Masterclass in Networking & Inclusion with Boston’s Great Connector, Colette Phillips #ChaiwithManju

And now, welcome to Chai with Manju with your host, Dr. Manju Sheth. Hello and welcome to Chai with Manju. Our special guest today is Colette Phillips. She's an award-winning entrepreneur, author, communication strategist, and founder of Get Connected. She has been named as Boston's 100 Most Influential for several years. She's also widely recognized as the leading face of DEI and called Boston's Great Connector. Let's meet Colette. So Colette, welcome. I have admired you and your extraordinary work for such a long time. So it's a true honor to have you on the show. And I have to tell you, you are the greatest connector in Boston. So thank you so much for joining us. Well, thank you for having me, Manju. This is wonderful. I have also watched some of your tea and chai with Manju. And I think it's such a lovely platform and the way in which you gracefully and with much dignity leverage your culture and bring it right into this platform. So I like that. Thank you. Thank you so much. So in the Chai interviews, our goal is for people to get to know the person behind the celebrity. So I'm going to start with you right at the beginning. You were born in Antigua, and of course, the gem of the Caribbean, as it's called. And I love how you said, 365 beaches and one for each day. Yes. So of course, you did journalism and graduated from Emerson College. And I feel you are such a wonderful trailblazer. Tell me what were your early years like and what shaped you to become the cultural ambassador of Boston that you are? Great question. And coming at this time, I just lost my amazing mother. My mother was a pioneer and a glass ceiling shatterer, a woman of great humility, but at the same time, did some really wonderful things as I was growing up as a child. My mother was one of the first native Antiguan women to break into the retail business in Antigua. The retail business was an industry and a business that was dominated mostly by men. And a lot of the men who were in that business were expatriates, as we referred to them. They were British, they were Portuguese, they were Syrians and Lebanese. Very few native Antiguan men. My father was one of the also pioneers who broke into that market. And my mother was among the first woman to do so, which was virtually unheard of. So she set the tone for me. She was my role model. And my mom, I was a very welcoming person. You know, she had this philosophy that there were no strangers, they were just friends waiting to be met. And she opened up her home and my parents, they opened up their home and their hearts. And, you know, everyone was welcomed in our home. And my parents knew lots of people. And, you know, my friends, as probably in your culture, never referred to my parents as Mr. and Mrs. Phillips. It was always Aunt Phil and Uncle Phil. My parents, their last name were Phillips, but they never used their first names. They called each other Phil. That was their sort of love language. You know, he called her Phil and she called him Phil. And my friends all called them Uncle Phil and Aunt Phil. And so I got that from my mother, to always be open, welcoming, respective, and treat people the way you would like to be treated. Right. And I like the fact that, you know, you said that your mom emphasized kindness a lot, because every time I've met you, I see that kindness in you. So you have great roots. So like I said, you were quite a trailblazer, because I was reading that after you graduated from Emerson College also, you went back and you were the youngest press secretary to the prime minister in Antigua. Then when you came back here, you also were the youngest or the first woman of color to start a PR and networking firm. And you have connected thousands of people over the years. So who are the people who connected you or opened doors for you and made it possible for you to be successful? Well, I would say that, you know, I have been very blessed that I have had the opportunity to have people who have believed in me, people who were helpful, mentors, sponsors, supporters. And I, when I was just a young 24 year old, I became the public relations director for the largest Girl Scout Council in New England, and the fifth largest in the country. It was then called the Patriots Trail Girl Scout Council. It is today called Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts. So there was an article about me in the Boston Globe, that I had just become the public relations director. And this lady, who I had never met, read the story. And she called me up. And she said, you don't know me, but I just read about you in the Boston Globe. My name is Nancy Corman. I have a group that meets the third Wednesday of every month at the Harvard Club. And we it's called the Women's Lunch Club. Okay. And I would like to, I would like to invite you to come as my guest. And would you be willing to join us next Wednesday, when we have our meeting? And I said, wow, I would very much like to, she says, Okay, I will pick you up. She said, you don't know what I look like. But I know what you look like, because your picture is in the globe. And she said, I am going to be driving a yellow beetle. This is like the Volkswagen. And she said, I will meet you outside your office. And I will take you to the to lunch. And you'll come back with me. Nancy is today 87 years old. Okay. And she is still my friend, still a mentor. We have stayed friends for, I would say close to 40 years. And she is a Jewish woman. And so she was the literally first person to open her arms, open