METRICS ADVANCING BLACK WOMEN
IN BUSINESS IS AN ONGOING
JOURNEY AND OUR NEXT GAS IS
PAVING THE WAY FOR GENERATIONS
TO COME
AND A FORTUNE ARTICLE TITLED
I'M A BLACK FEMALE CEO WHAT
MAKES
ME DIFFERENT. SHE SHARES HER
STORY AND HOW SHE IS DISRUPTING
STEREOTYPES AND RAISING BLACK
WOMEN UP ALONG
THE WAY JOINING US NOW WE'RE SO
EXCITED TO SAY HELENA BOAZ
CEO OF URBAN ZEN AND FORMER
GLOBAL DIRECTOR OF
MERCHANDISING LVMH
DONNA KARAN.
>> YOU KNOW LITTLE NAME THEY
MAY HAVE HELLEN WELCOME AGAIN
TO THE SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO
DOCK TO YOU IN YOUR ARTICLE YOU
MENTIONED YOU ARE USED TO BEING
THE
ONLY BLACK WOMAN IN THE ROOM
RESEARCH FINDS THAT MORE THAN
50% OF BLACK WOMEN SAY THAT
THEY ARE OFTEN THE ONLY CE
FIRST CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THAT
LIFE FEEL LIKE FOR THOSE 2
HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED BEING AN
ONLY.
>> HI THANKS FOR HAVING ME AND
AFRICAN AMERICANS
MAKE UP 14% OF US POPULATION
AND ONLY 3% ARE SENIOR MANAGERS
OR EXECUTIVES. AT LEAST 50% OF
BLACK WOMEN AS YOU SAID AT THE
TOP OF THE SHOW
ARE THE ONLY BLACK WOMAN IN THE
ROOM SO AS A BLACK FEMALE CEO
OF THE LUXURY RETAILER, IT'S
NOT WELL FOR ME TO BE THE ONLY
BLACK
PERSON WROTE I TYPICALLY SOON,
BUT AS A MINORITY IN THE ROOM,
THERE'S AT LEAST ONE OR MORE
PEOPLE THAT WILL QUESTION MY
QUALIFICATIONS DRIVERS OF THE
CASE. YEAH CONTINUE POLICE.
NOW I LOVE TO
HEAR YOURS.
>> I KNOW YOU'RE RIGHT, I'M
USED TO BEING THE ONLY ONE TO
SO I LOVE THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY
SHARING
YOUR STORY.
>> HELEN WHAT ARE SOME WAYS TO
CREATE A MORE INCLUSIVE
WORKPLACE TO PREVENT THIS ONLY
EXPERIENCE.
>> THERE ARE A FEW WAYS WE CAN
GO ABOUT THAT THERE IS HIRING
WERE CULTURALLY DIVERSE PEOPLE
WHILE MENTORING IN SPONSORING
THOSE CURRENTLY IN
YOUR ORGANIZATION, ATTRACTING
TALENT AND FROM DIFFERENT
RECRUITING PAST ENGAGING IN
BUSINESS ACTIVITIES THAT
CELEBRATE DIVERSITY. IT'S
IMPERATIVE ESPECIALLY WHEN WE
LOOK AT THE RETAIL LANDSCAPE OR
I LEAD IS THAT IT'S
NOT FIXED INCLUSIVE TO WHITE OR
BLACK AND MORE IMPORTANTLY
CUSTOMERS RANGE ACROSS ALL
DIFFERENT CULTURAL GROUPS.
SO PRODUCTS CAN ONLY BE
SUCCESSFUL IF THEY'RE INCLUSIVE
AND BE NEIGHBORS SHOULD BE
SHOULD
FOSTER INCLUSIVITY I BELIEVE
THAT'S AN ACTIVE CHOICE BY THE
MANAGEMENT TEAM.
>> MY COLLEAGUE CHRIS AND I
WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS
THIS STUDY A MOMENT AGO WHEN IT
COMES TO ALLIES IN THE
WORKPLACE TO LEAN IN STUDY
FINDS THAT WHITE EMPLOYEES DO
SEE THEMSELVES
AS ALLIES BLACK WOMEN DISAGREES
SO WHY DO THEY DISAGREE AND HOW
CAN PEOPLE REALLY BECOME A
BETTER ALLY.
>> LISTEN I CAN'T SPEAK FOR ALL
BLACK GOING BUT FROM MY
EXPERIENCE AND MAKES ME THINK
THAT THE DISPARITY
IN RESPONSES MIGHT BE A RESULT
OF WHITE EMPLOYEES
DOING WITH 8 IS THE LEGIONS ARE
SUPPORTIVE OF THEIR BLACK
COLLEAGUES BUT THE REALITY IS
THAT THOSE ACTIONS MIGHT NOT BE
WHAT'S NEEDED ARE HELPFUL TO
THEIR CO-WORKERS WHAT'S NEEDED
IS A PARTNER THAT WILL ASK THE
RIGHT QUESTIONS LISTEN TO A
BLACK
WOMEN NEED. LET'S BE CLEAR
WITHOUT THEIR INPUT IN SIGN OFF
AND WITHOUT A
2 WAY CONVERSATION. YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO SEE THAT POSITIVE
CHANGE IN THE ORGANIZATIONS
RIGHT THE KEY TAKE AWAY HERE IS
THAT IT'S
IMPERATIVE THAT A LIGHT BETWEEN
THE ORGANIZATION AND BLACK
EMPLOYEES IS A TRUE PARTNERSHIP
AND THIS PARTNERSHIP WILL LEAD
TO CHANGE
IN GROSS.
