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STEP UP (June 5, 2026) — Transcript

by Dr. Madeline Ann Lewis (Dr. Madeline) · 9,622 words · 1,345 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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0:03Did you know women represent just 3% of
0:06Fortune 500 CEOs and less than 15% of
0:10corporate executives at top companies
0:13worldwide? Have you wondered what the
0:16secrets are to getting into the top
0:18ranks, whether in the private or public
0:21sector? Do you want to figure out how to
0:24stop being held back in your career or
0:27passed over for promotion? then you're
0:29in the right place. Hi, I'm Dr. Meline
0:32Anne Lewis, president and CEO of the
0:34Executive Women's Success Institute. I
0:38have decades of experience in the
0:40military, the federal government, and
0:42corporate America. And my mission is to
0:45help women succeed and tap into their
0:47full potential. I want to reach a
0:50million plus women around the world to
0:52become the leaders they are meant to be.
0:55So, if you want to move into a
0:57management or executive level position,
0:59or maybe you are a female veteran
1:02transitioning out of the military into
1:04business entrepreneurship, then reach
1:06out to the Executive Women's Success
1:08Institute at 301-6933284.
1:15Let us get you on the fast track to
1:19success.
1:30Well, hello and welcome to the Success
1:34for Women Show where you can view us on
1:37Amazon Pod TV Network. I am Dr. Meline
1:41Anne Lewis, your host and my mission is
1:45to help women accelerate the path to
1:47success. Well, today's topic is step up
1:52and my guest is Miss Dolores Drillit
1:56Morton.
1:58Let me just give you a little background
2:00on her. Dolores serves as the chief
2:04executive officer of Step Up, a
2:07nonprofit organization that guides girls
2:10and those who identify with girlhood to
2:15their success. Under her leadership,
2:18StepUp supports high school girls and
2:21young women ages 18 to 29 in becoming
2:27confident, connected, and careerfocused
2:31through free mentorship programs. Since
2:34joining the organization, Dolores
2:36navigated the nonprofit through pandemic
2:39challenges to adopt a new five-year
2:42strategic vision and expand StepUp's
2:46mentorship programs to girls nationwide.
2:50She also unveiled programs and support
2:53for young women ages 18 to 29, marking
2:58the first time the organization
3:01offered structured services for those
3:03who had already graduated from high
3:07school. Now, before uh I bring her on
3:11the platform, I just want to show you a
3:13little bit of what she's doing at Step
3:16Up. So let's take a look at uh the step
3:19up uh some of the step up program.
3:23>> Step up just continues to be a space
3:25where they get to nurture young women
3:28and then get to push them out into the
3:29world and say here I am.
3:31>> Success is being whatever you deem to be
3:33your passion and how can we be the
3:36almost invisible hand as I always say to
3:37guide them along to their own successful
3:39path.
3:40>> After step up I gained so much
3:42confidence. You know, a lot of the times
3:44we have it in us, but we don't know we
3:46have it. And it takes someone or
3:48something to really show you that you
3:50have it. And that's what Stepup has done
3:52for me.
3:54Wow. And ladies and gentlemen, let's
3:57hear from our our guest, Mr. Loris
4:01Drillard Morton.
4:08>> Hi, Dr. Meline. Thank you. I love seeing
4:10that video. I love I know the young
4:12women in that video. So, I love every
4:13time I get to watch it again.
4:15>> Wow. Yeah. When I looked at it, I
4:17thought, "Oh, wow. Look like she's doing
4:18some great things there." We we
4:20definitely need to know what's going on
4:23at Step Up. So, that's why we wanted to
4:25have you on the program today. But
4:28before I get started and we dive into
4:31it, I always give the standard bio on my
4:34guests. But then I also like to ask my
4:38guests just to tell us what you want us
4:41to know about Dolores. Tell us what you
4:44want us to know about you.
4:46>> Just a small town girl. Um, I I'd say
4:50the thing that doesn't make it into my
4:52bios is that I came into this work
4:55through uh through personal experience.
4:58It wasn't a strategy. It wasn't a plan.
5:01It wasn't like this is what I want to do
5:02with my life. Um, I grew up in a small
5:06town in Louisiana, Baldwin, Louisiana on
5:10the Bayutesh. Um, my dad is a
5:13Pentecostal preacher. I grew up at we we
5:16didn't have a lot, but I was surrounded
5:19by adults and a community that just
5:21showed up for each other in a way that
5:24is just remarkable. I look back and I
5:26appreciate it so much. And that really
5:29shaped everything about how I think
5:33about community, about how I think about
5:36service. Um, I was a mother before I was
5:40a CEO and that matters to me. um because
5:43I understand the weight of building a
5:46life and a career at the same time and
5:50doing it without a road mapap. So when I
5:52sit across from young women like those
5:54you saw in the video, a young woman
5:56who's just trying to figure it out, I am
6:00I'm not doing it based on theory. I'm
6:03doing it because it's based on what I've
6:05lived. I've been there. Um so that's
6:08just a little bit about like where I
6:10come from, who I am. My my mom was a
6:12stay-at-home mom, but she was also my
6:15first mentor. Um, she believed in me
6:17before I believed in myself, before I
6:19knew I should believe in myself, you
6:21know, and that's what a good mentor
6:23does. So, having been in that community
6:26and surrounded by people like that who
6:29who hold you up and hold something for
6:32you before you're ready to hold it for
6:34yourself. And so, you know, I think the
6:36most important thing that I want people
6:37to know about me is that this work is
6:40personal. It's not strategic. It's just
6:43a part of who I am and um something that
6:46I have believed in for a very long time.
6:49>> Wow. That is and uh just to let you know
6:52when you say homeg girl Louisiana. Look,
6:55we look we we rolling in the same circle
6:57here. I'm from New Orleans now.
6:58>> All right. Now, all right.
7:01I miss that. I miss that. Okay. You then
7:04you you really do understand what I'm
7:06saying.
7:06>> Look, I understand community. I
7:09understand you know uh especially like
7:11you were talking about your mom. It
7:13brought back memories for me how she
7:15used to encourage me and al you know
7:18always tell me about never giving up and
7:21you know you can do anything you set
7:22your mind to do. So yeah I look I get it
7:26and I and I can understand why you would
7:28want to pass that on to other especially
7:31our younger generation because they
7:33definitely need it.
