This week on The Digital Download, we delve into the crucial topic of empowering women of color in the workplace with our special guest, Sherrika Sanders. A champion for authentic leadership and career advancement, Sherrika is the Founder/CEO of Transform the GAAP and Professor of Accounting. With her extensive background in corporate accounting and her passion for mentorship, Sherrika brings a unique perspective on how to break through barriers and achieve professional success.

Many women of color face distinct challenges in their career journeys, often feeling unseen, unheard, and unsure of how to navigate the complexities of the corporate world. Sherrika will provide actionable strategies and insights on how to overcome these obstacles and thrive.

Join us as we explore questions like:

• How can women of color effectively advocate for themselves in the workplace?

• What are some strategies to combat imposter syndrome and build confidence?

• How can individuals align their career goals with their personal values and faith?

• What are the key steps to developing an executive presence that commands respect?

• How can mentorship and coaching support career advancement for women of color?

Sherrika's experience in guiding women to take control of their narrative and lead with confidence makes her an invaluable resource for anyone looking to advance their career.

We strive to make The Digital Download an interactive experience. Bring your questions. Bring your insights. Audience participation is highly encouraged!  

This week we were joined by our Special Guest -

• Sherrika Sanders, Founder and CEO of Transform the GAAP and Professor of Accounting.

This week's Host was -

• Bertrand Godillot, Founder and Managing Partner of Odysseus & Co, a proud DLA Ignite partner

Panelists included -

• Tim Hughes, CEO & Co-founder of DLA Ignite,

• Adam Gray, Co-founder of a DLA Ignite

Transcript of The Digital Download 2025-03-28

Bertrand Godillot [00:00:01]:

Good afternoon, good morning, and good day, wherever you may be joining us from. Welcome to another edition of the Digital Download, the longest running weekly business talk show on LinkedIn Live, now globally syndicated on TuneIn Radio through IBGR, the world's number one business talk, news, and strategy radio network. This week on the Digital Download, we'll delve into the crucial topic of empowering women of color in the

Bertrand Godillot [00:00:39]:

workspace with our special guest, Sherrika Sanders, A champion of for authentic leadership and career advancement, Sherrika is the founder and CEO of Transform the Gap and professor of accounting. With her extensive background in corporate accounting and her passion for mentorship, Sherrika brings a unique perspective on how to break through barriers and achieve professional success. But before we bring Sherrika on, let's go around the set and introduce everyone. While we're doing that, why don't you in the audience reach out to a friend, ping them, and have them join us? We strive to make the digital download an interactive experience and audience is highly audience participation, sorry, is highly encouraged. With that, Tim, why don't you kick us off?

Tim Hughes [00:01:35]:

Thank you, and welcome, everybody. Yes. My name is Tim Hughes. I'm the CEO and Co founder of DLA Knight and I'm famous for writing the book Social Selling Techniques to Influence Buyers and Changemakers. I'm really excited about today's session because I think it's great that we're able to use our platform for, to support, everybody in society.

Bertrand Godillot [00:01:59]:

Absolutely agree with that. Adam. Adam. Sorry.

Adam Gray [00:02:04]:

Hello, everybody. I'm Adam Gray. I'm cofounder of DLA Ignite and Tim's business partner. And, yes, we have, Tim and I have a a very good friend that works in in, the corporate world who is a woman of color and is extremely successful, and, thinking about how we can help scale that, scale her success and and and replicate that, because she's a great champion for everything that we stand for as an organization. So so we would like more of that, please.

Sherrika Sanders [00:02:37]:

Mhmm.

Bertrand Godillot [00:02:39]:

And myself, Bertrand Godillot. I am the founder and managing partner of Odysseus & Co, a very proud DLA Ignite partner. Looking forward to the discussion, of course. And as I said this week, on the digital download, we'll speak with Sherrika Sanders. Many women of color face distinct challenges in their career journeys, often feeling unheard and ensure sorry, unseen, unheard, and unsure of how to navigate the complexities of the corporate world. Sherrika will provide actionable strategies and insights on how to overcome these obstacles and thrive. Let's bring her on.

Bertrand Godillot [00:03:29]:

Sherrika, good morning for you and welcome.

Sherrika Sanders [00:03:32]:

Thank you.

Bertrand Godillot [00:03:33]:

Sherrika, let's start by, having you tell us a little bit more about you, your background, and what led you where you are today.

Sherrika Sanders [00:03:41]:

Yes. Absolutely. First, thank you all for having me, and good afternoon to you. I am Sharika Sanders, owner owner and founder of Transform the Gap. And for those who are wondering and who have the, knowledge of accounting and finance, yes, that is GAAP, which we know it as goal, generally accepted accounting principles for my business, transform the gap. It's goals, align, achieving purpose. And, ultimately, that's what I do. So I work with high achieving high achieving women of color, helping them to overcome burnout, understand how to professionally advocate for themselves, and ultimately align their faith, their family, and their careers for legacy building success.

Sherrika Sanders [00:04:26]:

And this stems from my fifteen plus year corporate accounting background where I saw and overcame, honestly, a lot of the issues that we currently see, with women having trying to advocate for themselves, trying to get to that next level, trying to figure out why they have to choose between or feeling like they have to choose between success and having a family or their faith and their respect in the workplace. And so, ultimately, just being that person for women who are still in that space that I needed when I was in that space. And so, again, thank you all for having me, and I'm very happy to be here.

