Embracing Only: Workplace Culture & Career Development for BIPOC Leaders

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we are doing another real talk and we have some spicy topics to get into. Olivia recently held a workshop with some women leaders who wanted to understand how to win in the workplace. Three themes kept on coming up - getting clarity on what you want, getting comfortable talking about money, and not waiting to be tapped.    Key Discussion Points: 00:57 Finding Alignment: Are you doing what you’re doing because it aligns with your values and goals or are you doing it because other people think you should or someone told you you couldn’t? 07:47 Understanding Your Priorities: Your life should not only be about work. If you find the rest of your life responsibilities are neglected, you are in misalignment. 16:10 Talk About Money: Many women have a fear of money. It is essential to know how much money you need to live your ideal life and not just scrape by. 21:07 Taking Control of Your Goals: Stop waiting to be tapped. Know what you want, drive towards your goals, and take the reins of your career. 24:53 Thriving Despite the Statistics: Stop listening to the statistics telling you that you can’t reach your goals. You can thrive, but you have to be willing to put in the work.   In Summary: Archita and Olivia challenge us to get clarity on what we want, understand our priorities, get comfortable talking about money, and stop waiting to be recognized for our brilliance.   Resources from this episode: Where will you be five years from today? by Kobi Yamada and Dan Zadra   Ready to make a change? → If you are struggling to navigate your corporate career but are ambitious and have goals you want to accomplish quickly, Olivia is the coach for you. She can help you reach your goals.  Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit oliviacream.com. → If you are ready to leave corporate or you want to start a profitable side brilliance but you’re unsure of the next steps, Archita can guide you through a successful transition to entrepreneurship.  Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit architafritz.com.   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms  

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we delve into how being “too emotional” can be your superpower with Rachel Radway, a certified leadership and executive coach, Mastermind facilitator, and author. Highly perceptive individuals often feel like they are crazy, broken, or the only person who feels this way. This is not true, there are so many of us out here, including many incredibly successful women.    Rachel has more than 25 years of leadership experience across tech startups, not-for-profits, and Fortune 500s. She's particularly passionate about helping women leaders who are wired a little differently create the conditions they need to thrive.   Key Discussion Points: 02:33 Exploring High Sensitivity Perception: 30% of people are affected by high sensitivity perception. This comes with its own challenges and superpowers.  08:32 Strategies for Managing Sensory Overload in Our Increasingly Connected Workspaces: While you may not be able to control your environment completely, there are ways you can create conditions for success. 13:55 The Stigma of Being Labeled as Highly Sensitive: Women face so many challenges in the workplace, the last thing they need is another label attached to them that is often associated with weakness. 17:46 Navigating Extreme Self-Expectations: Brain research has shown that the brains of highly sensitive people optimize for successful group outcomes rather than individual outcomes. 23:04 Understanding How Your Brain Works: This work can be intimidating because there are so many deep-seated social expectations of us. The first step is to get support. 29:49 The Power of the Pause: One of the biggest gifts we can give ourselves is to pause before we take action and to start listening to ourselves. 37:34 The Pressure to Be Likable: Likability and authenticity sometimes feel in dissonance with one another. There are ways you can navigate these feelings.   In Summary: If you think you are highly perceptive and you are struggling, Rachel Radway urges you to give yourself grace, reach out for support, listen to your body, and take care of yourself.   Resources from this episode: Perceptive by Rachel Radway (coming summer 2025) Follow Rachel on Linkedin or check out her website.   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we hear from Amal Masri diving into how women of color can thrive in the workplace in spite of the broken rung—the very first step on the career ladder, that promotion from entry-level to manager.    Amal is the visionary force behind Fix the Broken Rung which is on a mission to get one million women of color promoted. Learn more about the mental calculus that women of color need to do to merely exist across intersections, the systemic barriers women of color face in climbing the corporate ladder, and some actionable strategies for overcoming these barriers.   