BEYOND BARRIERS

Change is happening so fast in today’s world that it is becoming increasingly difficult to anticipate and prepare for the future. And while we can’t always predict what the future will bring, what we can do is disrupt ourselves before we get disrupted. In this episode, Nikki shares why it is no longer just about the survival of the fittest, it is also about survival of the fastest. Nikki and Monica also share strategies and insights to anticipate challenges, learn new skills, respond quickly to change and get ahead of disruption. DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS & BARRIERS TO SUCCESS Take the free assessment and get your personalized report. Go to https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com/quiz Highlights: [00:16] Growth of artificial intelligence [00:26] How do you prepare for rapid change [03:20] Favorite hack #1 to anticipate change [07:18] Correlation of disruption and innovation [08:50] Favorite hack #2 to anticipate change [09:38] Just-in-time learning [10:59] Homework for the week   Quotes: “We’re living in a time of so much change and such rapid change, that it’s not enough to just be fit. You also have to be fast.”–Nikki Barua “It's no longer survival of the fittest. It's survival of the fastest.” - Nikki Barua The faster you let goof previous beliefs and open yourself up with curiosity and humility, and be willing to learn, that’s what’s going to help you adapt faster.” – Nikki Barua “You miss out on opportunities when you’re worried about what could go wrong.” – Nikki Barua “Technology is creating the solutions for the things that people feel technology is disrupting.” –Monica Marquez“ You have to know where the demand is and align your skills and your competencies to where that demand is. Then you can be the one that is benefiting from these opportunities as opposed to being displaced.” – Nikki Barua “There are opportunities for everyone to combine the power of technology with the beauty of the human mind.” – Nikki Barua   About Nikki Barua: Nikki Barua is a digital innovator, serial entrepreneur, author & speaker. Website: https://www.nikkibarua.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenikkibarua/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenikkibarua/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenikkibarua/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikkiBarua   About Monica Marquez: Monica Marquez is a senior corporate leader, ex-Googler, and diversity expert. Website: https://themonicamarquez.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMonicaMarquez/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themonicamarquez/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themonicamarquez/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/themmarquez  

How do you learn the secrets to success? Who do you look to for guidance on becoming a better leader? Those are the intangible questions our guest, Selena Rezvani, wanted to answer, not just for herself, but for others. So, she did the smart thing, she asked. In this episode, Selena shares insights on the lessons she learned from interviewing and asking insightful questions to over 50 top female C-Suite leaders. She shares strategies on overcoming failures and setbacks, tapping into your motivation to help you move forward, and how to stand out as your authentic self. Selena Rezvani is a recognized leadership consultant, speaker and author, with a mission to help women carve out paths to leadership on their own terms. Selena is the author of two leadership books for professional women – Pushback: How Smart Women Ask—and Stand Up—for What They Want, a bestseller, and The Next Generation of Women Leaders. Selena also has several popular courses on LinkedIn learning and has done a TEDx talk titled “Interrupting gender bias through meeting culture.” Visit https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com where you will find show notes and links to all the resources in this episode, including the best way to get in touch with Selena. Highlights: [02:41] Selena’s story [06:32] Standing out as your authentic self [08:40] Overcoming limiting beliefs [11:54] Viewing failure as a redirection [15:41] Learnings from interviews with c-suite women leaders [19:47] How to tap into your motivation [23:29] Leveraging your community and asking for help [28:01] Tips on executing towards your goals [31:15] How to accelerate your success   Quotes: “Stop trying to avoid failure and start viewing your failures as redirections.” - Selena Rezvani “When given a choice, choose to play, you’ll learn more than sitting on the sideline observing.” – Selena Rezvani   About Selena Rezvani: Selena Rezvani is a recognized leadership consultant, speaker and author. Her mission is to help women carve out paths to leadership on their own terms. Selena also uses workplace culture assessments to help clients be more inclusive and welcoming. She promotes her message through presentations to corporate audiences, universities and associations, and at many conferences, including TEDx, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PIMCO, AstraZeneca, Duke, Harvard, Cisco, Pfizer, Princeton, J&J, Comcast, Apple, Society of Women Engineers, and many others. Selena’s