MEET AUDREY SNYDER: 

Audrey Jane Snyder is an enterprising professional who spent 40+ years in the corporate sector in the fields of human resource management and customer and community service. Audrey’s experience and expertise are in strategic leadership skill development and team building. Audrey’s years working as a Director of Customer Service, Personnel Director, and an Adjunct Professor are incorporated in her memoir, Worth the Climb, published in 2012.  Audrey’s adjunct faculty position at DeVry University teaching interpersonal skills, team building, and diversity training helped to further her success in corporate America. Retired now, she spends her days authoring works. Audrey has moved on to write fiction. Her novel The Organization, is her first work of fiction. It was published in 2019. The sequel is in the works. Both books were award finalists in their genre at Pittsburgh’s Author’s Zone.  Audrey has been a guest speaker at numerous professional organizations. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Communication and a Master’s Degree in Professional Leadership from Carlow University. Audrey is a member of PennWriters, Inc., Sisters in Crime, Three Rivers Romance, and Mindful Writers.

BLH:  Where did your passion for working with corporate teams spring from?

AS:  I’ve always worked in a team environment. My first job was working in a steno pool, where we worked as a team dividing up work to complete assignments.

Teamwork is all I know. Most of my jobs with other companies included working in teams. I worked in call centers/customer service areas where I was either part of the customer service team or managing the team. I’ve had much success with the teams I’ve participated in and the teams I’ve managed. I like the diversity of ideas that comes from working in a team. I have found that teamwork sometimes allows for work to be accomplished faster.

BLH:  I admire your courage and vision to climb to the management level instead of remaining at an entry level. Based on your experience, do you see more diverse applicants enter the corporate world at management levels? Why do you think this is?

AS:  I believe it’s difficult for diverse applicants to climb the corporate ladder without a mentor or role model. When one of us strived to move to the next level, we were often told that we didn’t meet the guidelines without telling us what we needed to do to meet those guidelines. I like many others, was raised not to expect to achieve anything other than an entry-level position, so, we didn’t strive to do more.

As I moved through my journey, it was always up to me to determine what I needed to move to the next level. When I moved into a management position, I always made sure to bring others along with me. If I couldn’t promote them, then I would mentor and let them know what they needed to do to move to the next level.

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BLH:  What inspired you to write Worth The Climb: A Black American Woman’s Pursuit of Corporate Success?

AS:  I was frustrated with the position I was in at my job. I had done everything that was required to move to the next level. I met the required qualifications, yet and still, I watched many move up who did not have those qualifications. They had the essential qualification, which was blond hair and blue eyes.

I decided to manage my frustrations by writing my feelings in a diary. I was so angry and filled several diaries before I thought about publishing a book. The movements up the corporate ladder were slow and difficult. I ran into many pitfalls and with each, I had to develop a strategy to overcome the obstacles. I included these strategies in my diary as well.  After several years of writing and small successes, I decided it would be a good idea to turn my diaries into a book. I wanted to share my experiences with others who were struggling. I believed in the words I often heard on my journey – ‘Each One Teach One.’ It was time to inspire, motivate and achieve.

I wanted to inspire and encourage others to believe in themselves to accomplish their goals.

I found a book coach who encouraged me to focus on the successes and how I achieved them. She helped me to see this book would be a book of encouragement rather than a book of anger.

BLH:  Please give us a brief overview of your book Worth the Climb:  Black American Woman’s Pursuit of Corporate Success.

AS:  Worth the Climb tells my story of struggle and success in White corporate America. It describes how I moved from a secretary to prominent business success in the face of racism and discrimination. It reveals the layers of complications I experienced in a corporate setting and details the roadblocks I faced and the strategies I used to overcome them. As I tackled increasingly greater responsibility at work, I found my skin color put me into a category unrelated to my ability to perform my job. I found myself conflicted and hampered by the constraints of being a black woman.

My book paints a vivid picture of what life in corporate America was like for young Black Americans trying to find their way up the corporate ladder. The reader learns what excited me and why I chose to go after the success I deserved. The story tells how I remained positive, pushing away anger, bitterness, and despair, clinging instead to excellence, perseverance, and the need to open doors for Black Americans who would follow. Through it all, this book shows how I drew upon my strength of character to stay focused on the goal of corporate success.

BLH:  Is the book fictional or an autobiography? If the book is autobiographical, how tough was it to revisit the past and retell your story?

AS:  This book is autobiographical. It was very challenging for me to revisit the past and retell my story. It was difficult to push away anger and keep things in perspective. I had to do a self-assessment and ask myself if I would I be happy if I didn’t feel successful. I wondered if I should settle or challenge. If I accept the challenge, have I developed a plan to ensure commitment to my success. If I settle, how do I live with the results?

BLH:  Describe those early years of working in corporate America.

