In this episode of Career Clarity Unlocked, Theresa White, a five-time certified career coach and expert in career clarity, explores the critical skills of self-advocacy and career growth. Joining her is Natalie Serebrennik, a certified professional coach with 16 years of experience in capital markets, who shares her transformative journey from the corporate world into coaching.

Together, Theresa and Natalie delve into:

• Natalie’s inspiring career path and her bold transition into coaching.
• Facing challenges like imposter syndrome and how a pivotal moment reshaped her self-advocacy.
• Actionable strategies for effective communication and aligning your personal and professional goals.
• Insights into navigating corporate politics, building alliances, and redefining success on your terms.

This episode is packed with actionable advice for taking control of your career and mastering the art of advocating for yourself. From building confidence to effectively communicating your goals, Natalie shares practical strategies to help you navigate workplace dynamics, have powerful conversations with senior leaders, and ensure your voice is heard.

Timestamps

(00:00) Welcome to Career Clarity Unlocked

(00:54) Why Self-Advocacy is Critical for Career Growth

(01:26) Meet Natalie Serebrennik: Capital Markets to Coaching

(02:27) Natalie’s Bold Career Journey

(03:47) Confronting Challenges and Finding Solutions

(09:00) Owning Your Career and Advocating for Yourself

(15:47) Building Strategic Alliances at Work

(19:55) Mastering Mindset for Career Success

(23:55) Cultivating Self-Belief and Clarity

(25:08) Talking to Senior Leaders About Your Goals

(25:40) How Natalie Tackled Imposter Syndrome

(26:06) Communication Tips that Drive Results

(32:44) Mentorship and Transitioning into New Roles

(35:19) Discovering Your Inner Advisor

(42:07) Redefining Success and Fulfillment

(48:33) Wrapping Up with Final Insights

👉 Ready for career clarity in record time? Request a free consultation with Theresa at www.careerbloomcoaching.com/consultation.

Connect with Natalie Serebrennik:

• Website: www.NatalieSerebrennik.com
• LinkedIn: Natalie Serebrennik

Connect with Theresa White:

• Facebook: Career Bloom Coaching
• LinkedIn: @Theresa A. White
• Instagram: @theresa_careerbloom
• YouTube: careerbloom
• TikTok: @career.bloom
• Website: www.CareerBloomCoaching.com

Don’t miss out on future episodes! Follow Career Clarity Unlocked now to stay updated on new insights and strategies for finding a career that truly lights you up.

© Copyright 2024 Spark Endeavors, Inc. All rights reserved. Learn more at www.sparketype.com.

Ep 20 Natalie Serebrennik

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On career clarity, unlock, we're all about those light bulb moments. I'm talking to people who are still trying to figure out what they're meant to do, coaching them life to reach that magical, yes, this is it moment, and we'll also hear from those who've already found their dream careers and figure out exactly how they did it.

Whether you are looking for inspiration or actionable advice on finding a career you love, I've got you covered time to unlock some career clarity. Let's dive in.

Well, we're digging into all of that today. By the end of this episode, you'll have insights and strategies to take your professional life to the next level. Joining me today Cerebrennik. She's a certified professional coach who empowers leaders to thrive in high pressure environments. With over 16 years in capital market, she combines her extensive industry knowledge with her coaching expertise to support leaders in achieving their professional goals.

She sets her clients up for success by strengthening their soft skills and teaching them how to overcome obstacles with ease. Let's get started. Welcome Natalie. Hello. Thank you so much for having me in that warm welcome. I am so excited that you are here today and this is going to be an amazing conversation.

I want to start at the beginning. Tell us about your career journey. I mean, your career is just super impressive. How did you even get into capital markets and how was your journey through capital markets into where you are now? Yeah, great question. Like a throwback. Yes. So I, I was raised by immigrant parents.

So I made my way over to capital markets and I just didn't leave. So I started my career off in equity research at BMO capital markets and then quickly moved over to the trading floor. And I spent my whole duration of the rest of my career on the trading floor, which was a very interesting experience.

