past is essential to planning our future. Listen as Alisa, Rosa, and Merary wrap the year (originally recorded in Dec 2020) with 5 questions meant to put things into perspective. Here's to moving forward!

Questions in this episode:

• What happened in 2020 that you want to celebrate?
• When did you have the most fun?
• What do you simply need to stop doing in order for tomorrow to be better than yesterday?
• What would you like to create more of?
• What's your biggest lesson from 2020?

Join our LinkedIn group!

More from Rosa Santos: LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: MerarySimeon.com

More from Alisa Manjarrez: The Happy Cactus

Have you ever felt that being a woman of color has prevented you from getting paid what you're worth? That feeling is exactly why leadership and negotiation coach, Nadia De Ala, has made it her life's mission to get women of color hella rich. Listen as she shares her story and three things she's learned about how to charge your worth.

"You're somebody else's glass ceiling. Break yours accordingly so that someone else can enter and reach another level after you." – Nadia De Ala, Negotiation Coach

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Getting your mindset right
• Always be negotiating
• How to do market research
• Coaching vs therapy
• Charge your worth and add tax
• Negotiation as activism

More from Nadia De Ala: Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook

More from Rosa Santos: LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: MerarySimeon.com

More from Alisa Manjarrez: The Happy Cactus

———

If someone handed you a brick and asked you to come back in an hour with a product, what would you make of it? How do you innovate with little more than a single block with which to build? How do you put aside all the rules the world gives you about what's possible and just... create?

This week, Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary get deep into the cracks of what it means to be creative and how innovating using only what you already have is an essential part of every great Rulebreaker's toolkit.

"Achievers have an enabling attitude, realism, and a conviction that they themselves were the laboratory of innovation. Their ability to change themselves is central to their success. They have learned to conserve their energy by minimizing the time spent in regret or complaint. Every event is a lesson to them, every person a teacher." — Marilyn Ferguson, author of The Aquarian Conspiracy

–––

Join our LinkedIn group!

More from Rosa Santos: LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: MerarySimeon.com

More from Alisa Manjarrez: The Happy Cactus

Get transcripts and more at colorforward.com

We're hard at work behind the scenes on some new ideas for Color Forward and that means looking back at some of our favorite moments from the past two years. In lieu of new content, we thought we'd share those moments with all of you, along with our thoughts about why these conversations still resonate so much. If you missed these episodes when they first aired (and even if you didn't), you're in for a real treat!

We hope you enjoy our 2022 Summer Series and feel as excited as we do for the future of our amazing, multicultural community of changemakers!

—

Notes for Part 1:

Did you know there's actual research that indicates that most people like you more than you think they do? Well, Dr. Marisa G. Franco knows it, which is why she's writing a book all about how to make friends as an adult. Listen as Alisa and Merary discuss what real friendship looks like in their professional and personal lives.

"There's a point at which the desire to protect yourself becomes a harm. When you're rejecting people before they reject you and you're not experiencing the feelings of connecting with other people, the feeling of being replenished and rejuvenated, the feeling of being seen and known. All of those are something that you might be missing out on in your journey to self protect." – Dr. Marisa G. Franco, PhD

Topics discussed in episode 28:

• The Liking Gap
• Underestimating first impressions
• Making friends takes work
• You're more likable than you might think
• Self-protection vs. self-harm
• Being intentional about making friends
• Racial preferences and unconscious bias
• The highest honor of friendship

The Highest Honor of Friendship is an excerpt from a post on Wonderoak by Jess Johnston.

—

Notes for Part 2:

Have you ever had to break up with a friend? How do you know when it's time to let them go? Or what if it's not time but you're not sure how to have a conversation to find out?

This week, Alisa, Rosa, and Merary go deep into their own theories about what healthy friendship looks like and what to do when you're ready to say goodbye.

"As human beings, if we've invested a lot of time into something, we're more likely to want to continue the relationship. Just because we've invested a lot, we assume that we should continue this relationship when that's not necessarily true. And I think we need to normalize outgrowing relationships with people." – Dr. Marisa G. Franco, Friendship Expert

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Creating a framework to let friends go
• Ambiguous loss
• Reciprocity Theory
• Other theories on compartmentalizing friendships
• Healthy vs. unhealthy relationships
• Three factors to stay in a relationship

—

More from Dr. Marisa Franco: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Psychology Today

More from Alisa Manjarrez: The Happy Cactus

More from Rosa Santos: LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Hello, Rulebreakers!