7:35>> Yes. Absolutely. Absolutely. My mom said
7:38she was like, "I knew you were gonna be
7:40somebody." I knew you were gonna be
7:41somebody.
7:43>> I mean, look, moms know they look they
7:46>> they know. So, uh, so tell me for those
7:49of us um, for those that may not be
7:53familiar with your work, can you tell us
7:56about your journey and what led you to
7:59become the CEO of Step Up? Oh, um, you
8:04know, I don't know that I had a it
8:07wasn't my plan, right? It wasn't my
8:10direction. I think that, um, my path
8:13wasn't linear. So, I went to college. I
8:15was a good student, went to college, but
8:17I lost my way. And so, kind of meandered
8:20until I found the right right path for
8:23me. But what was was clear is that I was
8:27consistently moving in one direction. I
8:30kept gravitating towards work that put
8:33people at the center of change. So we
8:36can think about systems and processes,
8:38but at the end of the day, systems and
8:40processes don't matter if people aren't
8:43driving those systems and processes. So,
8:45I started off doing local um social
8:49impact, social justice work early on in
8:52my hometown in Louisiana. And I worked
8:55in spaces where um where I saw firsthand
8:59how access or even the lack of access
9:04shapes the outcomes and shapes what's
9:06possible for people. And so when I came
9:08to step up in 2019, what drew me here
9:12was the specificity of the mission. It
9:15was we were clear about who we served
9:17and what we what outcomes we were
9:19working towards. We're not trying to
9:21solve all the problems for everyone. We
9:24are focused on young women starting at
9:27age 14 all the way to age 29. And we
9:30focus on the moment in life where
9:33sometimes the scaffolding disappears.
9:35And so for high school girls, it's in
9:37that afterchool time frame. It's, you
9:40know, navigating that and or it is after
9:44high school before careers or um while
9:47navigating everything that happens in
9:50early adulthood, whether it is, you
9:53know, that pivot from high school to
9:55college to career to, you know, whatever
9:58career path you're taking. And so that
10:00that's something that I really um
10:02appreciated about the work and that drew
10:04me to the work was who we were serving
10:07because so often when I sit across the
10:09table from a young person, I see myself
10:12in them. I see myself in those girls and
10:14the young women, I see my own struggles.
10:17And so when I talk about my upbringing,
10:19it gave me the framework that I use
10:23every day. Um, you know, I grew up
10:26surrounded um by people who knew that
10:30where you started shouldn't determine
10:32where you end up. Um, and so it's it's
10:35it's not something that I arrived at
10:39intellectually,
10:41you know. So sometimes it's what you
10:42read and what you're told and you you
10:44digest on it. It is really something
10:46that I lived that um that brings brings
10:49me to this work. So, yes, I I went on
10:52and I finished college and I got the
10:54degrees and all of the experience, but
10:57along the way, it's what I lived that
10:59really has um has influenced my career
11:02and led me to this role.
11:04>> Wow. Now, um I one of the things you
11:07mentioned when we were uh in the studio
11:10that you travel a lot and so do you have
11:14is is step up located in more than one
11:17area? So do you serve across you know
11:21cities or across the country or is it
11:24just located in one area? How do you
11:27work that?
11:28>> So step up is we have an eight eight
11:31anchor cities. So eight cities where we
11:33provide in-person programs for high
11:36school girls but we really are a
11:38national organization and what our work
11:41with um with young adults in particular
11:43can be accessed in the palm of your
11:45hand. Um, so the work we do with 18 to
11:4829 year olds happens on a mentoring app.
11:51Um, so it's it's accessible to young
11:53people really nationally, globally, um,
11:56that are interested. And I I I think
11:58that's important because sometimes, um,
12:01I talk about the community that I came
12:03from. I didn't always have access to the
12:06kinds of mentors or women doing things
12:08that might have been interesting to me.
12:11And so this provides a real network. It
12:14provides social capital and connectivity
12:16across ge geographies.
12:18>> Oh wow, that's great. And that you know
12:22uh because as you said when you talk
12:24about young women, it's not just it's
12:27not going to be just the ones in your
12:29neighborhood. So if you can reach out
12:31across, you know, across country, across
12:34states, across those lines, then that's
12:36that's even better to reach as many as
12:39you can. Wow. Kudos to you for um for
12:42doing that. Now I know that since uh
12:46joining step up in uh 2019, you
12:51successfully guided the organization
12:53through the challenges as you said
12:55through uh of the pandemic. Uh what were
12:58some of the biggest leadership lessons
13:00that you think you learned during that
13:02time?
13:04Oh, I I'll say honestly, I told somebody
13:07once, if I knew that the pandemic was
13:09coming, I probably wouldn't have taken
13:10the job. Um, but I think I was uniquely
13:14qualified to lead the organization
13:16through that moment because I spent a
13:17part of my career working in disaster
13:20response and management. And so, I
13:22pulled on a lot of those skills. But,
13:25you know, we were dealing with a an
13:27unprecedented situation where we had
13:29folks who felt isolated, who felt
13:32lonely, who felt disconnected. Um, and I
13:36think we are still, Dr. Maline, dealing
13:38with a lot of those um issues, the
13:41loneliness epidemic and those pieces.
13:43And so, what I was struggling with was
13:45how do I provide connective tissue um to
13:49young people when they're feeling even
13:51lonely or even more isolated? And so
13:54step up became a place where young
13:57people could come. So we went, you know,
13:58entirely virtual for a while. Um so but
14:02it still became a place where young
14:04women, girls, and young people could
14:06come and find connection and community
14:09um to other mentors and to other young
14:11people who were struggling. And so it
14:13became more than just the career focus.
14:16It became a lifeline of support for
14:18young people. So we needed to rise to
14:20the moment for what they needed at that
14:23time. Um but it also you know forced us
14:26to make some innovations and fasttrack
14:29the move towards technology. So techn
14:31techn technologically enabled solutions
14:34like our mentoring app. So it it it um
14:37required us to think differently about
14:40our work in that moment.
14:43Now, in serving uh the high school girls
14:46um and supporting women 18 to 29,
14:51um what did you or what are were you
14:54seeing among these young women in that
14:58age group as as what they needed the
15:00most? What what were some of the things
15:02that you saw that they needed the most?
15:04I know you said uh maybe uh the struggle
15:07of of of loneliness or what have you,
15:09but what are some of the other things
15:11that you saw that they may have needed?
