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The Other: How to Own Your Power at Work as a Woman of Color
For women of color and children of immigrants, who are the “the other” at work, there's a different threshold of belonging that creates a false feeling of inadequacy. It can lead to being overwhelmed, overworked, and overlooked. shatters the unspoken expectations for you to stay in your lane and gives you the tools to build unshakable confidence and a career that excels--on your own terms.
Bestselling author and MSNBC reporter Daniela-Pierre Bravo spent many years undocumented and in the shadows as an immigrant from Chile, working odd jobs to pay her way through school. Like many other women of color she became an expert shape shifter in order to chameleon her way around professional environments that felt out of reach. When Daniela became a DACA recipient, she finally felt that she’d made it, rising through the ranks in her career. But she quickly realized that no matter how much success she achieved, she always felt she had to prove her worth as “the other.”
In , Daniela shares her journey and those of other women to help you recognize your power in the workplace outside of the white gaze. She drives you to reshape the way you think about career advancement without losing your sense of identity and helps you see how to use your differences as an advantage. Smart, revealing, and loaded with practical steps, is a framework for how to effectively advocate for yourself, become your biggest believer, claim the spaces in your career that are rightfully yours.
Bestselling author and MSNBC reporter Daniela-Pierre Bravo spent many years undocumented and in the shadows as an immigrant from Chile, working odd jobs to pay her way through school. Like many other women of color she became an expert shape shifter in order to chameleon her way around professional environments that felt out of reach. When Daniela became a DACA recipient, she finally felt that she’d made it, rising through the ranks in her career. But she quickly realized that no matter how much success she achieved, she always felt she had to prove her worth as “the other.”
In , Daniela shares her journey and those of other women to help you recognize your power in the workplace outside of the white gaze. She drives you to reshape the way you think about career advancement without losing your sense of identity and helps you see how to use your differences as an advantage. Smart, revealing, and loaded with practical steps, is a framework for how to effectively advocate for yourself, become your biggest believer, claim the spaces in your career that are rightfully yours.
- GenresNonfictionWomens
1 pages, Audio CD
Published August 23, 2022
18 people are currently reading
1567 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 4, 2022
3.5, but rounded up for the example the author sets for perseverance and leadership. Her grit, strength, courage, and resilience are clear as she shares her truth about overcoming challenges - e.g., how to pay for tuition, seeking employment, and being subject to stereotypes.
+ The beginning and the end of the book are most engaging for me; the point of her lessons learned, motivational and supportive statements for the reader, and the takeaways are clearer.
- Otherwise, some points are repetitive such as noting immigration status, ethnicity, feeling different, and tips for readers to own their voice, causing me to skim several chapters. It is part autobiographical and part self-help making the flow of the narrative choppy at times, making a chapter's takeaway(s) less clear.
Would recommend for...
* Individuals who feel alone in their growth journey and would feel validated to hear her success story.
* Professionals aiming to challenge the status quo, especially people of color and/or those identifying as female.
* BIPOC and DEI allies who want food for thought
+ The beginning and the end of the book are most engaging for me; the point of her lessons learned, motivational and supportive statements for the reader, and the takeaways are clearer.
- Otherwise, some points are repetitive such as noting immigration status, ethnicity, feeling different, and tips for readers to own their voice, causing me to skim several chapters. It is part autobiographical and part self-help making the flow of the narrative choppy at times, making a chapter's takeaway(s) less clear.
Would recommend for...
* Individuals who feel alone in their growth journey and would feel validated to hear her success story.
* Professionals aiming to challenge the status quo, especially people of color and/or those identifying as female.
* BIPOC and DEI allies who want food for thought
September 7, 2023
4.8
Reading this book sparked multiple interesting conversations with my brother, spouse and closest friends as we are all of various mixed heritages (Middle Eastern, Black, Asian, Latin and Indigenous mixed with European). The key talking point of these discussions being the concept of being/feeling "othered". We all have some form of privilege (both apparent and subtle) due to our proximity to whiteness. The interesting thing is that it seems that some of us are more consciously aware of these privileges than others or feel them more explicitly. We were all raised by our lighter complexion relatives in communities were our skin tone and hair stood out in that community. But despite all of these base commonalities not all of us experience/d the sense of "otherness" regularly or perceive it still today.