Um, I had to face my own imposter syndrome quite a bit at the beginning of my career, worried that, Oh my gosh, they're going to figure out that. I don't know anything they're going to be like, you fraudster get out of here. I was just so in my head at the beginning of my career. And I didn't know how to, what it meant to like truly take control of, you know, that driver, get into that driver's seat of your career and really build the growth that you want.

It's what we grow up doing and no one else teaches us the other ways. Um, and We think we work hard and then other people see that we work hard and then promote us. Um, at what point did you realize that isn't the case? And then what did you do differently? Yeah, great question. I still vividly remember the day.

I wasn't forced to do so I came back a few months earlier and With very little training And I can't even tell you the amount of stress that I had in that like behind behind me day in and day out I did really well. And that's not just me, like patting my back, like my hand on my back. I really beat all the goals that I set for myself with, with my head trader at the time.

So like completely held flat. Zero. I was so, I was so shocked. Um, I don't even know what I said. I probably said nothing in that moment, to be honest, because that, that the next two minutes were a complete blur. I just remember being completely deflated and I didn't understand. So that commute home was just filled with, I don't understand.

We were not aligned. He didn't know my expectations. He, I just expected him to do right by me. So that was the moment that all of a sudden I started to develop that self advocacy strategy for myself and completely took control of the dialogue of the relationships that I was forming. I was way more strategic about my growth.

And everything changed from that moment on. Wow. That, I mean, that's a huge shock. I cannot imagine how devastating that must have been in that moment. You thought you did everything and it turns out the reward wasn't there. And they didn't see the hard work that you put in coming back early from the maternity leave.

Right. And it's, there's, it's just this, this thing that you accept. And I just appreciated that the time was going to come when it was going to come. If I just kept my head down and working hard, that it was going to be my time. And I didn't think that that year I could have done anything differently. So on a stellar year like that, yeah.

After years of putting in that value and hard work that the shock of that, that's what hit me the hardest. Cause I realized there's nothing further that I can do using that strategy. That strategy isn't working for me. Okay. What do I really, what else could I be doing? That's different. And it's so commendable that you actually took that.

So what changed after that moment for you? Yeah. Great question. And I got to say, like, thinking back, they're like, Oh, what, what drove, what was your motivation? I'm like, um, frustration, anger. That's what drove my decision to start to advocate for myself. So the first thing that I did was I got real, real clear on what that goal was for me outside of the financial piece.

And it, throughout those conversations, I expressed what my goal was, how I was, why I'm well positioned for that goal, why I deserve that goal, all of the reasons. And then I asked him point blank, what are the gaps that I need to fill? So when I hear you're doing everything great, there are no gaps to be filled.

I'm like, What's a girl got to do? What else could I possibly do? Is this just the reality that i'm going to be facing? And then you start to think is it because i'm a girl Woman working in a male dominated space like what else is at play here? And then it dawned on me at this point. He's one person. I have a whole management hierarchy above him Why am I wait?

Who above that person do I have? Teresa, I went all the way up the chain. Wow. Yeah. And, uh, I may have lost a few hairs and grew a few gray hairs in the process because it was stressful. It was so intimidating. This is the first time in my whole career that I was fighting for myself. And it felt like that.

Oh, I'm like, I'm not stopping. This is a few moments in my life that I'm like, Oh, I'm really, my stubbornness is really working for me. Like I am not stopping until I get paid and until I get promoted. Like that is just what I took on for myself. And did that happen? It totally happened. Wow. Totally happened.

So I, I knew what my two most important career goals were. to fill the pay gap that I, I knew of, and to then get, achieve my next level of promotion. And I decided to treat each of those goals separately, appreciating the fact if I went in with too many asks, What I'd be limiting how the success for each one, right?

So then I prioritize my goals and I said, what's most important to me right now? Okay, getting paid. Okay. So let's, let's fix that. What? We're going to revisit that also. But for right now, we're going to fix a little of that. Yeah. And then what's the next one? Getting my next level of promotion. All right.

