Executive French Fluency: How Rachel Pierre Turned Language Into Leverage

00:00 00:42 Deneen L. Garrett:
we find out. Let's go. Welcome to Women of Color Live, the live version of Women of Color, An Intimate Conversation, a top 20 women's empowerment podcast. Today's guest is Rachel Pierre, founder and CEO of Parle, the private executive French fluency intensive for leaders operating in French speaking environments. So let's go ahead and get into it. Rachel, welcome to the show.

00:42 00:44 Rachel Pierre: Thank you, Denine. I'm so happy to be here.

00:45 01:09 Deneen L. Garrett: Yes, and I'm happy to have you. And those who are watching, engage with us. We want to answer your questions. We want to see your comments. So drop them in the comments section. All right, so Rachel, you spent 15 years in computer engineering and fintech, and then you built something completely different. What happened inside you that made you leave a proven path to build Parley?

01:10 02:46 Rachel Pierre: So what 15 years of corporate have taught me is that I cannot be confined to a box that wasn't built for me. So I did it because I wanted to play by the rules. If you want to win at a game, you have to know the rules and play by the rules in order to win. But that doesn't mean that you necessarily love it and enjoy it. So I discovered that what truly fulfills me is going back to my roots and leveraging a skill that many executives, even in corporate, would reach out to me for and help them maintain their identity when the language in the room switches to French. And I thought that at a point in my career where I couldn't find a role that would embrace my growth, I decided that was the universe's way to let me know that it's time to pivot and tap into another version of me or another talent that is left dormant. that I can put to use in helping other people grow, you know, um, and by doing something that I am passionate about that I love because I love, you know, French and French culture. I grew up on, you know, uh, the French culture. And so, yeah, that's really what, what happened. I think, um, I outgrew the corporate world and I wanted to do something that was really aligned with my soul and my internal happiness.

02:47 03:22 Deneen L. Garrett: And I love that you say all of that because this podcast is to empower women, as I said, and it's to give us like some tangibles and and see ourselves in something. And so you've given us that right. What you just said start. I mean, it's fine. You're in corporate. You're working for someone else. That's fine. While you're there. Take from it, right? Take from it that helps you for the things that you really want to do. Leverage it, right? And then tap into that thing that really brings you joy, that thing that you can do with your eyes closed at any time. Do all those things.

03:22 03:25 Rachel Pierre: Yes, yes. That's exactly right.

03:25 04:50 Deneen L. Garrett: Right? So on Women of Color, we center and empower women of color, as I just stated. We also have a free newsletter built specifically for Black Women 50+, the Dream Lifestyle Collective. And go to Danina O'Garrett to get started to sign up. And I want to shout out our production team at the Leon Thomas Group, and specifically Orin Stewart Sr., who is our producer. He's on a ones and twos and keeping us together every Thursday. So this month, August, we are in the Legacy Series, Leave, Transform, Leave a Mark. And Rachel, a native French speaker from Haiti who spent over 15 years in fintech before building Parlay, is a masterclass on how language opens doors. and what happens when you build the key for yourself. And so Rachel already was talking about how she left corporate and built another door, and that door is opening for other people. And so as I said, you're watching. We want you to engage with us. And we have a couple people who did that in advance. So Letitia B. Russo, This is what she dropped on LinkedIn. Accent bias in hiring is one of the most overlooked forms of gatekeeping. Pronunciation gets flagged even when grammar and vocabulary are flawless. She would love to know how Parley tackles that specific layer of language policing.

04:51 09:06 Rachel Pierre: I love that question because that's something that I've experienced myself, you know, because being Haitian and growing up in Haiti, most people who do speak French from Haiti, they have a different accent than Parisians, right? And so even when I started my business, a lot of people would say, but you speak Haitian French, not French French. Well, I actually do speak French French because I spent my entire childhood. I'm sorry. I've spent my entire childhood attending a French Catholic school. And so my pronunciation, my grammar, everything, all my dissertation was in actual French. And even when I go to Paris and I tell people, when they ask me where I'm from and I tell them I'm from New York, at some point they stop me and they're like, no American speaks French better than us and your French is better than ours. So where are you really from? Right, right. When I call them Haiti, they still pause and realize, oh, I thought Haitians spoke Haitian French, not French French. This is new. And so I think that the same goes with pronunciation in hiring. I can totally understand the frustration there. But the thing is, sometimes your accent can overshadow your grammar and vocabulary. I mean, I've been there even as a student. And when I went to college here in the States, one of my teachers was Indian. He was a great teacher, but I could barely understand a single word. If your message can get across, even if you're a great teacher, how is that beneficial to me as a student? I think that's part of my offering. I coach executives through pronunciation because one word could mean different things based on the pronunciation. And you have to be able to communicate and convey your message and connect in a way that your audience can receive it. And so that's where I could see pronunciation being seen as a gatekeeper. But it's not, I would say, If it does become that big of a roadblock, it's something that you can definitely work on. It doesn't have to take over your career. Many, many, many of us had to work through it the same way. I mean, that's one of the reasons why my dad for the longest time did not want me to speak Creole because he wanted me to speak proper French because that's the language that's going to open doors for me. If I spoke French, the Haitian way, I mean, granted, it's a very beautiful French, it's Caribbean French, but it would not have opened the same doors for me. And so I think knowing the rules, you know, like I said earlier, knowing the rules and mastering the rules and doing what you have to do. I mean, there's Toastmasters, right, which is great in public speaking and helping you But if you're learning a specific language like French, you can sign up for Parley and that's what I help with because it is important. It only becomes a roadblocker if it is that big. So if it's something that you can work out, just work at it. Just got to ace it, got to win at the game. This is the rule of the game. So you have to play by the rules until you attain a certain level where You can say, you know what? I can pronounce however I want. I'm already at the top of my career. I don't care what you think about my accent. But if you're not there yet, you have to know the rules and play by the rules. However, we all have accents, right? Even in America, somebody in the South will not sound the same as someone from New York, will not sound the same as someone from I don't know, California, we all have accents. And so, yeah, so that's my answer to Letitia. Letitia, if it does become that big of a roadblock, you know, it's something that I think you can absolutely work on. It shouldn't be a roadblock.