Bertrand Godillot [00:05:05]:

Excellent. Well, Sherrika, let's start with a foundational question. How can women of color effectively advocate for themselves in the workspace?

Sherrika Sanders [00:05:18]:

One of the best ways is to show up for yourself. And that is just the most obvious way is physically, how you present yourself. Are you presenting yourself with assertively? Are you showing how are you showing up when you come into the office when you're online? Because now that we have so many meetings and appointments and so many people who work remotely, we have a lot of virtual meetings and some people feel like, oh, because it's virtual, I can be lax in my appearance and have whatever going on in the background and all of these other things. But people look at that, and all of that gives a reflection on who you are as a person. And so I always say, show up for where you want to be, not for where you are, not for where pea what people think about you. But if ultimately your goal is to be the next manager or director or CFO, then show up as that person now. Lead, raise your hand when there are opportunities for event when there are opportunities for new projects or anything that will put you in front of that right audience. And so that means raising your hands for those additional opportunities, being a leader.

Sherrika Sanders [00:06:31]:

And that doesn't always mean in title, but just showing up, offering suggestions, you know, bringing bringing the team or the group together. So it's all of those things, but, ultimately, just how you how are you showing up for you? Because that's what people are going to look at. That's what's going to pull people in. That's what's going to give you their respect and make them consider you when you're not even in the room.

Adam Gray [00:06:58]:

So, Sherrika, how how do how how can women be more empowered in this respect? So I saw a really interesting, piece of research which said that, if if there's a group of men and women and, they're told, here's an opportunity, and there are 10 things that you need to have in order to be eligible for this opportunity.

Tim Hughes [00:07:22]:

Mhmm.

Adam Gray [00:07:23]:

Women who have got eight or nine of those things don't raise their hand and put themselves forward. Men who have three or four of those things do. Now now the reason I'm asking such a stupid question is because I'm a white, middle class, middle aged man.

Tim Hughes [00:07:45]:

Mhmm.

Adam Gray [00:07:45]:

So I have no idea what prejudice means.

Sherrika Sanders [00:07:49]:

Mhmm.

Tim Hughes [00:07:50]:

I've

Adam Gray [00:07:50]:

never been, victimised or lost out, other than because of my own inability to do something. So so how can women and particularly women of color that have got like a double whammy of things? Yeah. How can they kind of develop that that feeling of self worth that that useless white men have without any any foundation? In fact, that that they're prepared to raise their hand and say, I'd like to have a go at that.

Sherrika Sanders [00:08:21]:

First, thank you for that question and even recognizing that. It really comes so when I was in corporate, I would be in meetings, and oftentimes, I was the only one who looked like me. So meaning more often than not the only female and definitely only black female. And I would be in these meetings, and the men would speak to each other in whatever tone and say whatever it needs to be said. And then when they got to me, they would, like, soften a little bit. And it's like like, let me come down to your level and explain things to you because I know you can be emotional, and I wanna make sure that I'm not hurting your feelings. And it's like, wait a minute. What we're all adults sitting here.

Sherrika Sanders [00:09:03]:

We all have, you know, our education and certifications and all of these things, but there's just this assumption that women are emotional. And, unfortunately, when men have that same emotion, it's considered passion. And so sometimes women will kinda pull themselves back because it's like the devil you know versus the devil you don't. I know this space that I'm in. I figured out how to navigate this space that I'm in. It's not where I want to be, but it's become a safe place. And I think the best way to step out of that and there is a little bit of imposter syndrome in there as well. And I think the best way to step out of that is we have to stop giving so much value to other people's opinion.

Sherrika Sanders [00:09:46]:

As a woman of faith, I know that God is my source. He is my validation. But when we give so much authority, and value to other people's praise and needing their praise in order for us to apply for that role, needing their praise in order for us to feel like we did great on a project that we know, you know, we we did well on. When we give them that much power for their praise, and that means when they provide criticism, it hurts two times as more. And so we have to start understanding our value and saying, I have, I'm able to do all of these things. And that's not something that happens overnight. That's why, you know, I have a program for it. And I even know that someone I was speaking with recently, she's like, well, can I just do this myself, the same work that I do with you? Yeah.

Sherrika Sanders [00:10:38]:

You could. But how much harder would it be? And if it were that simple and it if it were that simple and that easy, you would be doing it now. But we get so caught up in our emotions and in our thinking and all the things that happened in the past, and we allow those to keep us from moving forward. Wherein working with other people, getting a mentor, getting a a sponsor, helps us to put break down those barriers and to have those that safe space, I would even say, with someone so that we can say, you know what? I'm really frustrated about this, or I would really love this opportunity. I'm a little bit nervous. And that, you know, accountability partner to say, hey. Let's go forward. These are all the things that you've done.

Sherrika Sanders [00:11:22]:

You know what you've accomplished. Let's move forward. But it is an uphill battle for us because while things have changed, and I'm glad to say, you know, I was able to be in the boardrooms and sit at the table, the treatment within that room wasn't the same between me and the other people there.

Adam Gray [00:11:41]:

And did did that, did did you find that, a a driver for you to to demonstrate even more so that you're capable and and able and and a high achiever, or did you find that disempowering?