the author of two leadership books targeted at professional women – Pushback: How Smart Women Ask—and Stand Up—for What They Want (Jossey-Bass, 2012), a bestseller, and The Next Generation of Women Leaders (Praeger, 2009). Selena’s experience and success in the women and leadership arena make her a frequent resource for news media and an in-demand business speaker. She has been quoted, interviewed and profiled by the LA Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Oprah.com, ABC, and NBC. She was a regular commentator on NPR’s syndicated The 51% Perspective and wrote an award-winning column on women and leadership for The Washington Post. In 2019, Selena’s TEDx talk on gender bias was recognized with the Croly Journalism award. Today, Selena writes on women and work for Philadelphia Magazine. Selena’s earlier experience includes serving as a Lead within Deloitte’s Greenhouse Experience team, where she taught teams how to foster better diversity and collective intelligence. Selena also led the assessments practice at Washington, DC-based Management Concepts, where she administered and coached clients on personality, leadership, and aptitude measures. Selena has led numerous workplace culture research campaigns and studies on women in the C- suite, millennials, stretch assignments, program managers, and negotiating habits, which were covered by international media. Prior to her 3 years at Management Concepts, Selena worked as a senior member of the consulting team at the Great Place to Work® Institute, the firm best known for ranking Fortune’s 100 Best Places to Work® in America list. While at the Institute, Selena consulted widely on issues of organizational change and workforce development, working with Fortune 1,000 and non-profit organizations internationally and across many industries including Monster.com, Novartis Corporation, DaimlerChrysler, Inova Health System, and Brooks Brothers. Client services included focus group facilitation, employee opinion surveys, 360º assessments, leadership workshops, and customized survey assessments. Over the last year, Selena launched five popular courses on leadership with LinkedIn Learning – which have been viewed by over 180,000 learners. She has B.S. and Master of Social Work degrees from New York University, and has an MBA from Johns Hopkins University. Selena lives in Philadelphia with her husband Geoff and 8-year old boy/girl twins.   Links: Website: https://www.selenarezvani.com/ Buy Selena's book: https://www.amazon.com/Pushback-Smart-Women-Ask-Up/dp/1118104900/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/selenarezvani/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/selenarezvani/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/selenarezvani  

At a time when many people are feeling the most intense isolation because of the pandemic, there is one thing that we're all looking for - connection and a sense of belonging. We all have an intrinsic need for a sense of belonging and connection and as the majority of our time is spent at work, it is key that we identity ways to foster an environment where we can bring our authentic selves to work and be the best version of ourselves. In this episode, we're going to discuss community at work, why it's important, how it affects performance, and how you can make communities at work even more powerful. DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTH & BARRIERS TO SUCCESS Take the free assessment and get your personalized report. Go to https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com/quiz Highlights: [01:06] Why community at work is important [02:08] Diversity, inclusion, and belonging [04:30] How the sense of belonging affects performance [06:03] Employee Resource Groups [08:58] How ERG leaders can empower the community [10:48] Leveraging your Employee Resource Group   Quotes: “When you are able to be your authentic self at work, it allows you to focus on your work and be more productive.” – Monica Marquez “The best thing an ERG community leader can do is stay plugged in to the community.” – Monica Marquez “Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.” – Verna Myers   About Nikki Barua: Nikki Barua is a digital innovator, serial entrepreneur, author & speaker. Website: https://www.nikkibarua.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenikkibarua/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenikkibarua/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenikkibarua/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikkiBarua   About Monica Marquez: Monica Marquez is a senior corporate leader, ex-Googler, and diversity expert. Website: https://themonicamarquez.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMonicaMarquez/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themonicamarquez/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themonicamarquez/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/themmarquez  

