IM36: How to Reclaim Your Power as a Woman of Color in Leadership with Deepa Purushothaman

Embracing Only: Workplace Culture & Career Development for BIPOC Leaders

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the Embracing "Only" podcast, we are featuring one of the most impactful moments from episode 42 with guest Deepa Purushothaman. This is a must-listen for every woman of color navigating the tension between success and self-erasure in systems never built for us.

Deepa spent more than 20 years at Deloitte helping clients transform and grow. She was the first Indian-American woman and one of the youngest people to make partner in the firm's history. Deepa is an author and the founder of multiple businesses. In 2022, her debut book, The First, The Few, The Only, was published by HarperCollins to international acclaim.

This episode is just a short snippet that highlights the best and most powerful learning moment from a past episode. You can listen to the full episode (filled with more wisdom) here: Episode 42: 500 stories of THE FIRST, THE FEW, THE ONLY.

Key Discussion Points:

00:59 The Pressure to Conform as a Female Leader of Color: The pressure to conform often intensifies once women of color reach senior leadership, making it harder to reclaim authenticity at the top.

03:12 Choosing What Not to Compromise: Identify a short list of non-negotiables: values you won’t trade in for professional acceptance.

04:26 Confronting Internalized Guilt: Women of color often internalize blame when they experience bias, but the root cause is rarely personal. It’s structural.

08:45 The Health Toll of Conformity: 2 out of 3 women that Deepa interviewed were suffering from mysterious chronic illnesses - fatigue, migraines, infertility, and more - linked to the psychological toll of erasure.

In Summary: Deepa Purushothaman emphasizes the importance of identifying and holding firm to one's non-negotiables in the workplace and being aware of the subtle indoctrinations that can lead to self-erasure.

Resources from this episode:

The First, The Few, The Only by Deepa Purushothaman

Follow Deepa on LinkedIn or visit her website.

If you happen to be a woman of color and you are looking for a community of like minded women, join Olivia here: https://www.mysistersshoulders.com/

Ready to make a change?

→ If you are struggling to navigate your corporate career but are ambitious and have goals you want to accomplish quickly, Olivia is the coach for you. She can help you reach your goals.

Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit oliviacream.com.

→ If you are ready to transition out of Corporate and want to start building a profitable portfolio career as a business owner, board member or more, but you’re unsure of the next steps, Archita can guide you through a successful transition to entrepreneurship.

Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit architafritz.com.

Connect with your hosts:

Follow Embracing Only on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website.

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Produced by Ideablossoms