Episode Summary
The comfort zone is our worst enemy, and most of us decide to settle for less, because we fear being rejected by a company we want to be a part of. But, being in a place where you don’t feel valued can do more harm than facing failure.
Therefore, every time we think there’s no way to accomplish more, we should look for examples of successful individuals who once were where we are now.
In this episode of Taking the Lead, our host Christina Brady welcomes Debra Senra, the Head of Sales and CS at ThreeFlow.
In this insightful and inspiring conversation, Debra shares her professional experience and how she fought gender inequality. She also explains how to ask for what you deserve without jeopardizing your position, and how even lousy advice can help you grow.
Guest Profile
- Name: Debra Senra
- What she does: Debra is the Head of Sales and CS at ThreeFlow.
- Company: ThreeFlow
- Noteworthy: When she first watched Jurassic Park, Debra was mesmerized by the film and wanted to become a paleoethnobotanist. Later, she decided to study law. However, life had different plans for her and led her to sales, which was her true calling.
Key Insights
- Women have to put in twice as much effort as men to get what they deserve. Although most companies today promote equality, we still live in a male-dominated world. Being a woman in a space like tech can be challenging, especially for those aspiring to be part of the C-suite. Also, once they become leaders, women must continue proving they deserve it, which leaves them almost no time to enjoy the power they’ve earned. ''I think what's really common for female leaders or minority leaders is that your power is so fragile for things that you can't control that it is hard to fully embrace the power you have, because it's so painful in those moments when you lose it [the power], and that's a really difficult emotional thing to go through.''
- Titles matter. Some people say it is not about titles; it's about the experience you gain in your career. However, when you are a woman or a member of a minority, you need to work hard to earn credibility within your professional circle. And, most of the time, unless you have a title, they don't take you seriously. ''[If] you're out there where [a title] truly doesn't matter, and you are given the credibility you deserve by the work that you do and the responsibility that you have, that would be great. That is not my experience, and that's not the experience of a lot of people.''
- There's a right way to ask for what you deserve. People often fear negotiating work conditions. They settle for an offer believing that's the best they could get. But, at some point, you can get frustrated knowing that someone earns more than you, even though you deserve that same amount or similar benefits. That's why Debra encourages everyone to negotiate because it is not about having what someone else has; it is about showing the value you can bring to the company and proving you deserve to be adequately compensated for that. ''You don't need to be a jerk about it, but I always say, 'I am so excited to get the offer. I'm so excited to join your company. I would love to talk about a few areas that are important to me and see if there's any flexibility.'''
Episode Highlights
Besides Money and Status, You Want to Earn Credibility
Working in a meritocratic system has many benefits, Debra explains. It is especially true for women because such a system allows you to advance based on your accomplishments and abilities. So, here are her aspirations when she worked at a company promoting this approach.
”I wanted more money. I wanted status. I wanted power. I wanted credibility. I’m going to say that 90% of this was my personality, my youth, and my naivete, that I wanted all these things without actually understanding what they entailed. But the credibility piece, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention it on the Taking the Lead podcast that has women in revenue: It is hard to get credibility, even when you’ve earned it.”
Don’t Fight the Good Fight; Go Where You Are Valued
Debra worked in different environments, and some were not a particularly pleasant experience.
Still, even when she knew it was time to leave, she doubted whether it was a good decision. She thought it was her job to change the lousy pattern and make those organizations better for all. It was like that until she talked with one astonishing woman.
”I’ll give credit to Amanda Lannert at Jellyvision. I was at another company, and I reached out to her because she just seemed cool, and I wanted to get to know her. I met with her, and I was telling her about some things that were happening at my company.
And I said, ‘Part of me wants to leave because it’s so painful here. But part of me wants to stay to fight the good fight and make this company better for the women and the people in this company.’ And her response was, ‘Did you just hear what you said? Fight the good fight. Girl, leave. Find a place where you could be happy.’
Holy cow. And that conversation was like a turning point for me, which is that I don’t have to fix everything. My job is to name the problems, do what I can, but also be in an environment where I can be my best self. And sometimes, positive changes can be made.”
Bad Advice Can Turn out to Be Good
As Debra explains, every piece of advice is good. It’s only a matter of how you perceive it. So even if someone tells you something you don’t like or doesn’t bring value to your professional or private life, make the most out of it.
”Sometimes, bad advice is really good because it helps you. A really hard skill to learn is to not accept feedback and just be like, ‘Thanks, I’m gonna let that go right by me.’
I had a colleague tell me, ‘You’re really good at what you do. And I see that you’re also passionate about doing great things. My advice, don’t try so hard. Keep your head below water.”’