09:07 09:50 Deneen L. Garrett: Yeah. And so, I mean, everything you said, like I'm nodding, I'm shaking my head, right? Because yes, know the rules of the game, right? And you want to play it, right? If you want to play that game, there are rules to it, and you need to figure out what it is. At the same time, you're absolutely right. We live in different regions. Even within the same state, you can sound different, right? And which English is the proper way anyway? So who is actually defining that? Who's defining the correct way of speaking English? Because even when you go to London, I'm in London all the time. You know, I mean, they spoke English before we did, and they said it differently, right? And they say the words differently. So, yes, the gatekeeper really of English.

09:51 10:50 Rachel Pierre: Exactly. Yes. And, you know, I can totally understand the frustration, you know, Latisha. Trust me, I see you. Because when I went to college, I was the manager of the commodity store on campus. And there was this older lady, she wanted to order a bakery item. And so she goes to the bakery section and she says, may I have a muffin, please? And the girl at the counter is like, what? And she repeats, may I have a muffin, please? And the girl goes, what? For the third time, I could not take it. I said, she said she wants a muffin. What, like, why is that so hard for you to understand? How many items in the case do you know are close to Muffin? Come on, girl, you're doing it on purpose. It really got to me and I had to step in. So I do see you, but we have to know the rules of the game and play by those rules if you want to win that game, yeah.

10:50 10:55 Deneen L. Garrett: Yeah, and then what comes to mind for me as well is it's a way to other you.

10:55 10:56 Rachel Pierre: Yes.

10:56 11:38 Deneen L. Garrett: I mean, she knew what she was saying. Because like you said, I mean, how many things sound like oven? How many things do we have here that sound like oven? Oh, do you mean muffin? Or oh, muffin? You know what I'm saying? Yeah, absolutely. It is. It is a way to other. It's a way to single you out. And again, depending on what it is that you're trying to do, you may have to make some adjustments. Yeah. So the Parley method is described as a private executive French fluency intensive, not a language class, not an app. You built something very specific. What gap in the market did you see that no one else was solving?

11:39 14:47 Rachel Pierre: Yeah, so that's exactly the gap. People, even with Parley, people mistake me sometimes for a language tutoring program because that's all they know, that's all they're familiar with until they realize that Oh, yeah, my school French. Can I help you in the boardroom? You know, I wasn't prepared for that conversation. Or can I help me with negotiations? Or, um, oh, I'm dating this French woman. And I want to connect with her dad. Her dad is very serious, you know, and so how am I going to do that? If I can't even speak French? you know, in the way that they speak French. My school French is not going to help me there. And so that's the gap that I identified, you know, in the market. It started with in the corporate world where, for example, this salesperson, this senior VP of sales, whether it be at JPMorgan, Chase or Apple, had to do business with a Francophone client. And they realized that the communication is not quite successful. There are gaps in the communication. They're not quite reaching the client. They feel like the client is a bit disinterested. Or sometimes during the meeting, they have side conversations that the salesperson cannot understand. And it just so happens that they end up making decisions during the sidebars that completely fly over their head. They weren't present in that conversation, and so they missed the deal. And so it's that type of gap that I've identified. Actually, one of my, someone that reached out to me, who reached out to me, she was still in Paris, and the day before she flew back to Maryland, she contacted me, she was like, you know, I am the director of such and such museum, and I was in Paris for an exhibition, and, you know, we were discussing a couple pieces of art, and It's not the same when you communicate an emotion in French versus English. The translation, it's not there. It's not there. You really have to be well-versed in both languages to make that happen, to make that connection. And so even as a director of the museum, she's like, I can no longer afford those mistakes. Can you help me? I said, yes. That's why I created Parley, because I've identified those gaps in the market. And prime example, Denine. Even for myself, I remember when I first came to the States, I didn't find any comedy show that was interesting to me. I thought they were all boring, especially Seinfeld. I was like, how can people love this show? It's extremely boring. But then a couple of years in, here I was binging on Seinfeld. I was like, oh my God, it's hilarious. knowing the language is one thing, but being able to capture the language in the culture, that's how you're going to learn the jokes or even understand the jokes. You're going to understand the nuances that make conversation interesting. And so that's where I come in. That's where Pali comes in.

