More than Ready: Be Strong and Be You . . . and Other Lessons for Women of Colour on the Rise

(Hardback)

---

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Advice and inspiration for women of colour seeking new heights of influence, from the top Latinx advisor to President Obama Women of colour are becoming more visible and more powerful than ever, achieving higher levels of success and blazing new paths for future generations. These women are pioneers, finding their own way in otherwise white-dominated arenas. As the first Latinx to direct national domestic policy issues, Cecilia Munoz knows the difficulties of getting ahead without exemplars to follow. In More than Ready, she offers readers lessons from the challenges she faced and the victories she achieved in the White House, with wise advice like.

Keep your elbows sharp: Hold your ground when others seek to devalue your contribution.Defend kindness: Elevate empathy in the workplace and beyond.Leverage failure: Turn losses into gains by embracing the benefits of the experience.Full of invaluable insights about working through fear, overcoming injustices, and facing down detractors, More than Ready provides the tactical tools women of colour need to reach unprecedented levels of power and success -- without compromising who they are.

Reviews

"Americans are slowly, sometimes reluctantly, coming to understand that power and success comes in many shapes and sizes. Following the adventures of Cecilia Muoz, a self-described 'diminutive Latina, ' as she scales the heights of domestic policy-making and finds herself at President Obama's elbow, will inspire an entire generation of America's next leaders."--Anne-Marie Slaughter, President and CEO of New America, author of Unfinished Business
"Cecilia is a wise guy who happens to be a woman, a 'domestic' worker whose 'house' work included the White House's public policy, an 'only' and a 'first' too many times in her life as a Latina. She shares with us what her triumphs and mistakes have taught her, stories that clear the way for women following in her brilliant path."--Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street
"In More Than Ready, Cecilia Muoz poignantly captures the challenges that women of color face as they try to compete on an uneven playing field, coupled with uplifting advice from her experiences rising to the height of her profession. Cecilia gives us insight into the critical lessons that helped her realize she, and we, are more than ready. If only I could have read this book when I began my career."--Valerie Jarrett, former Senior Adviser toPresident Barack Obama and author of FindingMy Voice
"It has been my pleasure to work alongside Cecilia Muoz while I served as the first Latina Secretary of Labor under the Obama administration. Cecilia's experience provides valuable lessons, especially to young people looking to make their way, wondering whether their voices matter."--Hilda Solis, Chair of theLos Angeles County Board of Supervisors and former Secretary of Labor
"It was by watching incredible women like Cecilia Muoz I learned the important life lesson that if you don't look like everyone else in the room, your perspective matters more, not less. When Cecilia spoke in meetings with President Obama, she did so with a powerful combination of integrity, wisdom, experience and empathy. She was often the only Latina in the room and often had the most insightful observations to make--the one thing that hasn't been said already that the President needed to hear. I have learned much from her and glad others will now have the chance to do so as well."--Jennifer Palmieri, former White House Communications Director and author, Dear Madam President
"Muoz provides reassurance and guidance for any woman who has also found themselves the first or only woman of color at the table... Women in all phases of life should find encouragement from Muoz's experiences and thoughtful, tested, career-centered advice."--Library Journal

Author Bio

Cecilia Muoz served for eight years on President Obama's senior staff, first as Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, then as Director of the Domestic Policy Council. She is now the Vice President for Public Interest Technology and Local Initiatives at New America and a Senior Fellow at Results for America. She lives in Washington, D.C.