We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Takeata King Pang a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Takeata King thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us a story about a time you failed?

Fear of failure is real, especially for women. We often feel pressure to be perfect, which is impossible. When someone succeeds, we only hear about what worked, not the failures along the way. I was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia early on and had to try different approaches to find what worked to do the most basic tasks. That process of failing taught me not to fear it, but to learn from it.

In 2015, I left a steady job to start a consulting business. Despite early successes, I soon had no clients and was delivering groceries just to get by. I had to accept that initial failure. However, it led to a corporate job and the lessons I learned helped me restart my business in 2017. I built it into a thriving consulting firm and experiences some of my most financially successful years. Now, when asked how I built a successful business, I’m quick to share that I built an unsuccessful one first.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Advocacy, politics, and campaigns have been my driving passions throughout my career. With close to two decades of experience, I’ve dedicated myself to effecting tangible change and amplifying the voices of marginalized communities. My journey began in the trenches of candidate and issue campaigns across the nation, where I developed a deep understanding of grassroots organizing and strategic planning. This path led me to serve as Chief of Staff to a Florida State Representative, where I navigated the complexities of legislative processes and policymaking. Yet, what truly fuels my fire is the relentless pursuit of women’s rights, racial justice, and societal equity.

Growing up in a low-income household and being the first in my family to attend college, I experienced firsthand the barriers that women and girls from marginalized communities face. I was inspired by the Women’s Foundation’s cofounders and their mission to break down barriers and create opportunities for women of all backgrounds, and I knew I wanted to be a part of that important work. In 2017 joined the Women’s Foundation as a volunteer staff member and at the end of 2019 I was hired on as the first fulltime staff person in the organizations history as Chief Programs Officer. The following year I was promoted to my current role as Executive Director.

At the Women’s Foundation of Florida, we’re on a mission to create a more equitable and inclusive society for women and girls across the state. Our programs are designed to address the unique challenges faced by women from all walks of life. We provide leadership and mentorship programs to support women pursuing career advancement and leadership opportunities. We also advocate for policy change to address systemic barriers and inequities faced by women in areas such as healthcare, education, and economic opportunity.
Our leadership development programs help women build the skills and confidence they need to succeed in their professional lives. Through these efforts, we’re empowering women to break down barriers, pursue their dreams, and become powerful advocates for change in their communities.

My ultimate goal is to create a more just and equitable society where every woman and girl has the opportunity to thrive. I want to break down the systemic barriers that hold women back and create a future where gender equity is the norm, not the exception. Through our efforts at the Women’s Foundation of Florida, I hope to empower women and girls to reach their full potential, to build a stronger and more inclusive community, and to inspire new generations of leaders.

The program I’m most proud of at the Women’s Foundation is Florida Women on the Run; our non-partisan campaign training and mentorship program. It was developed to demystify the campaign process and address the unique challenges faced by women who are interested in running for political office but may lack the resources or support networks to do so. Through Women on the Run, we provide comprehensive training, mentorship, and resources to support women from diverse backgrounds who aspire to enter politics.

We’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of Women on the Run, as participants go on to run successful campaigns and become powerful advocates for change in their communities. Empowering women to step into leadership roles and make their voices heard in the political arena is a cornerstone of our work, and the success of the Women on the Run Program is a testament to the power of women supporting women.

Have you ever had to pivot?

The past few years have been a whirlwind for us at the Women’s Foundation, courtesy of the Covid-19 pandemic. Just as I settled into my role as full-time staff, we were faced with the daunting task of raising more funds than ever before while also expanding our organization. However, just two months into the year, the world ground to a halt. Initially, I was gripped by panic, but I quickly rallied, dedicating the entire month of March to brainstorming our next steps. I reached out to colleagues in the field, leaned on the wisdom of our board members and top volunteers, and scoured every available resource. In less than a month, we executed a remarkable pivot, transitioning the Women’s Foundation of Florida from in-person to virtual meetings and programs.

I can still vividly recall the sinking feeling of having to cancel all our March and April events, uncertain of what lay ahead. But in the face of adversity, our resilience shone through. From 2019 to 2023, we achieved remarkable growth, tripling the number of women and girls we served, doubling our staff, and solidifying our position as a statewide organization. And it’s all thanks to the challenges we encountered during the pandemic.

Now, as we navigate the transition back to in-person events, we find ourselves at yet another crossroads. But we’re no strangers to adaptability. We’re determined to preserve the connections we’ve forged while remaining true to our innovative spirit. We firmly believe in pushing boundaries and rejecting complacency. This mindset has fostered a culture of experimentation, enabling us to learn and evolve from our experiences and ultimately discover the most effective solutions.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The lesson I had to unlearn was that rest is unnecessary or must be earned. This belief was deeply ingrained in me due to my upbringing in a low-income family where hard work was prioritized above all else. My mother’s words, “You can sleep when you are dead,” echoed in my mind, along with the pressure of being a woman of color and feeling the need to constantly prove myself. However, in February 2020, I became severely ill, which forced me to confront the reality that rest is not a luxury but a necessity. The pandemic, while initially feeling like a disaster, actually provided me with the opportunity to slow down and prioritize my health. Living with a chronic illness taught me that I can no longer be superwoman all the time and that listening to my body and giving it the rest it needs is essential for my well-being. I had to unlearn the harmful idea that rest is lazy or unproductive and instead prioritize self-care and rest to function at my best. This shift in mindset has transformed my approach to work and life, allowing me to be more strategic and mindful in my decisions and ultimately leading to a healthier and more balanced lifestyle.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.WomensFoundationFL.org
• Instagram: Instagram.com/WomensFoundationFL
• Facebook: Facebook.com/WomensFoundationFL
• Linkedin: Linkedin.com/Company/WomensFoundationFL.org