14:48 15:27 Deneen L. Garrett: Yeah. I love that. And so like when you were talking, I was thinking about, so I was in London and I was giving a talk and I said something like a call and response, like, you know, in the U S and church, whatever you do, call and response. So I kind of like did call in the response and they kind of just sat there. And I'm like, hey, right. And I think I may have said something else, but then later, you know, they're like, yeah, we kind of don't do that. Like we just, you know, we don't really engage like that. And I was like, Oh, good Lord. Right. So you need to know that about going. So, you know, you're filling the gaps specifically with French, the language of pronunciation, and then also the cultural as well makes a difference.

15:28 15:28 Rachel Pierre: Yeah.

15:29 15:53 Deneen L. Garrett: So we also got a comment from Shelly majors and hers is more so a comment kind of picking off of what Tisha was saying, but language gatekeeping really announces itself. Accent bias in hiring, code switching exhaustion, jargon that signals belonging before a word is spoken. Rachel's work with Parlay seems to address exactly that layer. And that's pretty much what we've been talking about.

15:53 17:41 Rachel Pierre: Yes. Yes, and that's exactly right. That's also why I created Parley because I remember my first couple years in the state. Yes, code switching exhaustion is real. It is real. I mean, here I was studying in a completely different language. So not only, you know, was I trying to ace my classes, okay, but also I was trying to operate in that language. And, you know, having to code switch between French culture and English culture. I mean, my brain, I was exhausted. I was exhausted. And it's also the same thing that you do even in corporate, right? Because the way that you operate in a corporate environment isn't the way that you operate with your family or with your friends. And so to some level, we're always doing a little bit of code switching, right? But yes, Parley does address that code switching, that. And then after you It actually happens during my first and second month. So I start with the survival method where I help your brain adapt from strictly operating in English to operating in both English and French. And then at the end of the second or third month, based on your starting point, it's easier. So the code switching no longer happens in a way that's exhausting to you because you now become a bilingual individual instead of an American who also speak French, you're now an Anglophone and a Francophone. And so your brain is not doing really much code switching, it's just operating naturally in both languages. So yeah, so that's something that probably addresses more definitely.

17:42 18:00 Deneen L. Garrett: OK, tell us more about that, right? Because that's what I need. I share with you how I did take French in high school and then more familiar and comfortable with Spanish. And I'm in more Spanish-speaking places. How does one train their brain to just operate in both?

18:01 20:36 Rachel Pierre: So an example that I'd like to take is Lupita Nyong'o. Yes. And she unexpectedly explained it so well. I didn't know she did that, but I was so happy to hear it. But here's what she did. So she said when she went to Mexico, she said that, of course, people speak English in Mexico. But she wanted to speak Spanish because she decided she wanted to live in Mexico for a while. And so what she did is stop speaking English or stop even responding in English. and try to force her brain to respond in Spanish. Even when she didn't know the words, she said, at first, it was so uncomfortable because I was trying to find my words. I was freezing because I didn't have the vocabulary yet. But you know what? I pushed through. And she said she became a different version of herself because she's naturally outgoing. She's an extrovert. But then she found herself an introvert because she couldn't respond the same way. what does happen is something that, you know, as we chatted about earlier, many Europeans have gone through because many Europeans do speak multiple languages. And so it comes naturally to them at a certain point, when you learn a new language, you already know, okay, it's going to be uncomfortable for a little while, you're going to be a different person for a little while you're, you know, but it's only temporary. And so the way that I do that with parlay is very similar. The first month I have you, for example, switch the settings of your phone to French. And yes, of course it's going to be uncomfortable because let's say you have a meeting and you're like, what is that word again? You know, so of course it's going to be uncomfortable. And of course, we're not going to do that when you have a meeting with your manager or, you know, with the executive team, but we're going to dedicate part of your day to operate strictly in French because that's when your brain is going to remove the freeze and start to understand that, oh, French is not something I do on the side. We are becoming a francophone embedded in your daily routine. So now you're having conversations strictly in French throughout your day until it becomes normal and natural. And then, you know, it sticks with repetition because you're implementing it in your daily routine. So that means It's something you do every day. So of course, it's going to come natural to versus when you learn it in French, you're studying it, but you're not necessarily putting it in practice right away. It's through memorization. But if you're not, if it's not embedded in your routine, of course, it's not going to stick. Right. So, yeah, I hope I answered that question.

20:36 21:04 Deneen L. Garrett: No, you absolutely did. And I'm smiling because I'm thinking about how with me and I and I told you, like when I do travel and it's a different language, like I I'm thinking, OK, how do I? I want to say this one sentence in that language. And so I'm spending all that time coming up with a sentence to get it out. Now, when you respond, I don't know what you're saying. However, I do. But the point that I'm making is that I'm thinking as opposed to just happening.

