Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tamra Ryan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Tamra, thank you so much for joining us today. There are so many topics we could discuss, but perhaps one of the most relevant is empathy because it’s at the core of great leadership and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your empathy?
Early in my tenure as Women’s Bean Project’s CEO, I was working on the production floor next to one of our program participants. As we were talking, she shared with me her background. She said her mother wasn’t around when she was young, so when she was a teen, she began selling drugs to support herself, her child, and her younger brother. Though I cringe now when I think of it, I asked, “Did you ever think about where those choices would lead you?” I asked this as though she had chosen selling drugs over going to high school prom or whether or not to take an honors class. In answer to my question, she shrugged and smiled in a non-offended way, but it led me to think a lot about the choices one makes in their life. This one interaction was the beginning of helping me realize that we are not all presented with the same choices. Sometimes what might appear from the outside as a bad choice may really be the best of a set of bad choices. Once I began to understand this, my empathy began to blossom.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am the CEO of Women’s Bean Project, an employment social enterprise located in Denver, Colorado. We make a line of food products which we distribute across the US, and we also employ women experiencing chronic unemployment. In this work we help women who may be at their lowest points discover their talents and learn the skills needed to get and keep a career entry-level job. Having the opportunity to watch women blossom is the thrill of a lifetime.
This work led to my side hustle as an author and speaker. I wrote The Third Law, a book that talks about how the women we serve work so hard to change their lives, but experience so many things that push back on that change, from societal barriers to success to their own internal demons. Witnessing these societal barriers motivated me to become the Coors Economic Mobility Fellow for Common Sense Institute, a policy think tank in Colorado. In this role, I have the opportunity to talk about the systemic issues that can get in the way of upward mobility and look at ways we might advocate for change.
More than anything I realize I have been on a leadership journey and have become fascinated with what inspires people to want to follow a leader. My second book, called Followship: How to be a leader worth following will be completed later this year.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. understanding that my job consists of three things: create a vision for the future and enlist people to come along, bring resources into the organization, and help others do their jobs
2. I must resist the temptation to have the answers and instead focus on asking questions
3. people want to be a part of something, feel valued and heard
When one is early in their leadership journey, I believe it is important to realize there is an important transition that must occur. The transition from being a leader of people to a leader of an organization can be challenging. In leading people, one is more focused on technical capabilities and work product.. Leading and organization requires looking up and out at where you are going and enlisting people to come along on the journey. It requires understanding what collective actions help the organization accomplish its vision.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I have become a person who meditates. I have found the practice of mindful meditation has helped me build the ability to quiet my mind when needed. Dan Harris’ book Ten Percent Happier helped me understand that I didn’t need to meditate for hours a day, but that a shorter practice of mindfulness, focusing on my breath and pulling my mind back to my breathing with no judgment when my mind wanders, does wonders for my ability to calm my brain when I feel overwhelmed.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.womensbeanproject.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womensbeanproject/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/womensbeanproject
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/tamraryan
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/tamraryan
- Other: https://vimeo.com/womensbeanproject
Image Credits
Women’s Bean Project
