“Say yes in an honest, transparent way,” Susan Vanell-Charpentier from Procter & Gamble

Meet Susan Vanell-Charpentier, Vice President Global Media, Data, and Tech Stack, at Procter & Gamble, where she leads one of the world's largest media portfolios. She has been an instrumental part of P&G’s in-house media organization, and she’s known for being a leader rooted in transparency, approachability, and fairness. Susan’s passion for women’s rights enabled her to create and lead P&G’s global supplier diversity initiative, which enabled several women’s empowerment efforts. She has won multiple awards from agencies like Ad Age and She Runs It, and she’s also served on the board of WeConnect International. 

Susan met with Morgan James, Content Marketing Specialist at SiriusXM Media, to discuss what it takes to build a career on your own terms – from setting boundaries and building networks to leading in a way that opens possibilities—and the power that building your network can bring to your career and personal life. 

Listen to Susan’s full interview below, then check out some highlights from the conversation.

Create options instead of shutting them down.

For Susan, credibility comes from being clear about what won’t work and actively exploring what might. That shift from gatekeeper to problem-solver changes how leaders are perceived as decisions move forward. 

Highlight: “When you start a phrase with, ‘No, we can't do that,’ you instantly get labeled as the barrier. And it also puts you in a position that you are not considering the options. If you force yourself to figure out, ‘How can I say yes in a transparent and honest way?’ I'm not talking about sugarcoating. I'm not talking about gaslighting somebody. I'm saying, how do you say yes in a way that really helps open up options?” - Susan Vanell-Charpentier

You have to set boundaries. 

Rather than viewing boundaries as constraints, Susan sees them as a way to protect what fuels great work. 

Highlight: “You have to set boundaries to be successful… If you want to work until seven o'clock every night, if you get up and you start work immediately, the company will let you do that. But it might mean you might miss your family dinner, you might not get a workout in, you might be burnt out and tired, you might not get to do the things that you want to do. So, you have to prioritize and set some boundaries.” - Susan Vanell-Charpentier

Don’t overexplain.

Setting a boundary doesn’t require permission or a long explanation. Susan shares how clarity and alternatives do the work for you.

Highlight: “You don't have to overexplain… My coaching is to say, ‘Hey, I can't make six o'clock work because I have a prior commitment, but I could do five, or I could do tomorrow morning. Do either of those work?’ You are holding the power, you are holding a boundary. You’re not really telling them no, you're saying, ‘That doesn't work for me.’” - Susan Vanell-Charpentier

Develop your network.

No one figures everything out alone – and trying to do so limits what’s possible.

Highlight: “Having others around you who have diverse experiences, maybe who have more experience with you as sponsors, mentors, colleagues—you have to have those people, and you have to develop that network because they're gonna have solutions you don't have. And that could be a solution just because they have different experiences, or it could be because they are at a higher level, but regardless, it is so important.” - Susan Vanell-Charpentier

Connect with women you admire.

Susan explains some of the most valuable professional relationships begin with a simple, vulnerable ask.

Highlight: “I've been a little vulnerable and asked other women that I admire and think highly of, ‘Hey, I've been thinking about forming this little group. What do you think?’... We crave that connection and that togetherness and learning from each other. But it's hard to ask. You have to be a little bit vulnerable.” - Susan Vanell-Charpentier

Observe other women.

Competition can be limiting. Susan explains how shifting from comparison to curiosity opens the door to growth.

Highlight: “I think sometimes women can be competitive with each other. And when you drop the competition and just say, ‘Wow, I'm so impressed by that person,’ or ‘I admire that person,’ and you think about them as a human, as opposed to, ‘Oh my gosh, I could never be what she is,’ or ‘I'm not that,’ then it opens up a world of possibilities… When you start to observe other women, you learn.” - Susan Vanell-Charpentier

Learning how to embrace our work and life responsibilities can be a struggle—it starts with being intentional about how you work and the people you surround yourself with. Find more inspiring conversations on the Pass the Mic page.

More women. More inspiration.