Women of excellence of 2022 | Exeleon Magazine | Business Magazine

I N - FO C U S

SUSTAINABILITY AND LUXURY AT ITS BEST

Sophia Felix C O-FOUNDE R & PR E SIDE NT | ICBWA

I N - FO C U S

EXPLORING THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND

OF EXCELLENCE

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CONTENTS

12 SOPHIE FELIX

CONTENTS

28 KRESSE WESLING

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34 MELISSA RODRIGUEZ

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F E AT U R E D S T O R Y

A POWERHOUSE IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY C O-FOUNDER & PRESIDENT | ICBWA

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T Today's business world is rapidly growing with increasing connectivity across borders. In fact, the role of strong leadership has led to great success and long-term impact for many businesses. But being a leader is not a cakewalk. It requires focus, perseverance, dedication, the foresight to pivot and make important decisions, especially during turbulent times.

A strong leader has the conviction to make the right choices and stand by them and one pioneer who personi ies the word "courage" in leadership is Sophia Felix. Sophia is the Co-founder and President of the International Cannabis Consulting Business Women's Association (ICBWA), a L.A based non-pro it organization where her goal is to create an encouraging environment for women in the cannabis space. Invariably, she aims to educate them to see them transform into leaders in their own lives.

Sophia also understands the importance of giving back to society. This points to her involvement as a public relations spokesperson for the hemp-based CBD company Y+M. As a passionate philanthropist, she also serves as the President of the Southern California Chapter for America's Children of Fallen Heroes and has been involved with Passion 4 K.I.D.S. for over ten years.

EMPOWERING INITIATIVES Sophia believes that racial and gender diversity is lacking in the cannabis industry and to bring more women in the spotlight, she connects and collaborates with other businesswomen to introduce more opportunities.

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For instance, even though ICBWA is based in Los Angeles, she initiates meaningful collaborations with other female cannabis organizations that are out of state so that members from her organization can attend the events and be more informed and aware.

In 2021, ICBWA received a certi icate of recognition by CA Legislature Assembly member Adrin Nazarian for the incredible work Sophia and her team has done so far.

This only goes to show how far her mission has taken off on a wider scale. Sophia says, "I realized it is important for ICBWA to be on the forefront so we can further educate and advocate for more diversity and equity."

For Sophia, as a Latina businesswoman, equity is important as she knows the way forward is by overcoming the challenges and creating a level playing ield for everyone. "Giving our members and other women opportunities for a stronger place to lourish in the cannabis industry is the exact reason I co-founded ICBWA," she asserts.

DE-STIGMATIZING & CONQUERING TABOOS ICBWA is empowering and breaking the stigma by showing outsiders and new entrants that Sophia's unmatched vision is not settling for the bare minimum anymore.

She shares, "We are powerful and intellectual women who know exactly what we want, what we can accomplish and aren't giving up." Moreover, she also shows the results to the general public by providing facts and statistics as it is also important to educate them for better decision-making and positive outcomes.

“When others see we are consistent and professional it really breaks the ice. I used to be uncomfortable to tell people I was in the industry several years ago until 'I came out of the cannabis closet' and told my Grandma Jenny," she adds.

When her Grandma approved it, Sophia wanted the whole world to know. Now she consults many people around the country who want to know more, mostly for their pain, anxiety, insomnia or just for their wellness.

She is a huge advocate of CBD oil and the bene its it provides and really loves speaking about how it alleviates some symptoms associated with PTSD and mental health issues.

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FEATURED STORY

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FEATURED STORY Moreover, she has also consulted military veterans and they all have had fantastic results. She adds, "When I get the messages from veterans telling me how it's helping them it puts a huge smile on my face. I use CBD tinctures every day and it keeps me focused and has personally changed the game for me."

HER POWERFUL & DEVOUT TEAM Sophia co-founded ICBWA with two amazing ladies Dennise Mejia and Suzie Ortega. In 2020 when they saw the rapid increase in cannabis being legalized, they foresaw this as an opportunity.

Sophia serves as President, Dennise as Vice President, Suzie as Secretary and Board Members and Advisory Board Members.

