Attending 'She Suite in Color' with ThinkLA

This week I attended ThinkLA’s She Suite in Color event, and it was definitely a great start to my day. It was my first time ever attending a webinar—it was insightful and powerful. The panelists were a range of expert Black women who shared their stories, advice, and knowledge on growing in the industry. They started off with a discussion on dealing with a health pandemic and social injustice. They also talked about the fundamental importance of how to make sure you break the concrete ceiling, and the value of external mentorship, and teaching others. 
 
They touched on how media is constantly changing and the importance of staying educated and taking courses to keep up (it’s a must), and how networking is often overlooked because everyone is so busy, but building relationships with people is a good way to get recognized. 
 
As I was chatting with my colleague Maria Favela after the event, something that really resonated for both of us was a point made by Pauline Malcolm, Head of Advertising Sales, Western Region, at Quibi, which was to think of yourself as a brand and what you want people to say about you when you leave the room. It was about being able to speak up about your accomplishments and not shy away from “the humblebrag” — because you need advisors advocating for you inside and outside of the room, and for that to happen, you need to be bold, know your own value and speak to your own strengths. 
 
I also had the opportunity to ask all three ladies a question about something I’ve often experienced, “ Have you ever found yourself having to ask the same question over and over about inequities and concerns in the workplace or just in general? Women of color don’t get a serious response to our concerns. How can we be taken more seriously as women of color?”