the doors, and to have me meet other women, many of whom were older than I was more seasoned. But that's how you learn, you know. So that was one of the she was one of the people who opened doors for me. Another was I became very involved with the Jewish community in Boston, I am Jewish, I converted to Judaism. And because I grew up in a very strong Judeo Christian home, with a father who was very much a Zionist, and lots of people don't understand the term Zionist. And being a Zionist means that you are someone who believe that the Jewish people have a right to have a homeland, and they have a right to exist in that homeland. And that's what Zionism is. There are people who want to add other things to it. But that's the essential sentiment and principle of Judaism. And my father was very much a supporter of Israel, and a supporter of the Jews in Israel, particularly after the Holocaust, he felt that they deserve to be in a safe environment, and to have their ancestral and hereditary homeland for themselves. So in that regard, it was not difficult for me to think about converting, because if you think about the three religions, the Abrahamic religions, which are Judaism, Christianity, and Muslim, Islam, they really were birthed out of Judaism. So it was easy for me to go back to the roots of the religion that I was brought upon as a child. So there's Judy Obermeyer, who was at the time the board chair of the American Jewish Committee, on whose board I serve on today. She was a board member, and I was a co-founder of an organization or an initiative that was under the umbrella of the AJC, the American Jewish Committee, New England, called Black Jewish Economic Roundtable. And at the time, it was an initiative that was embraced by AJC to bring young Black entrepreneurs like myself, and seasoned Jewish business leaders for mentorship, for support, for advice, and to do business with each other. And so, I would say that Judy Obermeyer and her late husband, Arthur, were mentors of mine. I had Carol Goldberg, who was the, her family founded Stop and Shop. Her daughter today is Deb Goldberg. And Deb is a dear friend, and she and I attend the same synagogue where her parents went. And so, Carol, Evelyn Murphy, the first woman to become the lieutenant governor and win statewide office in the history of Massachusetts. She was a mentor. She helped open doors. Marion Hurd, who at the time was the head of the United Way. She was a mentor. Paul Guzzi, who was the chair, the president and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. He was also a mentor of mine. That's amazing. So, there are people, I've always felt that one has a responsibility to lift as you climb. There is a principle in the Jewish faith that is referred to as Tikkun Olam. And Tikkun Olam is about repairing the world. It means that each of us have a responsibility to reach back and do something to make a difference in this world, that we didn't come into this world just to work, to earn a pay and, you know, sleep, eat, work, repeat. We are here to make the world better. And I truly believe that. I believe that when someone opens a door for you, that you have a responsibility to open the door for others. Absolutely. Pay it forward. I have to tell you, you know, even from just connecting people and networking, I mean, you do such an amazing job. So, I have a simple question for you. How and who impresses you? What's the best first impression that you get? And if somebody was, you know, wanted to be a part of the networking world, how could they make that first, best impression? What do you look for? I think that one of the things that one does, I think people give off a certain aura. We all do. We walk into a room and you can walk into a room like a slouch. And some people are just shy. Some people don't. They walk into a room and they're uncertain and they're unsure. And I think you have to be willing to, I would say, put on your brave face, put on your big girl underwear and walk into a room like you own it. Walk in like a boss lady. Walk in like, you know, this is my room. I have a right to be here. Think about 30, almost 40 years ago when I was a young professional. Boston was not a friendly and warm place for people of color and people who looked like us. So for me to walk into a room, first of all, that in itself commanded attention. Who is this woman? Who is this young lady? And where is she from? And what is she doing here? You know, so people get curious. Because I walked into every room I walked into, I walked in like I belong, like I own it. And, you know, dare to challenge me. I have every right to be in this room. And I think that there are people who sit around waiting to be invited to a room. You know, you have to take some responsibility. And you have to decide. These are the rooms. And I have to say that in my book, The Includers, I spoke about two gay older men who took me under their wings. And I am so grateful to my mother because I know that culturally, in some cultures, and I would say I'm not going to pretend that in the Caribbean culture, in the African culture, in many cultures around the world, there is a sort of people have a hands off people who are gay or homosexual. My mother, I grew up with my mother, having friends who were gay men. And she always basically taught us as children to not judge people based on their identity. You know, you judge people based on their character. How do they present themselves? Are they kind? Do they treat people with respect? Do they show compassion? Those are the characteristics by which you judge somebody, not by who they love, what their