Bhavana Bartholf is an award-winning transformational leader and sought-after expert in the field of providing vision and accelerating Digital Transformation for corporations across industries worldwide. Throughout her career, she has served as a transformational leader, innovative technologist, STEM advocate, and ally for women and racial/ethnical minorities (REM). She has a proven track record for growing female/REM workforce while promoting diversity and inclusion and is dedicated to driving systemic systems to create inclusive work environments.

In this episode Bhavana shares how she used her creative genius to become Microsoft's head of digital sales and strategies. It started with Bhavana trusting and being her authentic self. Bhavana explains how she was transparent with Microsoft about the work she wanted to pursue. Her secret to success was taking on projects that no one else wanted to take on, explaining it can only go up from here.

1:37 The story of Bhavana Bartholf

6:08 Moving to the US and her journey in Microsoft

13:25 How Bhavana manage stressful situations

19:13 Bhavana shares her duties on the boards

23:26 Changes that are moving in the right directions

24:12 Bhavana’s life’s vision

26:41 Tips on pivoting in life and getting through challenges

Social Media

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SPEAKERS

Bhavana Bartholf, Patti Dobrowolski

Patti Dobrowolski  00:03

Hello superstars. Welcome to the Up Your Creative Genius podcast, where you will gain insight and tips to stomp on the accelerator and blast off to transform your business and your life. I'm your host, Patti Dobrowolski. And if this is your first time tuning in, then strap in because this is serious rocket fuel. Each week, I interview fellow creative geniuses to help you learn how easy it is to Up Your Creative Genius in any part of your life. Hey, everybody, it's Patti Dobrowolski. And here we are with Bhavana Bartholf, the transformational leader and Chief Digital Officer of the commercial areas solution for Microsoft. I mean, I'm sure I didn't get that quite right, in terms of what it is that you do, but you build and land the sales strategy for $101 billion across the globe. So I am so excited to have you here. Because you're just incredible. I downloaded the bio, and I was reading it to myself. And this year alone, you received these awards from the Charlotte Business Journal, you know, the top 25 women in business, you are on the National Diversity Council, you've been doing so much as a stem advocate and advocate for women and people of colour. I just am so in awe of you. So welcome to the podcast.

Bhavana Bartholf  01:32

Thanks, Patti, excited to be here. And I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to connect with you as well, again.

Patti Dobrowolski  01:37

I know I know. Well, it's really amazing to me, that you are in such an incredible position, and you're so dang smart. I think this is part of it that I loved. When I read through everything that you've done, you really embodied the idea of leader because to me, a leader is all about community and serving your community that once you serve other people and lift them up, which is what you're known for, then everything happens all doors open. But I'm sure it wasn't easy. You coming into where you are. So tell our listeners about you tell us your story. How did you get here.

Bhavana Bartholf  02:18

Some of it, I will say a lot of it is how I was brought up. So I actually grew up in India, and actually grew up with my grandparents, my parents lived in different countries where it wasn't the greatest place for girls to grow up. And so yes, I had the opportunity to spend time with my grandparents. And I will say the biggest piece for me kind of wha