15:14>> I think they I talked about the
15:17loneliness and I think I want to focus
15:20on that just for a minute because it
15:22might surprise you to hear that young
15:25people were struggling with loneliness
15:28that is at twice the rate of adults.
15:32Right? So that we, you know, we tend to
15:34think that as we age that our networks
15:37get smaller and our connections get
15:38smaller, but actually these young people
15:41who had been accustomed to having lots
15:43of people around suddenly their world
15:46shrank and things got smaller for them
15:48and there was so much uncertainty about
15:51what was going to come after. How do you
15:53adjust? How do you um how do you work?
15:56So whether they were in the workforce
15:58already, they were struggling with,
16:01well, how do I pivot to work from home
16:04when, you know, I'm, you know, Gen X, so
16:07I have a a a dedicated space, but I may
16:10be working at in my mother's in my at
16:12the kitchen table with 10 people moving
16:15about the house, right? And so even
16:17navigating the adjustments from working
16:20from being in school or from being in a
16:23workplace to being totally remote and
16:25not having the same equipment or access
16:29or environment that was conducive to
16:32success in those spaces was a challenge
16:34that they were dealing with. So there
16:35was loneliness but there was also their
16:38worlds contracted so much that it became
16:42difficult um as well. So, it's a number
16:44of different factors were at play. They
16:47were struggling with school and how do
16:49you um how do you work in the in you
16:52know, how do you do virtual school? So,
16:54if you're doing that and not having
16:55equal access and I want to give our
16:58education system some credit because
17:00teachers and school systems really did
17:02rise to the challenge and try to help
17:05young people through those situations,
17:07but it didn't always um wasn't it wasn't
17:10equal access. I'll say that to some of
17:12the
17:13>> now I'm I'm surprised that the
17:15loneliness part and and I guess I say
17:18that because we see how they are always
17:22on the phones and they're always
17:24texting. So I would have thought that
17:26that would have uh uh you know being at
17:30home then that would have upped that you
17:32know the texting and the on uh virtual
17:36stuff uh talking back and forth,
17:38FaceTime, different things like that. So
17:41that's that's why I'm a little surprised
17:43at the fact that you say that the
17:45loneliness was probably one of the
17:48biggest things that you saw with them.
17:51Yeah, I I feel like there there's um
17:53with technology and FaceTime and social
17:56media, it creates a false sense of
17:59connectivity that isn't real. And so I I
18:01I even struggle with this sometimes,
18:04like, oh, I see photos of my friends,
18:08children graduating from college, but
18:09then I realize I really haven't actually
18:12spoken to them or connected to them in
18:15months or years even. So, lots of time
18:17goes by. So it it gives this false sense
18:20I believe of connectivity and community
18:24that really doesn't translate into real
18:28life and real interactions. And I think
18:30it also created this um comparison. Um
18:34so we f you folks are scrolling but
18:37scrolling absently and just moving
18:40quickly through um things instead of
18:43being able to to take that pause and
18:45really look at connectivity. So I think
18:47there's some some differences in how we
18:50consume.
18:52So you know one of the things we talk
18:53about is how do you turn that scroll
18:56into purposeful moments? So how do you
18:59scroll with purpose if you're scrolling?
19:01And you know how do you we we have these
19:04curated versions of ourselves that we
19:07put out into the world that isn't real.
19:10And so then we're comparing ourselves to
19:13other people who aren't, you know, like
19:15we're comparing I'm comparing my reality
19:17to your filter. Yes.
19:19>> Right. And so that's I think those are
19:21some of the things that young people and
19:22and still struggle with. You know,
19:25there's some some recent um stories of
19:28how young people won't eat because
19:30they're afraid of being videoed while
19:33they're eating.
19:34>> Oh wow.
19:34>> You know, so because they don't want to
19:36become a meme, you know, so they won't
19:38eat in public. I don't want to become a
19:40meme. So little thing how it just has
19:43influenced and changed their lives and
19:45how they move through the world.
19:47>> Oh wow. I I had no idea that it was a
19:50you know I know that you know like with
19:52the the texting and always on the on the
19:56the the phones and the uh different
19:59things like that. But I didn't know that
20:01it had gone to the point where
20:04and and I guess that's true because now
20:06everybody wants to take a picture of
20:08everything or they want to record
20:10everything. So if they see something
20:12that they could use to either make fun
20:15of probably bully or what have you, then
20:19uh yeah, they that that's exactly what
20:21they would do that. Yeah, I I never
20:24thought of that before, but that is
20:26definitely
20:28uh right up there in the things that
20:30they don't want to get caught in the
20:31middle of, I would say.
20:33>> Right. We don't dance because we don't
20:35want somebody to catch us looking
20:37awkward while we dance or, you know, or
20:40not gonna shoot my shot because I don't
20:42want to get caught, you know, being
20:43turned down or those just and it's
20:46little things where we've just we've
20:48shrunken. And so, you know, one of the
20:50things we're trying to do is help to
20:53build new connections and purposeful
20:55connections in ways that um that will
20:58really advance young people rather than
21:00have having them struggle struggle
21:02through life and know that there's there
21:04are safe spaces out there, places where
21:07they can be safe and brave and
21:08vulnerable um out in the world and we
21:11want to be that that for for for this
21:14generation.
21:15>> Wow. Now I know mentorship is is uh at
21:19the heart of step up too that uh what
21:21they do. How has mentorship influenced
21:25your uh career and how do you believe or
21:29why do you believe that it's a powerful
21:31tool also for the young the young people
21:34that's in the program.
21:37Um I am so I'll say I wouldn't be in
21:40literally would not be in this seat or
21:43in this role without mentorship. And I'm
21:45not talking just about the mentors along
21:48my career path. I am speaking of a
21:50specific mentor and I always say I like
21:52to call names. Her name is Karen
21:54Williams who saw this job listing and
21:57said Dolores you should apply for this
21:59job. And it's like but I'm not a CEO.
22:02And Karen told me, "Yes, you are a CEO
22:05and this is this is the work that you
22:07have been preparing for." And so I did
22:10apply because at her cons her her
22:12persistent and um consistent
22:14encouragement. And so she's someone who
22:17saw me as a CEO before I even saw myself
22:21in this role. And that's the the power
22:23of mentorship. You almost are borrowing
22:26somebody else's confidence, someone
22:28else's belief in you. And that's what
22:30mentors can do for you. And so in that
22:33very concrete, tangible way, she pointed
22:36me towards this position that I really
22:38do agree I was built for and made to
22:41lead this work right now in this moment.