I on the other hand nearly always feel a sense of otherness or not belonging. In part because of my Neuro-Spiciness (i.e. pattern recognition tendencies) and partly because so much of my identity is not "visible". My race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, disabilities, education and socioeconomic background are some of the aspects of who I am that require a rapport to "know" me as they differ from the majority/default expectations of those around me. As a result I am more consciously aware of when I perceive that I am the only person in the room of my gender, race, sexuality etc. Often resulting in a very regular sense of otherness, recently I have been using this ability to help me express opinions and perspectives that are uniquely mine but also representative of those not in the room who share these aspects of my identity.
As a very introverted person it has been difficult for me to come to terms with the fact that I hold a responsibility to be a voice for those not in the room or not at the table. Sometimes just to point out to the group that the conversation would benefit from X perspective or that the conversation is biased to a particular identity and could be worded in a manner that is more inclusive and welcoming to others. I use to sit quietly waiting for someone to point out these issues so that I didn't have to become the center of attention or make others aware of my differences. But being silent does bring about change or awareness. Ignoring an issue does not dispell it nor impove it.
This book is a must read for anyone who has ever felt othered, not just women or people if color. The advice for battleing imposter syndrome and the guide for self-advocacy are valuable for anyone who wants to turn their differences into a workplace superpower. The personal stories shared could also be eye opening for anyone who wants to become a better ally for historical excluded identities.
Reading this book sparked multiple interesting conversations with my brother, spouse and closest friends as we are all of various mixed heritages (Middle Eastern, Black, Asian, Latin and Indigenous mixed with European). The key talking point of these discussions being the concept of being/feeling "othered". We all have some form of privilege (both apparent and subtle) due to our proximity to whiteness. The interesting thing is that it seems that some of us are more consciously aware of these privileges than others or feel them more explicitly. We were all raised by our lighter complexion relatives in communities were our skin tone and hair stood out in that community. But despite all of these base commonalities not all of us experience/d the sense of "otherness" regularly or perceive it still today.
I on the other hand nearly always feel a sense of otherness or not belonging. In part because of my Neuro-Spiciness (i.e. pattern recognition tendencies) and partly because so much of my identity is not "visible". My race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, disabilities, education and socioeconomic background are some of the aspects of who I am that require a rapport to "know" me as they differ from the majority/default expectations of those around me. As a result I am more consciously aware of when I perceive that I am the only person in the room of my gender, race, sexuality etc. Often resulting in a very regular sense of otherness, recently I have been using this ability to help me express opinions and perspectives that are uniquely mine but also representative of those not in the room who share these aspects of my identity.
As a very introverted person it has been difficult for me to come to terms with the fact that I hold a responsibility to be a voice for those not in the room or not at the table. Sometimes just to point out to the group that the conversation would benefit from X perspective or that the conversation is biased to a particular identity and could be worded in a manner that is more inclusive and welcoming to others. I use to sit quietly waiting for someone to point out these issues so that I didn't have to become the center of attention or make others aware of my differences. But being silent does bring about change or awareness. Ignoring an issue does not dispell it nor impove it.
This book is a must read for anyone who has ever felt othered, not just women or people if color. The advice for battleing imposter syndrome and the guide for self-advocacy are valuable for anyone who wants to turn their differences into a workplace superpower. The personal stories shared could also be eye opening for anyone who wants to become a better ally for historical excluded identities.
November 25, 2022
Overall, it's a great book to start a conversation.
I found the first few chapters and the last 2 chapters the most interesting. The middle was mostly her story, which I appreciated her sharing. It helped me understand why she had certain ways of thinking. However, I felt some things were repetitive. Some of the advice is very basic business self-help book level. The advice that resonated were ones like her story on getting promoted but being offered less pay and what that meant in terms of her value. I also enjoyed the other stories from people she coached that she shared at the end.
I do recommend giving it a read, but there should not be an expectation of a groundbreaking new view or truth. It's a great memoir with advice for women who have felt like the Other in the workplace and what you can do about it. I also felt it helped me know how to articulate to myself, and maybe others, the struggles of being the Other.
I found the first few chapters and the last 2 chapters the most interesting. The middle was mostly her story, which I appreciated her sharing. It helped me understand why she had certain ways of thinking. However, I felt some things were repetitive. Some of the advice is very basic business self-help book level. The advice that resonated were ones like her story on getting promoted but being offered less pay and what that meant in terms of her value. I also enjoyed the other stories from people she coached that she shared at the end.