Sherrika Sanders [00:12:01]:

I went through both. So, initially, it was disempowering. Initially, I fell to the belief that, oh, well, they've given me this opportunity, but nobody gave me anything I worked for. And as most of us, within a corporate space, you you've normally already done the work before you offer that promotion or that pay increase. And so I would say, well, you know, they gave me this role because of x or it was because I did this, but totally just devaluing the contribution that I brought to the table. And so it took it honestly took some time. It took me getting fed up, really. And even COVID, surprisingly.

Sherrika Sanders [00:12:46]:

A lot of people say, oh, things shifted for them during COVID. That was one of the things that shifted for me because being remote a % and having some of the same conversations, it was I could see it differently, I guess, because it's like I was a little bit removed from it. And so I could see it differently. And so when people would say certain things, it's like, wait a minute. Did they always say things like that? Did they always, you know, treat people this way? But, yeah, I just had to make the decision that enough was enough. And just because I made that decision, it doesn't mean it was easy. It was hard. It took some time.

Sherrika Sanders [00:13:23]:

You know, there was a little shaking in the voice when I would speak up and say certain things, but I knew that it had to be said. And I knew that who else would advocate for me except for me? And so, yeah, it it eventually, it was very empowering. But to start, no, it was scary. And there was always this fear, like, you know, what if I speak up and they decide that they don't want me here anymore? You know? What if I lose my job? All of these other things that we tell ourselves that aren't true.

Tim Hughes [00:13:54]:

So I've actually got a question that kinda runs alongside that, Sharika Mhmm. Which is one of, we're all white, and we sometimes get comments coming on on on the channel. We had one last week about the fact that we're not exactly diverse in in the panel that we have here. And I take that on the chin because we're not. That we can't pretend that we're something that we're we're not.

Sherrika Sanders [00:14:19]:

Right.

Tim Hughes [00:14:20]:

But but there's a but there's a that underneath everything, we all have principles, and we have a principle that the way that we run our organization is that we believe in in diversity, inclusion, and equity, and that's something that that runs to the one point, we're actually 50% black as a company, but, you know, people come and go.

Sherrika Sanders [00:14:38]:

Right.

Tim Hughes [00:14:38]:

So so the question really is, what is it that we can do as white male, privileged, middle class people to make sure that we're actually advocating and being allies, for people that are, not white, middle class, and and and privileged?

Sherrika Sanders [00:14:59]:

So that is an absolutely great question because one of the issues that we face, and I just recently had a conversation with someone else about this. As people of color and specifically women of color, we can typically find the mentors, but not the sponsorship. So we tend to be over mentored but undersponsored. And the difference between the mentor and the sponsor is the sponsor is the one the mentor is one who works with you, who talks you through things, gives you advice, helps to guide you. But the sponsor is the one who who speaks and talks highly of you when you're not in the room. The sponsor is the one who advocates for you when you're not there to do it for yourself. And I think, men, and specifically white men, being more proactive and sponsoring, because let's be real, you all have a voice that we're fighting to give hours for people to listen to hours, wherein your your voice, your opinion, your feedback can do more for us in certain rooms than we could even do for ourselves. And so I think that is in, again, a great question, but I think that's one of the areas where we definitely still struggle is in the sponsorship and having the advocation of people who don't look like us.

Tim Hughes [00:16:27]:

I thought you're gonna ask a question then, Bertrand. I was kind of

Bertrand Godillot [00:16:30]:

Yeah. Because, you know, I'm, it's it's we we we have had a number of of guests around this, this topic, and I'm still amazed of your reality, actually. And I'd like to to, to to to talk a little you you talked a little bit about the impostor syndrome, and and I'd love to hear some of your strategies to overcome that.

Sherrika Sanders [00:16:59]:

Yeah. So for one, I think it's forever there. So I don't think it's something that, oh, I've overcome imposter syndrome. Because as you grow, it just it grows with you as a there's a saying that says new level new new level, new devils. Like, as you continue to grow, then it just shows up differently, but it's still there. I personally, at this point, because I'm aware of it, I try to use it as a way to stay humble. Like, you know, you could still make mistakes, and it's okay to to make those mistakes. But there are a few ways.

Sherrika Sanders [00:17:36]:

So one and I tell people to to use this just in general, not just for imposter syndrome, but in general. So I always recommend keeping a kudos folder in their email if they're in a professional space, in their email. And that kudos folder has when people said thank you when they went above and beyond or for projects that, you know, they may have volunteered for or any of those things. I think having that kudos folder is great for when it's time for reviews and you need to, pump yourself up a bit when you're having that conversation, when you're having when you're interviewing for a role. But, also, when you start to doubt yourself in the things that you've accomplished, it's like, wait a minute. There are all of these things here, and I can easily downplay it. Oh, yeah. We yeah.

Sherrika Sanders [00:18:21]:

We met the deadline, but it was the team. It wasn't me. Well, did you not lead the team? And so it's always there. But I think the earlier that we're able to recognize it, we're able to talk it down, so to speak, and and kinda put it back in its place. Because oftentimes it's coming from where we're downplaying our accomplishments, which means if you have it, you have the accomplishments. And so I think we have to remember that, that this is showing up because of something I have already done, something I've already accomplished. And as I want to grow, I should be expect expected to, overcome new challenges because that's how you grow. You can't grow by staying comfortable.

Sherrika Sanders [00:19:02]:

So it's okay if it's scary, but am I going to be courageous enough to continue to move forward? Because courage is what we use when we don't have the confidence.

Tim Hughes [00:19:11]:

And so I guess and I guess in a way, there's a converse to that, which as leaders, we need to say thank you more.

