Member Spotlight: Adriana Salazar Hidalgo
“Pride is the biggest window of opportunity within which to show the world what has been done in support of diversity, equity and inclusion, but also to highlight what still needs to be done to achieve the parity that we all deserve as human beings.”
Celebrating Pride – this month and every month – amplifying the voices of our LGBTQ+ members and championing diversity, equity and inclusion in all that we do, we spoke to Adriana Salazar Hidalgo, an Independent Consultant at Akuyari, about her lived experience, coming out to her friends and family, what it means to be genuinely inclusive and the importance of Pride to this day.
Tell us a bit about you and what your company does.
I exited the corporate world last May (2021) and started the latest of my adventures as an independent consultant by the hand of other valuable colleagues – some of which are within the Women in CX community.
There’s been no better introduction to this industry than at Akuyari, where our purpose is to make people's lives easier and simpler through strategic design, services, experiences and new ways of working.
We design tailored consultancy products to help companies improve their knowledge of customer-centric values, adapt their strategies and achieve their objectives, always encouraging the human perspective – that is what differentiates us and makes us who we are as people and society.
How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve learned to trust my intuition, after failing many times in my decision-making, I always take the next chance to improve.
Always adapting to the role or job that I’ve held, upon finding myself no longer having fun, I remind myself of three things:
#1 Dare greatly for a new adventure.
I made the decision to take on a traineeship in an area that I didn’t like very much in university, decided to take part in a cooperation programme in Italy that was later extended to Spain, and when it was over, I decided to stay again, study what I really wanted to and each vacation that I took was to a new place, to meet new people – nothing like testing the limits time and time again!
#2 Accept and embrace the spirit of self-improvement.
I will never (ever!) know all of the answers – I’m not even pretending that I will – but I recognised that I had room for improvement and continuous studying, accepting new challenges and responding to my inner child’s curiosity for all of the things I had not yet experienced, tested or learned.
#3 Find support from your best ambassadors.
We cannot travel far if we walk alone. My support army has changed throughout the years – dependent on the direction of my adventures – but I’ve always been supported by the lovely and enthusiastic people that I choose to surround myself with.
Tell us about a moment that shaped you into the woman you are today?
When I accepted myself as different. I refused to play the role that I was designated in society, as a woman and a professional, and finally came out to my friends, and later to my family – something that was not easy and that I did only when I felt safe in Europe.
Living on my own, proving first to myself that I could be the master of my own destiny and break the mould, that is when I discovered my potential and started to write my own story – dedicated to several voluntary causes – I finally found the support to grow my potential in the LGBTQ+ association.
Also, aside from the “formal job”, testing different formulas of entrepreneurship in art promotion, event organisation, modelling and tourism helped me to adopt the right mindset, working outside of the corporate world.
What makes a woman courageous, collaborative, inclusive and authentic?
Women that will accept themselves, strive for authentic growth accompanied not by competition but by shared success building.
Women that share these values also share the principle that by supporting other women we can rise higher together.
What does Pride mean to you?
In my early activism stage, I believed it was a matter of amplifying the voices so that society could not, or dare not, attempt to erase our existence.
Later, when I got to know all of the brave predecessors that had really put it all in, risking their own lives and security for the cause, I understood that Pride is the biggest window of opportunity within which to show the world what has been done in support of diversity, equity and inclusion, but also to highlight what still needs to be done to achieve the parity that we all deserve as human beings.
The fight will never stop – not even during the month of celebration. We will continue to acknowledge the hard work that wonderful people do all year for human rights and Pride is the perfect scenario for those human rights!
And finally, what has been your experience joining WiCX?
From the first moment, the community felt like home.
I still cherish the first ice-breaker game that we played when starting to meet members. It was an animal game that prompted us to share the animal that we felt most aligned with, I was tempted to choose a dolphin, like the one I have tattooed as a sign of freedom in my early years in Europe, but suddenly, I surprised myself with the most sincere and original coming out statement I’ve ever experienced before, I stood out proudly as the most colourful toucan wearing pride in my beak, it was natural, it was real… I have felt genuinely welcome within this community since day one.
Thank you, Adriana, for so courageously sharing your story with our readers. 💛
With inclusivity amongst our four core values here at Women in CX, we will continue to lean in, listen and learn from the lived experiences of our members, using our platform to champion diversity, equity and inclusion, to afford equal opportunities for all and to amplify the voices of Women in CX across the globe.
To take part in discussions on topics such as this, expand your own professional network and join other remarkable women on the path to CX mastery, sign up to the waitlist now and become a member of the Women in CX community.
At our table, there’s room for everyone.