22:43Um, but throughout my life, um, Nelly
22:46Watkins was a mentor um, in my hometown.
22:49She was my pastor's wife and one of the
22:51things that she did was enrolled me in a
22:55um, it was a competitive oratory. So I
22:58would do competitive public speaking and
23:01so I'm traveling around Louisiana on
23:03weekends. Hated it. Didn't like it. But
23:06I didn't realize in the moment that she
23:08was preparing me to be on big stages.
23:11And I many years later I spoke at um at
23:15a national conference 10,000 people in
23:18the room on did the keynote. And after I
23:21got off stage I called her and said,
23:22"Thank you. Now I understood what you
23:25were doing and what you were trying to
23:27to give me.
23:28>> Absolutely. Wow.
23:29>> So So that's what mentorship does and
23:32you know as a I I spoke earlier about my
23:34mother you know as a mom mentors can do
23:37so many different things. I have two
23:39girls and one of my daughters you know
23:42recently um started a new job and she
23:45she has someone she can call on to help
23:47her to navigate benefits. So mentors can
23:50be that lifeline for helping you to
23:52navigate benefits or coaching you on um
23:55on negotiating your salary or prepping
23:59you for an interview. And it doesn't
24:01always have to be this long deep thing.
24:05I like to talk about mentoring happening
24:07in everyday moments, right? That
24:09mentoring can happen, you know, in a
24:12conversation. That one conversation can
24:14really change the trajectory of a young
24:17person's life. And if you pause and
24:19think about it, I'm sure you got like,
24:21oh, this is one thing someone told me.
24:23It wasn't that we had 10 meetings about
24:25it. I had this thing and I took this
24:27nugget and I've been able to use it over
24:29and over in my life. And that's that's
24:31really kind of stepups approach to
24:34mentorship.
24:35>> Wow. Now also too uh young women we know
24:40also struggle with confidence and they
24:43with self-doubt and uh so what advice
24:47would you give to a young woman who
24:50knows who you know has potential but is
24:53afraid to step into a leadership
24:56opportunity.
25:02I would say that your starting line is
25:06closer than you think. That's what I
25:09would tell her. It is closer than you
25:10think. It is within reach, within grasp
25:13of,
25:14>> you know, young women don't struggle
25:17from a lack of ambition.
25:19>> You know, I was ambitious. We don't
25:21struggle from a lack of ambition, but
25:22what we struggle with is the the the gap
25:26between where you are and where you want
25:29to be.
25:31>> Um, and what I try to remind them is
25:34that you don't have to close the whole
25:36gap at once. And so it's the, you know,
25:39I heard someone say, you put one foot in
25:41front of the other until the path
25:43becomes clear. So you close the gap
25:45between where you are and where you want
25:47to go. one step at a time, one action at
25:50a time. Um, one conversation, one
25:53connection, you know, one person who has
25:56been where you're headed at a time. So,
25:58it's one thing at a time. It's closer
26:00than you think. That's what I would tell
26:02them. That's the the the way to get
26:04through it. And as I said, borrow
26:06someone else's confidence, you know, and
26:08that's the the thing that that most
26:10often helps me is somebody else being
26:12confident in me.
26:15Now you've but um you talked about the
26:18fact that uh someone else told you about
26:22the position to apply for it and at
26:24first you didn't think that you would be
26:27a CEO but you've also held uh leadership
26:30positions with what was it city year and
26:33points of light.
26:34>> I have. And so looking back on those
26:38experiences and from those roles um uh
26:42do you think uh what experience do you
26:45think from those work roles prepared you
26:48for leading a national organization or
26:51do you think those roles prepared you?
26:54>> They absolutely everything in my career
26:57prepared me for this. So starting I
26:59started off doing local work in my
27:02hometown and moved on to doing statewide
27:05work then national and regional work and
27:09I learned a lot about people in the
27:12process. The common thread through all
27:14of those things was that people were at
27:17the center of change. So whether it was
27:20volunteers who were helping um school
27:24age children to get to school on time or
27:27dealing with the with the reading crisis
27:30or literacy issues or the digital divide
27:33or helping communities to recover from
27:35disaster, what was common through all of
27:38that is that people were at the center
27:40of change. And when I moved pivoted from
27:44that general work that I was doing at
27:46points of light which was lots of ways
27:48that mentors and volunteers can solve
27:51problems in communities to working at
27:53city year. What I started to see are
27:56were the specifics of schools and young
27:59people. So how could we really help the
28:01work help young people and that became
28:03my lynch pin to connect me to step up.
28:07And what was important to me both at
28:09City Year and now at Step Up is
28:11proximity to the young people we serve.
28:13So I I had been at at points of light
28:15for so long and had grown so much in my
28:18career there that I was no longer
28:22directly able to touch people that were
28:25benefiting from the program. And while
28:27my job as CEO isn't to mentor, I do
28:31still have the ability to carve out that
28:33time. And that's what city year helped
28:35me to remember that, you know, I didn't
28:37sign up for this work to do board
28:40meetings or prepare pitch decks or do
28:43budgets. That's that's not what I I I
28:45came here for. I came here because I
28:47care about young people and their
28:49journeys. And so being able that that's
28:51really the thing that has has has helped
28:54me to anchor to this. You know, I still
28:56have to do the board meetings and the
28:58media and the speeches, but what really
29:00keeps me anchored is when I have an
29:02opportunity to sit with the young person
29:04and I try to make to dedicate at least
29:07an hour every week to mentorship, just
29:10to stay connected to the mission.
29:13>> Oh, that's great. That's great because a
29:16lot of times, especially if you're
29:17traveling a lot, that that could get
29:19hard to do, but that's good that you,
29:21you know, you set that time aside to be
29:24able to do that because like you said,
29:25it keeps you connected too.
29:28>> It's the beauty of our mentoring app.
29:29So, we have this app that makes it
29:31possible. So, even wherever I am, I can
29:33still connect with you.
29:34>> Okay. Okay. Yeah. Okay. So um now in
29:38today's rapidly changing workforce, what
29:42skills do you believe
29:45young women need most to thrive
29:47professionally and personally?