I do recommend giving it a read, but there should not be an expectation of a groundbreaking new view or truth. It's a great memoir with advice for women who have felt like the Other in the workplace and what you can do about it. I also felt it helped me know how to articulate to myself, and maybe others, the struggles of being the Other.
October 11, 2022
I read this book as a member of the ColorComm Book Club. The book was insightful and offered gems of wisdom on how to navigate life and your career as an "other." Hearing Daniela's story about taking up space on her terms was inspiring.
September 29, 2022
This is a great book. Lots of great advice.
July 21, 2024
My feelings about this book are complicated. On the one hand, Daniela’s story is inspiring and genuine. Even though we are both WOCs and immigrants, she came from a much less privileged position than I did, and her strength in navigating this society where her very belonging is questioned reminds me of how incredibly lucky I have been. And despite our differences, I saw the same drive I had in her — the kind of crazy stuff she had done to get a foot in the door were just the kind that I had done.
My problem with the book really came into play in the non-autobiographical parts — the advice and the broader organization. The advice typically is delivered in a few different ways — a stat on why something is a problem, an anecdotal story of how that problem played out for Daniela or someone she knows, and Daniela’s advice on how to overcome it. I struggle to take away something valuable from this because 1) as a WOC, I already know the problem exists, 2) the stories Daniela offers tend to be just brief enough that nothing resonates with me, and 3) Daniela’s advice tend to be things I already know of or something not that unique. It feels a bit like preaching to the choir without offering them any super valuable or tangible action items.
The broader organization is a bit confusing to me. Full disclosure: I listened to the audiobook, so this experience may not be shared by the paperback/kindle readers. When I read self help/advice-type nonfictions, there’s typically a very clear objective of each chapter spelled out in the beginning, stories/examples to substantiate the objective, and the key takeaway spelled out very explicitly that it’s intuitive even for the audio-readers to note the takeaway. I struggled to pinpoint the key takeaway from each chapter or grasp where I am in the book in general. The stories that are interspersed throughout the book sometimes felt less like a substantiation, but more like an intermission.
I think at the end of the day, I would’ve enjoyed the book a lot more as a pure autobiography. The advice felt distracting and was for the most part something the reader could’ve taken away by just reading how they played out on Daniela’s career.
My problem with the book really came into play in the non-autobiographical parts — the advice and the broader organization. The advice typically is delivered in a few different ways — a stat on why something is a problem, an anecdotal story of how that problem played out for Daniela or someone she knows, and Daniela’s advice on how to overcome it. I struggle to take away something valuable from this because 1) as a WOC, I already know the problem exists, 2) the stories Daniela offers tend to be just brief enough that nothing resonates with me, and 3) Daniela’s advice tend to be things I already know of or something not that unique. It feels a bit like preaching to the choir without offering them any super valuable or tangible action items.
The broader organization is a bit confusing to me. Full disclosure: I listened to the audiobook, so this experience may not be shared by the paperback/kindle readers. When I read self help/advice-type nonfictions, there’s typically a very clear objective of each chapter spelled out in the beginning, stories/examples to substantiate the objective, and the key takeaway spelled out very explicitly that it’s intuitive even for the audio-readers to note the takeaway. I struggled to pinpoint the key takeaway from each chapter or grasp where I am in the book in general. The stories that are interspersed throughout the book sometimes felt less like a substantiation, but more like an intermission.
I think at the end of the day, I would’ve enjoyed the book a lot more as a pure autobiography. The advice felt distracting and was for the most part something the reader could’ve taken away by just reading how they played out on Daniela’s career.
July 14, 2023
Oh, how I enjoyed this book!! This book was both inspirational & uplifting!!! Having been the "Other" in the room on many occasions, I can really appreciate so much about this book!! If you don't own your place, no one else will!!!
December 31, 2024
I felt as if I was reading my diary out loud. The similar pressures of being “the other” in the work setting, pressures applied to ourselves, instilled work ethics from our families. It was a great way to remind ourselves how to level up and play smarter not harder!
January 23, 2024
Know your power! This is a great reminder to woman of color that you matter. Will likely reread this if I feel insecure and need to feel empowered.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews