What do you do when no one else in the company or the meeting looks like you? We asked entrepreneurs and creatives from across industries and geographies to share their experiences and advice.
Desirie Sykes
As a Black female entrepreneur, my journey in establishing and expanding my business has involved navigating distinctive challenges and seizing unique opportunities. Often finding myself as the sole representation in various settings, I’ve embraced my individual perspective as a valuable asset. By incorporating my identity, I’ve contributed to the diversification of thought, particularly within the realm of therapy for children with special needs. Read more>>
Misha Reed
For most of my life, I have been the only one in the room who looks like me. Growing up, I went to predominately white schools, attended predominately white summer camps, and danced at a a predominately white dance studio. In the 3rd grade, my mother decided to have my shoulder length hair cut into an afro. Read more>>
Ja’el Mendez
Growing up, I was often the only black woman was a lonely feeling, but it taught me to stand out and be confident. When I started working after receiving my Master’s, I was in similar situations. I was often the only black person in the room and sometimes the only woman. It wasn’t very comforting at first, but I quickly learned how to be effective and thrive even when I was the only one who looked like me. Read more>>
ItsGoldenPiece
Embrace the journey of becoming truly comfortable in your own skin. Genuine, confident transcends societal norms, and online validation. It’s cultivated from within. Once you fully understand and embrace your identity and values, you become unshakable, unwavering in your path. This inner strength naturally commands attention, especially when complemented by confidence and fashion, captivating the room effortlessly. Read more>>
DJ Nixon
I became an entrepreneur at 10, so being the only one in the room who looked like me, from both an age and cultural perspective, was intimidating. Yet, over time, I recognized that my unique upbringing and diversity offered a perspective many lacked. This realization empowered me to appreciate the value I bring to every table. Read more>>
Miriam Salgado
Embracing uniqueness and thriving as the only one in the room has been an incredible journey for me. Growing up in Mexico, my diverse background has shaped my perspective and allowed me to bring a rich tapestry of experiences to any environment. Being the only one who looks like me in a room has taught me valuable lessons: Read more>>
Taylor Cheek-Mundy
Being the only one in the room who looks like me has taught me invaluable lessons about resilience, adaptability, and the importance of a strong work ethic. My mother, Leslye, epitomized these qualities as a corporate powerhouse, blazing trails in boardrooms dominated by faces that didn’t mirror hers. Read more>>
Vivienne Aerts
I consider this question to be very important to me because I believe that at some point, everyone experiences a sense of being different from others. This feeling of isolation can be quite profound. For a long time, I struggled with this as well; although I may look similar—especially in the Netherlands, where I’m from—I often felt like an outsider. Read more>>
Elizabeth Gomez
As a creative, I have constantly been in situations where I was the only woman on the team. This was especially true when I moved to L.A. and began working in the music video industry. Usually the only other women were the talent, the stylist or make-up artist, and maybe the set designer. I started off as a Production Assistant who everyone know is the very low low of the set ladder. Read more>>
Perri Haynes
Keeping my eyes and ears wide open has served me well in the sense that the more I observe, listen, and understand the better I can advocate for myself and my work. No one can pull the wool over my eyes or try to take credit for my work! This is especially as a black woman navigating corporate America. It has been instilled in me from a young age, to ‘be diffident to no one’, meaning: don’t be modest or shy due to feeling of a lack of confidence. Read more>>
Keirsten Greggs
I was blessed with the opportunity to follow the example of other Black women, including my mother, who worked effectively and successfully in corporate spaces in which they were the “only one in the room that looks like you”. Growing up, I admired how she advocated for and represented herself within a space that was predominately old money and Black women were viewed as charity cases who needed to be saved and/or just the help. Read more>>
Derae Rai
Being an immigrant WOC in a male dominated field is a unique experience. The same grassroots opportunities to learn and grow are simple not there for women behind the camera as much as there is for men behind the camera. That is why I enjoy working with women and working for women as a cinematographer and storyteller. Read more>>
Shaquana Suggs
“Being the Only One in the Room Isn’t Resilience, It’s Survival.” A meeting to touch base appears on my calendar without any details or I’m pulled aside for a meeting that isn’t on my calendar at all. Almost immediately my legs turn stiff and a sharp pain forms across my back. By the time I’m seated across from a person in a position of power, my fingers are laced tightly, especially if they are White. Read more>>
Alana Pearman
Over time, I have learned that allowing myself to be comfortable being myself – even when I’m the only one in the room who looks (and acts) like me, is a blessing not a curse. This is because, it’s the only way I will draw like-minded people to, well….the “real me.” As a bi-racial woman, there has often been subtle (and not-so-sublte) pressure to fit in to one culture or another. Read more>>
Santrece Roberts
