What Rules!?: A career podcast for women of color

And that, Rulebreakers, is a wrap on year number two! We changed our name, launched our YouTube channel, faced our fears, and broke more rules than we even knew existed. Time to look back on all the moments that made 2021 amazing and get hyped for whatever lies ahead because you KNOW it's going to be magical. All we have to do is show up. ––– Episodes mentioned: 33. Chloe Arnold on How Small Acts...

What do you do when the price of staying quiet is too high? Do you assume the risk and say what needs to be said? Or do you soldier on and live to fight another day? For Rose Aviles, the answer is all too clear. In this episode, Alisa and Dr. Merary are joined by Rose, a Community Services Coordinator for Yonkers Public Library, who shares the incredible story of her journey to the top of a LITERA...

If someone handed you a brick and asked you to come back in an hour with a product, what would you make of it? How do you innovate with little more than a single block with which to build? How do you put aside all the rules the world gives you about what's possible and just... create? This week, Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary get deep into the cracks of what it means to be creative and how innovating...

It's been said many times, it's not what you know, it's WHO you know. And that's especially true when you're breaking rules and forging new paths. If you're looking for strategies to advance your career, the people around you are so critical. You've got to squad up to get ahead, that's what we always say (or will from now on). This week, Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary get to know Managing Director of...

Have you ever had so much freedom that you ended up caging yourself in? What if you had the ability to look at an opportunity and change course without hesitation? What rule says you have to do what you thought you had to do? Join Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary as they chat with Vice President of FP&A and Treasury at Parallel, Sandy Li, to break down what happens when seizing an opportunity flood...

Is there any part of your life that comes so naturally, you've totally overlooked the possibility that it could lead to your next big career move? Today, Alisa and Rosa connect with Celebrity Chef Marcela Valladolid about how taking things that are seemingly simple and leveraging them to create an entire career can lead you to success you never thought was possible.  ––– Join our LinkedIn group!...

What if you could look into the future and know for certain you'd end up a success? What risks would you then be willing to take, knowing the "hows" of everything you're working toward? Join Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary as they look closer at the idea of risk-taking and ponder the question "what if the answer was yes?" "If you are conservative about your career over and over again, over the course...

Today we're talking about the idea of being fast to listen, slow to speak. Has there ever been a time when you really nailed that concept? Alisa and Dr. Merary catch up with Managing Director for J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Stephanie Neely, about the idea that when you choose to speak can add volumes to what you have to say. ––– "Be authentic and be comfortable being uncomfortable. But make sure...

Has there ever been a time you knew you were unqualified, but went and did it anyway? Well, according to Forbes Magazine, "you can level up your career by applying to jobs where you meet 50% of the requirements." Assuming that's true, congratulations! You're a rule-breaker, a risk-taker, and you've probably got a story to go with it. Listen as Alisa and Dr. Merary chat with Lake County, Illinois T...

Today we're talking about getting comfortable in our own skin and overcoming self-doubt. Being an outsider doesn't mean you don't belong! Join Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary as they chat with Elizabeth Colón-Rivera, President & CEO of Metaphrasis Language & Cultural Solutions LLC, about how to own your reality by reframing it in a powerful way. Or as she puts it, "You don't have to compete wi...

Stanford psychologist, Carol Dweck, once said: "The fixed mindset makes you concerned with how you’ll be judged; the growth mindset makes you concerned with improving." For multicultural women, adopting this growth mindset is critical to shaping our own success. Listen as Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary discuss what it means to embrace trying as a form of growth. Can we really train our minds to bette...

Has there ever been a time you thought you needed to go it alone, only to discover the beauty of having other people around to see you through it? Hosts Alisa, Rosa, and Dr. Merary are joined this week by Partner and Chief Client Officer for RMB Capital, Michele Francisco, to discuss how breaking the rule that you have to do everything yourself in order to be successful just might have the potenti...

The urge to fit in, especially among colleagues, can be incredibly hard to resist. But there's good reason to believe that taking what others see as a quirk and spinning it as your own personal accent might, in fact, be your greatest gift! This week, Alisa and Dr. Merary chat with 5xminority Founder, Elaine Montilla, about how she took advantage of being a queer Latina in tech and found her place...

