Laila Arain & Keni Dominguez | How'd You Do It & Why Should I Care?

Laila Arain: 0:01

Hi, everyone. Welcome to the next episode of the Bay Street Capital Holdings podcast titled, How'd You Do It& Why Should I Care? This series aims to highlight women doing amazing work in various industries. So today, we are so lucky to be joined by Keni Dominguez, who is founder, workplace strategist and coach Keni Dominguez LLC. Hi, Keni, lovely to have you on the show.

Keni Dominguez: 0:22

Hey, Laila, how's it going?

Laila Arain: 0:24

Good. Good. Well, I'm glad that you're here. So let's start off with a quick introduction about who you are, and perhaps an answer to the main question of the podcast, which is, how do you do it? And why should I care?

Keni Dominguez: 0:35

Yes, so my name is Keni Dominguez. I'm a workplace strategist, and also a career coach that specializes in supporting Black women and other women of color introverts. And you know, it's interesting, I often tell people that, or I try to explain that my career has been anything but linear. It's really just been a journey with a series of stops, if you will. And, you know, I transitioned in my career, I worked in tech for several years. And then I transitioned back into People Operations and HR. And, you know, I decided on the organizational side that I wanted to work with organizations that were people centric, and had a philosophy of wanting to center their people, first and foremost. And so I typically work with a lot of organizations that have either a social impact, you know, area, or, you know, they're really focus, like you're on a particular mission. And so that was something that was really special for me. The other thing is that on the coaching side, you know, I decided that I wanted, I knew for sure that I definitely wanted to work as a career coach, I just didn't know exactly who specifically I wanted to support, I knew that I wanted to focus on black women and women of color that I want it to be able to help them to thrive in the workplace and to feel empowered. But when I really drill down even further, I recognize that within myself, you know, one of the identities that I have known for a very long time, and that also has impacted my experience in the workplace was being an introvert. And so I decided, you know, what I really want to work with women of color and black woman who, who are also introverts, and I wanted to explore the intersectionality of race, gender, and cognitive type. And so that's really how all of this came to be. And the reason why is because I think it's really empowered for, I think it's really important for women, especially women of color to feel empowered in the workplace, you know, our experiences can be more challenging. And also, it's just difficult to navigate just because of some of those challenges and obstacles that we face. And so I wanted to be able to not only be a voice for women of color, who are also introverted, but also to be able to help them grow and develop in their careers so that they can thrive and not just survive in the workplace.

Laila Arain: 2:52

Awesome. So it seems like you kind of had a very clear mission when coming into your career. I'm curious, what inspired you to join this industry? Was it a specific point in your life, it was a combination of experiences,

Keni Dominguez: 3:05

it was a common, I would say it was a combination of experiences, but there was a very specific focal point, and it was during the pandemic. So I had been consulting for about two years. But what led me into career coaching and wanting to focus on introverts is that, you know, I was working for a specialty coffee company in the Bay Area, as a director of People Operations. And at the time, you know, during the pandemic had to close down several of our locations. And so at that point, it gave me some time and space to really think about, okay, what is, what is my next thing? What is it that I'm really interested in working on next, you know, how can I be a service to others, and also align with my own core values, and what was really important to me. And when I sat down and actually have the time and space to think about it, I was really inspired by, you know, other women of color that I saw who were going out on their own and creating their own businesses and venturing into entrepreneurship. And it really gave me kind of the the extra nudge or the push to want to go in full time as an entrepreneur. And then in terms of what really inspired me specifically, on the path of being a workplace culture strategist. I've worked in different industries, and specifically, I worked in tech for years. And I realized I was like, you know, there are very few organizations that I can think of where I had a really positive, like workplace, culture or experiment. And I wanted to help change that. And so what I realized is that, you know, at the, at the intersection of the things that I felt fascinating, that I found very fascinating, which were people and understanding their motivations was also my purpose. When I looked at what I was frustrated by and when I was fascinated. I found my purpose and I stopped beating myself up because I hadn't. I felt like I hadn't found my passion yet I found my purpose instead,

Laila Arain: 5:05

definitely. And I'm glad you found your purpose in the end. And you can sort of take that with a sense of pride into whatever work you're doing now, because you know, you're genuinely passionate about it.

