Juliette is joined by Pam Reeve, Chair of the Board, American Tower. Pamela has built her career around the advancement of women and support for technology innovation. In roles starting and running businesses, serving at the helm of public company boards of directors, and leading non-profit organizations and boards, Reeve has left her mark on the region’s business landscape while mentoring and in other ways supporting its people.

A champion for women’s leadership, Reeve serves as the Chair of The Commonwealth Institute, working with women CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business leaders to help them grow their businesses and their careers. In this position, her active involvement in Board-Ready Bootcamps, and through her work with the Boston Women’s Leadership Network Last Mile Initiative and Women Corporate Directors, she has demonstrated a commitment to increasing the number of qualified women serving on boards of directors.

Pamela shares her story of creating her own path. Pamela talks about the importance of diversity and inclusion, and how she found the confidence to forge her own way. This episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiring stories, so be sure to tune in!

Highlights:

03:54 - When I look back on the journey, I think it's more about how I wanted to be, what I valued, relationships that meant a lot to me and a lot of connecting dots that otherwise might seem not connected.

07:25 - I think that you have to look around on what might be available to help you out and maybe do move if you can.

13:18 - I think we all carry in us our history, our upbringing and our history, and then we hope to enrich that or go away from it.

18:40 - Have more faith in yourself, use your voice and use your intention. Don't deny yourself and don't prevent yourself from at least trying on something that you’re interested in.

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This episode is sponsored by Associated Industries of Massachusetts(AIM). AIM is the largest business association in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. To learn more about AIM, visit www.aimnet.org.

How do you develop empathy for the lived experiences of others? It can be difficult, but it's necessary if we want to build a more inclusive society, embrace diversity and develop relationships. Juliette sits down with Bob Rivers, the Chair and CEO of Eastern Bank to talk about his journey and personal story that is truly empowering.

Find out how to better understand people as Bob further shares his process in order to develop meaningful relationships and cultivate relationships with different communities and networks. Moreover, get to know how humility plays a huge role in the process.

Highlights:

08:55 People, I think, could see that I was not only deeply sincere about addressing these issues, but also very aware that I wasn’t well educated, knowledgeable, didn’t often know the language or the right words to use or ways to express things. Because of those relationships, people took me aside and would correct things to help me be better.”

13:29 It’s one thing to be introduced to someone; it’s another thing to operate in a way you’re building trust and really being there for that person or those people when they need you.

14:31 If you can’t find anyone, it’s all a matter of just reaching out and getting involved and really looking.

17:29 I like the discomfort 'cause I knew it would cause me to get better and get more comfortable and the only way to do that is repetition.

22:41 You have to find ways to break out into completely different communities and networks and you have to be strategic about it.

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Julliette Mayers

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Bob Rivers

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Talent is the lifeblood of any organization. No matter how good your brand name is, you won’t be successful without a talented team. Stephanie Browne joins Juliette to discuss why organizations need to earn the right to have top talent.

Find out more about why it’s not enough just to have a good brand name. You need to create an environment where talented people want to work. Listen as Stephanie and Juliette discuss what organizations can do to cultivate ,attract, and keep top talent!

Highlights

02:44 I spent over four years working on trying to be the best me and these last twenty seven years, I've been blessed to have a lot of roles that led me to where I am today.

08:26 All of those skills I did outside of my corporate job at the same time keeping my corporate job. That was what really helped me navigate its leadership and the executive suite because of all that learning.

10:18 There was nobody there telling me I was doing it wrong or doing it right. I had to learn it on my own and I was able to take risks that I wasn’t really willing to take.

14:36 We also know that diversity brings innovation. What kind of innovation do you need to be thinking about as a company is the first thing you need to think about. You must have a strategy.

22:39 I really do believe that organizations need to earn the right to have the best talent. It’s not enough just to have a good brand name. It’s not enough just to, you know, I call talk the talk. You gotta walk the walk.