Amal has over 15 years of experience in financial services and a deep commitment to diversity and inclusion. She launched Fix the Broken Rung to address the barriers women of color and immigrants face in advancing to leadership roles. Her initiative is empowering women to break through these obstacles. She's trained over 750  leaders across 10 industries and her expertise is widely published and sought after   Key Discussion Points: 02:50 The Broken Rung: The lack of women in leadership roles is less about the glass ceiling and more because of the broken rung - the very first step on the career ladder in the promotion from entry-level to manager. 04:23 Challenges Women of Color Face as They Gain Power: As women rise on the career ladder, they face higher levels of scrutiny, microaggressions, and social exclusion. Awareness is the first step to addressing this problem. 12:13 Finding Your Agency as a Woman of Color: You always have some degree of agency in any situation and there have never been as many resources and opportunities available for women of color as there are now. 16:36 The Truth About Breaking Barriers: When you break barriers, there is breaking involved and you will get hurt in some way. It is critical to calculate the ROI of the wall you’re breaking through. 20:38 Making Strategic Career Advancements: If you don’t have much influence in your organization, you are unlikely to be successful in making change. Your energy may be better spent focusing on yourself until you reach a greater position of power. 32:54 Understanding Your Value: In a misogynistic and racist system, accurately seeing your value will feel like audacity. 39:16 Writing Your Own Narrative: If you don’t take the time and initiative to write your narrative to position it for your own success, someone else will do it for you and it will not be in your favor.   In Summary: Amal Masri challenges us to take agency for our own journey and be audacious in how much value we place on ourselves. She urges us to get strategic in the workplace and determine what is worth fighting for.   Resources from this episode: Follow Amal on Linkedin or check out her website.   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we’re taking a look back at one of our favorite episodes. Join us as we delve into the importance of self-reflection and understanding diverse perspectives to refine and better workplace dynamics. To do that, we invited Mita Mallik, a renowned corporate leader and best-selling author, her book 'Reimagine Inclusion: Debunking 13 Myths to Transform Your Workplace' is discussed as well as a powerful tool for anyone, particularly those in the HR and DEI space.    Mita shares her personal experiences and insights on overcoming microaggressions, advocating for diverse talent, creating a balance between risk and responsibility when taking a stand, and maintaining personal identity and happiness separate from work.   Key Discussion Points: 05:02 Intent Versus Impact: How leaders and teams can build more cultural intelligence and minimize workplace prejudice 10:00 "Speak Up" Isn't Enough: Questions and reflections to consider if we want to be inclusive leaders 13:27 Asserting Yourself as "An Only:" How can you ensure that regardless of people's intentions (good or bad) your voice gets heard when you're in the room? 21:57 The Concept of Family in The Workplace: How this sometimes well-meaning corporate mindset can do more harm than good – and what we can do about it. 30:49 Assessing Performance And Hiring Diverse Talent: Looking at facts instead of feelings and owning our responsibility as diverse leaders in the corporate space. 41:53 Finding Balance in DEI: How we can spend our resources and efforts more intentionally to get the best results and protect our boundaries.   In Summary: Mita Mallick challenges leaders – especially diverse leaders in corporate spaces –  to create and foster an environment of inclusivity and understanding. One in which everyone's voice can be heard and valued, independently of their gender, ethnicity, background, or personality.   Resources from this episode: Mita’s Book: Reimagine Inclusion: Debunking 13 Myths to Transform Your Workplace Follow Mita on Linkedin and Instagram. Check out Brown Table Talk at browntabletalkpodcast.com Olivia’s book recommendation: Mind Your Mindset   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita and Olivia on Linkedin. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms  

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we delve into navigating career pivots and mastering the art of selling yourself with Adelle Thompson, a career change expert and self-described self-doubt stopper. Discover how you can use your superpower to get what you want and why you need to get comfortable talking about money.   Adelle is a certified life coach with over 12 years of experience in leadership and management. She is also the owner of AT Enrich, where she helps women gain the confidence and tools needed to build a career that they love and that pays them “stupidly well”.   Key Discussion Points: 01:24 Adelle’s Career Pivot: Adelle shares her journey from teaching to recruitment. 06:31 Moving Forward Despite Others Opinions: Many people will have opinions about your transition, but the only one that matters is your own. 15:09 The Catalyst for Change: All change starts with yourself, your vision, and knowing what you want. 24:19 Positioning Yourself for Success: Know what you are good at and use those skills to help you land a job or promotion or negotiate a salary. 