Don’t Stay in Your Lane: A Conversation with Cynthia Pong

Send us Fan MailCynthia Pong, JD, is an award-winning executive coach and speaker who empowers women of color leaders to advance their careers into positions of power. A Forbes Contributor and LinkedIn Top Voice for Job Search and Career, she has been featured in HBR, The Atlantic, and on NBC, CBS, NPR, and more. As Founder and CEO of Embrace Change, Cynthia leads an elite, all-BIPOC team who provide specialized coaching and training programs for high-performing women of color up to the C-suite. Equipped with Cynthia’s strategic guidance, her clients break down barriers, lead with authenticity, and have collectively negotiated over $750K in salary increases. Her Anthem Award-winning Leadership Accelerator program has propelled women of color to prestigious fellowships, promotions, and top graduate program admissions. Cynthia’s book, Don’t Stay in Your Lane: The Career Change Guide for Women of Color , has cemented her as a foremost voice on career advancement, negotiation, and thought leadership.A Few Quotes From This Episode“I’ve coached over 350 women of color—those numbers taught me it’s never a skills gap but often a confidence gap.”“It’s not about a deficit in ability; it’s about being so hard on ourselves we won’t experiment or make a mistake.”“One-on-one tailored strategic support from an executive coach is the single best investment of your scarcest resource: time.”“We have to change from doing to leading—mastering tasks won’t teach you how to inspire others.”Resources Mentioned in This Episode Book: Don’t Stay in Your Lane: The Career Change Guide for Women of Color Cynthia's Forbes Contributor PageCynthia's Assessment: Cynthia's Leadership Skills Quiz Book: Never Split the Difference Website: Anton Gunn’s Leadership WorksAbout The International Leadership Association (ILA)The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Plan for Prague - October 15-18, 2025!About  Scott J. AllenWebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersBlogMy Approach to HostingThe views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast!⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice.➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech.📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles.🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.