Keni Dominguez: 5:14

No, absolutely. And I think that's hard, because I think, often write and I've read a lot of different career development articles, and it's like, follow your passion, you know, what lights you up. And what I found was, you know, when you understand your purpose that helps move you forward, when you run out of steam for passion, something that goes beyond what you're feeling, and it feels like you're you have, like an actual mission that you're trying to fulfill. It really helps propel you forward and helps you align with what you're really meant to do.

Laila Arain: 5:45

Definitely, I would agree. And you mentioned, you've been in consulting for quite a while now. But I guess what was the best resources that you sort of helped you make this transition into being a workplace strategist? And Coach, and so what kind of helped you from that transition during the pandemic? As you mentioned?

Keni Dominguez: 6:02

Yeah, no, absolutely. So when I so during I had like a, we closed our location, some of our locations for, I think it was like the first six weeks during the quarantine period. And so I was working like half time at that point. And so I had much more time to think and ponder. And so during that point, you know, I was also in law school, I was trying to wrap that up. And so I started really focusing on workplace issues related to race and gender specifically. And at that point in time, I get really inspired by a professor of mine. Her name is Professor to ball at UC Hastings. And she focused a lot on workplace interviews, and more specifically, like gig work as well. And so it was through that, that I declared my specialization in work law. And so I started to really focus on like, the legal relationships between businesses and workers and problems of like inequity and insecurity and discrimination in the workplace. And so from there, like being in school, and moving into that, that specialization, and having access to those professors and resources, that was an invaluable resource for me, which led to other connections, as well as you know, different professors or advisors, introducing me to people who could support the work that I was doing, as well as helping me with, you know, writing, or trying to get published or connecting me with with other folks who could support me in that. Also, you know, I would say on the introversion side, I was really inspired by Susan Cain, and very inspired by like her TED Talk and the quiet revolution, the website that she's created. And it was great, because there's tons of resources there for introverts, but also, it helped me to understand an underlining problem that I wanted to solve, which was, while I could definitely relate to the issues that she was highlighting with introverts, and I was very happy to see that someone was really just trying to shine a light on some of the challenges that occur for introverts in the workplace. What I didn't see was like my own experience as a black woman, or as like a woman of color reflected into that experience. And I started doing research, and I realized that there weren't really a lot of other people who were doing the same. But I knew that there were black introverts and other women of color introverts. And so I wanted to try to be a voice for that. And so the, that website was super, super beneficial for me to understand, like, what was the problem I was trying to solve. And then also to, you know, just linking up with creating a circle of support in terms of finding other entrepreneurs, who were also maybe doing different things, but who were, you know, fairly early on in their journey, and some who were much more mature in terms of their own business, and seeking out advice and just being around people and that space, you're trying to do similar things, was really helpful in terms of helping me find different resources,

Laila Arain: 9:07

I would definitely agree the power of the network is just so powerful. And as you mentioned, you also made you also make sure to reach out to those who are further along in their career, and then also those who are just starting out, because I think at every stage of the game, somebody has some useful piece of advice that they could give.

Keni Dominguez: 9:23

No, absolutely. And that's kind of you kind of build this power network around you. And it's also good for not just like those tangible resources where someone maybe connects you with someone or, you know, they tell you about other resources they've used, but also like the power of storytelling, and understanding other people's stories, whether they're similar to yours or different, but just understanding, you know, what are some of the failures that they may have experienced where the challenges they've had so that you can learn from them and also, so that you can understand that some of the feelings that you may be experiencing are completely normal?

Laila Arain: 9:54

Definitely, I would agree. And then following on from that, were there any lessons that you wish you would have learned before Starting in this industry and becoming an entrepreneur,

Keni Dominguez: 10:03

yes. So a big one for me, like a key takeaway was, you know, initially when I was trying to establish this business, I was like, Am I really the person to do this work, you know, being really doubtful of, you know, one, is there an audience is there is there like an appetite for this type of support. And then also, under estimating how powerful like your voice can be. You know, a lot of times being an introvert, you know, people can overlook you or not think that, you know, you're capable of being a leader, or a lot of times that necessarily being an entrepreneur being put in the center. And I think I made the mistake repeatedly of thinking that, you know, my voice wasn't enough when it was really more than enough. And so I think if I had understood that earlier on, it would have been a little a little less rocky of a journey. But I'm glad that I had to go through that experience. Because, one, it makes me more relatable to other introverts, but also it helps me to be able to work through other issues they may be experiencing, because I've experienced it, and I understand what it feels like.