Sherrika Sanders [00:19:18]:

Absolutely. Thank you goes so, so far, And it's not always about, you know, giving something, but saying thank you, saying I appreciate it. Like, for me, it was just amazing when I would have my team members to say, hey, Sharika. I'm leaving for the day. But before I leave, do you need anything else from me? Do you need me to work on anything? Are you about to go home soon? Because if you're gonna be here later, then let me know what I can help you with. And I've always had great teams. And I think it came from, one, just showing appreciation, recognizing when they did things. And it didn't have to be, like, you know, an extreme, you know, act or gesture or whatever, but just saying thank you.

Sherrika Sanders [00:20:05]:

I appreciate that. Saying please. And also as a leader, being willing to help because I would also go to them. Hey. You have this project that you're working on. Do you have any questions? Do you need me to help you with any with anything? That I was available to them. When I showed that because to me, leadership is about servanthood. And when I showed that I was available to help and I didn't mind rolling up my sleeves and and, you know, getting in there with them, it made them see that we were on the same team.

Sherrika Sanders [00:20:36]:

It helped them to feel comfortable in talking to me, but also made them say, well, you know what? How can I support you? What can I do to make you look better? So it it worked in both of our favors.

Adam Gray [00:20:51]:

My my daughter is, 23, and she's quite a feminist. And she likes to point out to me that, there are more men named John who are chairman of Financial Times top 500 companies than there are women. Now, I don't know. I would imagine there are no black women that are in that position. So it kind of how important is it that young black women can see successful older black women doing the things that they should be aspiring to and are capable of doing, but don't aspire to because they just don't think they're ever gonna get there. So how important is that role model, and and how do we how do we create those role models? Because because, you know, black women that lead companies are few and far between.

Sherrika Sanders [00:21:43]:

Yes. It's very important because sometimes that's the only example that people have when they see someone else in the role. Otherwise, they'll just go along with, oh, this is what it looks like, or this is a stopping point for my career because I haven't seen anyone that looks like me go past this particular point. And so I think that it's very important. I recently had a conversation with Jessica McClainan. So I hope you don't mind me calling y'all Jessica. Jessica is the chief financial officer for, Girl Scout nation's our nation's capital in our nation's capital. And she's an advocate for us.

Sherrika Sanders [00:22:26]:

Her belief is that, you know, someone was there to help her, pull her up. And so she believes it's her duty to reach back and help someone. She's highly educated, highly I can't think of of the terms that I wanna say, but all of the certifications and things that you can think of because that's important as well when we have to make sure we continue to learn and be open to new experiences and and and open to growth. But, in my conversation with her, I introduced her in our in our conversation as the epitome of of what we'd like to see, of of what some of us expect because representation does matter. And, again, it goes back to me for with sponsorship. Because a lot of people get so or so they have DEI misunderstood to mean it as, oh, this is us giving, you know, people of color opportunities, that they don't deserve. And it's not that. It's just saying, I'm going to give this person of color the same advantage or the same consideration that I would give someone who's not a person of color.

Sherrika Sanders [00:23:40]:

And so that's all it is. It takes the the color. It takes the name. It takes any personal identifiers off of a resume and say, based on what the qualifications that I have here, who is more fit for this role? Based on the conversation that we had, who is more fit for this role? And one of the things I saw a lot in corporate, I remember I had one CFO, and our He brought in maybe five or six people, mostly white men, because that's what he knew. And they were in most of our leadership roles, within our department. And so, you know, I will say he did bring in, one black female. He and he brought her in, and then he said, Sharika, I have somebody that I'm gonna bring in, and I think you'll like her, and I think she'll make you more comfortable, and you all can work well together. And, and I I guess the gesture was right.

Sherrika Sanders [00:24:46]:

But so that was the one person that but everybody else were all they all looked like him. And so that's what I was surrounded by on a daily basis. So, yes, given those same opportunities, not necessarily going for my friend because I know my friend has an education from this school, looking at, well, this person has the experience that I need, and they are what can they have the qualifications to take us to that next level? So trying to take those blinders off, honestly.

Adam Gray [00:25:14]:

What you said just then, that that kind of it it made me giggle, but it also I found it quite shocking. You know, the expectation that because she was a black woman and you're a black woman Mhmm. Obviously, you'll be mates. You'll

Bertrand Godillot [00:25:27]:

be buffets.

Adam Gray [00:25:28]:

And it's like Mhmm. Almost almost everybody that I know who who is an idiot is a white man. So actually, you you can't draw that conclusion, can you? That I'm gonna I'm gonna really like white men because they they just like me. So, I mean, I I think it it's kind of well intentioned, that sort of thing, isn't it? But it it's often not, potentially the healthiest of of positionings.

Sherrika Sanders [00:25:54]:

Yeah. Yeah. I I remember having a conversation. This, actually, I don't care no. It wasn't it wasn't the same CFO, but it this person was c CFO or VP or something within the company. And they came into my office. So at this point, I'm in a position high enough to have my own office. And they come into my office, and he says to me, he's a white male, you do understand that you're going to have to work harder.

Sherrika Sanders [00:26:24]:

Just because you're a Black woman. You don't have the traditional four year education because they all went to well known schools and I didn't. So you understand that it's not going to be the same playing field for you that it is for other people. And I was like, what? What? Because one, it threw me off. It was it seemed really random. But also coming from someone who I know had the authority to grant me these opportunities within this organization, and they had the authority to promote me. And I was being promoted, but you're automatic you're already telling me you're not even looking at me with the same as based on just the contributions that I make. You're bringing in all of these other biases against me.

