BEYOND BARRIERS

Many barriers stand in the way of a Latina interested in a career in STEM...from societal and familial norms to high school counselors telling Latinas, and other women for that matter, that “maybe you’d be better suited majoring in something else”. This has been the case for decades. Even if one pushes past discrimination, there is still the challenge of a lack of resources, support and the isolation of being “the only”. The numbers say it all: Only 2 percent of Latinas held science and engineering positions, as reported by the National Science Foundation. And that number hasn’t changed in the last 5 yrs. But Latinas in academia, the workforce, and beyond are working to change the depressing data. In this episode, you will meet Isaura Gaeta, Vice President of Security Research and General Manager of Intel Product Assurance & Security at Intel Corporation, who is leading by example in her respective field and sharing her story in order to encourage the next generation of Latinas in STEM.   Highlights: [03:51] Isaura’s journey [07:53] Overcoming limiting beliefs [09:51] Building relationships [15:28] First experience in corporate [18:50] Gaining access to influential leaders [22:47] Raising your hand for opportunities [24:33] Building your personal brand [27:09] Tips for achieving your goals [29:39] Staying ahead of the curve [32:24] Opportunities for the Latino community [36:41] Accelerating success in the digital age   Quotes: “Engineering is about helping people. It's about making our lives better.” – Isaura S. Gaeta “Always give more than you get back.” - Isaura S. Gaeta “Remind yourself that you have information that is valuable to share and if you don’t share it, then you may not make the progress that is needed.” – Isaura S. Gaeta “Utilize CPU – Commit to being your best self every day. Persist despite setbacks. Unite with your community for support.” – Isaura S. Gaeta “Quell that little voice that is telling you that you're not good enough or you're not supposed to be here. Stand up and say - Yes, I am supposed to be here.” - Isaura S. Gaeta “Be confident about sharing and asking for what you want.” - Isaura S. Gaeta   About Isaura S. Gaeta: Isaura leads an engineering team focused on hardware security research including penetration testing, physical attack mechanisms, and outreach to academia. Previously she was GM of systems engineering in the Platform Engineering Group and was responsible for optimizing engineering execution capacity, quality management systems, and operational excellence for a global engineering organization of 18k people. A 30-year veteran of Intel, Gaeta spent the first two decades of her Intel career developing various semiconductor processing technologies. Her work during that period led to two patents and five Intel Achievement Awards, the company’s highest recognition. Gaeta holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University. She founded Intel’s Network of Executive Women for the Latin America region and was the chair of Intel’s Hispanic Leadership Council. Outside of Intel, she serves on the board of the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley where she chairs the Nominating and Governance committee. The Hispanic IT Executive Council has recognized her six times on the top 100 Hispanic professionals in the IT industry.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaura-s-gaeta-1a50262/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IsauraGaeta  

It’s that dreaded time of the year ... performance review cycles are in process in most organizations. According to research from SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management), 90% of performance reviews are painful and ineffective. Managers spend 210 hours on performance management and are inundated with reviews to complete. Meanwhile employees experience anxiety about an unpredictable outcome with 22% of employees preferring to call in sick rather than face a performance review. In this episode, we will share performance review tips so you can set yourself up for success and turn this into an opportunity and make the most of it to advance in your career.   Highlights: [00:40] Dreading the performance review [02:27] Actively managing your career [05:10] Tips for last minute prep for review [07:28] Seeking out the truth tellers for feedback [10:24] Be curious when receiving feedback [11:18] Always follow-up after a review [12:44] Summary of 5 performance review tips   Quotes: “If you're not actively managing your career, chances are that you haven't done all of the groundwork needed for you to make the most out of the feedback cycle and to leverage the review for advancement.” – Nikki Barua “Take every opportunity to illustrate your accomplishments and share measurable results that you've created.” – Nikki Barua “Your self-assessment is not the time to be humble. It is the time to advocate for yourself and highlight your accomplishments.” – Monica Marquez “Utilize the STAR method in your performance reviews – Situation, Tasks, Action, Results.” – Monica Marquez “Be strategic in who you ask for feedback and what you ask them to support you in.” - Monica Marquez “Seek feedback to listen and learn, not to refute and reject.” - Nikki Barua “Feedback is essential for growth, it is a gift.” – 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  

