Episode 30: Feeling Like You Don’t Belong in Your Workplace with Tricia Montalvo Timm
Synopsis
Episode 30. Tricia Timm hid who she was for years as she climbed the corporate ladder as a lawyer, aspiring to be better and better eat each step. But, what did better mean and what was the top? Throughout much of her career she hid that she was Latina and in other cases hid that she was a mother.
At a certain point she decided to stop hiding and to out herself. Rather than being ashamed of her background, she decided to come out and talk about it. To tell her store and inspire young Latina women, she decided to write a book.
With host Greg Martin, this interview covers her story and how many of us feel in the workplace, not totally comfortable with revealing who we are, but also not comfortable sharing our true selves. It wasn’t something she even knew, but once it dawned on her that she was hiding, she decided to reclaim her identity and began advocating for inclusivity and diversity in the workplace.
Yes, the culture of white males tend to dominate many places of professional work - but to break-in we must advocate for inclusivity and diversity in the workplace.
Key Takeaways
Tricia’s vast personal and professional accomplishments, absent of knowing her cultural background
How not seeing people like her in the corporate world impacted her
Why diverse thoughts, perspectives, and people create better companies
The moments that brought up inner conflict during her career
Why she decided to “out” herself in a LinkedIn post
When Tricia feels like an imposter and how she navigates fear
Signs your work environment is inclusive and ways to be inclusive while respecting a diverse team
How to build your support network in the workplace
How storytelling helps build bridges between people
The obstacles Ttricia faced as a new mom in her career, including secretly breastfeeding in parking garages
How and why she started her own firm—and why she left it
Tricia’s Background
Tricia graduated at the top of her class in law school at Santa Clara University School of Law
Went on to work in corporate law at various positions including General Counsel and VP Corporate Governance at Borland Software, Director of Legal Affairs at Homestead Technologies, SVP and General Counsel at SugarCRM, General Counsel at Looker
CEO and Founder of GCAssist, a legal services consulting company
Now works as an investor and advisor in Silicon Valley
On the board of three non-profit companies and
Just wrote a fantastic first book “Embrace the Power of You” about her story