Today we’d like to introduce you to Minda Harts.
Minda, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It was in 2013 and I was experiencing a lot of things that were new to me, like negotiating salaries, moving to a new city, and all those career-related things. I was doing a lot of Googling around that time. I remember thinking, these articles are helpful, but I need something a little more tangible. I would like to know what other women of color are experiencing; be it good or bad, I could learn from them. And that’s what sparked The Memo. I wanted a platform where women of color could hear real experiences and get real advice from real women regarding their career development. I also wanted a community that fosters diversity, because all women don’t experience the workplace the same. All women don’t experience the workplace the same and it’s important we celebrate diversity. Additionally, the future of work requires an investment in all talent. Wouldn’t you be a better colleague or manager if you understood what it’s like for someone who doesn’t look like you to show up in the office every day? I hope The Memo will bridge the empathy gap in the workplace and foster hard conversations that lead to equity.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Women of color face many challenges in business and in the workplace. First, the wage gap. We make anywhere from 58 to 68 cents on the dollar. We are doing equal work and sometimes working harder and receiving less pay than white men and women. It can be a bit overwhelming, as we are the most educated group in the country, yet, we don’t have proper representation in many spaces. These are hurdles, but just like Flo Jo, we are capable of jumping over them. I always look at hurdles as a new opportunity. We have to figure out how to make these challenges–opportunities. Acknowledging they are real, but not allowing these challenges to stop us from our finish line.
And even though there have been challenges, I have always been able to keep my sights on the opportunities. The key to success is understanding that success is not a solo sport. I would need a squad of people invested in my success and visa versa. And, consistency. Before the podcast, the speaking engagements, or the book, I consistently wrote (and still write) a Monday newsletter called MEMOMONDAYS. My message has not changed.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into The Memo LLC story. Tell us more about the business.
My diversity story. It’s funny when you ask that because I feel like at different parts of my life, I had different diversity stories, but I think the one that was pivotal to me was in 2013, it was a hard time for me in the workplace. I had been used to being one of the only ones in the workplace for over a decade. I’d started to settle into the fact that I could never speak up on some of these inequalities that I experienced firsthand, that I just had to continue to sweep them under the rug.
I was reading the book at that time was a ship Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In. I just remember that in the office place that day when the book came out, everybody got a copy. Every woman, that is, got a copy of the book, and I was so excited to finally have these conversations about women in the workplace, and as I started to read it, obviously there’s some really great advice in the book, but I didn’t see myself as a woman of color, a black woman in it.
Granted, I know that Cheryl Sanberg is not a woman of color, but I just felt that that was kind of like the impetus for me. I had been reading all of these career books and I never felt like they were talking to me. I wondered if anybody else had felt that way, and the more that I assessed the current workplace that I was in, I realized that not all women were treated the same way and had the same opportunities. So for me, I started to really take a hard look at what the experiences of women of color are in the workplace and finally saying, okay, Minda, give yourself permission to speak on these things. Give yourself permission to find an environment in which you can thrive, and it’s okay to be who you are. You don’t have to contort to make everybody else okay, because that doesn’t necessarily get you any further ahead, and it doesn’t help those in the workplace understand the pain that’s being caused in some instances.
So in that moment, I did realize that I had to do something. Now, in 2013 I have to be honest Jennifer, I didn’t know what that looked like, but I knew at that moment that I could not keep functioning in the same way moving forward because I wanted to leave the workplace better than I found it. In 2015, I created The Memo LLC, a career platform that helps women of color prepare for their seat at the table. At the time, we might have been one of few platforms focused on intersectionality and virtual programming. I am proud that we were able to bootstrap our company and provide the resources women of color need without compromising our message.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I love this quote, “I’m not lucky I’m blessed.” That is how I feel. I went out to solve a problem that directly effecting me in the workplace and realized I could help myself and others–if I leaned into my courage and pushed aside my caution. Race isn’t always a topic that people feel comfortable about, but I knew it needed to be discussed. When I started in 2015, I had no idea we would experience such a racially sensitive time in 2020. It’s bittersweet, but The Memo LLC was positioned to be part of the solution because we knew this was a problem, even if no one wanted to address it at that time.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.myweeklymemo.com www.wocequity.com
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