LEAVE YOUR MARK: Freshly Brewed Career Advice with Aliza Licht

Melissa Nightingale is an internationally recognized expert on management and the modern workplace. She's the co-founder and partner at Raw Signal Group and has helped thousands of bosses worldwide show up with more confidence and competence in how they lead. Previously, she spent 20 years working in tech and held executive roles that spanned marketing, customer success, community, and growth. 

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Noora Raj Brown knows what it feels like to be uncomfortable, but she has never let it stop her. Whether it's been learning on the job or pushing unconventional conversations into the mainstream, Noora is on the front lines of what it means to be an entrepreneurial marketer. As Executive Vice President of Brand at goop, Noora has been instrumental in working with Gwyneth Paltrow to transform goop from a newsletter and multi-brand site into a full-fledged brand (and not a celebrity brand) since 2016. As a member of the executive team, Noora oversees brand and integrated marketing, corporate positioning, talent outreach, television production, social media, influencer marketing, and press strategy for the goop brand and all initiatives. She also serves as chief spokesperson for the company and CEO. Prior to goop, Noora worked in various creative industries, most recently at Time Inc, where she led communications for their fashion and style brands, including InStyle, People StyleWatch, XoJane, and Wallpaper*. She is also a founding board member of political engagement organizations I am a Voter and Commit2Change.

In this episode, we dive into what makes a strong brand, and the mental filter Noora employs to decipher what's on brand for goop. We talk about the importance of hiring experts and giving them the autonomy to do their best work, why you should be learning all the things you don't find interesting, what she looks for in a hire, and why if you want to succeed, you need to be useful. We also discuss what it's like to work for one of the most famous women in the world and how feeling lost in your career is natural but can also bring the gift of time and self-reflection.

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Reshma Saujani is not satisfied. As a leading activist and the founder of Girls Who Code and MOMS F1RST, Reshma is not waiting around for change to happen. She's making it happen. 

She has spent over a decade building movements to fight for women's and girls' economic empowerment. Girls Who Code has taught over 500,000 girls through direct in-person computer science education programming, working to close the gender gap in the tech sector. Her newest non-profit, Moms First, advocates for policies to support moms impacted by the pandemic. Moms First believes America doesn't work if we don't work for moms.

Reshma is also the bestselling author of Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work (and Why It's Different Than You Think) and Brave Not Perfect: Fear Less, Fail More, Live Bolder. Her influential TED Talk: "Teach girls Bravery, not perfection," has more than 6.2 million views globally.

Beginning her career as an attorney and a Democratic organizer, Reshma surged onto the political scene as the first Indian American woman to run for US Congress. Her approach to movement building has been recognized broadly, and she's been covered in Fortune World's Greatest Leaders, Fortune's 40 under 40, WSJ magazine Innovator of the Year, Forbes Most Powerful Women Changing the World, and Fast Company, 100 Most Creative People.

In this episode, Reshma is incredibly transparent about her decisions, how she thinks about her priorities, and her passion for fighting injustice, particularly for women and girls. We discuss her career pivots and how she used to chase shiny objects in search of credibility before realizing that the only thing she wants now is to pass policies and see cultural change. We discuss the challenges mothers face in the workplace and the economic benefits of retaining women. Reshma would like nothing more than for corporate leaders to rip up their ERG playbooks and give working moms what they need– support and flexibility.

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If you had to reflect on your life, what would be your defining moment? For Harper Spero, it was walking in NYC one day and, out of the blue, being unable to breathe. Harper has a rare Immunodeficiency called hyper IGE syndrome (there are only 300 people diagnosed in the world) and, after a life-altering surgery, decided to change the entire trajectory of her career.

"The doctor said, 'You have a cyst the size of a golf ball in your right lung, and you need surgery immediately to remove it.' Everything about my life is before that call and after that call. It was such a defining moment."

