Navigating Your Unique Career Path by Finding People Who Understand

Welcome to the latest edition of Power in Connection, a newsletter featuring stories from professionals who have experienced the transformative power that connections can have on careers. Learn how to build new relationships to catalyze your career by hearing from entrepreneurs, CEOs, newly minted professionals — and everyone in between.

Dee Poku Spalding has never been afraid of making big career pivots. After earning a degree in math, she was well on the path to becoming a banker when she made a sudden left turn — first into fashion, then international marketing for film studios.

“I think that’s the key to career success,” Dee says. “Having a master plan, but also looking at what’s laid out in front of you, what the best next steps are to get you to the bigger goal, and having the ability to pivot. Those pivots were instrumental in getting me to where I am today.”

Her next pivot was even bigger. After rising to an executive leadership level at Paramount Pictures, Dee left Hollywood behind to focus on helping other women achieve their goals. This led to the creation of The WIE Suite , a membership community where women in leadership can come together to network, share expertise, and have the kind of vulnerable conversations that aren’t always possible in the workplace. 

“The WIE Suite was really inspired by my experiences navigating corporate culture as one of very few women — and certainly the only Black woman — in senior leadership,” Dee explains. “Everyday obstacles that people face are amplified for underrepresented groups, and I felt like I had no one to talk to. I always had to seem like I had it under control. That’s an exhausting place to be and a lonely place from which to operate.” 

Dee’s career path has given her a unique insight into the professional world, and her experiences provide a useful roadmap, regardless of the direction you want to go. Her true north? Building and nurturing a strong network every step of the way. 

Staying visible to make new connections

While it may seem like growing your network should become easier the further you advance at a particular company, Dee has found the opposite to be true. 

“When you’re brand new, everybody will talk to you,” she says. “It’s the best time to build out your network because people are intrigued by the new person. So use the opportunity to reach out to everyone, learn the culture, and understand how decisions get made.”

Dee recommends meeting as many people as you can whenever you start a new job. This can include connecting with other new employees, as well as reaching out to people you admire in more senior positions. 

“Ask for 15 minutes of their time and send a great note,” Dee says. “If you’re looking for those mentorship and sponsorship opportunities, it’s a great time to start to do that.”

As you get more settled in your role, don’t let your networking efforts fall by the wayside. Dee suggests periodically checking in with your connections in other departments as well as getting yourself noticed by participating in any networking opportunities your company offers. 

“I always had my head down working because I thought that was the key to success,” Dee says. “But you have to be out there and be visible. Take advantage of employee resource groups and events. Speak up and ask relevant questions so that people know who you are. Even if it’s an all-hands Zoom thing, be that person who is present.” 

Finding community outside of the workplace

Even outside of the office or formal networking events, Dee suggests there are countless opportunities to meet new people by attending talks and panels — including virtual ones — where people will often introduce themselves and share their LinkedIn profiles. Sometimes, you can even connect with the speakers at these events.

“I always suggest sending a quick LinkedIn note to share your appreciation with the speaker,” Dee says. “I always appreciate those notes, and I’m definitely more inclined to go for a coffee with that person further down the line because of it.”

The further you advance in your career, the more important these external relationships may become. In fact, one of the reasons Dee founded The WIE Suite was to give women leaders a sounding board they often lack at their companies.  

“When you get into a position of leadership, there’s this assumption that you know it all,” she says. “But as you come up, there’s just a new set of problems that you have to try and figure out. Who can you go to ask those questions? So having that space with other leaders who get it, and who are navigating some of the same issues, is really important.” 

For fellow women of color, Dee recommends finding people you can talk to outside of work who share your identity, because you may find that the number of colleagues who look like you decreases with each promotion. At the same time, Dee is very intentional about making The WIE Suite open to women from all backgrounds and of all identities.

“It’s really important to have that mix,” she stresses, “so that you have a bigger Rolodex to pick from and people who are more likely to be in positions of power that you can tap into in your relationship building.” 

Identifying mentors and sponsors all around you

One of the biggest benefits of growing your network is connecting with mentoring opportunities. Through The WIE Suite, Dee has been able to help many women find impactful mentors — but she’s taking it one step further than that. 

“We call it peer sponsorship,” Dee explains. “With sponsorship, you’ve got skin in the game. It’s not just saying ‘I hear you, I see you, I support you.’ It’s saying ‘I know a person. I can write a check. I can be more tactical and action-oriented in the way that I support you.’” 

If you’re still in the early stages of your career, finding even a single mentor — let alone a sponsor — may seem out of reach. Dee recommends pausing and looking around you for potential mentors. Over the years, the best mentors she’s ever had have been trusted peers. 

“It’s important to share that insight with future generations to help them understand there isn't some sort of secret that they’re missing,” she says. “People look outside, but actually, it’s all right there in front of you. It's all around you, and it's really about opening your eyes and seeing those possibilities.”

What steps do you take to stay visible at your company and meet new people? Join the conversation by sharing your thoughts in the comments.

Fill your LinkedIn feed with great insights and ideas to help you build your network and connect with new opportunities. Dee recommends following these three people: 

• Reshma Saujani , Founder of Girls Who Code and Founder and CEO of Moms First
• Tiffany Dufu , Founder and CEO of The Cru Empowered by Luminary and author of Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less
• Cindy Gallop , brand and business innovator, diversity consultant, and speaker

Looking for more tips to help you network and grow your career? Check out these articles and resources next: 

• Why You’re Not Alone in Dreading Networking — And How to Turn Your Mindset Around: Nervous about networking? The WIE Suite suggests a new way of thinking about it that can make it feel less transactional and more fun. 
• More Women Are Choosing To Work Remotely. Here’s How To Stay Visible And Successfully Navigate The Unlevel Playing Field: Unsure how to make new connections and get noticed when working remotely? These tips can help you enjoy the benefits of remote work without falling out of your leaders’ sightlines.
• How to Make a Career Pivot — Without Taking a Pay Cut: Curious about taking your career in a new direction? Here are four strategies that can help make the shift more seamless. 

Got feedback? Want to request a particular topic or suggest a thought leader we should speak to? Share your thoughts by commenting below.