Systemic Barriers and the ROR: Return On Relationships with Carolyn Treviño Jenkins

In this episode, Roxanne chats with Carolyn Treviño Jenkins about her career in startups and leadership style. They discuss Carolyn's experiences with prejudice and strategies for dealing with discrimination. Topics also include transitioning to CEO, navigating company culture, the importance of team-building, and Carolyn's journey through cancer.

Quote: “I am in control of how I respond to that situation. I can’t change the other person so much as I can change and handle myself.” Carolyn Treviño Jenkins

Most of us have experienced some type of exclusion in our lives at one time or another and know the pain of feeling “less than”. Systemic Barriers are obstacles that place unequal value on individuals and communities and include racism, poverty, disparities in health, education and the criminal justice system. Many in society today are desperately trying to improve inclusion, but we still have a very long way to go. On this episode of Authentic Living with Roxanne, we are happy to welcome Carolyn Treviño Jenkins to share her lived experiences of different systemic barriers and how she has overcome adversity and created something wonderful to help others.

Carolyn is co-founder & CEO of We Are Here, a start-up blending human guidance and technology to help individuals affected by cancer reduce the impact to their finances, emotions and fatigue in order to improve outcomes. Carolyn is a serial tech entrepreneur and a cancer survivor. As a technology executive, she has led companies that won international recognition for outstanding customer success, as well as national awards for growth and cutting-edge work in people management. With over 25 years of experience, she has led companies through economic downturns, as well as through rapid growth (organic and MA). As a serial entrepreneur, she has co-led multiple companies through successful fund raises and profitable exits with up to 10x return on capital.

Authentic Touch Points:

Carolyn’s path to start-ups. 3:00 Problem-solving strategies. 7:30 It’s all about how you react. 10:00 Preparation is key. 13:00 Dealing with negativity. 18:00 Connection vs authority. 22:00 Team building. 25:00
Carolyn believes a culture of strategy execution and accountability can be achieved with servant and compassionate leadership. High performance has enabled Carolyn to break down gender and ethnic barriers. She is a mentor to many business leaders and is a frequent public speaker. She holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin’s Red McCombs School of Business and lives in Austin with her husband and two dogs. She is the proud mother of three adult children. Her passions are advocating for those with special needs, supporting the U.S. Coast Guard, and making meaningful connections for others.

We encourage leaders to reach out for guidance about presenting their authentic selves to develop an improved workplace for everyone with less conflict, as Roxanne offers executive coaching. Visit https://roxannederhodge.com/chat/ to schedule your complimentary discovery call now.

Stay Authentic,

Roxanne

P.S. Thank you for your support, and we invite you to get your copy of ROR: Return On Relationships (if you haven’t already) for only $1.99! https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1739001923/

Links:

Carolyn’s website: https://wearehere.com Carolyn’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyntrevinojenkins/
Roxanne’s LinkedIn profile : https://www.linkedin.com/in/roxannederhodge/ Purchase Roxanne’s Book: ROR: Return On Relationships: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1739001923/ Roxanne’s email: roxanne@roxannederhodge.com

(0:00) Introduction and interview with Carolyn Trevino Jenkins (1:28) Carolyn's background, career in startups, and leadership style (8:26) Discussion on Carolyn's experiences with prejudice and her approach to enlightening others (13:10) Strategies for preparing for potential challenges and dealing with discrimination (18:14) Transitioning from different roles to CEO and facing challenges (22:04) Navigating company culture, employee dynamics, and evaluating cultural fit (25:19) Importance of team-building activities (26:29) Carolyn's journey through cancer while being a CEO (26:44) Closure and teaser for the next episode