skin color is, how they worship, their gender. So for me, I was pretty unusual for a young professional Black Caribbean woman who became very close friends with two older white gay men. And they were both men who were into the arts. And they introduced me to the Museum of Fine Arts. I became a member of the Museum of Fine Arts Council, which was a council for people who were under 40. And we each year, the MFA's council, we had a gala in June, where we raised money for the museum. And it was for encouraging young people, younger professionals to become involved with the arts. They introduced me to the Boston Ballet. I became a board member of the Boston Ballet, the Friends of the Boston Ballet, we were called. And we raised money for the ballet every year, we would host the first opening night, we would have an after party that we were responsible for planning and preparing. And we did that. And that was money that we raised for the Boston Ballet. And that was Norman and Mark, who introduced me to the ballet, and to the symphony. And so I, what happened in those introductions to those arts and cultural, iconic environments, many of the people who were involved with those organizations were business leaders in Boston, their wives were involved with the organization. So I got to meet CEOs and senior level executives as a young professional that I would not have had the opportunity to meet, had it not been just being in those rooms and in those spaces. And often, I was maybe the only person, sometimes one of less than five people who looked like me in a room. And after a while, I started to think, well, I know a lot of very highly professional, successful, high achieving people of color. Why aren't they in the room? And why they weren't in the room is because they weren't on anybody's radar screen, they weren't in anybody's database. And some of it was just people having stereotypical images of people. And others were, they didn't know people like that. And therefore, that was one of the reasons that when I launched my business, I decided that I was going to as part of my competitive advantage, is to help organizations and both corporate and private sector and public sector understand that they are one, leaving money on the table, two, they're missing loyal customers by not being open and receptive to the idea of marketing their product, their service, their organization, to a broader audience. So that was because of my recognizing it from being in rooms where there were too few people of color in the room. And that was what also led me to launch Get Connected. Because I believe that there are three things that happens when people network. People do business with people they know, people they like, and people they trust. And the only way you're going to know someone is not on Facebook, not on LinkedIn, not on TikTok, not on Instagram. It's sitting face to face with somebody being in a room, physically, person to person, eyeball to eyeball. I remember the first time I saw you, actually, and you had come to one of our award shows. Yes. And New England Choice Awards. And I don't know if Sushil was getting an award. And then of course, Raj Sharma also. I was looking at you and I was, you know, the comfort that you have in your own skin. You know, being comfortable with who you are, you kind of radiated that, you know, you're just so comfortable. You were taking pictures, you were talking to everybody, you were so much at home in the Indian American community, that it really, really impressed me. And, you know, like one of the, you know, you have those seven C's in the Includers book. Yes. And one of the, my favorite, of course, is the number one, the character. And of course, the courage is very important. And I see that in you, you know, the seven C's that you emphasize in Leaders. And that day, it really struck me. I said, someone to really look out for and look up to. Well, thank you, Manju. And you are doing the same. With this platform, you are introducing people, you are getting people to get to know others by, you know, the questions you ask, they're insightful, and they allow you to, you know, tell your story. And storytelling is a very powerful way to also get to know people. So tell us, if you're, because you've written a book about leadership now, if your life was a book, what chapter would that, what chapter would this be for you? What would you call this chapter of your life? Oh, what would I call this chapter? Because you seem so much at peace. Yes. I would say the chapter would be the chapter of contentment. You know, you are, you come to a place in your life where I also will tell you that I am, was a devotee of Swami Muktananda, who is an Indian siddha meditation and siddha. I used to go every Thursday to our ashram in Brooklyn to chant. I believe in this, the chanting has a way of calming you down and bringing you, you know, to a level of peace. Right. And I followed Swami Muktananda, and what I liked about siddha meditation, I loved the Hindu, I would say philosophy too, of peace, of love, of compassion. And so for me, that's the chapter I am in now, the chapter of contentment. And I would say I am in the, I'm looking towards the fourth quarter of my life, like, where do I go? And what do I do? And it's a stage of, how do I continue to make a mark without, I don't have to prove anything anymore. I have earned the right to be still and to continue to do the work that I love, but I don't have to prove anything to anybody. Right, right. I have to ask you another fun question, because I follow you very closely on social media, and I have seen some wonderful