So if they're talking about once a year, who are they going to promote, it's the committee that decides. On whether or not Teresa is going to get that next level of promotion. So not only does your manager have the 30 second spotlight, which I didn't appreciate any of this once I started, like, to actually drill in and ask questions.

Do they know who you are? If they don't know who you are, and they're like, Theresa, who? It becomes a much more difficult conversation. Yeah. I'm sure it's, if there's more than one person on the table that says, Theresa, who? That's it. Yeah. This is it. Yeah. And, you know, you hear the reference, and I, Oh, such a game.

How do you play the game? Corporate is such a game office politics, game, game, game. And I reflect a lot about this. And I truly fundamentally believe that there is a game. There's a game in anything you play in terms of your professional, whether you're an entrepreneur, which I'm sure we could attest to at this point, but also when we were in corporate, it's just figuring out a what game is being played.

No point there. And you can also, if you know where you want to go, but you don't get in the driver's seat, you're also not going to get there. So it really needs this, these two points of, you have to take charge and you need to know where you're going. And then it becomes, okay, what's the most, what's the strategy that I'm going to use to get there.

That's just doesn't happen. At least it doesn't happen to most of us. So if you can walk into whatever opportunity that is facing you, whether you're starting a new job, new role, or you know what, you show up a new day, a new week, and you're like, all right, I'm going to figure this out. What's the game being played?

It's so much mindset behind that. Yes. Right. Yes. And because at the beginning of most of our careers, I think we can all agree to this, you're filled with that imposter syndrome. Yes. Right. You doubt yourself and by not advancing the way you're hoping behind the scenes to advance, What's that doing to your mindset?

That. I thought I did everything I needed to to move to the next step. And I asked my manager, what else do I need to do? Nothing. You're doing great. You're amazing. You're a superstar, you're a high achiever. And then you don't get it. And then you ask again, like, okay, what do I need to do to get there next year?

And they're like, Just keep working hard like you do, like I'm losing my mind here, like give me tools. Um, but that again, now that I look back on it was, yes, the management wasn't the best in those moments, but also they didn't have the answers. Um, I could have figured that out for myself instead of being like, well, I guess something I will never get there or whatever those negative beliefs that you interpret that as.

How do you start to position yourself? You And also thinking bigger, thinking outside of the box. What are the projects you're saying yes to? Are you raising your hand on? What about those connections that you're making across departments? What about volunteering or offering to help out with a few of those higher level initiatives?

And when you look at them all on paper, you're like, oh my gosh, this is so overwhelming. Cause how am I supposed to start doing all of these things right now? Yeah. And that's a huge misconception. You can't possibly, you're setting yourself for failure if you're expecting yourself to do all the things immediately, building out a plan that ensures your success every step of the way.

That's how you're setting yourself up for success. And what is that? Yeah. What's that common first step that you work on with your clients? So someone who is really struggles with self advocacy and they look at this list and they're like, okay, there's a hundred things I could do and it feels overwhelming.

If you're in that space for too long, you know, you start to question am I worthy? Am I valuable, right? And you achieve very little in that place of thinking, right? So then we start there. If, if a client is pretty solid on that part, we skip right to the clarity part. Getting crystal clear on what that is.

Yeah. I mean, that was me. Yes. When I was preparing for these conversations with these senior leaders, I was so freaked out. I'm like, Oh my gosh, is this going to backfire? Am I going to present myself in a way that I embarrass myself and I'm going to be worse off. And they're going to, they're actually going to realize I don't belong.

Like I was feeding into that bull imposter syndrome. It's awful. It was awful. Totally normal, but totally awful at the same time. So what really helped me was get, get prepared. So I wrote down, I positioned my conversations. Independently of each other, right? So the more senior the conversation got, I was thinking, what are the elements that they need to be aware of?

the more senior you get in conversation.

When we talk to our direct manager, as you said, we're really in the weeds and we can talk about the details of our day to day and the accomplishments we have. But the higher up the chain we go, we want to really expand that to what I'm doing. How does that impact the company, the overall company strategy, the long term vision of the company?