21:05 22:21 Rachel Pierre: Exactly. Yes. And it's, it's going to happen that way because your brain hasn't yet caught up with the fact that, Oh, I'm a bilingual now. No, it's still, it's still thinking, Oh, this hobby that we have on the side, which is French. What, what, you know, what's that word again in the hobby? No, that's why you're freezing. That's what you're thinking because it's not, it's not part of who you are. It's not part of your daily routine. So your brain is like, Oh, How do I do that again? No. Um, the way that we overcome it is by embedding it into your daily routine. And yes, it's going to be uncomfortable. It's not like, you know, it's going to come to you right away. But the thing that I want, you know, our listeners to understand is that, especially for those of you who only speak one language, I know you're going to feel like, Oh, it's so uncomfortable. Oh, I feel insecure. Oh, you know, oh, I'm making a fool of myself. But guess what? Those of us who speak multiple languages, we had to go through that a second time, a third time, a fourth time. And so it's not that much of a roadblock for us, because now we're like, oh, it's just temporary. Yes, we're going to make a fool of ourselves, but it's temporary, right? So yeah, just understanding that it's temporary. Just push through it. Just try to embed it more into your daily routine. And then it'll stick. It'll come to you easily, because your brain will have adapted to it, to your new normal.

22:21 22:28 Deneen L. Garrett: Yeah, so a couple of things with that. So yes, and that's why people say, oh, watch shows in that language.

22:28 22:28 Rachel Pierre: Yes.

22:28 22:50 Deneen L. Garrett: Listen to radio, whatever is the language, to get your brain used to hearing and operating. So the other thing I wanted to say is, just in case y'all didn't catch this, did y'all hear that flex, OK? That flex about those of us who speak multiple languages and how easy it is. It's just temporary for a minute. Yes, girl, do that. Flex on up.

22:51 24:15 Rachel Pierre: Yes, yes, because I get it. I've been there. I spoke only French, and I had to learn a second language. And I was like, no. Even for English, my dad had to force me to speak English because it was so different. You know what my dad did? My dad, one day I come home from school, and I want to catch up. So there's a show here called, a soap opera called Not Days of Our Lives, another one, but in French we call it Les Feux de l'Amour. Oh, Young and the Restless. So in French we called it Les Feux de l'Amour, which translates to the fire of love. And I knew something was going to happen, you know, today. So I'm like, You know, let's get home fast. I don't want to miss my show. So I'm running to the TV. I turn it on and it's in English. And I'm like, I'm flipping through the channels, flipping through the channels, all English. Dad! Something's wrong with the cable and I'm missing my show. And he's like, nothing's wrong with the cable. I told you to start learning English. You don't want to listen. So now you have no choice but to watch your favorite show in English. What are you going to do? You going to stop watching the show? No. So he really forced me through it because I was that reticent to learning a completely different language because it was so uncomfortable. And that sounded so silly, you know, at first. But boy, am I glad he did it because I wouldn't have been here talking to you, right?

24:15 24:56 Deneen L. Garrett: Yeah, yeah. No, and you're right. For me, it's that vulnerability, right? It's exactly what you said, that feeling of being uncomfortable about seeing something wrong. Because I have access to multiple people who speak Spanish and who have been willing, like, I'll help you. But I just haven't embraced it because of my fears around it, like not seeing it right. And then not being, I don't want to be corrected. I really need to go ahead because I love other languages. I love people. Like I said, I'm envious of people who speak more than one. It's like, I can be one of those people. I'm in my way.

24:57 25:07 Rachel Pierre: Yeah, just push through it. Push through the discomfort. I promise it's only temporary. I promise we'll all be in there where we feel so silly, where we're like, no, stop correcting me. Yeah, I know.

25:07 25:08 Deneen L. Garrett: I know.

25:08 25:08 Rachel Pierre: Yeah.

25:08 27:55 Deneen L. Garrett: All right. So your clients are operating in French-speaking boardrooms at the highest levels, France, Monaco, Francophone markets globally. I want to know what language fluency actually unlocks for a leader that strategy alone never could. And stay with us. We'll be back after this break. I've been doing this work for a while, building credentialing, showing up week after week for women of color, and more recently, for Black women, 50 plus, who deserve a seat at every table in every room. And I want you to know the rooms are getting bigger. This year, I walked into the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit as credentialed press. I was accepted as press in the room at the Milliken Institute Global Conference one of the most prestigious gatherings of global leaders on the planet. I was also honored as a Leadership in Action honoree at Career Master. And I finished in the top five in my category in the National Entrepreneur of Impact competition. And I'm not waiting for permission to be in the room. I'm building my way into every one of them. and the credential press at the marquee cultural events of 2026, bringing those conversations directly back to you across my social channels. And if you're a black woman over 50 who was done settling for the life you thought you were supposed to have, who was ready to dream boldly, decide intentionally, and drive your vision, there's a community built specifically for you. The Dream Lifestyle Collective. where we don't just talk about the dream, we live it. All right, so here's how you can be part of what's building. Watch and subscribe on YouTube, where we have new conversations every Thursday. Listen and subscribe to the top 20 women's empowerment podcasts, women of color and intimate conversation. And if you're ready to join our community, come inside the Dream Lifestyle Collective and If you're a brand and you're ready to be in a room where women of color conversations happen, and more specifically, where Black women 50 plus gather, become a sponsor. The vision is all. All right. Okay. Well, welcome back to Women of Color Live. Today, we're talking about language is power and the legacy you build when you break barriers with it with Rachel Pierre. And before the break, I ask, what does language fluency unlock for a leader that strategy alone never could?

