BEYOND BARRIERS

Did you know that, despite accounting for over half of the college-educated workforce, women in the United States made up only 29% of those employed in science and engineering (or STEM) roles? That’s according to the latest research done by the research group, Catalyst. For women of color, the number is even smaller at 11.5%. But here’s an even more disturbing statistic, in engineering, specifically for Latinas, this figure drops to a low of 2.3%! In this episode, we get to celebrate one of these trailblazing Latina women who has worked hard against the odds, fighting tooth and nail, to be in this elite 2.3% - Iliana Quinonez, Sr. Director of Solutions Engineering at Salesforce. Iliana shares exactly what it's like working with the boys and how we can pave the way for future female generations. Iliana is an award winning, Latin Trailblazer Woman in Engineering and a Developer of Leaders. She is a passionate advocate and ambassador for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion. Her career in the high tech industry spans over 25 years across 3 continents and more than 15 countries, working at both enterprise and startup companies. She has held leadership positions in several functional areas including solutions engineering, product, and marketing strategy, consulting and business development. She is the former Chair of the Board for Latinoforce, the Salesforce Latinx Employee Resource Group and currently serves as their Advisor. Highlights: [03:42] Iliana’s journey [08:57] Moving forward in moments of uncertainty [11:39] Techniques in dealing with uncertainty [15:42] Iliana’s success habits [19:43] Keys to building your community [23:54] Asking for mentorship [28:06] Secret to achieving your professional goals [35:04] How to accelerate your career in the digital age [38:09] How to do your personal brand audit   Quotes: “Fear is a natural response to uncertainty. But the more exposure you have, the more comfortable you become in those moments .”– Iliana Quinonez “Practice visualizing different scenarios, as it will condition you, psychologically, to be better prepared for challenges.” - Iliana Quinonez “At the end of each day, take some time to review your TODO list and prioritize.” – Iliana Quinonez “Building your network so that it is broad, you need to have different circles that will add value to your network.” – Iliana Quinonez “Find joy and fulfillment in giving to the community at a time when nobody's asking you for something.” – Iliana Quinonez “We don’t have failures, we have experiences and lessons learned.” – Iliana Quinonez “If you aren’t investing in networking, at least a few hours a week, it's something you need to put on your agenda.” – Iliana Quinonez “Be sure to do a brand audit - you need to know what people are saying about you when you're not in the room.” – Iliana Quinonez   About Iliana Quinonez: Iliana is a Latin Trailblazer Woman in Engineering and a Developer of Leaders. She is a passionate advocate and ambassador for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion. Her career in the high tech industry spans over 25 years across 3 continents and more than 15 countries, working at both enterprise and startup companies. She has held leadership positions in several functional areas including solutions engineering, product, and marketing strategy, consulting and business development. At Salesforce, she currently leads the Solutions Engineering team for the West Coast. Iliana is the former Chair of the Board for Latinoforce, the company's Latinx Employee Resource Group and currently serves as their Advisor. Iliana is originally from Mexico City, holds a BSc in Computer Science from Universidad Iberoamericana (Mexico) and an MSc in Information Systems from the London School of Economics (UK). She lives in San Francisco with her husband and their two daughters.   Links: Website: www.salesforce.com LinkedIn: iliana-quinonez-34794/ Twitter: @iquinonez1

Are you someone who doesn’t have any mentors and has no idea where to find one? OR ... are you someone who knows the right people but don’t know how to ask? In this episode, we will discuss how to find mentors and the do’s and don’ts to build powerful mentoring relationships.   Highlights: [01:00] Why mentorship matters [06:18] What holds people back from getting mentors [08:33] Three keys to finding a mentor [10:03] Mentorship at all stages of life [13:05] Mentorship through content [16:19] Homework for the week Quotes: “Mentors shorten the learning curve by imparting their wisdom and their experience.” – Nikki Barua “One of the greatest values of mentors is the ability to see ahead what others cannot see and to help them navigate a course to their destination.” – John C. Maxwell “Be very specific about your areas of growth and mentoring needs.” – Nikki Barua “A mentoring relationship is a privilege, treat it with the respect it deserves.” – Nikki Barua “Don’t think of mentorship in terms of a specific individual that is ahead of you. Think of mentoring in the context of a mentoring circle.” – Nikki Barua “When you are focused on yourself and doing great work, people will come to you and be excited to help 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 an ex-Googler, diversity expert and senior corporate leader. 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  