All of the Board and Advisory Board Members are experts in their respective ields and together they work as a team to get their duties and operations completed to the T. Few of them include Bernie who works on the website, Rebeca who handles social media, Angie who speaks to the City and political igures, Crystal who recommends potential strategic partners, Maggi who works on grants, while Adelia provides information of events. Sophia handles the daily operations and ensures there is enough funding and resources, along with Dennise and Suzie.

Her team is currently developing their accelerator program and events. The Board Members and their stellar bios are available on the website www.icbwa-ca.org.

Sophia takes pride in her team's achievements, efforts, and 16

principles. She also feels her team is accountable for the success of ICBWA. She shares, "I wouldn't be where I am today without the hard work of each Board Member and Advisory Board Member."

ASCENDING UPWARD FEARLESSLY Although Sophia's life, both personal and professional, was impacted by the consequences of COVID 19, she found a way to overcome and grow. And this led her to ' inding herself'.

On a personal level, she was not able to travel and initially, her thoughts nudged her to run away from everything. But, to avoid getting overwhelmed by her emotions, she gradually started to shift her focus towards her inner self.

She, then, used this time to reevaluate her personal philosophy by asking deeper questions like? "Is the time I put into my work bene itting not just others but ME?" Sophia also realized that she had put so much time and energy into people in the past and it was time to put herself irst. She shares, "I ended up using the time to rebrand myself, my brand and treated myself as my own client. I found myself again and realized my work not only makes me happy, but it's also very important.

Now I have to live up to my name and reputation."

On a professional level, Sophia also owns a company called HBM Talent & Mgmt where her presence on the set is important at all times. Here, she learned to

pivot and focus on training her team more ef iciently. She imbibed the motto - "Work smarter not harder" in every step and built her teams in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York that can perform all the business operations without her physical presence.

Afterwards, she found more success by doubling her clientele.

She says, "I felt on a professional level it was a time in my life I pushed myself to go bigger because I realized that I couldn't wait anymore for the right time. I just knew I wanted to experience things I wanted to do for myself."

Sophia chirpily shares, "My life is similar to a series you would see on TV, honestly people would be fascinated if they could be in my heels for a week." Despite it being exciting, sometimes it can get stressful but not without the "fun factor". She adds, "I have a super busy schedule and calendar but I plan a week or two in advance so I can maintain a healthy work-life balance."

Her day revolves around a lot of conference calls, but she balances them out with nice dinners, prayer and meditation in her backyard, and visiting Sunset Cliffs. The sweet highlight of the day is her drive to the donut shop every night to get hot chocolate.

She also made progress on her personal goal by gaining weight in the last few months. She also works out in her room watching history, which nurtures the inner obsessive ancient history lover in her. She also gets great ideas after watching all the YouTube documentaries.

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At the end of the day, she never stresses on anything as she believes that God has a big plan for her and she just has to show up to simply enjoy the adventure.

FLOURISHING FUTURE AHEAD Sophia is a catalyst in providing equal opportunity to all women. She seeks to see them in an equitable, valuable, and powerful position by providing education and advocacy through workshops and network resources.

Since the cannabis industry in the U.S. has seen tremendous growth, particularly as a result of the removal of cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, this creates a great opportunity for www.exeleonmagazine.com

ICBWA to help such as providing educational resources and workshops to more members in relevant topics. This includes business development, diversity & social equity, laws, compliance and regulation, youth education and community outreach.

As Co-founder and President, her top priority for the organization will be to apply and procure state and county bids for services related to cannabis business education for women. For example, based on research it's estimated legal cannabis sales are projected to hit $30 billion in 2022, and $47.6 billion by 2026. Recently there were also reports stating that only 8% of CEOs in cannabis are women.

This is a pressing concern for many women and leaders in the cannabis industry. As a result, Sophia and her team are collaborating with likeminded individuals to support each other. She is a go-getter and thrilled to face the challenges and fully utilize her potential. "I'm extremely con ident ICBWA will make an impact in 2022 and in the future, we will see that number rise," she concludes.

