Hustle Grind Shine & Reignite with Jessica Hartley
Hustle Grind Shine & Reignite with Jessica Hartley
Hustle Grind Shine & Reignite: Episode 3 with Mita Mallick
Mita Mallick has had an incredible journey from childhood into Corporate America, learning to stand up for herself and for others, and use her voice as a force of positive change. In this episode, we sojourn with Mita from a challenging childhood of being othered and bullied, to rising in the ranks at different organizations to currently being Head of Inclusion, Equity and Impact at Carta. We experience how this shy kid from immigrant parents turned into a powerful person living her truth, out loud.
We explore:
- How to find confidence and self-worth when you are bombarded with messages that you are not valued
- The power of representation at the highest level of a company and the positive impact it has not only on your people but the bottom line
- How to advocate for yourself and beat the stigma, when you’re the “Brown” woman doing “Black & Brown” work
Check out Mita’s amazing new podcast with Dee C. Marshall called “Brown Table Talk.” The first episodes of Season 2 have dropped, and the show is a featured podcast in partnership with The LinkedIn Podcast Network. In addition to LinkedIn, the show is available on most platforms including Apple and Spotify. Stay abreast of new episodes with their LinkedIn newsletter.
Mita Mallick is a corporate change-maker with a track record of transforming businesses. She gives innovative ideas a voice and serves customers and communities with purpose. She is currently the Head of Inclusion, Equity and Impact at Carta and formerly was the Head of Inclusion and Cross-Cultural Marketing at Unilever. She has had an extensive career as a marketer in the beauty and consumer product goods space. Mallick is a LinkedIn Top Voice, a contributor for Entrepreneur and Harvard Business Review, and her writing has been published in Adweek, Fast Company and Business Insider. Follow Mita on Instagram and Twitter.
Welcome to the hustle grind shine and reignite podcast. I'm your host, Jessica Hartley. Join me on another journey with amazing and talented professionals of color. We laugh and cry and take notes. But most of all be inspired all of this and more on our next episode of hustle, grind, shine. And let's go Hello, and welcome to another episode of hustle, grind, shine and reignite. I am your host, Jessica Hartley, and I am so pleased to welcome you to another episode of our show my guest today, I'm so so very excited to have her on. And her name is Mita Malik, and she is the head of inclusion equity in impact at Carta. She'll talk a little bit more about that later. But I'm so excited me to to welcome you to the show.
Mita Mallick:Thank you so much for having me. I'm delighted to be here today.
Jessica Hartley:Yes, as I was sharing in our prep session, I've been following your career over the last few years and just been so inspired and encouraged by your honesty and transparency about your experiences in corporate America and just sort of sharing out there to help us understand and help people realize that they're not alone. And you know, really, truly, that there are a lot of challenges that people of color, and especially women of color face and continue to face. And you know, we made a lot of great ground, but there's still a lot more work to do. So I'm so excited to have you on. And I want to take us back back a little bit in time and take us to little when you were a little person and talk a little bit about, you know, kind of growing up and some influences on you growing up, and what did you want to be when you were growing up?
Mita Mallick:That's a great question. To start with. I am the proud daughter of Indian immigrant parents, my younger brother and I were born and raised in the US. And we grew up outside of Boston. And I was the funny looking dark skinned girl with a long funny looking braid, whose parents spoke funny English until it wasn't funny anymore. And I was bullied a lot, both verbally and physically by my peers. And that really informed so much of what I do now in my life, because I think my purpose found me from that moment. And so I grew up in a community, which was predominantly white. And it was made clear to me every single day that I did not belong there outside of my nuclear home, I also didn't grow up in the Instagram error. So I also grew up in a world where I didn't see myself reflected in the world. So I didn't feel like I belonged. And so that's been a big driving force behind my purpose in who I am. Because I don't want anyone to ever feel like they don't belong or feel like they're excluded.
Jessica Hartley:Yeah. So how did that guide you, as you went on and sort of said, Okay, I'm going to put a stake in the ground. As as young folk do, say, I'm going to major in this, I'm going to do this thing, how did you sort of make a decision about what to do? Well, I
Mita Mallick:very early on thought I would be a teacher. I remember at the age of five, having like a chalkboard and forcing my brother and his best friend to like, write their names and be sure and they were super annoyed with me. And then I thought I was going to be a doctor. Because most of the individuals in my life that I was surrounded with were doctors or engineers. And so I did everything except take the MCAT. And then I realized, I hate the sight of blood. What am I going to do? I can't be a doctor, this.
