Inspiring Change: Cultivating Talent and Building Meaningful Relationships with Dana Cox of FIX Coaching & Consulting

In this episode of the Power of the Ask podcast, Dana Cox, MBA, PMP, Senior VP of Global Delivery Enablement at MasterCard, and 2023 Savvy Ladies Mentorship Award recipient, shares insights on cultivating talent, building transformative relationships, and balancing her roles as a mother of six and grandmother of three. She emphasizes the importance of preparation, strategic communication, and self-reflection in leadership.

Dana recounts overcoming corporate challenges, including a pivotal moment when her innovative idea saved her company millions. Her dedication to empowering others is evident in her work with Custom Collaborative and her travel business, Cox Travel Adventures. Dana inspires through meticulous time management and continuous learning.

In this episode, we will discuss how Dana:

💠 Shares her passion for realizing your full potential and fearlessly pursuing it. 

💠 Explains that preparation and being well-informed are key to meaningful contributions. 

💠 Discusses the importance of creating a cycle of empowerment and guiding others in their careers.

She credits her success to a supportive network, constructive feedback, and the inspiring stories that make the Power of the Ask come to life

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About Dana L. Cox, MBA, PMP:

Dana L. Cox, MBA, PMP, is a highly accomplished executive in the corporate world, currently serving as the Senior Vice President of Global Delivery Enablement at Mastercard. With a heart full of love for family, friends, and community, Dana has successfully climbed the corporate ladder from an administrative assistant to her current role, raising her family and becoming an entrepreneur, building her curated luxury travel business. Dana combines traditional work ethic, modern thinking, and passion for mentoring rising talent. Recipient of the 2023 Savvy Ladies Mentorship Award alongside her mentee Mara, Dana cultivates talent across cultures and teams while forging relationships that transform, inspire, and make an impact on not only the people she works with but also how her work moves forward, embracing her brilliance. 

Dana earned a BS in Business from Upper Iowa University and an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University. She calls her six children and three grandchildren her “heart and soul” and calls out her “support system village” for supporting her on her journey. She serves on the board of Custom Collaborative, an innovative New York City-based social enterprise that helps women from low-income and immigrant communities earn fair pay by launching businesses and careers in the fashion industry.

Important Links:

Savvy Ladies
Lisa Zeiderman, Esq., CDFA, CFL - Forbes Business Council | LinkedIn
Precious L. Williams - Perfect Pitch Group | LinkedIn
Dana Cox | LinkedIn

Transcript

Lisa Zeiderman (00:03.485)

Welcome everyone to the Savvy Ladies podcast, the power of the ask. We are so happy that you are joining us today. This is the podcast that helps you get what you want, both personally and financially. So welcome and I welcome my co host as well, Precious Williams and Precious is going to be introducing our guest, Dana Cox.

Precious LaTonia Williams (00:30.371)

Now y 'all know we're in for a real treat today. As you all know, every guest we have on here brings such great pearls and gems of wisdom. And so that'll be the same thing with Dana. Dana Cox is a highly accomplished executive in the corporate world. Currently serving as the Senior Vice President of Global Delivery Enablement at MasterCard. She's also the recipient of the 2023 Savvy Ladies Mentorship Award alongside with her mentee Mara. Dana cultivates talent across cultures and teams while forging relationships that transform, inspire, and makes an impact on not only the people she works with, but also how her work moves her forward in embracing her own brilliance. We're excited to chat with Dana today and see how she really created

at the life she enjoys and inspires all in her path to shine. Dana, I can say so much about you, but let our audience, let the savvy ladies know a little bit more about you that you can't find in your bio.

Dana Cox (00:04.13)

So Precious and Lisa, it's really a pleasure to spend some time with you ladies today.

I'll start off by saying one thing that's probably not in my bio is that I am a mother of six amazing adult children. I have one daughter and five amazing sons. I am a grandmother to three, I call them my pumpkins in my pumpkin patch. So I have three little pumpkins in my pumpkin patch, Ruby June, Mariana and Marcel, and they are four, three and two. So those are the things that really make me tick.

and really motivate me to do all that I do is the heart and soul of me, which are my kids and my grandkids.