After the surgery, Harper realized that she needed to prioritize her health and mental well-being, which led her to leave her job in the beauty industry and explore other career options. She eventually found a job with a boss who prioritized personal development and wellness, which gave her the accommodations she needed to take care of herself. It was that role and a chance meeting that would lead to her discovering her love of coaching.

After completing her certification in 2014 to become a professional coach, today Harper supports solopreneurs and small business owners in brainstorming, launching, and building their businesses. She is often referred to as the external COO/CMO of her client's businesses.

In 2018, after years of not finding content related to her rare condition that resonated with her, Harper launched Made Visible, a podcast that amplifies the stories of people living with or affected by invisible illness. In 2020, she began facilitating writing classes for the Made Visible community to give them a safe place to share, feel more seen and heard, and learn from established authors. She is working with companies to create content, community, and inclusivity amongst employees living with invisible illnesses to have and experience support from their employers.

In this episode, Harper and I discuss what it means to have health get in the way of a career and why it's imperative to prioritize and advocate for yourself in the workplace. We also dive into Harper's superior skills in making authentic connections, writing a compelling pitch, how she never fails to meet a deadline or a follow-up, and so much more.

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What happens when you don't take a no for an answer and look at it with a win-win mindset? Answer: Great partnerships. Felita Harris is a forward-thinking executive with extensive experience driving sustainable revenue growth, formulating business strategies, and cultivating collaborative partnerships.

During her career, Felita has served in senior positions, including those of Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer at Harlem's Fashion Row (HFR)/ICON360, Executive Vice President of Alexander Wang, and Senior Vice President of Donna Karan Collection (LVMH), where we worked together side by side for over a decade. She has a track record of increasing revenue, identifying innovative business opportunities, and cultivating partnerships with brands such as LVMH, Tapestry Group, Amazon, Nordstrom, and Pinterest.

In this episode, Felita discusses her journey in fashion and her experience as a Black woman who was supported early on for her talent and potential. Felita credits the leaders who provided her with mentorship, networking opportunities, and a sense of inclusion. From this experience, she believes that if black and brown individuals are given the same tools and opportunities, they too can feel and experience the same sense of belonging and success she has felt throughout her career.

In addition, we learn how Felita expertly taps her network and connects with one person to get to the next and next to get the introductions needed to make her projects happen. Felita also shares the difficult decisions she has made and why it's imperative NOT to get paralyzed in the now and to make any decision to see another tomorrow.

Felita is passionate about professional development and building a pipeline for marginalized and underrepresented businesses in a constantly evolving industry. In 2020, she earned a certificate from Cornell University in Diversity and Inclusion. Felita is a founding member of RAISEfashion, a nonprofit network of fashion industry leaders that provide pro-bono consultation to Black-owned businesses and individuals. Additionally, she is a thought leader for Open to All®, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the principle that everyone should be welcomed regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, religion, or disability.

She advises brands in wholesale strategy, pipeline programs, merchandising, and diversity & inclusion. Among her business achievement awards are Fashion Group International Hilldun Business Innovation, Luxury Daily Women to Watch, Accessories Council Design Excellence Awards for Tech Innovation, BRAG, and Girl Scouts of Greater New York Women of Distinction.

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How many times can you reinvent yourself? The answer lies in how many career risks you are willing to take. For Bee Shapiro, it's been many. After starting a career at a major law firm, Bee leveraged her strong skills and love of writing and pitched herself cold to the New York Times, where she landed a job covering fashion. When the Time's beauty columnist left, she raised her hand to take on beauty. It turned out to be one of the best things to happen in her career.

When Bee became pregnant, she started cleaning up her beauty routine and found there were no sophisticated, clean options for fragrance. This was 2013 and the beginning of clean beauty as we know it today. Skincare and makeup had already made exciting strides, but fragrance was still stuck in another era where ingredients were almost intentionally murky. There was a lot to clear up, but Bee saw a lot of possibilities.

