How Former WNBA President Is Leaving a Legacy for Young Women

When Laurel Richie turned 50, she sat down to think through the legacy she wanted to focus on for the rest of her career. It was in this moment she decided to work towards creating opportunities for girls and young women to realize their full potential. As she went on to become the first-ever CMO for Girl Scouts of the USA and the first African American to lead a major U.S. sports league (WNBA), Laurel made good on her promise to herself and girls all around the country. Today, she affectionately calls her work a “patchwork quilt,” taking on opportunities where she feels like she can both learn and contribute to—including mentoring Fortune 500 executives and serving on boards. Learn more about the pivotal turning points in Laurel’s career, the four key pillars she relies on for a healthy work-life integration, and the treasured advice her dad gave her about leading a successful life. How did you get to where you are today? In college, theater was my extra-curricular activity of choice, so I knew from the outset that I wanted my work to have a creative component. Ogilvy was a wonderfully creative environment in which to learn a wide range of industries: from diapers to charge cards to hot dogs to retail. I decided to focus my career more intently on creating opportunities for girls to realize their full potential. Turning 50 came with the requisite self-reflection. Earlier in my life I had made the decision not to have children, so I began to think about my legacy in earnest. I found myself in the fortunate position at the Girls Scouts of the USA and WNBA to not only “be the change I wished to see in the world,” I was able to expand leadership development opportunities for girls and young women all across the country. Tell us about what you are doing now. At this stage in my career my work is a bit like a patchwork quilt. I mentor Fortune 500 C-suite executives through Merryck & Co, I chair the Dartmouth board of trustees, I serve as an independent director at Hasbro, Synchrony and Bright Horizons, and I just recently joined the board of SeatGeek. How do you foster strong professional relationships as you grow in your career? I have always made a concerted effort to really get to know the people with whom I work. Investing in strong interpersonal relationships makes work more fun and teams more productive. I have relationships that have lasted over 40 years. Along the way, I’ve learned as much from mentees as I have from mentors. What’s one way you’ve invested in yourself that’s had the most impact over the course of your career? What about within the past year? Throughout my career, I have tried to remain open to unexpected opportunities. I’ll try anything as long as I feel I have something to contribute and, of equal importance, something to learn. I’d never played the game of basketball–or been to a WNBA game–before I became president, but I was excited to learn the game and I knew my marketing experience would be of value. I recently joined the SeatGeek board, and it has been incredibly energizing. With live events around the world on hiatus, I’ve watched the team double down on product innovation. SeatGeek is poised for exponential growth, and I couldn’t be more excited to be on this new journey. How do you view work-life integration, especially now, and what advice can you share with others who may be struggling with it? During this pandemic, I think we’re all struggling with work-life integration! I rely on four things to help me to find a degree of harmony: being really clear about my priorities, taking time on Sunday to map out a plan for the week, scheduling time for myself (versus taking a ‘catch as catch can’ approach to me time), and going with the flow when the universe throws the inevitable curveball. Can you recall a situation where you've dealt with typecasting in the workplace? And what advice do you have for other women on how to overcome typecasting at work? I’ve lost count of the number of times I have encountered typecasting, from micro-aggressions to full-fledged discrimination. My strategy is twofold: to call it out when I see it, and to stay focused on the task at hand so that I don’t get distracted by someone else’s shortcomings. What’s one tip you can share or something you’ve learned on how to handle salary negotiations or raises? Given the wage gap statistics, I encourage every woman to be proactive in all things pay related. I think of compensation negotiations as a process versus a singular event. I think of compensation negotiations as a process versus a singular event. Setting the tone during the hiring process. Developing clear, quantifiable annual goals. Tracking progress and sharing successes throughout the year so that the annual review is less daunting and more productive. Competitive offers can advance the discussion, only if you are genuinely willing to make a move. Who has helped you in your journey and how did they help shape your career? When I started in the advertising business in the early 1980s, more often than not I was the only Black woman in the room. One of my first clients, Dudley Lehman at Kimberly Clark, took an interest in me and had a profound impact on my career. He was my sponsor, my mentor, and my ally long before these concepts became part of talent management best practices. What’s the single best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Oscar Wilde said it best: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” What does success mean for you? My definition of success comes directly from my dad: leave the world better than you found it and have as much fun as you possibly can along the way.

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How Former WNBA President Is Leaving a Legacy for Young Women

Laurel Richie shares advice on work-life integration and what’s next for her career

Luz Corona

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