33:31 Patterns That Hold Women Back: Women doubt themselves and disqualify themselves before even trying.   In Summary: Adelle Thompson reminds us that selling and negotiating are two skill sets we already have. She challenges us to make the pivot, get comfortable with silence in negotiations, and only listen to the opinions of people who are backing us.   Resources from this episode: Follow Adelle on Linkedin and Instagram or check out her website and podcast.   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we delve into owning your authenticity and making fearless decisions with Kezia Israel, a transformative verbal identity strategist and a celebrated LinkedIn Top Voice in copywriting. Discover why action in the face of fear is an integral component in reaching your goals.   Kezia is the founder of the Verbal Identity Studio, Kizkopop, where she specializes in solving brand messaging and communication challenges for FinTech companies that are passionate about their mission. Her expertise has empowered over 100 brands to craft authentic stories through structured narratives, helping them outshine their competitors.   Key Discussion Points: 02:43 Embracing a Growth Mindset: A growth mindset will help you break down barriers, overcome imposter syndrome, and unlock unlimited potential. 08:39 Overcoming Fear: It’s okay to be fearful, but it’s important to know what you want and continue to move and act in the face of fear. 14:15 Making Your Voice Heard on Social Media: Create content that resonates with you rather than focusing on what others will like, metrics, and the algorithm.  16:23 Navigating Corporate Life as an “Only”: As an “only” in a corporate setting, it can be easy to show up in a way that is not authentic to yourself to fit in with the people around you.  25:50 Navigating Transitions: When you make a big transition, you may feel like you are losing aspects of yourself. Rather, focus on how to reposition these aspects to work for your new venture. 30:02 Clarifying Your Goals: Having clarity, making decisions with confidence, and going after what you want is the only way to move forward.   In Summary: Kezia Israel challenges us to define what we want and go after it even if we feel fear and imposter syndrome. She urges us to show up authentically even in spaces where we may want to hide.   Resources from this episode: Follow Kezia on Linkedin and Instagram or check out her website.   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms  

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we delve into unleashing the full potential of the people you lead with Minette Norman, author of The Boldly Inclusive Leader and The Psychological Safety Playbook. Discover how you are holding yourself back from seizing opportunities, how to take control of your fear, and how to build resilience to stressful situations.   Minette is an award-winning author, speaker, and leadership consultant who previously spent decades leading global technical teams in the Silicon Valley software industry. Minette knows that when groups embrace diversity in all its forms, breakthroughs emerge and innovation escalates.   Key Discussion Points: 01:48 The Insider’s Club: As an “only” it can be hard to find your way into the inner circle where opportunities and visibility are abundant. 08:22 Having the Courage to Seize Opportunities: We are preemptively holding ourselves back from opportunities because of stories we have told ourselves that are not true.  14:01 Overcoming Fear and Shifting the Culture Around Failure: If you want to do something new and innovative and disrupt the norm, there will be failure. 21:45 The Intersection of DEI and Innovation: Diverse teams outperform homogeneous teams ONLY if they are in a culture of inclusion and psychological safety. 25:27 Building Resilience in Stressful Situations: Our body's natural response during stressful moments is fight, flight, or freeze. We need to become aware of how we are reacting as individuals. 32:10 Being Bold: Do not hold back your brilliance from the world but at the same time acknowledge that everyone is learning and is a work in progress. 37:43 Measuring Psychological Safety: There is no use in measuring psychological safety if you are not going to make the behavioral changes afterward.   In Summary: Minette Norman challenges us to create psychologically safe workplaces to help the people we lead reach their full potential. She urges us to embrace failure if we want real innovation.   Resources from this episode: The Boldly Inclusive Leader by Minetter Norman The Psychological Safety Playbook: Lead More Powerfully by Being More Human by Karolin Helbig and Minette Norman Follow Minette on Linkedin or check out her website.   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms  