At Color Forward, we're always talking about relationships in some capacity, but today we're specifically diving into friendships in the workplace and their essential place in advancing your career. Join Alisa and Rosa as they hear from Diversity Marketer, Shantell Thomas, about all the ways that fraternizing with folks who don't fit your typical friend profile is a rule everyone should learn to b...

Having been raised predominantly by her single mother, Shruti Kothari is no stranger to breaking the rules. Not only has she defied cultural norms to find success in the business world, but she's continually perfected the art of risk-taking by putting herself out there in the name of bettering her community. Listen as Rosa and Alisa catch up with Shruti, Director of Industry Initiatives at Blue Sh...

Since we first launched Color Forward in 2019, we've dedicated ourselves to studying successful women who have overcome cultural barriers, shattered glass ceilings, and mastered the art of resilience. Want to know what these women all have in common? They all excel at breaking the rules. Listen as Rosa, Merary, and Alisa discuss the future of the podcast and what it really means to break rules, bo...

We all know what it feels like to face something so huge, it seems insurmountable. Landing a dream job, saving for a new home, trying to start a family, or just... going back to school. Life's greatest pleasures often seemed locked behind years of struggle and sacrifice. But where there's a will, there's a way... right? Listen as Dr. Merary and Alisa chat with Dr. Shindale Seale about what happens...

When you're starting something new or making a significant change in your life, whether it be a new job, starting a business, standing up for yourself, or even public speaking, fear is inevitable. Listen as Alisa, Rosa, and Merary discuss what they learned from philanthropist and entrepreneur, Perla Tamez, about looking fear right in the eyes and facing it head-on. "When I see fear it's like...

When life happens, it’s hard. Sometimes, many things happen at once and you have to have compassion for yourself and others during those moments. Nasutsa Mabwa, CEO of ServiceMaster Restoration by Simons, is the person to call when the unexpected happens. Listen as she shares how some uncomfortable situations in her past prepared her for the work she does today. "I've learned over time that there'...

"What’s your purpose in life?" is a huge question. In truth, many of us find that the purpose doesn't come until after the plan. For Vanessa Santos, discovering who you really are is the secret sauce to being purposeful. Listen as she shares her experience from upstart pen saleswoman to serial entrepreneur and finding purpose along the way. "Rules only last for a period of time, because the world...

The process of becoming “enough” can be a long journey to finding yourself. Listen as Thelma Haylock shares her journey of accepting and embracing her differences to break the rules by bringing her full self to the table. This episode originally aired on May 1, 2020. —— Join our LinkedIn group! More from Rosa: LinkedIn More from Merary: MerarySimeon.com More from Alisa: The Happy Cactus

Sabina Ewing is inspiring the next generation of Black women in STEM. After moving her family from China back to Pennsylvania, she talks to Rosa, Merary, and Alisa about the future of work and creating a legacy in her career. Now, more than ever is the time for women of color to embrace their identities and unleash their power within. This episode originally aired on August 6, 2020. —— Join our Li...

Imagine founding the world’s largest startup competition for women and technology and still feeling like an imposter. For Leanne Robers, understanding those feelings and learning to overcome them is part of her journey. Listen as she talks with Alisa and Merary about her secrets to opening doors and turning negative thoughts into positive empowerment. This episode originally aired on August 27, 20...

Today we’re talking about making yourself visible in the workplace and proactively taking ownership of your career. Listen as Lucy Park shares how she broke the mold as a Korean woman in the United States by entering into the field of law, lessons she's learned along the way, and why she’s determined to share them with the next generation of women. "There is a difference in managing your care...

Happy International Women’s Day! This week, we’re sharing some of our favorite new and old episodes with rule-breaking strategies on how multicultural women can own their careers and advance in the workplace. —— Join our LinkedIn group! More from Rosa: LinkedIn More from Merary: MerarySimeon.com More from Alisa: The Happy Cactus