"Changing the Game" is a Q&A segment on the career journey of senior Latino (a) executives from across industries. These C-Suite executives are changing the face of corporate America. Through these interviews, we hope to share with our audience a glimpse of the person behind the title and what motivates and influences them.

Elisa Padilla oversees all of the marketing efforts for the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center, including branding, advertising, merchandising, database research, creative, websites, and social media for its six programming franchises.

Patricia Sierra Sampson: As Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer for the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center, you are in that coveted group of senior executives that have reached the pinnacle of the corporate ladder, the C-Suite. There is a scarcity of women in C-Suite positions but we even see less numbers of Hispanics. You are also in a male dominated industry - sports. Please tell us how and when did you begin navigating your career path and overcoming some of those obstacles?

Elisa Padilla: I have had an interesting career to get to the C-suite. I personally see it as anyone can achieve it. I started my career in the early 90s. After I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Communications, I started working for another professional basketball team as a Marketing Assistant. The woman I worked for was in the C-suite. After working with her for a few years, I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. I really studied her background. She had an MBA in Marketing and had worked for several CPG companies before she got to her position.

After working five years in the sports industry, I decided to go back to school to get my Masters in Marketing. Marketing is by far my passion. After I received my MBA in Marketing, I made the decision that I wanted to be a diversified marketer. My ultimate dream and goal in life was to become the Director of Marketing for a professional sports team. I accomplished that goal in November 2010 when I started with the New Jersey Nets. I have been with the company for five years. When I interviewed for the position, the CEO told me I'm asking you to give me two years. I was either going to move up within the company or move out of the company. Fourteen months into my tenure I was promoted from Director to Vice-President. It's been a labor of love; I love my job. This past year I was promoted to Chief Marketing Officer.

My whole approach to overcoming obstacles is that I am hired because of my intellectual property. It is not because I am a woman; it is not because I am a Latina or other variables people think about. When I took this job five years ago, my goal was to put my head down and be an asset to the company. We work in an environment where if you deliver you are rewarded for your contribution. To this date I have been strategic about how I have outlined my path.

Patricia Sierra Sampson: Women have been known to bring more empathy and consensus-building to their roles as corporate senior leaders, but the male dominated C-Suite sometimes misinterprets this as a 'less-than' leadership style. Do you think being a woman automatically means a 'softer' approach to leadership?

Elisa Padilla: No, I think that being a woman means you bring a different perspective to the table. In my current position, when I need to make the tough decisions, I make them. What I think is interesting is that women who are tough in the workplace are labeled while men are not because it is expected from them but not from women. That is where it is unfair. If you are assertive you are automatically labeled whereas men don't experience that.

Patricia Sierra Sampson: You mentioned passion as an important driver of success, what other attributes would you identify in an effective leader?

Elisa Padilla: Listen, speak less. I think it is very important as a leader that you understand that there are people that surround you, whether they are your colleagues or your staff. Just because you are the leader doesn't mean you know it all. One of the things I pride myself on is I really listen. That is the only way I am able to do a better job. I also believe that even if you are the leader, you don't have to always do all the speaking.

Patricia Sierra Sampson: "Are leaders born or made?" is a question constantly asked in management books and conversations. If you look at your career journey, what leadership traits and attributes appear to have been there from the start and which did you consciously decide to cultivate?

Elisa Padilla: I believe leaders are made. I am one of six children-the youngest girl that got pushed around a lot. I never had to make a decision. Either my older brothers or older sisters made the decisions for me. It wasn't until I went to business school where I really got to understand about flexing my wings and the power of my own voice. In my current position when I flex my muscles and come across as assertive, that is not inherently who I am or how I was raised.

Patricia Sierra Sampson: You bring up an interesting point about so much of who we are comes from our upbringing and background. As a Latina, how much of your culture comes through your leadership style? And, how do you see this as a positive?

Elisa Padilla: I am Puerto Rican. My parents are blue collar workers. I didn't get my first job because my father or mother knew someone. What was instilled in the family was that hard work and education would get you to where you need to be. What I bring to the table and how I manage is that I want everyone to be happy. In our culture, food equals love. Every time I do something for the staff, I always bring them food. That to me is inherent of my culture for sure.

Patricia Sierra Sampson: As you navigated the corporate waters, did you have mentors? What advice did you benefit the most from?

Elisa Padilla: I definitely have one mentor I have worked with and who is still my mentor to this day. It has always been about doing excellent work, being creative, and putting your best foot forward. The sports and entertainment industry is a very competitive industry to work in so you always have to be on your 'A' game to be noticed and make a difference. Work hard. What you put in is what you will get from your job. Stay focused. If you really are passionate about something, give it your all.

Patricia Sierra Sampson: I congratulate you on your rebranding strategy - taking a NJ team (NJ Nets) and bringing them to Brooklyn. How did you accomplish this and can you talk about the campaign behind it?

Elisa Padilla: I am so proud of the work that my team did on the Hello Brooklyn campaign. Someone on my team sent me a YouTube video of a graphic they wanted me to see. We were working on some preliminary concepts on how we were going to launch the team. The music track in the video was 'Hello Brooklyn' by Jay Z. I remember writing it on a post it and for months looking at it every day.

As we were developing the strategy for how we were going to move the team, I wanted to make sure our voice came from within the borough. The Brooklyn fans take pride in everything they do; they are hard-working and have a little bit of an attitude. Because you only have one time to make a first impression, I didn't want the brand to come across like we were preaching or being aggressive. The simplicity of Hello Brooklyn was the right touch. I remember preparing for a meeting to show our business plan to our CEO and key executive leadership team. I told my boss this is what I want to present, I haven't shown this to anybody and want your approval so he said go ahead. I took a big risk. I hadn't shown anyone the facts of what we were looking to do. That day I got very lucky, I presented the Hello Brooklyn campaign and it got accepted on the spot.

Patricia Sierra Sampson: How do you find a work/life balance between being the corporate leader and being the spouse, parent, friend etc...?

Elisa Padilla: I think I do a good job at it. In this age of smart phones, we are connected 24/7. I have a supportive family. Although I am admittedly a work-a-holic, I know I have to unplug. I need to refresh to be a good contributor to my team and bosses. I really plan out my day. I am an early bird so I get in the office very early and leave at a decent hour. On the weekends, I check the phone once in the morning on Saturday, and on Sunday I work at the crack of dawn but, by 8am it is family time.

Patricia Sierra Sampson: More than 45% of the athletes competing at this year's Rio Olympics are women but they are underrepresented on the boards of the International Olympic Committee (roughly 22%). FIFA, despite the success of Women's World Cup, only has three. What is needed to move the needle?

Elisa Padilla: I think women need more champions. You need more men that are sitting in those rooms being champions for women. I think women also need to promote women. You have women who become C-level executives but they do not want to help promote other women because they are afraid their seat at the table will be taken. I don't believe in that at all because the reality is I have a seat at the table because I have earned it. It would behoove me to continue to pave the way for the next three, four, or five women.

Patricia Sierra Sampson: If you had the ability to go back in time knowing now the arc of your career, is there anything you would have done differently?

Elisa Padilla: I think I would have practiced patience a little bit more. I wouldn't have been so hard on myself. I had a goal in my mind that I wanted to be Director of Marketing by a certain age. When I didn't reach that goal when I was that age, it was very disheartening. It was a hard hit but it had absolutely nothing to do with me. It was just the circumstances of where I was in my career. But when I look back, I was exactly where I needed to be in order to get to me where I am today.

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