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we delve into speaking up in the workplace with Animah Kosai, a passionate advocate for ethical leadership, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. Discover the systemic changes needed to allow people to speak up freely in the workplace, how to recognize toxic behaviors within yourself, and the need to simply listen.   Animah has over two decades of experience in the oil and gas industry as an in-house counsel and brings a wealth of practical knowledge to her current role as the founder of Speak Up at Work. Originally from Malaysia, Animah’s global perspective informs her approach to addressing workplace issues across diverse cultural contexts.    Key Discussion Points: 03:01 Speaking Up in the Workplace: There needs to be systemic and cultural changes in the workplace to allow people to feel safe to speak up about misconduct, harassment, and other issues.  08:41 Creating Community: When reporting toxic behavior, people not only need solutions and action, but they need emotional support. 12:47 Self-awareness in the Workplace: Leaders need to be able to recognize toxic behavior in the workplace, especially when they are the ones perpetuating that behavior. 19:47 Disrupting the System: Disrupting the system of oppression in the workplace takes more than just one or two individuals. 28:03 Workplace Marginalization: There is no space for individuals to share their pain in the workplace.  34:01 Decentering Yourself: As leaders, we can create spaces to listen. However, we need to recognize that in the process of listening, we may feel uncomfortable.   In Summary: Animah Kosai challenges us to find communities for psychological safety so we can start to speak up in the workplace. She urges leaders to learn to listen and to create spaces where people feel comfortable to share.   Resources from this episode: Follow Animah on Linkedin or check out her website.   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms  

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we delve into disrupting the status quo with Cindy Gallop, a trailblazing entrepreneur, brand innovator, and advocate for social change. Discover why identifying your core values and beliefs is key to living a much simpler and happier life. We’re also exploring Cindy’s most ambitious project yet, a sex education academy.    Cindy has been described as a woman who will change the way you think about sex and money. She’s the alchemist turning advertising lead into gold and the voice shouting ‘show me the money’ to a VC world that seems to have misplaced its checkbook when it comes to female founders.    Key Discussion Points: 02:44 Walking in Your Authenticity: Being your authentic self is how you are going to attract the network or village you will need along this journey.  05:22 Identifying Your Values: By identifying your values and beliefs, your life will be so much easier. This applies to both individuals and businesses. 11:37 Overcoming Fear by Taking Action: Micro-actions are a way to change behavior from the bottom up. 15:00 Getting Out of Toxic Situations: If you are in situations filled with micro-aggressions, do not stick it out. It is time to pivot. 21:17 Becoming a Role Model: You have a responsibility to become the role model you never had in order to create meaningful change. 30:02 Reinventing Industry Through the Female Lens: If you start your own business, you can design a culture that you want and that others want to work in. 35:37 Make Love Not Porn: Discover Cindy’s groundbreaking social sextech platform and her most ambitious project yet, an academy of sex education.   In Summary: Cindy Gallop challenges us to be our authentic selves so that our village can find us. She urges us to leave toxic situations, pivot, and start our own businesses to create cultures that other people would love to work in.   Resources from this episode: Invest in Make Love Not Porn Follow Cindy on Linkedin or check out her website.   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms  

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we are featuring one of the most impactful moments from episode 44, with guest, Brandi Richard Thompson. Failure is a given in life and Brandi shares how she recovers from it by ignoring the noise, focusing on herself, and prioritizing her happiness.   From a college dropout to a transformational growth strategist, Brandi is the founder of the Operation Growth Institute, a Global Transformational Learning Center where people can accept, heal, grow, and transform into the next iteration of their personal and professional best.   This episode is just a short snippet that highlights the best and most powerful learning moment from a past episode. You can listen to the full episode (filled with more wisdom) here: Episode 44: Start where you are with Coach Brandi Thompson.   Key Discussion Points: 00:58 Recovering from Failure: To recover from failure, take the time to disconnect from others and focus on yourself.  05:21 Ignoring the ‘Noise’: When you’ve fallen off your path, no one can help you but yourself. 07:39 Prioritizing Your Happiness: If you can’t find the time to pursue your passions, you are prioritizing other people’s happiness over your own. 10:18 Finding Yourself Through Meditation: Spending quiet time alone is how you can unpack things in your life and learn how they have shaped you.   In Summary: Brandi Richard Thompson challenges us to not let ourselves be defined by failure, rather if you fail, take the time to look inwards and reevaluate your life and what you can do with what you have.   