When we sit down with Natalie Aaron, she’s preparing to fix up 46 homes in the local Reading, Pennsylvania area with a nonprofit.
And this isn’t out of the ordinary.
“I do a lot of volunteering,” she says with a smile. “Actually, tomorrow my daughter-in-law is helping me pack up 30,000 meals to send to food starved areas.”
Natalie loves building and finding community, and the workplace is no exception. She’s currently involved with both the Black Unity in Leadership Development (BUiLD) and Women in Leadership Business Resource Groups (BRG) with her employer, EnerSys.
“There was a point in my career when I felt very isolated,” Natalie says. “Finding my people changed everything.”
We asked Natalie to share why community has played such a pivotal role in her career journey as a woman of color, as well as how others can find their community in the workplace.
Isolation as a woman of color
“In my younger years, I didn’t understand the need for community among people of color,” Natalie shares. “But, as I got into the workforce, I started to see some biases.”
This started with feelings of isolation as the only woman of color in the room and grew into experiences of being looked over for promotions.
“There were times when I was more qualified than other folks, but I didn’t get the role. My self-esteem plummeted and I didn’t think I was worthy of a leadership position. I felt that I always had to be entry-level,” Natalie shares.
That is, until she found EnerSys.
Building community at EnerSys
When a fitting position opened with EnerSys, Natalie jumped at the opportunity.
“EnerSys is known as one of the best employers in the area,” she says. “I knew people that worked at EnerSys. It’s a place that, once you’re hired, you stay.”
Natalie joined the company in 2019 — right before a series of events that would drive home the necessity of community.
“At the beginning, it was very hard because I was bringing over the behaviors I’d learned in previous workplaces,” she shares. “Then, the pandemic hit. There was a lot of racial tension in the country. Going back to the office was very difficult for me.”
Natalie felt a heightened sense of isolation without a community of color to lean on.
“I started to seek out employee-led resource groups, starting with Women in Leadership. That gave me people around the company that I could connect with. There were other female leaders who had to be resilient during the pandemic, raising their children and trying to do a good job in their careers,” shares Natalie. “I was able to form friendships with these folks who really needed it.”
A water cooler moment that led to BUiLD
Natalie started to feel reinvigorated in the workplace.
“Having those connections definitely enhances going to work. It enhances teams. You get to know people across the company that you never would’ve without these BRGs,” she says.
In 2023, Natalie and a few colleagues recognized the need to create a space for Black employees.
“There was this water cooler moment. We’re standing around, thinking: Wouldn’t it be nice to have our own employee resource group?” she recalls. “It rolled out from there. We had so many people that were excited, and BUiLD was born.”
BUiLD’s mission is to build a community of Black excellence within EnerSys, including coaching, development, empowerment, and advocacy.
“It’s a safe space to talk,” Natalie explains. “We’re able to say, ‘Hey, this was bothering me,’ or ‘Did y’all see this?’ We may not all agree, because we’re not all the same, but it’s a space to bring your feelings and feel seen.”
4 strategies to help you find your community
“As women of color, we need each other,” Natalie says.
Drawing from her own missteps and successes, she offers these four strategies to help you find your community in the workplace:
- Volunteer. “You’re not going to build community in your cubicle or in your seat. You need to get involved with something. If your company is looking for volunteers for an event or to send out into the community, sign up.”
- Seek out your people. “In 2020, I was really sad. I wish I would’ve been more proactive to seek out even just one person, as a mentor or just a safe space. So, make sure you find those people for yourself.”
- Speak up. “Raise your hand. When there is an opportunity for change, say something.”
- Find your allies. “I now have a manager that supports 100% of what I’m doing. He knows that I’m involved in all of these groups, and I have all of his support… The difference is life-changing. I went from being sad to go to work to now excited. I’m very grateful for that.”