It's less about the specifics because quite frankly, they don't know the specifics and they don't need to. No, they don't. And they might not care. No, no. But if you can have a conversation that resonates with them at that level. Right. What are they leaving? With in terms of impression. Not only coming to them and being courageous enough to speak to them But are they leaving with a really good impression being like wow, I'm impressed.

I wasn't talking about the dollar sign at the top of the house It was more about positioning. So I was talking about the dollars, the actual amount lower down when I got to the top, it was more about exposing that a gap exists and asking them for their guidance to appreciate how can a gap like this exist, help me understand.

And also communicating what you've done to rectify it and then ultimately asking for their advice and their guidance on how, what else you can possibly do. So you're approaching and what you're leaving with in that, in that strategy, they're aware of the problem. They're aware of what you've done to try to rectify the problem for yourself.

And now they're in a position that they're actually giving you advice on what you could possibly be doing. And anytime I don't want, I don't like to say absolute. So I'm not going to say a hundred percent of the time, but most of the time when someone's giving you advice, they become invested. Oh, how did that work out?

It's really easy. It's, it's easy when you know what you have to do when it, yeah, it's, and we complicate it so much because the thought of approaching senior leadership in that way. Feel so scary and so daunting that you just, no, no, no. I can't do that. That's so inappropriate. I can't have a conversation.

Um, and also to know that you can do that. There is no golden rule that says. Somewhere in corporations that you're not allowed to talk to anyone higher up the chain. It doesn't exist, that rule, at least I've never heard of it. Um, so to like, Oh, I want to have these conversations. I need to have these conversations.

Wow. And said, I'm very impressed. That you took initiative in this way.

So it wasn't just the conversation, but by asking for this conversation, so you already impressed them. That's amazing. So you've learned all these amazing lessons in corporate that helped you advance your career and reach your goals. And then you made a really bold pivot into coaching. Yes. Do you mind sharing what, um, how that transition happened for you and what sparked the.

And some days I'm still shocked that I did it for me. If I look back at my career progression, every two to three years, right? I tried something new. I may have stayed in the same area of finance and capital markets, but I, I joined a different desk. I went from sales to trading to sales, different groups.

I'm, I'm someone that needs change in order to keep up. So what I started to realize and, and more importantly, a lot of the fight, I call it a fight, but you know what I mean, that, that journey of self advocacy and, you know, rectifying some of the adversity that I had experienced that limited my growth.

Was spending more time mentoring others because this is something that I really fell into quite a bit Towards the last I would say third of my career. I spent a lot of time mentoring I it wasn't uncommon for me to be part of More than one mentorship experience at the same time group mentorship one on one.

Um, because when we think back, when we met in person at the business mastermind and I introduced the Spiketype assessment, uh, your primary Spiketype showed up as the advisor. So I'm super curious to reflect on, on how that showed up in your career. But for our audience who might not be familiar with it, the Spiketype assessment was founded by Jonathan Fields.

And it helps you identify what makes you come alive. And I think you just described that so beautiful. It was something you just couldn't do, not do. You were drawn to it because it energized you, not because you got paid for it. So that, well, let's start with how was your first reaction to reading your own Spiker type results and having those conversations back in Cancun?

So I was blown away by the accuracy of that assessment. And it's true relating it back to my professional journey, a lot of that desire and passion that I had when I was devoting myself to mentorship activities. That's the part of The day to day that really lit me up So when I was thinking about that next phase of growth for myself, I kept going back to well What would that look like?

The growth trajectory of my career. I will forever be grateful for our time spent and in that moment I realized oh my gosh. I it's not just me feeling good about giving to others I appreciated in that moment and I hadn't before that the impact that I actually had Yeah, I can change people's lives But just helping them and to me in that moment.

It took me two years. It wasn't any, like, like you said, at the beginning of the conversation, it's not your typical, um, fork in the road change that people in my industry make. Once you're in, you tend to stay in until you're, until you, you either get let go or you retire, but you don't voluntarily leave.

That's usually not the case So this was a quite of a quite quite a quite big pivot I took on for myself. Yeah, that is amazing. And there's two ways you can look at it Really is one You had a successful career in capital market and you made 180 degree change to become your own boss and open a coaching business.

