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Daniela Pierre-Bravo is a best-selling author, public speaker, and MSNBC reporter. Her work has been featured on The Today Show, Forbes, Telemundo, and many more.
In this episode of Motivational Mondays, we talk about Daniela’s newest book, The Other: How to Own Your Power and Work as a Woman of Color. Don’t miss this eye-opening conversation.
How Daniela’s book will help you own your power
Daniela never expected the level of excitement people would have for her story after it was published. She realized she struck a nerve in women who felt like “the other.”
These are women who have seen themselves through the eyes of someone else. They’re conditioned to appease and accommodate. They’ve repeatedly been told that they’re not enough and they’ve internalized it.
Women work hard, say “yes” to everything, and kick off their careers with a bang. But to move up in their careers, something different is required. Daniela believes the trait that defines successful women is a sense of ease. You have to be comfortable with yourself and know that you’re enough.
Daniela’s book is packed full of practical advice on how to negotiate effectively and push back on microaggressions, but it’s also an introspective journey to understand yourself and reclaim your identity.
The varying identity degrees of being an “Other”
Daniela notes that the most piercing part of being an “other” was reconciling her worth as someone who was undocumented. She was told that she didn’t belong here and felt she needed to hide parts of herself.
In 2019, an organization from her hometown invited her to have a conversation. They shared her story on the local news and that night, she got a nasty message that told her she didn’t belong in this country. All of the feelings she thought she’d dealt with came screaming to the surface.
So, she wrote a chapter in her book about identifying the origin of your self-limiting beliefs and the narratives that you tell yourself. If you don’t know where they came from and why they exist, the practical advice won’t stick.
It’s not imposter syndrome. It’s reality.
When you’ve been defined through real actions by people as “the other” and you’ve been physically treated differently, it’s not imposter syndrome—it’s reality. BIPOC women have to remember that you deserve to be here.
Your light has been dimmed through qualifications, categories, and boxes other people put you in. You must be fearless and own your power, even when you don’t feel the courage. Daniela believes that there’s never been a better time in history to be a woman of color. You hold more leverage than ever before. Learn more in this episode with Daniela Pierre-Bravo.
Listen to this episode to learn about...
- [0:40] What inspired Daniela to write her book
- [5:09] The varying identity degrees of being an “other”
- [12:22] Daniela’s mixed feelings toward her parents
- [16:19] How imposter syndrome for BIPOC women is a reality
- [19:33] The importance of representation in the workplace
Listen to the bonus episode to learn how to identify microaggressions and respond to inappropriate comments in the workplace.
Resources:
- Get inspired by Daniela’s books, The Other: How to Own Your Power and Work as a Woman of Color and Earn It: Know Your Value and Grow Your Career, in Your 20s and Beyond
- Hear more from Daniela at our virtual Leadership Summit on Friday, October 14. Register at nsls.org/summits/register
- Visit Daniela’s website, Twitter, and Instagram
- Join the Accesso Community
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