Jessica Hartley:I'm so good did not go to medical school.
Mita Mallick:But I growing up I always thought I would be a doctor. And then had this epiphany. I would say my junior year of college and I went to college at Columbia University in the city in New York City. And I was like, that's not going to work for me. So
Jessica Hartley:now what did your parents say? I know, being a woman of color. I know how black parents are, if you you know, get they've invested in you, I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. And as young people do, sometimes we were like, changing my mind. Wow.
Mita Mallick:My parents are very supportive. My father always said, Follow your passion and the money will follow. So they were very, very supportive. And I was always interested in writing. I was an anthropology major. Everyone was like what is an anthropology major, but anthropology majors really studying human behavior and culture, which is what I still do to this day. And as a marketer, it served me really well. My parents were super supportive. They always were supportive. My outside my parents, people were not supportive. I would say the community that we were growing up in and friends and family and we're like, what are you doing with your life? Like you're totally screwing it up? You should be going
Jessica Hartley:with guys. Yes. Yeah, that resonates with me so much. I just think about even for me when I was making decision about where to go to school and That to college. And I was like, I'm not staying in Georgia. And I remember people, oh my god, he God that you would depart from your and I'm like, I know, this is not working for me I need a different you know, so I can or whatever as my parents were very supportive, but to your point kind of outside of that there are a lot of naysayers and people who were just a negative, very myopic sort of view of the world in that type of thing.
Mita Mallick:I think it was my first lesson in thinking about the life I want to live for myself, and not to live the life that others expect to view, which is really difficult. I think, just as humans and as individuals who care. And as people who don't want to disappoint, we sort of go back and forth through that tension. But that's one of the first moments where I knew I disappointed a lot of people by deciding to do something different.
Jessica Hartley:So how did you make that pivot? You were like, You got all the way through like literally to taking exams, and then you're like, Yeah, this blood thing is kind of really think that is not going to work. How did you make the decision of what to pivot to? Well,
Mita Mallick:I think when I was in college, I was just I've always been passionate about writing. And if you know my story growing up, I would say I wasn't introverted. I was painfully shy, there's a difference. I was painfully shy. So I wrote a lot. I read a lot, I kept to myself a lot. And so going to college just exposed me as it does to many young people to a lot of different options. And that's when I decided I'm actually I think, really interested in marketing because as a young child, I loved watching commercials. I didn't actually like watching the TV shows, I love commercials. I love being in the grocery aisle with my mom, I love looking at packages. And so I thought there's something here, tied to storytelling. And so I think that had always been a threat in my life. And then when I went to college, I think I really discovered it more whether it was through internships or other opportunities.
Jessica Hartley:Yeah. So talk to me a little bit about how your internship experience was, I had a lot of different types of experiences. It absolutely helped to shape ultimately what I did my last internship turned into my first job out of school. Talk to me a little bit about your Well, I went to different
Mita Mallick:internship experiences, one was with a big bank, and it was helping them in marketing. I won't name the bank. But one of the most interesting experiences someone asked me, What was the first experience you had in a workplace where you felt othered? Right, where you felt like, clearly didn't belong here. And I remember, it was a large intern class, and I was the only person of color in the intern class. And everybody else who was a full time employee at the bank kept mistaking me for the assistant. And so they would ask me to make copies, they would ask me to get coffee. And these are things let me just be clear, we do those things as interns, right. But I think it's very different when you are the only one being asked to do it. And you are constantly being mistaken. Is the room ready? The guests are here. And I'm like, What are you talking about? Anyone? Oh, you're talking about I don't work at the front desk. Like, and no disrespect to that. But it's just that was the first time that I was like, but you're not asking any of the other interns who are here to do that. So that's when I started to feel it was the first time that that was like a experience that really stays with me. I think the other internship experience I had was working for a small PR agency, which I stumbled upon in Massachusetts and writing press releases. And I was like, wow, this is really interesting. Like, I'm really enjoying this. So that's one of my experiences that I think led me to what I'm even doing today.
