TIFFANY PHAM OF MOGUL
“I really love the concept of ‘failing forward’ - don’t think that you should create something that is perfect at first. It is more important to get started on your journey, and constantly improve and iterate as you go. ”— Tiffany Pham
Tiffany Pham is the Founder & CEO of Mogul, the world's leading diversity recruitment company. She developed the first version of Mogul, which through its patent-pending inventions now enables recruitment access to over 430MM women and diverse professionals across 195 countries. Praised by Sheryl Sandberg as “the number one platform” and referred to as "the perfect business" by Melinda Gates, Mogul is backed by investors SoftBank, Hearst Corporation, the founders of Comcast, LinkedIn Learning, Match.com, and The Knot.com. Mogul has been named the World’s Largest Platform for Women and Diverse Professionals by Business Insider, Best Partner for Finding Top Talent by Inc. Magazine, and Top Partner for Marketing Your Company by Forbes; and was the subject of a case study called "Redefining Mogul" by Harvard Business School.
She is also the author of the Wall Street Journal bestselling book YOU ARE A MOGUL and GIRL MOGUL (published by Simon & Schuster and MacMillan, respectively). She co-authored the book From Business Strategy to Information Technology Roadmap: A Practical Guide for Executives and Board Members (published by CRC Press).
Tiffany has been named one of Forbes “30 Under 30,” Business Insider “30 Most Important Women Under 30,” ELLE “30 Women Under 30 Who Are Changing the World," Crain's “40 under 40,” Entrepreneur "100 Most Powerful Women," Inc. "Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs," Good Housekeeping "Awesome Women Award" Winner, "Alice Paul Equality Award" Honoree, Cadillac "IVY Innovator" Award Winner, SmartCEO Magazine "Smart CEO Award" Winner, "Innovation & Inclusion Award" Winner for Social Entrepreneurship, NY Business Journal "Woman of Influence" Winner, Tribeca Film Festival "Innovation Award" Fellow, and SE "Top 100 Social Entrepreneur."
Can you tell us about your initial vision for Mogul and what inspired you to found Mogul?
I was initially inspired by my grandmother, who was an amazing mogul of her time. She ran several businesses across multiple industries in Asia, and she helped people by providing access to opportunities. I promised her at age 14 that I would do everything possible to carry forward her legacy, and that propelled me to Yale, and then to Harvard Business School.
After I graduated, I was working three jobs at once–one at CBS, one with the government of Beijing, and one producing films on social issues. In 2014, I was fortunate to be named to the Forbes “30 Under 30” list, and I was inundated with messages from young women all over the world. They wanted insights, advice, and encouragement to achieve their own dreams. As I was answering them, one by one, I thought, “What if there was a platform where millions of us could connect with each other, share information, and get stronger together?” That was the idea that started Mogul, which has now grown into a network of diverse professionals around the world, connecting with opportunities globally. Our mission is to unlock the world's greatest potential.
Before founding Mogul, you held various incredible roles, from working in strategic initiatives and partnerships at CBS to producing feature films and documentaries. How have these roles influenced your journey founding Mogul?
I knew that I wanted to learn as much as I could from every role I held, so that I could successfully create and lead Mogul one day. I was able to view each new job as an opportunity to learn a new skill or develop a new network that would benefit me in the future. Along the way, I was fortunate to collaborate with great leaders who have become friends and mentors of mine, and they are still today some of my biggest supporters. Many were my first investors in Mogul and serve on my advisory board.
You’ve taught yourself coding, which is an amazing feat. If you could go back and change anything about your journey with code or tech in general, what would it be and why?
I really love the concept of “failing forward” - don’t think that you should create something that is perfect at first. It is more important to get started on your journey, and constantly improve and iterate as you go.
We loved how empowering your #IamAMogul campaign was. What is some advice you’d give college-aged women who are looking to enter the start-up environment and create empires like your own?
Thank you so much! My best advice is to always remember to not focus on the no’s and think about it as “not right now.” I'm driven by passion and will always keep looking for a pathway to yes.
My other piece of advice is to write down your ideas and get started! Start coding, start building, start creating. It may be simple – just as Mogul was in the beginning – but you will refine it over time, and it will become as amazing as you hoped it would be.
College is a very influential time period in all of our lives. Has there been a particular moment or experience in college that shaped your aims or journey with Mogul?
At Harvard Business School, where 50 percent of your grade can depend on class participation, I had to very quickly teach myself how to speak up in class, and to speak confidently. I am by nature an introvert, but I knew that I had to find my voice, so every night before class, I would write down on notecards, word for word, three main points for every case study that would be covered in class. I would have talking points if the professor called on me. It felt good to be over-prepared, and I would know exactly what I wanted to say. The next time the professor called on me, I was able to speak up clearly and confidently. Over time, I even found myself wanting to raise my hand to speak, considering how much time I had spent preparing for each discussion. This gave me confidence to speak up in front of others, and that is a lesson that has served me well every single day in the years since I have graduated.
Throughout your career, you juggled multiple side hustles at the same time. Do you have any tips on personal organization or time-management?
I have always believed that small acts can totally transform your life and that the routine you establish for yourself can lay the groundwork for your success. One habit I have always maintained is that every night after work, I review my list of projects and think about the one thing I can do that will most move that project forward at that moment. If you stay focused on the small steps that will get you to your larger goal, you will be constantly moving forward. Be sure to take advantage of your after-work hours in this way, and you will soon be filling your time with interesting connections, learning experiences, and opportunities that will open doors.
Quick Take One: Recommend a few books, podcasts, newsletters or blogs that you've enjoyed and would recommend to the website readers.
Michelle Obama’s book “Becoming” is a must-read! I really enjoyed it. I also enjoy Fortune’s Broadsheet daily newsletter about the world’s most powerful women in business. For career enrichment and education, the Mogul website also has great educational content and events.
Quick Take Two: Name a class you took in college/graduate school that still resonates with you.
A class I took at Harvard Business School that continues to resonate with me is called Founders’ Dilemmas by Noam Wasserman. It taught me the importance of knowing your values and what was important to you before you begin the long-term journey of starting your own company. Those who don’t know themselves well or their values tended to have shorter journeys. When founders knew their priorities and missions well, and understood their values, they were able to establish better relationships with colleagues, and start off on the right footing. For me, that is an enduring principle and it shaped the way that I approach my work at Mogul.