During ColorComm’s sixth annual conference in Miami in late July, women of color traveled from all around the country to network, get a little sunshine and most importantly, get inspired.
For any woman working in the communications world, it was thee place to be as numerous women at the top of their game offered a nonstop stream of career advice and motivational word of wisdom.
However, it was author, producer, and former President of Entertainment for Telemundo, Nely Galán who dropped a career gem.
For numerous women, “Money” is still a bad word, and to be openly motivated by salary is still looked down on in some circles. Meanwhile, both Black and Latina women face higher poverty rates and are the groups that consistently experience higher unemployment rates than white men.
There is no true empowerment until you have money, read a massive screen behind the media mogul, as she spoke on stage.
“You can’t make your mate your prince charming. You can’t make your job your prince charming, [or] your boss,” said Galán, to a packed ballroom full of Black and Brown women. “Your boss has her own problems…You can’t make the corporation you work for your savior. When we think like that we become victimized.”
Basically, be your own savior.
And let’s face it, sometimes when climbing the ladder of success, it’s easy to allow our tunnel vision to overshadow the big picture; to assume that once we achieve this goal or get that promotion, everything will fall into place. Soon our jobs and careers bear the weight of the expectations we have for our lives. This is a recipe for disaster.
Galán’s message was a powerful one. Particularly for anyone aiming to be self-made.