In an industry where few professionals look like her, Karen Madison didn’t just survive - she thrived. As an award-winning sales executive, mentor, and the current chapter president of the National Sales Network for DC and Baltimore, Karen has spent her career breaking barriers in pharma sales, championing representation, and mentoring the next generation of leaders.

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Karen to talk about the emotional toll of being an “only,” mentorship as a survival strategy, and why natural hair bias and microaggressions are still costing high-performing women of color peace and recognition in corporate America.

Listen to the episode or scroll down to read the blog post ↓

In this blog post, we’re covering the following:

The Power of Mentorship for an “Only”
Hair Bias and Workplace Microaggressions
Wearing Excellence as Armor
Loyalty vs. Legacy: Knowing When to Leave
The Myth of Resilience

Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts. While you're there, subscribe and leave us a rating and review if you enjoy the episodes.

1) The Power of Mentorship for an “Only”

Mentorship isn’t a “nice to have” for high-performing women of color - it’s a lifeline. For Karen, mentorship has been the hidden scaffolding that helped her grow, evolve, and lead.

“ I always need help. At no point in my career did I ever have it a hundred percent together. There are always people who have been in your shoes before or in similar places, so I would be foolish to say that I don't need any help.” - Karen Madison

Mentorship, Karen says, is not just about climbing the ladder. It's about managing the emotional labor of being “the only” - the only woman, the only person of color, the only person in the room whose experience is misunderstood or ignored.

“There are points in my career where I could have used some of my mentors more. They didn't know that I needed them. I couldn't verbalize that.” - Karen Madison

For women who’ve been conditioned to keep pushing, to stay composed, and to be strong, reaching out can feel like weakness.

Karen’s advice?

Don’t wait until you’re in crisis. Build your bench of truth-tellers now.

2) Hair Bias and Workplace Microaggressions

If there’s one story that speaks volumes about what it means to be a woman of color in corporate sales, it’s Karen’s journey with her hair.

“ At 40, I decided I was going to stop relaxing my hair. So when you transition from having a relaxer to curly hair, you kind of look like you played with electricity on your way out the door.” - Karen Madison

But the issue wasn’t just personal. It became political the moment people began questioning her professionalism.

“ I felt like I looked crazy, but then I started to hear some commentary in the background talking about how I didn't look professional.” - Karen Madison

And then came the kicker: leadership questioned her identity every time she changed her hairstyle.

At every meeting Karen had with her regional manager, he would comment that he didn’t recognise her because her hair was different. By the third time this happened, Karen decided to say something.

“ Next time you see me, my hair will probably still be different. Look at my face and you'll remember who I am. Don't look at the hair.” - Karen Madison

Karen’s story mirrors that of countless women of color navigating natural hair bias in the workplace, constantly evaluated for how they present rather than how they perform.

“You are making assumptions based on my hair. You have no idea what I can do. You are not judging me on my skills or my results,” - Karen Madison

3) Wearing Excellence as Armor

Like many women of color in corporate spaces, Karen learned to lean on excellence as a shield.

“ I have a legacy here, and you not remembering me, that's on you. That's not a reflection of me.” - Karen Madison

Karen has won every major award possible in her field - including the World Champion Award, earned only by the top 1% of sales reps. And yet, that didn’t insulate her from being overlooked, forgotten, or disrespected.

“ There's a point at which it does take a toll on you. It's not a perfect science. You can have the mentors, you could have the team of truth tellers that are in your circle, but sometimes it hurts and it's frustrating.” - Karen Madison

For many of us, excellence is the only way we are heard.

But that performance can come with a cost - burnout, resentment, and the quiet suffering of never feeling fully seen.

4) Loyalty vs. Legacy: Knowing When to Leave

Karen spent 18 years at one company pouring in time, talent, and trust. And yet, when she resigned, her role was posted online by 2 p.m. the same day.

That moment, while jarring, crystallized something for Karen. She realized how easily she could be replaced in a system that once felt like family. It wasn’t personal - it was structural. And it taught her a liberating career lesson:

“Why was I letting someone else control my fate?” - Karen Madison

This is extremely common conditioning, especially for women of color raised in homes where stability meant survival.

“ My dad was a state employee, and he retired in the same job. My mom worked for a company and retired in the same job, and so I thought I was going to retire in the same company that I worked at for 18 years.” - Archita Fritz

But in the modern workforce, loyalty doesn’t protect you. It can actually cost you, especially financially.

“ You definitely get shorted by being a loyal employee. You don't get the raises. You are watching people get hired into your company for thousands of dollars more. I heard a rumor that a girl on my team got hired at $50,000 more than me.” - Karen Madison

And still, for many women, leaving feels disloyal. It can feel like abandoning the very identity they spent years building.

“ Who am I beyond this logo? Who am I beyond this title?” - Archita Fritz

But staying in environments that no longer align with your growth or well-being comes with a cost.

“What you choose to sacrifice for the machine is on you.” - Olivia Cream

Whether you choose to stay or go, the lesson is the same: know your worth. Don’t wait for external validation to make bold moves.

5) The Myth of Resilience

In this episode, a recurring theme kept emerging: the pressure to perform, push through, and persist even when you’re breaking.

“The push-through gets results, but there’s injury that happens along the way.” - Olivia Cream

For high-performing women of color, that pressure is not just internal; it’s systemic. You're not only expected to excel, but to do so without complaint, without visible struggle, and without ever appearing weak.

“ I'm starting to not love the word resilience because resilience to me these days sounds like how much pain can you take without dying?” - Olivia Cream

The myth of resilience tells women of color that they need to endure, to carry pain silently, and to constantly prove they belong.

But we can reframe this.

“ We press on, not because we need to prove our worth, but to build what they can't yet even imagine.”- Archita Fritz

This isn’t about erasing the pain. It’s about reclaiming agency.

If you enjoyed this conversation, here are a few more episodes you might like:

To hear the full conversation, scroll all the way up and tune into episode 92.

About The Hosts: Archita And Olivia

ARCHITA

Archita Sivakumar Fritz is the Host and Producer of the Embracing Only Podcast. Archita is a MedTech and Life Science Strategist. She is a LinkedIn Top Voice for her insights into product strategy and nonprofit management, and the creation of inclusive cultures that champion a 'speak up' philosophy.

Following a successful 19+ year corporate career she now helps C Suite across organizations as a Fractional Product Marketing Leader through her company Ready Set Bold.

She works with individuals with 10+ years of corporate experience to find new paths away from toxic or underappreciative environments, enabling both personal fulfillment and broader organizational impact.

→ Grab your FREE resource to build your career transition here: https://embracingonly.com/cubicle-escape-blueprint

→ If you want to work with Archita you can reach out to her here: www.architafritz.com

→ Book her as a speaker, moderator, or coach for your next company event or workshop.

OLIVIA

Olivia Grant Cream is the host and producer of the Embracing Only podcast. Nothing makes her happier than providing a platform to women who are changing the world.

Olivia is a proud US Veteran and HR Leader who is passionate about changing the face of corporate America by helping underrepresented people reclaim their power and live the life of their dreams.

She is an advocate for transitioning military members seeking second careers in the corporate landscape.

Olivia is a proud Jamaican and enjoys mentoring, coaching, classic cars, and nature. The way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

→ You can work with Olivia here: www.oliviacream.com

→ Book her as a keynote speaker or moderator for your next ERG or company event.