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.

Robin R. Rutledge-Taylor

Through the years, there have been so many times that I’m the ‘only one’ in the room. I stay true to who I am because it gives me the confidence to effectively articulate and express myself while communicating with others in the room. It also gives me comfort knowing that I am good enough as a person, even if I’m by myself in the room. Read more>>

Samiya Tuffaha

Hmm, interesting question. Honestly I found a love in florals that I couldn’t stop ! It came out of nowhere and when I did it was like whatever was missing suddenly was filled. I think success to everyone means differently, I see success as finding a love in your work and putting your personality on it. Some people might take longer than others but that is ok as long as you continue with your goal in life!  Read more>>

Brandy Nicole

Feeling like the only one who looks like you in a room is challenging, but I always remember that your effectiveness isn’t determined by your appearance alone. So I Focus on my skills, knowledge, and unique perspective that i bring to the table. I constantly embrace my individuality and use it as a strength to contribute my insights and ideas confidently. Read more>>

Beth Manning

Being a medical intuitive is an interesting career choice. It’s not the easiest thing to go to a party and introduce myself to new people as a psychic who sees the body like an x-ray! For a long time, I hid the fact that I was psychic. I was terrified of being judged or labeled or asked if I had a 1-900 number. There is so much misinformation out there about psychics. And I didn’t want to be construed as party entertainment.  Read more>>

Zhengyingyue Huang

I often feel like I’m the only one in the room who goes unnoticed. As both an opera singer and music scholar, I’ve attended countless auditions and conferences. While being recognized for my talents should be fulfilling, it often leaves me feeling uneasy, particularly when I realize I’m the lone Asian female present.  Read more>>

Jacqui C. Smith

Navigating social situations can be challenging, especially when you’re the only one who looks like you in the room. When I first moved to Los Angeles over a decade ago, I quickly realized that I stood out in most crowds. As a tall, curvy, brightly dressed, and eccentric Black woman, I had to learn to be comfortable with standing out and embracing my unique qualities. Read more>>

Isoke Springer

When you are the only one in the room, it’s hard not to notice. At first, I think to myself “Wow I’m the only one”. Then , I immediately think “I belong here”. I start to go over the reasons in my head of why it could’ve been me , but then I affirm to myself what an honor it is to be here . I get the opportunity to challenge so many people of a different backgrounds to hold back their prejudice and experience a black womans work in real time. Read more>>

Thomas Snyder

Considering I have been an entrepreneur for 14 years, there is no doubt I have been overlooked and/or have faced rejection. However, I had to learn to be myself while working hard and staying consistent w/ my craft. Since realizing this, there has been less discouragement and the right people/opportunities has gradually been attracting. Read more>>

Rebecca Proenza

When I am the only one in the room, that means there is no one else to help me or to do anything for me. I must do it or it won’t get done. Being on the autism spectrum, that has been the case for me a lot. My parents wanted me to be more independent (since most of the world isn’t kind to people with mental disorders or disabilities), so I learned most of my “do it myself” attitude from them. Read more>>

Shayla Iyana

My favorite quote is by Coco Chanel, which is “in order to be irreplaceable one must be unique”. This quote has became a part of my everyday life. I always make sure that I stand out with everything that I do to eliminate camouflaging with others. Usually, people pay attention to what they aren’t used to. I received a lot of opportunities by just being myself; unique. Read more>>

Laura Benitez

Being the only one in the room who looks like me has been something I’ve struggled with my whole life. Growing up as mixed race – White and Puerto Rican – in the 80’s and 90’s was an isolating experience, and I was constantly asked “What are you?” as if I were an alien! I think the feeling of being othered and being an outsider kept me from pursuing my dream of being a musician and songwriter for a lot of years. Read more>>

E” Ewane Masango”

One word….naïveté. Being naive has helped tremendously. I wouldn’t know that I would be the only one like me until I got there. So many examples of this points to an upbringing in which I learned to make decisions off of intuition and instinct. Read more>>

Leigh Henderson

I learned very early on that I would most likely be the only person in the room that looked like me because I was a 5’11 female in junior school – hard not to stand out! I owe the awkwardness of my childhood a great deal now that I’m an adult because I learned how to be comfortable being different very early. Read more>>

Zhixin (Gloria) Yang

From childhood to adulthood, I have repeatedly experienced situations where I had to adapt to new environments due to frequent school transfers, living on campus, and moving to the United States. As a result, I often found myself navigating new experiences alone, without the presence of my closest companions. Read more>>

