Lyte presents “Womxn at Lyte,” a series of conversations highlighting the voices of our womxn.
Q: As a child, what did you think you wanted to be and how do you think you came to that decision?
Tiffanye Phillips: I thought I would become a hairstylist and own multiple hair salons in my city. I started experimenting with hair in middle school and it continued throughout my adult life. The longer I worked within that industry, I found it was no longer meeting my needs. As I transitioned through college and completed a few internships, I found that HR was my passion. It provided the career progression I was looking for and ultimately led me to Lyte.
Q: What would your younger self be most surprised about how you live your life today?
Tiffanye Phillips: That I survived a global pandemic. Also, getting to work with people worldwide from the comfort of my home. But most importantly, I survived a global pandemic because a lot of people didn't. I sympathize with the families that suffered the loss of loved ones and for those that were affected in other ways. Who would’ve thought we would experience something like this in our lifetime?
Q: What do you think is the hardest part of what you do for a living?
Tiffanye Phillips: Finding solutions to satisfy everyone….the company, employee, and the manager. I always want everyone to be happy when it comes to their career. I mean hey, it’s where we spend most of our time. But I have had to learn that you can’t please everyone. And although you can’t make everyone happy, the middle ground always leads to being fair in my decision-making as an HR professional.
Q: What do you love about working at Lyte?
Tiffanye Phillips: I love the culture and the people that I am getting to know. I love that everyone is a creative soul and I feel like I am learning so much from everyone I am working with. I also love the support around Diversity and Inclusion. That was the driving factor in considering my next role and here we are. To have a CEO that wants to make it a priority, sealed the deal for me.
Q: What lesson took you the longest to unlearn?
Tiffanye Phillips: Making others responsible for my expectations. I’ve had to learn to meet people where they are and not align my best practices personally and professionally with other individuals. It’s about accepting the best out of each individual but in their own way.
Q: What have you accomplished recently that would've shocked you a year ago?
Tiffanye Phillips: Becoming a People Leader in an industry that is so near and dear to my heart….MUSIC. I never thought I would be able to combine my career with my passion for music, especially live concerts.
Q: What are you more afraid of, failure or success, and why?
Tiffanye Phillips: Failure. But then I had to get over myself and shift my mindset. We will all fail at some point in life. It’s all about how you turn that failure into a learning opportunity. I love this quote from Oprah “Think like a Queen. A Queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.”
Q: What's non-negotiable in your life?
Tiffanye Phillips: Dishonesty. It is unacceptable personally and professionally in my book. Most will say that everyone has been dishonest at some point in their lives and although I agree, I feel once we know better, we should do better. Here are a few things I personally try to live by 1. Think before you speak. 2. Have the willingness to admit a mistake. 3. Hold people accountable when their words do not match their actions. 4. If something is misinterpreted, quickly correct it.
Q: What can womxn create together?
Tiffanye Phillips: The first thought that came to mind was "WOW, what a powerful question." My next thought was “a freaking empire.” We have so much power by ourselves, so together and collectively, we are so impactful. I have an amazing group of friends and we are always finding ways to uplift each other. If there is something we can share to get that person to the next level, we will do that, no questions asked. It takes a village to have success and a group is so much stronger than a single person. I love all of the womxn in my life and they have made me the womxn that I am. I hope that I can have an impact on the womxn here at Lyte. Let’s lean on each other for support and growth. We run the world!
Q: What's the most exciting improvement for womxn in the industry or in general?
Tiffanye Phillips: Pay equality. It’s not only important for womxn, but for all people of underrepresented identities to have equal pay. Transparency in pay is important and imperative that companies get it right. A lot of our best and top talent are from womxn, and we want to ensure we are compensating our best and brightest, equally.
Q: What title would you give this chapter in your life?
Tiffanye Phillips: Growth. I am growing in my career, my relationship, and my friendships. I am always striving to be the best version of myself for those around me. To get to this point in my life, I had to be very welcoming of constructive criticism from every angle. From there, I had to make necessary changes to become a better Tiffanye. Being able to accept feedback and make the changes is what led me to where I am in this place called Life. I am forever learning and growing, but I am definitely on the right track!
Q: Any last words?
Tiffanye Phillips: I would like to say that I am honored to be selected for an interview and I am really enjoying the womxn at Lyte series.
Womxn at Lyte featuring Tiffanye Phillips, HR Business Partner at Lyte