Did you know that according to several research studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking.  Number two is death. So, that means, as Jerry Seinfeld famously said, “...if you're at a funeral, it's better to be the deceased in the casket than the person giving the eulogy”. Stage fright is real, but the good news is you can overcome the fear of speaking publicly. More importantly, you have to remind yourself that you aren’t the only one feeling afraid. In this episode, Billie Shepard, author of The Billie Shepard Presentation Method, shares with our listeners some tips and tools to help you get past any fears of speaking and become better presenters, leaders, collaborators, and communicators. Billie has been a presentation coach, as well as a professional actor and acting coach for over 30 years. She’s also worked with clients like Uber, Facebook, Cisco, Intuit, and Splunk to name a few, as well as, thousands of professional actors.   Highlights: [02:16] Billie’s journey [05:29] Intention removes fear [10:15] Overcoming the fear of public speaking [14:31] Tips for impromptu Q&A [17:36] Biggest challenges in presenting [20:29] Preparing for the presentation [25:10] Tips on projecting your message [30:06] Practical tips for Zoom meetings Quotes: “The key to intention is that it removes all fear.”– Billie Shepard “The difference between having an intention and tying it to a feeling is the difference between being brilliant and being good.” - Billie Shepard “Projecting your voice isn't something to fear. It's something to free your personality and energy.” – Billie Shepard “When preparing for a presentation, NEVER start with the slides, the slides are there to support your soul and your message.” - Billie Shepard “People may forget what you’ve said, but they never forget how you made them feel.” – Billie Shepard   About Billie Shepard: Billie delivers a coaching experience that transforms how an actor acts and business people communicate.  Clients have said, “It seems she has a mysterious or supernatural power that influences the creativity, confidence and best abilities of a speaker or performer. What Billie does is magical.” Billie has been a professional actor for over forty years, appearing in lead roles in Equity productions, featured television appearances and numerous national and regional commercials. An acting coach for decades, she founded two acting academies and five acting workshops in four states. Billie has produced and hosted guest-artist workshops including such notable instructors as Academy Award winner, Alan Arkin. Twenty years ago Billie had an idea. She founded Billie Shepard & Associates, leveraging her acting experience and unique training methods into the business arena; transforming corporate speakers into influential leaders. Her clients include Facebook, Uber, Intuit, Rackspace, Lockheed Martin, as well as many financial and medical research companies. This March Billie had another idea! She merged her presentation-training methods with the virtual needs of our times and created a powerful blend of the two. Her book: The Billie Shepard Presentation Method, describing her methods, and participant breakthrough stories of success, recently launched on Amazon.  Billie is a Dean’s Scholar with a BA in Creative Arts and Masters in Theatre Arts from San Jose State University. BILLIE’S WEBSITE: WWW.BILLIESHEPARD.COM   Links: Website: http://www.billieshepard.com/ LinkedIn: billie-shepard-and-associates-59b3534 Facebook: Billie Shepard & Associates  

Company culture isn’t about what you say, it’s about what you do –the standards you uphold, the values you live by, and how you treat each other even when no one is watching. In this episode, you’ll meet award-winning entrepreneur, Sherry Deutschmann, who built a multimillion dollar business by putting employees first, even ahead of customers and shareholders. Sherry reveals her recipe for building a people-first culture and how a leader’s choices directly impact employee morale, engagement, and commitment. Sherry Deutschmann is a serial entrepreneur and author of the bestselling book Lunch with Lucy, an inspiring and instructive guide to transformational leadership through empathy. Sherry is the founder of BrainTrust, a company dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs grow their businesses to $1Million in annual revenue and beyond.   