We're hard at work behind the scenes on some new ideas for Color Forward and that means looking back at some of our favorite moments from the past two years. In lieu of new content, we thought we'd share those moments with all of you, along with our thoughts about why these conversations still resonate so much. If you missed these episodes when they first aired (and even if you didn't), you're in for a real treat!

We hope you enjoy our 2022 Summer Series and feel as excited as we do for the future of our amazing, multicultural community of changemakers!

—

Notes for Part 1:

Did you know there's actual research that indicates that most people like you more than you think they do? Well, Dr. Marisa G. Franco knows it, which is why she's writing a book all about how to make friends as an adult. Listen as Alisa and Merary discuss what real friendship looks like in their professional and personal lives.

"There's a point at which the desire to protect yourself becomes a harm. When you're rejecting people before they reject you and you're not experiencing the feelings of connecting with other people, the feeling of being replenished and rejuvenated, the feeling of being seen and known. All of those are something that you might be missing out on in your journey to self protect." – Dr. Marisa G. Franco, PhD

Topics discussed in episode 28:

• The Liking Gap
• Underestimating first impressions
• Making friends takes work
• You're more likable than you might think
• Self-protection vs. self-harm
• Being intentional about making friends
• Racial preferences and unconscious bias
• The highest honor of friendship

The Highest Honor of Friendship is an excerpt from a post on Wonderoak by Jess Johnston.

—

Notes for Part 2:

Have you ever had to break up with a friend? How do you know when it's time to let them go? Or what if it's not time but you're not sure how to have a conversation to find out?

This week, Alisa, Rosa, and Merary go deep into their own theories about what healthy friendship looks like and what to do when you're ready to say goodbye.

"As human beings, if we've invested a lot of time into something, we're more likely to want to continue the relationship. Just because we've invested a lot, we assume that we should continue this relationship when that's not necessarily true. And I think we need to normalize outgrowing relationships with people." – Dr. Marisa G. Franco, Friendship Expert

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Creating a framework to let friends go
• Ambiguous loss
• Reciprocity Theory
• Other theories on compartmentalizing friendships
• Healthy vs. unhealthy relationships
• Three factors to stay in a relationship

—

More from Dr. Marisa Franco: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Psychology Today

More from Alisa Manjarrez: The Happy Cactus

More from Rosa Santos: LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: MerarySimeon.com

Dr. Carey Yazeed’s viral blog post, “The Dangers of Courage Culture and Why Brene Brown Isn’t For Black Folk”, discussed the issue of why Brene Brown’s push toward vulnerability is not safe advice for everyone.  

“What is it about being true to who you are? and so that means that we're all different and we're all unique you know, everybody has a different kryptonite, but also everyone has a different superpower. And what works for one person may not work for another person.” – Dr. Carey Yazeed

In today’s episode:

• Intersectionality
• the issues of whitewashing self-help
• the power of protecting ourselves
• women of color in the workplace
• workplace culture

———

More from Dr. Carey Yazeed: LinkedIn

More from Rosa Santos: LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: MerarySimeon.com

More from Alisa Manjarrez: The Happy Cactus

Get transcripts and more at colorforward.com

Listen as Rosa and Dr. Merary chat with Head of Federal Government Business for Siemens, Brandy Gonzales Henson, about owning the narrative on your achievements. If you don't do it, no one else will.

"I don't like the fake it til you make it rule... because it is not fake that you achieved that. You may feel uncomfortable accepting it but for me at least, I'm like 'I didn't fake it. I did achieve it.'" – Dr. Merary Simeon, Activator of Talent | Kingdom Work Advocate | Human Resources Executive | Speaker | Co-Founder of Color Forward | Best Selling Book Author | Non-profit Board Member | Bilingual

In this episode:

• breaking down barriers
• building new paths
• the power of self-celebration
• celebrating where you’ve been to guide you to where you’ll go
• multicultural perspective
• women celebrating women

———

Join our LinkedIn group!

