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After spending over two years interviewing multicultural women in the C-suite, entrepreneurs, authors and speakers, we’ve seen a running theme of how women are shattering the glass ceiling and breaking through the concrete ceiling: rule-breaking. But what rules are we talking about and why do they exist? That’s what we explore in the What Rules!? podcast. You’ll learn our six guiding principles for multicultural women looking to outsmart the game to advance their career.
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If you’re comparing yourself to others, wondering if you should be further along in your career, our guest today shares how to get ahead at your own speed. While we’re encouraged to advance as quickly as possible, Paula Ramos, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, at Kimberly-Clark, believes in the opposite. Paula tells us how she has broken t…
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For Women’s History Month, we debunk three myths many multicultural women have about supporting each other in corporate America. Do you think you’re only one person and can’t change the status quo? Are you afraid to sponsor another woman of color because she may make you look bad? Do you believe everyone should pay their dues as they climb the ladd…
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It’s Black History Month and Meredith Harper is on a mission—to empower women and people of color to embark upon careers in tech. Black, Latina and Native American women make up only 4% of tech roles in the U.S. Meredith is the Chief Information Security Officer at Synchrony, a Fortune 500 company that is one of the largest issuers of store credit …
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Let’s advance together in 2024! Today, we chat about lifting others to get ahead collectively with Cindy Tran, Managing Director at Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company. As an Asian American, Cindy talks about how she was raised to be empathetic with everyone and how it’s helped her advance in her career. “That general commit…
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Are you thinking about leaving corporate America? You’re not alone. 1 in 3 women of color currently in the workplace plan to leave their jobs over the next year. We’re here to tell you why multicultural women are needed in corporate America and what it means if more of us decide to leave. Before you choose the path of entrepreneurship or the corpor…
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Are you looking for a mentor? We’ve got a surefire way to get as many mentors as you want, thanks to Shellye Archambeau, a Fortune 500 board director and one of the first Black female CEOs in the tech industry. Shellye learned early in her career that you should have multiple mentors and she figured out how to do that—without asking! And it’s easie…
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We chat with Brianna Hinojosa-Smith, Chief Legal Officer of Digital & Technology for Yum! Brands, the world’s largest restaurant company. Brianna was doing just fine as a senior patent attorney at Microsoft before Yum! Brands came calling (during the pandemic!) with an opportunity to switch to the restaurant industry, a new field for her. “Here I w…
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Where there’s a will, there’s a way. That's the motto that's taken Wendy Wu far—from Microsoft to Google, and now to software developer SailPoint, where she is the Chief Marketing Officer. Wendy believes that “you have to be the owner of your own career,” and that means defining what you want outside of your current role. She tells us about the tim…
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Welcome to the Own Your Power Series! In three short episodes, we’ll help you advance your career as a woman of color. AND we provide leaders with surefire ways to advance the multicultural women at their organizations. In this episode, we show you the first step to owning your power: how to own your identity. Why is this important? “Your identity …
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In Part 2 of our Own Your Power Series, we share how you can leverage your strengths to get ahead in your career. Discovering and growing your strengths is worth it. Research says people who have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs. We offer tools that will help you identify your…
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The #1 question we get from women of color is, how do I find a mentor and sponsor? In Part 3 of our Own Your Power Series, we reveal why you need both. “If you’re not sure what you want to do, go to a mentor,” says co-host Alisa Manjarrez. “As soon as you know, go to a sponsor.” We tell you how to find a mentor who you can trust and is a good fit f…
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Shiseido exec Agnes Landau has an accent and speaks with her hands—two things she tried to tone down at the start of her career. Not anymore! Today, Agnes is the Chief Marketing Officer at Shiseido U.S. and she credits her differences for standing out and getting ahead in the workplace. “Because I have an accent, people listen more closely,” says A…
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When others see potential in you and offer you opportunities, take them even when you’re scared. It’s paid off for Cartier exec Erica Lovett. At age 32, Erica is the first DE&I leader at Cartier, the global luxury jewelry company. She shares how she’s followed her instinct to create her own career path to become the Head of Diversity & Inclusion at…
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Learn how to build a community that will open doors and grow your career, thanks to Ivonne Valdes, Chief Channel Officer at Sorenson Communications. Cuban American Ivonne shares how everyone around her, from neighbors to recruiters, have contributed to her career success. She has secured mentors and sponsors at every job and she has built an adviso…
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Get ready for a deep dive into vulnerability with Mimi Park, a Field Chief Technology Officer at Databricks. Mimi grew up in Korea, where she “essentially didn’t have a voice,” she tells us. So when she started her career in the U.S., “I wanted to be like everyone else, but me.” Thanks to a personality assessment, Mimi learned it was ok to be herse…
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What’s more badass than talking about money? Although most of us cringe at the thought of sharing our salary with others, Slack exec Rukmini Reddy believes it’s one of the best ways to advance your career. As the SVP of Engineering, Platform at Slack, Rukmini tells us about the “network of incredible women” in her industry, who are open about shari…
