Erica: Hey, girl. By now, you know I have Her Collective, my online community for ambitious women who are done doing it alone. Her Collective is for the women who are smart, capable, and driven, but they find themselves stuck on the sticky floors like self doubt, burnout, and waiting for permission that quite honestly never comes. Inside HER, you get more than motivation. You get real support, real strategies, and real momentum.

Erica: We work on things like clarifying what you want now and what's coming next, building confidence without burning yourself out, navigating hard conversations, career moves, and leadership moments with clarity, and surrounding yourself with women who actually get it. This isn't about hustling harder. It's about moving intentionally with the right tools and the right people in your corner. If you're ready to stop spinning, start choosing yourself, and build a career in life that actually feels aligned, I'd love to welcome you inside her collective. You can learn more and join us at www.joinhercollective.com.

Erica: Because honestly, girl, you were never meant to do this alone. Can you imagine if you were shattering the glass ceiling at the age of 24? Y'all, I was beside myself, but we had the guest, Victoria Pelletier on. And guess what? That is what she did.

Erica: She was smashing the ceiling at the age of 24, which is incredible. But I am sure that you can imagine that if you are smashing glass ceilings at 24, you got some damn sticky floors going on with that. You know what? You probably got more than the average woman. But Victoria had to figure them out and faster

Victoria: craze of mergers and acquisitions while

Erica: you keep your wits craze of mergers and acquisitions while you keep your wits and your sanity about you. Y'all this conversation is heavy on the importance of DEIB and creating safe and inclusive workspaces and we have some invaluable advice on personal branding and career growth. Y'all, we cover it all today. And guess what? You know where you're at.

Erica: You are listening to the Glass Ceiling and Sticky Floor podcast, The podcast that will empower you to shatter limiting beliefs and toxic behaviors to uncover infinite possibilities so you can live your best damn life. I'm Erica Rooney, and I'm on a mission to bring more women into positions of power and keep them there. I'm obsessed with all things growth and abundance, and I'm here to talk you through the tried and true secrets to get you to level up your career and your life. We talk about the hard stuff here, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, fear, and burnout. So pull up a seat, pop in an earbud, and let's dive in.

Erica: Y'all are in for a t r e a t today. With us, we have the turnaround queen. Victoria Pelletier is here in the house. She is a corporate executive, board director with over twenty years of experience, and she is all about empowering teams and clients to change mindsets and drive growth. She does not subscribe to the status quo, y'all.

Erica: And this is where she's super impressive because she shattered that glass ceiling at the age of 24. 24, y'all. 24. So now if you've been here a long time or if you're a first time listener, this show is all about busting the glass ceilings. So I am so excited to learn from this woman today.

Erica: Victoria, how are you? I am great. Thank you for having me.

Victoria: I'm so happy to be here with you.

Erica: I know. And, y'all, this is not the first time Victoria and I have chatted. We have gotten to hang out multiple times, so it's even gonna be more amazing. But for anyone who's listening that does not know who Victoria Peltier is, I would love to hear a little bit about who you are both personally and professionally.

Victoria: Awesome. Well, on the professional side, and you gave a little bit in the intro, I'm a long time it makes me feel really old c suite executive, primarily in the business to business professional services space. I have also always maintained side hustles. I both built and bought businesses, and then I even maintain a side hustle today, and it's my chosen side hustle. I don't want it to become full time at this point.

Victoria: It will be when I'm in my portfolio stage of my career as a professional public speaker, and I do a little bit of coaching as well. And then on the personal side, I am a wife. I am a mother. Also makes me feel old because I'm officially an empty nester. My youngest who's 19 has moved out.

Victoria: So I have 19 and a 23, almost 24 year old. I'm a fitness fanatic, a foodie, wine lover.

Erica: That's it. She's like, that's gonna be it in a nutshell. At least for today, knowing you're probably gonna pull in some other things, like, as the year goes on. I mean, we're in 2024 now. What we're gonna add things.

Erica: Right? Yep. Meaningful things that

Victoria: bring us joy and light us up. Exactly.