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EXELEON EXCLUSIVE

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EXELEON EXCLUSIVE

In Conversation with Filmmaker

ADI HALFIN What according to you makes one a transformational leader? How do you integrate the same thought into your leadership?

I don't really see myself as a leader. But the leaders I look up to are ones who are truthful and persistent. Leaders don't follow trends. They create them, mostly without being aware of the fact that they do so. The greatest leaders in history are the ones who have swum against the stream and never let anything come in their way to achieve their goals.

Talk to us about your growing up years and what led you into entering the arts and entertainment industry.

I grew up in Jerusalem. When I was two years old, we moved to London. Then back to Israel and back to London again, so there was a lot of travelling growing up. I believe it opened me up to change, and to getting to know new people and new cultures.

I've always known I'd be an artist. I loved painting since I was little and I studied visual arts in high school. I also loved performing on stage, and for a while I thought of being an actress. Then I fell in love with photography, and I played music for a while. When it came to deciding what to study, I thought that ilm would integrate all my passions and combine all the art disciplines that I loved. I am very bad when it comes to decision making, so I thought that studying ilm would mean taking it all and not having to decide. Little did I know that being a ilm maker is all about making decisions. I think it was in important life lesson.

When I irst entered ilm school I felt like a total alien. I felt that everyone around me has been making ilms for ever, except me. It took me two years to

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EXELEON EXCLUSIVE

ind my place there and to igure out my own path. I realized that I do things slightly differently than others, and it took me even longer to realize that it's ok doing things differently.

I created three short ilms during my studies – two of them in alternative experimental paths. But all three ilms were well accepted in ilm festivals, so it gave me assurance that I was probably doing something right.

What is the process followed by you when you are working on a particular project?

Every project is different, naturally. The irst and most important thing is to fall in love. You have to love what you do, otherwise it'll never happen.

I don't follow any speci ic process. It really depends on the type of project. Right now, I've just gotten back to writing my feature ilm after not touching the screenplay 24

for over two years. The fact that it still thrills me, means that I have to do it.

I've been engaged in short term projects in the past few years – mainly music videos and commercials. With music videos, I have to love the track in order to start working on it. Music videos can be challenging to make and you have to be fully engaged in the work.

I've always been inspired by music, so I feel that directing videos to music is a real treat. Apart from that, I ind inspiration in almost anything – art, photography, people on the subway – there are ideas everywhere. You just need to be open to them and grab them.

I've also been meditating for a few years now. It has been a life changing experience. It enhances creativity, trust and passion and reduces anxieties, stress and all those irrelevant distractions to the creative process.

Exeleon Magazine

EXELEON EXCLUSIVE Being a director and screenwriter, what are the dayto-day challenges that you face?

I think that the biggest challenge is to trust myself and my instincts and not listen too much to what others think. I love hearing other people's thoughts, but sometimes I put too much weight on that, and then I lose focus.

Also balancing projects and choosing what to focus on can be confusing, especially when you have so many things you want to do!

What has the journey been like for Adi Hal in over the years?

I still feel like I'm on an ongoing journey. I think it took me a long time to understand that I have a unique voice.

I'm a very slow processor, and it took me a while to even realize that!

After inishing ilm school, I had to immediately start working, since I spent all my savings on my graduation ilm. So, I entered the ilm industry as an assistant director. I did that for ten years. It was the best ilm school I could ask for. I learnt from observing other directors and realizing that even the most talented wellappreciated creators make mistakes.

Once I moved from Israel to Berlin, I decided to put that chapter behind me and focus on directing. It's wasn't easy starting from scratch in a new place where I knew no one. But I was very eager to work as a director and I invested all my energy in that. I've heard a lot of people say to me that very little people actually make a living from their passion, but I'm a Sagittarius. Once we go for something, nothing can stop us.

Looking back, what would you have done different when starting out?

I think I would've been cheekier. I wish I would've presented myself as a director from the very beginning. I wish I had the audacity to do that, without spending so many years assisting others, but I guess that was my learning path.