Resources from this episode: Follow Brandi on Linkedin or check out her website.   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we are featuring one of the most impactful moments from episode 36, with guest, Jessica Doyle-Mekkes. She shares how she empowers women to identify their strengths, speak up, and use their voices effectively to turn their dreams into reality.   Jessica is a professor, researcher, vocal coach, and internationally published writer & speaker in the field of female empowerment & advocacy. She is currently the Head of Musical Theatre at East Carolina University.   This episode is just a short snippet that highlights the best and most powerful learning moment from a past episode. You can listen to the full episode (filled with more wisdom) here: Episode 36: Choose to Challenge with your voice.   Key Discussion Points: 00:58 Identifying Your Strengths: As women, we get into the habit of always needing to work on something but rarely do we stop and acknowledge what we are good at. 03:20 Speaking Up: There is a risk that comes with speaking up. As women, if we challenge the status quo it’s easy to be labeled as ‘difficult’. 07:40 Making Your Dreams a Reality: For Jessica, self-respect is having the courage, confidence, and know-how to speak up and put your dreams out into the world. 08:45 Finding Your Voice: Don’t approach public speaking from a place of fear, rather put in the time and effort to create the muscle memory and mindset needed.   In Summary: Jessica Doyle-Mekkes challenges us to identify our strengths and respect ourselves enough to make our dreams a reality. She urges us to put the time into practicing public speaking so that we can use our voices effectively.   Resources from this episode: Follow Jessica on Linkedin or Instagram or check out her website.   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we delve into a theme that has cropped up in some of our recent episodes. Specifically, what Mary Waweru said in Episode 67 about transitions. It’s so easy to let yourself get pulled down by transitions that are seemingly outside of your control. But it’s time to take control of your fear and become the driver in your life and in your career.   Key Discussion Points: 01:45 You Are the Driver of Your Life: There are so many people going through times of transition right now. Do not let yourself get paralyzed by fear and get stuck in the transition. 07:14 Developing Resilience: We are so afraid of rejection that we may hold ourselves back from opportunities. To counter this we need to develop a resiliency mindset. 14:40 Turn Your Lessons Into Growth: You can complain about your situation as much as you want, but that’s not going to help you grow. What are you going to do about it? 17:39 The Obsession with Being Perfect: We need to unlearn the employee mindset that we were taught at school and home growing up and let go of this obsession we have with being perfect.  24:55 Your Brain Can Be Your Best Friend: We have wired our brains to not want to feel pain, but that is not the mission. The mission is to live the life you want to live which may involve emotional pain, so we need to rewire our brains.   In Summary: Archita and Olivia encourage us to take control of our situation and be the driver of our lives. They highlight that it’s time to stop being afraid of failure and rejection and go after what we want.   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms  

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we’re taking a look back at one of our favorite episodes. Join us as we delve into some leadership lessons with former fighter pilot turned keynote speaker and best-selling author, Kim "KC" Campbell. Discover how you can build trust within your team and lead with courage in times of uncertainty and adversity.   Kim served in the United States Air Force for 24 years as a fighter pilot and a senior military leader. In 2003, Kim was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. As a senior military leader, Kim has led hundreds of airmen both at home and abroad in deployed locations, enabling them to succeed in their missions.  She takes this experience and inspires so many more in corporate spaces to lead with that passion for leadership. She feels strongly that leaders earn trust by leading with courage and connecting with their teams.   Key Discussion Points: 02:59 Do It Scared: Fear is not a negative thing. It is a normal reaction to a stressful circumstance. It’s what you do in the face of fear that matters. 10:21 Preparing for Change: Trust doesn’t happen overnight. As we are facing so many uncertainties right now, it is important to build trust within your team early. 17:48 Building Trust: As a new leader, you can build trust through active listening, seeking input, and showing vulnerability. 22:59 Wingman Culture: We do not succeed on our own, we succeed by working together as a team. Does everyone on your team understand the role that they play and how that role is critical for shared success? 26:36 Setting Yourself Up for Success as a Leader: The leadership role can be lonely. It’s important to have some sort of support, whether that is a mentor, coach, or a trusted member of your team. 30:51 Navigating Failing Forward as an ‘Only’: Everyone makes mistakes, what matters is how you respond to the mistakes you have made. What is your mistake mindset? 40:10 Leading With Courage: If you want to thrive in whatever environment you are in, it comes down to leading with courage and persevering through hard times.   In Summary: Kim "KC" Campbell challenges us to lead with courage, to deliver imperfect action, and to go on and thrive in every single space we occupy. She urges us, as leaders, to create teams built on trust.   Resources from this episode: Follow Kim on Linkedin or check out her website. Flying in the Face of Fear: A Fighter Pilot's Lessons on Leading with Courage by Kim Campbell   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms  