Jessica Hartley:So talk to me about your first full time job out of school. And how did that feel? And how did that then guide? I guess, you know, for some people, the first gig is a catalyst to say, I'm in the right place, I feel like I'm on the right journey. This feels good. And for others, it can be the opposite effect of Oh, my goodness, this is not what I want to do. And this is not going to work. I've got to figure
Mita Mallick:out so well, after a few years of working post undergrad, I went back to grad school because I knew I wanted to do marketing. And I thought the MBA would help me which I believe at the time it did. I think the markets different now, but it did help me and I am going to Duke and I really loved my experience there. And my first year there I was recruited into Johnson and Johnson's diversity mini camp. So I actually was able to go through the experience, get an offer early, spend a few days with the employer, which was awesome. And then I started working there as an intern for that summer. And then I went there full time, and it was an incredible experience. I think it really just solidified Yes, I want to be in marketing. Yes, I'm a beauty person not a foodie, my husband's the foodie. And I'm all about Canadian conversation, but I'm not a foodie. I'm a beauty person and so that my first foray into just really falling in love with marketing and storytelling. And so I knew at that moment I was on the right track. And then I shortly after left that job to start a career at Avon and went on to other companies but really stayed in the beauty You space for most of it.
Jessica Hartley:Yeah. The Talk to me a little bit about Avon, you know, very familiar with the journey. And the story, actually another guest on the show, spent some time at Avon as well, as we'll talk a little bit about their experience. What was it like working in a company, essentially by women, for women? I know men and other individuals work there as well. But what was it like to work at a company that really sort of put women primarily women, I should say, there's obviously kids lines and others at the forefront? Did that feel exciting or different was that, you know, sometimes I find those environments can also be a little mean girl environments as well. So
Mita Mallick:I say all the above all, I would say that I likely as someone starting my career, took it for granted that I would see women in such high positions of power from the CEO to the President to the Vice President. And now being in having done a lot of different things since then, I'm like, wow, that was a very special time in place. And I think even the people who the team members who we all went through experiences there, you're bonded for life, right? And so even to this
Jessica Hartley:day, in the life,
Mita Mallick:and I think the beauty industry is incredibly fast paced, and also learned a lot about the speed of innovation. When you're looking at working at very large consumer product goods companies. It's usually like 30% new products and 70%. Just keep doing what you're doing and selling what you're selling versus beauty like working at na Ivana L'Oreal and Estee Lauder, they are constantly turning on innovation, which really is tied to what's coming out of the runway. It is very exciting. I learned a lot there.
Jessica Hartley:Oh, wow. You tell me about an experience during that time. Or maybe after, as you were navigating these environments, you talk a lot about career and advancement and grow. You have a podcast, we'll talk a little bit about that. But talk to me a little bit about how you felt when it came to career development and advancement as a woman of color in these environments. still predominantly white in a lot of ways, even if there are a lot of women still predominantly white. And talk a little bit about how you felt about your the support or lack thereof when it came to career detail. I
Mita Mallick:will tell you, Jessica, I never anticipated that those bullies who were in the school yards and classrooms would follow me into corporate America. No one ever talks about that. No one ever prepares you for that. And then you show up what I talked about in that early experience of being consistently mistaken as the executive assistant, you then realize that's just the tip of the iceberg. And I hate the word microaggressions. Because what's the opposite macro aggressions? It's the everyday aggressions. And if you haven't read Michelle Obama's book becoming privilege of seeing her on the book tour, and she talks about how it's the paper cards, it's the everyday slights that have a devastating impact a lifetime of accumulation on how you feel about your sense. How do you how you feel about yourself, and your sense of self worth. And so that was just the tipping point. And I very quickly, I didn't very quickly understand this. Let me start again, I wish I had had this advice sooner in my career, which I give to everyone. Now. I'm the proud daughter of Indian immigrant parents, I mentioned this. And my father always said to me, said to us work hard, keep your head down, stay out of trouble. And you'll be recognized. And it's it's a lovely thought. And I think in many ways, it's true. And in many ways, it's not it's certainly not true in corporate America. And when we get into podcasts that my friend Dee and I started roundtable talk, but you know, having your work stolen, being passed up for promotion, being told that you're not ready for the next level, not being visible enough and what that means. And so all of these things are just things I've collected, I say go going through moments of surviving and thriving in workplaces. But it has been something that's been constant through my career. Yeah.
