Category: The Corner of the Court Project

Amy talks about her champion, Paul Keenan, sharing the insightful advice he provided her while she was a working law student.  

“I have no idea where I would be today if it weren’t for my male champion, Paul Keenan. He is a partner at a large NYC-based law firm. He also is the world’s greatest father to 3 children; I hope they realize how blessed they are! Paul hired me as his legal secretary when I was just 22.

He was the busiest person I had ever met and yet he always made time for me. He is intelligent (both book smart and street smart) but has no ego, PLUS he has a fantastic sense of humor and a good attitude. How lucky was I to have this role model and mentor right out of college? I’ve always tried to emulate him.

A year after I started working for Paul I began evening law school while continuing to work full-time. I was very intimidated by how intelligent my professors were. Paul gave me confidence and perspective by telling me that my professors taught the same thing every semester, and that they were not any more intelligent than I was. With finals around the corner, my fellow students were stressing out big-time, which was causing me to also stress out. Paul noticed my demeanor and told me very simply “Amy, you’re not a serious person, so stop taking it seriously.” I followed his advice, was true to myself, and ended up making law review, getting a scholarship and graduating with honors. At the firm I was promoted to paralegal and then after graduation was hired as an associate.

Paul has given me so much (including his family’s old furniture when I moved into my own apartment!) and more importantly, lots of good advice. I still don’t make major life decisions without consulting him. He would help me with my car when it was acting up, which was often. He helped me in getting my parents out of a legal timeshare ownership mess. When I bought a condo, he was my lawyer. The list goes on.

Working in commercial real estate, which is very much a boy’s club, Paul always made me feel safe and like I belonged. He made me feel like I was home, which fostered an environment that allowed me to grow into the person I am today, and I really like and am proud of myself. Thank you, Paul, for being in the corner of my court.”

– Amy, Attorney, New York City

Read Alanna’s story, a candid look at why it’s important to know who is your workplace champion; that is, your “friend in the room”.

“This is the story of my dream job, a series of after-hours meetings, and my friend in the room.

I was working late, when my boss was called into a meeting with the heads of our department. He returned and gave me the news: a role was open in a department that I’d had my eye on… there would be formalities around applying, but it was implicitly agreed by everyone in the room that evening that I would take the job.

I was elated. And I thought for a moment about who might have been the champion who had spoken on my behalf. My boss — who had given me the news — was supportive, but did not hold back in showing his frustration that I was being poached for another team: he said he was losing his star player. My new boss-to-be was still a stranger at this point; we had exchanged no more than brief glances in meetings and while passing each other on the floor. The department head, when I thanked him for the opportunity, gave me a lukewarm response: ‘We’ll see what you do with it.’

Given this environment of visible apathy and fear about my career opportunity, I wondered: Who, among this group of male leaders, HAD supported me? Who was my champion? Who was my friend in the room?

I had my hunches about who had spoken up for me in that meeting; and as I stepped into the role, my hunches were visibly confirmed: it was the global lead of my team, a prickly and influential man who knew my ambition, the quality of my work and, most importantly, was unafraid to lose me to better things. He had been the one to push me toward excellence; on multiple projects, he’d sent me back to the drawing board, two and three times over the same analysis: ‘This cell looks like an error; go back to the desk, figure out what happened, do it properly and reschedule us.’
He’d also given me a raise within ninety days of joining my first team, assuring me, ‘We love your contributions and we’re extremely happy you’re here.’

Yet his most profound impact on me was the influence he not only held, but wielded on my behalf. Once I moved into my new job, I was now a leader facing enormous opposition from just about everyone outside my new team. This was a highly political environment and no act was left unscrutinized or immune to hostile assessment, even from the man who had actively spoken up for me.

But throughout conflict, this leader was still my fierce ally. Even my new boss, who bore the brunt of the opposition, remarked that while there was disagreement and dissent running rampant, my ally would eventually and visibly concur that I had done an excellent job.

Of course, I never got to see this for myself. These meetings were after hours, on another floor, and closed to the public.

But this is the definition of allyship and sponsorship: someone with access you do not have, who will speak for you in your absence. This idea used to irk me; why couldn’t I speak for myself? I am hopeful that one day soon, management structures will better reflect the true composition of their companies. But for now, there are still all-boys clubs and after-hours meetings. And those of us outside will need a friend in the room.”

– Alanna, Financial Services, New York City

Read Nicole’s story about how her mentor, Rory, helped her identify her five value pillars. 