Highlights: [02:51] Sherry’s journey [05:00] Overcoming early struggles [09:43] Finding focus & positivity in difficult times [12:28] Advice on finding your north star [17:27] Building culture from the beginning [19:26] Sharing profits with your employees [25:25] Helping employees buy their homes [29:04] Lunch with Lucy [32:58] Overcoming struggles of entrepreneurship [35:47] Advice on dealing with imposter syndrome [40:29] About BrainTrust [51:31] Writing “Lunch With Lucy” Quotes: “Take care of your employees and they will take great care of the customer.”– Sherry Deutschmann “Focus on what you do have, your strengths and your gifts, and less on what you don't have.” - Sherry Deutschmann “Celebrate failures and hardships because that is where the important lessons will be learned.” – Sherry Deutschmann “When employees have greater access to company knowledge, the more it shapes their behavior and their decisions. It empowers them to make changes that drive the bottom line.” – Sherry Deutschmann “Knowledge and breadth of knowledge takes away lack of confidence.” – Sherry Deutschmann “Peer-to-peer learning is the best tool for entrepreneurs and for professional development.” – Sherry Deutschmann “You can do more good in the world when you are doing well. When your business is doing well, then you have the resources, the power, the influence, to make your reach far wider and deeper.” – Sherry Deutschmann “The employee-first business model is the secret tool to make companies more successful.” - Sherry Deutschmann   About Sherry Deutschmann: Sherry Deutschmann is a serial entrepreneur, author, and passionate advocate for entrepreneurship. In 2019, Sherry founded BrainTrust, a company dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs grow their businesses to $1Million in annual revenue…and beyond. Prior to founding BrainTrust, Sherry was founder and CEO of LetterLogic, Inc., a company she grew to $40 Million and sold in 2016. LetterLogic was named an INC 5000 company (fastest growing privately held businesses in the US) for ten consecutive years. Sherry attributes the success of LetterLogic to its unique culture in which the needs of the employees came before those of the customer or shareholder. That culture led Sherry to be recognized by EY as one of their 2009 Entrepreneurial Winning Women and LetterLogic was featured in the New York Times, Forbes Magazine, Business Leaders, INC, and Fast Company. Sherry was honored by President Barack Obama as a White House Champion of Change in 2016. Sherry’s book, Lunch with Lucy – Maximize Profits by Investing in your People – will be released on March 20, 2020.   Links: Websites: https://sherrydeutschmann.com/ & https://ourbraintrust.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherrystewartd/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sherrystewartd Facebook: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherrystewartd/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherry.stewart.d/

When was the last time you asked yourself: What do I really want? Perhaps you’ve been so busy taking care of responsibilities and serving others that you haven’t stopped to check in with yourself. But when you pause and ask that question without fear or judgment, your answer will guide you towards your true north star. And when you lead with purpose and passion, you have the power to change the world. In this episode, serial entrepreneur and investor Sarah Dusek, shares how asking this question shaped her journey and helped her leverage the power of business to impact our world for good.   Highlights: [02:26] Sarah’s story [04:30] Recovering from failure [08:00] Seeing the opportunity in crisis [10:00] Two biggest challenges facing today’s world [12:54] Taking risks to achieve your dreams [17:45] Lessons learned [19:51] Turning a dream into reality [22:25] 3 things to showing up as an entrepreneur [25:11] Preparing to approach a venture capitalist [29:25] Bigger business, bigger impact [36:09] How can you help to make an impact [39:14] How to become a lifelong learner [41:33] The importance of networks [44:38] Staying grounded   Quotes: “Crises are moments of opportunity because they are absolutely transformative in terms of the direction with which we move forward.” – Sarah Dusek  “The real essence of entrepreneurship and growing as a human being is the ability to tackle very challenging circumstances and leverage them to move us forward and propel us into what's next.” - Sarah Dusek “When you start to ask yourself what it would take to achieve your goals, that’s when you start to find the pathway to making it happen.” – Sarah Dusek  “When you build a bigger business, you have a potential to have a much bigger platform to make a difference.” – Sarah Dusek  “If we want to change the world we live in, if we want the world to be a better