Erica: Alright. As a woman who entered the C Suite at 24, I wanna talk about glass ceilings and sticky floors. And, I mean, I know you had to have some sticky floors, but you were able to shatter the glass ceiling at such a young age. How? Tell me more.

Erica: How?

Victoria: Well, I started working Erica at age 11. My first leadership role was at 14 where I became the assistant manager for the shoe store I worked at while I was in high school. And then while I was in university, so I started university at 16 or maybe I might have just turned 17, I worked for a bank. Very flexible in their contact center to work around my school hours. And I also got promoted extremely quickly through, the bank to be into leadership roles.

Victoria: And so when I thought I was going to law school, I, decided to take a year off because the bank relocated me and gave me my first sort of directorship and, never went to law school because that's when I realized I love the business world. And that first c suite role for me, albeit a stretch role, there was a number of boxes that I ticked for it was a private business process outsourcing or BPO company, for short. And they hired me because I had been running large scale, banking operation and contact centers, and their BPO company was predominantly contact center, and many banking clients. But I didn't have the experience running the other functional areas of technology, of HR, or sales and marketing. So those were the stretch opportunities for me.

Victoria: And I feel fortunate and I Inoum will probably touch on DEI later as well. I also that the cofounders of this organization were both men of, different origins and color. And so I think for them, little less of a blinder around the fact that I was a woman. And I also think, I come with a big person complex just because I'm five foot eight, but I hit the site by, like, 10 or so. I always feel like I feel like I'm bigger than others.

Victoria: And, I've the only time I believe in fake it till you make it is when it comes to confidence. Competence is often, you know, comes through confidence whether that, you know, you actually have the confidence or not. And so I showed up with strength. And so that's how I was able to achieve that first role. But it also came through really strong performance and, you know, developing my skills.

Victoria: And so I would give advice to your listeners around, you know, performance and work ethic got me there. And then, subsequently, there's been other things that attribute success to.

Erica: What I find so interesting is it almost seems like you really did have that confidence, and maybe you did, maybe you didn't. You can tell me, but I'm just imagining my own self at 24 and what I was doing, and I would never have had the confidence to be at that level in my career. Did you have? Were we faking it till we were making it? Was it a mix?

Victoria: I think I think it's a mix. I think it actually comes as a result. I got very good at wearing masks. Some goes to sort of early childhood and, you know, like, putting great walls up around myself as a method of, like, protecting myself, and the mask came with it. And so, and by the way, I was an actor in my teens.

Victoria: And so, again, all of that sort of helped so I could show up with great confidence. Now I did know that I was a strong performer. I had delivered results. So I knew that coming in. And I spent a lot of time, I attribute my mother for doing and I hated it as a teenager, but forcing me to sit down and self reflect and be really self aware as I had feelings and emotions and actions, that's helped me, like, significantly as an adult.

Victoria: And so as I began to reflect on, and think about I don't love the imposter syndrome title, but, like, there was a there was in this first role. I only knew one part of the job. But my through my self reflection, I was able to go, okay. But I've done this and this and that and these other environments, and that can translate to these are the transferable skills even if I haven't led an HR team before, even if I haven't led the technology team before. That helped me dramatically.

Victoria: So they although I wasn't 100% confident, I at least knew there was something I could bring to the table.

Erica: I love what you say about masks because I have been that type of person where I would switch the masks constantly depending on who I was around. And I used to look at this ability to be the chameleon as a strength. It wasn't until I was later in my life where I realized that all of those people that I were with and switching the mask and, you know, being the chameleon, no one knew the real Erica. They all saw the mask Erica, so they never saw beyond that. And what I also find interesting with that is I do still find it necessary in some places.

Erica: Is that your story? Hey there, listeners. If you have ever felt like you're stuck in a place, held back by self doubt, perfectionism, or that pesky inner critic, you're not alone. We all face those sticky floors that keep us from reaching the heights we dream of. But guess what?

