How I’ve Leveled Up My Career as a Woman of Color and How You Can Too

Identify your goals, don’t be afraid to ask for help, and always stay true to yourself.

I’ve been in the hospitality industry for as long as I can remember. I started working in my parents’ hotels when I was still a kid, and eventually became the marketing director and then CEO. While I knew from a very young age that I wanted to pursue a career in the industry, I also quickly realized that it wasn’t always a welcoming place for leaders who look like me.?

As a young Indian woman, I’ve often had to fight to be taken seriously. Like many women of color in business, I’ve been talked over in meetings, told to dress differently, and have witnessed white men be promoted ahead of more talented peers. I’ve heard people say they don’t want to work with people of Indian descent, and have been told that there are already enough women or people of color on a board or panel I’m hoping to join.? These issues are particularly striking in the hospitality industry, where women make up a majority of the workforce, but still lack representation in leadership roles. In the U.S. and Canada , the gender wage gap is widest for women of color, who on average earn between 57 cents and 64 cents for every $1 earned by white men.?

A lot has changed in my lifetime, and I firmly believe that the face of business is transforming. In the hospitality industry alone, female founders and entrepreneurs like Alexis Bowen , Sylvia Wong , Sally Bunnell and Nathalie Jordi are redefining leadership on a local and global level. Groups like Black Women of Hospitality and the Women’s Hospitality Initiative are bolstering this evolution, through providing opportunities, mentorship, and peer-support. But, the business world still has a long way to go, and people starting careers today will still face barriers. Here’s what I wish I’d known when I was younger:

1. Don’t compromise your authenticity?

I’ve helped my family launch 30 hotels, and I’ve infused each space with my personal style and my values. My authentic style is a huge part of what I’ve become known for, but it wasn’t always this way.

When I was about 20-years-old and working in different hotels, I had a female manager who told me not to wear my hair naturally curly, that my earrings were too large, and that I needed to dress in blazers and suits. This just wasn’t my style, so I thanked her for her advice but continued to wear what I wanted. It would be just one job of many, and I knew the person she was trying to make me be wasn’t who I was, so I stuck to my guns. I now believe my authentic style has helped me stand out and be seen as an expert in fashion and design.?

2. Ask for help, even when it’s scary

As a young person, I spent my summers shadowing hospitality employees in every role. Much of that work was menial, but it’s often the most unglamorous tasks that teach you the most critical skills. The most important skill I gained, however, was learning to ask for help. Whenever I was put in a new situation, I had to learn the ropes, which often meant identifying someone who could provide guidance and answer questions.?

I was never given an instruction manual, which meant I had to get comfortable reaching out to my peers and managers. Learning to ask for help can help us avoid making harmful errors, but it also fosters important social connections, and helps us build a network of peers and mentors that we can rely on if we face a more serious challenge in the future.

3. Suggest new ideas, even when it means disrupting business as usual

The hotel industry has historically been male-dominated. When I first started, there wasn’t a lot of diversity in management or executive leadership. I wanted that to change. As soon as I became CEO, I spearheaded an initiative to overhaul our company’s hiring practices to ensure they were merit based. In 2020, I also penned a public letter and recommendations for the hospitality community, calling for action to combat discrimination and bias.?

Planning and promoting these efforts wasn’t always easy. Sometimes, when you make big moves, people who prefer the status quo will push back. These moments can be uncomfortable, but they’re essential stepping stones to building more equitable spaces. Today, 60-70% of my company’s management positions are filled by women, and it’s made a huge difference in our workplace culture.

4. Be open to connecting with mentors offline

When seeking out mentors, consider approaching people for in-person conversations or phone calls — even if you’re only asking for five to ten minutes of their time. As someone who relies heavily on email, texting, and LinkedIn, I know how easy it can be to relegate all professional interactions to these platforms. But, as old-fashioned as it may sound, there’s truly nothing like getting to have a conversation with someone whose career you admire and respect.?

Meeting in-person or talking over the phone can help you garner a person’s full attention. It’s also often more conducive to conversations about sensitive topics related to racism, sexism, or overall career ambitions. When seeking a mentor, remember that they don’t have to share all the same identities as you. As long as they understand your industry, the barriers you’re up against, and have your best interests at heart, they’ll be able to provide you with helpful advice.

5. Don’t second-guess yourself in challenging situations?

When you’re often the only person like you in a room, you’re likely to experience challenging situations with some frequency. I know I have. There have been many times I’m in a meeting trying to express myself, only to find the white men around me talking loudly over me in an attempt to drown out my voice.?

My number one piece of advice here is not to spend time questioning whether this sort of behavior is a result of discrimination. We know in our gut when people are behaving toward us in a biased way. Trust your intuition, and don’t waste time second-guessing yourself. My next piece of advice is to identify your goals: What do you need or hope to get out of the situation? It’s unlikely you’re going to permanently change the behaviors of an entire group of people, but if your priority is to have your voice heard, that may still be possible.?

I’ve often sat patiently and waited for the men in the room to finish talking. When there’s a lull in conversation, I’ll use the opportunity to share my opinion. I’ve found that while the group’s responses still aren’t always what I’d hoped for, my ideas often move forward because it’s impossible to ignore their value. These moments are still wins, because I achieved my goal of having my idea heard and executed.?

The world is changing, and we no longer need to model ourselves after the people who came before us. After all, the next generation of women of color in business will need role models and examples to look up to. Now is the time to forge that path.