Get to know Cynthia Pong, a feminist career coach for women of color.
Tell us about a day at work you'll never forget!
The day I had my first major speaking engagement! I presented at LinkedIn's TransformHER conference for women of color. I had never spoken to a group that large (100+) in a live setting and it was at LinkedIn's NYC headquarters, so I was really nervous! But it was exhilarating and wonderful to be in that community with the women of color in the audience.
The talk itself went really well. It was also very different from my usual days, which I spend in my home office meeting with my clients over video chat, doing work for different individual clients, interacting on social media, doing business development, working on projects like my book on career change for women of color (coming out Summer 2020!).
What's your advice about growing a personal brand?
Find a way to express yourself (e.g., writing or speaking) that is true to you (though it can be limited to presenting one side of you) and put yourself out there consistently even if it's not every day. It's better to ramp things up than to go too hard at the beginning and burn yourself out. It's important to find a way to do this and a frequency of interfacing publicly that is “sustainable” for you.
How do you prepare for negotiation conversations?
1. Read Never Split the Difference.
2. Put yourself in the shoes of the person you'll be negotiating with (and make sure they're the one who makes the call on what you're asking for!).
3. Frame all your arguments and talking points so that that person will be likely to hear and understand you.
4. Spend most of the conversation listening, asking open-ended How or What questions, mirroring.
5. Know what numbers are at play for you if this is a monetary/financial negotiation (e.g., what you'd ideally want, your bottom line, industry standards, etc.).
6. Remember that if you believe, they believe. So make sure that you sound like you've convinced yourself first!
Did you ever agree to something in a negotiation you now regret doing?
Of course! It takes time to learn from our mistakes. I've regretted not negotiating, accepting the first counter-offer from the other person, not remembering calculating bank transaction or other fees into the investment.
What’s one tip would you tell your younger self about negotiating?
You can't fast-forward experience! All in good time.
What's your personal quirk that has helped you to excel in your field?
I have a really good memory for things client-related. That's super helpful for them. I have a knack and stamina for problem-solving and pursuing goals. And I get super invested in my clients' success.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve experienced imposter syndrome? How did you overcome this?
When I was a public defender, if I was appearing in front of an intimidating judge, I'd feel like I didn't know what I was doing – even though I'd been practicing law and doing that work for 3 or 4 years. It took a lot of mindset work to internalize the fact that I *did* know what I was doing and a lot of support and reassurance from my colleagues that I wasn't a fraud and hadn't suddenly lost all the experience I had gained in the last few years.
What has been your biggest failure and what did you take from it?
I suppose I would say my inability to find a way to be a public defender sustainably over time. I thought I would remain a lawyer and be a public defender for at least a decade before moving onto some other kind of social justice legal advocacy. But I burned out and still feel a bit disappointed or ashamed of not being able to "hack it."
However, burning out of that work put me on the journey to where I am today. My work gives me so much more fulfillment and autonomy than I ever could've experienced working within the criminal legal system and within a large organization.
What's the worst piece of advice you've been given and why was it so awful or useful?
A lot of the marketing advice I read or listened to early in my business. Like, you need to go to as many conferences as possible and shake as many hands as possible. I'm a huge and unapologetic introvert so this was just about the worst advice you could ever give me. It made me want to give up on everything business-related!
Has there been one person instrumental to your growth and success? How did they impact you?
I can't pick one! My former therapist kind of put me on the path to my career change to become a career coach. But my spouse is instrumental in helping me keep my business running and keep me from running myself into the ground.
Who do you draw inspiration from?
BIWOC activists
Who has taught you the most about knowing your value in the workplace?
Probably my former therapist, who told me I was enough – even if I never worked another day in my life. It helped me divorce my value as a human being from the money I earned or my title or my labor – because we only conflate those things because of the insidiousness of Western or modern capitalism.
Do you have a routine or habit that you practice that allows you to do what you do?
On good days, I do sitting meditation for 20 minutes in the morning. If I skip it for 2 or 3 days, I start to become unhinged.
How did you get to this point in your life and career?
Through lots of trial and error!
What would you be doing if you weren't on your current path?
Sometimes, I dream about being a park ranger in a national park that specializes in geology or rock formations.
What’s your favorite quote?
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. – Lao Tzu
Are you reading or listening to anything at the moment?
I'm reading Freedom Is a Constant Struggle by Dr. Angela Davis. And I'm listening to The Untitled Episode, a recently released podcast episode from The Kondabolu Brothers.
“You can’t fast-forward experience! All in good time.”