How would you feel if you knew your manager had your back? What if they lifted you up and shined a light on your accomplishments? What if they were willing to do whatever it takes to give everyone a level playing field? Servant leadership is all about leading by lifting others. Our guest today is Tami Rosen and she is that kind of leader. She believes that leaders don’t go far if they leave others behind. Throughout her career, Tami has fought for the underdog and paved the way for others to get ahead, inspiring them to do more, learn more and become more. In this episode, Tami shares her perspective on leadership, contribution and impact. Tami is currently the Chief People Officer at Atlassian where she is responsible for the attraction, engagement, development, and experience of Atlassian’s most important asset –its people. Prior to Atlassian, Tami has held leadership roles at Goldman Sachs, Apple, and has served as the first Chief People Officer for both Quora and Luminar Technologies. Tami brings an agile philosophy to all aspects of people operations.   Highlights: [03:03] Tami’s journey [07:17] Risk-reward analysis [09:30] Seeking out feedback [13:23] Overcoming limiting beliefs [16:44] Tami’s superpower [19:43] Diversity and inclusion [24:20] Making the decision to change industries [30:01] Asking for help [33:33] Accelerating success in the digital age [35:19] Becoming a change agent for others [37:41] Tami’s final words of advice   Quotes: “It is just as important for others to share feedback when they see someone who is high performing as it is to be asking for the feedback.”– Tami Rosen “Building your network and relationships isn’t about the work you are doing in the moment, it’s about how you carry that forward and keep that relationship going.” – Tami Rosen “Asking for help allows others to know where they can use their superpowers to help you.” – Tami Rosen “Failure is an opportunity to learn and get back up and do something better and different.” – Tami Rosen “Drive the change you want to see. See what the future should be and make sure that you can help make that change happen.” – Tami Rosen “When you see somebody struggling, give them the support, because it's always more powerful in twos than it is by yourself.” – Tami Rosen   About Tami Rosen: Tami Rosen is a senior HR executive passionate about enabling people to perform at their best. Through leadership roles at Goldman Sachs, Apple as well as start ups like Quora and Luminar Technologies, she brought an agile philosophy to all aspects of people operations for up to 15,000 global employees, becoming known for strengths in four key areas: HR Transformation, Employer Branding, Diversity and Inclusion, Leadership Development and Culture Education. Throughout her career, she earned distinction as a relationship builder, thought leader, connector of people, and trusted advisor to executive teams.  Tami launched her corporate career at Goldman Sachs, where she spent 16+ years advancing from technical recruiter and generalist to heading human resources for three of the firm’s largest divisions: Technology, The Federation (back-office operations), and Investment Management. In global and regional roles, she provided the leadership to transform HR into a strategic business asset and instill excellence into talent management programs and processes. She advocated for and engaged employees through initiatives that embraced the inclusion and growth of female, LGBT, and diverse populations, including Wall Street’s first Ally program. She developed leaders and rising-stars, and set technical and business employees on career roadmaps designed to bring out their full potential.   Recruited to Apple Inc. as Human Resources Senior Director for two technical divisions, Tami used people analytics to shape talent recruitment, development and management programs designed to attract and retain the best performers in a competitive job marketplace. Her leadership facilitated the smooth integration of several large acquisitions, including Beats by Dre. Her success resulted in a rare invitation to join Apple University as a faculty member. Tami created and conducted development programs for executives and managers that focused on building innovative cultures and engaging employees. She also led research on employee attrition factors at suppliers in Asia.  Tami also served as the first Chief People Officer, Luminar Technologies, advising the executive team on strategic planning and organizational structure to ensure business viability. She established the HR infrastructure including compensation strategy and developed an empowering corporate culture.  Prior to Luminar, she was the first Vice President of People and Internal Communications at Quora where she made talent and culture a keystone of business strategy and provided executive leadership coaching.  She is currently the Chief People officer at Atlassian where she is responsible for the attraction, engagement, development, and experience of Atlassian’s most important asset – its people. She has been instrumental in developing the future of work called TEAM Anywhere and has shepherded the company through the recent pandemic. Tami currently resides in Los Altos with her husband (Marc), two children (Emma and Justin), two cats (Ava and Max) and her husky (Alani). She is passionate about philanthropy, coaching/mentoring, democracy/equality and working with STEM programs. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Binghamton University in Law and Society.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tami-rosen-388714b/ Read Tami’s blog on Employee driven crisis response plan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tami.rosen Twitter: @tamibrosen