Sherrika Sanders [00:27:15]:

And so it was like the the nerve, honestly, and how he felt so comfortable coming to me saying that. And I don't know if I should have been pleased because it's like, oh, well, at least I know who I'm dealing with. Or if I you know, it was I was so confused in how to even respond in that moment because I couldn't believe that he had the gall to come and say something like that, especially knowing that he was in a position of power over me in that particular organization. So it's like you're telling me that you're being prejudiced against me, and you wanna make sure that I understand I'm gonna have to do more than the other people who you bring in because of personal biases.

Tim Hughes [00:27:55]:

It's it's very difficult not to, come up with a, a rude word to describe that individual. So I'm gonna, oh, you'd probably say cuss, but, so so in that situation, immediately, what they're doing is that they're they're exerting power on you. So they're making but by saying that, what they do is that they make you feel, powerless. Mhmm. And, of course, then what happens is you can go into a downward spiral of if I do anything, I'm gonna guess get fired or things like that. So what can you do? Because there must a lot of people must have been in that situation. What can you do to make sure that you to to speak up and to speak out and to do it in a way that in a way you can get what you want, but without, that person, you know, without there being some sort of power struggle going on.

Sherrika Sanders [00:28:51]:

Yeah. You have to and it's harder for some than others, but you have to take the emotion out of it. Because when you leave the emotion in, that's what they hear. And that's with any conversation, personal, professional, whatever. When you leave the emotion in, they hear the emotion and or they see the emotion, and they don't hear any other words that you're saying. And so it's completely missed. And so if you're not able to respond factually, objectively at that moment in time, then take a break, take a walk, whatever you need to, and come back to it if that's the case. But you don't want what you're saying because there's also the stigma of the angry black woman.

Sherrika Sanders [00:29:33]:

And I I remember even being told, you know, why when you talk, you sound like fat, but when she talks, she always does this. Like, some of the things I've heard and seen is is crazy, but, you have to take the emotion out. And then once you're able to remove yourself from it, you can come back to that person and say, do you understand, you know, what you said was offensive? And and call out why it was offensive. Call out what those biases are. And even then tell them that you are now accountable for correcting your action. And now in your saying that, you're telling me the biases that you already have towards me. And so now I you know, you can say how it makes you feel. You know? I feel like I have to work harder.

Sherrika Sanders [00:30:18]:

I feel like now you're automatically, you know, not going to consider me even if I am the best person if there's someone who doesn't look like me or who went to your preferred school. And so call out those things because when you call them out, even though they may know it, whether they recognize it or not, if they don't, then now you told them. But now they have an accountability to you to be honest, to be truthful, to be fair. But also now they know that you know how they see you. And so they have to move differently.

Adam Gray [00:30:53]:

Yeah. I mean, it it it may be that he wasn't he wasn't saying what you thought he was saying. It may be that he was saying this is kind of the landscape, so you are gonna have to work twice as hard. But he should've he should've made it clear that he was saying, this is the landscape inside which you operate. I don't like it, and I'll do everything I can to help you, but that's the kinda like the starting point.

Tim Hughes [00:31:15]:

I think you're giving me mum.

Adam Gray [00:31:20]:

As I've I I remember Germaine Greer's quote where she said, for a woman to get the same recognition as a man, they have to work twice as hard. And she then said, fortunately, for most women, that's not that difficult. And I think, you know, the the the reality is that there are all of these barriers that are put in the way. And, and we need to find people that can dismantle these barriers. That's the key thing, isn't it?

Sherrika Sanders [00:31:48]:

Yeah. Yeah.

Tim Hughes [00:31:50]:

And that part of that is is running sessions like this, which is about educating people. And, you know, for example, cups. If the comment has come in, he said it's a great it's a great topic. And, you know, it it's so important that we discuss and debate these things, and we educate people so they understand that, you know, that it's not a white world. Mhmm. Mhmm.

Bertrand Godillot [00:32:18]:

Alright, Sherrika. Just a question. So how how, you know, what are the steps that that you have followed to, you you know, to get to to to the executive level and and and and really, you know, commanding respect? How did you how did you manage your way, and what what kind of advice would you give to, to, to anyone getting into the same situation?

Sherrika Sanders [00:32:53]:

It's standing firm in in who you are. And we hear a lot of people talk about being authentically you and and staying true to yourself. And people are like some are like, well, what is what does that mean? And it's really just when you're presented with opportunities, does this opportunity align with your personal values? Because that plays a major part. That plays a major part in the things you do on a day to day. That plays a major part in the organizations that you want to work with, in the decisions that are made, how you want to move forward. So does this align with my values? And if it aligns with my values, then am I giving my 100%? Am I putting my best, the best represent representation of me forward? And that's not just physically in how I show up, but also in the work that I do. Can I always stand behind the work that I've done? Or is it, oh, well, I was tired, so this probably wasn't the best. Like, cutting out the excuses, making sure that you're accountable for the things that you do, the things that you know, making sure that you are a consistent and a forever learner, always looking to grow and learn more information and, you know, learn new skills and tips and tricks and all of the things.

Sherrika Sanders [00:34:13]:

But it's really putting your personal brand together and saying, this is what success looks like for me. This is how she walks. This is how she talks. This is this is, you know, what she wears. This is how she shows up in meetings. And then taking the steps to become that person. Because that means even if someone doesn't like you and I remember having a manager. She wasn't my manager.