Laila Arain: 11:09

Yeah, and it's great that you saw it as a learning opportunity. And you kind of didn't get fazed by that. Oh, let it set you back.

Keni Dominguez: 11:15

No, and it was hard, because at times, I was just like, like, you know, when you're developing something, and you're not really sure, if it's, if it's the right thing, you know, you start to question yourself a lot. And it's okay, you should be questioning yourself if you're a new entrepreneur, so that you can get better and so that you can refine, you know, your mission or the work that you're doing. So you can better so you can grow and develop. And I think that all those things are okay. But you have to make sure that you don't stay in it too long. And that doubtful, you know, sight of, you know, that type of doubtful mindset that can sit in. And really, I think I was really lucky to to experience those issues repeatedly, so that I could really kind of make sure that had really, truly learned those lessons so that I could pass it on.

Laila Arain: 12:04

Definitely. And speaking about learning lessons over the span of your career, what would you say was your biggest failure? And what did you learn from it?

Keni Dominguez: 12:11

I think my biggest failure at the start of the careers is thinking that I, you know, I honestly think it's thinking that someone else could do it better. A lot of times, when you I think when you're trying to do something new and different, or something that's Uncharted, you're looking to other people for a path. But if you're doing something that's brand new, that path may not have been laid, or that foundation hasn't been laid quite yet. So it's up to you to determine what that is. And that is really, as an introvert, like, that's really, that is a space that we're not always naturally comfortable in. And I think for me that the biggest failure was, was thinking I needed to wait for somebody else to come along.

Laila Arain: 12:55

When you could have done it, you know, you could have done it yourself. Yes, absolutely. Definitely. Um, you know what, I'm so glad that you kind of had that learning opportunity in the beginning of your career, because then it probably allowed you to really flourish and blossom and have that confidence in yourself later on.

Keni Dominguez: 13:10

No, it really did. And I and it also, I think when you're developing something that's new, and when you start to really feel like different things are in alignment with what you're trying to do, it helps boost up your confidence. And it really helps you, it starts to become like your North Star, you start to feel like okay, I know, I know what I'm doing. Because I've learned so much. And I've been able to gain all of this, you know, information or data experiences, which really have kind of helped me to be able to discern, like what my next step should be. And it's, again, I feel like everything that I learned, I'm always able to impart it to like my clients, because you're going through so many of the same things that I've either already gone through or may currently be like in the process of trying to navigate.

Laila Arain: 13:57

Definitely. And following on from that you've been giving some really great pieces of advice throughout this whole conversation. But I'm curious, what is one piece of advice that you would you would give somebody who who was wanting to pursue a career similar to yours?

Keni Dominguez: 14:11

Let's see. I think for me, if I were gonna give some advice, I would think, you know, one big thing for me was, I think like, make it your own, like it's, it's good to look to others for inspiration, but look within to chart your roadmap. And, you know, just understanding that your journey is going no matter how similar is going to be different than your friend or your colleague that's next to you. And being accepting of that and understanding and knowing if that's okay. And then also to I think, like not worrying about time, like, it's okay to like be aware of the time right because we it's not a an infinite resource, right. But don't worry about the timeline. So much like because sometimes I think we compare, we started to compare when we're hitting certain milestones. And those milestones may just appear differently or in a different order for you. And that's okay, too. Because I feel like a lot of times early on in my career, I would compare myself to other people. And that would get upset if I didn't feel like I was hitting milestones by a certain timeline. And it's just about the life that you're leading the life that other people are leaving and being comfortable and good with that. Definitely.

Laila Arain: 15:32

And following on from that. You've obviously been an entrepreneur for a while now. But what is one common myth about being an entrepreneur that you would like to debunk right here right now?