Erica: It's time to shatter those limiting beliefs and toxic behaviors to uncover infinite possibilities. My book, Glassy Leads and Sticky Floors, is your ultimate guide to smashing through barriers, overcoming limiting beliefs, and stepping into your full potential. This book has been endorsed by none other than the great Mel Robbins, best selling author and motivational powerhouse. It's also been featured in Success Magazine, so you know it's packed with insights that work. Inside, you'll find real life sticky floor stories, practical strategies to help you navigate your own sticky floor moments, and a whole lot of inspiration to keep you climbing.

Erica: This isn't just a book. It's your road map to success, confidence, and freedom. Grab your copy of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors today at www.ericaandersonrooney.com. Whether you're in the boardroom, the classroom, or just starting out, this book is for you because no one, and I mean no one, deserves to stay stuck, no one deserves to feel small, and you have glass ceilings to shatter. Let's do this.

Victoria: Yeah. It is. I've learned that, sort of in my mid to late twenties, so several years after being in that c suite role that I had a nickname, as the Iron Maiden. And I think that came as a result of many things, and one of them was the mask. So because there was a insecurity at a 24 year old woman, the only woman at the executive table, the youngest by two decades, the only member of the LGBT community, a new mom.

Victoria: Check, check. All these things. I'm like, I'm gonna show up in a very particular way. So no one questions how I got my seat at the table and whether I should continue to sit here. And the mask I wore was one of all business all the time.

Victoria: I'm not gonna show you that I am vulnerable, that I'm emotional, or I have lived experiences that, are often sitting in here that caused me to, like, have fear, you know, worry, and maybe impact the way in which I move forward. And so when I learned of that moniker, I was like, wow. Like, wow. That is super unfortunate because that is not who I am. I am my nickname that my best friend has given me, and now I wear it very proudly, had it tattooed on my arm.

Victoria: We have matching ones as the turtle. I'm very tough. I have a, an extreme amount of resilience. I've had handled lots of, adversity and challenge. But inside, I'm like a marshmallow.

Victoria: I cry at the humane society commercials, and so I wasn't showing up as my authentic self. And so the mask came because I wasn't sure I belonged there, but I also was afraid of showing who Victoria on the inside was, the one that, like, my friends knew.

Erica: So we've only been chatting for, I don't know, five minutes here, but we've talked about and touched on imposter syndrome and fear, all of these different sticky floors. And I love that because so many people think, well, maybe there's just one. But there's actually a lot, and they show up in different ways at different times in our lives. Which sticky floor, maybe you've mentioned it, maybe you haven't yet, has been the most impactful in your life so far?

Victoria: The fear of showing my authentic self and being vulnerable, that held me back.

Erica: I mean, that resonates. It does. Because I think so many of it, myself included, feel that fear of if I allow them to see past this mask, they're not going to accept. They're not going to like. How did you work through that?

Victoria: It with what I refer to as strategic intentionality. And I use that phrase for many different things, whether it's talking about, like, my brand and how I manage my career. But in this case, it was very much around being very strategic and intentional. And so for me, again, that was more self awareness and self reflection. And the next step for me was to start to model, the thoughts as much as the language action behavior, to show up very differently.

Victoria: I need to do, you know, really course correct and pivot. So for me, that intentionality meant I would do things that were not natural or comfortable for me. And so, I'm I was also all business all the time. So, like, I would walk into a meeting and we launch right into the agenda. There's no chitchat, none of that stuff.

Victoria: So how we build rapport, like, I wasn't I wasn't doing that. It wasn't comfortable or natural for me in that setting. And so it was small things around walking to meeting going, Vic, you're gonna take five minutes. We're just gonna engage with one another, chat before we dive directly into whatever the bit you know, that business or meeting agenda is. So that is a small way to, just having very different conversations and letting people know more about who I am.

Victoria: You know, what lived experiences have I had? How do they influence the way in which I show up? And sharing them also to create, like, a safe space and build trust and rapport with my team. So what it was when I started to do that, I feel like my the Iron Maiden was I've also been through 18 mergers and acquisitions, so always having to go through lots of restructure and making some really difficult decisions. But and the need to so I think people feared me more than would wanna follow me.