27:56 30:00 Rachel Pierre: Yes. So I love that question because people mistake fluency with having perfect grammar, perfect vocabulary, perfect pronunciation. But fluency, as we discussed earlier, is about understanding the nuances, understanding the culture, basically understanding the environment that you want to operate in. And so a prime example, I had this client who was trying to close a deal with a French company. I mean, it had been 18 months and she couldn't close the deal. She was like, I don't know what it is. I can't get through to them. And so in asking probing questions and doing my own research about the company and asking about the conversation that she's had with that, uh, with her client, I realized that, okay, you're asking this guy to trust you, but you haven't shown him that you even see him. And for you to see him, you have to understand that this business is a family business for him, okay? His great-grandfather passed it on to his grandfather, so on and so forth. And the way that you're coming at him for you is just business. You're not seeing him and what that business means to him. And so I gave her a couple of key phrases that she butchered, but even through the butchering, she closed the deal. And the sentences were around, you know, okay, we are building together something that lasts. Okay, this is my plan for the next decade. You know, this is how we're going to last. And now you're showing him that, oh, she sees me because yes, it is a family business. I want it to last. I want this partnership to last. I don't want someone to come in, make profit and then bounce. And so that's what fluency unlocks. It gives you access. It gives you insider access that merely speaking the language cannot give you. Yeah. Yeah.

30:00 30:48 Deneen L. Garrett: Yeah, and you know, so I want to also just make clear, so what we're talking about, and we've said it, you've pointed this out, but I just want to stress this, that these people already know how to speak French. Yes. It's teaching them another level to it, a way of building relationships with people, because that's really what you're talking about in a sense, is building relationships, which goes beyond the language, right? It goes beyond, and it's not just specific to someone who's closing deals with people who speak French or any other languages. We're talking about in any situation, when you connect with people, that makes a difference. It's the next level it closes deals. It gets you indoors. It gets you on tables. You get to build stuff, you know when you're building those relationships, which is very key.

30:49 31:42 Rachel Pierre: Yes. Yes, which is very key. So I do have a program for people who don't speak French at all. Of course, it's going to take you longer. If your goal is to close business deals and you don't speak French at all, then of course there's like a six month program, a year program based on how fast do you learn. But what really drove me to start Parley is exactly that gap is, is the gap between. French but for some reason I can't connect with this client. They're not understanding each other. I can't close those deals. They keep going to someone else. Or I keep hiring a translator and maybe my translator is the one laughing with my client and building that relationship with the client but not me, not with me. You're just sitting like, oh. Yes, exactly, exactly. And so that's the value that I bring in. And that's where fluency gives you that insider access. It gives you leverage, right? It gives you that leverage, yeah.

31:42 32:04 Deneen L. Garrett: And so you've pretty much already answered this, but I want to ask it a little bit more directly. So you work with executives at the highest levels of global business, as we've said. And for a leader who has been operating in French speaking environments without full fluency, what is she actually losing in those rooms that she may not even know she's losing?

32:07 34:54 Rachel Pierre: Well, she's not realizing that she's losing. And I don't know if any of our listeners has ever watched an episode of Emily in Paris. Oh, yeah. Yeah. So it can seem silly. But what I do love that the creator and the writers have done really well is show us even though, you know, there's humor in it, but you've seen several situations where Emily lost relationship with, for example, a lucrative potential client that she bought to the company. And she completely lost that relationship because the client came in and she started connecting with the Francophones in the room. And then they started putting plans, creating plans together and making plans and saying, Oh, he has to have my art gallery, you know, exhibition that's coming up. You should come. And now she's inviting your boss or your other teammate and you're sitting on the sidelines, not even realizing that you're not being invited to an event. you know, or, um, and, or there are jokes, but they're laughing and you're sitting like this, you know, or maybe you're faking it, but you're not really, you know, so you're losing, you're leaving money on the table. First of all, you're leaving millions or billions on a table, depending on your business and the deal you're, you're losing relationships. You know, if you're not working on those skills, you're definitely losing relationships. And, um, How does that impact your personal life, your personal goals? For example, I have a client who came to me and said, Rachel, I already told my daughter that I'm sending her to Harvard. So if I don't close this deal with my Francophone client, I don't know if I'm going to pay for Harvard. And she's already doing well. She's acing. I know she's going to land in Harvard, but I'm not ready. I need you to make me ready and close the deal with the client. So that would be a huge loss for that father. Another client came to me, he said, there were times where I had the perfect solution to a problem, but I was so afraid to speak up. I was so afraid to butcher my sentences. The deal went to someone else. I'm like, what? Let's not ever let that happen to you. And this is someone, I mean, that's, that's money that you, that could have gone to your family, to your business. Right. And you told me that you want to travel the world. And so you lost all of that. You lost all of that just because you're afraid to speak up. You're afraid to learn the language that actually allows you to connect with your client. So, so yeah, I love that question because it is true that people don't realize. the opportunity cost, like what are you losing by building or working on that skill, right? So yeah.