Keni Dominguez: 15:40

Yes. So this more specifically, I would say, in terms of, like, I hear a lot of myths about being an introverted entrepreneur, or even like in a leadership space, right, because there's, No, you're the leader, um, but, you know, being told that, you know, you're not cut out to be an effective leader, or successful because of your introversion, because of the fact that you may process differently, or, you know, it may market yourself differently, or, you know, just the way that you engage or interact with people. And so that's one of the biggest myths that I always try to I start out with all my clients just explaining to them, you know, you can, if you want to be a manager, if you want to go into leadership, like you can, and like, we can work together so that you can develop their strengths, because I think, so often what I've experienced is that, especially like in leadership trainings, or like, you know, entrepreneurial trainings, it's just like, you have to have this certain bravado, you know, you have to, you know, be a visionary, and you can't be a visionary, but maybe you're just also really focused on how you're going to implement those actions. And so I think there's a lot of strengths that get downplayed when you're an introverted entrepreneur, which are really, really great things for you, in terms of building out your, your business. Definitely.

Laila Arain: 17:07

And I'm sure you're very busy at the moment by being an entrepreneur, and she was very demanding job, but what have you read or listened to recently that's really inspired you.

Keni Dominguez: 17:16

Lately, the last book that I read was the color of law, which is a brilliant book. It's really fast Facebook, it's like the forgotten history of residential segregation, and how the federal government just kind of deliberately imposed racial segregation on metropolitan areas. I've been currently like looking for a home and thinking about property and land ownership. And, and that book was so so well written, it's just provided such insight into the history of residential segregation, and it has kind of changed, like the way that I think about land ownership and property ownership. And so that, in particular, that particular book have been really inspiring to me, and just something that I think should be like required reading. For everyone. It's fantastic. Fabulous.

Laila Arain: 18:02

And you mentioned this a little earlier about the power of network, but I'm curious, who are three people in your life who have been the most influential to you?

Keni Dominguez: 18:11

Let's see, for me, my father, he worked in HR for over three decades. And I would have never thought that I would have wanted to kind of get into this space. There's actually a photo, I think it was like 10 years old. And it's like, Take Your Daughter to Work Day. And behind him are a bunch of HR compliance books. And I'm just really focused, I think it looks like I'm focused on the pizza that's being delivered, and so not really interested in what he was doing at the time. But I think there was a little bit of foreshadowing there. And so he's always just been so wonderful. For one, assuming his inspiration, he really loved his career and really felt strongly about putting people first and, and really kind of pass it down to me. Think for second, the second person that's been really inspiring. My mentor gebouw. Dayton, who is like, the first Chief People Officer at Airbnb has been amazing. I've been privileged enough to know her for a few years. And she's been helpful and one helping me to take more risks in my career like this one. And also, you know, just to be a great sounding board, I think everybody needs someone who they can call up and who they can kind of talk through things with, not necessarily someone who's going to tell you what to do, but someone who can help you think through like what your options are, and that kind of better solution. She's been terrific. And the third person is a woman who helped me earlier on in my career. When I was working at Dell. She actually advocated for like a $20,000 increase for me in salary and it was it was the first time Someone had really advocated me and in a very public way, in the workplace, and you know, she was such an amazing leader. I thought it was really wonderful that I had that experience earlier on. And it also kind of stayed with me to where it made me want to make sure that I was also advocating for women, especially women of color, whenever I had an opportunity to and so I really just appreciated the support that she provided earlier on in my career, and she's just a fantastic leader, too.

Laila Arain: 20:31

Perfect. And then finally, to round off our conversation, what is one piece of advice that you wish you gave yourself at any point in your life?

Keni Dominguez: 20:40

I wish I had told myself that it was okay to walk out on a limb and make a mistake, and then fall back up again. I wish that I had told myself that. It's okay to not get it right the first time, you don't have to beat yourself up over it. I think often, you know, as a black woman in the workspace, a lot of times I felt like there was no room for error. There wasn't really room for mistakes. And so I think, you know, reflectively looking back, it kind of kept me from pursuing certain things because I was more afraid of making a mistake then trying the new thing or or trying to, you know, pursue another opportunity. And I definitely know and understand that now, but I wish I had understood that earlier on in my career.

Laila Arain: 21:29

Well, well, what a lovely note to end on. I'm glad you made that realization now. Anyway, so thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me Keni. It was absolutely wonderful to have this conversation with you.

Keni Dominguez: 21:39

No, absolutely. Thank you again for having me on as a guest.

Laila Arain: 21:42

Thank you. Bye bye bye