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we delve into taking action to be anti-racist with Mary Waweru, an influential voice who educates professionals on anti-racism, DEI, inclusive communications, social impact, and colonialism. It is not enough to simply be not racist. You need to take action and commit to being anti-racist.   Mary is the CEO and founder of Crest Impact, where she guides organizations to build safe and inclusive cultures, practices, policies, and communications. She has facilitated diversity training workshops and designed and delivered anti-racism and DEI courses online, in-person, and internationally. Her anti-oppression journey started in her homeland of Kenya with gender equity work and the 2015 protests in Nairobi against gender and child-based violence.   Key Discussion Points: 03:48 Building Your Brand: Don’t let your brand be defined by the logo on your business card, rather let your brand be defined by your name so you can lean on it in times of transition. 09:15 Highlighting the Value of Racial Equity: If organizations don’t take anti-racism work seriously, it is going to affect the people within the organization, people externally, and people who want to partner with them. 13:37 Creating Safe Spaces for Conversation: Normalize hard conversations and allow people to be unsure and make mistakes. 18:21 Not Racist vs. Anti-Racist: How does being not racist benefit a society that has issues based on race? It doesn’t. There needs to be action, commitment, and learning.  28:00 Fighting Confirmation Bias: We need to believe how certain groups of people represent themselves rather than how colonialism represents them. 33:54 Learn to Say No: As an individual who does not belong to the global majority, you need to learn to say no when people are making too many accommodations for you.   In Summary: Mary Waweru challenges us to commit to one action today that will further our anti-racism journey. She urges people to adopt an I want to learn attitude and encourages leaders to understand that it is their responsibility to make sure that the people working in their organization are safe.   Resources from this episode: Follow Mary on Linkedin or check out her website. Mary has three anti-racism courses: 1. Introduction to Anti-Racism 2. Anti-Racism for Leaders and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advocates 3. Dismantling Neo-Colonialism in Anti-Oppression Work Find them here.   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the Embracing “Only" podcast, we delve into mastering workplace negotiations with Dorothy Mashburn, a leading authority in negotiation. Discover how you can maximize your leverage and unleash your power, freedom, and true potential. It all starts by dreaming big.   Dorothy has a fervent mission to champion the underserved in corporate arenas, with a track record of negotiating pivotal deals with global giants and managing international teams. Her unique insights empower minorities and women to achieve their career aspirations. She brings that learning and leadership to everyone through her podcast, Salary Negotiations Made Simple. A podcast dedicated to debunking myths surrounding job search, career advancement, and salary negotiation.   Key Discussion Points: 02:48 Negotiating Against Yourself: If you negotiate against yourself, you limit your dreams. Your job is to dream big. 07:45 Changing Negotiation Power Dynamics: Go big and don’t fear the no, it is simply the start of the negotiations. 11:09 Negotiating a Starting Salary: When you are negotiating a starting salary, you have the maximum leverage.  16:49 Asking for a Raise: While it may be limited, you still have leverage because you’re a high performer. Don’t only prepare around performance review season, start preparing now. 21:18 Negotiation Strategies for Minority Women: Minority immigrant women have a lack of social and political capital in the workplace. Dorothy shares a six step strategy for negotiations. 29:37 Forging Alliances as a Leader: Leaders can help move others along their path toward negotiating for themselves and claiming their true value. 33:23 Staying Aligned with Your Values During Negotiations: If you don’t spend time figuring out what you want, you will be unfulfilled no matter what negotiation outcome you receive.   In Summary: Dorothy Mashburn provides us with some actionable techniques that you can put into practice right now to ensure you maximize your leverage and have successful negotiations in the workplace.    Resources from this episode: Some of the websites and tools that Dorothy and Archita mentioned are Payscale, Indeed, Levels FYI, Team Blind, H1B Salary Database, and Fishbowl. Reach out to Dorothy to claim your free 30 minute mini coaching session. Follow her on Linkedin or check out her website and podcast.   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms  