29:53>> H I say connection.
29:56I I I'm a gardener. I I'll say that like
29:59I I grew I told you I grew up in the
30:01south. My father had farmland, you know.
30:04My mother said, "Go out and get a get a
30:06salad." And that meant go out in the
30:08garden, pick what's right, what's what's
30:09right. Right. And so I think the
30:12patience and the willingness to to grow.
30:17And um so to not just grow yourself, but
30:20to grow those around you are skills that
30:22will help help young people to succeed.
30:25And I know that feels like like where's
30:27she going with this? But I you know I so
30:29much about what I learn what I know
30:32about leadership comes from growing
30:34things. Things like um I have some
30:36tomato plants and I know that I need to
30:40provide some scaffolding a little gate
30:43for them to hold on to and to grow. And
30:45so being able to look at things and see
30:48like what does this situation require
30:51for my growth? What how can I help
30:53someone else to grow? And so all of that
30:55is the the connective tissue. what's
30:58happening in the ground and above the
31:00ground, you know, is so important for
31:02young people as they are navigating the
31:05workforce. And so understanding that
31:07that it just takes a seed to get
31:09started, but that seed requires
31:11nourishment. That seed requires soil and
31:14water and persistence and and if you
31:17walk away and neglect it, you can't
31:19always come back and pour more water on
31:21it to get it going again. You walk away
31:23and neglect it, sometimes it dies. And
31:26so you have to be able to navigate in
31:28the workplace understanding what needs
31:31to be nurtured, what needs to what can
31:34what can wait, what can I come back to.
31:36So to me it's a I don't know if if
31:39that's a great analogy, but that's
31:41something that I think young people
31:43really need is that that patience um and
31:47patience for nurturing things and
31:49nurturing themselves and those around
31:51us. say sometimes we can get so
31:54internally focused
31:56>> that it um that it keeps us from
31:59growing. And so if we can look outside
32:01of ourselves sometimes, then I think
32:03that that's so so helpful. And I think
32:05that that goes back to the loneliness
32:07epidemic. If I can stop naval gazing and
32:10looking at me and come up sometimes and
32:12see where do I fit in the world, where
32:15where's my scaffolding and how can I be
32:18a scaffold to someone else? It will be
32:20tremendous.
32:23Now, I'm gonna take you back a little
32:25bit here.
32:26>> Let's go.
32:29>> Uh, you were recognized by President
32:31Barack Obama as a champion of change in
32:352012.
32:37>> Uh, what did that recognition mean to
32:40you and how did it influence your
32:42leadership journey?
32:45>> It's probably one of a a career high for
32:48me, Dr. Meline. I um it's great to be
32:52recognized for doing what you're already
32:54doing
32:55>> when you're not seeking recognition,
32:58right? And so I think that that's really
33:01like I was just living my life. I was
33:03just doing living in my purpose, you
33:06know, making a difference in the world,
33:07in the community, and then to get the
33:10call and the the the recognition was
33:12just so so special. And so it reinforced
33:16for me that, you know, some people are
33:19seeking the accolades and that's okay.
33:21I'm not saying to not seek seek the
33:23accolades like we deserve all the
33:25accolades, right? But it's it's even
33:28more um meaningful when you're just
33:30doing the right thing
33:32>> that you get celebrated for that. And so
33:35I have what I've what that has meant for
33:37me I it appears now in my bio. So I do
33:40talk about it and brag about it, but it
33:43is also something that I right like the
33:46president of the United States said I
33:48was doing something something right. But
33:50it so I I and I'll brag about it, but I
33:53also use it to remember that even if no
33:58one is is celebrating or applauding or
34:01cheering for me that somebody is paying
34:03attention and and that matters too. And
34:06so to do the work like someone is
34:08watching, you know, even if I don't know
34:10that they're watching, do the work like
34:12someone's watching.
34:13>> Absolutely. And that's what I say, too.
34:15And and you know, um you it lets you
34:18know that you're doing what you're
34:20supposed to be doing, too.
34:22>> Like you were you wasn't seeking that.
34:24That was the call that you got. So that
34:27let you know that, hey, I'm I'm actually
34:30doing what I I need to be doing here,
34:32right?
34:32>> I'm walking in my purpose. And so I I I
34:36truly understand that you how you would
34:39feel about being recognized like that.
34:42That really was that's why I said I was
34:44going to take you back a little bit.
34:46>> That was a long time ago, but it's still
34:48it is still a careerhigh point for me.
34:50But it still even like you say when even
34:53though I said take you back and even
34:54though it's in 2012, it still means a
34:57lot and it will continue to mean a lot
35:01because of like you said the recognition
35:03and the way you were recognized uh and
35:06and and in that area. Yeah. So I I I
35:10think that was
35:12>> Thank you.
35:14So uh as a leader how do you define the
35:18success and has that uh definition
35:21changed throughout your career?
35:27>> Um I do think it it has changed. I'll
35:30start with that part of it. It has
35:31changed. I think that at one point I
35:35thought making it to a certain salary
35:37threshold or a certain title was going
35:40to be satisfaction.
35:42and I I am that okay I've made it to CEO
35:46and that's going to be that's enough but
35:49it's not enough the title doesn't matter
35:51if the purpose um and intent doesn't
35:54also doesn't work alongside it and so if
35:57I were a entry level person but still
36:01doing meaningful work I think I would
36:03have except I I need to make a living
36:05right so I need to need to be able to
36:07thrive but it's important to me that
36:09that purpose and I just have lived such
36:11a purpose purpose centered life. That's
36:13a part of my upbringing, a part of being
36:16a preacher, a Pentecostal preacher's
36:18daughter. You know, purpose and um
36:21purpose and faith are still so very
36:23important to me. Um and so that's I I
36:25think um it the definition changed as I
36:29grew, as I you know, it's it's different
36:31success and is different um from when I
36:35was actively raising kids. My children
36:37are all grown now. So, it's diff what
36:40success looks like to me. a successful
36:42life and a successful career at this
36:44point is more about purpose than about
36:46income. So income was a driver at one
36:50point, but now it's really about purpose
36:52because you know, thank God my children
36:54are more self-sufficient um at this
36:57point than than they were. You know that
37:00we could talk about parenting and
37:02leading at a different time. YOU NEVER
37:04YOU NEVER ACTUALLY STOP, RIGHT? But um
37:08that's the it's a it's a it's a good
37:10place to be when you can think about
37:13purpose and meaning and what are you
37:15building and leaving behind. So it's
37:17just it's not just what I'm doing right
37:20now, but what am I leaving the people
37:23that I've touched, the organizations
37:25I've been a part of, the communities, am
37:27I leaving them better than I found them?
