Being Effective Even When No One Else is Like You

Inevitably you will find yourself in a room where no one else is like you. They might not look like you, speak like you, pray or love like you or think like you. Managing to be effective in all contexts is an essential part of your journey towards reaching your full potential and so we asked some brilliant members of the community to share their stories and advice.

Elizabeth Leitzke

For artists, including myself, imposter syndrome, or the feeling of doubt in relation to one’s skills, talents or accomplishments, is a pretty common barrier to overcome. If you add to that being a minority in the field, that hurdle is even bigger. This is where mindset becomes vitally important. I believe that a healthy mindset plays a big role in my success in so many ways, but when it comes to being the only person in a room that looks a certain way (for me, being a black woman) I believe that it is that much more important. Read more>>

Tovey Blake

To best answer this question, I need to start from the beginning. I grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I spent more than half of my elementary stint being the only black kid in the class. It was only when I moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada in my pre-teens that I experienced seeing people who looked like me in the school system. In my friend group we were our version of United Colors of Benetton (I am probably aging myself, lol ). I still have some great friends to this day. In retrospect, it truly was a beautiful time. Read more>>

Young Viridii

My position as a music artist is somewhat unique. I’m a songwriter, producer, and vocalist living in Kansas City, US. Living in the Midwest has made me look elsewhere to find collaboration, and I’ve found it where we see pretty much everything nowadays: online. One of my first collaborations was a demo track by a producer from India named “lama” in a random email. I had gotten instrumental tracks sent to me before, but I truly wasn’t prepared for the masterful production I heard when I clicked play. Read more>>

Dr. Monique Ekundayo

Being the “only one” in the room is an aspect of life I’ve become accustomed to, and I did so at an early age. I am a black female from southern California, so this fun fact alone creates an illustrative baseline that paints the picture for the landscape that, per my demographic, by default, sets an “only one” in the room stage. Read more>>

Ashley Cole

Being open. It is that simple. I am open to hearing how others got to where they are in their journey. With openness comes curiosity. I have a passion for learning and understanding people that allows me to connect and relate quickly. The feeling of being the only one in the room who looks like me does not affect my eagerness to be open and curious. Whether I am in a room with people 20 years older than me or 20 years younger, there is always something for me to learn. Read more>>

Cerece Rennie Murphy

Honestly, I never think about being “the only one” in a room. I grew up in Washington, DC at a time when it was 65%-70% African American. Being Black was so normal, I didn’t even know that I was supposed to feel self-conscious about it. Of course, as a child there were times when I was in rooms where I was the only one, but I knew that was just a temporary state. I was surrounded by my community in almost every facet of my life so the “only one” status was contained to that room or that place, it was never my overarching reality. Read more>>

Sarah Iverson

As a Black Woman Entrepreneur in Colorado, I am often the only one in the room, unless that room was specifically created for people like me. What I have realized is that since the attention is already on me, I have leverage to make a lasting impression. With that, I show up as authentically as possible because watering myself down is only a disservice to me.  Read more>>

Ric Dragon

The phrase “neuro-divergent” is often used around here. Perhaps it begs the question of what is normal, or if even such a thing exists! But if we work from the position that there is NOT a normal, that we are all different in our ways of perception, of self-motivation, self-authoring, then we’re less apt to be comparing ourselves with one another. Read more>>

Andres Tapia

I always give it my 100 percent in every show i do, i try to read the room and make sure everyone is enjoy their time. Read more>>

Shawn Ewashko

In situations where I find myself as the only person in the room with a unique appearance, I’ve learned to leverage my individuality as a strength rather than a challenge. First and foremost, I embrace my unique qualities with confidence, recognizing that diversity of thought and background can contribute significantly to the team. Read more>>

Ellisa Brown

Being the “only one” is always a lonely space. Many family members, friends, co-workers, and well-meaning HR representatives will do their best to make spaces inclusive. Still, outside of bringing in more people who share your experience and look like you, there is very little that can be done to make most environments more inviting. Read more>>

Brian Vu

When I first started my career I didn’t see many faces like me within the photography community. I realized over time that this was the best way to carve out my own path. I believe standing out instead of trying to fit in with everyone worked. Read more>>

Kristine Mannino

I think everyones version of success can vary, but for me, it was developing a system to address my clients pain points and needs in a very niche market. Mobile bartending is a luxury, it’s not something you have to have. However, marketing our business toward the client who values their time and energy over a few extra dollars has been effective. For example, if our client is the CEO of their own business, he has a lot on his plate on any given day, so instead of him adding more to it having to go to the store to buy fruit and mixers and syrups, etc. for his party later, part of our business is that we will do all of that for you – we’re going to bring everything you need for a great bar experience for X amount of dollars. Read more>>

Alexaundria Groves

I have learned to adapt to various environments where I might be the only one who looks like me. I do this by making the uncomfortable feel comfortable. I extend myself more than usual, engage in meaningful conversations, and do not try to fit into any specific mold. I have realized over the years that my happiness must be a priority as a form of self-care. I respect myself enough to try new things and meet new people. Read more>>

Ray Mitchell Jr.

My mother wasn’t able to finish high school because she had me and my brothers as a teenager. However, I have witnessed her overcome insurmountable odds to build a career in human resources. She achieved this through hard work, adapting to changes in technology, and developing valuable skills. Through her, I have learned that two things can always help me overcome any disadvantages I may encounter: skill and adaptability. Read more>>

Destiny Roxas

I love this question. As a multi-racial woman that grew up in an area of limited diversity, I have always “stuck out”. My mom and I are tribal members – she was born in Ketchikan, Alaska and we are part of the traditionally matrilineal Tlingit tribe. Her father was from the Philippines, so on my mom’s side I’m a blend of both cultures. My dad was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and is African American with bloodlines that go back to Nigeria. Read more>>

Eri Chikusa

Being a short asian person in the entertainment world is easy all the time. I am a dancer/choreographer/performer/artist from Japan, living in Los Angeles California as a working professional. I moved to the states in 2016 till 2020, moved back to Japan for getting an artist visa, got back to the states as a working dancer in 2022. I was spoiled to be honest till that point because the dance community I was a part of was mostly Asian community. Read more>>

Claire Candy Hough

21 years ago, before I had my transformative spiritual awakening through my angelic Walk-In experience, I could not comprehend the depth and hidden treasure of my authentic, singular being and my unique abilities. In fact, I could not fathom how being ‘different’ was my secret weapon to not only to succeed but how to thrive in all areas of my life.  Read more>>