Christena Pyle and Neisha Tweed Bell

00:04 Okay. Hi. My name is Neisha Tweed Bell. And I am 37 years old today is September 7th 2019 and we are in sunny beautiful, Los Angeles, California. I am interviewing Christina J Pyle who is a longtime friend colleague and advocate of mine.

00:26 Should I introduce myself? Yeah, I'm going to do that a hi. My name is Christina Pyle. I'm 35 years old. Today's date is sometime in September location is Los Angeles, California at the JW Marriott La live in downtown? The name of my interviewer is Neisha Tweed Bell, and she she is a close friend and a clue a creative collaborator of mine. I can speak English.

01:01 Will I start asking questions or would you like to start ask me by okay deepest and where we are. Okay, so we met maybe in 2007 right at Ogilvie an ad agency in New York. I remember you being in a space that was kind of like a dungeon and it was very late and walking by and being like holy crap. There's another black girl and at that time there were so few of us that you noticed that and over the years we've become so, you know such great friends. You recently were saying that you remembered meeting me but not necessarily when or how but the way it made you feel. Can you can you tell me a bit more about that? Yeah. Well, yes, I remember meeting you 10 years ago, and I remember like the first time I remember feeling that you left an impression on me.

02:01 And a couple of the thoughts about you as well. This this girl is she's young and her career, but she's so confident. She's kind of an Unapologetic which is really cool. And I feel no competitive energy from her and you just made me feel like

02:19 There's a safe space in you like your you know, you're somebody I'm going to know for a long time and I think my instincts are right by a really right. I'm kind of a mess. But the competition thing I thought was really interesting in especially that as we've gone through our careers. We have taken very different paths, but yet we've constantly come back together and we got we we find ways to work together to advocate for children to celebrate each other. What what do you think? Like, what is it about you that makes that doing those type of things important?

02:57 Well, I think they didn't know competition feeling between us has rare Between Women. I think it's rare between women who are two of the onliest in the loneliest in the company. So instead of instead of looking at each other and thinking there's only room for one of us. I think you and I looked at each other and said there's power numbers and

03:27 Being able to have that type of wherewithal at a young age has been able to Foster this amazing career of like reverse mentorship and support over the years and calling each other out calling on each other. So I think is an encouragement to other women. I think there's a there's a whole system designed to make us feel like there's only space for one as people of color or even as women and not subscribing to that. I don't know I give credit to the I give credit to the green young versions of us. We were pretty awesome. I think one of the things that you as a person love to build people up and celebrate people in like, you know, I feel like sometimes you come to me and you just like start telling me things about myself that are really great and you articulate them in such a way that I'm like what she put this on.

04:27 Where do you get that energy from like is that how you are with everybody or am I just extra special to you? I mean, you know, you've always been special. You're like somebody I fear and Revere I love and there's no way it makes no sense that. We're this close the Aries. He is very positive and really saw the good in people and it's just it's just the lens of which I see people and just feel compelled to tell them about themselves in that moment in the things shining through that they may not see themselves. But in your case, you see that I just I get articulated and I think the guest didn't get to it is I think it is against fear and then sometimes I can't do that for myself. I swear I surround myself with people who can uplift me and and and pour into me.

05:27 When I've poured everything out and other people, okay, that's really that's really interesting. What what is it? You think that stops you from being able to celebrate how great you are and vocalize that

05:40 I think it's having like tough parents and grandparents and let's keep it moving. Org like let's do you really have you know, Mom was tough on us the great achievement but we've got to we've got to keep going. I think I think that's a shared immigrant experience. I think it's it experience of a parents. They didn't come from a lot. Even if there weren't immigrants. So I sense of not being able to stop and celebrate my achievements. But but also knowing I need that I need a celebration. So I Look to those people. Okay. I look for those reinforcing people. That's why I love you because as an immigrant my before I came to America being in high school in Caribbean. I remember my always wanted my parents to tell me they were proud of me and they never did and it was really frustrating to me because I I I did really well in school and I had all these other extracurriculars in my mom.