More from Brandy Henson: LinkedIn

More from Rosa Santos: LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: MerarySimeon.com

More from Alisa Manjarrez: The Happy Cactus

Get transcripts and more at colorforward.com

In this episode, Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary spend time reflecting on their greatest achievements and discuss why taking a moment to cheer yourself on is not only a good practice but psychologically beneficial as well.

“Celebrate what you've accomplished, but raise the bar a little higher each time you succeed.” – Two-time Olympic gold medalist, and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion, Mia Hamm

In this episode:

• breaking down barriers
• building new paths
• the power of self-celebration
• celebrating where you’ve been to guide you to where you’ll go
• multicultural perspective
• women celebrating women

———

Join our LinkedIn group!

More from Rosa Santos: LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: MerarySimeon.com

More from Alisa Manjarrez: The Happy Cactus

Get transcripts and more at colorforward.com

Alisa and Dr. Merary are joined by return guest, CEO and Strategic Advisor Vanessa Santos, to discuss how breaking the rules can help pave the road to living an intentional life.

“I am like an abstract painting. Not everyone gets me, but once they do, they can totally see my beauty. They see my worth and I can live in that and own that and not care what other people think or whether they get it or not.” – Alisa Manjarrez, Vision Producer

In this episode:

• owning your power
• the power of choosing yourself
• why vulnerability is a superpower
• how biases keep us down
• women supporting women

———

Join our LinkedIn group!

More from Vanessa Santos: LinkedIn

More from Rosa Santos: LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: MerarySimeon.com

More from Alisa Manjarrez: The Happy Cactus

Get transcripts and more at colorforward.com

“Take a look at yourself, take a look at who you are and what policies are actually not supporting who you are, what laws are not supporting who you are, what is society’s unconscious bias about who you are?” – Dr. Merary Simeon

In this episode:

• intersectionality and identity
• authenticity in the workplace
• how to create opportunities for multicultural women
• building community
• empowering yourself and others
• support systems

———

Join our LinkedIn group!

More from Courtney Copelin: LinkedIn

More from Rosa Santos: LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: MerarySimeon.com

More from Alisa Manjarrez: The Happy Cactus

Get transcripts and more at colorforward.com

In this episode, Alisa and Dr. Merary are joined by Virtual CFO and CPA, Christina Sjahli who breaks down financial topics from borrowing responsibly to forecasting cash flow, getting candid along the way about all the financial risks, wins, and in-betweens.

“Feel the fear, because if you want to grow your business, the truth is sometimes you need outside capital it doesn't always have to be equity.” -Christina Sjahli

———

In this episode:

• Misconceptions about business financing
• Financial risk assessment: how to borrow with a plan
• How beliefs about money in family of origin impact business decisions
• Reclaiming your power
• Cashflow: how to track it, short-term vs long-term

———

Join our LinkedIn group!

More from Chrstina Sjahli: christinasjahli.com

More from Rosa Santos: LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: MerarySimeon.com

More from Alisa Manjarrez: The Happy Cactus

Get transcripts and more at colorforward.com

Tune in to be inspired as Alisa and Dr. Janice Stain discuss the importance of forging your own path full of all of your life passions and projects.

———

“All I have to do is walk my own path and be who I am and do what I think I should do.” -Dr. Janice Stain

———

Topics in this episode:

• work/life balance
• pursuing passions with confidence
• interdependence
• faith and wisdom
• morning routines

–––

Join our LinkedIn group!

More from Janice Stain: janicestain.com

More from Rosa Santos: LinkedIn

More from Dr. Merary Simeon: MerarySimeon.com

More from Alisa Manjarrez: The Happy Cactus

Get transcripts and more at colorforward.com

Spoiler... it's still messy but she's still amazing.

–––

Join our LinkedIn group!

More from Rose Aviles: LinkedIn

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More from Alisa Manjarrez: The Happy Cactus

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So... what's next?

As we move into a new year full of broken rules and big dreams, Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary sit down with Chief Career Activator, Madelyn Mackie, to find out how believing in possibilities can lead you down the road to career success and happiness.

Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life.