37:30Am I leaving something that is
37:31meaningful and tangible that is going to
37:34live beyond, you know, my time when when
37:37I've decayed and gone on? Is it gonna
37:39still still be here? And so that for me
37:42that is important and that's a
37:43definition of success.
37:45>> Success. Absolutely. So what barriers uh
37:49do you believe still exist for young uh
37:53for the young women and girls today? And
37:56what can organizations and even
37:58community leaders uh and leaders do to
38:01help remove those barriers?
38:05>> Well, there is um there are a lot of
38:09barriers especially I'll spec speak
38:11specifically for young women um and
38:14young women of color. Um, we know that
38:18there are um, you know, that that the
38:21world wasn't built for them and built
38:23for us and for our success. That
38:25workplaces weren't designed for us to be
38:28successful. That's so much of the the so
38:32many of the places there are careers
38:34that are still male dominated. There are
38:37places that are male-dominated and we go
38:40into these spaces and have to try to
38:42carve out a a position for ourselves.
38:45but struggle with wanting to be
38:47authentically who we are, right? And so
38:51that authenticity in the workplace is
38:53one of the the real struggles that still
38:56exists. And how do you maneuver in
38:58places that just weren't built for you
39:00and weren't built for your for you not
39:02just to not succeed but to thrive in,
39:05you know? And we find ourselves so often
39:08trying to make making ourselves smaller,
39:10you know, minimizing who we are, you
39:13know, not celebrating ourselves um
39:15enough. and that that this um almost
39:19false humility that we are expected to
39:22to be humble when we really have
39:26achieved something but you can't brag
39:28but you know I I I I don't want to do
39:30this speech from the Barbie movie right
39:32but like like that's that is what we are
39:35dealing with right and um so it's and
39:38and Dylan I think right now young people
39:40are also struggling in you know entry
39:44level work is is um is diminishing.
39:48Companies are expecting you to come in
39:50with all of these experiences, but then
39:52they don't offer the internships and
39:54opportunities to gain the experience.
39:57So, how do you gain that experience? Um
39:59I am concerned about um AI and what is
40:03that going to do to young people in the
40:05workplace, young people just coming out
40:07of school, how is that going to change?
40:09And so so many things are changing, you
40:12know, in the world around us so rapidly
40:15that it's a little bit of whiplash. I I
40:17was sharing with somebody I'm working on
40:20StepUp's next strategic plan and it
40:23almost feels like I'm writing science
40:25fiction. Like I I'm it's so hard to say
40:29here's what's next for us when there's
40:31so much change and rapid, you know, and
40:34and change happening so quickly around
40:37us.
40:39Absolutely. Especially when you mention
40:41AI that that's something that changes
40:43probably every minute,
40:46you you know. Yeah. That's not something
40:48and and unfortunately
40:51because of AI, you you have to have some
40:54type of knowledge of it because it's not
40:57going anywhere. It's here to stay.
40:59>> It's here. And it's how you know and I I
41:01don't want to get into a policy
41:03discussion but it's how do we how do we
41:06use it for good and maintain the human
41:10center human you know the human first
41:12piece and that's one of the things when
41:14we think about our um our mentoring app
41:17it's that human connection we don't want
41:19AI to take the place of human connection
41:22and so the our mentoring is really about
41:25people we can we've had folks to come to
41:27us and offer oh we can create an AI I
41:29mentor and agents. was like no no we
41:32want to keep AI can be a tool to help
41:35mentoring be more effective you know but
41:38it is not it should not replace a mentor
41:42right
41:44>> yes yeah that human factor I I think I
41:46don't think so either uh that it should
41:49because uh we know that if the person is
41:53is talking to that mentor or listening
41:57to them taking advice from them then you
41:59want that to be a human person speaking
42:02to them, not not a bot or whatever those
42:07whatever.
42:07>> Exactly. Exactly. Exactly.
42:09>> Yeah. You know, so but who knows? I'm
42:13sure there are those that do use it for
42:16those purposes, which is unfortunate.
42:19Yeah. Mhm.
42:21>> For um for young women who might one day
42:24aspire to lead a nonprofit organization
42:29or um uh or maybe even a a missiondriven
42:34enterprise, what are the most important
42:37qualities that do you think they should
42:41develop?
42:42>> I think a learning mindset, a growth
42:45mindset first and foremost. Um, you
42:48know, I I I know now that I was the
42:51right person to lead this work,
42:53>> but I had I didn't walk in day one as a
42:57CEO. I grew into the CEO that I am. And
43:00so I but I had to learn and grow a lot
43:03throughout the the almost seven years.
43:06Um, but being prepared, you know, taking
43:09taking risk along the way actually
43:13really is something that has propelled
43:14me into this role. And so not being you
43:18know taking every opportunity to take a
43:20risk to learn something new to try
43:22something new to be willing to fail um
43:25and fail quickly but learn from the
43:28failures quickly um I think is the is
43:30the thing I I didn't don't wallow um in
43:34your failure um and in the mistakes test
43:37as long as you learn something from that
43:40um I think it's going to be tremendously
43:42helpful I think a career I I also think
43:45about like the nonprofit sector isn't
43:47the only way to have purposeful careers.
43:50You can have those that purpose and
43:52meaning wherever you are. You can do
43:54missiondriven work inside a Fortune 500
43:57company. You can do missiondriven work
44:00in a government role. And so I I
44:02encourage young people don't, you know,
44:04lots of young women want to start a
44:06nonprofit. And I don't want to say don't
44:08start one, but that's not the only path
44:11to doing meaningful work. And so I I
44:13would encourage, you know, it's a hard
44:15it's hard work. Um I love the work. It's
44:18hard, but I I don't know that I
44:21recommend it for everyone.
44:24>> So what advice would you give to a young
44:27woman who may be looking to take their
44:30next step in fulfilling their dreams,
44:32but they just don't know where to start.
44:35>> I think, you know, this is I work at a
44:37mentoring organization. Get a mentor.