Precious LaTonia Williams (00:51.764)

Now Dana, you said six kids. I'm like, that's a lot. And then being a global executive, wow. So how do you embrace the power of your voice along with your corporate journey?

Dana Cox (01:06.578)

It's been interesting, I would say. I haven't always embraced my voice, which is probably the case of permitting women, right? But along the journey, I've sought opportunities to speak up and to share my insights along the way a little bit at a time. Has it been challenging? Absolutely, it has been challenging. It's difficult to find the confidence to share your views and your perspectives,

in environments where diverse views and perspective are not always encouraged or even welcomed, to be honest, right? Sometimes they just want you to do what they say and not necessarily have an opinion about it. But

I think being prepared has been really instrumental in that, right? Understanding and having the knowledge of the topics and the things of that nature where I can stand on speaking from a place of confidence and not necessarily just talking to be talking, right? And then also speaking in a way that adds meaning in a meaningful way that drives value to the conversation that's being discussed because sometimes I think we just want to hear our own voices. And it's important.

that we are a little more strategic about where we insert ourselves and the things that we speak about and where we determine where we're going to chime in.

lisa zeiderman (02:32.042)

Dana, I think that's so true, that you need to strategically think about what you're going to say and whether it's going to add to the conversation. And that brings me to the next question, which is, was there a moment when you realized your voice would make that difference?

Dana Cox (02:50.766)

Honestly, yes. I remember it was early in my journey. I had just joined this team. I'd probably been there six months. And I was often in meetings trying to give ideas, and I kept getting shut down. I kept saying, that's not how we do it here. You knew. That's not how we do it here. But I'm a tourist, so I'm persistent.

Dana Cox (03:16.878)

I just kept coming back for more. But we had this project that we were working on, and it had some really tight timeframes around it. And if we didn't deliver in the next 45 days, the company was going to be fined $22 million. That's million with an M. Yeah. And so we were all in this room, and I had.

spend some of my time on the weekend, really thinking outside of the box. How can we tackle this problem in a way that is, it may have some cost to it, but it's not as much as $22 million. And allow us to finish and finish on time to avoid that fee. And so I did hesitantly raise my hand to insert myself into the conversation because they shut me down for about six months. And I shared my idea.

And it was really interesting to see my boss and my colleagues kind of go, hmm, she might be on to something. Because this is a problem they had never been up before, so they couldn't tell me that's not how we do it here. And so they really embraced the idea that I brought forward and we really kind of sprung into action, we put it into place. It allowed us to really finish the project early.

and avoid that $22 million fee, and it only cost the company $100,000.

Precious LaTonia Williams (04:45.216)

you $22 million to $100,000. That sounds amazing. That sounds awesome. I know when people hear MasterCard and they hear your title and things like that, they're like, I don't even know how to even talk to her. When did you start to feel comfortable showing your authentic self? Because I'm looking at your haircut. I look at the way that you dress.

Dana Cox (05:10.392)

Mm-hmm.

Precious LaTonia Williams (05:11.032)

And it's not the norm, but it's still business. When did you feel comfortable sharing that?

Dana Cox (05:18.434)

To be honest with you, it has been a very long journey. And I probably came into my authenticity maybe a couple of years ago. Because I think in order to bring your full authentic self to any situation, you have to first know yourself. And I think that we are, at least for me, I was still figuring that out, even at 50 plus. I was still.

figuring who I was and what it was I really wanted in my life and what that really looked like. And I think oftentimes, you know, if you spend some time sitting with yourself to really reflect, are you living your life or are you living a life that someone else determined for you, right? And sometimes we get in the path that our parents, you know, picked for us, or it is expected that, you know, everybody goes into the dentistry, so I'm going to be a dentist

Like sometimes these paths are charted for us before we even, you know, come into our fullness. And so it's hard for, at times, to understand who you are and what you really want out of life. And I joined a coaching program. You know, thinking it was going to be a traditional coaching program. I'm going to get some mentorship on business stuff. That was really not—I got some of that, so don't get me wrong, got some of that.