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More from Madelyn Mackie: madelynmackie.com

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We changed our name, launched our YouTube channel, faced our fears, and broke more rules than we even knew existed. Time to look back on all the moments that made 2021 amazing and get hyped for whatever lies ahead because you KNOW it's going to be magical.

All we have to do is show up.

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Episodes mentioned:

33. Chloe Arnold on How Small Acts Can Shape the Future

35. Lucy Park on Owning Your Career

36. Vanessa Santos on Finding Your Secret Sauce

42. Shantell Thomas on Befriending the Unlikely Person at Work

44. Not in it Alone w/ Michelle Fransisco

46. Elizabeth Colón-Rivera on Learning To Live As An Outsider

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For Rose Aviles, the answer is all too clear.

In this episode, Alisa and Dr. Merary are joined by Rose, a Community Services Coordinator for Yonkers Public Library, who shares the incredible story of her journey to the top of a LITERAL mountain... amidst a global pandemic... while pregnant. Talk about owning your power.

“There’s no glory in climbing a mountain if all you want to do is to get to the top. It’s experiencing the climb itself – in all its moments of revelation, heartbreak, and fatigue – that has to be the goal.” – American Filmmaker, Karyn Kusama

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This week, Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary get deep into the cracks of what it means to be creative and how innovating using only what you already have is an essential part of every great Rulebreaker's toolkit.

"Achievers have an enabling attitude, realism, and a conviction that they themselves were the laboratory of innovation. Their ability to change themselves is central to their success. They have learned to conserve their energy by minimizing the time spent in regret or complaint. Every event is a lesson to them, every person a teacher." — Marilyn Ferguson, author of The Aquarian Conspiracy

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This week, Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary get to know Managing Director of Northern Trust Wealth Management, Linda Nolan. She breaks down everything she's learned about the power of keeping a tight-knit crew and how it pushed her confidence to new heights.

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Join Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary as they chat with Vice President of FP&A and Treasury at Parallel, Sandy Li, to break down what happens when seizing an opportunity floods your mind with doubts about leaving what you already have behind.

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Today, Alisa and Rosa connect with Celebrity Chef Marcela Valladolid about how taking things that are seemingly simple and leveraging them to create an entire career can lead you to success you never thought was possible.

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Join Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary as they look closer at the idea of risk-taking and ponder the question "what if the answer was yes?"

"If you are conservative about your career over and over again, over the course of 20 or 30 years, the cumulative effect is that you aren't going to advance nearly as much as the person who takes risks." – Kathleen Murphy, President, Personal Investing, Fidelity Investments

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Alisa and Dr. Merary catch up with Managing Director for J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Stephanie Neely, about the idea that when you choose to speak can add volumes to what you have to say.

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"Be authentic and be comfortable being uncomfortable. But make sure that you respect you, your thoughts, and your values so that it doesn't haunt you later." — Dr. Merary Simeon, Motivational Speaker

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Well, according to Forbes Magazine, "you can level up your career by applying to jobs where you meet 50% of the requirements." Assuming that's true, congratulations! You're a rule-breaker, a risk-taker, and you've probably got a story to go with it.

Listen as Alisa and Dr. Merary chat with Lake County, Illinois Treasurer, Holly Kim, about her journey from reluctant Spanish Major to elected official and the leaps she took to get there.

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"Maybe, if you put your disbelief aside, roll up your sleeves, take some risks, and totally go for it, you'll wake up one day and realize you're living the kind of life you used to be jealous of." — Jen Sincero, author of You Are a Badass

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Join Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary as they chat with Elizabeth Colón-Rivera, President & CEO of Metaphrasis Language & Cultural Solutions LLC, about how to own your reality by reframing it in a powerful way. Or as she puts it, "You don't have to compete with anyone. Not even yourself. You just have to be you."

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"You can actually leverage being an outsider, in order to be the most unique and be the biggest voice in the room, and bring a new perspective to things that everybody else takes for granted." — Namwali Serpell, 2015 winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing

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Listen as Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary discuss what it means to embrace trying as a form of growth. Can we really train our minds to better imagine the immensities of our true potential?