06:40 Kind of always said well, that's what you're supposed to do if you want a cookie and so when I I think that the challenging that is that when I done came to work, I gave my all and I constantly over delivered and whatever because I think I was still looking for that that validation but also still feeling like I don't deserve that validation. So when somebody like you compliments me or tell somebody else like oh here that you guys are great. Nisha is here's what she's doing. It actually makes me feel really really uncomfortable and I kind of figure out how to to bring that to other people.

07:21 I'm curious about when it comes to working just like thinking about over and over delivering in like putting so much of yourself into it. How do you feel like you fit on the inlet on that spectrum? And what is it that motivates you?

07:35 I am motivated by the kind of spending my gifts about feeling like exhausted at the end of the day. And that's that's why it's kind of critical again. I say to surround myself with people who like pour back into me ask me your question again. Do you how do you feel when it comes to and I know you over deliver right? I know that's how you are. You are a game-changing person you were at color for 12 years and created the conference and turned it into a beautiful wonderful just driving magical day and you know, it worked with you have been up with you at midnight kind of helping with stuff but I won't understand like is that just your base or are you like constantly pushing yourself to to do more when you think about what you're giving in to your job? I mean it I think I feel a sense of urgency.

08:35 Especially around the work that we do because there's some people who right now or like their resistance to change and you can understand you can understand they want this to move it incrementally. There's another group that's like we have waited so long and you and I represent that community that that actually wants to see change happen now and I need that sometimes it's it's life-saving askreddit call you when you're talking about the LGBT community when you're talking about safety around women in the workplace even even issues around pay Equity representation. These are Urgent. So I think you can see that in my process my work process has a bit of an urgency to it and that is born out of the work that I do and then the work that I do is born out of the people and the constituencies and this is urgent. It's personal is life-saving and and so that pours into the work and the push.

09:35 Constantly pushing yourself is because you feel the people that you're representing. It's really important to you being so passionate about this and being so personally connected to the work that you do. How do you take care of yourself? Like how do you keep yourself from being burnt out?

09:57 I do I like I like to travel, you know this about me. I I think traveling is the best return-on-investment for how you can spend your money. And if you can buy happiness, you can't buy happiness. But if you were to buy happiness happiness would look like travel and travel is about the the anticipation in the planning. There's joy in that there's joy and actually being on your trip and then there's joy on the memories that you pull from after the trip. So one way that I get away and restore myself as travel everywhere and there's so many places. I'm not somebody who goes back, you know, there's a philosophy of some people who want to travel and see something different and then there's a philosophy to go back to where you've been and you love and drill down deeper. I don't know where I've landed yet on that. I think you're more go to different places.

10:57 Yeah, and eat as much different food is Pollo. Yeah, like I spend I spend my paycheck on food. Every two weeks. I bought my paycheck and I just eat it feel like I like I do like a massage. I don't put that in a category of luxury and put in a category of Wellness. Yes. I love that. You tell me some of the ways that you because you are tireless. You're Relentless. You have a Virgo work ethic you are you are you don't have a position in life. You have a purpose like that. I'm put that on my resume search. Tell me how how do you refill when your when your cup is low? So we just really interesting after having my son last year. I feel like I suddenly became a human and before I had no

11:54 I had no end you know what I mean? Like there was there was never anything. I felt like I couldn't do if I wanted to do it. I found a way to make it happen and I made whatever sacrifices I didn't needed to make is whatever help I needed but I made stuff happened. And then after I had the baby, I I physically couldn't do that anymore and then mentally my brain just kind of like kind of mushroom. Looking like alphabet soup. I just I don't I don't feel like I'm a smart as I was a year-and-a-half ago. So having now this pressure of having a job and having a child and having a husband and a household and all these things that I have to manage. I actually had to admit my my limits and I saw my limits I had to admit them and then I had to figure out how to work within them. And one of the things that I really had to start prioritizing was taken care of myself and making space for myself, so

12:54 Oh, I am do facials every month and I block off your I actually shows at work and so like a Wednesday morning or Thursday morning. I go into work put my stuff down and then I go to go to this facial. So at this not taking outside of my my my home time. I do massages every other month and I go to sleep. I know that sounds crazy. But like I never used to sleep either. I went to sleep about 8 every night. I woke up at 4, but I went to sleep at 8 and and just being able to admit that I can't do everything and I'm not going to be perfect which is such a hard thing for a Virgo has really helped me kind of been reclaim some of my time with myself.