I teach directing workshops around the world – mainly dance ilms and music videos, but also screenwriting and iction directing. I also mentor students personally and help them with their ilm projects.

I love teaching. It gives me a balance in life. The commercial business can easily make you lose your center and there's something about teaching that is grounding. I love staying connected to the younger generation of ilmmakers. I learn so much from my students. They inspire me. Also, I am always surprised that people are actually interested in what I say and that I can give something back and help young directors execute their dreams.

What would be your advice for young directors trying to make a name for themselves in the industry?

Work hard. Stay true to yourself. Learn from your failures and from the failures of others. Also remember that 90% of the time, you'll probably hear a “no”. Learn how to grow from rejections. Be respectful to the people you work with.

What has been the biggest roadblock during your journey? What has been your biggest learning?

I think that managing my time properly has been challenging. I wish I had someone telling me “Here's your schedule. Now you should do this”. I've learnt to do it myself over the years, but it's always better when someone else does that for you.

My biggest learning has been to trust my instincts and follow my heart.

Moving forward, what does the future look like for you? Brief us about your upcoming project.

I am just on my way to a residency in California to work on a screenplay for my feature ilm. I haven't touched it in two years, and I can't wait to get back to it. It's about a mother-daughter relationship. I didn't do any writing in the past two years, since I've become a mother myself and I was busy raising my little daughter. I am curious to see how this new life experience will integrate into my script.

Talk to us about how you are helping young and aspiring directors and ilm enthusiasts through your coaching. www.exeleonmagazine.com

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K

RESSE WESLING

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SUSTAINABILITY AND LUXURY AT ITS BEST

Co-Founder, Director Elvis & Kresse

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ustainability and Luxury are two words that can rarely be infused together. While the irst refers to our ability to sustain the ability of natural systems for a better tomorrow, the latter refers to enjoying life with a state of great comfort or elegance, involving great expense. So how can one enjoy a lavish life while saving the planet for generations to come? Is it even possible to get the best of both worlds?

Apparently, Kresse Wesling has the answer to this question.

Kresse is the Co-founder of Elvis & Kresse, a sustainable luxury fashion brand that turns industrial waste into innovative lifestyle products.

Besides saving the world from land ills full of industrial waste, Kresse is also a multiaward-winning environmental entrepreneur and Young Global Leader with a background in venture capital and start-up experiences.

This exclusive interview with Kresse illustrates her journey of becoming a pioneer in the luxury fashion industry. Here are the excerpts from the interview.

What according to you makes one a pioneering leader? How do you

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integrate the same thought into your leadership?

Pioneering means that you were the irst, or among the irst to achieve something. We were certainly the irst business to successfully transform decommissioned ire hose into luxury goods, and also the irst luxury business to donate half of its pro its to charity. We integrate our values into the design of our products and to the processes, decision-making and structure of our business. There is so much that has to be done to address climate change, biodiversity loss, rising inequality and polarisation... we need pioneers to take the risks and solve these problems, we need investors and citizens to back them, and we need teams of people to support the scaling up and proliferation of solutions that are proven to be net regenerative.

Talk to us about your growing up years. What is your earliest memory as a leader that you can remember?

I grew up in Western Canada. I had an amazing family and spent a lot of time in nature. I am not sure that I remember this myself but many of the families from my neighbourhood do, and one of the Mom's apparently has it all

on tape. I used to get all of the kids together and direct them in some kind of show... and by the sounds of it I was quite a tough Director!

How did the idea of a sustainable luxury fashion brand come about?

Our idea started entirely with the hose itself. I fell in love with Duraline hoses the moment I saw them, in 2005, piled up on a rooftop at a ire station in Croydon, awaiting an imminent and undigni ied death in land ill. Fire hoses are decommissioned for one of two reasons, they either reach the 25-year end of their health and safety life or they are too damaged to repair. They either miraculously survive 25 years of active service, or they die trying. We weren't entrepreneurs in search of an idea, we didn't set out to make luxury accessories. We simply wanted to save the hose. We couldn't let these rich, durable, life-saving, lustrous coils of deep red nitrile rubber go.