Have you ever felt guilty about chasing your dreams? Or fearful of being judged by others for your ambition? Well, you are not alone. Research shows that women are more predisposed to feelings of shame and guilt than men. From a young age, women are conditioned through social norms to believe that putting yourself first and following your dreams is selfish. And these feelings increase when it comes to going after the life of your dreams. Our guest, Shellye Archambeau, will teach you how to shed the fear and guilt, and be unapologetically ambitious. Shellye is one of high tech's first female African-American CEOs and has a track record of accomplishments building brands, high-performance teams, and organizations. Shellye currently serves on the boards of Verizon, Nordstrom, Roper Technologies, Okta, and two national nonprofits, Catalyst and Braven. She is also a strategic advisor to Forbes Ignite and the President of Arizona State University. She is the author of Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers and Create Success on Your Own Terms. In this episode, Shellye reveals the mindset, tools and strategies that helped to achieve her dreams. Shellye shares stories from her own journey – the highs and the lows on her way to the top. She also shares her struggle with imposter syndrome and what helps her deal with it – and how you can do the same. Shellye will empower you with the tools to fight your own battles, make the tradeoffs and create the life you want. Visit https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com where you will find show notes and links to all the resources in this episode, including the best way to get in touch with Shellye.   Highlights: [02:28] Inspiration behind Unapologetically Ambitious [03:29] Sharing lessons through storytelling [05:32] Advice to those who don’t have a plan [08:40] Figuring out your North Star and how you’ll get there [10:31] How imposter syndrome has impacted Shellye [17:31] Evaluating risks and opportunities [20:38] How to let others know you are looking to advance [26:05] Biggest opportunity to prepare for [28:12] Integrating the different parts of our lives [34:36] Finding your cheerleader   Quotes: “Realize that we are responsible for our careers, we own our careers, not the company, not your mentor, not your spouse, or your partner.”– Shellye Archambeau “Your whole life should be about learning. The more you learn, the more you grow, the more you're able to contribute.” – Shellye Archambeau “To pursue your vision, you need to define what you are trying to achieve, what has to be true for it to happen, and what do you need to do in order for it to be true.” – Shellye Archambeau “When chaos is around you, stay focused on what is really important, and let go of the rest so that you can stay on your feet.” – Shellye Archambeau   About Shellye Archambeau: Shellye Archambeau is an experienced CEO and Board Director with a track record of accomplishments building brands, high performance teams, and organizations. Ms. Archambeau currently serves on the boards of Verizon, Nordstrom, Roper Technologies, and Okta. She is also a strategic advisor to Forbes Ignite and the President of Arizona State University, and serves on the board of two national nonprofits, Catalyst and Braven. Ms. Archambeau 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. She 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. She is also a Forbes contributor and the protagonist of the Harvard Business School Case Study: Becoming a CEO. Ms. Archambeau enjoys the performing arts, traveling, cooking and writing a blog that provides career advice, insights and other musings (https://shellye.com).   Links: Website: https://www.shellye.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shellye-archambeau/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShelArchambeau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelarchambeau/  

Have you ever felt overwhelmed, but struggled with the feeling that no one can do the tasks better than you can? Or felt it's going take too long to explain it to someone and will be faster if you just do it yourself? In this episode, we discuss why it’s important to learn to delegate effectively so that you can get past your fear of letting go and focus on the right things. Nikki also shares the steps to effective delegation so can achieve bigger and better results.   DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS & BARRIERS TO SUCCESS: Take the free assessment and get your personalized report. Go to https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com/quiz Highlights: [01:03] What is delegation & why people hesitate to do it [02:17] Why it is important to practice delegation [03:19] Determining what to delegate [06:40] Who to consider for tasks when delegating [09:45] Be clear on the outcomes [14:02] Set expectations on checkpoints [17:43] Delegation is not just for the workplace   Quotes: “It becomes easier to practice delegation when you understand why it is important.” – Monica Marquez “Ensure that the right people are in the right roles and are focusing on the right thing.” – Nikki Barua   About Nikki Barua: Nikki Barua is a digital innovator, serial entrepreneur, author & speaker. Website: https://www.nikkibarua.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenikkibarua/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenikkibarua/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenikkibarua/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikkiBarua   About Monica Marquez: Monica Marquez is a senior corporate leader, ex-Googler, and diversity expert. Website: https://themonicamarquez.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMonicaMarquez/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themonicamarquez/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themonicamarquez/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/themmarquez  