44:40Find a mentor. Find someone who is doing
44:44something that you're curious about.
44:45They don't have to do what you want to
44:48do, but I'm curious to learn about what
44:50you're doing. And you would be surprised
44:53at how willing someone is to talk to
44:55you.
44:56>> Exactly.
44:56>> And to share and and there are women who
44:58are just waiting to be asked. They're
45:01waiting. They have this wealth of
45:03knowledge and information and they just
45:05want somebody to give it to and to share
45:07it with. And so I I take that first step
45:10in asking someone to talk to you about
45:12their path. Um I think that's the that's
45:15the very first thing to do.
45:17>> Yes. Absolutely. And that's um you know
45:20that's that's good advice because I
45:22remember years ago I we when I say year
45:26I'm going I'm going back and uh uh back
45:30to uh one of the first jobs that I had
45:33when I got laid off. And when I spoke to
45:36someone about the fact that, you know, I
45:38just couldn't understand why this
45:39happened. And one of the questions they
45:42asked me were a couple questions they
45:44asked, but one of them was, did I have a
45:46mentor? Um, and when I said no, they
45:49they said that I should that I should
45:52have had a mentor, you know, uh, someone
45:55who could have been there to maybe
45:58advise me to let me know. even someone
46:00that person may have known something was
46:03coming down the pike and could have
46:04said, "Hey, you might want to move into
46:07this department because they're not, you
46:09know, this department is going to be
46:11safe or something like that." But what
46:13it did for me was it it made me make
46:16sure that wherever I went, I did have a
46:19mentor. That was one of the first things
46:21that I did from then on to make sure
46:23that I did have a mentor um in in the
46:27organization that I was in. So yes,
46:29that's absolutely correct about that
46:31>> and mentoring can be formal and
46:33informal, right? So you know that's one
46:35of the things I Michelle Obama is my
46:37mentor and I've met her one time, right?
46:39But she doesn't know. So me you can
46:41learn and find inspiration and
46:43mentorship from so many different
46:45sources. And one of the things that we
46:47talk about at step up is this idea of
46:50flash mentoring. So, it's a just a
46:53little bit different because, you know,
46:55traditional mentoring is great when it
46:58works and when you have access to it and
47:00when you know how to find it, but it
47:03it's not accessible to everyone. Some
47:05workplaces have have formal mentorship
47:08programs. Some only have it for for
47:11senior leaders. You have to be a middle
47:12management and on a on a track, you
47:15know, and so how do you get there?
47:16there. And so that's one of the things
47:17that we've tried to like how do we make
47:20mentoring more accessible to more
47:22people, right? So that's something that
47:24we work on a lot.
47:26>> Exactly. Wow. So what's next? What's
47:29next for Step Up? Anything that you want
47:31to tell us about that you want our
47:33viewers and listeners to know? Any uh uh
47:37training, any programs coming up that
47:39you'd like us to know about? the the
47:41thing that I am most proud of that I
47:43think we've got the most potential for
47:46advancement and growth is our mentoring
47:48app. Um, and I talked about I am so
47:51passionate about it because I it is
47:53something that I wish I had when I was
47:56navigating. And so that's the thing I'm
47:58most excited about and it's we built it
48:01on this idea that u you know traditional
48:04mentoring asks two people to commit to a
48:08relationship um and that I said it's
48:11great when it works but it doesn't scale
48:14and so we're trying to make mentoring
48:17happen at scale um because and to lower
48:20the barrier of entry for both mentees
48:23and mentors. You know, women want to
48:26mentor, but they also want to be
48:28successful in their own careers. They
48:30are leading families. They are social
48:34beings. And so, when we have so much
48:36going on, we want to we might say no to
48:39it. Um, and so, or a mentee might feel
48:43like they're going to disappoint their
48:44mentor. And so what we've built inside
48:47our mentoring app is this way for you to
48:51connect with somebody on a specific
48:53topic, a specific challenge um based on
48:57your experience and not your expertise
49:00so that you can get the help that you
49:02need when you need it. Um so and and we
49:06published we recently published a study
49:08with Dr. roads from the center for
49:11evidence-based mentoring at UMass
49:13Boston. And the data showed that um that
49:17our young people are benefiting from
49:19these one-time mentoring conversations
49:22in our mentoring app. And so I want to
49:25invite everybody to come be with us.
49:27Come be a part of this mentorship
49:29community. Whether you have something
49:31that you want to give to a young person
49:33or if you're a young woman under 30
49:35who's looking for mentorship as you want
49:38to grow in your career. So that's that's
49:40that's the exciting thing that we're
49:42working on is this idea of how do you
49:45scroll? How do you use technology with
49:48purpose to grow in your connections,
49:50your career readiness, um, and your
49:53confidence? So, that that's really what
49:54what we're working on right now.
49:56>> Wow, that's fantastic. So, tell us if uh
50:00someone wanted to reach out to you to
50:02find out about more about mentoring or
50:04even being a mentor, how can they reach
50:09you? Uh, what should they do? Um, the
50:12easiest way is to go on our website,
50:15suwn.org.
50:17Um, and I would encourage folks to start
50:19by downloading our mentoring app. All of
50:21the tools that we need and are are
50:24there. You can get trained to become a
50:26mentor. Um, so that's one of the get
50:29trained and then matched and connected.
50:31Be right there ready for a young person.
50:34Um, if you are under 30, so it's suw.org
50:38org uh slashmentoring-app
50:42and if you download it and you use the
50:45code screen time um s ren time um to
50:51become to join the mentoring app you can
50:54come in and and be a part of it if you
50:55want to mentor use the code su mentor um
51:00and I believe that you can change
51:02somebody's life in one conversation you
51:04can change a young person's trajectory
51:06change their path So e and we make it
51:08easy and we make it fun.
51:10>> Wow. Thank you so much. Appreciate you
51:13so much for being on the show. And uh I
51:16meant to ask you to pronounce your
51:18middle name for me because I think I'm
51:20not sure that I got it right. Was it
51:22Drill? How do you
51:23>> You were close. You were close.
51:24Drillier. Julier. Louisiana. It's my
51:26maiden name. So Dier.
51:28>> Okay. Because I was like, "Oh man, I
51:30forgot to ask her how to pronounce." But
51:32okay. So it's Dolores Dilier Morton. Got
51:36it.
