Over the past year, Obele Brown-West has helped digital marketing firm Tinuiti strengthen its bonds with some of the biggest tech and social media companies in the ad industry, including Amazon, Google and Microsoft. She’s also helped to build bridges with newer but increasingly influential names, such as TikTok—from which Tinuiti was the first independent U.S. agency to receive marketing accreditation—and more recently Reddit, which tapped Tinuiti as its first independent agency partner.

In January, Brown-West was promoted from executive VP of media to chief solutions officer, placing her in the disproportionately small cohort of Black women holding C-suite positions in America—1.4%, per a McKinsey study. 

As she continues to lead in her new role, Brown-West hopes to grow this number by ensuring diversity at Tinuiti, where she is helping to guide the company toward its pledge to have more than 35% of its employees from underrepresented minority groups by 2023. 

“I definitely have been very vocal about making sure that we took the right stances publicly, as well as making sure that we actually had the right initiatives internally [to show] … that we are a place of inclusivity, even if the rest of the world hasn’t caught up to us yet,” Brown-West said.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Absolutely nothing. Where I am today is because of the decisions—good and bad—I have made. I would give my younger self zero advice because I would want her to experience everything in order to truly appreciate what she’s achieved.

What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken?

Quitting a job on the second day. I knew it wasn’t the right fit within the first few hours of onboarding. For two days, I felt panicked until I realized the panic would disappear if I just said what my gut knew—that I made a mistake and shouldn’t have taken the job. So, that’s what I said to my boss at the end of day two. I was convinced to stay for a few more weeks, but the relief of being honest made my quick departure amicable for that organization and changed the trajectory of my career. Sometimes risks truly do have the best rewards.

If you weren’t doing your current job, what would you be doing and why?

Do I have unlimited funds? If yes, I would be traveling, writing screenplays, spending time with friends and family as well as fitting “Judge Judy,” “Deal Or No Deal” and “Maury Povich” episodes into my downtime. 

What should the industry do to encourage more women and people of color into its ranks?

The industry doesn’t need to encourage women and people of color into the ranks. Women and people of color are in the industry and have always been in the industry. What the industry actually needs to do is recognize that we’re here and finally address the unconscious—and sometimes conscious—biases that have led to women and people of color continuing to be ignored and passed over for promotions and leadership opportunities. That is the real problem, not that women and people of color do not want to be in the ranks.

What is the biggest lesson you have taken away from the pandemic?

Aside from the fact that my germophobia finally paid off, my biggest lesson is that I really like my family! After being locked in a house with my husband and kids for two years, I am so happy my husband puts up with me and that my kids chose me as their mom.