Elvis learned to sew. We started with a simple range of belts and grew slowly from there. We have rescued all of London's decommissioned hoses since 2005, and have donated 50% of the pro its to the Fire Fighters Charity. So these hoses are still working hard, long after their irst life.

Imagine that, hoses that were 29

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supposed to die in land ill are instead helping ire ighters.

What has been the environmental impact of Elvis & Kresse since its inception?

Our chief environmental impact is that we have rescued 279 tonnes of material from land ill and transformed it into new goods. Beyond this though, is our wider impact.

We have wide ranging collaborations and we know that our work has inspired all kinds of start-ups and upcycling work. We also use www.exeleonmagazine.com

renewable energy, treat all our own waste water, are building our own straw bale workshop and are working towards net zero.

Being the Founder and Director, what role do you play in the day-to-day proceedings of the company?

I am primarily involved in business development, marketing and strategy. Elvis works more on design, production and logistics. We are still classic entrepreneurs... obsessed with every detail.

How would you sum up your journey over the years?

Looking back, what would you have done differently?

We have de initely made mistakes... too many to count! I am not sure I would do anything differently though as we are really pleased with where we are and we know that we are as much a product of our successes as we are of our failures.

With more and more entrepreneurs adopting sustainable business models,

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IN - FOCUS what would be your advice for these emerging leaders?

My advice is to examine every decision you make... how you design your business will determine how much good it can do for the environment and for society. Build in regeneration. Design a business that does more good than harm. Trust me, this might mean extra work in the short term but it means more joy, less guilt, and a happier team in the long run.

Finally, what does the future look like for you and Elvis & Kresse?

During the pandemic we relocated the business to a farm in Kent. For a long time we have felt that we wanted to be directly involved in regeneration... in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss. We are now launching a regenerative agriculture project which includes grape growing (eventually wine making), holistic planned grazing, agroforestry, market gardening and more. So I guess you could say that farming is in our present and wine-making is in our future. We also plan to expand Elvis & Kresse' impact by rescuing and transforming more materials that would otherwise be destined for land ill.

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Helping Brands Make Meaningful Connections with Audiences

H

ope and faith are the two distinct words that have been the foundation of humanity.

To us, it means diving into the unknown with a positive mindset that it will all work out in the end. Our faith stands as our belief that something better is waiting out there for us despite all the challenges and that pushes the very nature of us, the humans.

Similarly, for entrepreneurs, the business world is a fruit of challenges that keeps on coming. And seasoned entrepreneurs understand this corporate tree very well and the need to keep climbing it no matter the situation.

They know that for every turn, a challenge is waiting for them alongside an outcome that cannot be controlled. But still, with a positive mindset, these visionaries stick to their cores, work hard, laugh in the face of challenges, put their best foot forward in the unknown, and triumph, leaving behind a legacy that is unmatchable in business parlance.

Melissa Rodriguez's success story also follows a similar route. With faith by her parents' side, she moved to the United States at a young age. Later

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when her time came, she put her faith and all her savings into her business i.e. Social Media Relations, and soon touched the zenith of success in the business world. This story is her Excellence!

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE Melissa was quite young when her immigrant parents moved to the United States. Her parents who made the unknown made an example in front of Melissa that anything is possible. They also helped her understand that fear can be empowering rather than debilitating.

Even while struggling with the English language, Melissa's parents worked blue-collar jobs, worked long hours, made sacri ices, and showed dedication that instilled the value of hard work in Melissa.

With a clear picture in front of her, Melissa sought out to take her family farther than their limited education or possibilities could.

With the will to make it into a beautiful unknown, Melissa left her corporate job and took the biggest risk of her life — starting her own business.

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Founder SMR & MRC

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STEPPING INTO THE UNKNOWN The steps of Melissa's entrepreneurial journey were formed when she started a blog in LA just to remain connected with her family and friends in Boston.

The digital world of publishing paved the path for digital marketing where Melissa could walk. Therein, she fell in love with the inner working of digital marketing and saw an unknown with numerous possibilities.