34:55 35:20 Deneen L. Garrett: No, and I mean, it is. It is such an interesting thing that we don't necessarily focus on, right? There's certain things that we focus on, and then there's things that we don't necessarily focus on. But that just goes to show, it's like, tap into that, right? Tap into that, and that's a reason for you to go ahead and do that thing, right? We're so hesitant to do certain things, but then there's a cost.

35:21 35:21 Rachel Pierre: Yes.

35:21 36:08 Deneen L. Garrett: There's always a cost, right? Of doing something and not doing something. And so you have to figure out, do you want to pay that cost? Or even flip it to as in, OK, the gain, right? Because there's a gain as well. Like, OK, what will I gain if I go ahead and train my brain to speak Spanish so that I'm bilingual, right? And again, when you said speaking another language, speaking Spanish versus being bilingual, I never looked at it as two different things. Look, it connected. It's a difference. Bilingual, you just do it. It comes. It happens. Like I said, I'm spending an hour on that one sentence. And then I get it out and then I don't know what to say.

36:08 36:39 Rachel Pierre: Yes, yes. And that's how sometimes I've actually experienced people who switch between languages in the same sentence. Yes, yes. Yeah. And that's because they're bilingual. So they don't have to do code switching. So now both languages are coming at them. And they're like, OK, I guess I'll just operate in both. I'll finish my sentence in both. And so that's the beauty of it. Yes, there is a difference between knowing a language Belonging in that language, operating, living in that language, yes. Being bilingual, yeah.

36:40 37:15 Deneen L. Garrett: And then another thing I also wanted to kind of go back to, because you mentioned this earlier when we were talking about the pronunciation and whatnot, and you mentioned a college professor, how they knew their craft, they knew the topic, what they were teaching. However, that accent was so heavy and thick. I've experienced that as well. I experienced it two different ways. One, I think I was taking stats. Now we know, unless your brain is that type of brain, stats is hard. It's hard to see it. And then your accent is so thick, I don't know what you're saying already, came in the door like, oh, stats, and then here you go.

37:15 38:13 Rachel Pierre: I don't know what you're saying. Exactly. And that teacher was teaching a programming language, C++. So forget it. I was so frustrated because, you know, I went to school in Haiti and Haiti, I didn't learn a programming language. You know, I started learning it when I came to the States. So now here I am. And the thing is, you know, something that people don't talk a lot about, a lot of students who are in computer science programs, computer engineering programs, many of them are international students. who actually know how to code. And they come to the States just to secure a diploma so they can go back home and make more money. So the curve is already steep as it is. And then here I am sitting in this class, I cannot even understand a word because his accent is so thick. I'm like, what is going on? I'm going to fail because I cannot understand this teacher. So it is a real problem. We have to look at it both ways, on both ends. Yeah. Here's the flip to that.

38:13 38:27 Deneen L. Garrett: In college, Spanish, a US teacher speaking Spanish in English. If you get what I'm saying, like no pronunciation, none of that.

38:27 38:30 SPEAKER_03: It's just like, yes.

38:31 38:35 Deneen L. Garrett: You know what I'm saying?

38:35 39:33 Rachel Pierre: Yes. What? Yes. You know, it is very true because There are Hispanics who speak where I cannot understand most of what they're saying. However, if a Spaniard speaks like somebody from Spain and other, maybe Argentinian, but definitely from Spain, I understand 99.99%. I understand the whole conversation. So just to show that, yes, there is something to be said about pronunciation, that it is something that we should definitely, you know, work on if we want to make an impact, if you want to be effective, you know, in our communication, because it is in fact a roadblocker. So you can't be mad at a company who says, I'd love to hire you. You have a great background, but communication-wise, it's probably going to be a problem, you know. Not saying that they're all right, because again, most people have an accent. So, but it is something to be considered, yeah. Yeah, absolutely.

39:33 39:49 Deneen L. Garrett: All right, so you left 15 years in fintech to build something the market didn't have yet. And for the woman who has an idea that doesn't fit neatly into a category, what is the one thing she needs to do to stop waiting and start building?