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we delve into leveraging your uniqueness as an “only” for success in professional settings with Lisa Hurley, an entrepreneur, writer, and Anthem award-winning activist. Being an “only” gives you visibility and accessibility. Two things you need for success. Discover how you can flip the narrative of being an “only” and use it to your advantage.   Lisa’s work centers on Black women and encompasses self-care, community care, and Black joy. She is the Founder & CEO of The Great Exhale, an award-winning private membership community that is a soft, safe space for Black women. She is also the Founder of For The Culture And The Coins, a movement dedicated to inspiring Black people to build whole-life wealth. She is known for her warmth, wisdom, and wit.   Key Discussion Points: 04:012 Valuing Work and Compensation: Balancing the need for compensation with opportunities for a broader impact or reaching underserved communities. 10:03 Gender Bias in the Workplace: Women are socialized to prioritize likability and it is contributing to the gender pay gap. 15:14 Surviving and Navigating Corporate America: Corporations will take care of themselves, you have to make sure you are looking out for yourself. 25:31 Empowerment as an “Only”: You can leverage your uniqueness into an advantage despite feeling the weight of being an “only”. 28:17 Representation in Career Success: There is value in being surrounded by people who look like you but it is not a requirement for your success. 34:31 Delay vs. Denial: Whatever you want and whatever is for you in this life will not pass you by. Sometimes a ‘no’ may just mean ‘not now’. 40:01 Authenticity in Social Media: When you put your authentic self out there on social media, like-minded people can find you.   In Summary: Lisa Hurley encourages us to rethink our approach to being an “only” and to use it to our advantage. Utilize this competitive advantage instead of shying away from it.   Resources from this episode: Follow Lisa on Linkedin or check out her website.   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms  

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we delve into cultural intelligence in the workplace with Shiva Roofeh, a self-described organizational justice practitioner and curious rebel. Discover how you can confront prejudice in leadership and uncover your unconscious biases to ultimately make you a better and more just leader. Shiva has been a refugee, an immigrant, and a migrant, and she's lived and worked in six countries across Asia, Europe, and North America. Shiva says that her lived experience is as valuable as her work experience. She leverages both to create mile-deep change and relationships with and for her clients. She's worked with Fortune 500 companies helping leaders be and do better by understanding their systemic collective and individual power so they can use it in service of the greater good.   Key Discussion Points: 06:08 Valuing Lived Experience in Corporate Spaces: Your lived experience is as valuable as your work experience. It provides you with a unique perspective that can inform your work. 10:18 Turning Passion into a Career: Start by examining your life and your resources and take small steps towards your goals. 15:31 White-Passing Privilege: As a white-passing individual, Shiva has come to understand the power and the privilege this gives her in different spaces. 22:30 Confronting Prejudice in Leadership: If a leader truly wants to help their team become as equitable as possible, it has to start with them. 29:05 Recognizing Unconscious Biases: In your journey of discovery, you have a chance to go back and reconcile with pieces of yourself that you can fix and heal to be better for others moving forward. 35:21 Equality, Equity, and Justice: Justice involves addressing systemic inequalities, rather than simply giving everyone resources to reach the same outcome.   In Summary: Shiva Roofeh reminds us that it is an honor and a privilege to lead people and impact their lives. She challenges us to remain curious when doing the work on ourselves even when we are triggered by our learnings.   Resources from this episode: White Supremacy Culture by Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun Follow Shiva on Linkedin or check out her website.   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we delve into embracing the unpredictable nature of life with Rupal Patel, a CIA agent turned CEO. In a world that often forces us to conform, Rupal’s journey of embracing her uniqueness stands out. Rupal shares her insights on owning your weirdness, finding your tribe, and embracing the uncertainties of life.   