However, coming from a large corporate culture, Melissa was oblivious to the facts of entrepreneurship. And getting clear on her vision became her biggest challenge. She explains, “We are not often taught how to be visionaries and as a consequence, we limit ourselves to what we see around us. I didn't grow up with entrepreneurs around me, so I didn't know what that looked like or that it was even possible.”

So, Melissa had no idea how to be an entrepreneur. However, she had faith. She took the biggest risk of her life and cashed out her 401K after quitting her job to start her business. Soon she found herself short of money and thought that she would have to move back to Boston to her parents just to survive. Melissa also struggled to ind peers in the business world as she was the irst in the family to run her own business.

Luckily her faith came around and before she could lose everything, Melissa landed her irst client and $15K project that saved her. This client was all that she needed as she found her con idence along with the

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path to continue to of icially grow her business.

“My biggest learning is that no matter what you do or how much you know, harvest and trust your intuition. Learn how to create a big hairy audacious vision and cultivate a strong connection with your intuition,” according to Melissa.

CONSTRUCTING THE BRIDGE With the irst client in her bag, Melissa had sought out to create a service that integrated social media with Public Relations. But as Melissa witnessed the change and the importance of building a relationship with the clients, she shifted the focus to creating meaningful connections. As an in luential leader, she has kept her keen eyes on her people and the company's culture. To her, everything else is obsolete if she can't take care of her people, her clients, and the relationship between the parties.

And today, under her tremendous leadership skills, Social Media Relations is on a mission to change the way brands connect with their customers and help them create the most meaningful and impactful connections through creative campaigns the world has ever seen.

As per Melissa, “We want to change the way brands connect with their customers through meaningful interactions. We don't want to create noise; we want to be the catalyst for positive change.”

To make this vision a reality, Melissa makes sure that her business as a boutique agency has the luxury to cultivate close

relationships with clients. And to jot down the mere details of the analytics involved, Melissa has placed the EOS framework in the working pipeline just like a client scorecard.

With a metric system in place, Melissa matches the alignment of expectations and key performance indicators and track against those measurements over a month to determine the levels of growth. As such, Melissa and her team measure the right KPIs to understand whether or not they are surpassing the expectations.

SMR also sends out weekly updates and ad hoc check-ins to properly monitor how the team is performing. Moreover, by fueling innovation and creativity through activities and workshops, Melissa fosters a culture that cultivates and encourages free-thinking, resulting in exciting ideas coming to life.

CONNECTING THE HISPANIC MARKET Through her second organization, Mel Rodriguez & Co, Melissa is taking her love for marketing and applying it to help to lift the Hispanic population. Melissa believes that this market is the second biggest population in the US which is often overlooked and batched with the general population.

Melissa's focus on the Hispanic market allows her to share nuances and differences so that brands can understand and as a result connect authentically.

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FAITH FOR TOMORROW For Melissa, her entrepreneurial journey has nothing short of exciting and unpredictable. Growing from a studio apartment, a co-working space with an assistant, a private office in said space with four team members, to a corner office in DTLA with 25 team members today, Melissa has surely been proud of her journey. And for the future, she's looking proudly to trust in her faith and achieve more.

As far as her organizations go, Melissa sees them growing leaps and bounds and having international offices alongside being the name for the most impactful campaigns of our time. She wants to leave a larger social footprint and being stewards of creating campaigns with the intention that touch people's hearts and make meaningful connections.

And as an influential leader, Melissa envisions herself mentoring and cultivating the next generation of female entrepreneurs who are starting their journey and are in need of community and guidance.

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M

AGDA OSMAN EXPLORING THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND

Head of Research University of Cambridge 40

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ioneers are at the forefront of innovation and can be seen as pushing the boundaries. They are often those who dare to dream, inspire, and motivate. They are also the ones who fail irst and fail often. These failed attempts can be seen as the greatest form of risk a pioneer can take. Failing in what they are trying to do will set them back to the start, maybe even further than before; but failing in an attempt to push their own boundaries will unearth hidden pathways and enhance existing ones.

Magda Osman, Head of Research and Analysis at the University of Cambridge, pushes her boundaries every day while inding the answers to our decisionmaking, unconscious processes, control, and prosocial behaviors.