39:51 44:01 Rachel Pierre: Honestly, I would say, first of all, listen to your gut. Your gut is always right, because that's what I did. Also, if you are risk averse, it's okay to be risk averse. But when you leave a comfort, your comfort, for example, corporate, you know, was comfort for me, right? Like, I knew where my next paycheck was coming. I know I was doing a great job. Although not always guaranteed, because yes, people get laid off. But at Apple, for example, Apple, if you're a good employee, You know, I mean, it'll be very hard for you to get fired. And so leaving that comfort to start something that I'm passionate about, it's not for the faint of heart, I have to say. You have to know yourself, you have to trust yourself, know your capabilities, know that, you know, like, what does your career or your life, what has it told you, you know, this far? Are you someone who, when you put your mind to it, you achieve things? And that's what I had to rely on, because I've tested this before, where I took a break from corporate. I said, I'm so burnt out at JP Morgan. I'm going to take a year off. And lo and behold, that year, I just happened to walk into a dance class. They would not let me go. Two months later, I was already competing in ballroom dancing and won first place. Now, would that have ever happened? Had I been sitting at my desk day in and day out in corporate? No. So it's really sitting down and assessing, really understanding who you are. Yes, are you risk averse? But do you achieve things? Are you resourceful and trusting in your capabilities? And also, are you a woman of faith? Because for me, faith is very important to me. truly, truly kept me centered every time that I've taken a risk. And that's where I really, I just looked at my finances and my finances were not perfect. Okay. They were not perfect, but I knew that, okay, I've done this before. And I went right back on my feet and I know what I'm capable of. And so I'm going to take that leap because that's what my intuition is telling me. Also, if you find yourself beyond depressed, And sick, because that will literally make you ill when you find yourself in a, in, in, in a role in corporate or wherever, where you're miserable, because let's say your talent is not being tapped into. You're not seen, you're not valued. Um, now I don't, I don't want to recommend it as the only solution because some people are not progressing in corporate because you're not playing the game. Right. For example, make yourself visible, speak up, right? Make sure that you build relationships with influencers, not just managers, not just executives, because not every executive is an influencer, has influence. Build relationships with someone who has influence so that when they're in decision-making rooms that you're not in, your name gets mentioned. So there's all that. However, let's say you've already explored all those avenues And you just feel like, oh, this is really not for me. You start putting a game plan together. Listen to that voice. Be strategic. There is risk, but is it risk that you can mitigate, that you can absorb, right, through your finances, through your life? And make the leap. I think that that's the recommendation I have for you know, anybody who's considering making that move, taking the leap, it's not for the faint of heart, but definitely be strategic about it and listen to that voice. Because one thing, the shift for me was how sick I had gotten for an absolutely no reason. I would go to the doctors and they're like, we don't know what's wrong with you. Everything is fine. Your blood work is fine. And I knew, that's when I knew I was like, okay, it's time for me to leave.

44:03 44:06 Deneen L. Garrett: You were stressed and stress had manifested physically.

44:06 44:07 Rachel Pierre: Exactly.

44:07 45:09 Deneen L. Garrett: Yeah. So, okay. So you just said a whole bunch of things that I want to know. I mean, some books, but here's the thing, like, okay. So we've said several times played a game. So let's kind of say what is playing a game and you did say part of it. So I, you know, have wondered about that. And I remember going to a conference and someone had put up on the board pie P I E and P is for presence. The I, I forget what the I actually stands for, but for me, because I made up my own, is innovation. And the E is exposure, which you just, well, you said visibility, but the exposure. So those are like, that's part of playing a game, like your presence matters. And, you know, again, innovation is mine, but being innovative, like coming up with different things and thinking outside the box or thinking inside out the box. However, separating yourself and then the exposure and visibility you have to be seeing, like people need to know you. So those are part of what we mean when we say playing the game. Exactly. Yes.

45:09 45:31 Rachel Pierre: Yes. Thank you for that. Yes. Yes. That is definitely part of what we mean, you know, by playing the game. It's not just quitting corporate, and it's not just, oh, I have to comply to a higher power. No, it's just a game. It's just a game. You want to win, you play the game to win. And then when you're over it, you move on.

45:31 47:34 Deneen L. Garrett: And it goes back to what we said earlier. So here's the thing. You have to decide what game you're playing. And so what I mean by that is, when I had made the decision to retire, what, two years, a year and a half before I did, right? And so I'm playing a game, right? I'm playing the game of, I'm up out of here in 18 months, right? I'm like, I'm up out of here in 18 months. So what am I going to do during those 18 months? Everything I said yes to was in alignment with what I planned for myself afterwards. If it didn't fit into what I had designed for my life, I wasn't doing it. Like, I wasn't going to put on the extra and the this and the that, because if it didn't fit into what I was trying to do for myself, So you have to make the decision, well, what do you want for yourself? What game do you want to play? And play that. Now, if the game is to get promoted, then yeah, you need to tap into who are the decision makers? Who are those influencers? Who can get me to that next particular level? What do they want to see from me? What do they want me doing? and do those things. So you need to figure out what game you're playing. And the other thing I want to say is I am so glad we're having this conversation because you stretched me a bit. I'm thinking French. How often is someone speaking French? In the U.S., when are we really in situations and environments where French comes up? And so it does, right? People are dealing with folks in France, Monaco. There's even African countries that speak, Senegal as an example, Haiti that speak French, right? So I'm not necessarily thinking of those places, but you stretched me to do that. And I'm saying it and bringing it up because I'm well-traveled, right? So this has taught me something. So we all can learn. There's so many different things that we can learn. You think you know, but you don't know. I asked that question. There's so many things that we think we know, or we just don't know what we don't know. And so having conversations opened us up to all of that.

