Allie Foote (she/her) likes to say she has both a day job and a “gay job.” She is currently the director of digital product strategy at Nike and in addition to her formal position, she is also heavily involved in DE&I at Nike. In this episode of the Crossroads Series, we talk to Allie about how she has brought her personal life into her professional work, the importance of authenticity in the workplace, and how to create a more inclusive office culture for all. 

Episode quotes:

Why she decided to get an MBA:

"I needed to take a little space to think about what I wanted to be doing. And honestly, when I decided to go to business school, I still had no clue what I wanted to be when I grew up. I just knew that I wanted to go and learn more and continue to round out business skills so that I can think about what I wanted to do next. And I knew that business school would be a great way to do that reflection and figure out ultimately where I wanted to go."

Why Haas?

"When I visited Haas, I was just in love with it. The students were so diverse in their backgrounds and careers. I felt like I would learn a lot and get exposure to new people, careers, ideas. Everyone was so excited to meet me and wanted to tell me how amazing the school was. And so, yeah, it made it feel like home."

On following her gut instinct:

"I don't know if it's like me being competitive or just being very driven; if I know what I want, I'm going to go after it and try to get it. That's just been how I've been since I was a kid. Once I know and have it in my gut, I'm pretty clear that's the direction that I want to go, and I'll do most things within my power to make that happen. That feels pretty accurate with how my career has gone."

How she prepared herself for her new role in the digital world:

"I relied on my strengths, which I think are curiosity, strategic thinking, seeing kind of a broader picture, and relationship building, to just come in and learn as much as possible. And I've continued throughout my time to seek various opportunities to enhance my education. Being able to just kind of bring that rigor to things that I was doing was super helpful."

The importance of representing minority groups in the actual office space:

"Many people are spending so much energy and time, and brain space in the workplace hiding pieces of themselves. And it just doesn't make for, honestly, a productive or happy employee. Being able to bring your authentic self to work is so critical for both your mental health and your team."

"I've been so lucky that I've always felt like I could show up authentically as myself. I try to do that because I've just heard so many stories and so many people who have not been able to do that or have that opportunity or feel scared. And so I think that allowing people to come out of their shells and show them that it's accepted and it's okay. My goal is to show up who I am at work the same way I am outside of work."

Show Links:

• LinkedIn Profile
• The GenderCool Project
• The Trevor Project
• Athlete Ally
• GLSEN
• Out Foundation
• Basic Rights Oregon

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