Delaney George

Regardless if I am the only one of my culture, background or even field in the room, I find solace in knowing I got to the room from being my authentic self. I got there from doing what felt right to me and being true to myself. My personal “why” or mission, especially for creating my art has always been rooted in expression and that expression is something I need for myself and decide to share with others.  Read more>>

Dominique Christina

Being an only child for 14 years prepares you to face a lot on your own. You learn who you are, what you like and what your don’t like. It takes a surrounding of. supportive and loving individuals. I had to learn that the room could be filled with thousands, but I’m competing against “Me”. Running track prepared me for that mindset. I remind myself that yeah it could be more successful individuals in the room, but with determination and motivation what’s for me is for me. Read more>>

Nina Teapot Owens

When I find myself as the only person in the room who looks like me, I acknowledge the uniqueness of my perspective and lean into the privilege of being different. I understand that my presence can challenge norms and broaden perspectives. In these moments, I embrace the opportunity to both share my insights and learn from others, leveraging diversity as a strength. Read more>>

Amy York

My classic training and education is in construction management. I was literally the only woman on many job sites for most of the years in the field. I went from the bottom to the top (as a woman) pretty quickly. I believe the way I was able to do this was by tapping into the very things that made me different than all the men- my abilites to multitask, to communicate effectively and make decisions. Read more>>

Tony Hale III

Oh absolutely. Despite often entering rooms where few, if any, share my appearance, I experience neither nervousness nor a sense of alienation. My resolve is anchored not in proving my worth to those present, but in honoring my ancestors and those who have sacrificed greatly to secure my place at virtually every table.  Read more>>

April Cole

There was a time when I thought I would never be able to be in a crowd. I was much younger. I had a full-time job in a small home bank. It didn’t require much, repetition was easy. I was friendly, known as the girl with a great smile. The mere thought of being outside of my routine in a room of people was terrifying.  Read more>>

Karen Christians

As Frank Sinatra sang, “I did it my way.” While this method had its ups and downs, in the end (I’m now 70), I just trusted my gut if I had a good idea. Some call me a visionary. I spent my 20s enrolling in several colleges and dropping out, searching for the “thing” I could connect with. The fact I was in Silicon Valley in the early 80s was not lost on me.  Read more>>

Angela Banks

Leaning into authenticity is the best way to feel comfortable in a room where I’m the only one who looks like me. I have to use my voice and advocate for myself in those spaces to feel safe. Read more>>

Val Paulino

As a genderqueer nonbinary latine person, I am almost always the only person in the room with these combined identities. Existing in that space can be uncomfortable. Sometimes being successful at all is out of reach. Read more>>

Masayoshi Haynie

Being in a field where less than 5% of attorneys are black and less than 3% are black men, it’s easy to feel like success and black are just as far apart in life as the words are in the dictionary. However, I find myself being effective by intentionally seeking out mentorship, finding the blueprint I can follow in order to be successful and effective in any and everything I set my mind on to achieve. Read more>>

Rich and Kim Scott

Since becoming business owners over six years ago we have found we are the only one in the room that looks like us. Our story is so different. We were just a couple raising our children, a typical family, and a dream Rich had to own his own business. Read more>>

Tanushree Sen

When I was in high school, my school started a boys’ swim team, without a corresponding girl’s swim team. It was disheartening, but I was passionate about swimming and determined to participate. I decided to attend tryouts for the boys’ swim team, and I made it! Sometimes during a swim meet boys on the opposing team would look at me a bit incredulously, but they shaped up real quick when I handed their asses to them. Read more>>

Yang (Prefer to go by Ulaan) Yu

Hello Team Voyage’s Bold Journey, I’m Ulaan, a fiber artist, photographer, and startup entrepreneur. It’s a privilege to be interviewed by you. As both arts and entrepreneurship demand intense focus and high resilience, being the only one in the room who looks like me has emphasized the importance of self-awareness. Read more>>

Haley Buckalew

There aren’t a lot of people who look like me. I am a whopping 5’3”on a good day and weigh 100 pounds but only after I eat a cheeseburger. Add that to the funky glasses, wild hair and style that screams of times past and some may call it a spectacle. Say what you may but When you are an ant in a world of creatures much larger you learn to become adaptable, resourceful and resilient.  Read more>>