What it did was it really got me to unlock me. And I spent a lot of time learning more about who I was and what I desired and what really made me tick. And I left that program really understanding, you know, who was Dana Cox and understanding my fullness of my potential that was inside of me and how to fearlessly, you know, hold onto that to seize that and to drive towards that. And so,

that has been really instrumental for me is one, learning who I am and what it is that truly makes me tick, what makes my heart go pitter patter. And you know, so those are some of the key things for me.

Lisa zeiderman (07:28.202)

You know, I can't stop thinking about the 22 million to the 100,000, I have to say. My mind is really focused on that, because one of the questions that I really wanted to ask you was that, you know, a lot of women, they may get a seat at the table, but to be heard at the table, that is something totally different. And...

I guess in some ways in my mind, right, when you were able to manage to get that from 22 million down to 100 million, to 100,000 and to save all of that money for your company, that had to be a mechanism.

facilitator essentially to get your voice heard at that table. What are some of the tips in your mind for finding ways to get your voice heard? Does it does success at something at the company? Does that make a difference to get your voice heard? Did the fact that you were successful at that moment, did that mean that you were going to be sitting at that table and your voice was going to be heard? What did you do and how can you tell us all and all our savvy ladies

how to make sure that they get their voice heard at the table.

Dana Cox (08:42.723)

Okay, great question Lisa. So first of all, I'll say that no, that did not guarantee me a seat at the table.

Dana Cox (08:51.958)

You're welcome.

lisa zeiderman (08:52.094)

Seems like a lot of money. They should be guaranteed at least a seat. There's nothing guaranteed.

Dana Cox (08:55.778)

There's nothing guaranteed in life. Death and taxes maybe, but nothing else is guaranteed in life. But what I will say, there's a couple of things. One, I think women have an opportunity to sit at the table, and often we don't take that. Or when we do take that, we make ourselves real small at the table. I have.

I have literally observed women when you're, sometimes they come into a room, the table is still, the seats are still there around the table and they don't take a seat at the table but they'll take a chair on the wall.

Dana Cox (09:33.238)

But the table is free. You can sit there if you so choose, or if you think you're deserving enough to sit there. Sometimes they are, but they don't think that, so they don't take that seat. I've seen other times when they've sat at the table, and when other people come in late.

The men are still paying attention to the conversation. The women are trying to find Bob a seat. They're moving their stuff, making themselves smaller. They're more focused on doing those types of things than contributing to the conversation. Well, if they wanted a seat, they should have showed up on time or even early. That's not your responsibility to find them someplace to sit. As I said before, prepared is important.

Preparation is key. Being well informed about the topics that are going to be discussed so you can contribute in a meaningful way. And the key there is meaningful way, a way that drives value, not just talking to be speaking, not derailing the conversation, understanding the goal that's going to be accomplished. Then you can contribute in a strategic manner throughout the discussion, contributing your sprinkle, your special sauce

and adding value. I think also building those cultivating meaningful relationships is also important. Developing relationships with colleagues who can support and amplify your ideas during those conversations is really important as well to have an ally in the room. Being concise and confident. Sometimes we talk too much. We say a whole lot of words to say nothing.

Express your ideas clearly and confidently. Being concise helps to ensure that your message gets heard and is clearly understood. There's no ambiguity. Everybody understood the point. And then seeking feedback and acting on that, I think, is also important. It's important to ask others who are experiencing you about your contributions. And don't just ask the people you like or the people that like you. Ask everybody.

Dana Cox (11:40.582)

especially the ones that you don't get along with. That's where you get the best feedback from. And then you have to do something with that information that will help improve your communication and your effectiveness.

And then lastly, I would say utilizing different platforms. It's not just about the meetings at work that help you get heard. Participate in panels and use LinkedIn, write articles, get your voice out there. There's many ways to get your voice out there and to show yourself, as I say, is to show yourself approved, if you will. So those are some of the things that I would say.

Precious LaTonia Williams (12:21.688)

Well, this is the power of the ass podcast and I know our savvy ladies just looking at you listening to you You have poise elegance grace and all of those amazing things You also won our mentor award Who mentored did you have someone mentor you because I know you didn't get here by yourself And if someone did mentor you shout them out and why is mentorship important to you?

Dana Cox (12:48.235)

Okay.