Ellis Brooklyn officially debuted in June 2015, named after her daughter, Ellis. Ellis Brooklyn is carried at Sephora, Ulta, Credo, Revolve, and many more retailers. At the beginning of Bee's beauty brand journey, she faced challenges being an Asian woman in an industry dominated by Caucasian French males. But being an outsider proved to be an asset and gave her a unique perspective and a distinct point of view in the beauty industry.

"I think in order to find what you love to do as your career. It's very similar to finding the love of your life. If you're going to fall in love with somebody or find a partner, you have to take a risk, and that's really putting yourself out there for whatever it is. It's terrifying. A lot of people are not willing to take that risk."

In this episode, Bee takes us on her journey and shares all the times she questioned herself on what she was doing. We talk about how she navigated her side hustle while maintaining her full-time job and how she organizes her time juggling her writing, company, and being a mom of two young daughters. Through her story, we learn how reinvention is always possible, but the older you get, the more commitment you have to put into it.

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Is career cushioning a new Olympic sport? It may as well be. In this special LEAVE YOUR MARK snack segment, I sit down with Catherine Fisher, Vice President of Integrated Data and Consumer Communications for LinkedIn. Because who's better than Catherine to share the information we need right now to ensure we navigate our careers strategically?

Catherine is an established marketing and communications leader and has worked for some of the most notable consumer brands, including Netflix and eBay, with more than 20 years of experience. Currently, she leads the consumer communications strategy for LinkedIn and serves as the company spokeswoman educating and inspiring people on how to think about and grow their careers. You can see her frequently on shows such as TODAY, Good Morning America, and CBS Mornings sharing insights on managing your career. Catherine's newsletter, Career Companion, is published monthly on LinkedIn.

In this episode, we cover the following:

And more!

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Ever wonder how someone builds up enough credibility to become quoted in the media or a regularly booked public speaker? Peter Shankman is a five-time bestselling author, entrepreneur, and corporate speaker. It's been 24 years since he had a typical job after he lasted one week at a magazine. As someone with ADHD, Peter learned later in life the driver behind his "faster than normal" brain and why he couldn't focus at work in the way an office job requires. Today, he travels the world as a speaker educating audiences on two of his favorite topics: how to win at customer service and why Neurodivergent employees need to be celebrated and accommodated. His book, Faster Than Normal is a New York Times bestseller.

In this episode, Peter shares what it meant for him to pivot as a speaker during the pandemic and why having so much free time as someone with ADHD was a considerable challenge. He shares what it takes to get the media's attention with insider tips he knows better than anyone as the founder of HARO (Help a Reporter Out), a company he started that helps journalists find sources on deadline. Cision ultimately acquired it.

Peter's depth of experience in marketing, social media, and PR has made him an expert on what it takes to make people happy, and spoiler alert: a big bag of M&Ms can sometimes do the trick. We dive into the importance of learning about people and how small personalization touches can impact someone's experience with you or your brand, leave a lasting impression, and build loyalty.

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Emily Palmer is an investigative reporter whose work has taken her from a jail cell at Rikers Island to small mountain pueblos in Durango, México. She has traveled across the country inspecting child welfare laws, uncovered environmental damage in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and embedded with the Sinaloa Cartel to tell the story of the drug war from across the border. 

Emily has daily covered high-profile trials from New York, including drug lord Joaquín Guzmán "El Chapo" Loera and R&B artist R. Kelly. She has also gained exclusive access to inmates, including El Chapo's wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro.

She had just finished covering El Chapo's trial when her editor asked if she was interested in covering the trial of Upper East Side con artist Anna "Delvey" Sorokin. Her answer: "Did anybody die?" Her editor said no, and Emily said, "I'm in." Going from her usual coverage of murder and heavy drugs to pursuing the trial of Anna Delvey seemed boring. That is until she met her.

In this episode, Emily shares what it takes to do her job. Spoiler alert: A LOT, and it's often dangerous. We dive deep into the challenges of covering high-profile cases, sacrificing her personal life for the endless pursuit of the story, and how she and Anna Delvey have become very "close, close, close" source and reporter friends, and regularly texting while Anna continues to be on house arrest.

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