celebrities with you. I'm a big fan of our mayor and governor as well. And of course, President Obama is for me, like, I can't tell you how much I respect him. So if you, who's a celebrity that you really admire? And if you had an opportunity to bring three celebrities, living or historical, who would you, the great networker, bring, which three people would you bring together? Oh my goodness. Now that's a really tough one. Yes. But who do you admire the most? Who do I admire the most? Well, the person that I admire the most is no longer with us. And I would have to say, and I had the great pleasure of meeting him three times in my life, once in Boston, once in South Africa, and once in New York. And that's Nelson Mandela. He, to me, is the embodiment of pure wisdom, heart, compassion, and a spirit of, I would say, openness. And here is why I, he would be one of the people I would bring to, because Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in jail, in a prison, with people who were not kind to him. No, I've read so many stories about that. And he could have come out of prison, an angry, bitter man, full of revenge and hate. Instead, he came out a man filled with love, with compassion, and forgiveness. And grace. And grace. And that is so remarkable. Absolutely. And I think, like, right at this time in our country and the world, we need that kind of energy. We need more of that. And I get very worked up, because I feel that there is just so much anger, and resentment, and ugliness in the world. And you look at, you know, people feeling like, when people say that, tell other people like us, who are immigrants, you know, go back to where you came from, or go back to your country. I want to say to those people, well, if you want me to go back, then I guess you are going to have to go back, because I don't think you are either Indigenous or Native American. Absolutely. And those are the only people who have the right to tell anyone. Everybody here in this country, except for the Indigenous people, are immigrants. And that's the beauty of America. That's right. It's a country of immigrants. Even the people who did not come here of their own accord, which are the African Americans. And I believe that as an immigrant, that I owe, and every immigrant owe a debt of gratitude to Black Americans, because they are the ones who took the burden, who fought the good fight, so that we, as immigrants, could have the 14th Amendment, which was written to give Black Americans their citizenship, their birth rights. So, for those immigrants who came to this country, we have to thank the African Americans for fighting so that we can enjoy the freedoms that we enjoy in America. And we should never forget that. I was privileged to speak two years ago at the swearing-in at the JFK Library of a number of new immigrants. And I talked about what we bring to this culture, that we come here to this country, and we bring the best of ourselves. And we come here with hopes and expectations, and with wanting to make a better life in some cases. Some people like me came here to study and left. I could have had a wonderful life in Antigua. I didn't leave Antigua because I was seeking a better life. I came here because I wanted to study journalism and to do communications, and the schools here were the best ones. They were the ones who you could get a degree. I couldn't do at the time. In Canada, they were only offering certificates, and so was in England. So, I chose to come to America so I could get a bachelor degree. But we have to give thanks to those who have paved the way for us and make America wonderful and welcoming. And immigrants have... I said to somebody, all the people who are complaining about immigrants, let immigrants decide to stay away for a day or a week. The economy of the United States would crash. Yeah. It's in the fabric. It's weaved in the fabric. So, what do you do for fun, Colette? What do I do for fun? I love your... I love to read your Monday quotes and all, but I have to tell you my favorite is your Saturday Silliness. Saturday Silliness, yes. I see your sense of humor there. Absolutely. That's my favorite. So, tell me, what do you do for fun? For fun, I love going to... For me, I love watching a good thriller, a prime movie. Yeah, me too. That's one of my thrills. I also love the theater. And I love comedy. Because I think laughter is the tonic for the soul. It's medicine. It's medicine, the best medicine, to be able to laugh and to laugh at yourself. And I love comedians who are self-effacing. Yes, self-deprecating. Who give jokes about themselves, give jokes about their culture. Because when you can laugh at yourself, that is just the funniest thing. Yes. And shows confidence in yourself. Absolutely. And you have to be. So, the next thing I'm looking for is your autobiography. I think you have a wonderful story. So, my final question for you today is, what would you like your legacy to be? My legacy? Biggest legacy. I would say that my legacy for me would be that I came to Boston as a stranger and worked to make Boston a place where no one felt like a stranger, where everyone felt like they belong. And so, that to me would be, my legacy is being a change maker and a culture shifter. Well, you know, they've even done a Harvard study about you and your work. So, I think that autobiography should not wait too long. I would be one of the first ones to read it. So, thank you so much for joining us today. I am so grateful. So, thank you so much. Thank you for having me. I enjoyed having chai with you. We have to meet in person for real Indian style chai. I agree. I agree.