Women's Day TODAY: Leading by Example: Female Execs Join Together to Lend Helping Hands
NBC ID: MAAAABQNW2 | Production Unit: Today Show | Media Type: Aired Show | Air Date(s): 03/13/2020 | Event Date(s): 03/13/2020Transcript
Event Date(s): 03/13/2020 | Event Location(s): New York | Description: (Begin VT) INT MS: Panning shot of women in office MS: Brief cuts of women at CHIEF event MS: During interview, LINDSAY KAPLAN COFOUNDER AND CAROLYN CHILDERS COFOUNDER: Women who are alone at the table are 1.5 times more likely to look for another job. And so if we can bring them together. They're more likely to stay, they're more likely to bring amazing colleagues with them, and have a lasting change in their companies and beyond. MS: Brief cuts of women at CHIEF MS: During interview, AMANI DUNCAN: Honestly, Chief was literally the best thing, best decision I ever made for myself at this point in my career. QUESTION: Why? AMANI: You know I was at a point in my career where I needed to find, like, a community. I needed to find, like, my tribe, my group-- of likeminded women from different industries MS: During interview, SAVANNAH: Th-- they talk about the old boys club. Is this the girls club? Is this the answer to that? (LAUGH) AMBER GUILD: I don't think that we were looking to replicate systems that had kept people out, but I think that we're building something that allows us to feel like we have a space for us that can support each other. MS: Women talking in meeting at CHIEF MS: Geena Davis speaking at CHIEF event MS: Women at CHIEF event MS: During interview, SAVANNAH: You are the CEO. Is it isolating? Is it lonely up there—SHARON LEITE: Very much so. Yeah, yeah, it is. And it's-- it's just really nice to be able to have a place where you can have conversations and you're not being judged. And you have people you learn from. MS: During interview, SAVANNAH: Why do you think it's been still so difficult for women to break into those upper echelons of business? GUILD: I don't think it's once you get here you fall out. I think you don't get here because the systems that are based in the cultures that we have aren't supporting women at a much earlier age. I saw a lot of my colleagues - it became so challenging as they were having their first kids--or caring for an aging parent. To kind of go up this ladder, and a ladder that wasn't necessarily built for people that have other responsibilities. MS: During interview, HODA: So people are making choices. They're halfway up the ladder and say, "No, I don't want to go all the way up, 'cause it's not-- it's not for me--" MS: During interview, SAVANNAH: A lotta times it feels like it's an either/or proposition. And how do you fix that? KAY HSU: It's not malfeasance-- on part of any companies. I think that-- in general, everybody's struggling to figure out what's the right solution. And I think a lot of it is also, sponsorship and mentorship-- of young women and women of color to come up the ranks. MS: During interview, HODA: Who-- who kind of paved the way? Was it a man or a woman, or who-- who made it easy or made your-- helped you kind of blaze your path? SALIMA HABIB: I work on Wall Street, and a majority of the people I'm surrounded by are males. They're part of the business, and so making sure that I've pulled them in as a resource to help me was an important component. I recognize that I've gotta do that for the women behind me, because there's not enough of us. MS: Quick montage of women playing poker MS: During interview, LINDSAY KAPLAN: Women getting funded, we have seen promotions, we have seen women getting awards, asked to speak on panels different opportunities that maybe these women wouldn't have even known about without us. MS: Women playing poker MS: During interview, HODA: A lot of women who are at home feel like they have so many obstacles in front of them. But if you were to put your finger, like, on an obstacle that you had to-- you had to overcome that brought you to this place, what would-- what would be yours? HSU: I had to get over that and get over not always being liked. Not always, you know, leaving the room on the happiest of notes. And I think that getting over that has helped me a lot. MS: During interview, SAVANNAH: How did you get over that? Asking for a friend. HSU: If you only are concentrating on what other people think about you, you're not gonna live your life. And, you know, life is short, but it's also very long. So you have to make it work for yourself. MS: During interview, GUILD: So-- so this is a great example, //when I grew up and grew my career, and I could never say that when I was her age. And so-- the-- that's a great example of what I would learn where I am from someone like her. That's the gift of chief MS: During interview, CAROLYN CHILDERS: When we actually hit the same level of representation of women in senior leadership positions as men, we will feel like we accomplished what we set out to accomplish MS: During interview, HODA: You guys, this was a great conversa-- I feel better about everything right now. (LAUGHTER) Do you? I feel-- I feel very hopeful. SAVANNAH: We vote yes. But I'll (UNINTEL)— (End VT)