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.
BTH Blaze
Honestly I believe being the only one in the room that looks like me is an advantage. I take pride in proving people wrong time after time and giving my all into my music and entertainment. I may be a phat white guy in an industry that makes it hard for the good guys to win but I can tell you this, just as Jelly Roll did I will go above and beyond everytime to be the best me I can be not only for myself but for the world Read more>>
Lewis Warren Jr.
It is very interesting, because more often than not, I am the only black classical pianist in a whole class or room filled with predominantly international students (Chinese, Korean, Russian etc.) or American (white and/or Hispanic) students. Read more>>
Tanya Ware
Great question. Over the years of being a professional, a business owner, Mentee/Mentor, a Corporate coach to my former staff, an Entrepreneur, a big Sister, a daughter, a niece, an Aunt, a granddaughter and most of all a mother that represents two black men everyday that I breathe on this planet Earth- I learned that all of the representations of Tanya as I just described means I am without a doubt expected to carry myself in such a way that I honestly don’t embarrass nor humiliate myself. Read more>>
Farzad Golpayegani
I grew up in an artistic family and attended art schools, so I was always in touch with other creatives. Still, my art and music style was very different from many others. The surreal and often darker themes of my visual art, and the combination of traditional and heavy metal in my music, felt like they weren’t understood or appreciated much. Read more>>
Dommique Diamond
With the respective industry that I’m in which is the modeling industry in the Detroit area I’ve learned how to be successful in that realm by simply betting on myself and taking a chance and it’s gotten me this far I’d say. Read more>>
Sage Gable
Perception and Confidence. You only get one shot at making a first impression on people and having high energy and confidence in yourself is everything. You also have to be a great question asker. Forcing yourself to ask questions and get out of your comfort zone can open a lot of doors. Read more>>
Kirstan Bilderback
I love this question because this is something I’ve dealt with my whole life. I’ve always stood out or felt a bit different, especially in a room full of people, whether it’s family and friends or strangers. I really struggled with that for a long time; My ideas, how I dress, and my interests are often not of the “majority”. Read more>>
Kaela Robertson
Whenever I’m faced with a situation like this, I’ve chosen to flip the script and allow the perceived adversity to empower me. I understand that I very may well be the only person of my background, upbringing, & even physical appearance! Knowing this, I amplify my voice to bring unique insight & ideas to the group in order to achieve our goals together. Read more>>
Stacy Fatemi
As a trans educator, I’ve mainly been in rooms full of cis people, tasked with getting them all to understand people like me as well as possible in the two hours typically allotted for that. It’s a nerve-wracking experience, to say the least. Read more>>
Anita Idiong
Wow, this is a fantastic question. I would say choosing love and happiness regardless. Remain Calm and Composed always. Get it together. Focus on positive things. You can’t control peoples reaction towards you but you can control how you react towards them. Read more>>
Jon-Mykul Bowen
Very good question! Being from Barbados at the time growing up, being an actor as a full time job was a pipe dream or unrealistic. So I was used to being the only person in spaces – at school, work or otherwise, who fully wanted to pursue acting professionally. Read more>>
Sofiya Bokareva
When I first started in the arts industry in the United States, I often found myself meeting with professionals who were much older than me and did not share my cultural background. This could have made me question my place in the industry, but it didn’t, because it was always a big dream of mine that I couldn’t give up on. Read more>>
Amity Gleason
For many years, I worked in traditionally conservative roles, such as working as an attorney and in operations management. In those environments, my way of succeeding often meant hiding my style and interests, conforming to expectations, and suppressing my style and personality. Read more>>
Trayonna Smith
When I am the only one in the room that looks like me I become very observant. You don’t have much time to do this but you scan the room and read everyones personality. I tend to want to do what they are not doing and that’s how you stand out from all of the others. When I walk in the room I am a black African American female who stands about 5 foot and 2 inches. Read more>>
Mike Halmon
This for me started in life as a child. I’ve been looked at differently, spoken to differently and even treated differently because of the way I look. Which is crazy considering God created us all equally. However, I don’t make the rules but play the game. Read more>>
Nicole Bruno
When I’ve been the only one in the room that looks like me, I’ve learned to be successful by embracing the inherent value of my unique perspective. As an Afro-Latina, my lived experiences and worldview often differ from those around me, and this diversity of thought can profoundly impact a room full of people who look, act, and speak similarly. Read more>>
Khaleel Santiago
Knowing that I am one of one is something that bolsters my confidence to be who I am regardless of any room I walk into. My personal ideology is that everyone is special, or nobody is special. I keep that in mind to remember that every person is unique in their own way and has something to offer, including myself. Regardless of anyones physical appearance. Read more>>
Itto Outini
Well…I’m blind, so I can’t see how anyone looks, whether they’re in the room, outside on the lawn, driving a car, or flying on a plane! I think we all get too hung up worrying about how people look, who looks like whom, who belongs to whose group, when really we should be asking this: What can each of us bring to the table? What can we do together? How can we support each other? Read more>>
Dr. Monee Dulay
Even when I’m the only one in the room that looks like me, I have learned to be effective or successful by simply being myself and speaking my truth. I do not want to be an exact copy of someone else and fully embrace my unique personality. I believe the saying “your vibe attracts your tribe.” I know I will not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that is okay! Read more>>
Jehan Izhar
There is power in being different. It means you have everyone’s attention. Use it wisely. Too many people shrink from this power instead of owning it. If you have everyone’s attention and you DONT direct it, it’s like dead energy in the air; people don’t know how to react to you and things can go anywhere from awkward to feeling ignored or being bullied. Read more>>
Kristin Secor
As someone who was born with a physical disability and mobility problems, I learned at an early age that I was different. Unfortunately, growing up in the 1980’s I also learned that being different wasn’t a good thing. People with disabilities were often sent away to institutions or separate areas. As a result, I tried to hide my differences and just “blend in” as much as possible. I saw my disability as a detriment rather than an asset. Read more>>
Ignazio Monda
In situations when I wanted my voice heard and listened to by people who don’t have the same background and experiences as me, I found that if I could make the argument that I was an integral part of the team that I would gain a certain level of respect that would allow me to share my ideas. Read more>>
Sammani Perera
More often than not, being an immigrant brown woman, I am indeed the only one in the room who is different. I just returned from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN, where I was the only South Asian woman photographer. Even in locations in northern, eastern, and western states, it is very rarely that I would see another like me. Read more>>