place, we have to stop waiting for someone else to make that happen.” – Sarah Dusek  “Coaching is an incredibly powerful tool for helping women see what they can't see.” – Sarah Dusek “Voracious learning, openness, listening, and being prepared for different ways of thinking is going to be enormously valuable for our journey ahead.” – Sarah Dusek “Understanding that uncertainty is the certainty and that the only way to navigate that is to live with a higher sense of purpose and mission and belief that we all have a calling and that we have the possibility of making the world better.” – Sarah Dusek   About Sarah Dusek: In 2019 Sarah Dusek launched Enygma Ventures, a Venture Capital fund focused on investing in women-led businesses in Southern Africa. Sarah is passionate about empowering women to reach their full potential and enabling them to grow in grow scalable, sustainable businesses that have the power to transform communities, cities and nations. A entrepreneur in her own right, Sarah Co-Founded Under Canvas; the US’s leading adventure-hospitality company offering luxurious glamping accommodations just minutes from America’s most popular and iconic national parks. Sarah sold Under Canvas in 2018 for over $100m achieving a record breaking EBIDTA multiple. In 2017, under Sarah’s leadership, Under Canvas received a spot on the coveted Inc. 5000 list and Sarah was named to the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women list from Ernst & Young.   Links: Website: https://www.enygmaventures.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-dusek-0b630ab/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enygmaventuresfund Twitter: https://twitter.com/EnygmaVentures  

Do you know what it takes to land a job at the biggest and best organizations in the world? Do you have the skills, the competencies and drive, but you find the whole job search and interview process intimidating and difficult to catch a break? Well, in this episode, we welcome Gisselle Ruiz, a key leader within the Global Talent Acquisition Teams at ByteDance and TikTok, who shares with us her journey as a proud first generation bilingual Afro-Latina with a deep connection to her Dominican roots and how taking risks and changing lanes helped her build her career as an expert recruiter, what her successes and failures have taught her and how she empowers all of her recruits by telling them, “They are lucky to have you!”. Gisselle has led talent acquisition and DEI initiatives at top companies and organizations including The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems, NBC Universal, The Walt Disney Company, Creative Artists Agency, Google, Facebook, and most recently TikTok. She is incredibly committed to the empowerment and elevation of those from disenfranchised, marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented communities, especially Latinx and Black/Brown women.   Highlights: [03:08] Gisselle’s journey [06:10] Transition from academia to corporate [11:29] Gaining clarity on your strengths [14:53] Learning to leverage your network [20:19] Sponsors and mentors that don’t look like you [25:25] How to prepare for an interview [32:00] What can make or break an interview [38:32] Overcoming imposter syndrome   Quotes: “Uncomfortable conversations are necessary and critical for growth and are part of our learning journey.” – Gisselle Ruiz   “When going in to an interview, be prepared to talk about some of your key highlights, accomplishments, achievements, failures, disappointments, challenges and barriers that you've had to overcome.” - Gisselle Ruiz   “Imposter syndrome keeps us away from opportunities and keeps us from shining at our highest level of vibration, it holds us back from being successful.” – Gisselle Ruiz “Companies are not doing you a favor by giving you an interview or a role, they are lucky to have you.” - Gisselle Ruiz  “Go in to an interview truly knowing your worth and what you are bringing to that organization, which is far greater than what they are bringing to you.” – Gisselle Ruiz    About Gisselle Ruiz: Gisselle Ruiz Ed.M is a human capital strategist, change agent, global talent acquisition executive, diversity, equity & inclusion leader who specializes in identifying, coaching, and developing best in class talent while creating access and opportunity through inclusive recruitment practices and strategies. She specializes in building and scaling inclusive and diverse workforces, workplaces, marketplaces, and transforming organizational culture. Gisselle has 18 years of experience with both national and global organizations in both the public and private sector including:K-12 & Higher Education, Non Profit, Technology, and a decade in the Entertainment & Media industry. Throughout her career she has developed and executed engagement, outreach, recruitment and selection