Defining Yourself: A Conversation with Barbara Calloway

In honor of Black History Month, we spoke with Barbara Calloway, Vice President of Operations for Airport Lounges. She shared her career highlights, her year with Teach for America, and her advice for underrepresented groups facing barriers in the workplace today.
 

Interviewer: What are some highlights from your career so far?

Barb: Each phase of my career has helped illustrate that I have a passion for hospitality and lifting up those around me. In my current role managing a portfolio of airport lounge business for Sodexo Live!, the global leader in the industry, I’ve found a sweet spot in my career. I’m able to manage a complex operation, ensuring we provide a best-in-class offering for frequent fliers, but I also mentor a handful of up-and-coming leaders and contribute overall to the health of our global business in a meaningful way. 

Prior to joining Sodexo Live! last year, I spent time at McDonald’s in more senior roles and the earlier phase of my career at the Amoco Corporation. Both places showed me the true value of hard work, of asking the right questions and helped instill a sense of self in me, as well. At McDonald's, for example, a fond memory is when I was invited to participate in an accelerated development program, which was a curriculum for a select group of high-potential leaders that really helped mold me into who I am today. 

Interviewer: As a Black woman, what obstacles have you faced in your career? How do you develop the confidence to pull up a chair and make your own space in the conversation?

Barb: I've had to work twice as hard to be noticed, so I’ve become a proponent of the idea that if they don't offer you a chair, pull up your own chair up to the table. I’m not going to sit around and wait for something to be given to me; I want to go out there and earn it. 

So, I like to be direct and no-nonsense in how I treat my team members; no matter your role, your skin color or anything else, the best idea wins out and good work is rewarded. This wasn’t always the case when I was coming up in the industry, so I try to be the change I want to see in the business world. 

Interviewer: What would people be surprised to know about your upbringing and how it’s helped make you the person you are today?

Barb: I grew up on welfare and in subsidized housing in Chicago before my family moved to Oak Park, Illinois. During this time, a teacher (hi, Ms. Broomfield) saw more in me than I could see in myself. She coached me on applying for Pell Grants, using the library to look for opportunities, and building a future for myself. So, when my last child graduated from college a few years back, I decided to pay it forward and got certified in Teach for America. I taught kindergarten for a year at Thelma Parks Elementary in Oklahoma City, where students are almost 100% minority and economically disadvantaged. Not only did I look like many of them, but I was raised in a similar environment. The only meals these kids might get day-to-day were breakfast and lunch at school. So, I worked with different vendors that would pass out fruit or bring bags of groceries to hand out to these children over breaks. Outside the classroom, I worked with young mothers to help educate them about finances and resume writing, among other things – to truly help them unleash the best versions of themselves. 

The entire experience helped me step outside my comfort zone, develop a newfound appreciation for a fresh-cooked meal and bring a fresh perspective to the foodservice we do each day at Sodexo Live! 

Interviewer: What do you hope people take out of Black History Month this year? 

Barb: There's a quote from Carol Moseley Braun, a former United States Senator from Illinois, that says, "Defining myself as opposed to being defined by others is one of the most difficult challenges I face.” I want to bring my authentic self to my professional life and encourage others to do the same. You'd be surprised at how many African Americans will look at me because I'll wear braids or have my hair naturally curly and say that it's so nice to see somebody who can be their authentic self. When I tell people about how I grew up, or that I raised my children as a single mother, it also doesn't match their stereotypes about people in the corporate world. 

So, I hope this Black History Month and all year-round, we can get better at understanding each other, appreciating our differences and encouraging everyone to bring their authentic selves to the table.