Q&A with Color Forward Podcast Co-host, Merary Simeon

Editor’s Note: As VP of Diversity at PepsiCo, Merary Simeon has been the perfect co-host of the Color Forward Podcast. From the outside, I don’t know how she gets everything done that she gets done (see her take on that below). What she didn’t mention is that she’s also working on her doctorate in leadership…no biggie! Haha. Merary is one of my favorite go-getters and she’s become a dear friend. Glad you’re getting to know her, too! - Alisa

Nathalie: Can you explain what ACTivate Conference is and why you started it? 

Merary: I travel a lot around the nation to different conferences and one of the things that I’ve seen is big companies offering great tools for people to leverage their career. But to take advantage of those tools, you need to value yourself, recognize your limiting beliefs, and elevate yourself enough to not accept what the world wants you to be. It’s like a transformation from the inside out that needs to happen in order for you to take advantage of all these amazing tools that companies offer. 

The ACTivate Conference allows every woman to activate her unique and godly gift to find h.e.r [healing, elevation, respect] voice to live a life with purpose and spiritual peace. And then A.C.T in ACTivate stands for achieve, confidence, and transformation. You first need to have healing, elevation, and respect to truly achieve confidence and transformation.  

Nathalie: So many companies are now exploring hiring Diversity & Inclusion professionals and incorporating that into their company ethos. How does that make you feel as a seasoned Diversity and Engagement professional/VP? 

Merary: I believe that if we really want to see a change, we need to hire diverse leaders in the business. Right now we have business and diversity & inclusion strategy when they should be integrated. You still need the Diversity & Inclusion person to bring in the insights, but I think where a lot of companies fail is that they don’t make D&I part of the business. There are many companies that are not doing well when it comes to diversity that already have a Diversity & Inclusion leader. So adding more across the nation is not going to help. 

If you really look at the numbers across the nation, we still do not have enough women or enough women of color in higher-level positions. And these are big companies that have Chief Diversity Officers. So to me, you can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results. I think it’s OK to have these professionals, but I don’t think it’s a game changer. If there were more diverse people in the business, I don’t think diversity and inclusion would be suffering today.  

Nathalie: You’ve had a lot of experience speaking in front of crowds. Are there any mantras you tell yourself before you give a big speech in front of many people? 

Merary: The first one that I live by is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” The other is “my voice needs to be heard.” Sometimes I get asked questions that I have to choose how I deliver the answer. I always choose to be transparent because that might be the only opportunity for somebody else to hear a woman of color speak. So if I don’t take advantage of that opportunity, then I just lost the opportunity to make a difference. There are people who don’t have many interactions with women of color making it even more critical for me to seize the opportunity. Whether I like it or not, or may not want to be there, or be the one who represents women of color, that’s how people look at me. People will have a perception of me before I hit the stage. I can only speak the truth and hope that it penetrates their hearts and minds.   

Nathalie: You have said that it’s possible to be a great mother, a great wife, and have a thriving career. Do you have any advice for those who think it’s too difficult or that it’s not possible? 

Merary: If you can’t imagine it, you can’t be it. If I say, “I have no option but to be an executive and to be a mom and to be a good wife” then your creative juices start working. When you don’t have an option, you figure it out. A lot of us don’t realize how smart and creative we are. We just have to change our way of thinking. 

I got married at 38, I had my first kid at 40 — I’m old and I’m tired. But my kids need me, I have older parents that I take care of, and I have a career where people need to hear my voice. I can sit here crying, stressed about all the stuff that I have to do, or I can look at it in a positive way. I’m healthy and I have the opportunity to impact the future of my generation.

Nathalie: It is very inspiring to see that you’ve given important speeches and attended events  like the Hispanic Leadership Summit. How do you hope other Latinx women look at these experiences? 

Merary: What I love about what I do is inspiring other women or young girls to believe in themselves. When my daughter asks me what I do, this is what I tell her: “I’m going to help other women find their superpower because you already know what yours is right? But there are women out there who don’t know what their superpower is.” I want them to find their own power because we all have them. What I would love for women to get when they see me is that they can do it too and probably better.  

Nathalie: Speaking of empowering women, as a co host of Color Forward you speak with many successful multicultural women. Are there any guests that stood out to you? Do you have a dream guest? 

Merary: They all bring something so personable and so special because all the stories are unique. I really love Jacqueline Camacho. She’s amazing because nothing is impossible for her. When you talk about being a dreamcatcher, that’s her. She brings magic to every conversation.

Nathalie: It’s hard for many people to turn their vision into a reality. What did you learn throughout your professional journey that took you from your vision(s) to making it happen? 

Merary: You have to be courageous and you have to take fear along for the ride. The worst thing people can do is to not take action. If you don’t take action, then you spent all that time dreaming when you could have been doing something else. To me what makes dreams a reality is taking action.