Suezette Yasmin Robotham on Jamaican Roots and Florida Upbringing, Pivoting from Pre-Med to Education Reform, Leading Global Talent at Google, Meta, and Salesforce, and Authoring Beyond the Titles
How do you go from being weeded out of pre-med to leading global talent strategies for the world's biggest tech giants? In this episode of No Boxes, Just Verses, I sit down with my dear friend Suezette Yasmin Robotham, a best-selling author and global talent executive. Suezette takes us on her incredible circuitous journey—from a first-generation immigrant kid in Florida to the C-Suites of Google, Meta, and Salesforce.
We discuss how she successfully pivoted from education reform into big tech by focusing on skills over titles, and she drops a major gem on how to use AI to make your LinkedIn profile undeniable. Plus, we talk about her new book, Beyond the Titles, and why finding your identity outside of your career is the ultimate leadership hack.
Suezette Yasmin Robotham is a best-selling author, global talent and culture executive, and keynote speaker with two decades of experience shaping how organizations design leadership, talent, and culture in an AI-accelerated world. She has led enterprise talent and leadership strategy at Google, Meta, Gartner, and Salesforce across the United States and EMEA, designing systems that support clarity, judgment, and performance at scale. A TEDx speaker and featured voice in the award-winning SeeHer Multiplicity docuseries, Suezette helps organizations build environments where leaders and teams can thrive without relying on individual heroics. Her best-selling debut book, Beyond Titles: Fearlessly Leading as Your Authentic Self, offers a practical roadmap for integrated leadership in modern organizations.
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Key Takeaways:
The "Florida Girl" Roots: Suezette opens up about her upbringing as a first-generation Jamaican-American in Tampa, growing up with a DJ father who revered Bob Marley, and why she is unapologetically a "Florida Girl" at heart.
The Power of the Pivot: After realizing pre-med wasn't for her, Suezette built a career in education reform with Teach For America and The New Teacher Project before making the leap to tech.
Translating Skills to Tech: How she landed her first role at Google by being "skills forward" on LinkedIn—and why she believes using AI to optimize your profile is essential for job seekers today.
Leading Globally: Suezette shares her experience as an expat in London, navigating policy and governance for 19 countries, and the unique challenges of leading global DEI strategies.
Beyond the Titles: We dive into her book and the "I Do, You Do, We Do" framework she uses to help leaders detach their worth from their work and find satisfaction in their souls.
Suezette’s story is a masterclass in reinvention. Whether you are looking to pivot industries, move abroad, or just find more joy in your current role, this episode will inspire you to lead authentically.
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From "Weeded Out" of Pre-Med to Leading Talent at Google: 5 Lessons on Reinvention with Suezette Yasmin Robotham
When Suezette Yasmin Robotham started college, the plan was simple: Become a doctor.
But then came freshman year science classes. As she puts it, she was "weeded out."
For many, that moment would feel like a failure. For Suezette, it was the first pivot in a journey that would take her from the school districts of Atlanta to the C-Suites of Google, Meta, and Salesforce.
On this week’s episode of No Boxes, Just Verses, I sat down with my dear friend Suezette to discuss her "circuitous" career path, her life as a global expat, and her new book, Beyond the Titles.
Here are five powerful lessons from her playlist on how to navigate change, translate your skills, and lead with your soul intact.
1. Love is Your Anchor (Is This Love - Bob Marley)
Suezette is proudly a "Florida Girl," but her roots run deep in Jamaica. Growing up, her father was a DJ and a Rastafarian who treated Bob Marley like royalty in their household.
She learned early on that no matter where you go or what titles you hold, love and family are the only true anchors. Whether living in a "shelter of a single bed" or a luxury apartment in London, the feeling of love is what makes a place a home.
2. Be a Disruptor (Never Scared - Bone Crusher)
After pivoting away from medicine, Suezette found her voice in Atlanta during her young adult years. This was the era of "Never Scared," and she embodied that energy.
She took risks, diving into education reform and policy in a city known as the "Black Mecca." Her advice? Don't be afraid to be the first. Suezette has built a career on being the "first" in many of her roles, designing systems where none existed before. To change an industry, you can't be scared to disrupt it.
3. Translate Your Skills (Who's That Girl? - Eve)
How do you go from working in public schools to working at Google? You translate your skills.
Suezette didn't have a traditional tech background, but she knew she had deep experience in talent acquisition and human capital. She dropped a major gem for anyone looking to pivot right now: Use AI.
She advises running your resume and LinkedIn profile through AI tools to ensure you are highlighting skills rather than just titles. In the age of AI recruiting, if you aren't using these tools to articulate your value, you are already behind.
4. Embrace the "Beginner Mindset" (Ordinary People - John Legend)
When Suezette landed at Google, she didn't pretend to know everything. Instead, she leaned into being "ordinary people."
She believes that the best leaders are the ones who admit, "I don't have all the answers." By approaching her role with curiosity rather than ego, she was able to build culture and talent strategies that actually worked for humans, not just for the bottom line.
5. Does This Satisfy Your Soul? (Satisfy My Soul - Bob Marley)
In her most recent chapter—leading as an expat in London and writing her book—Suezette has adopted a new metric for success: Satisfaction.
She asks herself a simple but profound question before making decisions: "Does this satisfy my soul?" If the answer is no, she pivots. This philosophy is the core of her new book, Beyond the Titles, which helps high-achievers detach their worth from their work and find alignment in their actual lives.
Conclusion
Suezette’s journey proves that there is no "perfect" career path. There are only pivots, lessons, and opportunities to reinvent yourself. Whether you are "weeded out" of your first dream or transitioning into your biggest role yet, remember to look beyond the title and lead with who you truly are.