Victoria: And so I saw this incredible, like, not only empowerment for myself, but just such a shift in the dynamics with my team and better business performance, including on metrics that, you know, we're often not looking at, which is a mistake around the people metrics. And so that's when I was like, wow. So, like, me being Victoria, the same person in almost every, like, facet or dimension of how I show up, like, can bring, like, these great relationships, build the strong followership, have people more engaged. But it meant I needed to get comfortable with the discomfort.

Erica: Oh, I was gonna say with 18 m and a's, I mean, that's a lot, number one. That's like a there's gotta be a world Guinness Book record out there, and your name is on it with that one. But a lot about showing up authentically, you have to feel safe to do so. And in mergers and acquisitions, a lot of people don't feel safe. Was that, like, a time that was really hard?

Victoria: Very. You know, I think of I think of one in particular. It was, a company that I worked at where we went through so many in a short period of time through, like, ending a joint venture, rebranding and going public, and then we acquired six companies in something like eighteen months. And there was a period of incredible intensity where I and I'm originally from Canada. And with one with one of the acquisitions, our North American headquarters now became New York and I had been in Toronto.

Victoria: And so I was being relocated. Here I was this 28 or 30 year old executive, from Canada who it was an industry I was newer to who had to come down and all of a sudden lead a team. It was in corporate travel and, who and many of the leaders that were gonna move in and report to me had been you know, they were like there's one woman in particular. I think she was thirty years my senior and had spent her entire career in this industry. So coming down, she's like, who's this young Canadian chick who's like, and tell me what to do.

Victoria: And so I needed to make some really difficult decisions around how we were gonna structure the team. She was critical. She led a very important client portfolio for us. And the way in which it took me a year to win her over, but I had to do that by building her trust and creating safety and making sure it was like, Kathy, like, you've got you've got this and, like, supporting her, but that came through really open and candid conversations. And in this case, it was being extremely vulnerable and acknowledging.

Victoria: You're right. I had, I don't know, two years of travel experience at that point to her 40 or whatever it was. And there's ways in which we're gonna work together and here's what I bring the to the table. And yes, do I have fears about it? And that wouldn't have been something even just a few years prior.

Victoria: I would have felt comfortable doing, but I think that's what helped be so successful in that particular m and a, and I brought it to all the ones subsequently. So

Erica: powerful. And it's ping ponging in my brain along with the DEI because I know you're so passionate about DEI, and I feel like sticky that is, like, where the sticky floors go live sometime is in the work that we have to do with DEI because anyone in any minority group is always going to really need to have that safety intact to show up authentically. If you are a part of a minority group, how can we show up even though we have that fear if it is safe to do so?

Victoria: Well, I think, I fear for most companies, and I spend a lot of time, like, talking to other executives, and sometimes some of the work I've done is actually coaching and consulting with them in terms of how to build strategies and processes and programs, but it's much bigger than that. And what I see is there's so much focus on the talent acquisition, the recruiting of diverse talent, but then nothing to create that safe space for them, a sense of what we refer to as inclusion or belonging. And so as a leader, that's incumbent upon me to create that kind of environment. And although I'm in a minority on a couple of fronts, I still have great privilege being born white and in North America.

Erica: Mhmm.

Victoria: And so I also need to use the platform that I have and the privilege I have to continue to help lift and raise others as well. And so I don't believe a lot of people think, you know, DEI, it's just doing the right thing. It's ticking the box for the ESG, you know, checklist, but it drives incredible business outcomes and results. And very particularly so when you create that sense of inclusion, belonging, and safety. So being vulnerable, you know, and being our authentic selves at a leadership level, so those coming in feel like they can do the same is so important.

Erica: I love that. That's such great solid advice for anyone who's in corporate period dot the end because we all need to be cognizant of where people fall. Right? Because we don't always see it. It's more than what we see on our skin.