So I would definitely say yes. Having a support system has been crucial for my growth. I have, it took a village to get me here, you know, from my niece, Jessica, who watched my kids while I went to night school to get my master's degree, to my grandmothers and my mom and, you know, aunties and all the village. But throughout my career,

Precious LaTonia Williams (12:56.327)

Mm-hmm.

Dana Cox (13:18.9)

women who I have had the opportunity to work with who poured into me. They saw the value in me, they gave me feedback, constructive feedback, not always telling me what I wanted to hear, but telling me what I needed to hear to be the best version of me.

And receiving that, you know, receiving the Savvy Ladies Mentorship Award was truly an honor and really a testament to the importance that I place on mentorship. Because to me, mentorship is really about paying it forward. It's about, you know, knowing that the guidance that I received from those that supported me was really invaluable. And how can, you know, I consider it a blessing, right, to be able to have the opportunity to offer that same type of support to

people. So it's really about creating that cycle right of empowerment and helping others to navigate their career journeys in a more confident way.

Lisa zeiderman (14:20.914)

You are such a wise woman. It is such a pleasure to have you today, I have to say. You know, you are a phenomenal mentor and a fabulous leader. And I know from your mentee what a great leader you are. And so I'm gonna ask you to share with all of the savvy ladies what it is that you've learned that has helped you become the leader that you are and

Dana Cox (14:49.651)

Mm-hmm.

Lisa zeiderman (14:50.23)

How do you keep making yourself a better leader?

Dana Cox (14:53.886)

Okay.

So becoming a better leader really has involved a couple of things. Continuous learning, a lot of self-reflection, and really, I think it's important to create a safe environment where those that you lead care enough about you and feel safe enough and comfortable enough to give you the feedback that you need and deserve as a leader. And that's not always telling you when you're great. There are times when, as a leader, you miss the mark.

to give you that feedback and that advice to help you improve. But you have to create and cultivate an environment where they, one, they feel that they can have that conversation with you, and two, as a leader, it lets you know that they care enough about you to do so. I also will say that I've learned the importance of empathy, active listening, and adaptability.

And you know, as tourists, we don't like to adapt too much. We're very set in our ways. But I would also say, plus when you cross a certain age limit, you get a little set in your ways as well. But I've learned to be adaptable, one, because of the changing environment of just the nature of work and things of that nature. It's constantly evolving and changing. But act.

Precious LaTonia Williams (15:54.211)

HAHAHAHA

Dana Cox (16:15.714)

listening, not listening to respond, but really listening to hear what the other person is saying, not just with the words that are coming out of their mouths, but sometimes people are really speaking from the heart and so you have to hear the feeling behind the words. And you know, those that you lead really want to be seen, they want to be heard, they want to be understood, and the way you can really guide them, support them, is to really know them. And I think the most important, yes, I have goals, I have objectives, and

Precious LaTonia Williams (16:30.308)

Yes.

Dana Cox (16:45.488)

All those things from a business perspective that have to be delivered upon. But the way in which I do that is through the team that I lead. And so the most important responsibility I feel that I have as a leader is to those that I lead. Is to get to know them, to understand what makes them tick, what are their strengths, and all of those things. I think those are the important aspects of becoming a better leader. I also think that being honest.

With yourself, that self-reflection aspect through the journey has, you know, much like anybody else. I don't like to call out my issues either.

Precious LaTonia Williams (17:26.236)

Haha

Dana Cox (17:29.118)

It's real easy to overlook your areas of improvement or to rationalize that bad decision that you made. It was somebody else's fault that you made the bad decision, right? And you can rationalize those things away. But I've learned that the self-honesty aspect is really crucial to my growth. And it allows me to recognize where I do need to improve and to seek out the resources that I need,

back I need, the support I need. You know, there are days when I've had to tell my team, you know, I could have handled that better.

Precious LaTonia Williams (18:05.856)

Ooh, I don't think I've ever heard anybody ever say, I've never heard a supervisor boss ever tell me that. I've never heard that.

Lisa zeiderman (18:06.486)

Good for you.

Dana Cox (18:11.539)

Absolutely, because one, it humanizes me to them. They need to understand that I don't get it right every day either. And that makes it safe for them to acknowledge when they don't get it right.