Have you ever proceeded down a career path even though you didn’t feel it was right for you? Perhaps it was due to family expectations to go into a certain profession or the pressure to stick with it because you’ve already invested so much time. Expectations of who we’re supposed to be or what we’re supposed to do can often lead us down the wrong path. Regardless of the reasons, one thing is certain – your success gets accelerated when you are aligned to your purpose and passion. Meet Elizebeth Varghese, Global Leader for Talent & HR Transformation Strategy at IBM. Elizebeth shares her story of gaining perspective from her failures while heading down the wrong career path, and how those failures helped her find her true purpose, define the ways in which she wanted to contribute to the world, and set her on the path to being the author of her own story. Elizebeth is a Business Leader and Board Director who partners with C-level leaders to enable powerful business outcomes. Elizebeth furthers People & Technology strategies with solutions in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, Blockchain and robotics - for organizations that operate around the world, and in Space. She is recognized as a global Top 100 Influencer, for her continuing work as a futurist and thought leader. Elizebeth brings creativity, and a thoughtful, collaborative approach to inspire, uncover the best thinking and exceed business results. In this episode, Elizebeth shares insights into taking risks to advance your career, thriving in the future of work, and the most valuable skill for success in the digital age. Visit https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com where you will find show notes and links to all the resources in this episode, including the best way to get in touch with Elizebeth. Highlights: [03:05] Elizebeth’s story [05:45] Gaining perspective from failure [10:59] Having gratitude for what you have [13:46] Overcoming fears [19:16] Advice on taking risks to advance your career [23:19] How to thrive in the future of work [27:17] The most valuable skill to develop [29:57] Advice on overcoming barriers [33:47] Owning your voice and your viewpoints [36:57] Balancing work and home life [42:06] Final words of advice from Elizebeth   Quotes: “It is important to be the author of your own potential and your own capability.” – Elizebeth Varghese  “We would be much better as a global community if we could link arms and ensure that more people have access to what they need.” – Elizebeth Varghese  “It's very important to keep close to your purpose because there'll be many days when you doubt yourself, and other people will doubt you. But if you know who you are and what you're here for and what you want to leave with, it makes a big difference.” – Elizebeth Varghese  “The ability to unlearn and accept new input and accept new requirements is going to be the most important life skill.” – Elizebeth Varghese  About Elizebeth Varghese: Elizebeth is a Business Leader and Board Director who partners with C-level leaders to enable powerful business outcomes. Elizebeth furthers People & Technology strategies with solutions in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, Blockchain and robotics - for organizations that operate around the world, and in Space. She is recognized as a global Top 100 Influencer, for her continuing work as a futurist and thought leader. Elizebeth brings creativity, and a thoughtful, collaborative approach to inspire, uncover the best thinking and exceed business results. Elizebeth has business and operational experience and achieved significant growth in all her P&L roles. She has a track record of exceeding growth targets by developing new services, margin management, attracting and growing leading talent, transforming the internal and external brand and inspiring the team to achieve exceptional results and exceed growth targets consistently. She has also worked with CEOs and leaders from various industries and organizational life cycle to successfully inspire transformation and strong business results by sharing clear vision, identifying and motivating talent and developing sound operational foundations. As a Partner at IBM, she leads Talent and HR Reinvention Strategy client services. She also leads markets and big deals for Cloud transformations across six, high priority, businesses - HR consulting, HR outsourcing, AI & Emerging Tech, Workday, SuccessFactors, and Oracle HCM services. Elizebeth is a member of IBM’s Team on Good Technology. She is also the integrated services community leader for IBM’s Space Exploration Services. Elizebeth is on the Council of Advisors for the SETI Institute, which works with NASA and other space agencies to explore, understand and explain the origin and nature of life in the universe and the evolution of intelligence. She is a Finance Committee member, and active Board member at South Asian Youth Action, a