Latino Business Speakers Bureau: Graciela Meibar
story by: David Gomez
Among the usual characteristics of newcomers tothe US are thedreams of a better life, a hunger to succeedand they usually live close to others who emigrated from the same country or region.They make small communities with their fellow countrymen. Unlike most immigrantsfrom Cuba, Graciela’s family did not settle in Miami or any urban city in Florida. Her family settled in Los Angeles,California. She describes herself as a Westcoast-Cuban. As the only daughteramong her siblings,she is familiar with the notion of being different and standing out.Froman early age, she has stood out for her virtues;leaders have noticed her academic performance, professional achievements, and a genuineinterest in others.Inhighschool a teacher suggested that she apply forcollege.In her career at Mattel she earned promotionsand more responsibilities; her leaders recognized her character and accomplishments. As she moved up the ladder at Mattel, she was given the task to lead diversity and inclusion which became Graciela’s newfound passion. Graciela envisionedcoaching Latinas and women of color to grow their careersand in 2014 she opened a consulting firm with a focus of serving this group.
Finding her passion was a pivotal moment for Graciela. She discovered that it wasn’t only something she cared about deeply, but that it was also a value proposition. To help their executives succeed was something that anycompany could benefit from. She also discovered that Latinasand women of color were underrepresented in the coaching events and even at the executive levelsof organizations she frequented.There was a great need to reach out to them.She saw an opportunity in that segmentand understood that they needed someone to inspire them and help them reach their potential. Her newfound passion became her purpose.
In high school she noticed that othershad a clear vision for their own futureand realized that she did not have a vision for herself. That’s when the value of mentorship became important to her. One of her teachers planted the idea that she could go to college. Even though she came from a family of farmers, she contemplated this exciting future where shecould be something more than she expected for herself. Not only did she complete her undergrad but also returned for her MBA. But mentors aren’t strictly bosses and professors. One of those influential voices in Graciela’s success was the voice of her father whoencouraged herto become self-sufficient. He wanted his daughter to be taken care of, and that meant that she would depend on herself. He wanted the best for his daughter, love, kids, a family, however, he understood that if she could be self-sufficient she would be empowered to have a fulfilled life.
As Graciela reflects on the path her career took, she acknowledges that at some point she allowed a strategy to become her “go-to” skill to engage the corporate life. She learned to tame her “Hispanicpersonality.” However, with the realization that her leadership roles demanded more of her, she decided that not bringing her true self to work was the wrong strategy. In fact, she decided to inspire others to do the same. There is a lot of value in diversity, and she was determined that she will inspire othersto be their true selves as executives. Anything else would be acting, and executives are not paid to act. They are paid to bring the best of themselves. She feels deeply when she sees that Latinos feel like impostors in their jobs and don’t feel like they belong in their roles and career. This isthe focus of the work that she is doing now. Even though those stories weigh heavy on her, she engages with executives with those feelings of being an impostor and works through those difficult conversations. She knows that she has a calling to show them that they will find purpose when they are free to be themselves and that they should celebrate what makes them different and stand out.