Rupal’s career is notably defined by her remarkable tenure at the CIA. Her service and dedication were recognized with warzone service medals and a prestigious commendation from the CIA director for her superior support to the President of the United States, highlighting her critical role in shaping national security decisions. She transitioned from her impactful career at the CIA and leveraged her insights and strategic acumen into the business world. And she has founded her first award-winning business.    Key Discussion Points: 02:35 Owning Your Weirdness: The things that make you unique and that you may not like about yourself are things that can empower you. 09:34 Advice for Women Struggling to Fit In: You will find your tribe if you are willing to look, and they may not look like what you expect. 16:41 Commit to the Process, Not the Outcome: If you care enough about something, then you have to commit to the repetition, the tedium, and the trade-offs required to get it.  27:58 Moving Through Fear: Our minds tend to go to the darkest places. Instead of worrying about theoretical situations, concentrate on the facts and the things that you can control. 35:25 The “Let’s See” Approach: Nothing in life is certain or predictable and you never know where your next breakthrough is going to come from. You have to be open and willing to try things. 45:44 Investing Your Time: We only have a certain amount of time on this planet so be intentional and thoughtful with how you spend this precious asset.   In Summary: Rupal Patel reminds us that nothing in this life is certain, but if you enjoy your life experience and work hard to try new things, you never know where those paths will take you.   Resources from this episode: Follow Rupal on LinkedIn or Instagram, or check out her website. From CIA To CEO: Unconventional Life Lessons for Thinking Bigger, Leading Better and Being Bolder by Rupal Patel My Unexpected Discovery About Working at the CIA | Rupal Patel | TEDxManchester   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms  

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we are recapping some of the common themes that have been coming up between our recent guests. In the current political climate, something that continues to come up is being brave, being bold, and stepping out of your comfort zone to create an impact not only on yourself but on the people around you. At the same time, you have to have boundaries in place and honor saying no—so you can embrace saying yes.   Key Discussion Points: 01:24 Who Are You Fighting for? Creating space and opportunities for other people while you are journeying through your own career as a minority. 12:03 Speaking Out and Showing Up: Privilege, its impact on speaking out in the workplace, and showing up the way it best serves you. 18:51 Transforming Companies: It is not your responsibility to do the DEI work at your company. There are other spaces for activism work that can have a much greater impact. 23:58 Prioritizing Rest: Schedule in time for rest and do not attach your worth to your output. When you build rest into your schedule, your productivity increases. 35:13 Dealing with Haters: Every time you are on a path to something big, there will be haters. When you are triggered by haters, you need to turn inward and figure out why it is affecting you.   In Summary: Archita and Oliva encourage us to embrace activism in a way that best serves us. They highlight just how important it is to have boundaries and make time for rest so that what you do say yes to can have the greatest impact.   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the Embracing “Only" podcast, we delve into pursuing the liberation of your time, love, and freedom while achieving moral clarity with Sibil Patri, a dynamic and visionary leader whose career spans over two decades across finance and strategy. Sibil shares her experience of leaving a harmful corporate culture and how you can claim back your power and break generational curses. Sibil’s work focuses on impact-driven coaching, speaking, and collaborating and she uses her 20 years of financial services industry expertise and lived experiences as a POC to create a systematic movement in corporate, non-profit, and academic environments.   Key Discussion Points: 02:39 Liberating the Mind: Recognizing the harm of corporate culture and taking action to prioritize mental and emotional well-being. 09:33 Recharging Your Energy: Rest and alignment are key to unlocking productivity, creativity, motivation, and fulfillment. 15:43 Personal Sacrifices for Pursuing Social Justice: Breaking free from societal norms to advocate for fundamental human rights and dignity. 24:19 Speaking Your Truth: Gaining resilience and clarity through speaking truth to power, despite initial fear and anxiety. 29:33 Unlearning People-Pleasing: Knowing who you are, seeking validation from internal sources, and breaking generational and systematic traumas.  41:19 Prioritizing marginalized groups in leadership development: Helping the most marginalized person on your team is only going to make your whole team stronger.   In Summary: Sibil Patri challenges us to recognize that true liberation comes from belonging to yourself, finding validation from within rather than external sources, and claiming your identity and purpose.   Resources from this episode: Follow Sibil on LinkedIn and Instagram, or check out her website.   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms