Hummingbird Humanity videos now with captioning.

In this episode, Brian and Lydia cover. . .

• Balancing life as a working parent during the pandemic
• Advocating for yourself and your worth
• Persevering in the face of rejection
• Blazing your own trail

Leaning Into Humanity

How do I respond to rejection?

       In the Hope, Heart, and Human Spirit Series, Lydia Fenet shares her experiences with rejection. As a college student from a small town in Louisiana, Lydia fought for her opportunity in Christie’s Auction House. Christie’s was Lydia’s dream career and she needed the summer internship to have a foot in the door. The internship had already reached capacity, however, this did not stop Lydia from calling Christie’s every day for two weeks. On her 14th day of calling she took a new approach and asked why there was a cap then offered to do flexible work for the company. Lydia’s proposal led to a modified internship, which flourished into lifelong relationships and her over 20-year tenure today as the Global Managing Director of Strategic Partnerships.

​Lydia encourages us, when confronted with a no, to respond with:

1. Investigate the why
2. Offer a new and flexible solution
3. Make as many meaningful relationships when the opportunity is given

Leaning Into Humanity

How do I ensure pay equity for women and persons of color?

​       Companies that strive for pay equity must start with transforming human resources into allies for humanity. Employees who identify as women and persons of color are unfairly expected to negotiate their way out of pay inequity while cloaked from the actual disparity between them and their white and/or male colleagues, along with unclear industry compensation standards.

       Human resource teams have unique  visibility to job performance, role descriptions, current compensation standards, and short-term operational strategies. Allies in human resources can be the make or break to ensuring pay parity when considering gender and race. Crucial to this strategy is for human resources to be empowered by senior leadership to create an equitable reality.

       When Lydia & Brian worked at Christie’s together, Lydia recalls when Brian helped her get rewarded for her worth compared to her industry counterparts. This conversation ignited Lydia’s fire within to always negotiate the salary she deserves.

       Lydia Fenet is the Global Managing Director, Strategic Partnerships, and Lead Benefit Auctioneer at Christie’s Auction House, a global auction house with a history of over 250 years showcasing extraordinary art. Fenet like Christie’s is no stranger to the global stage, she is a CAA represented keynote speaker, an auction leader responsible for half a billion raised for charitable efforts across the globe, and the author of the highly acclaimed ‘The Most Powerful Woman in the Room is You’ empowering women everywhere to demand the respect and rewards they deserve. When Fenet is not dominating the corporate room, she is dominating life as a wife, mother, and inspiration to her three beautiful children in New York City.