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Did you know there could be one million more women in management in corporate America if the “broken rung” was fixed? The broken rung, the biggest hurdle multicultural women face climbing the corporate ladder, is a systemic issue. That’s why we’re covering what organizations can do to fix it in our last episode of our Broken Rung series. We talk ab…
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Do you avoid discomfort at work? Human Resources exec Lashanna “Sha” Farley reveals why feeling uncomfortable is, actually, good for your career. We chat with Sha about her career pivot to non-profit after working in corporate America for 20+ years at some of the biggest companies, including Walmart, Pfizer and Sam’s Club. Sha tells us about the to…
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Multicultural women are often “double onlys” in the workplace, meaning they are the only woman AND person of color in the room. This burden is mainly due to the “broken rung.” In our special three-part series, we've been tackling how managers, employees and organizations can fix the “broken rung,” the biggest obstacle that prevents women from climb…
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Want to slay your next work meeting? Monique Lanaux, Chief Talent & Diversity Officer at Albertsons Companies, shares what you can do before, during and after a meeting to be seen and be heard—and get ahead. “Meetings are like a sport,” says Monique, who’s Caribbean American. “So, you have to start strong and finish strong.” We also chat about the …
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Women face their biggest hurdle to becoming leaders at the very first step up the corporate ladder. Known as the “broken rung,” this obstacle prevents women from reaching even the most entry-level management roles. Worse yet, it disproportionately affects multicultural women. In a special three-part series, we tackle how managers, employees and org…
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It’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and we are happy to chat with Thear Suzuki, Global Client Service Partner at EY, one of the largest professional services networks in the world. Ten years ago, Thear started her transformation from living in “survival mode” as a refugee from Cambodia and having “this limiting belief that I was…
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"Jefa" means boss in Spanish and today, we chat with Viviana Maldonado, creator of The Jefa Life, a platform that encourages Latinas to be the boss of their careers and lives. Viviana recalls the big bold move she made when she left her Nebraska home to go to college, leaving her family behind. She then moved to Los Angeles by herself and built rel…
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Ask yourself this question the next time someone says you can't do something: Is this a roadblock? "We are all wired to just do what we're told, but sometimes, we need to think about who's making those rules," says Nicole Todd, Vice President of Human Resources for Blackstone, one of the largest private equity firms in the world. Nicole, a Black Am…
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Get the inside scoop on how multicultural women leaders are strategic with their next career move from executive coach Kanchan Prinsloo, CEO of KaPri Consulting. As a South Asian woman, Kanchan explains how your culture, like being raised by immigrants, is an advantage that can help you change course quicker with your career and without hesitation.…
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Coca-Cola Company SVP Tanika Cabral shares how her motto, “Learn, Lead, create a Legacy and Leave,” can help you advance your career. Tanika, a Black executive who grew up in a Brooklyn housing project, has climbed the ladder to become Senior Vice President of Customer Leadership at The Coca-Cola Company. She reminds us that part of knowing what yo…
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We're back with a new season and new co-host! Join us as we welcome Courtney Copelin, an accountability and mindset coach, to the What Rules!? podcast. Using her psychology background, Courtney will bring a wellness perspective to each episode to help you speak, lead and execute better in your career. She'll also ask the bold questions you want to …
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Get ready for a new season of brave chats and amazing advice on how to outsmart the game to advance your career from top multicultural executives at some of the biggest companies in the U.S. Connect with us on our social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Join our LinkedIn community where we discuss rule-breaking strategies for multic…
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While we work on our re-launch (coming soon!), catch up with us in this special episode. Hosts Alisa Manjarrez and Dr. Merary Simeon chat about the rules they're breaking lately and Dr. Merary's new book! Keep up with What Rules!? on our social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Join our LinkedIn community where we discuss rule-break…
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It's our 2022 Summer Series finale, yay! As we gear up for a new season of empowering stories, we thought it best to send our summer off with a look back at what we've learned along the way. As much as we'd all like to forget it, reflecting on the past is essential to planning our future. Listen as Alisa, Rosa, and Merary wrap the year (originally …
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Next up in our 2022 Summer Series is an amazing conversation we had early last year with Nadia De Ala. Have you ever felt that being a woman of color has prevented you from getting paid what you're worth? That feeling is exactly why leadership and negotiation coach, Nadia De Ala, has made it her life's mission to get women of color hella rich. List…
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Part 2 of our Summer Series is an amazing conversation with Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary about working with what you've got to create what you want to see in the world. Enjoy! ——— If someone handed you a brick and asked you to come back in an hour with a product, what would you make of it? How do you innovate with little more than a single block wit…
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Hello, Rulebreakers! We're hard at work behind the scenes on some new ideas for Color Forward and that means looking back at some of our favorite moments from the past two years. In lieu of new content, we thought we'd share those moments with all of you, along with our thoughts about why these conversations still resonate so much. If you missed th…
