“I know you want to change the world, so do it.”
Those words from Don echoed in my head long after our catch-up finished in New York. A few months later, I launched Luminary, the biggest leap of my professional career. Luminary is a community of empowered professional women, with a space in New York City to develop, network, and connect. Our physical space and programming represents a growing and thriving community of entrepreneurs, corporate women, workforce returners, women leaders – who are forging a limitless path for their careers.
Don McCree is one of many men I consider an ally, mentor, and sponsor. Indeed, it was his very bold statement – encouraging me to change the world – that pushed me to start Luminary. The story of our mentoring relationship starts out just as boldly.
“Why are You a Superstar?”
I had joined J.P. Morgan from Bank of America in 2008, in the middle of the global financial crisis. As a financial services professional with a well-established reputation on Wall Street, I had just moved my life and career to a new country, new role and firm, in London. Nobody knew what was going to happen next – whether it was predicting the economy or how the financial services industry would be impacted after the recession. I didn’t know what would become of my own leap of faith.
Don had been with J.P. Morgan for over 25 years and shortly after I joined, he reached out.
“Melissa Moore [a senior executive leading the organization who at the time was Global Head of Treasury Services Sales] said that you are a superstar and that I need to look out for you,” he said. “So, tell me why you are a superstar.”
This was the start of our sponsorship relationship at JP Morgan. Don had demonstrated two very important and clear behaviors from the start:
- He took the time to listen to a [female] colleague’s recommendation about my performance and reputation. Then he followed-up on her request to sponsor me.
- He set up a 1:1 with me to get to know me first, and then- established the sponsor relationship.
Throughout the next 6 years, Don was my sponsor at J.P. Morgan, advocating for me in the room when I wasn’t there, and guiding me on career choices inside the bank. Even after he left in 2014, we stayed in touch and his sponsorship turned into the lifelong mentorship that, ultimately, led me to one of the biggest decisions I would ever make.
Unexpected Advice
Nearly a decade after that first introduction, and many years under Don’s coaching, we met again in 2017 for drinks in New York City as we often did for our catch-ups. We didn’t shy away from drinks, even knowing the stigma-based perceptions stemming from #MeToo and the associated social climate. The nature of our relationship is clear and the catch-up facilitated a way for Don to share his honest advice that led to such a pivotal moment for me. It’s so important for men to mentor women (and for women to mentor men) and to have the comfort to meet, share feedback openly, and advocate for each other. We can’t be afraid to mentor and sponsor each other.
At the time, I was making a decision to potentially move to another firm.
Don said to me, “Please, don’t do it.”
I laughed and asked, “Why do you say that?”
He replied, “Because you just have this unbelievable passion around what you do. No matter what you do… you’re giving it your all. And whether you stay put, or go to a new bank, you will give it your all.”
I nodded.
He continued, “So why not figure out where you really want to be. And consider this… it might not be another big bank. You want to create real impact and change. You can do that in so many ways.”
Nobody had ever said something like this to me. He pushed me to think beyond my immediate field of impact. I had always worked to do a great job, manage the talent on my team, and create openings for women and men to develop their careers, yet always at big banks for the last 18 years.
He went on. “Cate, you didn’t start out your career to be a banker. You tell everyone that as part of your story. You love people, you love clients and you love developing talent. You are super passionate about diversity and inclusion and supporting more women. There are a plethora of things you can do to fuel that in a much bigger way.” He added, “And by the way… you don’t lose your skillset by going and doing something else, in fact you enhance it.”
I nodded again and I left our meeting thinking, I don’t know what just happened, but he had me thinking.
“You Can Do This”
Three weeks later, I couldn’t get that conversation with Don out of my head. A few weeks passed and soon it was 2018. I decided I was officially taking myself out of banking to pursue something bold and new. It was the scariest thing I would do, but Don’s mentorship was in my head, encouraging me, “I know you. I know you can do this.”
In March 2018, I wrote the business plan for Luminary and we would open our doors less than eight months later in November. I didn’t tell Don about Luminary at first because I didn’t want to fail.
I ended up telling him in a manner as bold as our initial introduction. I emailed him an invitation to our pre-launch party.
He wrote back. “What is this, what did you do?!”
Don’s Impact
Don couldn’t make the pre-launch party, but we met soon after on his next trip to New York City.
As soon as I walked in, he said, “You did it. I knew you could.”
I told Don the impact he made on my career. This is important for me to share because I will never forget it. Don has been a huge advocate of Luminary. He was one of our first corporate members representing Citizens Bank, and was quick to point out his support was not because of me, but instead because what we are doing is something that he believes in. Don has always been an inclusive-minded leader. Even though I had been shy to tell him about my plans early on, I knew that I always wanted him to be part of Luminary.
On Men as Allies
We have to stop generalizing that all men are bad actors. Don is one of many mentors I’ve had who have been men; in fact, most of my mentors have been men. I grew up with two brothers. My father was an FBI agent, and was always about raising the bar not just for himself but also others around him, which I took to heart in my own work.
When I got recruited into banking, I already felt I had to work harder than others in my field, because I didn’t have a finance background. In fact, I had an early manager who made me feel horrible about it, and I was determined to prove him wrong. As I worked the career ladder, even before meeting Don, my first two mentors in banking were both men with influence and expertise, a CEO and COO.
How did I have success in finding male mentors? Perhaps because I was in financial services, a culture that was action-oriented, “go-go-go” and execution-based, which fit my own personal style. Equally so, at the time, there just weren’t that many women sitting around the leadership tables, and if they were, I give them credit as true trailblazers. These women were the first in their class, and I have the utmost respect for them. They were continuing to fight for their seat at the table, while times were also (albeit slowly) changing. The opportunities that I have had over the last 18 years wouldn’t have cropped up if I didn’t have the support of male allies who wanted to develop me, and who were only willing to lose me if it was for a bigger and better opportunity.
That’s why, when I created Luminary, I insisted that we would not exclude men. I want men in this space, I want them invited into our programming, as speakers, coaches and colleagues. I want men to engage. To turn them away is to recreate what women have been experiencing for years.
I’m focusing on the positive and the fact that, by and large, I had some amazing men as mentors, leaders and managers. This is why I talk about my brothers, my dad and also my boyfriend as equally influential as my own mother and network of women colleagues and peers who have influenced me.
Don said I could change the world, so now it’s up to me. I created Luminary and put this out there for men and women alike, to go do it, to chase their professional goals. It’s up to all of us.
– Cate Luzio, Founder and CEO, Luminary, New York City
Luminary is New York City’s premier collaboration hub for women who are passionate about professional development and expanding their networks. Luminary is an inclusive membership community for women and male allies. It’s the ultimate career advocate for women, providing professional programs and experiences in a one-of-a-kind meeting space. Luminary gives members access to two floors (11,000 square feet) of communal working and social space with a private 4,000 square-foot rooftop deck opening in summer 2019. Learn more at www.luminary-nyc.com and follow us on social: @bealuminary.