SPECIAL EPISODE: Diversity Matters in the Middle Market, brought to you by the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) and Connection Builders.

In today’s conversation, we are joined by Ariail Barker, Senior Director of Business Development & Sponsor Coverage with 7 Mile Advisors, a boutique middle-market investment banking firm. She is also the host of the Deal Us In Podcast, which promotes the advancement of women in private equity and finance. We talk about the changing landscape of work and life and how the pandemic has helped people realize that ‘butt in seat’ time is not as necessary as they once believed. You’ll hear about the importance of empathy and advocating for your own group’s needs, and we unpack some of the main misconceptions about women in the workplace and why they are damaging. Ariail shares how she believes having a child can be a huge catalyst for a woman’s career and urges listeners to ignore feedback outside of their chosen circle.  

Key Points From This Episode: 

• Ariail shares what she has learned hosting the Deal Us In podcast.
• Her observation that work-life is normalizing, but home life is still in a pandemic situation.
• Why there has always been a sense of flexibility built into 7 Mile’s way of doing things.
• How the pandemic helped them to realize that butt-in-seat time is not necessary.
• The importance of empathy and advocating for your own group’s needs.
• Misconceptions about women in the workplace and why they are damaging.
• How having a child can be a huge catalyst for someone’s career.
• The myth of ‘having it all’ and why you have to understand there are trade-offs.
• How the mindset of not internalizing people’s feedback helped her.
• How being happy is the most important thing to bring to your work and family life. 

Ariail Barker on LinkedIn
Deal Us In Podcast
7 Mile Advisors
ACG DEI Committee Mission and Resources
Connection Builders
Alex Drost on LinkedIn