Jessica Hartley:So you have this really amazing journey in consumer packaged goods working on beauty brands, you went on, ultimately, to do some time at Unilever, I say do some time like it was prison, but you would spend some time at Unilever. But then at some point, there was a shift when you as you know, moving thinking about multicultural marketing and what it means to not just sort of mass market but what does micro targeting micro marketing niche marketing mean as we think about the explosion of multicultural products, and then that then got you into really being very focused and much more laser focused on equity, diversity, inclusion and culture for an organization and no longer for products. Talk to me a little bit about how that manifested for you.
Mita Mallick:It's a great question. I was on a marketing track. And my then CEO approached me three times and said, We have no one leading diversity, equity and inclusion, would you do this? And I said, No. I said no, three times. And my younger brother said, it's probably time to say yes, when the CEO asked you three times, but I think sometimes people see something in you that you don't see in yourself. And that's been a real lesson for me. So yeah, I always say, go after the jobs. And I've done this in my career time and time again, the jobs that aren't sexy, that aren't glamorous, that don't have the big budgets, take those jobs, or you might be a team of one growing where you might have a less budget, and make them your own points on the board. And I promise you, when you leave that job, there's going to be a line of people waiting. That said, all of a sudden, this is the job I want. And so rather than I think, because oftentimes I tried to get on those shiny big brands, and I wasn't given those opportunities, and so I thought to myself, alright, let me take the ones that no one else wants. And let me make them amazing. And let me make them the shiny object. So I ended up taking that job. And I ended up a year and a half into it, expanding it to call it cross cultural marketing. And I think that phrase is probably to future forward thinking for people, but it is multicultural marketing and more. It's about how are you an ally to the LGBTQ plus community, veterans, individuals with disabilities, there are so many ways that we identify and as well with intersectionality, how are you showing up for these communities? And I think something that you said, Jessica, about my marketing background, what I realized was, and I know the world has shifted a lot, especially with the diversity tipping point as my friend de coined in 2020. But what you see now is that I believe I'm on a mission when I work with organizations to build end to end inclusion ecosystems. So you talk about these pillars, and I talk about four pillars. The first pillar is about workforce, we can spend a lot of time on workforce and how companies have a lot of work to do when it comes to diversity representation at all levels. But then the second pillar for me is really, how are brands and products showing up in the marketplace? So who are you selling to? And why and who are you excluding? And why the third is really around supplier diversity. Who do you write checks to and why. And as you've seen, from my background, I've worked for some pretty big companies. And it's like the same five agencies we use, and the same five people. So why. And then the fourth is, you can say you're going to stand for values, it's really easy to put up that Instagram post, but when are you ready to stand off for them as a company? And I think with everything going on from a US context today, there are so many human rights issues, social justice issues, consumers, but also employees are calling on companies to say, Hey, what are you doing about this? This matters to me, right? And I need you to say something I need you to stand up.
Jessica Hartley:Yes, no, I completely agree. I mean, when we talk about, you know, obviously, everybody's talking about the great resignation, we know doing this work. And we're like, people were just waiting, people felt as if they didn't have choices, you know, and the salaries and all of these things. And I mean, things have exploded. And it's because people were just biding their time,
Mita Mallick:I tell you, I, I'm not calling it the great resignation, I'm calling it the Great Awakening, people are no longer willing to put up with what they put up before. And this is I think, pent up pent up years. Yeah. And McKinsey had this recent study that talks about the number one reason that individuals are leaving are not for better titles are not for great snacks, or not for swag or not for more money. Because they feel like they don't belong. And disproportionately, this is impacting people of color, who are making moves, because I will no longer tolerate not being heard not being seen and not being valued enough. So that is the number one way you keep people, you can keep looking at your benefits. You can keep looking at your compensation and your pay scale and all of that. But I will tell you, if I feel valued, I'm not leaving for$20,000 more, I'm just not
Jessica Hartley:right. And because we know leaving, also, there's lots of risk and leaving. And so if I'm happy and good. And I mean, I talked to coach people all the time, you know, they're like, Should I leave? And I'm like, if you're getting what you need from your role, yes, you could go and get some more money, but you feel valued where you are. That's a really good thing that's very hard.
Mita Mallick:valued. I think that is priceless. That is priceless.
