The life-changing lessons Mika Brzezinski taught me about sponsorship and mentorship 

I distinctly remember a spring day in 2016 when I was sitting on a  plane next to my boss, “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski. I was nervous beyond belief. 

My stomach did flips as I started to pitch Mika about a mentorship idea for Latina women, like me. We were on our way to Tennessee for a speech she was giving at a women’s conference.  

At the time, I was a 25-year-old production coordinator for “Morning Joe,” and Mika was in the thick of expanding Know Your Value, her women’s empowerment platform that included sold-out conferences and bestselling books to help women know and grow their value.

I was explaining to her what this mentorship platform could look like, trying to make it sound as professional as possible. “Access!” I blurted with feigned confidence. “Underrepresented women in the middle of the country need a platform to get access to mentorship.” That part had been swirling in my head for years. 

I proceeded to share with her, for the first time, my own struggle growing up undocumented in a small town in Ohio – and just how hard it was to land a job in New York. I understood firsthand the struggles that many young women of color around the country face.  

She looked at me curiously, asked me a few questions about my background, but left it at that. 

Who knows why, but Mika saw potential in me.  In addition to my job, which included printing scripts and getting coffees, she began to let me sit in on business meetings in the early years of Know Your Value. She also invited me to attend her conferences and other events that gave me opportunity to learn and expand my skill set. And then … a chance of a lifetime. 

Three months after our conversation on the plane, Mika called me on FaceTime and simply declared, “We’re writing a book together. Me and you. It will have your story, and we’re going to help other young women.”  She hadn’t forgotten our conversation. She knew that if I wanted my own dream platform, I needed an opportunity to grow it.

 Two years later, in May of 2019, “Earn It,” the book we co-authored was published. Not only did Mika mentor me along the way, she said “yes” to us doing every TV appearance, book party, and magazine cover together, to promote the book and share my story. She also gave me a book advance that would eventually go into building my own mentorship platform.  

I’ve since learned that real, meaningful sponsorship is when a co-worker of boss speaks about you when you’re not in the room. It’s advocating for access to an opportunity or experience out of reach. Mika did all that and more for me, making a monumental difference in my career. 

Last August, my first solo book came out “The Other — How to Own Your Power at Work as a Woman of Color.” In it, I took all the lessons I learned and tailored it specifically to the lived experiences of women of color. I’ve since heard from readers who saw themselves in my younger self; scrappy and determined — but with odds stacked up against them. Like me, they grew up without access to proper mentorship or support, lack of social capital, financial impediments, and more. 

Owning your power at work as a woman of color

I, too, also want to pay it forward and help women of color in underrepresented parts of the country with meaningful sponsorship opportunities. In working with Know Your Value, I have found a way to make that happen. Just recently, I announced “The Power of The Other — Mentorship Matching Event.” An opportunity that will connect underrepresented women with women sponsors who are in C-suite levels or above.  

Not only will these women be giving their time for mentoring, but they’ll sponor an opportunity for a matched mentee that would get them closer access to starting or developing a professional or educational goal. 

The following women will serve as the mentors/sponsors: 

Sandra Campos. Originally from Texas and first generation Mexican-American, the former CEO of Diane Von Furstenberg has been behind some of the largest retail brands including Juicy Couture, Bebe, and BCBG as their Global Group President. The celebrity management company she founded even helped launch Selena Gomez’s first lifestyle brand. But early on, Campos said she struggled to find mentors, which made her passionate about helping other women in their own careers.

“No one ever took me under their wing in those days. I grew up in an environment where I had to make it work on my own,” she told me. Now the three-time CEO and two-time founder sits on five boards, including two public companies and three private companies. She also founded Fashion Launchpad, an on demand ed-tech platform. 

Bianca Gates. In 2015, the Latina founder from Southern California — who grew up in a mostly white neighborhood — first started Birdies footwear as a side gig while she worked a corporate sales job at Facebook. Birdies is now a multimillion-dollar shoe brand, earning the likes of celebrities like Meghan Markle. Gates also started the first Lean In circle with Sheryl Sandberg in 2013, which has now scaled to more than 40,000 Circles globally. 

Michelle Wong. The chief marketing officer for Sprinkles leads all creative strategy and communications, product innovation and brand partnerships. She started out her career as a pastry chef with a degree from Le Cordon Bleu in London before she pivoted to the world of advertising. Wong has worked with agencies like Leo Burnett and Dailey (where she was the first female Managing Partner and President in its 50-year history). Wong has also worked with brands like Philip Morris, Quintas Airlines and Butterfinger and recently named on Brand Innovator’s Top 100 list of Most Innovative Women in Marketing.  

Jyothi Rao. The former CEO and President of Intermix has lived in India, Nigeria and England, before immigrating to America for college. She’s worked for brands like Gap, Banana Republic, Calvin Klein, and Gilt Group where she served as Executive Vice President and General Manager. Today she advises public and private businesses in the fashion, beauty and tech space, and most recently joined Boston Consulting Group as a Senior Advisor. Jyothi serves on the board of SALUTE, an organization that empowers South Asian women leaders.

Teri P McClure. The former general counsel and chief human resources officer for UPS became the first female African-American senior vice president at the company. The Kansas City native now sits on numerous corporate boards including Lennar and JetBlue and serves on a number of non-profits, including HistoryMakers.  

“The Power of The Other — Mentorship Matching Event” will work with The She League, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing women of color in the corporate and entrepreneurship spaces. It provides mentorship, leadership training, and career developing conferences.  

I created this mentorship matching opportunity for the purpose of not only lifting up women of color, but to show the importance of seeing women who have been in their shoes. They are women who have shared the plights of feeling like “the only” or “the other.” Because sharing access meaningfully is to know what it’s like to once have gone without it. 

For more details on how you can be considered for this mentorship opportunity, head over to this link. Applications will open on December 11 and close Feb. 1 at midnight.