Okay, let's find all the moments that energize you that make you come alive and then think about how can we do? How can you do more of that? And that's exactly what you did. You did something that you've done successfully for many years and turn it into your next career step. Yeah. And you know, it's, it's funny because, and I reflect on this a lot, cause there's nothing easy about entrepreneurship.

Yes. You've gone through this once or twice, five times before you appreciate that, how to work on mindset. You're trained on how to work on mindset. And it wasn't until that certification experience that I started to uncover my own blind spots. That certification, even though I was still working, um, like flip my world upside down.

But you're working and you're building and you're building all the elements. Like it takes time. Right. And I, I can't help but rethink of those first few years when I was in corporate and some things you just forget, like the pain that you experienced giving birth. Right. Like, it's just, it's gone. And the pain of those first few years, like figuring things out with no direction and no support, right.

What did it look like before and what does it look like now? Yeah, good question. So my, my definition was very limited. It was very limited before my definition of success was very much financially based. How much money I made as well as the title who knew me and all of that. I was so caught up with this version of myself and the reputation that I built in professional setting.

It's not about that. I still very much do. I do. That's what drives me. And I'm still ambitious. And I'm still, I am still going to want to see that, that growth for myself, but it's also appreciating all the other elements of connecting with others and truly the impact of helping them. And where they're at in their journeys and and exactly the fulfillment that I got when I was mentoring and then being way more tactical with that for his mentorship and coaching are two very different disciplines.

So it's strategy plus reflection and level of awareness gain. And it's a very powerful combination because it's not just doing the things because you should do the things, but it's believing that you can and owning it at the same time and then taking that lesson learned and applying it to all levels of your future growth.

I love that. It's so powerful to see it, that changing your definition of success isn't saying like, Oh, I suddenly don't care about money and title anymore because I'm the same. I still do. Absolutely. A recognition. Um, but that we can't, but it can be more than that. It's not only money title recognition, but maybe we really want fulfillment and we want to make a positive impact.

It's not. And I think that that was, it was realizing that in that moment in my career where I realized, you know, I'm just, the gas tank's empty and there's no more fuel that I can fill it with. So it couldn't in my, the way that I thought about it is I couldn't, it couldn't get better from where I was.

The sooner you can do that for yourself, the sooner you can actually set yourself up for that change. It ain't going to happen for you. You got to make that happen. That's absolutely true. And it's something I hear so often from people, from clients is a lot of times in our twenties, we wanted money success moving up the corporate ladder.

The clarity piece. If you're not crystal clear on that part of it and building that clarity for yourself and no one else, remove the societal expectations, remove the pressure from your spouse, your family, your parents, your friends, you, and, and just truly sit with what can actually fully make you happy.

I know i'm not happy I don't think that I know it because I just did all this amazing clarity work And then and then without that action followed it. It's yeah Yes, it's both. I think this is beautiful to wrap up this conversation where we started off. It's knowing where you want to go and then taking action to get there.

This has been such an incredible conversation, Natalie. I'm sure our listeners want to learn more about you and follow your work. Where can they connect with you? Best place is LinkedIn and, uh, and also my website, but LinkedIn definitely send me a DM, connect with me. Let's have a conversation. Absolutely.

Thank you so much for this amazing conversation. And I can't wait to continue more conversations with you in the future. Absolutely. Count me in, that's a wrap for today's conversation, and I hope you're feeling as inspired as I am about owning your career journey, building those powerful alliances and advocating for your growth with purpose and confidence.

If today's episode got you thinking about your own career clarity, you can book a free consultation with me to see how we can bring even more focus and direction into your path. Thanks for tuning in, everyone, and we'll see you next time. And that's a wrap for today's episode of Career Clarity Unlocked.

com. And before you head out, Be sure to follow us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode. If today's conversation gave you new insights and inspiration, please leave a review. It really helps us reach more amazing listeners like you. And don't forget to share this episode with a friend or on social media.

Your support truly means the world. Thanks for hanging out with me and I'll see you next time.

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