Contacts

Juliette Mayers

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Stephanie Browne

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Eastern Bank

This episode is brought to you by Eastern Bank, the largest commercial bank headquartered in MA.

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Join Juliette Mayers in an invigorating episode for leaders and aspiring leaders. Her distinguished guest Rosabeth Moss Kanter, is the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professor of Business at Harvard Business School and a prolific author, shares invaluable insights. Her latest bestseller is "Think Outside the Building."

As a trailblazer in academia, Rosabeth often stood as the lone woman in her field. She attributes her success to a tireless work ethic and task-orientation. Drawing from her journey, Rosabeth champions solutions that unite, emphasizing the power of action and uplifting others.

Tune in to hear Rosabeth urge leaders to embrace a mission that benefits all, providing the flexibility and meaning essential for success.

Episode Highlights:

14:06 - That doing nothing, being passive is depressing, and it only gets you more tired, less energetic, et cetera. But doing something, anything, taking a step can be so gratifying and rewarding. And if it's the wrong step, you have a chance to correct it and start again, but doing is my solution. Doing and uplifting others, those two things inspire me.

16:20 - My goal is, I said earlier, is uniting everybody. It's a world in which people feel included. It's a world in which everyone has opportunity to thrive. And it's great that we're talking about opportunity now and encouraging leaders to think not just about hiring people for jobs, but giving them opportunity.

27:41 - If you want to be a leader, if you aspire to be a leader, one thing you have to do is, these days, especially during the pandemic, I wrote a blog that said CEO should stand for Chief Empathy Officer. That is, you had to understand what your people were going through if you wanted their full support. To help keep the company alive, you had to keep them alive.

Contact Links

Juliette Mayers

LinkedIn

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Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Harvard Business School

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Author of Strategic Networking 2.0, Juliette shares her insights on keeping professional relationships alive during the summer. Based on her own experiences and her three books on networking, she offers practical tips for business professionals and entrepreneurs on how to use the summer months to build deeper connections and expand their networks.

She talks about why summer is the perfect time to get to know colleagues and potential partners beyond the office. Juliette also shares some great stories about how personal interactions can lead to powerful connections.

Episode Highlights

04:01 - I think that summertime, quite honestly, is a perfect time to deepen the relationships because people are often in a space of, even if they're at work 90% of the time, they are typically in a better place because, one, the sun is out.

08:03 - Summer is a perfect time to get to some of those tasks that you may have been putting off and make sure that they are optimized in a way that will help you to be more effective. So one thing that you can do is if you haven't already done it, take the time to make sure that your LinkedIn profile is up to date, that it's professionally done, and it reflects what you do.

14:44 - Be mindful of where people are on their journey and with their energy. And in some cases, the vacation that somebody takes may be the only time they've had all year, and so be respectful of those times. If somebody's on vacation, unless it's truly an emergency, do not tell them it's urgent and you need a response.

Contact

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In this powerful episode, Juliette Mayers engages in an enlightening conversation with Herby Duverné, President and CEO of Windwalker Group, and co-founder of RISE. Herby shares his remarkable journey to entrepreneurial success, delving into the trials and triumphs that shaped his path. Together, they explore the themes of leadership, responsibility, and the impact of positive workplace culture, offering invaluable insights for business professionals and entrepreneurs.

Herby talks candidly about his early days in the US, overcoming language barriers, and seizing every opportunity to learn and grow. His story serves as a testament to resilience and the importance of staying committed to one's goals, no matter the hurdles.

He also touches on his passion for closing the economic gap and creating housing opportunities through RISE, emphasizing the significance of giving back to the community. Additionally, Herby discusses his role as Chair of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts and the importance of supporting strong leadership within the organization.

Episode Highlights:

15:30 - Curiosity, which is a big thing for me, a big word that I would like to talk about,. Curiosity, that's something that's always kind of a part of me, feeling like I want to know more. I want to learn more.

