If you’re anything like me, you’ve been watching Mika Brzezinski on “Morning Joe” for the last 17 years. Brzezinski has been a constant on our screens for years, informing us and helping us navigate through compelling and tragic news events, from her on-the-ground coverage of 9/11 to her candor on former President Donald Trump's campaigns. In 2015, Brzezinski launched what she calls the “Know Your Value movement" to bring working women around the country together and help them recognize their personal and professional values so they can advance in their careers. Brzezinski has built a brand on "Know Your Value" — first, in 2011, she wrote the bestseller, “Know Your Value: Women, Money, and Getting What You're Worth,” giving candid advice based on her own experiences of being underpaid. Then, in 2015, she started creating events where women could receive advice on how to advocate for themselves in the workplace. Now, partnered with Forbes, she uses her website as a platform to interview high-profile women on issues like pay equity and access to reproductive health care. In 2021, in collaboration with Forbes, Brzezinski created her first “50 Over 50” list. The list highlights women over 50 years old who have achieved success later in life. Brzezinski also chaired the Forbes 30/50 Summit, where women honored on the “50 Over 50” and “30 Under 30” lists met for four days earlier this year in Abu Dhabi. As Brzezinski tells Women Rule, she’s committed to raising awareness about gender disparities in wages and combating ageism in the workplace. "We are at our greatest value at 60 years old than I could ever have imagined in the decades past," Brzezinski says. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Nickel: What are some misconceptions about women over 50 in the workforce? Brzezinski: We are breaking through these misconceptions every day. Just look at Kamala Harris. She turned 60 this weekend. I think of the concept of 60 when I was 30, and the concept of 60 now. I would say 60 is the new 40. Now we are seen and accepted and pulled upon as wise and capable. We are leading. We are making money. We are spending money. We are at our wisest. And we have, at this time in our lives, the least amount of f—ks. That makes us much more valuable than at 50, 40, at 30 and 20. Everything is coming into place for us so that we can use the attitudes, the wisdom and the experience that we bring to the table to be effective for ourselves and for our fellow women. And we’re doing it. Nickel: Why do you think establishing these inclusive communal spaces for women in the workforce is so important? Brzezinski: Because we need to say this stuff out loud. And we need to say it not once, not twice, [but] three times, 10 times. Because it's really hard to break through a mind that lacks confidence or a mind that is driven by a lack of confidence. … The data backs up … that we are not paid as much as our male counterparts. And, in some cases, the disparity in pay is 10 to 20 percent. Sometimes, it's a lot more. When you're growing up in a mindset where you are getting paid less, your entire existence in the workplace involves a smaller financial footprint that you have compared to your male counterparts. Your entire being exudes that difference in value, you have to overcome it. So let's look at Know Your Value and the tips and philosophies that I explore with other women. There are a lot of problems that need to be solved. What I'm teaching is the part of the equation that you can control, and that's really important because there's a lot of stuff we can't control unless we want to run for office. And, I’m all for that. I'm all for controlling the uncontrollable part for women, getting our rights back, getting our healthcare back. I'm all for the big picture, but the small picture, in terms of our day-to-day lives — that first job interview, that first negotiation, that's where it all begins for you. Nickel: What are some issues that women have faced — or are currently facing — in the workforce that you are working to combat with these projects and events? Brzezinski: Most importantly, especially at a time like now where it feels like women are being slid back in terms of many things. Including the obvious that we're seeing out there in the … political conversations over the airwaves and our own healthcare, I mean real stories. Know Your Value has been very interested in access to life-saving healthcare, but in terms of my message and what we teach, the issue is being able to advocate for yourself. And I think that for a while, women were getting their groove, and then as things started getting pulled back. Women's rights — literally — and freedoms were getting pushed back. That sets the tone for us. So the message of Know Your Value is even more important: how to advocate for yourself and for other women effectively. Nickel: What are you most excited about for this Friday’s 50 Over 50 luncheon? Brzezinski: I'm excited to see Suze Orman . She's become a friend, and in many ways, Suze is one of the very early inspirations of Know Your Value. And I would watch her give women help on her CNBC show taking calls. And I have to say, if it's possible, I might have been her biggest fan. I would watch her obsessively, but in a way where I would rewind, watch again, and listen to how she spoke to women. Listen not only to the valuable information but her candid, sometimes tough assessments of financial questions they had.… It's the way she spoke to women about money that I was fascinated by. You know, people have always asked me over the years, “Who are your mentors?” And I've never had an answer beyond my mom and I think that's wrong. It's Suze Orman, and I consider her a mentor and a friend. Now I'm going to be meeting Brooke Shields , [I’ve been] sort of following her obsessively over Instagram, just loving what she's doing. I look forward to meeting her, and then there's kind of a community we're developing. It becomes kind of … like homecoming or something. I see some regular members of our community. And then my bosses at NBC come, and I love that. I love seeing the support of NBC, and I'm grateful. I'm so grateful for the support that Comcast and NBC have given to this, and they gave it to me from the get-go.
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