How to Secure a Seat at the Table

Roar with Lakecia Gunter

“If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” - Shirley Chisolm

In 1968, conventional precepts came tumbling down when Shirley Chisolm became the first black woman elected to Congress. Shattering that glass ceiling wasn’t easy, particularly at the height of the Civil Rights era in America. As a woman and a person of color, every step of that journey would have felt like an impossible uphill battle. Yet somehow, she made it to the top and secured her seat at one of the most important tables in the world, paving a brave new path for women of color everywhere.

Today, more and more seats of power are being filled by women of color. However, no matter how far we’ve come, there’s always further to go in terms of access and equality in the business world. According to the data from the National Women's Law Center, the pay gap between white men and women of color is equal to around $23,653 per year. Closing this gap can only be achieved when women of color have the power to make salary decisions, and that power only exists within people who have seats at the table.

My guest today is Minda Harts, a woman with a mission to help accelerate the position of women of color in business. Through Memo LLC, she presents an inspiring career development platform that provides resources to help close the pay gap. She’s also an Assistant Professor at New York University Wagner, and author of The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table, a bestseller that offers actionable advice on the path towards career success.

In her work, Minda centers on the importance of your personal belief that you deserve a seat at the table you’re trying to secure. The work also doesn’t end when you get there, because for women of color there is the added responsibility of making the path to the table less difficult for other women of color who come after you. This depends not only on you, but the alliances you’re able to create at that table. She says it’s all about listening, educating, and activating your allies and resources for the benefit of all women of color who are on their way to filling those seats in the future.

In today’s episode, we’ll uncover the success secrets of women like Shirley Chisolm and Minda Hart, and learn what it takes to secure our own seats at the table.

Some Questions I Ask:

• Who were some of your biggest influences growing up? (7:34)
• Was there a defining moment that really stood out that has helped you achieve your desires? (9:22)
• Why was it so important for you to write this book? (12:21)
• How has your book been received? (14:55)
• What are some of the specific places and spaces you think about when you talk about “the table”? (16:30)
• How important is it to have a career coach in order to achieve success? (26:05)
• What advice would you give to my ally listeners who want to do their part in elevating women of color to their rightful place at the table? (35:30)
• How did you identify the right people for your squad and how do you utilize them today? (44:39)

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

• The power of having strong female role models in life (7:44)
• Why belief in your belonging in the room is the first step (16:46)
• How to leverage the power of being in the room (19:17)
• How inclusion plays a role in the journey towards being able to sit at the table (23:04)
• How women of color can find balance between creating change within systems and outside of systems (30:17)
• A perspective on the future for women of color in the workplace (36:45)
• What women of color can do in the salary negotiation process to ensure they are asking for what they’re worth (39:28)

Connect with Minda Harts:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Twitter

Resources:

• Book: The Memo
• Podcast: Secure the Seat

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