non-profit providing after-school programming, education and college support. Currently located in New York, she has lived and worked around the world, and brings extensive experience in executing business strategy through human capital initiatives. She has over twenty years of consulting experience in HR optimization, talent management, and organization effectiveness. She also coaches Boards and business leaders to enhance effectiveness and manage their teams. Before that, Elizebeth was at Ernst & Young (EY) where she was a business leader and Partner in various roles including leader of the Americas (North America, South America and Israel) practice for HR Performance Improvement and Americas market leader for Talent Management. Elizebeth was also a Senior Vice President at Aon-Hewitt and led the Talent Solutions practice (Assessment, Test Development & Technology Platforms, Leadership Development, Executive Coaching, HR Transformation, Call Center Performance, Engagement). She has also been a Principal at Hewitt Associates and led the North American Corporate Transformation consulting team. Elizebeth has MBAs from both, the Columbia Business School, New York and the London Business School, UK. She also has a Masters in Personnel Management from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and a Bachelors in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Mumbai, India.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizebethvarghese/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElizebethVarghe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizebeth.varghese/  

Did you know that many of the skills of today will be obsolete in 18 months? In the next 3 to 4 years, 50% of employees worldwide are going to need to be reskilled. Companies are doing their best to keep up, but it’s not enough, which is why it is more important than ever for individuals to develop the muscle of consistent learning. In this episode, we share why it’s important to develop the superpower of learning, the different styles of learning, and Nikki also shares her learning strategies that help her keep up with the speed of change and disruption. DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS & BARRIERS TO SUCCESS Take the free assessment and get your personalized report. Go to https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com/quiz Highlights: [00:37] Why learning is a superpower [03:12] What the research shows on how we learn [04:18] The styles of learning [06:59] Nikki’s strategy for continuous learning Quotes: “With how fast we are evolving, the ability to continuously learn new things is a must-have superpower.” – Nikki Barua “How much time every week are you investing in learning.” – Nikki Barua   About Nikki Barua: Nikki Barua is a digital innovator, serial entrepreneur, author & speaker. Website: https://www.nikkibarua.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenikkibarua/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenikkibarua/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenikkibarua/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikkiBarua   About Monica Marquez: Monica Marquez is a senior corporate leader, ex-Googler, and diversity expert. Website: https://themonicamarquez.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMonicaMarquez/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themonicamarquez/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themonicamarquez/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/themmarquez  

What does it really take to stand out as a high performer who gets bigger opportunities? That’s the question we’ll be addressing in this episode. Being great at your job is important, but to accelerate your career success, your value-add must go beyond your job description. Your ability to solve hard problems and create value in new ways IS what makes you more valuable. In this episode, Elisa Steele, CEO and Board Director, shares her perspective on creating value through relationships and problem-solving. She challenges everyone to be proactive in seeking hard assignments where there is a need for change, and to do what it takes to solve problems instead of simply accepting the status quo. Elisa attributes her own successes to always going above and beyond in creating value for others. Elisa has held numerous C-suite roles including CEO of Namely, CEO of Jive, CMO of Consumer Apps & Services at Microsoft, CMO at Skype, EVP & CMO at Yahoo! Elisa also has deep board experience serving on multiple committees for both public and private companies. Currently, Elisa is a Board Director at Bumble, Chairman of the Board at Cornerstone On Demand, and member of the Board of Splunk and Namely. She is a member of the NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) and participates in the Equilar Board Leadership Program. Elisa has been recognized for her leadership throughout the years, building strong teams, networks and ecosystems. She was recognized by the Stevie American Business Awards for ‘Executive of the Year’ and ‘Woman of the Year’ as well as named a “Woman of Influence” by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Visit https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com where you will find show notes and links to all the resources in this episode, including the best way to get in touch with Elisa.   