Finding Your Voice with Syrina Rice

The Queens Konglomerate aims to bridge the gap between the everyday woman, regardless of age to show them that there are many different paths to self-fulfillment & success in every area of their life. We depend on the real-life stories of women who are walking in their truth and are open to sharing their stories to #influence another who may be in need of motivation, encouragement, and digital mentorship.

Our premier interview will focus on the importance of women finding their voices. A challenge that we all deal with, maybe some more than others. Whether you are a new mom in need of asking for an extra hand, an employee in line for a deserving promotion, or a high school senior defending her choice to study Fine Art, despite your family not seeing the return on investment - being able to voice your true desires can be intimidating.

It was Emily Taft Douglas who said, "If women understood and exercised their power they could remake the world" can you imagine the courage it took her to use her voice to express that thought. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie author and activist voices in her book, We Should All Be Feminists "We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller, We say to girls, you can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful but not too successful. Otherwise, you would threaten the man." How profound that these women were empowered to use their voices to speak the truth in a culture that does not agree with them.

The importance of finding your voice weighs just as much in gold as the thing you are fighting for. Knowing what you want in life can take a longer time to manifest its full fruit until you learn how important it is to be empowered to articulate your desires and let your voice be heard. We live in a society where women are reared up to "follow the rules," "don't ask for exactly what you want, for the risk of seeming to forward or selfish," "certain jobs are for boys and not girls," among an array of others falsehoods.

Let us talk for a minute and make a mental picture of how these falsities can manifest into hard facts. According to the 2018 Women in the Workplace Report, completed for the fourth year in a row, by the Sheryl Sandburg led organization LeanIn in partnership with McKinsey&Company, we get a clearer picture of why finding our voice is so important. From the very beginning, the study shows us how little progress major companies have made at correcting the fact that women are underrepresented at every level in corporate America, and it’s far worse for women of color. From voicing improvements in professional environments, going after a promotion, or resigning and starting your own business venture. Whichever avenue; we as queens, must listen intuitively, act with intent, move in purpose and honor our Voices.

We believe that people in seats of power should elevate, encourage, and promote the forward movement of those that fairly and equally deserve it. The problem we see in the hard facts is that women are undeniably being left behind from the beginning of their careers. Is it that women are not exhibiting leadership qualities? are not educated? or experienced? No, but it is the lies sewn into the fabric of our society. These lies give energy to decision-makers who may have no insight into the problem they are perpetuating and are giving consent to. The numbers do not lie.

"Women don’t need to find a voice, they have a voice, they need to feel empowered to use it and people need to be encouraged to listen," - Meghan Markle

Our first interviewee for our #interviewaninfluencer series will feature Syrina Rice, who is a daughter, wife, mother and the National Contact Center Director at TIAA.

She resides in Charlotte, NC and can fully relate to the topic at hand. As the fight for equality charges forward, powerful female influencers like Syrina are not taking "NO" for an answer. But instead, she is utilizing her resources, putting the hammer to the nail and building a table all her own. Let's find out how she does it.

INTERVIEW WITH SYRINA RICE:

TGK: Syrina, can you describe to our readers, who Syrina Rice is (woman, daughter, wife, mother, friend, & boss) and how each of these personas have positioned you to understand the importance of using your voice.

Syrina Rice: I strive to be a cultivator of legacy, an encourager of dreams, supporter, confidant, partner, protector of all whom I love, and remover of obstacles imagined and real. That’s a mouthful but as a woman who wears many hats, I’m more aware now of the power, influence and impact we’re all capable of demonstrating.

TQK: As you can see from our article, women in general - particularly women of color - are being left behind in corporate America from the beginning of their careers. Is this fact something that you have observed working in your industry?

Syrina Rice: Because I work in financial services, I definitely see disparity in diversity. I’m fortunate to work for an organization that acknowledges such gaps and has traditionally set corporate strategy to even the playing field. Although it’s ingrained in the culture at TIAA, there is still much work to be done both for the organization and the industry to balance the scales.

TQK: What is your role within TIAA? How long have you been working in your field and what about your work challenges you? what about your work challenges you?

Syrina Rice: In my current role, I’m responsible for the hiring, training and development of incoming talent to the National Contact Center. I also lead the team of talented coaches and support line consultants that assist our client facing staff. I take the responsibility of being equitable and intentional in who I hire, forward thinking in how we train, and intentional about building out our leadership bench as a unique opportunity. I’ve been with TIAA for 21 years. I began my career as an receptionist, then worked as a financial consultant in our contact center, same as the individuals I hire, then in the field meeting with clients in person, to managing the phone center and now in my current role. There’s a lot of pressure that comes with this job but I trust that I’m the right woman for the job.

TQK: Why do you think women sharing their story is an important part of mentorship? In this case indirect mentorship.

Syrina Rice: I think value of transparency is immeasurable, especially in mentorship. It’s important that we share our authentic stories so that other women can avoid the mistakes we’ve made and understand what it took to get here to carry it forward.

TQK: Can you share a time when you had to use your voice to advocate for yourself and on behalf of someone else?

Syrina Rice: A while back I insisted my peers and I interview a candidate that had been ruled out for a position because of their brand in the department. Once we finished all the interviews and deliberated, this individual was not in fact right for the role. However, I was adamant about providing honest and actionable feedback to this person. Within a few months, they moved on to another role they would not have considered if we hadn’t identified their strengths and incompatibly with this job they insisted on applying for.

The Lesson, sometimes advocacy is simply positioning someone for success. This situation helped me understand my voice and value of my perspective in a room.

TQK: Do you feel emboldened and empowered to have your voice be heard in the different areas of your life?

Syrina Rice: As women we function in this dichotomy of both nurture and fierce protector. In my experience that has always translated to a thoughtful contribution to any decision at home and work. I encourage all women to speak up when they have a value to add and when they can articulate a point or two to underscore one that may have already been made. I’ve missed opportunities to lead key initiatives by assuming someone in the room was smarter, faster, more experienced, or just better.

TQK: As a person sitting in a leadership and decision making role at your company, what are some factors that go into you choosing the right candidate for a job?

Syrina Rice: I look for people who have demonstrated drive and motivation to better themselves and those around them. That’s what leadership really is to me. Everything else can be taught (skills) or comes with time (experience).

TQK: What is one quote or antidote that you live by?

Syrina Rice: The quote I have posted in my office is from Bill Nye…yes the science guy.

It reads:

“Everyone you meet will know something you don’t.”

This reminds me it’s OK to NOT know the answer. Also, the value of being a life long student of the world around me. It keeps me humbly interested in everyone’s unique point of view. I believe I’m a better wife, mother, daughter, friend, peer and leader because of this mindset.

Fun Facts About Syrina Rice:

Coffee or Tea? Tea

Favorite natural hair product? Shea Butter

Red or white wine? A sweet white wine

What do you do to self-care? Manicures & pedicures

One necessary item in your makeup bag? A brow pencil (otherwise it's scary)

When on vacation.. poolside with the most recent copy of Essence OR are you an excursion-bae?Definitely excursion-bae.