strategies of top talent across various functions and positions ranging from internships & apprenticeships, professional development programs, middle management, and senior level executive leadership positions. She has led talent acquisition and DEI at top companies and organizations including The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems, NBC Universal, The Walt Disney Company, Creative Artists Agency, Google, Facebook, and most recently joined TikTok. Gisselle is passionate and committed to transforming, disrupting and awakening organizations and leaders to how they can combat systemic inequities, create economic empowerment, challenge legacy systems, disrupt bias, catalyze equity, and shift culture. Her mantra is that representation matters and inclusion enables and ignites the best innovation. Gisselle holds a bachelor's degree from Clark University in Urban Development and Social Change and a masters degree in Policy, Planning, & Administration in Education from Boston University. She is a proud 1st generation transnational bilingual Afro Latina with a deep connection to her Dominican heritage. She is incredibly committed to the empowerment and elevation of those from disenfranchised, marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented communities especially Latinx and Black/Brown women. She is deeply rooted in social justice reform, dismantling systemic racism and oppression, and anti recidivism. She coaches individuals and teams on owning their power, story, and journey to amplify and unlock their potential to achieve personal and professional growth.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisselleruiz/ Twitter: GRuiz1003

What happens to you when you make a mistake that gets called out? Do you get so upset with yourself that you get angry or become paralyzed and begin to doubt your worth? Or worse, you vow to never try that again or opt out of taking the lead? In this episode, we are going to discuss the dangers of this self-defeating pattern and how you can overcome the negative self-talk and develop the confidence to move forward with an action plan.   Highlights: [01:15] Don’t let a mistake define you [03:27] Break the pattern of negative self-talk [08:13] The emotional toll of negative self-talk [11:03] How to overcome negative self-talk   Quotes: “When you make a mistake and make it about who you are versus what you can learn, you don't see the opportunity for growth.” – Nikki Barua “Letting go of negative self-talk allows you to take a very optimistic view of challenges and obstacles.” – Nikki Barua “The best ways to get past making mistakes is to practice self-acceptance.” – Monica Marquez “View mistakes as teachable moments and develop an action plan on how you'll handle the situation the next time it occurs.” – Monica Marquez “Move past a mistake quickly by reflecting, gaining insight, and then developing an action plan.” – 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 an ex-Googler, diversity expert and senior corporate leader. 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    

Imagine this scenario… You take on a role and you are knocking it out of the park. Getting positive feedback from managers and leaders. So, you decide to ask for and create a new role that plays to your strengths and would elevate your team. Your idea is well received BUT instead of you for the role, your told they’d prefer someone else! What would you do? In this episode, you’ll hear how our guest, Gail Fierstein, Chief People Officer at CaaStle, decided to advocate for herself early in her career, garner support from other leaders, and ultimately get the role she proposed. Gail is a seasoned senior HR and Tech executive with extensive international experience transforming organizations in large scale public companies and cutting edge startups in finance, education and retail. Gail spent several years as the SVP, Product and Technology HR Business Partner at Pearson Education. And had a successful 25-year career at Goldman Sachs, where she was a Managing Director in Technology and Human Capital Management (HCM). Gail is a Board member, Secretary and Nominating Committee Chair at NPower, whose mission is to bring the tech community together for social good by creating pathways to economic prosperity by launching digital careers for veterans and young adults from underserved communities.   