Erica: One thing, Victoria, that I think is so interesting with the timeliness of our conversation is I was meeting with this group of women that I meet with every month, and I have many women who identify as black in this group. And they said, I am so tired of showing up as the checkbox. And I don't wanna see this world every day through the lens of a black woman, but I feel like I have to show up every day through the lens of a black woman. And I was like, I get that, you know, to an extent. Right?

Erica: I'm but I can't imagine how challenging that must be for other people. And so I think the work that you're doing and what you're talking about in creating these safe spaces and showing up for people, it's gonna take time for this to really sink in for organizations and to have that safe space because there's probably so much that we still don't understand that hasn't bubbled up yet because people in different groups have not felt safe yet to even do so. So I think I just wanted to thank you for that. I think it's so cool. What piece of advice would you give to all of these women who are listening to the podcast that want to climb the ladder and shatter the ceiling?

Erica: Because you did it at 24.

Victoria: You know that the advice would be I mean, you are all the CEO of your career, of your brand, of the boundaries you create for yourself, and don't let anyone tell you no and create those limitations. And with that must come some confidence, and I'm sure you know this statistic, but that women don't apply for jobs unless they believe they meet nine or 10 out of the criteria that are listed of the, nine or 10 out of 10. Men do it at five or six. And so we need to gain confidence. Again, be the CEO of that career.

Victoria: Don't and also don't put it in the hands of anyone else. It's great if you do have loyal leaders, but when you think about skills and where you want your career to go again, you need to own that. And so for me, I sign a lot of my social media posts with unstoppable and no excuses. And that's very much about that philosophy of me owning it. Yes.

Victoria: Shit's gonna happen. Adversity and obstacles are gonna come my way. I have a choice in terms of how I'm going to respond to it. I will control the things I can control. And if I'm continue to be in a situation where it becomes uncontrollable, I still have a choice, and that's to leave.

Victoria: Yes. And so I would tell people that just to recognize you are the CEO of you, career, brand, and beyond.

Erica: And here's what I've also found is that so many women think that if they show up and they do exceptional work, and they do, they show up and they kick ass, but they don't advocate for themselves as a leader or as a thought leader. They then get these stellar performance reviews. Five stars. You're great. But they stay in that same role because they are not being the CEO of their own career.

Erica: They're waiting and assuming that my manager is gonna see that I'm doing the work. They're gonna see that I'm showing up, and they're going to promote me, and that doesn't happen. What would be, like, something that you would tell someone that said, hey. I'm really struggling, but I'm doing all these great things. What would you tell them they needed to do to get promoted?

Victoria: I attribute a lot of my career success to I talked about, you know, performance and work ethic and the right skills, but a big part of it has been about the brand that I built. And this is around making sure people know how you've performed. So, I mean, keep a running list for yourself. I mean, so many companies still seem to be on just the annual performance cycle. Some are getting better.

Victoria: And now I believe in giving feedback continually, but keeping the formal, you know, performance system is, like, generally once a year. Keep a running log of all the successes that you've had along the way because your leader isn't going to see all of those. So create that. But also, you know, for me, personal brand is a is a few different components, and most people focus on one, which is what do I do? What am I the subject matter expert at or use the phrase thought leader?

Victoria: Well, that's only one piece of it. The other is, like, what makes you unique? What makes you who you are? The things, the passions, interests, values that align to other people. So as you're looking to sell more by be hired by someone else, you know, maybe you wanna speak on a stage, whatever the goal is.

Victoria: Like, people will connect with people they like, trust, and wanna do business with. So show more of that. Own that there's a, for people who are not I'm an extrovert. I know that would be shocking for your audience. Shocked.

Victoria: Yeah. Right now. Yeah. But you can do that even if you're like that quiet introvert. I refer to it as electronic courage.

Victoria: So, again, the ability to write down what you've been successful at. You know, that where you're different. What's that unique value proposition from someone else who does that? And, also, what's the goal or objective? For me, it's I now focus on legacy and impact.