“If you imagine less, less will be what you undoubtedly deserve” - Debbie Millman

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Hosts Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary are joined this week by Partner and Chief Client Officer for RMB Capital, Michele Francisco, to discuss how breaking the rule that you have to do everything yourself in order to be successful just might have the potential to change your whole life for the better.

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This week, Alisa and Dr. Merary chat with 5xminority Founder, Elaine Montilla, about how she took advantage of being a queer Latina in tech and found her place in the world by turning her insecurities into superpowers.

Elaine’s poem: My Superpowers

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Join Alisa and Rosa as they hear from Diversity Marketer, Shantell Thomas, about all the ways that fraternizing with folks who don't fit your typical friend profile is a rule everyone should learn to break.

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Listen as Rosa and Alisa catch up with Shruti, Director of Industry Initiatives at Blue Shield of California and Founder of Women of Community, to learn what being a real changemaker is all about.

Shruti's pump-me-up song: Take You Dancing by Jason Derulo

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They all excel at breaking the rules.

Listen as Rosa, Merary, and Alisa discuss the future of the podcast and what it really means to break rules, both obvious and unspoken. Rules women are breaking to get ahead. Strategies they're using to outsmart the game. Ways they're reinventing female empowerment in the workplace.

Welcome to What Rules!?

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Listen as Dr. Merary and Alisa chat with Dr. Shindale Seale about what happens when you look past the pain of "getting there" and things finally start to click.

"When you're at that Valley, it can be like an emotional bolder on top of you when you don't really know how to get past it. And for me, depending on what it is that I'm down and out about, I think about, well, what's going to happen if I don't do it?" – Dr. Shindale Seale, CEO, SEADE Coaching & Consulting

Topics in this episode:

• models of change
• getting an advanced degree
• leaving a legacy & being an example
• overcoming academic stereotypes
• pushing forward, reaching back

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More from Dr. Seale: LinkedIn

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"When I see fear it's like 'okay, let me go grab it by the horns.' Look at it in the eyes and I'm pushing forward because it's like a bull. And so, for me, it's like playing a game. Wherever it's difficult, that's where you need to go in." – Perla Tamez, Owner, Love Soldiers Foundation

Topics in this episode:

• your vision is bigger than your fear
• staying focused when fear creeps in
• using your charm while thinking like a man
• being your own judge
• strategy in a male-dominated workplace
• being flexible like jello

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More from Perla: LinkedIn

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"I've learned over time that there's a lot of gray space we don't know. And so a lot of what we do is learning to fly in the fog." – Nasutsa Mabwa, CEO, ServiceMaster Restoration

Topics in this episode:

• dealing with the unexpected
• confronting situations head-on
• emotions are your power
• getting comfortable with being uncomfortable
• flying in the fog

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"Rules only last for a period of time, because the world is changing so much. And so, the only way there's going to be progress is by breaking the rules." – Vanessa Santos, Brand Strategy & Product Executive

Topics in this episode:

• following your passions
• finding your purpose
• telling your story
• giving yourself permission to break the rules
• being bold and sticking together

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This episode originally aired on May 1, 2020.

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This episode originally aired on August 6, 2020.

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This episode originally aired on August 27, 2020.

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"There is a difference in managing your career and just reacting. No one has control over your career but you and if you're not looking out for your career, who is?" – Lucy Park, Trust & Estates Lawyer

Topics in this episode:

• taking ownership of your career
• moving past the idea of working hard to be seen
• it's not a job, it's a career
• it's not bragging if it's true
• immigrant mentalities on hard work
• the importance of being visible
• don't get the drinks
• what makes a good sponsor
• strategies for your own business development

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More from Lucy: LinkedIn

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"Make yourself teachable. It doesn't matter what position you're in, there is still something you can learn. There is never a moment that you can't learn from someone else." — Dr. Cynthia L. Hannah

Topics in this episode:

• Black History Month
• mentors who made the biggest impact
• different mentors for different seasons
• rewards of being a mentor
• not everyone is rooting for you
• advice for those seeking mentorship
• advice for those seeking to be a mentor
• key lessons from being a mentor

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More from Alisa: The Happy Cactus

"There's so much noise and you have to find the quiet and the love and the joy. And so that no matter what happens in this world, you have something you lock into that makes you feel like life is worth living.” - Chloe Arnold

Topics in this episode:

• Black History Month
• embracing your possibilities
• saying yes
• investing in yourself
• if something doesn't exist, create it
• don't listen to the haters

More from Chloe: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

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More from Merary: MerarySimeon.com

More from Alisa: The Happy Cactus

Questions in this episode:

• What happened in 2020 that you want to celebrate?
• When did you have the most fun?
• What do you simply need to stop doing in order for tomorrow to be better than yesterday?
• What would you like to create more of?
• What's your biggest lesson from 2020?

