Hi Reader,

For women of color who've achieved top-level leadership positions, the pressure of representation is more than just a metaphor—it's a constant, heavy reality. (And if you're not at that level yet, scroll down, I got something for you all as well.)

With seniority comes a new weight: the burden of being one of the few faces and voices representing your entire gender and race.

This taxing phenomena plays out daily. The awareness that your every move, decision, and opinion will be overly scrutinized and extrapolated as symbolic of an entire group's abilities. The unfair expectations that you'll not only excel while looking amazing but also advocate, mentor, and speak on behalf of all WOCs.

The emotional labor of operating in White-dominant spaces with code-switching precision, lest you confirm "stereotypes" with a single misstep.

It's exhausting.

At the same time, this representative role is also an immense privilege and opportunity. As influential WOC leaders, our words and actions have the power to reshape narratives, break ceilings, and inspire future generations. We can actually leverage our spheres of influence to create systemic change.

So let’s explore the dichotomy of this double-edged sword.

How to bear the representative burden with resilience, while also seizing the platform to be the change we wish to see:

• Maintain Boundaries: Separate yourself from unfair pressures to be a monolithic voice for your race/gender. Establish that you are one individual, not a cultural translator, mediator, or bridge. (And remember, as to that second one, the first negotiation is with yourself.)
• Humanize Your Truth: Share authentic experiences to expand people's understanding of the WOC reality. Use your voice to counteract stereotypes and "single story" narratives.
• Uplift the Collective: Use your position to open doors, advocate for other WOCs, and create pathways and visibility. We rise by lifting others. Plus, can you imagine if those reporting to you were as tenacious, competent, and effective as you were? How incredible and refreshing would that be?! Stack the deck for Future You by building up your team and pipeline of WOC leaders strategically.
• Harness Your Power: Turn this burden of representation into an engine for driving important, lasting change. Use and grow the spotlight on you so you can put vital issues on the agenda.

The road ahead is neither easy nor simple. But you wouldn't be where you are now if you were intending to play small. Make sure you wield this great responsibility with courage and wisdom.

By the way...

If you’ve been subscribed to this newsletter for a while now and haven’t been seeing the wins and results you’ve been looking for, there’s a reason for that.

No newsletter, no post from TikTok / YouTube / LinkedIn University, no one-size-fits-all career advice out there is going to move the needle for you in your career and thought leadership if you’re not also consistently investing your own time, energy, and, yes, money into your own professional and leadership development.

Because what you get out is––and always will be––a function of what you put in.

I'll tell you right now, I am Exhibit A. There's a reason I'm here and have been able to weather alllll the storms of the last 4+ years (just think how many there have been). Meanwhile I've witnessed countless other folks who were around back in 2019 drop out of the game, or teeter on the brink, and it's sobering every time I hear of one.

The reason I––and EC––are still around and transforming lives every single week among our community of 180K+ is because I've been building my own Career Insurance for decades.

Starting back in 2009, I paid for therapy out of my own pocket on a public defender salary with NYC living expenses (and yes, writing those checks each week was painful AF, but that is exactly the point: I made for damn sure I got every cent of value out of that work, always did my "homework," went deeper with the insights and learnings––which is how I'm still, years later, able to win the mind game that WOC leaders have to win day in and day out, at baseline).

Another example: since 2020, I've been steadily paying for business coaching and it has returned massive ROI for me, EC, and, by extension, you. I regularly pay for services like these to support my larger career mission because I know it's a crucial and needed investment in my future and, by function of my mission, the futures of so many other WOCs and POCs.

And let me be clear: I make these strategic decisions and investments while also being subjected to all the shitty things, systems of oppression, unfair expectations placed on WOCs, taxes!, that we are all subject to out of no fault of our own.

But what I know for sure is: to get out of tough times in our careers, leadership, and lives, we can't simply throw up our hands, lock down our wallets, and expect someone––or something––to come and "save" us.

That is a fantasy and a delusion. A dangerous one at that.

It is OUR JOB to move ourselves through and to make sure we invest now, before things get even worse, and then maximize our returns in building that Career Insurance for our own damn selves.

If not, we are putting ourselves in an even worse position the next time:

• layoffs
• reorgs
• attacks on DEI
• economic downturns
• hikes in inflation

happen because more time will have elapsed, more opportunities will have passed us by (without us even knowing, possibly), and the one thing we cannot do is turn back time.

So if you sense that your leadership or career is "off track" or "off target" in some kind of way, it's high time to make a move. Don't just rely on this newsletter, as great as it is.

Invest in the strategic support that you know you've been needing. And if what you're looking for is 1:1 tailored and personalized career guidance that takes into account your reality as a POC, you know the only place to find it:

Future You will thank you.

Investing in our collective future since Day 1,
Cynthia

PS – If you're an executive or senior WOC leader who's serious about increasing her Visibility, strategically building (or growing) her platform and status as a thought or industry leader, I have a very limited number of VIP Day spots open (packages start at $5K and go up from there depending on needs), so hit reply if you're interested in learning more.

For the up-and-coming WOCs

So what do you do if there aren't any WOCs in senior roles at your company, and you're looking for a path to follow? This lack of representation and relatable mentors makes it harder to get guidance, sponsorship, and learn how to navigate corporate politics and potential biases.

Without seeing examples of success that mirror your identity, it can be difficult––even impossible––to envision your own path forward. And having a mentor (even though having sponsors and champions are preferable) who understands the nuances of battling intersectional discrimination and micro-aggressions is invaluable.

One way to bridge the gap? Tap into external professional organizations geared towards developing WOC leaders:

• ​ColorComm (for WOCs in communications/marketing/advertising)
• ​National Association of Black Accountants​
• ​Latinas in STEM​
• ​Ascend (for Pan-Asian leadership)
• ​Professional Alliance for Curators of Color (PACC) (for museum curators)
• ​Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)​

Organizations like these can connect you with accomplished professionals to learn from. You'll find communities of ambitious WOCs or POCs facing similar challenges as well.

Joining an industry or affinity group aligned with your aspirations provides access to role models, mentors, and networking critical for growth. The speaker events, training programs, and opportunity to develop long-lasting relationships with WOCs who've walked the path before you is invaluable.

While the corporate world may still lack representation, these external organizations can empower you with the village and vision needed to architect your own success story. Identify the right group for you and start building those connections today.