Jessica Hartley:Yeah. Talk to me about what it feels like and how you navigate being a brown girl during the brown girl work right? So you and I know there's privilege but also a stigma that comes along with being a person of color also leading in in these ways. And often, you are not only advocating for people in your environment, you're still also actually trying to advocate for yourself as well. How are you navigating that especially in your role today?
Mita Mallick:It's tough because what you're alluding to is you can be tokenized in this role. And I know so many of us are. But I would say I'm a business person. First. I'm a business leader, and I grew up in the business, and I'm a business person. And I think if you can understand what at the ultimately at the end of the day, we're all selling something. So what is your company selling? What are you making money off of? How does the p&l work? How's the structure of your company work? And inclusion is not here, not here, not here. It's right here. It is a driver of the business. And so the more you can get leaders to understand and connect with that, I think that's also where I've been able to gain respect and trust, that I understand how the business works. And I understand how this can benefit the business. And so I think that's really important. And I'll just be honest, I'm exhausted, this is exhausting work, I'm in it. It's important work. I'm doing this for my children and all of our children, I don't want them to experience what I experienced growing up, or hopefully whatever they choose to do in their life. I don't want them to experience these things. I hope it's a different world for them, but it is exhausting. And I always say, if you're hiring a chief diversity officer, don't expect this person to come in with a magic wand and fix this. I don't have a magic wand that I'm going to Whoo, whoa. All bets are off. No, it's not. And so we all each have a responsibility. I think in a perfect world, we would each be our own CTO, showing up every day to work thinking about how we can create inclusion spaces and places. I think we're a way off from that. But that's the ultimate hope is that you wouldn't actually need this job.
Jessica Hartley:Yeah, no, I agree. I, you know, one of the things I've been saying as well is telling people, I'm like, hey, it's not enough for you to say I accept everyone at work. And I treat everyone equally at work. If you still go home and use racial epithets, or you don't correct your grandma or your cousin or your brother when they're saying things that are homophobic or racist or inappropriate, you're not living the values every day. That is literally the definition of performative, you know, is a you performing at work, but still living other values.
Mita Mallick:I love that you just brought that up, because inclusion starts at our kitchen tables. We spent billions and billions of dollars as a country. The last stat I saw was$8 billion on DNI training. This is pre 2020. Right? So imagine how much more it's it is. And one unconscious bias training one workshop, I'm not going to reach you. It starts at home, and I work with leaders and I say, let me ask you these five questions. Let's say it was pre pandemic during pandemic, how do you spend your time on the weekends? Where do you live? Who are your neighbors? Who cuts your hair? What grocery store? Do you go do? Do you observe who's buying from there who's checking you out? And when you have big life decisions, who are the five people who are not in your family that you call and if they all look like you and act like you, then we have to have a conversation with self to say we are self segregating. And so that work starts at home, I don't care how many trainings you go through. I don't care how many workshops you sit in to your point, you can't undo that you have to start doing that work. And you have to start intentionally thinking about how you're living your life outside of work, because that is really hard for and now I'm talking to you from my bedroom, which is my office, right? All like,
Jessica Hartley:it's all it's like life is work and work is like we're all it's a talk about mesh realities. I mean, this is the world that we're living in, when I spent time at Accenture doing co lead for the North American African American erg. For the US I there was a you know, a really big initiative and push and one of the things that's really a hard question to ask people, particularly white people, but not just white people, other people as well. You know, when have you had a person of another race, like welcome into your home, sit at your table and actually eat dinner with you share and bond mean this obviously pre pandemic, so all the things but it was a very real statement to your point of like, what does your circle look like? It's fine that you hang out with some black and brown folks at your kids soccer game or basketball game. But what does it look like to actually have people who are part of your trusted circle
Mita Mallick:and I have, specifically to that point that you just made when I have white leaders come to me and say Mita black lives matter to me. I care about this and I want to be an ally, what can I be doing? And the really uncomfortable question is Do you know anyone black intimately in your social circles? That's the really uncomfortable question that no one wants to talk about. Right? Who do you know intimately in your life for any community? I use the black community as one example to how do you show up as a on your journey as an ally, that Asian community, LGBTQ plus community, any back to your point about performative ally ship, do you know anyone? Intimately well, right, because we're not about to put black and brown pain on display. But when you have intimate friendships and relationships, those industry We'll come and share with you their pain because that's what you do in friendships and relationships. But that is the real question here that I think no one really wants to talk about and gets really uncomfortable because then it's not about me putting you through a workshop. It's like Mita. What are you doing? Mita? The onus is on you. It's not on the company who's writing the checks? It's on me. It's on me, and how am I showing up? And what work am I doing? Personally?