What would you do if you earned a seat at the table, but you struggled to belong or simply feel welcomed in the conversation? Recent research from the Center for Talent Innovation found that exclusion is a growing issue. And, that more than 40% of those surveyed feel isolated in the workplace. Now, imagine being the “only one” on a team or in a meeting and not feeling as though you belong, or worse, “not being heard”. In this episode, Melonie Parker, Chief Diversity Officer at Google, shares her career journey over the years as she learned to navigate the male-dominated corporate ladder, reclaim and step into her power, and become a passionate thought leader and an advocate for change.  Melonie is an HR executive committed to innovative, relevant, and contemporary HR leadership. She is responsible for advancing Google's employee engagement strategy across Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Additionally, Melonie serves as a Minority in Energy Initiative Champion for the Department of Energy. Highlights: [02:58] Melonie’s journey [04:05] Dealing with failure [05:34] Finding clarity on your career path [08:20] Gaining access to mentors and sponsors [15:36] Owning your seat at the table [18:30] Finding your voice [20:32] Don’t let others silence you [25:03] Feeling under the microscope as women of color [28:59] Building powerful relationships virtually [30:50] Opportunities for women of color [33:21] Diversity, Equity & Inclusion [39:06] Common traits of leaders [44:24] Leveling up and staying ahead of the curve [45:52] Parting words to listeners   Quotes: “To thy own self be true, you are enough, lean into who you are, recognize what that is and how valuable you are to the rest of the world.”– Melonie Parker “Leadership done well is servant leadership.” – Melonie Parker “Hiring is a two-way dialogue – what are you giving to a company and what are you getting back in return.” – Melonie Parker “Don’t only seek mentors that look like you. Mentoring is not about what fits you but what you need to add, stretch and grow.” – Melonie Parker “We might walk into a room and be the only one, but we always come with others, our community that always has our back.” – Melonie Parker “Have courage of voice. It empowers you when you take ownership of your ideas.” – Melonie Parker “What's the story that you’re telling yourself when you are sitting at the table, because if you go to the table, and know that your designed to be there, that conversation is enriched because you're in it.” – Melonie Parker “If we had representation at parity, across healthcare, education, all of these structures, we would see a huge difference.”- Melonie Parker   About Melonie Parker: Melonie Parker is an HR executive committed to innovative, relevant, and contemporary HR leadership. She is an advocate for change and a passionate thought leader. ​Parker is responsible f​ or advancing Google's employee engagement strategy across Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.​ Additionally, Parker serves as a Minority in Energy Initiative Champion for the Department of Energy. Prior to this role she served as the Vice President of Human Resources & Communications at Sandia National Laboratories. Parker was responsible for the leadership and Labs-wide management of human resources, health, benefits and employee services. She was also responsible for Sandia’s communication efforts, which include planning, strategy, executive communications, media relations, external branding, community affairs and internal communications. Prior to joining Sandia as the VP of HR and Communications, Parker extends expertise from a career spanning over 17 years in a variety of Lockheed Martin business areas, locations, and progressive leadership roles. During her time at Lockheed Martin, she has held responsibility ​for employee relations, staffing, EEO/Affirmative Action, diversity programs, compensation, benefits, and K-12 outreach initiatives. Parker received a B.A. in Mass Communications from Hampton University and an M.A. in Human Resources from Villanova University. She was named the 2016 HR Professional of the Year by the New Mexico Society of Human Resource Management. She was recognized with a Special Recognition Award at the 2014 Women of Color STEM Awards, and in 2012 graduated from Lockheed Martin’s Executive Assessment & Development Program.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melonieparker

Have you ever wondered why some organizations come up with game changing ideas while others struggle? What can leaders do to ignite creativity and spur innovation? What does it take to push for change and stand up for what you believe in? Our guest is award-winning leader and Chief Marketing Officer Lee Ann Daly, who shares how to build great teams and let good work happen. Throughout her career, Lee Ann has been a pioneer, who is not afraid to break rules or take risks. She is a passionate advocate for bold new ideas that excite people and keep brands relevant.  Lee Ann has been a C-suite leader at public and private companies since 1998–including being CMO at ESPN, Thomson Reuters, Game Show Network. Lee Ann has won wide industry recognition from Cannes Lions to being named Top Female Sports Business Executive by Sports Business Journal. Lee Ann is also an investor and advisor to early stage companies and Board director of the EO Wilson Biodiversity Foundation and The Dean’s Advisory Board at IU’s Media School. Visit 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 Lee Ann.   Highlights: [02:15] What drives you [03:30] Lee Ann’s story [08:56] Listen, write, ideate [15:16] Lee Ann’s career journey [25:37] Overcoming self-doubt [30:41] Excelling and demonstrating success [33:58] Creating strong teams [40:37] Driving execution [44:16] Bringing your emotions to work [46:33] Vision for the future [50:19] Advice for success and self-care Quotes: “Being brave is being scared and doing it anyway.” – Lee Ann Daly “Whenever something comes into our consciousness that invites us to take a risk, it's there for a reason, it's coming to us as a gift.” - Lee Ann Daly “Leadership is helping your team understand how they contribute to the overall delivery of the service to the company.” – Lee Ann Daly “Growth is important at every stage of a career.” – Lee Ann Daly “Bring your authentic, separate self to work because it's the only way you'll figure out who you want to become inside the context of business.” – Lee Ann Daly    About Lee Ann Daly: Lee Ann Daly leads business strategy, content creation, marketing and communications for media entertainment, luxury and digital brands. Lee Ann’s aim is to create relevant culture in everything she do.  Lee Ann has been an Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, GM and C-suite leader at public and private companies since 1998. She has won wide industry recognition as well, ranging from Cannes Lions to being named Top Female Sports Business Executive by Sports Business Journal. Lee Ann is an investor and advisor to early stage companies and Board director of the EO Wilson Biodiversity Foundation and The Dean’s Advisory Board at IU’s Media School.   Links: Website: https://leeanndalybio.me/ Podcast website: https://sayitforwardpodcast.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeanndaly/ Facebook: Lee Ann Daly Instagram: @boojumlad Twitter: @LeeAnnDaly  

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