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More from Alisa: The Happy Cactus

"You're somebody else's glass ceiling. Break yours accordingly so that someone else can enter and reach another level after you." – Nadia De Ala, Negotiation Coach

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Getting your mindset right
• Always be negotiating
• How to do market research
• Coaching vs therapy
• Charge your worth and add tax
• Negotiation as activism

More from Nadia: Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook

More from Rosa: LinkedIn

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More from Alisa: The Happy Cactus

"I had to really work hard and I had to adapt to how my executives wanted things to be done. What we're doing works for a reason. But make it work for you and love it because if you don't love it, then you might as well leave." – Patty Serrato-Castellon

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Staying when you want to leave
• Pressure to succeed right away
• The value of growth
• Learning to speak others' language
• Finding your voice and when to use it
• If you're saying yes to this, what are you saying no to?
• Is what happens at work personal?

More from Patty: Extra | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

More from Rosa: LinkedIn

More from Merary: MerarySimeon.com

More from Alisa: The Happy Cactus

This week, Alisa, Rosa, and Merary go deep into their own theories about what healthy friendship looks like and what to do when you're ready to say goodbye.

"As human beings, if we've invested a lot of time into something, we're more likely to want to continue the relationship. Just because we've invested a lot, we assume that we should continue this relationship when that's not necessarily true. And I think we need to normalize outgrowing relationships with people." – Dr. Marisa G. Franco, Friendship Expert

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Creating a framework to let friends go
• Ambiguous loss
• Reciprocity Theory
• Other theories on compartmentalizing friendships
• Healthy vs. unhealthy relationships
• Three factors to stay in a relationship

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More from Dr. Franco: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Psychology Today

More from Rosa: LinkedIn

More from Merary: MerarySimeon.com

More from Alisa: The Happy Cactus

"There's a point at which the desire to protect yourself becomes a harm. When you're rejecting people before they reject you and you're not experiencing the feelings of connecting with other people, the feeling of being replenished and rejuvenated, the feeling of being seen and known. All of those are something that you might be missing out on in your journey to self protect." – Dr. Marisa G. Franco, PhD

Topics discussed in this episode:

• The Liking Gap
• Underestimating first impressions
• Making friends takes work
• You're more likable than you might think
• Self-protection vs. self-harm
• Being intentional about making friends
• Racial preferences and unconscious bias
• The highest honor of friendship

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More from Dr. Franco: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Psychology Today

More from Rosa: LinkedIn

More from Merary: MerarySimeon.com

More from Alisa: The Happy Cactus

The Highest Honor of Friendship (minute 18:19 in this episode) is an excerpt from a post on Wonderoak by Jess Johnston.

“If I've seen further than anyone else, it's because I'm standing on the shoulders of women that came before me. I know I'm not going to be at the top forever and I'm happy to be the support system for another woman at the top.” – Gloria Diaz, PhD Student

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Together we're stronger
• Healthy competition
• Latinas in STEM
• The value of mentorship
• Harnessing the power of the system
• Shine theory

More from Gloria: Instagram | Twitter

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More from Merary: Activate Conference (TX)

More from Alisa: The Happy Cactus

“You have to know that you're worth it and you deserve better treatment. Challenge your healthcare system, challenge your medical providers, and know that your doctors work for you.” – Dr. Shreya Soni, ND

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Different approaches to modern medicine
• Understanding the health gap
• Finding a doctor who listens to you
• Learning to listen to your body
• Practicing self-care
• Breakdown of the menstrual cycle
• Being period positive

More from Dr. Soni

Facebook

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Activate Conference (TX)

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The Happy Cactus