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.
Lila McLaughlin
The way to be effective and successful when you’re the only that looks like you in a room, is to understand that everyone has their own unique voice and point of view, so it’s important to contribute your voice to the discussion. Read more>>
Lacie Edwards
This is such a good question because I ask myself this question everyday. How can I show up for myself daily?To be honest it hasn’t always been easy for me to show up for myself. Sometimes I really struggle with fear of being the only one that stands out. Read more>>
Rachel Elnar
I feel most successful when I’m focused on helping others. If I’m the only one in the room who looks like me, I might feel self-conscious or worried about fitting in. But when I shift my focus to helping others, it’s no longer about me—it’s about giving, helping, and empowering those who need it. Read more>>
Aditi Sinha
As an Indian in the big tech marketing (and not software development) space and now an immigrant purpose driven entrepreneur, I have on many occasions been the only one in the room who looks like me. Read more>>
Roshland Hamilton Joshland Wamber
Maintaining a career in corporate America for 20 plus years provided us with the opportunity to discover several skills and qualities. Also being black women in various leadership positions in a major corporation gave us a permanent seat of often times being the only one in the room that looks like us. Read more>>
Tiara Shardé
Growing up, there was always this yearning to see someone who looked like me, someone who could understand me, in the room. I often found myself searching for the dark skinned woman on the TV screen and if I couldn’t locate her, I always wondered why she wasn’t present. Read more>>
Jonathan Herrera
As a first-generation college and master’s student, high school was the first time I experienced being the sole representative of my upbringing in different environments. As a Latino and son of undocumented immigrants, I bring a unique perspective shaped by my cultural diversity and the challenges faced by underresourced communities. Read more>>
Jeannine Davison
As a woman in the field of engineering in the 1980s, I found myself being the only female in the room throughout a lot of my college days and definitely early on in my career. I learned that being genuine and flexible was the way to be effective and even use my differences as an asset. Read more>>
Kobe Morrison
Being a black and also queer performer & creator definitely has it’s challenges as far as feeling like I’m the only person in the room. There are times when I feel alienated from the rest of the group just by the way I talk, or topics I know little to nothing about being brought up in conversations/vice versa, or how I express myself through what I wear/listen to/watch/am inspired by, etc. But the best advice I can give to those who are faced with that is to lean into it more. Read more>>
Micaela Merryman
I feel that this could be considered a trick question. So much of success, in my opinion, comes from being the only one in the room who looks like you. It positions you to surprise others. Although I grew up as a brown woman in predominantly white spaces, I never felt that my race could be a hindrance to my success. I think it is the key. Read more>>
DAYNA
Being yourself can be easy if you let it. You simply just wake up, thank God, and do you. Looking around the room can either be a distraction or an inspiration. One thing about myself is I lean into my authenticity, without being intimidated. Read more>>
Devin Reed
Being the only one in the room that looks like you just is what it is! Once I was able to accept that, not let it make me feel uncomfortable, and most importantly, be confident, that’s when things opened up. Read more>>
Nicolet Severe
You know, it’s interesting because, throughout my career, I’ve often found myself as the only person in the room who looks like me. At first, it felt a bit daunting, but I quickly realized that my unique perspective was my strength. I’ve always been confident in my abilities and what I bring. Read more>>
Tara Wallace
I come from a long line of educators and professionals who were also the only one in the room who looked like them. At the very core of their existence was the understanding that they belonged regardless of any hidden agendas. They survived and thrived on air and opportunity. Read more>>
Miquela Martinez
Life itself presents challenges to each and every one of us that have the gift of life. I like to remind myself and believe that part of this gift is each of us are unique and have a set of gifts we are meant to share with the world. Read more>>
Petty Murphy
I like to read the crowd before I go on stage by mingling with them and having a conversation before I go on stage and then repeat the process with the material and crowd work I do on stage. It’s looks easy but it’s really hard to do but I just always remember that they’re just people like me, I just have the courage to speak with a microphone. Read more>>
Dee Brown
Growing up, I was always a minority but felt comfortable because there were always a few people around who looked like me. However, everything changed when I attended a private university where Black students were few and far between. Read more>>
Daijha Johnson
As a public relations professional and Black woman, I had to quickly learn that sometimes being the only person in the room that looks like me is one of my superpowers. Often, in the Black community, we are conditioned to only see and recognize the disadvantages that come with having melanated skin. Read more>>
Dallen Taylor
I’ve found that embracing my uniqueness and leveraging it to bring a fresh perspective has been key.
I started my production agency Simply Edit Pro when I was 22 years old. I quit my 9-5 job filled with the childlike excitement of starting something of my own. Read more>>
Pamela Jean Noble
I think more than ever I have dived into what matters most and not caring what success looks like in others eyes. When I became a mom I stepped away from acting and modeling. As we grew up I changed the way I do a lot of things and the way I view a lot of things. Read more>>
Liv Talley
Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey for sure — and while it sounds nice to say that you’re doing it all to serve others (and you may be) the real success lies in understanding that you’re doing whatever a version of you needed, now that you know better. Read more>>
Andriana Garbiso
Being one of a kind is a super power… but it didn’t always feel that way. 1980’2 cinema and television put blonde haired, blue eyed, thin persons on a pedestal. It seemed everyone was trying to assimilate. Read more>>
BackstreetswithCo
I have learned that you have to be yourself regardless of what room you are in. People will either adapt or not, I learned not to get caught so much in that because to become succesful you may find yourself in a room where you are the only woman etc. black , gay , Read more>>
Jonisha Garcia
One of the most recent and effective strategies I use when I am in a room full of people that do not look like me, is show up as myself. It is much easier said than done but I have grown to appreciate my unique perspective as a Black, immigrant woman. Read more>>
Tahira Davis
To answer this candidly, first, I must explain my career and entrepreneurial background. I founded my baking company, SweeteeCakes as a side hustle during the pandemic when work was slow and people seemed to need accessible joy which desserts can often provide. Read more>>