Sherrika Sanders [00:34:38]:

She was a manager in my department, but over a different group, so I didn't report to her. But, I just I was like, I don't know why this lady does not like me. Like, if everything I did, she felt like she needed to double check it to make sure it was right. And it was. Anything that I said, like, she needed to, you know, combat it. And and I'm just like, okay. Well, you know, it's whatever. But I continue to show up.

Sherrika Sanders [00:35:03]:

I did my work. I did my best work. And I remember when I left the company, a recruiter called me about a role at somewhere else. I had hadn't worked with this lady now in a couple of years. And a recruiter called me about a role with another company, And she said, I think you will be a great fit. I've already gotten a great reference for you. And I was like, from who? Like, you don't you don't even know me. And the it was that same lady.

Sherrika Sanders [00:35:32]:

Now I don't know if she really didn't like me. Maybe that was her demeanor or what. I don't I'm not sure. But she couldn't speak badly about me because I continue to show up for myself. Just because I thought that she didn't like me didn't mean that I treated her differently or, you know, that I went to whatever level that she was on. I continue to show up for myself. I continue to provide valuable quality work and maintain my morals and my ethics. And so when it came time to someone to ask about Sharika, there was nothing that she could say about Sharika because even if she didn't like me as a person, that had nothing to do with me as an employee.

Bertrand Godillot [00:36:12]:

You you you meant you just mentioned the name pass the the the world personal brand. And, I'm actually quite interested by this, and how you can leverage this. Is it is that anything to do with networking as well? Yes. And have you have you, you know, pulled that lever?

Sherrika Sanders [00:36:38]:

I did I did a lot more networking when I left corporate than I did while I was in. And had I known what I know now, I'm I definitely would have done a lot more while I was in the corporate space. It allows you to meet other people outside of just those that you work with, but allows you to meet other people within. And that's networking, meaning, you know, at actual networking events, going to conferences, attending webinars, those things that are within your, professional space, and then connecting with those people. I'm, like LinkedIn is such a powerful platform. And I've been able to connect with so many people who I have never met, but but we're like minded. We have the same goals or we, you know, work within the same industry. And so we're able to have those conversations.

Sherrika Sanders [00:37:28]:

And it's having those conversations and allowing people to see how you show up for yourself, allowing them to see, you know, I'm I consider my career important. I value what I do. I value what I attach my name to. And so it makes people, refer you and show up for you when you're like, oh, we only had a twenty minute conversation, and it was a nice conversation, but, you know, I thought that was it. But you stayed in their mind because of how you showed up for yourself. And I think when you meet someone, you're showing that personal brand. And even when you look at organizations, does this organization align with where I see myself going forward? Do they provide opportunities for advancement? How many people of color do I see within this space? You know? Do the employees feel like this is a great place to work? How many people have grown within the organization versus people who have come from outside of the organization? So it's all of these different things. How do they value their employees? It's all of these things that we look at.

Sherrika Sanders [00:38:27]:

And instead of just looking at roles for, oh, I need a job and it pays well, we should look at it to say, how does this align with where I want to be in the future? And if there's an alignment, then move forward with that because now we have an alignment between our personal brand and the organizational brand, and it can't help but just grow from there.

Tim Hughes [00:38:50]:

So so sorry. Just to come back, I was making notes. So in terms of what you're saying, what I think I I hear you saying is a personal brand is really, useful and really useful because you want because you keep coming back to this. We're here, but we wanna be over there.

Sherrika Sanders [00:39:08]:

Mhmm.

Tim Hughes [00:39:09]:

Because we're constantly in this situation as as individuals where quite often we wanna be we wanna better ourselves.

Bertrand Godillot [00:39:15]:

Mhmm.

Tim Hughes [00:39:15]:

And what you're saying is that to move ourselves from here to over there, you need to have a personal brand.

Sherrika Sanders [00:39:22]:

Yes. You need to have you need to what's the saying? If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything or something like that? Like, show up. These are the things that I stand for. These are the things that I value, and wear that proudly. So, yeah, when you're having those networking meet, going to those, networking events and having those conversations, just being true. You know what? This is you know, I've been with this company. This is my role. This is where I'm looking to go.

Sherrika Sanders [00:39:49]:

These are some of the things that I'm working on. Share that personal brand with others because you never know who you could be talking to and how they could help with that. But, yes, I I definitely think that's something that's very important. And I can think of even other examples. I remember, being offered a role or presented for an opportunity with a company by someone who I started a company. I worked there maybe a few months. And one of the ladies that sat near me, you know, we were casual, good morning, good afternoon, so on and so forth. But that was the extent of it.

Sherrika Sanders [00:40:23]:

She left the company and went somewhere else. A few months after she left, she called me. I didn't even know she had my number or remembered my name. She called me and she said, hey. I got your number from such and such. We have a role here at our company, and we really need your help. And I was like, And she said, you know, I know we didn't talk, but I saw how you showed up every day. I saw how the conversations that the managers had with you when they would come and how you would respond.

Sherrika Sanders [00:40:49]:

I saw how they would give you work and you would get things done. Like, it was how I was showing up for myself when I didn't even have to say anything, but she saw my brand. She saw how I showed up for for myself, and she recommended me for a role with barely even knowing me. And she was right. I mean, I think I stayed with a company that she recommended me to for about six years. I actually, she left and I was still there. But, you know, it's things like that. We never know who's watching.

