76: Thoughtful Fearlessness with La-Toya Hackney b Cause Work Doesn't Have to Suck

Exposing your authentic self can be hard, especially at work. But is it even harder for people (especially women) of color? La-Toya Hackney joins the b Cause "couch" to talk about the "thoughtful fearlessness" she used to help her go from being a self-proclaimed nerd from North Phili to becoming the Senior Vice President for a global 500 company. La-Toya shares her journey, including the four very powerful questions she uses to evaluate whether it's time for change or not. "You own your career", she says. And she shows you she's done just that for her own. Erin Hatzikostas meets with her friend La-Toya HAckney, for a discussion on discrimination, determination, and La-Toya's journey in life so far. With an undergraduate degree from Stanford and a Law degree from Harvard, and now entering a job as SVP, General Council and Secretary for Saint-Gobain, La-Toya is a source of authentic inspiration for us all.  Erin introduces La-Toya, her accomplishments, and how they met. Then Erin asks her to describe who young La-Toya was and what she was like. She tells us she was a nerd before it was cool to be a nerd, an only child raised by a single mom, and a Philly girl through and through. Wanting to take a non-traditional path in life, La-Toya planned to overcome the assumptions people might have about her by having a laser focus on her goals - becoming a lawyer and having an education from the top schools in the country. Erin asks La-Toya what it was like to attend Stanford and what she got out of that education. While at Stanford she also did a semester at Howard, and another semester studying at Oxford (all of this by 18 years-old!) La-Toya shares some calming advice that her mom shared with her about being a black woman getting ready to head out into the world. Erin asks La-Toya to share some advice on what she would say to other young, disadvantaged people today who may not be able to get an Ivy League education. LA-Toya would give you the same advice she's giving her daughter: go where you'll feel most nurtured. Not everyone wants or will go to an Ivy League college, so find the right choice for you.  La-Toya then discusses what resources she's giving her daughter to cope with discrimination in the world. She talks about how her daughter's perspective however is different than that of La-Toya's. She's hopeful that her daughter, and other women of color, will have to face less adversity than she did. La-Toya lets us in on her four questions she asks herself when she is accessing her career. Am I learning? Am I growing? Am I contributing? Do I still like the people? If she answer is no to any of these questions, then she knows she has to make an adjustment or change. Erin reflects on when and why people may be saying "no" to these questions, and her own experiences on when some of the answers to hose questions were certainly "no" for her.  Erin asks about La-Toya's husband, how they maintain a marriage and co=parenting as they both work in very demanding jobs and share difficult experiences.  Linkedin: La-Toya Hackney If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Here are some options... Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @   b Cause Podcast Facebook group @   We even sare more crazy stuff here (you probably thought that was impossible). Take our simple, fun and insightful "What Kind of Dog Are You At Work?" by going to   We have so much fun stuff going on...we wouldn't want you to miss out - join the authenticity movement and our community by adding your email just about anywhere @   Check out our blog for more of our no-BS career advice @   We have fun and inspiring t-shirts @ DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsustainable for younger audiences.  Tweetable Comments: "Nerds are cool now. I was a nerd when it was not cool at all." "I'm a Philly girl through and through." "I had a super lazer focus. I know, I