AS:  It was the late 60s and 70s and I was trying to find my place in the corporate world. The Black power movement was in full swing. I was frustrated with my lack of progress to meet my goals and changed jobs every three years, hoping to move up the corporate ladder. Although each move afforded me new experienced that I could add to my resume, I wasn’t making the progress that I needed. Most moves were lateral moves. As each obstacle occurred, I met it first with anger. It seemed like the challenges were insurmountable, designed to dim my self-confidence. I was a goal-oriented person with high goals. I couldn’t let this stand. Much later, I learned my worth and was unwilling to let others define me. I realized that I was enough.

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BLH:  “The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be” is a quote by Oprah Winfrey in your book. While working in corporate America, how did you stay focused so that you continued to evolve?

AS:  I celebrated the small wins along my journey with my family and friends. My daily diary documenting my obstacles and my strategy for overcoming them were great inspirations. I used my goal statements and crossing each goal off my list put a smile on my face. Each new contact I made went into my diary. Each new course I took went into my diary. My diary was filling up. My brag book was getting thick with certifications. At the end of each entry, I asked myself if I had done everything to further my goals. “The man who has confidence in himself gains the confidence of others” This quote is a Hasidic Proverb pasted on the cover of my diary. If you read my book, you’ll see I am fond of quotes.

BLH:  Share three tips on ways to navigate internal politics at corporate offices.

1. Internal politics is unavoidable. That job you know you’re qualified for goes to the friend or relative of the manager. No use fighting it. Acknowledge it and move on. I wanted a management position, but I had to wait until all the friends and relatives were placed. In my book, I talk about positions that I created for myself. After researching the department and determining what positions were needed, I created a position of an Incentive Manager, defining the benefits for the company and my qualifications to fill that job. I presented an airtight case and was moved into my first upper-level management position with my office and name on my door. “You cannot know the sweetness of success unless you have tasted the bitterness of failure,” rang true.

• Challenge the Obstacles. Don’t settle. Do an honest assessment of yourself. Look beyond the obvious. Where are you in your career path? What’s holding you back? Decide what that is and develop a strategy for your success.

• Learn how to market yourself. If there aren’t visible opportunities, then create your own. Have your elevator pitch ready (that 30-second speech) that introduces you and your skills). Get an organizational chart to see where you are best suited.

BLH:  In what ways have opportunities, the work environment changed for diverse workers since you started your career?  Which ways have things remained unchanged?

AS:  Diversity drives economic growth. Because things are global in today’s world, opportunities for diversity have increased. Many companies lean into diversity, but there are still those companies that come kicking and screaming. Some people feel threatened by diversity because it causes people to confront their prejudices. 

I have seen changes that allow more diversity in the door but moving up the corporate ladder is still not encouraged as much as it should be. I’ve been told, “You are lucky to have this job” and that I should be grateful. I then tell them. I have this job because I earned it.

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BLH:  Give us a brief overview of your book, The Organization

AS:  As a reporter for a local newspaper, Angela Hollingsworth has traveled worldwide collecting information, artifacts, and samples, always bringing back a package for her boss from an associate in whatever country she visited. She didn’t realize that the packages contained drugs, stolen art, or both.

Desperate to stay out of jail, Angela could only rely on one man, Glen Spencer, an old college friend and now an FBI agent. Together, they devise a plan to take down one of the biggest drug cartels in New Jersey. Trusting her old college friend, Angela doesn’t anticipate the danger coming for her. Now Angela is fighting for her life and her feelings for Glen.

BLH:  Do you plan to write more fiction? Why or why not?

AS:  Fiction is fun, especially after writing a memoir that pulls at all your emotional heart strings.  Yes, I enjoy fiction because it allows me to use all of my creative juices constantly running through my head. The books I read and the movies I watch pique my curiosity to see what I could do with the story.

BLH:  What have you learned about the book industry since your book was released that you wish you’d known before you published your book?

AS:  I’ve learned that marketing your book is your responsibility. I wish that I had researched how to market my book. I’ve since learned the role social media plays in marketing your book. There’s much talk about ads on social media that I wished I’d investigated.

 I wish I had researched the work and cost involved in self-publishing.

I still need to research using an agent and if that will benefit me.

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BLH:  What last words of encouragement of advice would you like to leave with The Book Lover’s Haven readers?

AS:  One of my favorite quotes is by Henry Drummond is, “Unless a man undertakes more than he possibly can do, he will never do all that he can do.”

1. Do an honest self-assessment. Are you where you want to be?  Are you happy with your accomplishments?  If not, develop a strategy to get there.

•  Don’t settle. Challenge the obstacles. Remember, “Someone’s opinion of you does not have to become your reality.”

• Everyone should know they are worthy of having all their dreams come true. Determine what will move you toward your goal and get moving. “The real contest is always between what you’ve done and what you’re capable of doing. You measure yourself against yourself and nobody else.”

• Decide your focus if you want to be an author

• Set short term and long-term smart goals

• Stay focused – schedule your writing time

• Let social media be your friend

• Network – – Network – Network

• Join a writing or reading group

1. Set aside space in your house to write – Track your expenses and budget for your supplies needed to write a book.

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