TGB - Ep. 12 - "Fighting Back Against Workplace Sexual Harassment & Retaliation" Interview with Lisa Bowman, Former Global CMO of United Way Worldwide - Part 2
35m | Apr 19, 2021(Click here to listen to part 1 of this interview)
"The most important thing anyone can do
for someone who has been harassed is
to simply tell them "I believe you"."
~ Lisa Bowman
In part 2 of this interview, Lisa explains the role of the EEOC in her fight against sexual harassment and retaliation at United Way Worldwide and how filing a claim puts one under penalty of perjury; so to have the former CEO and the Boards doubt her complaint was essentially defamation. She discusses the sham internal investigation and how she was not even interviewed by the alleged non-biased law firm hired to conduct it and how she even feared for her personal safety when she came forward with her story.
She shares how, after taking her story public, other women came out of the woodwork to share their story with her of also being targets of her harasser at previous roles before his work at United Way.
We talk about the accountability of Boards of Directors in organizations and how failure to govern and carry out fiduciary duties can lead to litigation against directors and trustees and the backlash from corporate donors by withdrawing funding and sponsorships. Lisa shares her insights as to Gen. Z entering the workforce and demanding organizations take a stand against bad behavior both internally and externally.
Lisa talks about the risks involved with speaking out to both one's personal and professional brand and how she has proceeded with full transparency in her search for her next role because there's no going back now. She talks about our responsibility to speak up and speak out to ensure our daughters are not subjected to sexual harassment and retaliation when they enter the workforce someday. 7 out of 10 women who reported harassment to the EEOC experienced retaliation and that is absolutely unacceptable, we have to do better for them.
Lisa talks about the soft costs when an organization faces a PR crisis that are difficult to quantify but glaringly obvious: damage to reputation and brand and broken trust, especially in the nonprofit sector.
Lisa shares her gratitude for the outpouring of support she has received thus far and, although a few haters have surfaced, she has felt nothing but overwhelmed and amazed by the support she's received.
"I worked for an organization
that was supposed to be
taking care of people...but
they wouldn't fight for me,
they fought against me"
~ Lisa Bowman
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ABOUT MY GUEST - Lisa Bowman
Lisa Bowman is a survivor of workplace sexual harassment who shows women how to find their courage to stand up and speak out. After four years of exceeding expectations in her role, Lisa was terminated from her role as the global Chief Marketing Officer of United Way Worldwide in January 2020 in retaliation for reporting sexual harassment of herself and others by a peer on the Executive Team. As a female leader, Lisa felt that to stay silent was to be complicit in condoning this and providing a path forward for this behavior to continue. She went public with her story via HuffPost in November of 2020, fueling significant media coverage that subsequently led to the resignation of United Way’s long standing CEO on February 9, 2021. By raising her voice, Lisa opened the door for others to follow, sharing their similar experiences during their tenure at the world’s largest non-profit. She has become one of the latest public faces of #MeToo. Lisa has become a fierce and vocal advocate speaking about her experience to help others find their voice as well and end this systemic issue so that all women have access to safe, fair and dignified workplaces.
FIND MY GUEST HERE
YOUR HOST: Michelle Horlbogen
HER MISSION: To foster civility, respect, and integrity (with a dash of sartorial elegance) in the boardroom and beyond.
HER STORY: Two days after reporting ethical concerns to her employer, Michelle was fired. Six months later, she launched The Gentlewoman Boss website and podcast as a platform to support others facing adversity in the workplace.
Her story caught the attention of and was featured in Thrive Global.
Michelle also has an obsession with vintage clothing and fashion. She sells what doesn’t fit on her website, The Red Velvet Shoe Vintage.
This podcast is the place where her two passions collide.
The Gentlewoman Boss Podcast has received numerous accolades, including being ranked in the top 10% globally by Listen Notes, Top 20 Best Month Reporting Podcasts of 2021 by Welp Magazine, and #36/200 in Top Entrepreneurship Podcasts by Podchaser.
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