Victoria: Like, on my tombstone's not gonna talk about, like, the sales revenue, profit, mergers and acquisitions I've done. I want it to be something very different. Now when you're earlier in your career, it may just be getting to this the goal is I wanna get to this next level, and that's great. But be really clear on what that is and building that plan for yourself.

Erica: I just finished this book. It's right next to me. That's how recent it was. And it is Daniel Pink's book called The Power of Regret. And in this book, he really talks about how looking backward moves us forward.

Erica: And he talks about that question that we've all asked ourselves. Right? Well, maybe we haven't all asked ourselves, but a lot of us have. What do we want our obituary to sound like? And he told this amazing story in the book very much towards the end about how back in the eighteen hundreds, like 1888, this guy who had invented a lot of the dynamite and, like, things that went into explosives, very smart, very just ingenious to create all this stuff, his brother died.

Erica: But the newspapers messed it up, and they thought he died. And so he this man wakes up the next morning and sees his obituary in the newspaper. And he reads all about how he was, like, the master of explosives. He's like, that's not what I want my life to be known as. And so he made steps over the future to change his direction.

Erica: But I think it's so important to remember, and you said it, be the CEO of your life. Be the CEO of your career. Right? Use every moment to fuel what you want that legacy to be. You know?

Erica: But you also I'm a tie this all the way back to the beginning about what you said. You are a hustler by nature. Right? So that brand is so important at whatever stage you're at in your career to build because everybody needs to know that your company is not your family. Exactly.

Erica: You cannot have that brand behind you to support. So I'd love to hear from you. What other tips around personal branding and really standing out as an exceptional person can you give us?

Victoria: So you're you do need to be building it from the get go. I and my older son, 23, come out of college, and I was like, buddy, you need to get a LinkedIn profile. And he's like, oh, mom. That's where all the old people are. I'm like, dude, that's where all the people who are going to hire you are.

Victoria: So let's start with that and start it now. And so I would encourage everyone to be thinking about building your their brand now. It will you will pivot as you evolve and change and your goals and objectives change, and that is fine. In fact, I said earlier, I made a pivot from the Iron Maiden. That was part of the brand identity I was known for, but that is not who I wanted to be.

Victoria: And so I had to consciously make change in the way I showed up in person, online, everywhere. And so the, you know, personal brand, I said, I think is a, you know, few components. Get really crisp and clear on the what do you wanna be known for. So the explosive guide, that's great. Yes.

Victoria: He's known for that. That was his subject matter expertise and where, you know, he, you know, had delivered exceptionally well and or created. And so for everyone to get clear on what that is, not only for where you are today, but how you're starting to build towards this me or the thought leader kind of title in the industry or space you're in. And then, the other pieces are is about storytelling. Who are you?

Victoria: Like, I we all, you know, work with humans. Yes. There's a ton of technology, but what gets left behind is the complexity. It's the problem solving. It's the engaging with our customers and clients and our colleagues.

Victoria: And so who are you as a person? What do you bring to the table? Lived experience. My hustler experience comes from my past. And so for people to know that also helps them understand when I drive as hard as they do and I'm sometimes they need to tell me to slow down, like, that can help.

Victoria: And then the other one is just but also where are you different? There's lots of people who do what I do. Why am I different from them? Like, so for me, I'm radically candid to coin, you know, the phrase from Kim Scott's book. I've always operated not even before I knew that vernacular.

Victoria: And but that makes me really different. For example, when I work at with CEOs and board members, I don't tell them what they want me to hear. Tell them what they need to hear. And that builds deep respect and trust, and then they continue to bring me back later. And that legacy, you know, piece, you know, to around what do you want to be known for?

Victoria: And so for me, in my twenties, success was defined for me by hierarchy, title, and compensation. I wanted to be better than where I came from. But then when I sort of achieved some of that, like, that's not actually the stuff that brings me joy. You know, being a great leader as I pivoted and changed, raising two really good humans and making the workplaces, the community, and the world a better place than when I came into it. That's what I wanna be known for.