Highlights: [03:02] Elisa’s formation story [05:22] Learning about business by solving customer problems [07:51] Developing mastery of enterprise sales [12:49] Seize opportunities to close gaps [16:38] Supporting the needs of women’s careers [19:47] Elisa’s experience with balancing family & work [22:22] How motherhood shaped Elisa in her role as CEO [25:39] Advice for women seeking Board positions [28:54] Importance of visibility in getting Board roles [32:42] Advice for startup female founders [35:40] First consideration in scaling a business [37:33] Ask questions and become a better listener [40:44] Elisa’s daily success habit   Quotes: “When you build relationships and help people solve problems, you create value.”– Elisa Steele “Take the hard assignments at the beginning of your career because you learn exponentially more than you learn in taking the easy assignments.” – Elisa Steele “It's not just about the rules of today, it's about how you break through those to create the rules of tomorrow.” – Elisa Steele   About Elisa Steele: A business leader in tech sector for 30 years, Elisa is an experienced executive in Silicon Valley. Elisa has broad experience across consumer and enterprise businesses – and thrives at the intersection of both. She’s led transformations to scale, grow and drive impact across many organizations, both large and small. Elisa was mostly recently CEO of Namely, a leader in HCM SaaS, funded by Sequoia Capital, Matrix Ventures and Golden Gate Ventures. During her time as CEO, Elisa raised $60M in venture funding, delivered product modernization, improved customer NPS and set the foundation for scalable growth. Prior to Namely, Elisa was Jive Software’s President & CEO (NASDAQ: JIVE), responsible for strategy and global operations. Elisa reset corporate strategy, transitioned to a cloud-leading business, created focus on large scale enterprise solutions and delivered turnaround business and financial results for shareholders, customers and employees. Under her leadership, the company was ultimately acquired for $462M. Elisa joined Jive as EVP of Marketing (CMO) & Products (CPO), and was promoted to CEO after 9 months of joining the company. Prior to Jive, Elisa was CVP & CMO of Consumer Apps & Services at Microsoft, including responsibility for the brands bing, Internet Explorer, Lync, MSN, outlook.com, Cortana and Skype, among others. Prior to Microsoft, she was CMO at Skype, EVP & CMO at Yahoo! And SVP at NetApp. She also held various sales, business development, general manager and leadership positions at Sun Microsystems and AT&T.  Elisa is Chairman of the Board of Cornerstone On Demand (NASDAQ: CSOD), Chairman of Namely, and member of the Board of Directors of Splunk (NASDAQ: SPLK). She also serves as Advisor to the CEO of Tile and people.ai. She has deep board experience servicing on multiple committees for both public and private companies. She is a member of the NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) and participates in the Equilar Board Leadership Program. Elisa has been recognized for her leadership throughout the years, building strong teams, networks and ecosystems. She was recognized by the Stevie American Business Awards for ‘Executive of the Year’ and ‘Woman of the Year’ as well as named a “Woman of Influence” by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Elisa served as a judge for the annual “Forbes Cloud 100”, the WSJ ‘Marketers that Matter’ awards, and the Churchill Club Awards. Elisa hosts a speaker series called SpeakHer Mind tm that seeks to amplify voices and share practical, positive steps that can deliberately build workplace environments that empower women to achieve their potential. Elisa has previously served on the Interactive Advertising Bureau Board of Directors and Executive Committee, as well as the Advisory boards for Forbes Women, Amber Alert and Equality Now organizations. Elisa holds an MBA from San Francisco State University (Distinguished Alumni) and a Bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of New Hampshire (Phi Kappa Phi Honors). Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisasteele/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/elisasteele  

When we think of celebration, we think of holidays, birthdays, and big milestones like graduations and anniversaries that typically happen just once year. But do you ever take the time to think about and celebrate your small wins? In this episode, we share why it’s important to celebrate your progress on the way to achieving your big goals and share your small wins with the world. You’ll also learn a fun and easy way to motivate and inspire you on your journey to attaining your goals. DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS & BARRIERS TO SUCCESS Take the free assessment and get your personalized report. Go to https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com/quiz   Highlights: [00:34] Celebrating the small wins [07:53] Create your rewards catalog [12:28] Share your wins   Quotes: “Take a moment each week to reflect on what it is you deserve to celebrate.” – Nikki Barua  “Don’t minimize your achievements. When someone congratulates you for a job well done, just say thank you.” – Monica Marquez   About Nikki Barua: Nikki Barua is a digital innovator, serial entrepreneur, author & speaker. Website: https://www.nikkibarua.