In this Exclusive Interview, she talks about the early entrance of psychology in her life and how she became a pioneer in the industry.

What according to you makes one a pioneering leader? How do you integrate the same thought into your leadership?

There are lots of worthy words that could be used to www.exeleonmagazine.com

describe a pioneering leader (e.g. brave, honest, humble, principled, scrupulous), but also seemingly pejorative terms (e.g. disruptive, antagonistic, strategic, contentious, vehement, resolute).

Any pioneering leader, someone that does something new that others can learn from, confronts two judgments. A judgment of how good the new thing is, and a judgment about how good they are at making that new thing happen.

So, a pioneering leader inevitably faces greater scrutiny on both fronts because, by de inition, they are going to be doing something that others haven't thought to do. This means the standards by which they can be seen to fail is greater both in terms of their leadership, and the innovations they are establishing.

I have a strong conviction in the work that I've done and I'm doing. To get to that point I learnt to enjoy being in the line of ire. If I wasn't prepared to hear where I was going wrong, then I wouldn't be con ident when I thought I was doing something right.

The dif iculty has come in striking the balance in persisting with something that others don't agree with,

while at the same time knowing to pay attention when others are telling me that what I'm persisting with is just plain wrong.

Talk to us about your growing up years. What is your earliest memory as a leader that you can remember?

During the last year of elementary school, we were asked to put on a show. We could choose to sing, or dance. I decided to write a play. It was a riff on an Agatha Christie novel. I managed to convince my friends to act in the play, and I directed it. I don't know why I decided to do it, and didn't really question it. I just know I enjoyed bringing people together to do something I thought was worthwhile.

What sparked your interest and subsequently your foray into the ield of psychology?

I had been interested in psychology since I was in my teens, and I'd set my sights on being an academic at that time. My mother had bought me a book on Freud and a book by Johnson-Laird, both pioneers in psychology, and that set me on the path I'm on now.

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IN - FOCUS As the Head of Research and Analysis at University of Cambridge, what does your research seek to answer?

How do we know we've asked a good question? At the heart of science and policy (in the public and private sector) is a question.

One group seeks to answer it by understanding the issue and the mechanisms behind it, and the other has to decide how to use that understanding to practically solve a problem. So, the research projects I oversee are designed to igure out how best to ask a question that maximizes the knowledge to ind a good solution to a real world issue.

Based on your years of research on decision and behavior, what would be your advice for business leaders and entrepreneurs facing challenging situations/environments?

Great question! The most valuable indings that speak to this are that when facing challenging situations/environment people respond to the luctuations of an environment in ways that can inhibit learning from it.

When things are stable there is a tendency to either make 42

changes for the sake of being seen to be doing something – when the optimal response is doing nothing, or to make minor incremental changes that don't progress anything meaningfully.

When things are unstable there is a tendency to either make wild and dramatic changes, or persist with the same actions despite the outcomes suggesting that isn't working.

People do eventually learn what to do well, it is just that without prompts to re lect on the strategies taken, it takes that much longer to igure out a less sub-optimal strategy for learning.

In short, people need to be encouraged to evaluate what they are doing instead of only explaining what they are doing. Why is it better than what?

What has the journey been like for Magda Osman over the years?

I had a clear idea of what I thought I ought to expect from my career, but later down the line I realized that, either because the circumstances forced me to, or I got wise to myself, nothing about my career choices had to be set in stone. Once I realized that I didn't have to adopt the

conventions of what is expected from being an academic, more opportunities to do things differently came my way.

Looking back at this journey, what would you have done differently?

I wouldn't have done anything differently because I don't judge what I did in terms of success and failures, the journey for me is always going to be a process of learning whatever path I have taken or could have taken differently. Everything that was challenging and dif icult was useful in some way. So long as I get to do things that are useful for people and I can make a contribution, I'll just keep trying to do that.

Finally, in the coming years, what does the future look like for you?

