I want you to think about the last time you felt undervalued at work. Maybe a role you felt you

deserved was given to somebody else who, shall we say, wasn't as skilled or qualified as you.

Or maybe you were super excited about a new job you interviewed for, only to learn the salary was

way off from your expectations.

Or you did get that job with the great salary, only to find out that others are questioning

your ability to do it well. These situations happen regularly in organizations, and lately,

more discussions are being held about how often women, and particularly

women of color, face them. And while the onus shouldn't be on women of color to advocate

for themselves in workplace situations where they're undervalued, discriminated against, or

overlooked, they've had to take action.

I'm a Dupacanola. This is Ted Business. Today, instead of a talk, we'll be listening to an interview that we'll discuss over the next two episodes. In this first episode, we'll hear from

Deepa Proshatiman, co-founder of

N-formation and affinity space for women of color corporate leaders who know all about these

challenges. Deepa shares some lessons from her book, The First, The Few, The Only, how

women of color can redefine power in corporate America. She then interviews a guest about a challenging experience at work

and offers advice about how to handle that situation in the future.

Then after the interview, I'll share a few nuggets

on how to stand in your power when challenging situations arise at work.

But first, a quick break.

13 years ago, I had just made partner in my large global services firm.

I was one of the first, one of the only.

And I was celebrating in New York with a friend, someone

...