The Many Faces of Elizabeth Holmes and Me

Four-inch heels on a 5’9” frame, a red sole serving as the lone color in a sea of black fabric. Platinum faux hawk with a dark splash of color, accenting its peak, finished with shaved sides and a razored nape. Skinny dark jeans topped with Helmut Lang’s latest trend, peeking out beneath the omnipresent leather jacket. Adolescent nickname of “pizza face” prompting full-coverage foundation and all of its fixings, topped with a cherry of red lipstick. 

Looking like the singer Pink went corporate, me and my body armor made a statement at every meeting attended while President of CJ Affiliate. In my retired state, I have regressed back to my inner child, strutting harem-inspired sweatpants, high tops and a baseball hat, a crown to my now chest length hair. This aging face bears nothing more than a tinted sunscreen and little lip gloss. 

From rock chic to casual athlete. But, who was that Mohawk Mama and why!? 

In a New York Times interview with Elizabeth Holmes, former CEO and founder of Theranos, written prior to the start of her 11-year sentence for investor fraud, the reporter repeats the rumor that “Jennifer Lawrence had pulled out of portraying her in a movie.” Without missing a beat, Elizabeth states “they’re not playing me. They’re playing a character I created.” The reporter then asks, “so why did she (Elizabeth) create that public persona?’ in which Elizabeth responds, ‘I believed it would be how I would be good at business and taken seriously and not taken as a little girl or a girl who didn’t have good technical ideas.’”  

A Stanford dropout, Elizabeth was 19-years-old when she started Theranos. 

Steve Jobs-esque black turtleneck, Kabuki red lipstick accompanied by a “throaty contralto” were the critical components of Elizabeth’s body armor. One could argue that it worked. In 2013, Elizabeth was worth $4.5B and trumpeted as the youngest self-made billionaire. With a company valuation of $9B, Theranos’ investors and board members included such famous folks as media mogul Rupert Murdoch; Oracle CEO Larry Ellison; two former U.S. Secretary of States, Henry Kissinger and George Shultz; and the former CEO of Wells Fargo, Richard Kovacevich. 

Don’t get me started on the lack of board accountability and responsibility for Theranos’ demise. 

Did 19-year-old Mark Zuckerberg also ponder what he could do to be taken more seriously as a young entrepreneur? As evidenced by “Hoodiegate” in 2012 when he was courting investors in a black hooded sweatshirt, I doubt it. At the time, a Wall Street analyst stated the following on Bloomberg TV: “I think that’s a mark of immaturity. I think that he has to realize he’s bringing investors in as a new constituency right now, and I think he’s got to show them the respect that they deserve because he’s asking them for their money.” 

Silicon Valley laughed, “....he’s going to build a $100 billion dollar business and change the world? That’s what the hoodie signifies? Well then, I think that he shouldn’t take it off at all costs!” (Alex Wilhelm, The Next Web, May 2012). 

Facebook reached its highest valuation of $1 trillion in September 2021. 

There are hundreds of articles instructing women on how to be taken more seriously in the workplace. The themes are all disgustingly the same: Be over prepared; develop your voice; find allies; be persistent; nail your body language; and push back when necessary. I think of the hours spent in front of the mirror practicing presentations, whether the audience was one or 1,000. Did my male counterparts do the same? As women, do we not trust that the merits of an idea can stand alone? Why do we feel the need to sell it, both physically and emotionally? 

In speaking with my friend Tim, I asked about his process as an enterprise account executive when trying to earn the respect of the audience before him. While at the same company, we did dozens of client pitches together and apart. In so many words, he asked, “what process?” Tim did confess that when a woman is holding court, a man’s initial reaction is to assess her level of attractiveness (thank you testosterone). The mature male will move on quickly and focus on the business at hand. The immature one may not, making her appearance a potential factor in his decision-making process. Knowing this, some women may use their physical prowess to advance their agenda. 

What if the script was flipped and women were the majority in most board rooms? One would also have to dream that we lived in a matriarchy, not a patriarchy. Welcome to Barbieland! Would my friend Paul be forced to develop a “process” to secure credibility in an estrogen-dominated environment? Would those instructional articles read the same - i.e., be over prepared, etc? 

Perhaps. 

Regardless of gender, do what YOU need to do to feel confident. As Lyndon B. Johnson once said, “conviction convinces.” Over prepare or be off the cuff. Wear red lipstick or cherry chapstick. Adorn a hooded sweatshirt or haute couture. Slip on heels or sneakers. Form alliances or let them happen organically. You do you. One can’t control the reaction of others so create a process and persona that inspires you to do your best work. Let’s not forget that Mark’s pitch while wearing an “immature” hoodie had IPO investors fighting for his business. 

Despite your conviction, there may be rooms in which securing the respect of others may seem futile as they are controlled by the likes of Succession’s Logan Roy. My tendency is to assume the blame. I’m not communicating effectively. Or, my goals, values or priorities are not aligned. Their response - or lack thereof - is triggering my own trauma. It could be those things but what if it’s not? If you feel like you are the victim of conscious/unconscious bias or sexism in any form, I encourage you to find a different “room” or consult a lawyer. I recognize that both these options originate from a place of privilege and require much bravery. Lacking such strength, I still regret not exploring legal action at a critical juncture in my career. 

Whatever you do, do NOT create a character like Elizabeth Holmes in your journey for credibility. In the words of author and coach Jay Shetty, “every time you try to change yourself to get someone to like you, you lose a part of yourself.” Elizabeth lied to herself and ultimately to all those around her, landing her in a Texas minimum security prison. 

Mohawk Mama wasn’t a character. It was me. Mohawks and sweatpants are two sides of the same Kerri coin. Both personas were and are authentic. That mohawk won a lot of business during my career and the sweatpants are killing it on the pickleball court. ;)