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.
Gabriella Batel
You see that square brown necklace I’m wearing in all my pictures? Generally, I’m the only one in the room wearing it. It’s a scapular: I’m Catholic—and how many of us have you heard of writing thrillers and dark fantasy? Or, better yet, how many thrillers or dark fantasies have you read where the main character is Catholic (and not completely awful)?
As a teenager, I wanted books about people like me, but they just weren’t out there, at least not where I could find any. So, I decided I would write them. Eventually, that little seed of an idea was bursting out of every piece of me. Read more>>
Renae Sams
I have learned that to be the most effective and successful in these cases is that I continue showing up despite fighting those inner insecurities that remind me I may be the minority in the room. Whether it’s being a woman in an industry where we are often underrepresented or being the minority in the room in terms of race, I choose to let my work performance, how I uphold my values, and how I treat others speak for itself. It has taken some time to grow in this and fully accept that there may always be people that make assumptions of my capabilities based on how I look, but I’ve learned that I can continue to focus on how I will succeed anyway – and that is because my sense of success and happiness is in my eyes, not in the eyes of what that person thinks my success should be. Read more>>
Damon Brooks
Being the only one in the room isn’t new to me—it’s actually been a key part of my journey. I was the first in my family to graduate college, and I’ve lived in places like Utah and Denver, where there isn’t much diversity in the field. This has pushed me to not just take up space, but really make a mark.
I find a lot of inspiration in the stories of visionary founders—people like Sam Walton, Jeff Bezos, and Sol Price. These folks didn’t just start companies; they changed the game, coming from humble beginnings to lead some of the biggest companies in the world. Their resilience and vision really motivate me. Read more>>
Sunny Gravely Foushee
As an African American women in the non profit world in North Carolina, my parents and education has been instrumental in teaching me how to be an effective and successful leader. My father was the First African American architect in Greensboro and my mom has been a chemistry professor at NC A&T over 50 years. They have been role models and taught me through words and actionso to be persistent and not take no for an answer. As a graduate of Howard University, I was taught the history and greatness of my ancestors and my role in continuing that legacy. I am very passionate about the community and helping others who have less resources than me. This knowledge and pride allows me to always be myself when I walk in a room. It also allows me to understand my purpose and serve that purpose. Read more>>
