Mellody Hobson

And so you try to find a way and you don't, you know, this is one of my pet peeves to this day. Someone who comes and talks to you and they talk to you about something and it's like a headline in the Wall Street Journal. And you're just like, yeah, I read that too. Yeah. That is not insightful. That is not insightful.

And so you try to find a way and you don't, you know, this is one of my pet peeves to this day. Someone who comes and talks to you and they talk to you about something and it's like a headline in the Wall Street Journal. And you're just like, yeah, I read that too. Yeah. That is not insightful. That is not insightful.

Yes, and going back to your question, which I did not answer, my mom always told me, make yourself indispensable. She was like, make it so people can't live without you. So I did every job that they asked me to do. I never was unhappy about any job because I always thought to myself, I'm learning something here.

Yes, and going back to your question, which I did not answer, my mom always told me, make yourself indispensable. She was like, make it so people can't live without you. So I did every job that they asked me to do. I never was unhappy about any job because I always thought to myself, I'm learning something here.

There's a degree of conformity that exists in my industry that's very important. And... I found a way to be original in my conformity. Explain that to me. So, for example, in the financial services industry, you wear business attire. But mine is different from everyone else's.

There's a degree of conformity that exists in my industry that's very important. And... I found a way to be original in my conformity. Explain that to me. So, for example, in the financial services industry, you wear business attire. But mine is different from everyone else's.

Well, it is because I was walking in as a black woman. So I was already in this sort of no man's land. Especially things have changed, but not... meaningfully. And so as a result of that, you had to, first of all, that lens of what do they see? Because that's going to affect an opinion before you've even spoken. And I was always very realistic about that.

Well, it is because I was walking in as a black woman. So I was already in this sort of no man's land. Especially things have changed, but not... meaningfully. And so as a result of that, you had to, first of all, that lens of what do they see? Because that's going to affect an opinion before you've even spoken. And I was always very realistic about that.

You know, I was, you know, I think we'd like the world to be what we want it to be, but it's not. It's not. So, you know, we could hold on to that idea. And that's what I mean. I conformed, but in my own way. And so I was always authentically me. I think, you know, authenticity is key to success. I've seen people not be authentic. They try to be someone else.

You know, I was, you know, I think we'd like the world to be what we want it to be, but it's not. It's not. So, you know, we could hold on to that idea. And that's what I mean. I conformed, but in my own way. And so I was always authentically me. I think, you know, authenticity is key to success. I've seen people not be authentic. They try to be someone else.

Like John Rogers and I, we are co-CEOs at Ariel. He's very different from me. I didn't try to be him. That would have been a logical thing. People try to fit a mold. I'm very different than him. We therefore become complimentary and become yin and yang. Absolutely. But that probably would have been an instinct of someone to say, well, this is the model that you're dealing with.

Like John Rogers and I, we are co-CEOs at Ariel. He's very different from me. I didn't try to be him. That would have been a logical thing. People try to fit a mold. I'm very different than him. We therefore become complimentary and become yin and yang. Absolutely. But that probably would have been an instinct of someone to say, well, this is the model that you're dealing with.

So first of all, they need to see discipline. Discipline is very, it comes through in lots of ways, right? I mean, big and small. My assistant, who is a vice president, because she's so amazing, she constantly, or my chief of staff, before I had email sent, read over my shoulder, are there any typos in this? A typo could kill an opportunity for us because they think you're half-assed.

So first of all, they need to see discipline. Discipline is very, it comes through in lots of ways, right? I mean, big and small. My assistant, who is a vice president, because she's so amazing, she constantly, or my chief of staff, before I had email sent, read over my shoulder, are there any typos in this? A typo could kill an opportunity for us because they think you're half-assed.

And my husband always jokes, he's like, she does not like half-assed. He always says, she likes whole-assed. course you do.

And my husband always jokes, he's like, she does not like half-assed. He always says, she likes whole-assed. course you do.

It's not about perfection, but it's about process. You want processes that you don't cut corners. That's a, I don't know if you ever knew that from Dave Thomas, who started Wendy's. No. The hamburgers are square because his grandmother always told them don't cut corners. Yeah.

It's not about perfection, but it's about process. You want processes that you don't cut corners. That's a, I don't know if you ever knew that from Dave Thomas, who started Wendy's. No. The hamburgers are square because his grandmother always told them don't cut corners. Yeah.

I was going to say, you waste it. But yeah, that I don't cut corners. So if you have a process, you're sending out an important email every time someone reads it. Not sometimes. Every time. Even in my own office, I'll send out something and I'll say, I'm writing a loan. No one's here to prove this.

I was going to say, you waste it. But yeah, that I don't cut corners. So if you have a process, you're sending out an important email every time someone reads it. Not sometimes. Every time. Even in my own office, I'll send out something and I'll say, I'm writing a loan. No one's here to prove this.