21:45 - Five years ago, a former client of mine, who's my business partner right now, called me and said, "Hey, Herby. What are you doing? Can I come see you in the office?" I said, "Yeah." He came to see my office and he said, "Let's do a business together. I'll do construction because I know construction very well. You can do the development side, and then we call it RISE together," which is he has a RISE Construction part of the business, and I do the RISE Development side of the business. So that's how we come together. Part of it is, one, not just to close the wealth gap, but really to try to create, you know, we have a housing crisis in the state, how we can create more housing and opportunity for people.

23:03 - Without that opportunity, I would not be in this position that I'm in right now because I'm really able to get in, because I could not afford to pay the full rent. To be able to go to school, driving a cab, and then really pay as little as I can because I couldn't do that. So that's why development is always a big thing for me.

Contact

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Connect with Herby Duverné

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Rise Boston

Windwalker Group

Welcome to a riveting episode of Entering The Inspiration Zone with your host, Juliette Mayers. In this episode, Juliette sits down with Elzie D. Flenard III, the renowned Mayor of Podcast Town and a beacon of inspiration in the industry. Together, they explore Elzie's incredible journey from humble beginnings to becoming a podcasting powerhouse, amplifying voices that matter, and empowering entrepreneurs around the word.

Listen in as Elzie shares valuable insights on the power of mindset, clarity of purpose, and the importance of self-mastery in achieving success. Discover how Elzie's Podcast Academy is democratizing podcasting and creating a platform for all voices to be heard.

Join us as we uncover the keys to enhancing leadership, fostering inclusivity, and making a lasting impact in the world of podcasting with the one and only Elzie Flenard III. Stay tuned for an episode filled with wisdom, inspiration, and a roadmap to entrepreneurial excellence.

Episode Highlights:

05:04 - Eventually one of my guests said, "You know, Elzie, you're pretty decent at this whole podcast thing. You should help other people do it."

07:30 - Transformation, it happens based on 3 things: your level of education times your level of motivation times your level of inspiration, that equals your level of transformation.

09:17 - I've found that no matter what you do, how you do it is the thing that matters most.

17:16 - The biggest thing that I always like to leave people with is self-mastery on a surface, people will look at it and they say, "Well, that's selfish." But really, there's a reason why when you're on an airplane and they're giving you the safety instructions. They say if, the Lord forbid, the oxygen masks come down, put yours on first. Because if you don't and you can't breathe, then you're no good to anyone else.

Contact

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Juliette Mayers is joined by Leverett Wing, Executive Director of the Commonwealth Seminar, a trailblazing advocate for marginalized communities. Leverett's extensive experience in public service, including being the first Asian American staff member at the Massachusetts State House, and his numerous awards make him the perfect guest to delve into empowering communities of color.

Leverett discusses the historical power dynamics that have pitted minority communities against each other, highlighting the model minority myth, immigration policies, and the need for diverse education.

Tune in to learn about the importance of solidarity among people of color, the work of the Commonwealth Seminar, self-education about one's history, and taking control of your narrative through thought leadership. Don't miss this chance to learn how to shape your community's future through civic engagement.Get inspired and get involved to be a part of positive change!

Episode Highlights:

06:48 - Our 20th anniversary kickoff celebration is called, "In the room and at the table," and because that's where our communities need to be. It's not good enough to just be in the room. You have to be actually at the table when decisions are made, so you can voice your opinion. You can give your perspective. You can influence decision-makers.

12:52 - The reason I do all this writing and the reason I do a lot of these podcasts is because we need to share our stories. Because the traditional media, the traditional outlets don't often cover or want to cover, or just traditionally don't cover these types of stories. And so, we as communities need to tell our stories jointly. And we need to tell stories of solidarity. We need to tell stories of collaboration.

14:20 - It starts with the youth. It starts with educating young people, whether it's high school or college, but most importantly, at the elementary school level, so that they know that we've been, from a very young age, that we've all been working together.

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Juliette Mayers

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Leverett Wing

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Email-Commonwealth Seminar

Commonwealth Seminar website