Jessica Hartley:Yeah, you talk about the pain that we all carry, as people of color. Doing this, we're doing what we love. But it is also a labor of love, and emphasis on labor and that sort of burden that we carry on our shoulders. Because this work, as I often say to people, I'm like, This is life changing work, the work that we're doing when we think about work in coming to work every day, if a person has a good experience or a negative experience that impacts their life. And now that we're virtual and doing a lot of things hybrid, I mean, I now I'm having a bad work experience in the place that's supposed to be my sanctum, which is my home. How are you refilling your cup? What is Mita doing to take care of herself? You've mentioned family and kids, I have three children, I understand intimately how we pour into them and pour into others. How are you taking care?
Mita Mallick:I think you bring up a really great point, which is that, for many of us, this work is our life and our life experience. When people say to me, can we stop talking about Black Lives Matter? Can we stop stop talking about stop Asian Hate? Like, do we have to continue to talk about these things? Many of us don't have a choice? Do our black colleagues and friends have a choice? No, this is every single day. And so the point of like living that experience, and then fighting for me, I'm advocating within the system. I have many friends who are doing it outside the system. And I think both are important. It's like what do you do for yourself? I play with my kids a lot. I have a six and nine year old there's nothing like kids, right? And my nine year old going on nine Netflix and going on. They will be in your place. And so
Jessica Hartley:they are just like way too cool that you're dealing with all that stuff, man, but I'm hungry
Mita Mallick:for dinner. I don't like what you made dinner. We're out of cheese strings where the cheese it's like, are you eating enough fruit? You didn't drink water.
Jessica Hartley:This is I need another bad day. It's not bleeding Do you really don't like don't need it, you just want a bandage
Mita Mallick:over. So I think there's nothing like kids I joke I last book I read was Harry Potter Sorcerer's Stone, I don't read books. But I read a lot of short form. And I color with my kids I draw with my kids I wrestle I'm getting they're getting a little too big for wrestling and moms
Jessica Hartley:like that. But I think just
Mita Mallick:spending time with friends and family, right, and just things where you can disconnect from all of this. And that's hard to disconnect. But I think just turning the laptop off, stop checking your phone and the text, which I'm not always great at, but I'm trying to do them more and more. And I love to write a lot writing is therapy for me. People say how do you write so much? And I'm like, I don't find it to be a burden. I find it to be something that's healing and half of it never sees the light of day. And some of it makes its way on LinkedIn. Another place?
Jessica Hartley:Yeah. Well, you talked about as a child and as a kid, being that shy that painfully shy child and writing. So it's so clear why that even then was a place of safety and comfort for you. And even continuing today as an adult as a parent shepherding other little mini me's as well using writing as sort of a vehicle. So you obviously and as many of us, we never just have our daily jobs. There are always other things that we're doing and other projects. I know, obviously, you've always had something else going on. And you speak at conferences and workshops, but you recently what your partner D, you've mentioned her or lunch, this really just I mean real talk about industry and career and being women and the things that we're facing and just people of color overall. Talk to me about this sort of genesis of where this idea came from for you. Well,
Mita Mallick:I met de Marshall, who is the founder and CEO of diversity engaged in 2017 multicultural Women's Conference in New York City. And I became a client. She was my coach and I'm the client she can never get rid of now because we are we became good friends after that. And you know, we were constantly texting. She taught me audio message, late night dinners, phone calls, always about stuff that was going on at work for me and things that she was experiencing through her business but also through her coaching and things that clients were going through. And two years ago I said to her do we need to have a podcast I think you and I should bring this just live and it took us the pandemic to finally do it, but I think there's something that I actually posted about on LinkedIn this morning, which was Be the change you want to see, stop waiting for someone to come in and fix it. And that's how I felt with what is happening with women of color in workplaces around the country. All the conversations that we don't talk about, that we talk about amongst ourselves. So we started this as a place for women of color, to hear stories, to have community, and then to get practical tips on what they can be doing to thrive in their workplaces. But we also wanted it to be a place for allies. And as DNI would have these conversations, I would say, well, Dee, what would you do if you were an ally in this situation? If you saw my work getting stolen? And you know, that this person stole it? Yeah, what could what could the ally be doing, and then suddenly, it was a place for everybody, it's the brown Table Talk is a place for everyone. Because we need allies to step up and help women of color when at work. Again, back to the burden, the burden just can't be on me, I'm going to do everything I can personally to win at work and help other women of color when at work, but we need everybody. And so that's how it started. And we just wrapped up season one, which was a limited series, but we have some news that we'll be doing a season two, hopefully, shortly announcing that, but we have eight episodes. And they're pretty practical tips like how to get credit and recognition for your work. There's a really a hard episode that we did on what to do when you go from being the office pet to the office threat, which is well documented phenomenon, especially around black women. But it's something that I have also faced, but we really did it too. Because just as you and I are talking as both as women of color, we have some shared experiences, but also very different experiences. And so we wanted to have two voices at the table, just representing de as a black woman and myself as a brown woman to the South Asian woman, the different things that we've gone through and how our culture and community also impacts the things that we've experienced.