51:38>> Thank you so much for having me. Enjoy
51:40talking with you.
51:42>> I so enjoyed our conversation. So
51:44enjoyed finding more about uh Step Up
51:46and I hope our viewers and our listeners
51:48took notes and so that they could reach
51:51out to you. Um definitely if uh you
51:56anything else that come up that you want
51:58us to know about, make sure you reach
52:00out to us. We'll be glad to have you
52:01back to share information with us. So,
52:04thank you so much for joining us today.
52:07Appreciate it.
52:07>> Thank you. Thank you.
52:09>> All right. And now I'm just going to
52:11give a little bit about uh what's going
52:14on um with in and around and what's
52:18going on with me. For those uh if you
52:21want to stay, you can. If not, uh we we
52:25can I can let uh our Mark can put you
52:28back in the green room and then you can
52:30uh listen in if you'd like or uh you can
52:33go ahead and uh I know your schedule is
52:36busy. I'm just going to give them a
52:38little bit of some announcements right
52:40now. So, just to let everyone know, I'm
52:43excited to share that I've been named to
52:46the uh uh the women in leadership top
52:50100 list for 2026
52:53by the global publishing media group.
52:56The le the list recognizes influential
52:59female leaders driving change across
53:02global industries. I'm also going to be
53:05interviewed by Humans of Fusia for their
53:08honest entrepreneurs growth series 2026
53:12on June 10th. When the article is live,
53:15I will definitely share with all of you.
53:18Humans of Fusion believes that elevating
53:20women is a shared responsibility and it
53:23requires the involvement of all genders.
53:27And I will be interviewed by Dr.
53:30Jacqueline Cabba Harrison on June 19th
53:33at 100 p.m. on the Realizing Your
53:36Potential TV network for the Born to
53:39Lead docu series. The Born to Lead docu
53:42series showcases the natural leadership
53:44abilities of women in leadership roles.
53:49I am also a part of the She Rises
53:52Studios Empower Her anthology. The empol
53:56uh the anthology features 11 powerful
53:59women and is meant to uncover the
54:02internal shifts, the breaking points and
54:04pivots that lead to transformation. The
54:07paperback
54:09uh uh release and author celebration
54:12will take place June 30th, 2026. So stay
54:16tuned to purchase your copy or email me
54:19at [email protected]
54:23to put your name on the list to receive
54:27a copy. I was also honored to be a
54:30keynote speaker at the Onit X University
54:33honorary doctoral commencement ceremony
54:36and inaugural
54:38class of 2026 and the Onit X
54:42international speaker live event which
54:44took place in the Dominican Republic. Uh
54:47I want to send a big uh shout out and
54:50graduate congratulations
54:53to the honorary doctoral candidates. I
54:57will also be a featured speaker during
54:59Leap Week 2026 virtual conference which
55:03is taking place July 26 through the
55:0629th. You can watch me or catch me on
55:09Sunday, July 26 at 8:00 PM uh along with
55:13other dynamic speakers. Leap week is a
55:17free 4-day virtual conference running
55:20July 26 through the 29th. And each
55:23session is designed to give
55:24professionals and leaders the frameworks
55:27and tools they need to execute on their
55:31goals. I'm also excited to let you know
55:34that the successful women radio and TV
55:37show uh made the rank of fees spot list
55:41of top 100 best career mindset and
55:45working women podcast and that we have
55:48gone from number 16 on the list to
55:51number 11. Yay. And that's great if I
55:55say so myself. The list highlight
55:57podcast that empower women to build
56:00successful careers, navigate uh
56:04workplace challenges, and find true
56:06fulfillment in work and life. So, I'm
56:08honored to be among uh those on that
56:12list.
56:13Make sure that you uh check out my TEDex
56:18talk that I did in Canada. I'm still
56:21trying to reach that uh 1 million plus
56:23number. So, right now it's at 246,545
56:30views. So, if you have not already
56:32watched it, make sure you go ahead go on
56:35to YouTube and watch it. You can put my
56:38name in the search box, Dr. Meline Anne
56:40Lewis, and it will come right up. I want
56:43to thank all of you in advance who have
56:46uh watched, shared, like, and commented
56:48on it. and uh so continue to uh send it
56:53out there for others to see. Again, I
56:56want to thank my guest, Mr. Dolores
56:59Drill Drill Drillier
57:02Morton and my viewers and listeners for
57:05joining me today. This is the successful
57:07women's show. I'm Dr. Meline and Lewis.
57:11And if you would like to reach out to
57:13me, you can email me at info exwi.com.
57:21Make sure that you subscribe to our
57:24channel, like and share this episode
57:27with others. We had some great nuggets.
57:30Uh you might want to find out a little
57:32more about Step Up. They're doing some
57:34great things there for our young people
57:37across the country. So a good
57:40organization to tap into. Again, this is
57:43the successful women's show. We are here
57:46every week. I am your host, Dr. Meline
57:49Anne Lewis, helping women to accelerate
57:52the path to success. Thank you again to
57:56my guest. Thank you to my viewers and
57:58listeners. I love you all to life. And
58:02as always, be well and stay safe out
58:06there.
58:11Hi, I'm Dr. Maline Nan Lewis, host of
58:14the Success for Women Show, which airs
58:16every Friday at 700 p.m. Eastern
58:18Standard Time. Our mission is to help
58:21women accelerate the path to success.
58:24Women in the workplace, women in
58:25business, and women who aspire to become
58:28business owners, live their dreams, and
58:31reach their goals. So, join us Friday at
58:34700 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
58:54Hello, I'm Dr. Maline Anne Lewis,
58:56president and CEO of the Executive
58:59Women's Success Institute.
59:02And my genius is helping women
59:05accelerate the path to success.
59:08You know, I was blessed to have strong
59:11women in my life who encouraged,
59:15motivated, and pushed me to do my best
59:19and to never even think about giving up
59:23on my dreams.
59:25So I say to women, we must show up to
59:30rise up. We have talents and potential,
59:35but who will see them if we don't speak
59:39up and get noticed?
59:43I know that women are a tremendous
59:46resource on this planet
59:49and there is nothing more fulfilling
59:53than helping a woman tap into her full
59:57potential.
59:58I do this because I want to be a part of
1:00:03helping as many women as I can to show
1:00:07up to rise up.
1:00:10I do this because
1:00:13genius is common.

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