47:34 49:02 Rachel Pierre: Denine, I'm so happy to hear that I've stretched you. Because that is always my goal with Parley. I love tapping into people and their potential and helping them realize that, oh, That's where my roadblock was, or that's where I wasn't progressing. But to add to what you just said, we even use French at home here in the States. Our legal system is based on French. So just a tiny bit of history. I'm not going to go into too many details. But the English legal system came from what's called French for Normandy. So I think it dates back to 1915-something and then 1960 when the French already took over parts of England and they brought along their legal system that the English people adapted and then the American system inherited. So when we talk about entrepreneurs, parlements, I mean, there's so many French words that people already saying on a regular basis, especially if you're in law, you are definitely speaking French perhaps half your day and you don't even know it. The words are not pronounced the same way, of course, but the legal jargon is based on French.

49:03 49:03 Deneen L. Garrett: Yes.

49:03 49:04 Rachel Pierre: Yeah. Yeah.

49:05 49:56 Deneen L. Garrett: And you know, and not only that, so Detroit, Detroit, I think it's Les Detroits or something, I think that's French or there's a French history in. Yes, yes. Right, it's like little, it's like, I think they were like little canals and so they named it something, it's like, and then we have Livernois, that's a street, like there's streets that we have that we never did realize, oh, those are French. As you, you know, we have those different things that we don't know it. So yeah, it's around us. more often than we realize. And the other thing, I want to add this as well, when you start talking about risk, I said, this is what I'm committing. Now I'm going to just be transparent. I'm not saying when. However, I commit to taking a class, like maybe a dance class or something like that, or something where they're teaching it in Spanish.

50:00 50:49 Rachel Pierre: Yes, I'm happy to hear it. I'm happy to hear it because you're going to feel so awesome. And when, when are you going to be like, Oh my God, that sounds so cool. I speak two languages. Right. And it's, or, or when you, your compliments, like one of my favorite compliments is when people tell me, Oh my God, your Spanish is beautiful. And then, you know, and I told them, thank you. But and then they start speaking, you know, Spanish to me. But I tell them, well, listen, now we live in America. So how's your English? That's my English now. Yeah. But it's one of my favorite compliments when people look at me like, oh, it's like, oh, I didn't expect that. You're Spanish is so beautiful. I'm happy for you. I'm happy for you. Yeah. Especially to dance. That's perfect because that's the culture. It'll be perfect, a perfect way to to to get embedded into that culture. I love that.

50:50 50:51 Deneen L. Garrett: So thank you for that.

50:51 50:52 Rachel Pierre: Merci.

50:52 50:54 Deneen L. Garrett: My pleasure. Avec plaisir.

50:54 50:56 Rachel Pierre: Avec plaisir. My pleasure.

50:57 51:11 Deneen L. Garrett: OK. So language is not just communication. It's authority. It's access. It's the door you didn't know you could open. That's the Dream Lifestyle standard. So Rachel, before we wrap, what would you like to leave those watching or listening with?

51:12 52:55 Rachel Pierre: You know, just a reminder to our listeners that you have in anything you do in life, you have to be uncomfortable until you become comfortable. So don't let that pronunciation be a blocker or, I mean, yes, it may be gatekeeping, but you too have power. You have power in changing your destiny. You know, it starts with you, you know, so whether it be language, whether it be career, whatever it may be, you know, whatever, um, the next chapter, uh, opens up for you, you know, whether it be, Little, little things, big things, starting a family. You have to learn how to be a mom. You know, my sister's going through that right now. You had to get uncomfortable until you have to sit in that discomfort and push through it. Don't do just sit in it, but push through it. Right. Allow yourself to push through it until you, because that's where you attend success. That's where you get to the next door. That's where you get insider access. I had to do the same thing in corporate where it was very, uh, you know, I had to build relationships with influential executives. And at first I was like, I don't want to, I don't want to. I don't want to. I just want to come into my job and be promoted. Well, that doesn't work. I have to get out of that comfort zone. It doesn't matter how smart you are. So lean into that discomfort, push through it, and I promise you, you'll learn so much about yourself. And you'll be so thankful for it. You'll get that confidence at the end of the day. If nothing else sways you, just think about your self-confidence. It builds you up. It builds that confidence.

52:56 53:47 Deneen L. Garrett: Well, Rachael Pierre-Mercy, thank you for bringing your vision, your expertise, and the doors you've opened through language to women of color live today. This is exactly what the Legacy Series is about. An enormous thank you to the Leon Thomas Group, especially Oren Stewart Sr., for holding it down behind the scenes every single Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern. So those who are watching, listening, if this moves you, hit subscribe so you don't miss where we go next. And share this with a leader who is operating globally and knows there's a next level she hasn't unlocked yet. This conversation is for her. So next Thursday, August 27, we close the Legacy Series with our final episode of the season, and I will be in the chair. Six months, one mission, what we built together. You don't want to miss it. See you then.