Own the power of your age with Bonnie Marcus

Jeffery Tobias Halter: Good afternoon. Today we're focusing on the intersection of age and gender in the workplace. I'm Jeffery Tobias Halter, and today I'm enjoying a nice Italian Pinot Grigio. And it's always my pleasure to welcome my co-host. Amanda Hammett, Amanda, what's your beverage of choice today?

Amanda Hammett: Well, Jeffery, I am drinking my usual favorites. My, as my husband refers to it, my boujee favorite, my raspberry hibiscus kombucha. So, uh, that is not all we're here to talk about today. Um, it is my honor to welcome and introduce Bonnie Marcus for part two of her Win(e)d Down Wednesday conversation. Bonnie is an executive coach, Author and international speaker with a passion for helping professional women gain the visibility and credibility. They need to have a fulfilling career. Uh, Bonnie is the author of two books, "The Politics of Promotion: How High-Achieving Women Get Ahead and Stay Ahead" And the recently published "Not Done Yet! How Women Over 50 Regain Their Confidence and Claim Workplace Power" Bonnie is also the host of the podcast. "Badass Women at Any Age" of which our very own Jeffery was the very first male guest.

Jeffery Tobias Halter: Well, thank you for Amanda, Bonnie. Welcome back to Win(e)d Down Wednesday. What's your beverage of choice today?

Bonnie Marcus: Well, I, like Amanda and drinking kombucha, but my favorite is ginger ale.

Amanda Hammett: Cheers.So Bonnie let's, let's dive in and don't worry, guess we're not going to be talking a kombucha for the rest of the episode. Um, but tell us a little bit about the feedback you've received from your book. "Not Done Yet!". Um, you know, what is it that's resonating with clients? You know, how, how are we seeing ages and really impact the workplace? And another question is. Our women's resource groups, even talking about this, how does something I would really, really love to hear about?

Bonnie Marcus: Okay. Well, a chance at the first part of your question, how it's resonating, uh, there's so many women in this age bracket, and I would say maybe even starting 45 to 50, who are so grateful. Uh, for the book, um, they're grateful to bring awareness to this topic because many of us have been suffering in silence. They're experiencing the combination of gender bias and age-ism there they feel they don't have a voice. Um, they're afraid to speak up at work. And so the book is kind of acknowledging like gendered age-ism is real folks and what you are experiencing is real. And, um, they're grateful for, for the book and for my research to really shine a light on it and let other people know, um, that this is what they are experiencing and how difficult it is. That's what the impact is for women financially over the course of their careers and also in regards to job security. So, um, I think that that is primarily the, the feedback that I've gotten from clients as far as employee resource groups. I'm just beginning to see. That some companies are paying more attention to this. And I know that the assumption might be that it's much more focused on women, maybe particular white women, but, uh, at least, um, a half a dozen companies have recently reached out to me that they want to build awareness in their company around the effect of gender, gendered age-ism and they don't know really where to start. So they're identifying that this is an issue, getting it and just opening the door crack, you know, baby steps,
Amanda Hammett: baby steps.

Jeffery Tobias Halter: Bonnie, I want to shift gears and go back to your first book. Um, "The Politics of Promotion: How High-Achieving Women Get Ahead and Stay Ahead". This has always been fascinating to me. You know, there really is something around corporate politics and it takes You know, just business people, men, and women to realize, yes, this is real. And I'm not saying people have to play politics, but you have to read the tea leaves. You have to be, you know, smart enough to what's going on. And oh, by the way, this is an issue that we've always heard women, uh, get left out of the conversation, right? Women are over mentored and under sponsored. We've heard all these things. Now, given the realities of COVID and hybrid working, what suggestions or adjustments do you have to understand office politics for women and, and help them to kind of read the new tea leaves? Maybe when you know what, they're not in the room. Everything's virtual. I'm not seeing my boss live anymore. Uh, this is hurting me. So, so what are your thoughts on this today? Especially given you're back to what's going on.

Bonnie Marcus: Right. Um, I think that first of all, women need to understand that even though they're not experiencing politics firsthand, it's still there. And it's important to see, have things changed. Have things shifted since we moved to a hybrid environment or since then working remotely have the power dynamics change. Pay attention to all the relationships and, and, um, who are some of the key influencers that's you still need to build a web of influence for yourself and stay tuned to who would make good allies and champions and how to, you know, create visibility for yourself. If your company's in a hybrid working environment, you need to be aware that for those people who are in the workplace, You know, physically, they have an advantage, right? And so I think it's important for women to try to be visible and be physically in the workplace and not say, oh, it's just easy that I can stay home and do my, my meetings by zoom, etcetera. And it may take a little work and, and practically speaking childcare, whatever to be able to make, make it, but for you to totally understand what's going on. Uh, you should try to be present. And if you can't, you should make it your intention to set up meetings with, with your manager on a very regular basis, to be able to make sure that that manager understands what you're accomplishing on your own outside of the workplace. Um, you know, I tell my clients to prepare a weekly status report, regardless of if you're meeting or not just there's written documentation of, of what you be, you know what you're doing. So it dispels any kind of, of, uh, assumptions that you're not working as hard.

Amanda Hammett: Yes, that's, that's great advice. So to piggyback on that for just a second, you know, you, you're an executive coach, you work with high achieving women and you help them navigate this, these workplace politics and, you know, get the promotions that they really do deserve. What would be your one piece of favorite advice for a new manager?

Bonnie Marcus: Pay attention.

Amanda Hammett: Expound on that a little bit.

Bonnie Marcus: Well, I think that, um, especially for a new manager, we're so anxious to get great results and to do good work and to be productive and to be known as, as a player, right. As somebody who's a great contributor that we don't pay attention to what's going on around us. And that sets us up to be blindsided. And this certainly happened, you know, in my own career, I had to learn this lesson the hard way, but pay attention to what's going on around you, who has power and influence. Um, what does it take to be successful in your environment, in your department, with your manager, um, and not to make assumptions and what does it take to be successful for a woman and is that different than it might be for a man? So paying attention to all the dynamics, um, will help you keep on track and knowing. That you do need to work hard. You do need to get results, but you also need to pay attention to what's going on.

Jeffery Tobias Halter: You know, it's been great talking to you for these, these couple episodes. And, uh, as we wrap up, I'd be really remiss. If I didn't ask you about the title of your podcast, "Bad-ass Women at any age", I'm sure there's a story there. And I would love to hear maybe a story, uh, but advice from, uh, one of the women that you have in your podcast.

Bonnie Marcus: Oh, gosh. Well, first of all, how did I get that name? You know, when I started to write my book "Not Done Yet!", the original title was bad-ass women at any age. And I was, and then I thought I'll, bad-ass maybe it's being over done over done, but I found a quote by Katie Couric and I'm going to read it cause I, so I don't misquote her. She defines a bad-ass as someone who stands up for herself is confident, um, and is not afraid to challenge the hierarchy. The patriarchy or conventional thinking. And I was like, yeah, that's a badass, you know what it, you know, um, it's amazing how many women come on the show and don't even acknowledge the the term badass. Um, until they go through this interview and then they were like, oh yeah, you know, I can own that. But the point of the podcast is that when we share our stories, um, and we share our experiences and the lessons we've learned, the challenges we've overcome, it really inspires other women to step up and own who they are and, and be their bad-ass self.

Jeffery Tobias Halter: Bonnie, Thank you so much for joining us today. For more information on Bonnie, her work and books, along with our link to our podcast. Check out her website at bonniemarcusleadership.com. Bonnie, thank you for joining us today.

Bonnie Marcus: Thank you for having me.