It's our 100th episode! Since launching in 2020, we've been amplifying the voices of multicultural women in leadership—because our power, our stories, and our impact matter more than ever.
Today, we celebrate the strength found in moving forward together, this year’s theme for Women’s History Month.
Our conversation explores how multicultural women can turn challenges into assets, support each other through community, and redefine leadership on their own terms.
We discuss the idea that failure 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.
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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.
We’ve got a lot to say after LeanIn and McKinsey & Company's recent Women in the Workplace 2024: The 10th Anniversary Report.
HR executive Dr. Merary Simeon and career coach Courtney Copelin reflect on the ongoing challenges faced by multicultural women and argue the continued need for systemic change.
We get candid about the barriers to advocacy and provide a variety of ways multicultural women can take action because if we, as a community, do not advocate for ourselves, we can’t expect 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.
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Feedback is a powerful tool for growth if you can harness it effectively.
We dive into the critical role that feedback plays in professional development, especially for multicultural women who are trying to advance their careers.
We tackle the significant gap with feedback in the workplace: many women report not receiving the feedback they need, or when they do, it lacks relevance and actionability.
As we navigate the complexities of asking for and receiving feedback, we address the challenges 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.
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Fortune 30 C-level executive Maria Lensing tells us about the many rules—both corporate and cultural—she’s broken to advance her career. This Latina powerhouse from Peru has been a leader at Walgreens, McKesson and AT&T, and is now the Global CIO & CTO at Sorenson Communications.
In this super candid and honest conversation celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, we chat with Maria about the realities of being a multicultural woman in corporate America. Maria points out all the voices 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:
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.
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Hosts Alisa Manjarrez and Dr. Merary Simeon get real about the current landscape for women in the insights industry during this live recording at IIEX North America, one of the largest insights conferences in the world.
Alisa and Dr. Merary highlight the crucial role of advancing multicultural women in the insights field and its positive impact on businesses. They also share three actionable strategies for industry professionals to support and promote women of color into leadership roles.
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:
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.
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One of our core themes is Create What You Want to See. This is nothing new for Krystal Solorzano, Principal of Business Development at 10SB, a global architectural firm.
Krystal has been charting her own career course since her 20s, from moving solo to South America to embarking on a new adventure in Singapore with her husband.
This fearless Latina shares her insights on why working abroad can be a game-changer and what you need to know before making the move.
“I like to think of myself as a 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:
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We’re celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with Denise Vu Broady, a Vietnamese refugee who has climbed the corporate ladder into the C-suite and is now a mentor to other women in the tech industry.
Denise shares her inspirational story of how she blossomed from an introverted young girl to the outspoken powerhouse she is today as the Chief Marketing Officer at Collibra, a software development company.
We chat about owning your voice in the workplace, learning 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:
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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If you’re comparing yourself to others, wondering if you should be further along in your career, our guest today shares how to get ahead at your own speed.
While we’re encouraged to advance as quickly as possible, Paula Ramos, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, at Kimberly-Clark, believes in the opposite. Paula tells us how she has broken the rules by looking at her career as a sailboat and letting her curiosity guide her.
“A sailboat allows me to explore,” says Paula. “And it puts the 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:
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.
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For Women’s History Month, we debunk three myths many multicultural women have about supporting each other in corporate America.
Do you think you’re only one person and can’t change the status quo?
Are you afraid to sponsor another woman of color because she may make you look bad?
Do you believe everyone should pay their dues as they climb the ladder?
These are all myths! Check out how we disprove each and offer ways to help and support each other when we choose community over competition.
Episode Highlights:
Mentioned in this Episode:
The P.I.E. Theory of Success—Performance, Image, Exposure
2023 Women in the Workplace by McKinsey & Company
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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:
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.
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Let’s advance together in 2024! Today, we chat about lifting others to get ahead collectively with Cindy Tran, Managing Director at Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company.
As an Asian American, Cindy talks about how she was raised to be empathetic with everyone and how it’s helped her advance in her career.
“That general commitment to adding value and helping others succeed,” says Cindy. “It makes other people want to help you.”
Tune in for how empathy can take you (and 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 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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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:
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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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:
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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We chat with Brianna Hinojosa-Smith, Chief Legal Officer of Digital & Technology for Yum! Brands, the world’s largest restaurant company.
Brianna was doing just fine as a senior patent attorney at Microsoft before Yum! Brands came calling (during the pandemic!) with an opportunity to switch to the restaurant industry, a new field for her.
“Here I was looking to do something completely different, in an industry that I knew nothing about,” says Brianna. “I have four to five people that I 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:
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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Where there’s a will, there’s a way. That's the motto that's taken Wendy Wu far—from Microsoft to Google, and now to software developer SailPoint, where she is the Chief Marketing Officer.
Wendy believes that “you have to be the owner of your own career,” and that means defining what you want outside of your current role. She tells us about the time she did just that at Microsoft when her position was eliminated and she had to create a new position for herself.
“Oftentimes a job description just 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:
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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The #1 question we get from women of color is, how do I find a mentor and sponsor?
In Part 3 of our Own Your Power Series, we reveal why you need both. “If you’re not sure what you want to do, go to a mentor,” says co-host Alisa Manjarrez. “As soon as you know, go to a sponsor.”
We tell you how to find a mentor who you can trust and is a good fit for you.
We also fill you in on how a sponsor can help you get ahead and the best way to approach a possible candidate.
Theme: Own Your Power
Episode Highlights:
Mentioned in this Episode:
Expect to Win by Carla Harris
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In Part 2 of our Own Your Power Series, we share how you can leverage your strengths to get ahead in your career.
Discovering and growing your strengths is worth it. Research says people who have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs.
We offer tools that will help you identify your strengths and build on them. “We all have areas that we consistently stand out in,” says co-host Dr. Merary Simeon. “Once we understand what they are, those are our strength zones.”
Theme: Own Your Power
Episode Highlights:
Mentioned in this Episode:
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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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:
Mentioned in this Episode:
Ep 9: Thelma Haylock, Change Leader on Embracing Her Story
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:
Shiseido exec Agnes Landau has an accent and speaks with her hands—two things she tried to tone down at the start of her career. Not anymore!
Today, Agnes is the Chief Marketing Officer at Shiseido U.S. and she credits her differences for standing out and getting ahead in the workplace. “Because I have an accent, people listen more closely,” says Agnes, who’s Puerto Rican.
We chat about being open to new opportunities, like the five years Agnes worked in France without knowing French! Being able 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.
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.