13:50 Neisha tell me something about you that I don't know I know lots you do know I don't have receipt don't share I don't know we're actually very open and you're one of the few people that I feel like I can be my authentic self with all the time and I really appreciate that I something about me that you don't know.

14:13 That's a really hard question. You should have kept me for it won't you tell me something first. I have these like secret fantasies. I'm just quitting and opening a B&B not an Airbnb opening up a bed and breakfast Edinburgh and running it from designing it to to Ping out the menu even helping to cook and I think I could see it being in Morocco Riad Morocco. I don't know. Okay. So one day I might just up and leave. Yeah, just letting everybody know but what about all the passion and purpose in the things that you're doing about the people I will pour into the people in my bed and breakfast.

15:02 So

15:05 Tell me about a time looking back in the past 5 years 10 years. You felt like you were on your game. You're doing it. You're killing it.

15:17 How tell me like what that time was what the time frame was like what what moment the you you've experienced that but then also how do you think you can bring that energy into your new role at times up? Okay. Well, you know, it's interesting that we are right now at the adcolor conference because last year at the time that is when I fell it all come together in the end in terms of speaking and representing the organization and having the right speakers and plays and owning the logistics and having plans in place for anything that could go wrong and having contingencies for contingencies and feeling just really empowered present and that's when people see you that is when people see you and this is a time where the organization add color.

16:17 Getting so many yeses after years of knows maybe he's not this time budget Arlo. We are getting all of the gases and I I just felt like this is a career-defining moment and that is exactly when it's time to go. Yes, so I find myself an interesting place very uncomfortable place right now of starting over of building new relationships stretching into a new role and getting those knows those maybes and having to lean into the muscle of building again, and it is exciting. It's terrifying. It's uncomfortable and somebody wise this morning told me Nisha.

17:14 Tell me why is this morning told me that that uncomfortable feeling is growth it is what you should do is chase after and I am leaning into that today. Samberg doesn't have to own. I'm just leaning into it. That's awesome. I'm very curious. So when you were ready to start your new job and you talked about having to start over what is something that you kind of said to yourself that you're going to do differently and this new job in this new space as this person that like people don't even necessarily now,

17:49 Well, I really kind of steep myself in the idea that what gets you here won't take you there. So what gets you here won't take you there is this idea that you have to pause and understand the new landscape and understand that what people saw in you?

18:11 Is is basically saw something in you, but that's not what they're hiring you for and you have to understand what they're hiring in for. It is another level. It's another level of understanding politics. It is it is understanding the bigger picture your responsibility to revenue and I'm I'm trying to learn that at the in the same time. I'm trying to learn new routines new system new operating system. So it is that's where the discomfort lies it's all and I'm treating it as all new the relationships I had in the past and I want to read teach people how to see me. Yes, you know, Steve me how I see myself and Neisha tell me tell me about tell me about you and in this place that you're in right now and

19:02 Where you see yourself in the future?

