“Don’t try this at home,” said a senior executive who, infuriated with the way her boss was handling a work issue, stormed out of his office, turning off his lights and closing his door behind her. The audience roared with laughter as she relayed her tale. In hindsight, the executive could also sheepishly chuckle. But more than offering some levity during one of the executive leadership workshops at the 2nd annual Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit, hosted by State Farm, the story resonated with many women in attendance who often feel stuck, challenged, and–in many cases– alone in pursuit of their career goals.
“African American women are sometimes [as] isolated in our day-to-day businesses as anybody in corporate America,” remarks Paula Madison. A WPS Advisory Board member, Madison is KNBC president and general manager, regional general manager for NBC/Telemundo in Los Angeles, and NBC Universal executive vice president for diversity. “The difference for us is that we don’t always have a place we can go–a sort of safe haven–ask questions, share thoughts, talk about experiences, and seek guidance.”
In fact, as 700 women packed the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa this February, more than 50 moderators and panelists, who hold a variety of senior positions in numerous industries, offered them professional, strategic advice for advancing their careers. “For me, it’s been an opportunity to be supported and held up by other beautiful black women who are letting me know that they understand my struggle and where I’ve been to get where I am today,” says session panelist Gwendolyn Sykes, CFO for NASA. “I experienced so much personal joy from being a part of Women of Power [in 2005] that I made it a priority to bring my sister from Alaska here with me [this time] so she could experience this also. Now she’s more motivated, more inclined [to pursue her goals,] and I think this opportunity has given her the strength and tenacity to go forward.” Sessions included tactics on how to raise your personal profile, how to leverage your status as a woman of color, how to negotiate effectively, how to develop a mutually productive relationship with your boss, and how to play and win at the corporate game.
“We’ve been learning how to play games since we were kids,” offers Jenny Alonzo, a session moderator and senior vice president of multicultural strategies and initiatives for Lifetime Entertainment Services. Alonzo is also a WPS Advisory Board member. “It’s just that the games get a lot more sophisticated. The rules of the game are constantly changing, so we need to be vigilant
of those changes.” Other expert voices included Adriane M. Brown, president & CEO of Honeywell Transportation Systems; Olivia Smashum, executive vice president, affiliate marketing for Home Box Office; Candace Matthews, president of the consumer products division for Soft Sheen-Carson; Claudette D. Hunter, senior director of quality assurance for Abercrombie & Fitch; Joi Gordon, CEO of Dress for Success Worldwide; Adrian E. Bracy, vice president of finance for the St. Louis Rams; and Bonita Coleman Stewart, vertical markets director of automotive for Google Inc.“Pushing your boundaries, taking yourself out of your comfort zone, accepting fear, and taking risks are signs of personal and professional growth,” stresses panelist Amy DuBois Barnett, author of Get Yours! The Girlfriend’s Guide to Having Everything You Ever Dreamed of and More (Broadway; $22.95). “It really means that you are pushing yourself toward everything you are meant to be, that you are realizing your full potential.”
Inspiring keynote messages came from Ruth Simmons, president of Brown University, who encouraged women not to be defined by anyone else’s standards, and from Robin Smith, author, psychologist, and regular contributor to The Oprah Winfrey Show, who urged women to reorganize their lives under “new management.”
“There’s a whole piece of emotional and spiritual wholeness that I feel is missing and it’s our birthright,” offers the
author of Lies at the Altar: The Truth about Great Marriages (Hyperion; $24.95), affectionately known as Dr. Robin. “We’ve got to reclaim it so that we cannot just lead corporations but we can really lead our own communities and our families into wholeness and joy.”Although the four-day event was focused on professional development, there were a variety of lifestyle events and sessions for attendees to enjoy. The mornings began with sunrise walks and salsa workouts, after which many attendees joined the audience of the Steve Harvey Morning Show radio program, which was broadcast live from the Summit. There were also golf and tennis clinics, a wine tasting, poker playing, a shopping excursion hosted by Macy’s, and a Ride & Drive hosted by BMW, where based on miles driven by participants, the automotive company donated money toward the fight to eradicate breast cancer. The Entrepreneur Masters Class featured several women who made successful transitions from corporate America to business owner, including Monique Greenwood, CEO of Akwaaba Bed and Breakfast Inns; Nadine Thompson, CEO of Warm Spirit; and Sharen Davis, costume designer for the films Ray and Dreamgirls as well as CEO of Mochee Designs. It was during the Summit that State Farm also announced its partnership with author and medical expert Dr. Ian Smith to encourage African Americans to lose 50 million pounds in an effort to reverse the epidemic of obesity in this country.
Evening activities included the premiere of the theatrical film Dirty Laundry starring Loretta Devine and Jenifer Lewis, a purse fashion show, as well as a musical concert with Charlie Wilson and Chaka Khan, hosted by Steve Harvey.
The Summit opened with the Legacy Awards Dinner, hosted by Pepsi, honoring four dynamic women who have left an indelible mark in their respective fields of entertainment, dance, education, and women’s rights: Suzanne dePasse, chairman and CEO of dePasse Entertainment; Judith Jamison, artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Ruth Simmons, president of Brown University; and Faye Wattleton, president of the Center for the Advancement of Women.
Overall, there were stories, strategies, and warm exchanges of laughter and tears. There were friendships, alliances and mentor/mentee relationships made. “It is positive for all women to assess their current situation and make a change, because in the end, they’ll be following their passion as it relates to their career and not looking back,” says Coleman Stewart. “The last thing you want to do is look back on your life and have regrets.”
–Additional reporting by Nicole Marie Richardson, Tennille M. Robinson & Tanisha A. Sykes, and Ruth J. Simmons