“Over the years, Rory has been a true champion of my career; his mentorship has provided me with views far beyond the scope of what I had possibly ever envisioned for myself. During a career transition, Rory suggested that I dig deep and take a good honest look at myself to explore: What makes Nicole “attractive” to an employer? Attractive in the sense of what is my brand, who would seek to hire me, what makes me irresistible, what skills do I offer? What are the characteristics and credentials that make me appealing, and what do I bring to the table?

At first thought, these questions seemed simple in terms of the mechanics of building and marketing one’s career; however, defining these through such terms and with Rory’s added guidance, I was able to gain clarity and create my value proposition in a meaningful way.

I was then given an “assignment” by Rory, that I found particularly useful. He asked me to define my five value pillars. This entailed writing down a list of ten things that stir my soul – ten examples where I was absolutely crushing it – not necessarily in a career, but in all areas of my life, even dating way back to high school; those things that I am exceptionally proud of. The assignment required that I have several of my closest friends interview me to discuss my top ten list, and have them ask me why each was impactful; through these discussions they could write down and play back the words that I used most frequently. After these discussions, I was then to embrace the five words that absolutely define my five value pillars; Rory explained those would then be an anchor to my career objectives.

The assignment was straightforward, yet greatly helped me learn a lot about myself: my friends unanimously pointed out the words I used most frequently:

1. Leadership
2. Impact
3. Presence
4. Empowerment
5. Inspiration

Through this task and his mentorship, Rory helped give me a compass that has been instrumental in both defining and refining my career objectives. I am thankful that he continues to give me the motivation I need towards achieving my greatest potential.”

– Nicole, Membership, Development Chair for Women in Sports and Events, New York City Metro Chapter

“As a female engineer hailing from the east coast, entering the systems engineering division at my company in California was a significant career prospect decorated with both change and uncertainty. I was one of very few undergrads with the specialized engineering degree that I had chosen, and this would be my first job upon graduating.

Steve was head of the systems engineering division and he became my mentor very soon after I joined the company. In addition to teaching me everything he knew about the entire organization — how it functioned and the technical operations — Steve would show his sponsorship directly by taking me to meetings along with him, in front of senior-level people. He really supported me as a young, female engineer in a male-dominated industry.

I remember Steve would call me “Kiddo,” which was a special nickname that I knew spoke to how much he valued mentoring me as a promising, yet still up-and-coming engineer in my field. Steve and I stayed in touch for many years as my career progressed on. I often sought his advice at important crossroads or decision points, and he continued to open doors for me and provide insight to my path.

Steve retired 18 months ago, and has since passed away. His impact on me remains. When I am facing a professional decision, I still call upon myself to ask: ‘What would Steve say?'”

– Ashley, Systems Engineer In Charge of Modeling and Simulation, California

Wendy talks about her creative career and the profound impact her older brother, Tim, made through his written letters.

“At age 13 I grew to love the feeling of coming home from school and finding a letter from my brother, Tim. Tim was away at college at the University of Texas, but he made a point to write letters to me — his middle-school little sister — because he believed that letter-writing was a dying form, but incredibly special.

Tim would write me about his program at UT (he was in an honors program called Plan II), reflecting on what it was like to be my age, and encourage me to relish time doing the things I enjoyed — to embrace the days of being a kid with few responsibilities.

Above all, Tim would encourage me in every single letter, to pursue anything I wanted. ANYTHING. As a young aspiring creative, in a world full of “practical” expectations, having my brother’s encouragement meant the world to me.

And, that these words were written in letter-form for me to preserve and keep, has made Tim’s support that much more special: Whenever I feel the world is crushing me (basically every other Tuesday!) I read Tim’s old letters and feel thankful to have a brother who is patient, loving, and open to the exploration of creative learning.

It takes bold figures in one’s life to pursue an unconventional path…. I am currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Arts and Cultural Management; honoring my belief in the power of creative minds and artists to transform our societies. I am thankful to have had the support from my brother, Tim, for my work in the arts. And I look forward to this opportunity being afforded to everyone.”

– Wendy, Marketing and Visitor Services, Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

Katrina takes us back to a thoughtful and personal moment in her pre-teen years, and shares the important role her father played as her champion.

“Middle school, those pre-teen years of self-doubt are in my opinion the most important times for women to have a champion. While my brother and sister were both athletic and musically inclined, I identified as the smart one. I studied hard, got good grades and I loved school. When the opportunity came to apply for a gifted and talented program I jumped at it, excited for the new challenge.

The rejection arrived a few weeks later and I was devastated. I felt my entire identity was being challenged… if I wasn’t athletic, couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket and now I wasn’t the smart one, then what was I?