Victoria: And all of that transcends any one of the companies I've ever worked for. So when you look at my LinkedIn profile, I've been told in the past, hey. You should put this company or that company in that headline. No. I'm more, it's in my, you can see I work there.

Victoria: I am more than that. So I would encourage your audience to reckon, like, you are more than all of those things. Curate that to the point you're CEO of your own brand as well. You develop the narrative or someone else will be creating it for you.

Erica: And I will tell you my experience is I always led with the company. I always was like, oh, I'm an HR person here or a fitness person there. And it wasn't until my late thirties that I started saying, no. No. No.

Erica: I am me first. And I started branding myself. And, yes, you might get pushback from people out there because a lot of people still have this view that if you're working for the company, your LinkedIn is for your company, but that is not true. And I will tell you, I have people at my current company that kinda ask me, why don't you talk about our company more? Why don't you do this more?

Erica: And I was like, because it's my social media. You know, it's my social media. Y'all have a marketing team. Y'all have a PR team. I am my PR team, and I am my marketing team.

Erica: And, you know, I may post something really cool that we do as a company or something I'm really proud of, and that's awesome. But you are your biggest advocate, and you are your biggest champion. So don't be scared. You will get those haters. That's okay.

Erica: We can take the haters. But what I will also say too, radical candor, if you like Kim Scott, you can head back to December 6 and listen to her. She was a guest on this podcast, and she did a dang job talking about radical respect and her new book or no. Her new book is Radical Respect. So it was her it was originally titled Just Work, but you would love that book too.

Erica: So That's awesome. I had to throw that in there for my girl, Kim. But, Victoria, if you could go back to the Iron Maiden and give her one piece of advice that you know now, what would that piece of advice be?

Victoria: That, being my authentic self would be more rewarding on all facets, not just at work, but personally. Being authentic and being vulnerable, is powerful. I use the word joy a lot, but I feel like my fears kinda fell away to some extent as soon as I started showing up and I saw the response that came by doing it. When I lived in fear over would people reject me, not like me, whatever, if I was emotional, if I told you a little bit more about my past, those sorts of things. So I would tell that 20 year old girl, technically woman, but girl in many ways, to be authentic all the time in every way possible.

Erica: Well, there is a reason why Webster said, authenticity is the word of the year, and it's not a buzzword. It really is so important. And to your point about being authentic all the time, a lot of those things that we don't open up and share about is because we're not sure how other people are going to react. Right? We have this underlying fear, but the moment you actually start speaking those things out loud is when you take all the power back.

Victoria: Yeah. I love it. It's not just speaking. I think there's some, you know, real action, you know, too. So for me, I'm in career transition, and I've pulled myself out of processes because I know that's not a fit.

Victoria: That's not alignment. That is also demonstrating authenticity, and trueness to who I am, what I value, what I know will be a good environment for me or not.

Erica: 100%. 100%. So kudos to you for that. Victoria, where can people find you?

Victoria: Well, so I think I've done a good job at personal brands. If you Google me, I'm everywhere. However, the best place is to go to victoria-peltier.com. And then from there, you can choose to link out on whatever other social media platform with me you'd like.

Erica: Amen. Get her as a speaker, hire as a CEO, whatever you need. She gonna be there for you as long as she is a good fit. Victoria, thank you so much for being here today. I absolutely enjoyed this conversation.

Erica: Thanks for having me, Erica. Oh, man, y'all. I am so glad that Victoria came in and shared all of those gems with us on the podcast today. I mean, all of these things that we're talking about, they are so incredibly important. Right?

Erica: Authenticity, how you can navigate, you know, creating safe spaces and inclusive workplaces. All of this is such a game changer. I took so many notes. I wrote down so many things. I hope you did too, but thank you for joining.

Erica: Thank you for listening. Please make sure you follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and all the socials. And until next time y'all, I really want you to remember this. I want you to hear this. The only ceilings that exist are the ones we place over ourselves, and it's time we smash through together.

Erica: I'll talk to you next time.