For years in finance, I hid my tattoos.

I still remember the moment that made me question myself—an older client, whose entire family I had helped for years, saw the names of my children inked on my leg and asked, “Why would you do something like that to your body?”

In that moment, I felt ashamed. And for years, I covered up, wearing pants to work so no one else would judge me.

But as I transitioned into DEI leadership at a global organization, carrying the weight of my colleagues’ experiences, advocating for change, and standing up—not just for myself, but for every single person who shared their story with me—I realized something:

I needed to bring more of myself into this fight.

So, in the last year, I finished my sleeve. The dragon and phoenix—symbols of resilience, transformation, and my late grandmother, the strongest woman I’ve ever known. Guanyin, the Chinese goddess of protection and foo dogs—a reminder that I need my own armor to take on ecosystems that weren’t built for everyone to succeed.

Because here’s the thing—having tattoos doesn’t make me less professional. It doesn’t negate my experience, my expertise, or my values. So why do we still judge people for how they choose to show up?

• Don’t like tattoos? Don’t get one.
• Don’t believe in same-sex relationships? Don’t be in one.
• Don’t believe in pronouns? Newflash: Everyone uses them.

I choose to show up as me—unapologetically and authentically. And I hope to inspire others to do the same so that we can build workplaces—and a world—where people don’t have to hide who they are to be respected.

At the heart of diversity, equity, and inclusion is the ability to treat people as individuals—to respect them for who they are, not on our preconceived assumptions about them based on what they look like or how they choose to show up in the world.

Have you ever felt pressure to hide a part of yourself to fit in professionally? Let’s talk.