Sherrika Sanders [00:41:17]:

And that's another thing. We never know who's watching. And so we should do everything as if someone is watching, someone is paying attention because nine times out of 10, they are. So, you know, don't get laxed. Don't feel like, oh, you know, the manager's not here today. So, hey, everybody. Let's go take a two hour lunch. Like, keep your integrity.

Sherrika Sanders [00:41:37]:

Be honest. Like, some of the basic, what should be basic human values, you know, integrity, honesty, being able to be trusted, being truthful, those things are really important, and they really play a part in in how people perceive you and their willingness to fight for you.

Tim Hughes [00:41:56]:

And one of the things that I think connected to a personal brand because people quite often think that's kind of like putting flowers on your profile or something on LinkedIn. But, it it one of the things that you've been saying is that you kind of get got out there and you met people because the more you bump into people, the more people are gonna go, do you know, I I met this I met this person called Sherrika. She sounds like just the ideal person for you for your job.

Sherrika Sanders [00:42:21]:

Mhmm.

Tim Hughes [00:42:22]:

And it's the more that you bump into people. And I'm an introvert. I hate going out and meeting people. It's a it it it really burns energy inside me. But the fact is you have to go out there and you have to go and talk to people because it's only that way that you when as you say, when you show up, that people remember you and and then go, yeah. You need to get this Sherrika person.

Sherrika Sanders [00:42:43]:

Yeah. Absolutely. And even for those if it's if the crowd so much isn't your thing, one of the things that, I've done on LinkedIn when I wanted to when I and I did this when I was going into entrepreneurship, but I think it's also very helpful for anybody, really. I found people who were in a similar space, and I put in keywords on LinkedIn for, you know, whatever I was looking for. If it was mentor, if it was accounting, whatever, I just put in some of these keywords. And based on those list of people, I connected. I sent a connection request. Hey.

Sherrika Sanders [00:43:15]:

You know, like minded, I would love to have a conversation. So having a conversation or even, hey. You know what? I I love the content, and I would just wanna follow you and see, you know, your progression. Or but it there were a few people that I had conversations with because I was like, hey. You know, I'm venturing into this new space. I'm not really sure about a few things, and I would love to just pick your brain. And overwhelmingly, you know, people are like, sure. No problem.

Sherrika Sanders [00:43:41]:

Absolutely, which kinda surprised me because I'm a stranger danger. They don't know me. But they were willing to help. And sometimes we don't even we say people aren't helping us. Nobody's helping. Nobody's doing. I need help. But have you asked? It's sometimes just that simple.

Sherrika Sanders [00:43:55]:

Have you asked for help? And so utilizing the resources that you have, especially when they're free resources, that you have available to you also makes a difference in where you go and and how far you can go.

Tim Hughes [00:44:08]:

And and Chelsea Perry has basically come up with a comment which which she actually says it twice. Wait to go, Sharika. I'm waiting to get great advice. And it is expedite advice. I mean, this is what the subject's about. And and, you know, in a reaching out to people in an, in a in a in a way where you're not selling anything, you're just by saying, you know, can I pick your brain? Can I you know, you're in this space? Can you help me?

Bertrand Godillot [00:44:30]:

Mhmm. So a

Adam Gray [00:44:31]:

a young, a young woman

Tim Hughes [00:44:36]:

Mhmm. Possibly

Adam Gray [00:44:36]:

a woman of color is watching this show either now or or the recording. And what does she need to do starting Monday, to not be a prisoner of the fact that she's a woman and a woman of color, but where she can really lead with her best self? So so so what are the, like, the few pieces of advice that you would give her and things that you say, you know, go girl. You've gotta go and do this straight away.

Sherrika Sanders [00:45:06]:

Yeah. One, make sure you're showing up in how you present yourself. Make sure it's professional. Make sure that you're maintaining that professionalism in that setting, whether you're talking to a coworker friend or your manager, but make sure you're showing up professionally in how you dress. I never cared about what a dress code was for a company that I work for because I knew I was always gonna show up for my next. And so it didn't matter if they said you can wear jeans every day. That's not my brand. That's not what I do.

Sherrika Sanders [00:45:37]:

If I wear jeans, it's on Friday. You know? I I already had my own brand and who how I wanted to show up established. So understanding who you want to be, that person you want to be, and how does she perform today, and then taking those steps to become her. So that's that. That is the first thing I would say, showing up for for that future version of yourself. Another thing I would even say, have a conversation with your manager. Hey. You got ten minutes.

Sherrika Sanders [00:46:04]:

I just wanna know what are some feedback. What are some things that you think I can work on? What are some areas of opportunity, I like to call them? What are some areas of opportunity that I have? What are some areas where you may see me excelling? You know? And where do you see me going within this particular path? Have that conversation to make sure you're on the same page because you may think, oh, I know I'm the best employee on the team, and the manager is questioning if you should even be there or not. So have that conversation to make sure you know where you stand and to help put a plan into place because they are accountable to you for that as leaders. Help ask them to help you put a plan into place to get to whatever that next is, whether it's additional goals, whether it's, you know, some additional projects. What are some things that you can do to make sure you're visible to the right people?

Adam Gray [00:46:55]:

So so, basically, good advice is just good advice. You know, I wish I'd had that advice when I was in the workplace, you know, not not running my own business. But when I was working for someone else, I wish I had that advice. So, actually, it it's these are things that we should all be doing, aren't they?