Precious LaTonia Williams (18:27.804)

Well, I've personally had the pleasure of seeing you outside of the office.

When you blessed me by asking me to come to an event at a church for women who were transitioning and learning how to sew, learning how to put together these amazing fashion pieces. In that moment of walking into that church, and I want you to talk about that, because part of the reason of the Power of the Ass podcast is to also humanize our guests. Yes, you understand finances,

Dana Cox (18:49.026)

Mm-hmm.

Dana Cox (19:01.145)

Mm-hmm.

Precious LaTonia Williams (19:04.586)

negotiating, making sure the money is right. But they also need to hear how you're a leader outside of the office. So could you share more about that particular, why do you give back to other organizations too, and what does that do for you, and why is that a part of being a great leader?

Dana Cox (19:13.198)

Mm-hmm.

Dana Cox (19:26.742)

So yes, absolutely. So Custom Collaborative is the nonprofit that I'm a board member for, and I love their mission. And it really helps women, low income, no income women, to really develop the skills of sewing, those that have a passion. Many of the women coming into the program never having threaded a needle.

And but part of the grant throughout that process, they learn every aspect, pattern making and all of those different things. And to see their skills grow, but also them grow as individuals. For those women to be able to leave that program with skills that they can literally make an income for their families and to really be self independent, if you will financially independent in a lot of cases is really important. They learn business skills.

It's not just about the sewing, they learn all the other aspects in order for them to self sustain. And for me, I was drawn to that particular organization because my mom used to make a lot of my clothes. And initially, I thought I was just special because I had a lot of one of a kinds, but I didn't realize that we were we were not as well off. As I thought that we were.

Dana Cox (20:49.058)

So I wondered what my mom's life would have been like had there been a custom collaborative for her. And so that is what really drew me to the organization.

Lisa zeiderman (21:00.566)

It's amazing. You have done so many different things. And I know that you have a company also called Cox Travel Adventures. And you are a very busy lady, obviously, because you have to be able to balance Cox Travel alongside your position at MasterCard as a senior VP. And...

Dana Cox (21:11.957)

Yes.

Lisa zeiderman (21:24.938)

What inspired you to even start Cox Travel Adventures? What is it? What inspired you? How do you keep it all going every day?

Dana Cox (21:34.106)

So Cox Travel Adventures was born out of my passion for travel, for one. And two, I'm always the person that my girls, with my girlfriends and with my family, that was the one responsible for planning all the stuff.

But it really stemmed from my passion for travel and the desire to really create these unique, sustainable experiences. That's really what got me into it. You're right, Lisa. Balance is the key. The kids are out of the house. I've got to fill my time some kind of way, right? So with my day job, I think the two things, I would say meticulous time management and setting boundaries are really key pieces.

has a name and that is what goes in that box of time, is that dedicated activity. But it's also meant in leveraging, I get an opportunity to leverage the skills that I've developed throughout my career, such as strategic planning, effective communication, and things of that nature in Cox Travel Adventures, which has also, you know, allows me to do things a little more faster than I probably would if I was just starting from scratch.

Lisa zeiderman (22:51.466)

amazing.

Precious LaTonia Williams (22:51.868)

So since you've been successful at both and you've been so extraordinary, I feel like you just answered a lot, a question that we had, like you had time management, setting boundaries and leveraging, those are all great. Our savvy ladies want to know, what's a question you wish people asked you, whether it was about working at MasterCard or your travel business or you as a person?

Dana Cox (22:57.194)

Thanks for watching!

Precious LaTonia Williams (23:21.948)

that would illuminate more about what really makes data tick.

Dana Cox (23:26.286)

Ooh, that is a really good question, miss.

Precious LaTonia Williams (23:28.644)

Yeah, we like to come at y'all like that. You now. Ha ha ha.

Dana Cox (23:36.694)

Um, I think I'm pretty much a wide open book. Um, if you look at my LinkedIn, I pretty much share a lot, uh, about what makes Dana tick. Um, but.

as I said, at the top of the show. It's everything I do, I do with my kids in mind. I think primarily having a daughter and granddaughters first and foremost, not saying I don't love my boys or love them equally, so don't come for me, please, is the problem.