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenikkibarua/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenikkibarua/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenikkibarua/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikkiBarua   About Monica Marquez: Monica Marquez is a senior corporate leader, ex-Googler, and diversity expert. Website: https://themonicamarquez.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMonicaMarquez/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themonicamarquez/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themonicamarquez/  

Do you wake up and head to work every day with the feeling that you are just going through the motions? Have you experienced that nagging feeling that something is missing and that you aren’t living your life’s purpose? Our guest, Claudia Castellanos, Co-Founder and CEO of Black Mamba Foods, had a successful corporate career but couldn’t shake the feeling that she was meant to do more with her life. To the surprise of her friends, Claudia quit her corporate job to volunteer in Africa in search of her purpose. In this episode, Claudia shares her story of finding clarity, overcoming her fears and making difficult decisions, leading to the launch of her own business, Black Mamba Foods. Claudia is passionate about Africa and finding ways to develop the continent through sustainable projects that uplift women, considers the inclusion of grassroots communities and protection of the environment. Black Mamba Foods is a growing brand with a strong social and environmental ethos, based in Eswatini (eh·swaa·ti·nee), that manufactures and distributes specialty food products in Southern Africa and overseas. Visit https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com where you will find show notes and links to all the resources in this episode, including the best way to get in touch with Claudia.   Highlights: [02:28] Claudia’s journey [06:38] Gaining clarity on your strengths [10:45] Getting past your fears & limiting beliefs [13:40] Strategies for making difficult decisions [16:50] Overcoming failures and setbacks [20:41] Gaining access to influential leaders and mentors [25:47] Tips on effective execution [30:09] Accelerating success in the digital age [32:50] About Black Mamba   Quotes: “Often times you realize what you don't want to do before you realize what you want to do.” – Claudia Castellanos “If you're tired, learn to rest and not to quit.” – Claudia Castellanos “A goal without a plan of action is no more than a dream.”– Claudia Castellanos   About Claudia Castellanos: Claudia Castellanos, a Colombian that came as a volunteer to Eswatini and fell in love with Africa and made it her home, is the co-Founder and Managing Director of Black Mamba Foods, a growing brand with a strong social and environmental ethos based in Eswatini that manufactures and distributes Specialty food products in Southern Africa and overseas. Claudia has over 12 years of experience working as a marketing consultant for several businesses and NGOs in Eswatini and overseas, and as a lecturer for international Universities such as the European School of Economics (www.eselondon.ac.uk) in Italy, and Mananga Business College in Eswatini. Previously Claudia worked as Regional Manager for SAIWA SpA (www.saiwa.it) a former company of the Danone Group, in charge of trade marketing and sales activities with the main retailers of Central Italy. Claudia has also been involved as a trainer and mentor for Technoserve in Eswatini, and also for several business accelerator programmes (such as VVGROW from Vital Voices) locally and internationally. Claudia holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with specialisation in Marketing from ESADE Business School and a major in Finance and International Relations from Universidad Externado de Colombia (Bogota, Colombia). Since 2016 Claudia is a fellow of Vital Voices, an American NGO that works with women entrepreneurs from around the world supporting their growth. Since 2019 she is also an active member of ECCo (Eswatini Climate Coalition), a grassroots organization promoting awareness, action and civic engagement around climate change and pollution in Eswatini. In 2020 Claudia was awarded the WIA (Women in Africa) Award as the Eswatini Laureate for her work with Black Mamba, promoting and developing regenerative agriculture and inclusive value chains.  Claudia is passionate about Africa and finding ways to develop the continent through sustainable projects that take into consideration the upliftment of women, the inclusion of grassroots communities and the protection of the environment.   Links: Website: http://blackmambachilli.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiacastellanos/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmambafood/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackMambaChilliVenom/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/blackmambafood/ Recent news: https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/416/162/210485.html