Sherrika Sanders [00:47:12]:

Mhmm. Yes. Mhmm. Yes. Not specific to women. This is as a as a person.

Bertrand Godillot [00:47:21]:

Yeah. I would agree with that.

Adam Gray [00:47:23]:

Yeah.

Bertrand Godillot [00:47:27]:

Right. So we we talked about personal brand. We there are so many punch lines that I've written from you today.

Tim Hughes [00:47:35]:

I've just lied. You made like a man.

Bertrand Godillot [00:47:40]:

So, you know, maybe, maybe practical tips that that that anybody could be, you know, whether you are a woman of color or not, Things that you would recommend for someone starting their career.

Sherrika Sanders [00:48:01]:

In addition to that that brand, I think goal setting is very important. And it doesn't have to be you know, you may not know where you want to be five years from now or even one year from now, but what about within the next six months? What are some goals that you want to accomplish within the next six months, within your career, whether it's a role or an ideal company? What are those goals? And then work backwards. What are some things that you can start doing to meet that goal? What are some small steps or mini steps that you can take to accomplish those goals? Because those mini steps helps to keep us accountable, but they also help give us small wins so that we keep working towards that that big thing, that ultimate goal. So I think that goal setting is something that's very important. Also making yourself known, show up, show show up for yourself. So whether it's reaching out to someone on LinkedIn. One of the things I would always do when I, went to a new company, any of the people that I met or that I knew was in, like, my same department or something like that, I would automatically go ahead and connect with those people on LinkedIn because that allowed me to see, you know, if whether they post it or not, it showed them who I was because then they could look and see my background, my history, you know, what are the things that I'm looking to do. Because a lot of times in our headlines, we put where it is we're trying to go.

Sherrika Sanders [00:49:23]:

So I'm opening up to who I am. And then just always be willing to raise your hand. And that doesn't mean being the the pushover and letting them give you everyone else's work. But, hey. This if this is an opportunity for me, for the VP, the CFO, somebody who can help me get to that next level and beyond. If this is an opportunity for them to see me, then, yeah, I would like to put my hand up. You know, volunteer I didn't say volunteer because it's work, but, you know, raise my hand to help with that project or that opportunity, because you want to make sure that you have the right people in your space so that when you need that sponsorship, when you need that mentor, they're already like, hey. We may not have talked, but I see how you move.

Sherrika Sanders [00:50:10]:

I've been seeing you in, you know, the company. I hear great things about you. Sure. I would love to spend, you know, more time with you, advocate for you, all of those things. So it's taking those small steps, but being intentional in taking those steps.

Bertrand Godillot [00:50:26]:

Yeah. I think it's really important to to to

Tim Hughes [00:50:28]:

to set goals. There was a guy that I I used to mentor who we and he didn't have any goals at all. And I sat him down and I said, what do you wanna do? He said, well, in five years, I'd like to write a book. So I said, okay. So let's work out what you need to do over the next five years. We we've mapped that out. And he said, well, I can do all that by and I said, okay. So we ended up so we ended up writing the book within two years purely by actually sitting down and writing out.

Tim Hughes [00:50:55]:

You know? Otherwise, if if if he'd if if we'd start, you know, if he just started, he just would have drifted. And then probably maybe he'd written more than five years. But by actually seeing what he needed to do, it Constantine ed the whole thing down.

Sherrika Sanders [00:51:08]:

Yep. Being intentional. Intentional.

Tim Hughes [00:51:10]:

Be intentional. Be intentional.

Bertrand Godillot [00:51:12]:

This this one I got. And and, Sherrika, thank you very much because this has been great. So Absolutely. Where where can we learn more? How can we get in touch with you?

Sherrika Sanders [00:51:23]:

Absolutely. So, of course, on LinkedIn, I've probably given him about five commercials during this last hour. Are you gonna try? Of course.

Bertrand Godillot [00:51:30]:

That's okay.

Sherrika Sanders [00:51:33]:

But, LinkedIn, and then, also, you can learn more about me, even book a one on one call. And it it's not a, oh, come work with me, but you just have questions or you need a little bit more clarity and just want to have, an honest conversation. I provide free clarity calls on my site, transformthegaap.com. But it's my way of helping because some people just have a question, or they're just trying to overcome that one thing, and they just need help. And it's not always about, well, these are my fees and these are my programs, but, hey. How can I help? How can I how can I be of service to you? Because it's about understanding where we've come from and seeing what we can do to help others get to that point.

Bertrand Godillot [00:52:17]:

Fantastic. Excellent. Well, thank you very much. We have a newsletter. Don't miss an episode. Get the show in highlights, beyond the show insights, and reminders of upcoming episodes. You can scan the QR code now. Sorry.

Bertrand Godillot [00:52:37]:

Where is it?

Tim Hughes [00:52:38]:

Press the button. Okay.

Bertrand Godillot [00:52:39]:

You can scan scan the QR code on screen or visit us at digitaldownload.live/newsletter. On behalf of the panelist and to our guest, Sherrika, thank you very much. Thank you all, and see you next time. Bye bye.

Tim Hughes [00:52:56]:

Thanks, Sherrika. I really appreciate that. Fantastic.

#WomenInLeadership #CareerDevelopment #DiversityInclusion #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #SocialEnablement #LinkedInLive #Podcast