I don't know. I don't want to prohibit the opportunities that could come my way so I'm not going to expect anything, because one can never know. What I can say is that I'm always going to be challenging what is assumed because that seems to be the thing that de ines my approach to research, and I'm lucky if along the way people also think what I'm doing is of value.

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EXELEON EXCLUSIVE

Do Your Company’s Hiring Practices (Still) Exclude Women?

A R EVA M A RT I N , E S Q.

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EXELEON EXCLUSIVE

Diversity and inclusion statements are the flavor of the week, particularly for companies looking to showcase their commitment to workplace equity. But the reality is—despite decades of promises in response to well-deserved scrutiny—the world's leading brands continue to fall far short of building diverse, inclusive workplaces. In fact, of all Fortune 500 companies, only 41 are led by women, and only eight are led by women of color.

How do your own company's hiring practices measure up? Asking these three simple questions will help you gauge if you're truly working toward a more equitable work environment, or if your hiring practices are simply lip

1. What percentage of your senior leadership roles are held by women?

the disparity increases to more than $60,000 after a decade.

Lean In and McKinsey and Company's latest report, Women in the Workplace 2021, found that more than 90% of companies track gender representation. While this sounds like a positive sign, only 65% of companies track promotion rates by gender. Worse, only 35% track promotions for women of color.

A woman I interviewed for my book, Awakening: Ladies, Leadership, and the Lies We've Been Told, shared a story of how thrilled she was to finally earn a long-awaited promotion—and how devastated she was to discover that not only was she offered far lower pay than a man serving in an equivalent position, but that she'd also been underpaid throughout her career with the company. She fought for a fair compensation package but ultimately left the organization, feeling she'd been exploited beyond repair.

I recently had the occasion to look at the website of a firm I worked for as a summer associate back in law school. My class of associates included some of the most talented women and people of color I'd ever encountered. But when I look at the firm's leadership page today, it appears exactly as it did 30 years ago, with white men claiming all senior partner positions.

2. Is women's pay equal to that of their male counterparts?

Female MBA graduates earn $11,000 less than their male peers, according to findings from the Forté Foundation. If that's not startling enough, this gap becomes a gulf as their careers progress:

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3. Do company leadership positions come with true power?

All too often, the “real” decision-making is funneled to men at the top, with female leaders relegated to the sidelines. Meanwhile, these same women are weighed down by extraordinary pressures their male peers don't face, including the pressure to be the face of inclusion while proving themselves above and beyond what's expected of their male counterparts.

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EXELEON EXCLUSIVE

Earlier this year, I participated in a high-profile conference for a leading global organization. The person who brought me on, a Black woman, had recently been promoted to her organization's director of talent. I quickly felt tremendous pressure from her regarding my performance, even though I have a long and successful track record of presenting to similar audiences.

I soon learned that she was passing on the stress she was feeling herself. She was struggling under the unbearable weight of impossible expectations and the fear that even a minor misstep could derail her career.

countless women I've met with and interviewed over the years. And the data tells the same story.

As women ascend to positions of power, they find themselves under the microscope and discover an impressive title doesn't bring the clout—or perks or paychecks—it would if they were white men.

If your commitment to equity is real, your organization needs to follow the data and look closely at the culture the women in your workforce encounter. When women are standing alone and apart at the top, outworking their peers and gathering more critiques than kudos, you can be certain you're setting them up to fail.

This personal anecdote is echoed in the stories of

AREVA MARTIN is one of the nation's leading voices in the media. An awardwinning attorney, advocate, legal and social issues commentator, talk show host, and producer, she is a CNN/HLN legal analyst, former co-host of The Doctors and Face the Truth, and a regular contributor on Good Morning America, ABC World News Tonight, and Dr. Phil.

She currently hosts The Special Report with Areva Martin and the radio talk show Areva Martin Out Loud. A Harvard Law School graduate, Martin founded Martin & Martin, LLP, a Los Angeles–based civil rights firm, and is the CEO of Butterflly Health, Inc., a mental health technology company. A bestselling author, Martin has dedicated her fourth book, Awakening: Ladies, Leadership, and the Lies We've Been Told, to helping women worldwide recognize, own, and assert their limitless power.

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