How Twitter’s God-is Rivera Spotlights Voices Beyond Her Day Job

Simply put, amplifying voices is at God-is Rivera’s core. As Twitter’s Global Director of Culture & Community, God-is and her team are focused specifically on how the platform connects with and amplifies voices on the platform with a focus on global intersectional Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+, Disability, and Native Indigenous communities. But the ways that God-is supports different communities and cultures everyday are really the foundation of her longtime success in building a more inclusive world, from ensuring that her own personal investments also support minority-owned businesses to spotlighting other women of color on the rise in this very special edition of Women Trailblazers. Discover more about the powerful early beginnings of God-is' career, how her mentors taught her to navigate through the different “love languages” within a company, and how she makes sure to feel confident day in and day out. Also be sure to check out our special week-long edition of Women Trailblazers in honor of International Women’s Day as we highlight 4 other powerful women of color who God-is sees, admires, and wants to amplify as they leave their own mark on the world: How did you get to where you are today? By speaking up, being ready, and willing to be a part of the solution to the problems that I was pointing out. One of the most pivotal moments in my career was in July 2016, the week of the murders of unarmed Black men, Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, at the hands of the police. I was crying on the train ride in, and when I walked into the agency I was working at, I felt as though almost no one understood that I, and the rest of my community, were suffering and terrified. I spoke up about why this was a major oversight when it comes to the work that we put out into the world. I wanted to be a part of the shift towards a solution. How do you foster strong professional relationships as you grow in your career? I have both mentees and mentors who have told me that I do a pretty good job of consistently checking in. My schedule gets pretty crazy but texting and Twitter DMs for me are lifelines to checking in on people. When you meet someone through your professional experiences, you sort of know immediately if you can forge a special connection. 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? There are two specific consistent investments that I decided to make a long time ago that have enhanced my personal and professional bandwidth: When I was a new working mom, I decided I would hire a service to deep clean our house consistently, and I made a point to always hire a Black or Latinx women-owned cleaning service so that my investment in having my time back was also an investment in another woman’s professional endeavor. I would encourage those who can make it work financially to make this investment in your time. It really gave me some valuable hours back to focus. Confidence is so important as you are making your way through your career. As a Black woman, I can definitively say there is no better feeling than having your hair freshly done! Confidence is so important as you are making your way through your career. I decided early on I was going to set aside the budget and the time to take care of my hair and have my time to make sure that I felt FLY as possible when I was working. This also gave me another opportunity to turn my personal investment into a financial investment for another Black women owned business. How do you view work-life integration, especially now, and what advice can you share with others who may be struggling with it? Giving myself the grace to feel overwhelmed some days, to know when to put some projects down and work on a remote school science project with my daughter, and when to grab a glass of wine, play some R&B in my headphones at 10 pm and tackle a tough work deliverable. This tumultuous year reinforced my belief in the power of being clear, committed, and consistent in the work that we are dedicated to. The world could literally change overnight and we are still focused on the important work, even as we shift how we do it. 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? Early on in my career, I had some managers who were men mock and discourage me from being too “nice” to my team. They felt that because I took a fair and human approach to managing people, I would be perceived as weak. I stood my ground. Stand committed and grounded in who you are. Not only have I led successful teams over my career, I still have great relationships with almost everyone I’ve ever managed. The lesson is to stand committed and grounded in who you are and the results you bring to the table. The rest speaks for itself. Who has helped you in your journey and how did they help shape your career? As a new mom, I had a great mentor who had stepped out on her own from a storied career in publicity, and she always gave it to me straight about those who may try to underestimate me. I’ve had incredibly strategic managers who showed me the importance of understanding the “love language” of an organization and ensure my work was visible to leadership. I also have some mentors who are part of my personal collective who have become like family to me. And always, as my anchor, is my mother. She fought her own way up to leadership positions over the past two decades–she will ALWAYS give me the honest feedback I need to hear. What’s the single best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Always counter and negotiate with the first offer before you take the job. What’s one tip you can share or something you’ve learned on how to handle salary negotiations or raises? One thing I did early in my career was to compile my own “Impact Report” on how I felt I made a difference within my team and the company. This would cover projects I’d worked on, strengths and successes, and a plan for what I wanted to accomplish next. There have been meetings where I have taken my managers through this analysis, and other times where I did it more as a pre-exercise for myself to feel confident when negotiating so I could clearly conceptualize the value I was bringing to the company. What does success mean for you? Impact. It means making an impact on my daughter, as she grows up and watches her mother lead teams with humanity, do the work that mattered to her, and be respected for her talent and her work ethic. It means making an impact in my community and beyond, ensuring that there is evolution where there needs to be change, that there is fairness where there is now inequity. Impact means making sure that for everything I worked on, built or lead, something has been improved and made better.

Women Trailblazers

How Twitter’s God-is Rivera Spotlights Voices Beyond Her Day Job

The Global Director of Culture and Community's personal and work values intersect day in and day out

Luz Corona

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Luz Corona