Throughout my career as a Black woman, I have often found myself as the sole representative in the room that looks like me or one of very few. Early on, I recognized that the path to success for me differed somewhat from that of my counterparts. Although being the “only one in the room” might seem like a disadvantage to some people, I’ve come to accept and embrace it. I’ve been acknowledged for my talents, leading to new opportunities. Read more>>
Alex Merritt
From the outset of my engineering journey, I embraced the understanding that diversity was not just a goal but a necessity in the field. This realization came early on as an Emerson scholar, where I learned that my presence was not just welcomed but needed as many organizations like the National Society of Black Engineers – exist to increase the number of Black engineers. Read more>>
Krysta Jones
I am often the only one that looks like me in the room. However I use it to my advantage to connect with those that have open minds and forward thinking attitudes, whether it’s regarding my personal or business life. Read more>>
Sophia Pray
Often I am the only one who looks like me in most situations. Having a very unique style at a very young age has always set me apart from the crowd. It was never something I did for attention, it just always brought me joy wearing things that made me smile. If my parents were to buy me clothing I knew I would only get a few new pieces and I always had to make sure they were special. Read more>>
Anoushka Bhalla
Being the only one in the room as an Indian artist in a field with limited representation for South Asians has taught me to roll with the punches. It’s all about turning challenges into opportunities, leveraging my unique cultural perspective for some fresh insights. I’ve built up a solid support crew in the artistic community, both close to home and globally, and that’s been a game-changer. Read more>>
Pat Bennett
As a highly educated African American woman, with impeccable credentials, I led with a combination of learned confidence, resilience through situations that would break many people and being an excellent communicator. Despite being in far too many situations during my life, where I’ve stood out due to my race and gender, I embraced my unique identity and have used it as a source of strength rather than a limitation. Read more>>
Nicole Hardy
I’ve been in the Tech & Finance space for the last 6+ years and I’m often the only person that looks like me in the room. I remember being in a client meeting with a top investment bank in New York City. The table was decorated with gentlemen that graduated top of their class from the country’s top Ivy League institutions and then there was me- a bald, black, self made Woman who just happened to also be a college drop out. Read more>>
Cynthia Cooper
As a Spiritual Development Life Coach and Author navigating rooms where I’m the sole representation of my background has been a journey of self-discovery and adaptation. In these spaces, I’ve honed the art of humility, entering as a perpetual student, eager to glean insights and understand diverse perspectives. Central to my approach is the unwavering belief that beneath titles and appearances, we’re all fundamentally human. Read more>>
Tahlia L’Oreal
Through my journey of healing and self discovery, I have learned to embody my uniqueness and authenticity. There is no one in the world like me, just like there is no one in the world like you, and that is our superpower! Knowing that alone, gives me the self confidence to navigate any situation. Whether people stare at me because I am the only black woman in the room, my “mystical/witchy” essence or BOTH, I feel that people are drawn to me regardless and I’ve learned to welcome the stares with open arms. Read more>>
PGMaineee
Being the only one that looks like me in the room is how you stand out. You gotta be different to have other people recognize you. I found my way of standing out from other individuals, and you do too. Embrace the thing that makes you different and people really appreciate you for your comfort level with your individuality. Read more>>
Christine Su
On a humid morning this past January, I sat on the edge of a stone wall, facing the Kampong Bay River in the province of Kampot, in southern Cambodia. While an achar chanted, I gently scattered my father’s ashes into the water, followed by petals from pink and white lotus flowers. While I was of course sad at the loss of my father, at that time I felt at peace, knowing I had brought him home after more than 50 years away. Read more>>
Ana Maria Quintero
I have learned to be effective in the room by first listening while everyone in the room speaks and discusses a subject matter, second I think about the subject matter and discussion on my own quietly, and third, if I have something to add I get to the point with my words. By waiting for everyone else to participate first I am being effective with my time and thoughts since most individuals have similar answers for a subject matter being discussed. Read more>>
Kristin McKenzie Rice
From an early age I have always been deeply rooted in my faith, regardless of what I was surrounded by. I innately just knew I was loved and supported even though my family was new to the concept of Church and religion. I found my own morals and set of standards to challenge myself to live by. Read more>>
Antoine Terry
I have worked for over 20 years in the utility industry. It’s well-known within the industry that it’s not a very diverse industry and maybe more so in the state of Kentucky. You can make a good living in this industry and it tends to be a stable career field, so to find something comparable in Louisville, KY has been hard. Read more>>
Alexandria Siah
Coming from a country where success is having a job in a business, medical, or science industry, having a job in the animation industry is a challenge. Neither my family or friends truly know what I do at work, my parents still think i draw each animation frame by frame. It really feels like you’re the only one in the room that looks like you. Read more>>