Highlights: [03:28] Gail’s 1 st career lesson [06:10] 2 nd career lesson [07:36] 3 rd career lesson [10:13] 4 th career lesson [15:12] Gaining the confidence to ask for what you deserve [20:03] Overcoming limiting beliefs [23:33] Building relationships [29:30] Developing trust [34:51] Preparing for success [38:54] Accelerating success in the digital age   Quotes: “Stay true and authentic and advocate for yourself.” - Gail Fierstein “Sometimes others see something in you that you may not see in yourself. And you need to be open to that.” - Gail Fierstein  “Confidence gives you energy.” – Gail Fierstein  “How women process information and build relationships is the key ingredient, the secret sauce, in this digital age of accelerating success.” – Gail Fierstein “Seek out mentors and sponsors from your day to day because they see and work with you and will have the best insight.” - Gail Fierstein    About Gail Fierstein: Gail is a seasoned senior HR and Tech executive with extensive international experience transforming organizations in large scale public companies and cutting edge startups in finance, education and retail. Collaborates and advises senior leaders on setting strategic direction for their people strategies and developing best in class HR capability to create an engaged workplace in ever-changing business environments. Gail is currently the Chief People Officer at CaaStle, CaaStle is creating a new economy for apparel with its technology and services platform for retailers and fashion brands offering rental clothing subscriptions to their consumers. Gail spent several years as the SVP, Product and Technology HR Business Partner at Pearson Education. She led Pearson’s digital product transformation by defining the organization design, culture change and aggressively building out agile teams needed to create word class digital educational products. During Gail’s 25-year career at Goldman Sachs, she was a Managing Director in Technology and Human Capital Management (HCM). In her role as the HCM head for Business Partner teams, she developed senior executives across many areas of the firm and was an active voice for women and in particular women in Tech. Gail developed the firm’s workforce re-entry programs, The ReturnshipTM– an internship designed for people rejoining the workforce after an extended personal time off. Gail is a Board member, Secretary and Nominating Committee Chair at NPower, whose mission is to bring the tech community together for social good by creating pathways to economic prosperity by launching digital careers for veterans and young adults from underserved communities. Gail received a BS from Rutgers University and lives in New York City with her husband and son.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gailfierstein/ Twitter: @GailFierstein

Have you ever wondered what it takes to rise up to senior leadership roles in global corporations? Research indicates that women leaders who’ve taken the unconventional path gain unexpected opportunities of success. So, are you willing to take on tough challenges to gain valuable experience? Would you risk failure when making decisions and follow through with conviction? And are you committed to always going above and beyond? In this episode, you’ll meet Alyssa Altman who shares why building great teams, delivering massive value to clients, adapting to change, and continuous learning are absolutely essential. She also reveals the choices she made in her career and the values she lives by that have led to her success. Alyssa has been recognized by Consulting Magazine as a “Global Leader in Consulting” for Excellence in Engagement. She is a Senior Vice President at Publicis Sapient and leads the Automotive and Consumer Products industries in North America. Throughout her career at leading organizations, it has been her passion to shape and lead diverse teams. She believes that with the right people in the room actively engaging with each other, you can gain valuable insights to create innovative solutions to any business problem. Alyssa plays an active role in shaping and executing Publicis Sapient’s MBA-like leadership program called the Fellowship in Transformation Leadership. Alyssa is also an Advisory board member of Publicis Sapient Women’s Leadership Network shaping the next generation of women leaders.   Highlights: [03:37] Alyssa’s journey [09:03] Mastering managing at scale [11:19] Alyssa’s WHY [14:01] Doing great work AND managing your career [17:00] Being the only woman [19:44] Gaining the courage to have a difficult conversation [21:58] How to move your ideas forward [25:08] Evolution of effective business development [28:47] Approach to decision making [31:36] Learning from failure [39:24] Designing teams [41:18] Top trait for success [42:17] Common attributes of great leaders [46:26] What Alyssa wishes she had learned earlier in her career [47:48] Biggest trends that will impact business [53:17] The greatest joy of Alyssa’s career   Quotes: “Leaders should not try to be everything to everyone, but instead build a team of people that feel empowered to take ownership and to tell you when they need you.” – Alyssa Altman “Our responsibility as leaders is to help people grow in an organization.” – Alyssa Altman  “You always need to be in the work, because it gives you the