>> I'M SO GLAD YOU SAID THAT
BECAUSE HOW CAN EMPLOYERS HAVE
THAT OPEN AND HONEST
CONVERSATION WHEN IT COMES TO
RACE AND CULTURE IN THE
WORKPLACE.
>> PUT SIMPLY I THINK COMPANIES
JUST ITS KNOWLEDGE WHERE THEY'D
DONE A POOR JOB. IN
THE PAST AND APOLOGIZED TO COME
UP WITH A PLAN TOGETHER FIX IT
SO THERE'S A LOTS OF WAYS TO
CHIEF SUCCESS, I'M NOT AVERSE
TO SUGGEST IT'S SIMPLY START
WITH 3 GOALS THESE 4 STEPS WILL
GET YOU MAY
BE TOUGH 40 DEGREE TURN AND
THEN CONTINUE SETTING NEW GOALS
WE'RE DEALING WITH THAT BUT
THERE REALITY IS
THE PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES AND
THEIR FEELINGS COMPANIES MUST
CHANGE FEELING
THROUGH ACTION WHICH TAKES TIME
AND I ALSO FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT
TO NOTE THAT THE SHIFTING.
I THINK POINT TO
AN ECONOMIC HOW ARE WOMEN OF
COLOR, SO COMPANIES OUGHT TO
CHANGE NOW BECAUSE DIVERSITY IS
NOT JUST IMPORTANT TO REALLY
GOOD
FOR BUSINESS. RESEARCH
MACKENZIE YOU HAD
TO LAWYER OTHERS ARE SHOWING
CORRELATION RIGHT BETWEEN
HAVING DIVERSE LEADERSHIP AND
BETTER FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
ISN'T ALSO EQUATED IT TO
GREATER PROFITABILITY.
>> HELEN YOUR TRAIL BIT BLAZER
YOU HAVE AN
INCREDIBLE CAREER WE'RE LOOKING
BACK ON YOUR JOURNEY, WHAT'S
ONE PIECE OF ADVICE THAT YOU
WISH YOU WERE GIVEN.
>> YOU KNOW TODAY OFTEN THINK
OF ALL THE WOMEN OUT THERE THAT
ARE UNEMPLOYED AND LOOKING BACK
THERE'S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE.
I WISH I WERE GIVEN YEARS AGO
WHEN I WAS UNEMPLOYED. MOST OF
US HAVE ALL BEEN EMPLOYED AT
LEAST ONCE I'M NOT SURE WHAT
WOULD BE NEXT FOR
US RIGHT, WHICH IS SOMETHING
OFTEN TALKED ABOUT, BUT
IT'S TRUE. BUT THERE IS AN EXIT
KEEP YOUR HEAD UP AND YOU KNOW
EMBRACE
YOUR STRENGTHS.
>> GREAT ADVICE, HOW IMPORTANT
HAS MENTORSHIP BEEN THROUGHOUT
YOUR CAREER AND HOW CAN PEOPLE
SEEK OUT THE RIGHT MENTOR FOR
THEM.
>> GREAT QUESTION FOR ME MY
MENTORS HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL
IN PROVIDING ME WITH CAREER IN
PROFESSIONAL BUYS IN THE SYSTEM
MEAN DEVELOPING A MAPPING
OUT OF CREATE THAT I WANTED FOR
MYSELF ADVOCATED FOR ME IN
ROOMS, WE'RE DECISIONS WERE
BEING
MADE SO WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT
WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT
FINDING A MENTOR IS THAT THE
ONUS IS ON YOU I RECOMMEND A
MENTOR THAT'S A LEVEL
OR 2. YOU KNOW ADVANCE THE NEW
SO THAT THEIR EXCESS GOING TO
GIVE YOU GUIDANCE AND ADVICE.
ANOTHER
SHOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH THE
WORK HERE IN OR AN INDUSTRY
THAT YOU'RE IN IT START THAT
SIR SEARCH FOR YOUR OFFICIAL
AND UNOFFICIAL MENTORS
INTERNALLY WITHIN THE
ORGANIZATION BEFORE YOU LOOK
AT EXTERNAL.
>> AND HAVE ABOUT 30 SECONDS
WITH YOU BUT I DO WANT TO ASK
YOU IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS
HAVE YOU NOTICED A SHIFT IN
DISCUSSION MORE OPENNESS DO
THINK IT'S GETTING A LITTLE BIT
BETTER.
>> ABSOLUTELY AND I BELIEVE
THAT IT
ALL STARTS WITH COMMUNICATION
RIGHT AND THIS THIS WE'RE NOT
HERE TODAY. WE DIDN'T GET
HERE OVERNIGHT RIGHT THIS IS
THE WORK OF HUNDREDS OF YEARS,
SO IT'S NOT
GOING TO BE A SHIFT OR CHANGE
OVERNIGHT. BUT I DO BELIEVE
THAT THAT'S ROAD TO GETTING
BETTER AND DOING IT MAKING
THE RIGHT MOVES IN SHIFTS
TOWARDS PROGRESSION OR STARTING