Industry Trailblazers Share Pro Tips at ‘Be a Boss’ 2021
‘THE MORE YOU LEAN INTO YOUR AUTHENTICITY … THAT IS WHERE YOU’LL FIND THE SWEETEST REWARD’
It was no holds barred when women professionals joined East Harlem Tutorial Program (EHTP) for our 3rd Annual ‘Be a Boss’ event, a panel discussion and networking session geared toward young women charting their career paths. The event may have gone virtual this year -- but the conversation about achieving one’s goals was very real.
Jennifer Perez-Taveras set the stage by showing that determination pays off -- the EHTP alum recently returned to her homeplace as Managing Director of our after-school and summer programming. She noted that putting herself through school while working full-time wasn’t easy. But “during those times I grounded myself in the values that my mother, my grandmother and my aunts had instilled in me: You never quit. Tu siempre sigue para adelante. I also grounded myself in the people I met at EHTP, who supported me throughout the years, and that really has made all the difference.”
The event, moderated by attorney, author and television host Eboni K. Williams, included a one-hour discussion that touched on everything from tokenism to women competing with each other. “Women-on-women crime in the workplace is the most heartbreaking piece,” said Co-Chair Kate Jhaveri, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of the NBA. “It’s a ladder, and we should be helping each other up that ladder rather than pulling it up behind ourselves.”
Still, the panelists noted, women mentors are plentiful, and made the difference in many of their careers. The panel also talked about unprecedented opportunities for BIPOC women, particularly following the racial awakening that began to take hold in the corporate world following the visibility of #BlackLivesMatter last summer.
“Mindsets are changing, but more importantly, we’re tying our money to equity. And when we tie money and equity together, the world moves,” said Co-Chair Wendy Garcia, Chief Diversity Officer, Office of New York City Comptroller.
Garcia, who went from stifling her Washington Heights accent to embracing it in the workplace, encouraged the young women in the audience to stand firm against the pressures to code-switch. “At the end of the day, there is a reason why you sound the way you sound. … Don’t change your voice for anyone.” She added, “When I gave [that] up, my career really soared.”
Gabrielle Sulzberger, a Board Trustee for the Ford Foundation and several other corporate and non-profit boards, explained, “When you’re not being authentic … that takes a lot of energy. It’s really hard to focus and be effective when you’re also editing [yourself].” Williams concurred: “The more you lean into your authenticity ... that is, I promise you, where you will find the sweetest reward.”
At the end of the day, the panel agreed: The secret to success largely lies in one’s effort. “It doesn’t cost anything to work hard. You don’t need an extra boost, you don’t need an extra degree, just showing up on time and working hard goes a long way,” said Jhaveri. Williams underscored, “Do the work. You don’t have to always be strategizing the big move. You’d be shocked as to who and how many folks are watching, and then you will be presented with incredible opportunities just off of the strength of the work.”
Most of all? Be true to yourself. “Go and find what makes you tick. What you’re good at. What you like doing,” advised Perez-Taveras. “And most importantly, find a network of people who believe in you and will help you through the challenges you will encounter.”
“It starts out with that belief in yourself, said Sulzberger. “And that’s true in the workplace, it’s true in school, college. If you believe in yourself and what you’ve brought, and you’ve brought your best ... that’s something that nobody can take away from you.”