Episode 44: Jennifer Justice on Advocating For Yourself + Achieving Financial Equality For Women
Do you struggle with negotiating for a higher salary, getting a bonus, or better benefits? Do you want to advocate for yourself more in the workplace? Do you work in a male-dominated industry, or just want to set yourself up for optimal success no matter where you work? On this week’s episode, Josie sits down with Jay-Z and Beyonce's former attorney and founder of The Justice Dept., Jennifer Justice, to give you all the tips you need for negotiating, advocating for yourself in the workplace, and overall setting you up for optimal success. Jennifer Justice is known for her work in the music industry (including building Roc Nation from the ground up, and being behind some of the biggest deals in the industry for stars such as Rihanna and Shakira), and is the founder of The Justice Dept., a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, and brands, with the mission of helping women to get the pay they deserve. In addition to insanely helpful tips for your work and finance life, Jennifer spills the tea on being in the music industry (especially as a female in her 20s).
SHOW NOTES:
Let’s talk being a woman in the workplace, because honestly, it can be brutal out there! That’s why this week on The Everygirl Podcast, we’re chatting with Jennifer Justice, Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s former entertainment lawyer (omg) and founder of The Justice Dept. The episode begins with Josie asking Jennifer how she started her career, and Jennifer discusses her challenging journey through the male-dominated legal industry and how she eventually moved from practicing general law to working in music. She shares some of the experiences she had as a young female entertainment lawyer, working with mostly men and occasionally experiencing obstacles in the workplace due to her gender. Josie and Jennifer have a conversation about how it was difficult for Jennifer to do her job when she was faced with such a daunting wage gap. The discussion then turns to wage negotiation. Since the main focus of The Justice Dept. is to fight for equal pay for women, Jennifer has fantastic advice for women working in male-dominated industries who know they are being underpaid for their work. She shares some of her key salary negotiation tips, as well as advice on how to know what you are really worth as an employee. She explains why it is so crucial to have your own personal “Board of Advisors,” your behind-the-scenes team of close friends and family who can help you through tough decisions and career ups and downs. Jennifer and Josie also discuss how believing in yourself and arguing for your own value within your own company will make you a stronger employee in the long run. Jennifer shares some cold hard facts about how men tend to ask for more money than women, and what we need to do in order to bridge that gap. Josie asks Jennifer to explain how women in business can use their female identities to their advantage, and how important it is to offer a different perspective. The episode closes with some rapid-fire questions for Jennifer, including how she balances life as a kick-ass lawyer and a mom.
Must-Listen Moments:
[2:55] How Jennifer first got into entertainment law, including what it was like to meet Jay-Z for the first time
[10:17] Some of the biggest challenges Jennifer faced as a woman in a male-dominated industry
[18:54] Jennifer spills all of her biggest tips for knowing your worth as an employee and negotiating your salary
[31:44] How can advocating for yourself actually increase your value as an employee?
[40:02] All about the Justice Dept.’s goal of creating a matriarchal economy, and what that actually looks like
More from The Everygirl:
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