19:06 The place that I'm in right now, I'm actually at a really great place II, you know, I love Facebook. I love the work that I'm doing a Facebook. I'm super excited about that the team that I've built and the the trajectory that we have its really really awesome to be at a point to where I'm like thinking about you. What am I going to do next and having it be completely wide-open. I've never had that before because an advertising it was you are a junior copywriter than you archive. Where does Tina Kifer at ACB like, you know them in there since I clear path and this is all it is and then now I can literally do anything and I've had to step back and really ask myself. What are the things that you love doing? What are the things that you can do better than most other people? What are you bringing to the table and articulating that has

19:59 Actually made me feel like damn girl in a way that I don't know that I am I type of force and it's bigger than my resume. I can't write that down. You know what I mean? Like whenever people are like, what do you want to do? And I'm like I can do anything. What problems do you need solved I want

20:26 I'm I'm really really good at looking at a situation taking a step back and figuring out what are the things that are wrong immediately how to fix them and how to put in a system to either scale its or to let like have those things never happen again. So I always like I'm quick to say what's wrong. I'm very critical very vague with me. However, my next thought is always how can we fix this and how can we fix this in a way that no one has to go through this again or this isn't a problem again and that it couldn't like kind of I think you definitely begin with the end in mind and you you think along whatever project you're taking on you think what is the legacy of this? Yeah, and how can I leave this so somebody else can come in and and pick it up and carry it on and we got to experience that under your leadership with add color and how you trim.

21:26 Forms the eye color Advisory Board and then left a blueprint for for posterity. And that's I've seen you do that kind of time and again, so thank you for this is why I said she is he's always as kind of like articulating what I do better than I can. What do you think that that thing is for you? Like what's one thing you feel like you can do like this is what I'm bringing to the table here.

21:55 I think it's creating a sense of belonging around an event or project or pulling a team together. You're really good at bringing people together. Okay that I read your letter about you. I think we're bringing people together is one thing but makings I think making everybody feel like they belong and have something to contribute is what people have told me when I left my former roll and Omnicom and add color one of my co-workers around me, said about me you are interesting and you're interested.

22:35 And I was like, wow, I can receive I receive that and I am truly interested in people and what makes them what makes them special and I'm pulling that towards whatever we're doing together. I love that about you and I think that I can take anywhere and you will talk to anybody. I'm not one of those people that I'm like, oh you were trash I'm done with that. I also think that I've lost my train of thought cuz you said something crazy.

23:13 Oh, yes, so you really good at like, you know talking to anybody and like really asking really good for when questions and that type of thing. However, I find that you also deflect a lot and and avoid getting very personal and avoid talking about things that are very close to you or perhaps it make you uncomfortable. Not sure what it is. We do you think that come from?

23:42 You know, I say I think I learned a little bit of that from my mom my light. I think you're what you're feeling is a struggle with vulnerability and it's something that I like said out loud and very proud of saying that out loud. It's I've tried to watch videos about it and talk to friends and say what you know, when do you see and feel me be vulnerable and and I understand it's a leadership superpower and it's one of those things when I was talking about what what got me here won't get me there. It's it's something that I know once I understand and and can tap into my own vulnerability. I know I can go to a place. I haven't even seen yet. And so when you feel me when you feel me the flag to not go there it's just it's it feels scary.

24:35 You know, I would like a let's talk about work. Let's talk about the weather. Yeah, let's talk about somebody else. Yeah, I seen a lot which one what do you fear will happen if you were vulnerable.

24:47 You know, I it's it's interesting. They say the shoemaker's son has the worst shoes. So there's a part of me that there were here advocating for people to feel and be exactly who they are and as their superpower and and there's there's so, you know, I'm still telling myself this and I'm out there telling the world and I'm still telling myself this time and I'm getting there it's a game of inches Nisha and I told you that this already but I think that it doesn't really make a difference and I do think that

25:29 You can get deeper than the surface. If you do open up some more of these things and show some more of yourself and let other people in and I think that that will ingratiate people to you one of the kind of life changing things that happened to me at Facebook was Michelle Steinberg came back for the first Paul hands after her husband died and it was the first time I had seen her speak kind of, you know in person and she cried and I've never seen a woman in power cry. I see my mother cry one time and it was cuz she was she got bitten by a centipede. So and I was like seven, you know, that means they want to see now the super powerful amazing woman cry in front of the entire company and be so honest about what she was feeling it changed me it if it affected me so deeply and it made me say I actually said you know what?