Jessica Hartley:Yeah, I love that. And I'm so excited, I was able to listen to a couple of episodes, it's on my queue for the holiday break, I'm going to be digging into all the things. And I'm just so excited because there is just a proliferation. And I know some of it has just been bottled up for years, whether it's podcasts, or books coming out series, and what I mean, there's just a lot of really rich content that is supporting people of color, supporting women of color, in ways that I think we've never had the ability to put words, you know, language, how do you talk about the things that you're experiencing is, especially with the emotional sort of turmoil that you're in, you're in the midst of it, and sometimes you can't pick it. We talked about micro and macro aggressions, well, macro aggressions, you can be like, Okay, well, I that is very clear what that person has done. microaggressions can be you know, that cut can be so razor thin, that you don't even realize the impact and the detriment that it's had on you until much later. Yeah,
Mita Mallick:absolutely. So I am just, we're just thrilled with the response. We did this as Be the change, you want to see, like, who am I? Why am I waiting for someone else to tell these stories? Let's start sharing them. And I think in sharing stories for me, there is healing, but it also empowers others to share their story. And it sends a ripple effect through our ecosystem. And that's what I'm hoping for.
Jessica Hartley:Yes. Oh, I love that. Well, as we close, on this note of round storytelling and sharing in writing and communication, and obviously you and I know, I love what you were like, hey, you know, you grew up in the 80s. There was no Instagram, we didn't. We didn't have these things growing up. But what is your advice, as people are navigating corporate America, whether they've just come in and I often find it's probably even harder. For some of us who've been doing this for a while because you sort of get you know, you get in this mindset of I can't change. I'm only one person, I can't change things. What would you be your advice to someone who is going through some challenges at work? And they're thinking that one person can't make a difference?
Mita Mallick:I think there's a few things I think first we all can be the change we want to see. So stop waiting for someone else to fix it, whatever you're trying to do whatever you're waiting for start to do it. And I think once you start you can role model, what others should be doing with you. And I think just for anyone listening out there who is struggling with where they are right now in their organization, ask for what you want, ask for what you need. And if you don't receive it, then you can always vote with your feet. I would also say I took me a long time to realize this Jessica I will only be in places where I am celebrated and not tolerated. And my friend Tiffany Warren added, celebrated and held up so there difference. But we all are incredibly valuable and all are meant to do great things. And so don't let someone else or an organization define your worth for you.
Jessica Hartley:Yes, yes. Oh, such sage advice. I am so thankful to have you in your time. Today on the show, Rita. This has been fantastic. We've covered a lot of juicy topics in here. I appreciate you're baring your soul a little bit about the challenges and tribulations but also talking about the really big milestones that you've had. And just I think, for me, it's, you know, slow and steady wins the race. And we just have to get up every day and say, I'm going to try to make affect the change that I can today and we will worry about tomorrow when we could get tomorrow. So thank you for your time and your talent. Yes, yes. And I can't wait for season two. So everybody if you have not already checked out the brown girls podcast, please get out there and check it out. It is amazing. Thank you. Me. Thank you so much. Thank you for listening to another episode of hustle, grind, shine and reignite. If you liked this episode, like subscribe and share on all your favorite podcast. I hope you'll tune in to the next episode featuring another amazing and talented professional. In the meantime, shine bright