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What happens when the story being told is not your own? When the advice being given is not only unhelpful but dangerous? Join Rosa, Alisa, and Dr. Merary this week as they discuss the issue of advice that misses the mark on intersectionality with Dr. Carey Yazeed. Dr. Carey Yazeed’s viral blog post, “The Dangers of Courage Culture and Why Brene Bro…
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We're back with another round of insights on owning your achievements. It's SO important that we couldn't fit it all into a single episode. Listen as Rosa and Dr. Merary chat with Head of Federal Government Business for Siemens, Brandy Gonzales Henson, about owning the narrative on your achievements. If you don't do it, no one else will. "I don't l…
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Working toward a goal is important, but what happens when you reach that goal is equally important! Stopping to reflect on our achievements gives us an opportunity to really see how brightly we are shining. In this episode, Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary spend time reflecting on their greatest achievements and discuss why taking a moment to cheer your…
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It’s International Women’s Day! Alisa and Dr. Merary are joined by return guest, CEO and Strategic Advisor Vanessa Santos, to discuss how breaking the rules can help pave the road to living an intentional life. “I am like an abstract painting. Not everyone gets me, but once they do, they can totally see my beauty. They see my worth and I can live i…
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“Intersectionality”, coined by professor Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, refers to the ways all aspects of our identity intersect and interact. Join the whole What Rules team as they dive into what intersectionality means to them and how understanding your unique identities can help create opportunities for yourself and your community. “Take a look at y…
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We’re paving our own way, we’re breaking the rules... but what about finances? Isn't it time to start demystifying the financial landscape of entrepreneurship and to shake up untrue beliefs about debt financing? In this episode, Alisa and Dr. Merary are joined by Virtual CFO and CPA, Christina Sjahli who breaks down financial topics from borrowing …
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So often we are taught that life is the main road, with little room for detours. This can really get us stuck living a life we think we should be living versus a life of unique fulfillment and curiosity. So how can we do the work of building confidence to pursue more? How can we build a life that is an authentic representation of all the things we …
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Rose Aviles returns to the show for an update on the mess she was dealing with back in episode 54. Spoiler... it's still messy but she's still amazing. ––– Join our LinkedIn group! More from Rose Aviles: LinkedIn More from Rosa Santos: LinkedIn More from Dr. Merary Simeon: MerarySimeon.com More from Alisa Manjarrez: The Happy Cactus Get transcripts…
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Our obsession with rule-breaking is nothing new. Before podcasting was even a thing, we were out there breaking rules to get ahead in our careers, breaking rules that stemmed from our past, breaking rules that others had for us, and we're finally here. We're rule-breakers... and so are you. So... what's next? As we move into a new year full of brok…
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And that, Rulebreakers, is a wrap on year number two! We changed our name, launched our YouTube channel, faced our fears, and broke more rules than we even knew existed. Time to look back on all the moments that made 2021 amazing and get hyped for whatever lies ahead because you KNOW it's going to be magical. All we have to do is show up. ––– Episo…
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What do you do when the price of staying quiet is too high? Do you assume the risk and say what needs to be said? Or do you soldier on and live to fight another day? For Rose Aviles, the answer is all too clear. In this episode, Alisa and Dr. Merary are joined by Rose, a Community Services Coordinator for Yonkers Public Library, who shares the incr…
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If someone handed you a brick and asked you to come back in an hour with a product, what would you make of it? How do you innovate with little more than a single block with which to build? How do you put aside all the rules the world gives you about what's possible and just... create? This week, Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary get deep into the cracks …
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It's been said many times, it's not what you know, it's WHO you know. And that's especially true when you're breaking rules and forging new paths. If you're looking for strategies to advance your career, the people around you are so critical. You've got to squad up to get ahead, that's what we always say (or will from now on). This week, Alisa, Ros…
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Have you ever had so much freedom that you ended up caging yourself in? What if you had the ability to look at an opportunity and change course without hesitation? What rule says you have to do what you thought you had to do? Join Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary as they chat with Vice President of FP&A and Treasury at Parallel, Sandy Li, to break down …
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Is there any part of your life that comes so naturally, you've totally overlooked the possibility that it could lead to your next big career move? Today, Alisa and Rosa connect with Celebrity Chef Marcela Valladolid about how taking things that are seemingly simple and leveraging them to create an entire career can lead you to success you never tho…
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What if you could look into the future and know for certain you'd end up a success? What risks would you then be willing to take, knowing the "hows" of everything you're working toward? Join Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary as they look closer at the idea of risk-taking and ponder the question "what if the answer was yes?" "If you are conservative about…
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Today we're talking about the idea of being fast to listen, slow to speak. Has there ever been a time when you really nailed that concept? Alisa and Dr. Merary catch up with Managing Director for J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Stephanie Neely, about the idea that when you choose to speak can add volumes to what you have to say. ––– "Be authentic and…
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