26:21 For the next six months. I'm going to be as open as possible. And I mean there's there's there's limits on that because first of all, I'm a Virgo so I don't really do it my feelings. Secondly, I'm Caribbean and we don't tell our business and then thirdly I'm you know at work and I believe in separation of church and state. However, you know, I said, let me see. Let me see what would happen. And when I had a miscarriage I posted about it and my co-workers the kind of support that I got and the way that my co-workers took me aside and told me about what they experienced and people shared so many of their stories and it gave me so much comfort to know that I wasn't alone and that I could talk about this thing. That was really

27:09 The scary and upsetting and you know

27:14 I don't know why I feel like I built a lot of relationships on that and then I also got a lot of currency from that which is something I did it. I just didn't expect you out. I feel like you can you know, some of the things we talked about I think sometimes you bring some of that to the surface could really be helpful for you in a professional sense as well or I mean little by little I'm getting there. What is something right now that makes you vulnerable to talk about makes you feel vulnerable when you're talk about it.

27:43 I want me to open up to you this morning about open up to you this morning in a very vulnerable way about how to Day made me feel about being back in a space that I helped architect, but no longer being here as somebody contributing and shaping and and doing but being here in a path capacity. And so, you know that made me feel a little powerless and made me feel.

28:18 Not seen and I was hardly, you know, I cried in front of you this morning and I didn't I didn't even and that those I opened up about everything I bet. You know, I color is more than just a job and it was it's a community it's at but my family was part of this and it's is 12 years of contributing the song that's like half my life. So you're not 24. He has a third of my life.

28:59 So yeah, I didn't even have loved to have that moment privately, but I couldn't and I had to come to you and now I'm saying that's a step though. I'm saying like I feel like I feel like especially black women. We don't talk enough about what's difficult and how we feel and what we're going through. We are constantly putting for this is where we have to be quote-unquote strong and that's actually hurting us absolutely right in terms of our health of heart disease and cancer and

29:37 This is a you know, what a learned behavior is exactly what you said like I was taught to be stoic and you mentioned not seeing your mom cry. I've maybe see my mom cried twice. I don't have a recollection about so there's four two women who are wildly different we have we have shared experiences and we have we seem to still continue to intersect around around these passion points.

30:07 I think I think part of it is the fashion right? I think the fact that we care about people we want to change the world. We want to make things better that that is something I respect about you and I want to help you to do that. And I think the other one the other thing is the fact that there's a level of mutual like I want you to succeed. Yeah, I know like and then you mentioned early on about like the lack of competition. If we don't we must have the opposite where I'm like your biggest cheerleader and you're my biggest cheerleader and we're constantly just kind of like no girl go do it go do it. You're the best and I I guess that's so we're getting to spend time with frequent. I'm seeing this in circles circles women women of color where we're at a string in a new generation of supporting each other and not believing the LIE. Yes, and not believing it like this missing.

31:07 Mantling not believing the lies. I'm seeing a lot of women support women. It's feel like what if I can't get this and no one else can get this and that that that that is so destructive. It is so destructive for you as well as for our community have a question for you. What is your question for me? There's so many things that you use a huge capacity to care and there is Love Too Much. Yes, and there's so many things that you're there so many things that you're passionate about

31:46 What what is that one Focus if it had to be one focus and I think I might know this but in turn in terms of advocating supporting helping pushing culture forward and helping people I love that you ask is cuz I recently didn't exercise that that are riding exercise at surface this and I had never never really understood their articulated in this way, but I want to help young people of color thrive in the workplace. Like I feel like the the the energy and the capacity of people of color to be brilliant and excellent. We not given the same space. We're not even the same time when I given the same opportunities and I want to change that and I want to to not only help uplift these young people and give them the the space-time opportunities, but I also want to change the workplace culture.