perspective, it gives you the connection.” – Alyssa Altman “Don’t think of it as a sale, think of it as a partnership that you are helping to bring someone something they are going to see value in.” – Alyssa Altman “As a leader you need to find ways for people to feel like they are winning, even if you have a failure.” – Alyssa Altman “Acknowledge your successes and learn how to market them.” – Alyssa Altman “Leaders are not afraid to make bold moves and make mistakes and then recover from those mistakes.” – Alyssa Altman   About Alyssa Altman: Alyssa Altman is a Senior Vice President at Publicis Sapient. She leads the Automotive and Consumer Products industries in North America. In her role, Alyssa helps her clients find their digital future through the delivery of omnichannel strategies and robust technology solutions.  Throughout her 20+ years at Publicis Sapient, it has been her passion to shape and lead diverse teams who realize goals through inclusive collaboration. She believes that with the right people in the room actively engaging with each other, we gain valuable insights that create innovative solutions to any business problem we may face.  When not working directly with clients, she plays an active role in shaping and executing Publicis Sapient’s MBA-like leadership program called the Fellowship in Transformation Leadership. Alyssa also has a keen interest in shaping the next generation of women leaders as an Advisory board member of Publicis Sapient Women’s Leadership Network (WLN). Externally, she is an Advisory board member of Debbie’s Treasure Chest and sponsors a community service initiative that teaches high-risk teens the skills necessary to enter the workforce. Alyssa was honored by Consulting Magazine as a “Global Leader in Consulting” for Excellence in Engagement. Prior to her tenure at Publicis Sapient, she worked for Ernst & Young in the Strategic Advisory Services Group. Alyssa has an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BA in English from the University of Michigan.   Links: Website: https://www.publicissapient.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssaaltmanpublicissapient/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alyssa.altman/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlyssaAltman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/altmanalyssa/  

If you are someone who is torn between making a living and making a difference, this episode is for you. We are living in very challenging times. It seems like there are new obstacles every day everywhere. But in the midst of all the crisis, we are also going through a global transformation. Every time there is seismic shift in the world, it leads to something new, and something more profound emerges. And that creates the space and the need for change makers and leaders. That's the opportunity we'll be talking about on this episode. And how you can be that change maker and leader - and grow your impact, income and influence.   Highlights: [00:46] Innovation in times of disruption [02:15] Your role in this time of innovation [03:53] Challenges that women face in rising up [04:46] Raising your hand for opportunities [06:33] Asking for support and sponsorship [10:28] The importance of having clarity [13:59] The impact of mentors and sponsors [14:50] Managing your career [16:44] How coaching accelerates your success [23:35] Democratizing access to executive coaching   Quotes: “The greatest problems we face as a human population today will be solved by technology and the power of the human mind coming together.”– Nikki Barua “If nobody at the top knows you, has heard your name, or knows your impact, then it's going to be tough to get the sponsorship and support when you're not in the room.” – Nikki Barua “Research shows only 15% of women who responded said that they had clarity about their career in the next five years.” – Monica Marquez “You have to have absolute clarity about your north star because if you don't know where you're headed, how are you going to get there?”– Nikki Barua “You can work really hard and be great at doing your job and not be managing your career. And what gets you ahead is managing your career intentionally.” – Nikki Barua “You don't have just one job that you have to do really well. You have two jobs, you have your day job, and you have to manage your career.” – Monica Marquez “If you want to help other people rise up as leaders that make a difference, then you have to help yourself first.” – Monica Marquez “Coaching paired with leadership training can act as an equalizer between men and women.” – Monica Marquez “When you are a star athlete, coaching and training makes you an Olympian.” – 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 an ex-Googler, diversity expert and senior corporate leader. 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