Welcome to Corporate It Girl.Rise, shine, and make them remember you.Hello everyone, I am Fatima, an ECF certified coach and mentor who spent 23 years navigating the corporate world as a woman of color.
I've seen it all, from the heists of securing a long-deserved promotion to the lows of watching opportunities slip by because I didn't stand up for my own value.Self-advocacy is a skill.
An essential one that doesn't always come easily to us, especially in environments where it feels like you're the only one in the room who looks, thinks or even sounds like you.
Today, I want to talk about why advocating for yourself isn't just an extra skill.It's a critical piece of your career.I'll share my own journey, how I went from feeling invisible to making my work, my value, and yes, my voice unforgettable.
You'll also hear from women I've coached who overcame fears around self-advocacy and are now inspiring others to do the same. This episode isn't just about why self-advocacy matters, it's about how you can start stepping into it today.
So, grab a notebook, find a comfortable seat, get some tea, get some coffee, and let's dive in.So first, let's start by unpacking why self-advocacy is often such a struggle for women.
I've met so many talented women over the years who would tell me, well, I let my work speak for itself.And I do get that.That's what many of us were raised to believe.But here's the reality.
If you don't speak up, if you don't take ownership of your achievements and tell your story, there's a good chance nobody else will either. For a long time, I bought into the myth that hard work alone was enough.
One year early in my career, I led a huge project. taking on the extra hours, weekends, tackling challenges that nobody else wanted to do, and making sure every piece was polished to perfection.I was exhausted, but proud.
But when review time came, I waited for my manager to bring it up, to acknowledge how I'd taken the project from beyond expectation. But you know what?It barely got mentioned.I walked away from the meeting feeling frustrated and undervalued.
And it wasn't because my manager didn't care.It was because I hadn't made my contribution visible. So when I started coaching, I realized this wasn't just my story.Women, especially women of color, tend to underplay our achievements.
We are taught to blend in, to avoid being too much, you know?But here's something I tell every client I work with. Self-advocacy is not arrogance at all.It's not bragging.It's owning the impact you are making.
Men do this all the time and not because they are inherently better at it, no, but because they have been taught that advocating for themselves is natural.Now it's time we, as women, and yes, as women of color, normalize that too.
So I remember a pivotal moment in my career when I finally realized that if I didn't stand up for myself, no one else would.I had worked on a high stakes project, one that directly impacted the company's revenue.
I'd gone beyond, beyond my job description, working weekends, brainstorming solutions, even bringing my team together to hit our deadlines.When we succeeded, I expected some recognition. You know, just some recognition.
But during my review, my manager barely, barely mentioned the project.And here's the kicker.A male colleague of mine, who had a much smaller role on the same project, received praise for his leadership and dedication. So I was stunned.
I remember going home that night feeling not just disappointed but invisible. But that night also, I made a decision.I would never, but never let my contribution go unrecognized again.So in the next team meeting, I spoke up.
I presented our project's outcomes, the hurdles we'd overcome, and the strategies I'd implemented.It felt scary.Really, it felt scary.My heart was racing. But you know what?
It worked, because my manager at that time started seeing me differently, and it opened doors that might have otherwise stayed closed forever.So here's the truth.I want you to hold on to it, really.
If you don't advocate for yourself, you give others permission to overlook you. I love this phrase, that's why I'm going to repeat it a second time.If you don't advocate for yourself, you give others permission to overlook you.
Self-advocacy is more than just a skill.It's an act of self-respect and an investment in your future. So let's reframe this together, okay?So self-advocacy is about bringing your full self to the table.
It's about letting your team, your managers, and yes, even your clients, your colleagues, see the value you add.And this value isn't just in your deliverables, or your descriptions, or your results.
No, it's also in your creative thinking, your problem solving skills, and the unique perception perspectives you bring.When you advocate for yourself, you're showing that you believe in your work and that you are committed to seeing it recognized.
So I'm going to go to a story of one of my clients.I'm going to call her Jamila because I'm going to keep like the anonymous names here.
So Jamila had spent years quietly delivering excellent results, but never felt confident enough to speak about her achievements.She'd grown up with the belief that humility was a virtue, you know, culturally.
And so every time she received praise, she'd brush it off or redirect the attention.No, she didn't want to have the attention on her.When we first started working together, I asked her to make a list of her accomplishments over the past year.
I always thought from the 1st of January of the year.
After her session she did the exercise and the next session she came back with a very very long list of projects she completed, challenges she overcome, solutions she has found and yet when we looked at her review feedback
None of it was there, not one.Why?Because Jamila hadn't brought it up, and her manager was too focused on the day-to-day to notice the specifics of her contribution.
So through our session, I encouraged Jamila to start small, you know, to casually mention her wins in conversations, to highlight the numbers and impact she'd made.So slowly, she felt comfortable talking about her achievements.
So by her next review, her manager had a whole new perspective on her role and her skills, and she ended up receiving the promotion she'd been waiting for so long.
So, okay, this didn't happen overnight, it took practice, a few awkward moments, but the most important thing, a shift in her own mindset.And it worked, and it can work for you too.
So I'm going to give you like some practical tips on how to start self-advocacy yourself.And for me, I'm calling that like a self-advocacy journey because it will take some days.First things first, start with a small win.
Pick one achievement, just one that you are proud of and casually bring it up in a conversation with your manager or colleague. You could say like, hmm, I'm really glad we were able to get the project done on time.
Coordinating the team and overcoming those last minute challenges was a huge learning experience for me.So see, it's a little thing.It's just a phrase.It's keep it simple, but intentional.So it's really clear what you are saying.
Another thing you can do afterwards is quantifying your impact because numbers don't lie and they aid way to your story.So if you improved a process by saving time or increasing revenue, quantify it, say it with pride.
For example, just give an example, implementing that new system reduced processing time by 30%. That gives literally an image on what you did and the impact you had and you added value by changing the system.
A third tip, create a highlight reel or what I call sometimes achievement tracker.Keep a running list of your accomplishments, big and small, and review it often.This isn't about ego, to be clear.It's about clarity.
When reviewing time comes, you'll have a list that reminds you of your worth and all the things that you have done. Fourth tip, seek feedback proactively.So don't wait for feedback, ask for it.
And don't just ask what you can improve, ask what you're doing well.It'll help you see your strengths from someone else's perspective, making it easier to advocate for those strengths.
Last one but not least one and maybe the most silly one is practice in front of your mirror.So I know it sounds silly but it's true, it's powerful and it helps.
Standing in front in a mirror and looking at yourself and practicing saying your achievements out loud helps. Imagine you're speaking to a manager or a colleague.
This will build confidence and it will train your brain to see self-advocacy as normal, not something to shy away from. So, self-advocacy is an ongoing journey.
And yes, there will be times when it feels uncomfortable, when you wonder if you're being too much.But let me tell you this, you're not.You're just owning the value you bring and that's something to be proud of.
As we wrap up this first episode, I want you to take one step towards self-advocacy.Maybe it's sharing an achievement with a colleague, asking for feedback, or making that achievement tracker.Whatever it is, commit to doing it this week.
This is your career, your voice, and your time to shine. Thank you for joining me on Corporate It Girl Rise, Shine & Make Him Remember You.Remember, this journey is about owning your power, one step at a time.
And next episodes will go further in each tip that I just gave.So until next time, keep advocating for yourself because you are worth every bit of recognition that's coming your way.With love, Fatima.
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