Dana Cox (24:08.91)

We just get that out of the way real quick. But I think for me, it's always been about showing my daughter what is possible for her and for my granddaughters, what's possible for them. And just wanting them to know that they can have, be, do, whatever it is they put their mind to, they just have to go after.

And I'm part of that support system that will definitely help them and support them to get their dreams to become a reality. But for me, that's what really makes me think a lot of times people don't know I have six kids. They don't know I have grandchildren.

Precious LaTonia Williams (24:47.736)

And they also, I'm gonna tell you what people really should know too, your post on LinkedIn.

whether it's your newsletter, whether it's what you posted yesterday, it really shows another side to you that is so, again, we're dealing with finance professionals all the time, we're dealing with CEOs, executives, but to read about you going to Ballet, or going to all of these places, and what it illuminates for you, for those of us who haven't been there, it shows me what really is possible,

no one had the perfect route to get to their 40s or 50s or their 60s. No one had the perfect route. However, treasure it all along the way. Treasure every experience because it really adds up. And so that's why I asked you that question.

Dana Cox (25:40.564)

Absolutely, I think, you know.

Lisa zeiderman (25:40.726)

That's it.

Dana Cox (25:43.43)

I think that this part of me that I kind of shared about coming into my authenticity, you know, that's a part has been a part of my journey as well. Just really tapping into what is the experience, being fully present in those moments. In the past, it was just like taking pictures, running around, you know, doing the doing it in a very touristy type of way.

Dana Cox (26:13.104)

be fully present, not on my phone, not on social media, but just fully present in that space and just seeing what speaks to me and journaling about that and being able to kind of share that with others and hopefully motivate or inspire is really been a part, something that's come about in the last year or so.

Lisa zeiderman (26:37.214)

Dana, you definitely are an inspiration. You certainly have succeeded in that. And we're gonna ask you the question that we ask all our guests on our savvy ladies Power of the Ask podcast, which is why is the power of the ask so important to women, especially financially? What makes it so critical that you actually utilize that power of the ask?

Dana Cox (27:04.526)

I would definitely say the power of the ask is so pivotal and so important because it directly impacts our ability to achieve equality and advance our careers. Many times women are hesitant to negotiate higher salaries, better benefits, investment opportunities due to societal conditioning, right? Or fear of being perceived as being demanding. However, asking is a fundamental step for all of us, not just for you, but for all of us.

So it's one of those steps towards closing that gender pay gap that we, that still exists, that has existed, seem like you get five cents and it just moves a little bit. Gap doesn't appear to be closed, it just keeps the inching along. But it's also about valuing your worth, understanding your worth, valuing your worth, and not being afraid to ask for what you believe you are worth. And it's, you know, practicing that.

individual but it also benefits the ecosystem of the rest of us women as well.

Lisa zeiderman (28:10.614)

I'm just going to add, Jaina, because I think that that's the most important thing, is that women sometimes do not value their worth, that they are frightened or intimidated or feel reluctant to actually value their worth. And I think it's so important what you just said about that. Women must value their worth.

Dana Cox (28:24.759)

Thanks for watching.

Dana Cox (28:31.606)

Well, and here's the, I'll add on top of that Lisa, I think, you know, sometimes we are looking for that external validation, as if we need to, that somehow it needs to say that we've been stamped by Inspector Number 7, and that somehow makes us worth X amount, but it's not someone else's validation of you that quantifies your worth, or validates your skillset. It's your validation of you that matters most out of anything.

Precious LaTonia Williams (29:04.012)

I fully agree with that. And Dana, it has been such a pleasure having you as another one of our amazing guests on the Power of the Ass podcast, Powered by Savvy Ladies. As you all savvy ladies can tell, we get the best guests that know how to just come and give you this real tru-tee on career negotiations, asking, asking for your worth, demanding your worth and walking away if respect is no longer served at the table. So thank you again for coming to another exciting edition of the Power of the

Ask Podcasts or tell a friend to tell a friend to tell a friend, download, subscribe. We'd love to have you. Take care everyone.

Dana Cox (29:41.346)

Thank you.

lisa zeiderman (29:42.474)

Thank you, Dana.