32:43 So that they can continue moving and and rising and bringing in more people and it's like none of me. Like I feel like we could get into a workplace where

32:54 You're a beaut they bring you in because your Brilliance and then they ask you to change everything else about yourself and that's not yeah, it's not the things. We love that thing about you coming come in house and change it quiet about it, or do it when a client's present one thing be

33:16 I think it's similar. I really want to transform workplace culture, you know, we spend 80% of her life at work eat other employers and play large swaths of people and people need to feel safe and powerful and Equitable and they need to feel like they belong and they need all of this the blocking and tackling I want to do just so we can get your your best talent is your best contribution. Oh, you don't make America great again is like not preventing people already there from doing their best work.

34:02 I want you, you know, you always get this question about.

34:08 What do you want in the future? I can say that but I want you to tell me what you want for me in the future. I want to do the same thing for you. What would I like seeing you in the future, Christina J Pyle?

34:24 Lots of money first of all the chaos that is going to help you have more trips and also have me to help you have less stress and I truly believe that you need to pay back women, but I also want you to have genuine joy and have those moments where you feel like you can be the fullest version of yourself and express that as often as possible and as many spaces as possible. I feel like I said black people that's one of the things that we often have to we have to find safe spaces and we have to wait till we're in a small room with with specific people and then that comes out and I want you to be able to be you just all the time and to experience that and just shine and that's going to lead to everything is going to be great in your relationship with your family with your job if you can feel that

35:26 Neisha for you

35:29 I see and I want I want that support system that you so deserve that I see a white male counterparts getting I want that for you because God knows what you can do and what you can transform and how our world could look if you just have like unfettered support. I want you to be surrounded by people like me, he will force you force you to hear your greatness and I want you to receive it in the future. I want you to have Financial Security. Yes girl, and I know how well I know you will spend it what well and why I know they'll be Wealth Management in Legacy and

36:23 I guess continue. Love you have a ton of Love around you to stay in love.

36:38 Yeah.

36:43 So what does my friendship mean? What is your sorry?

36:53 What does our friendship mean to me? I think the best thing is that?

37:01 Is the power of women supporting women right? And it's the power of Sisterhood. It's the power of having somebody believe in you enough to put you out for things to be honest with you and to help you and I think that that is something that is very weird and it's not about like, oh, let's just like sit together in and eat ice cream and watch movies or you know, whatever. It's it's about I am genuinely invested in you as a person and as a professional and I want you to be happy and I want to see that and end.

37:39 I hope that more women can have that that word for was unconditional your your friendship.

37:52 To me

37:54 Shows up in an unconditional love and support and that's I really need that feeling. You're also this accountability.

38:06 System for my accountability partner, you're just so honest and sometimes I don't need that a little too much, but I know that when I'm betting things through you if you're just going to give me the truth, you're going to push me a little bit further than I wanted to go. And this is just been a relationship unlike any any other I've ever had and it's definitely not perfect, but it's honest.

38:43 Ook. Ook rapid fire. I got it Nisha peanut butter or jelly peanut butter next. Okay, Saturday or Sunday Sunday? No Plies Saturday because Sunday you get the Sunday scaries before you go to work you Wednesday or Thursday Thursday for sure. It feels like on the on the precipice of The Weeknd The Weeknd XIV living for the weekend.

39:26 I always say this people are people don't want to hear this anymore from me, but it's on brand.

39:34 Young person attending add color. I need you to know that your network is your net worth? I'll say it again. Your network is your net worth. So so get out there and meet people and and meet people on your level meet people above your level stake Lowe's Build and Foster relationships. I would network down people who are younger than you give them your business card and tell them one day you'll be working for them. And the last thing is that one day your difference is going to make the difference.

40:16 That's awesome. Thank you so much. Thank you Christina so much for taking the time to talk with me and share with me and to get a little bit vulnerable and I really appreciate this conversation in the time spent with you new show you or fresh off of a stage leading a big discussion and out of color, but you made time and space for this. It was something important to you. You made me feel like I'm important to you. I love you and I'm forever in your corner.