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

One of our core themes is Create What You Want to See. This is nothing new for Krystal Solorzano, Principal of Business Development at 10SB, a global architectural firm. 
Krystal has been charting her own career course since her 20s, from moving solo to South America to embarking on a new adventure in Singapore with her husband.
This fearless Latina shares her insights on why working abroad can be a game-changer and what you need to know before making the move.
“I like to think of myself as a creator,” says Krystal. “I create connections and I create opportunities.”
We also chat about creating community wherever you go, the impact of in-person meetings and the advantage of being the only woman in the room.  
Theme: Create What You Want to See

Episode Highlights:
Creating community at different stages of your lifeMoving abroad to advance your careerThe impact of meeting in person vs virtualHow being the only woman in the room can be a superpower


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We’re celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with Denise Vu Broady, a Vietnamese refugee who has climbed the corporate ladder into the C-suite and is now a mentor to other women in the tech industry.
Denise shares her inspirational story of how she blossomed from an introverted young girl to the outspoken powerhouse she is today as the Chief Marketing Officer at Collibra, a software development company.
We chat about owning your voice in the workplace, learning from failure and how to find the right mentor—and cultivate the relationship. 
“Have a voice, be yourself and think about what you want and ask for it,” says Denise. “You cannot get to professional success without breaking some rules.”
Theme: Own Your Power

Episode Highlights:
Working with different culturesLearning from failureBreaking the rule of being a quiet Asian immigrantAsking for what you wantCultivating relationships with mentors and sponsorsHow to find the right mentorThere’s no such thing as being perfectCareers are marathons, not sprintsEarly career advice

 
Mentioned in this Episode:
Refugee Girl: They called us “The Boat People” by Hang Pham Sonnenberg


Denise’s Bio: 
Denise Vu Broady is the Chief Marketing Officer for Collibra and is responsible for accelerating the company’s marketing strategy, brand recognition, and growth marketing across the globe. 
Denise has 25+ years of enterprise technology experience and has held leadership roles at Appian, WorkForce Software, and SAP, with experience in go-to market, product launches, strategy, marketing, communications, and operations. 
Denise holds a double bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Production & Operations from Virginia Tech.


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Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

If you’re comparing yourself to others, wondering if you should be further along in your career, our guest today shares how to get ahead at your own speed. 
While we’re encouraged to advance as quickly as possible, Paula Ramos, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, at Kimberly-Clark, believes in the opposite. Paula tells us how she has broken the rules by looking at her career as a sailboat and letting her curiosity guide her.
“A sailboat allows me to explore,” says Paula. “And it puts the control on me on how fast I go.” 
Get off the fast lane and sail your way into a rewarding career with Paula’s insight and advice.
Theme: Know What You Want

Episode Highlights:
Looking at your career as a sailboat vs speedboatDetermining how fast you want to go in your careerHow to find variety within your role and companyForging your own path at every stage of your careerThe trap of comparing yourself to othersAre you a knower or a learner?Mentoring, sponsoring and being an example to others

Paula’s Bio: 
Paula Ramos is the Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer for Kimberly-Clark Corporation, where she has global responsibility for the company's enterprise strategy and the transformation initiatives designed to accelerate growth and value creation. 
Paula’s ambition is to fuse commercial instinct, pragmatism, technology and market insight to navigate ambiguity, champion consumer experience, and enable sustainable growth. With empathy, collaboration, and a passion for unlocking human potential, she builds inclusive teams that play to win and leave their mark upon the world.
Prior to joining Kimberly-Clark in 2021, Paula was a partner at McKinsey & Company. In her 18 years at McKinsey, she advised some of the world's largest consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, and pharmaceutical companies on finding new sources of growth, transforming business portfolios, driving commercial and culture transformations, and building lasting competitive advantages. She led the firm's global consumer health practice and played pivotal roles in McKinsey's inclusion and diversity programs.
A native Brazilian, Paula holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Magna Cum Laude high honors degree in Commerce from McGill University. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters.


Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn
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Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

For Women’s History Month, we debunk three myths many multicultural women have about supporting each other in corporate America. 
Do you think you’re only one person and can’t change the status quo? 
Are you afraid to sponsor another woman of color because she may make you look bad? 
Do you believe everyone should pay their dues as they climb the ladder?
These are all myths! Check out how we disprove each and offer ways to help and support each other when we choose community over competition. 
Episode Highlights:
The impact one person make can on another woman’s career and lifeWhat to remember when you have the chance to help someoneEasy ways to support another woman of color NOWWhat your role is (and isn’t) as a sponsor What it means to refer someone The benefits of sponsoring each otherWhy paying our dues hurts all of us

Mentioned in this Episode:
The P.I.E. Theory of Success—Performance, Image, Exposure
2023 Women in the Workplace by McKinsey & Company


Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn
More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn
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More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn
Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.

It’s Black History Month and Meredith Harper is on a mission—to empower women and people of color to embark upon careers in tech. Black, Latina and Native American women make up only 4% of tech roles in the U.S.
Meredith is the Chief Information Security Officer at Synchrony, a Fortune 500 company that is one of the largest issuers of store credit cards in the U.S. She shares how she has often been the only woman of color throughout her 30-year career in tech and how other strong women partnered with her to get ahead.
Tune in for an inspiring conversation with Meredith on how to challenge authority at work so that it benefits you and your company. “It's about being bold and it’s about being noisy,” she says.
Theme: Don’t Do It Alone

Episode Highlights:
What your LinkedIn banner says about youChase after experiences, not rolesIt’s ok to be different Challenging authority at workPushing back benefits everyoneBe bold and noisy to create changeResources to grow your career in tech and other industriesWork integration with your personal lifeInfuse levity into whatever you’re doing

Mentioned in this Episode:
Empowering Black, Latina, and Native American Women in Tech by McKinsey & Company, 8/29/23
ISACA, a global association for professionals in information security, governance, assurance, risk, and privacy and quality. 
ISC2, the world’s leading member association for cybersecurity professionals
SANS, an institute that offers cybersecurity training, certifications and research

Meredith’s Bio: 
Meredith Harper is a strategic leader with 30 years of experience, who is passionate about her greatest assets—her team members. Her success has been attributed to her ability to manage large-scale complex programs that cross functional areas while advancing the skill sets and careers of her team members.
Meredith is passionate about empowering women and people of color to embark upon careers in technology, especially in information security, where those populations are underrepresented. She’s committed to transforming the industry by driving engaging and provocative discussions around diversity, equity, inclusion and empowerment and the value it brings. It is her hope that the industry transforms at a more rapid pace so that women and people of color are normalized in tech and security spaces. 
Meredith is a proud alumna of the University of Detroit Mercy and the Loyola Chicago School of Law where she received a Master’s in Health Services Administration, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems, and Master's of Jurisprudence in Compliance, respectively.

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Let’s advance together in 2024! Today, we chat about lifting others to get ahead collectively with Cindy Tran, Managing Director at Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company.
As an Asian American, Cindy talks about how she was raised to be empathetic with everyone and how it’s helped her advance in her career. 
“That general commitment to adding value and helping others succeed,” says Cindy. “It makes other people want to help you.”
Tune in for how empathy can take you (and others!) far in the workplace. “It’s much more powerful to have others lift you up than for you to get there by yourself,” says Cindy.
Theme: Don’t Do It Alone

Episode Highlights:
Cindy’s TEDx TalkBreaking through cultural barriers at workLearning from white male mentorsRecognizing ego vs humblenessLifting others to get ahead togetherHow empathy impacts companiesLack of empathy between womenFinding people who support youHaving a multicultural woman as a leaderResonating with others while on your journeyHelping others makes people want to help you


Cindy’s Bio: 
Cindy Tran is a Managing Director at Slalom, a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. She has over 20 years of experience in professional services, currently focused on Slalom go-to-market expansion into Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. 
Cindy has a strong commitment to serving customers and enabling teams to achieve strategic outcomes. Cindy is passionate about mentoring early career young professionals and community give-back opportunities.  
Together, Cindy and her husband are raising two young boys and are small business owners.


Mentioned in this episode:
Cindy Tran’s TEDx Talk: Untold Complexities Between 1st and 2nd Generation Immigrants


Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn
More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn
More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn
More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn
Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.