>>> 41 PAST THE HOUR.
NOW TO MY EXCLUSIVE SIT-DOWN
WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES, KAMALA HARRIS.
THE 56-YEAR-OLD IS A LOT OF
THINGS TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
WIFE, MAAM
WIFE, MAMALA, VICE PRESIDENT,
AND TRAILBLAZER.
THE VICE PRESIDENT IS ONE OF
FOUR WOMEN ON THE COVER OF
"FORBES" AND ITS THE FIRST
COVER IN THE MAGAZINES
FIRST-EVER, INCLUSIVE CAPITALISM
SPECIAL ISSUE, WHICH LOOKS AT
HOW SOCIETAL CHANGE CAN ENSURE
EVERYONE HAS EQUAL ACCESS AND AN
EQUAL CHANCE TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS.
SHE IS ALSO LAUNCHING THE LIST
OF THOSE BEING RECOGNIZED AS
PART OF KNOW YOUR VALUES
SPECIAL 50 OVER 50 INITIATIVE
WITH FORBES TO CELEBRATE WOMEN
WHO HAVE ACHIEVED NOTABLE
SUCCESS AT MID-LIFE AND WAY
BEYOND.
SO FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS
FOR BEING LIKE THE HEAD OF THE
FIRST CLUB AND THIS LIST, BUT
FIRST, FIRST, FIRST, ITS GOT TO
BE WONDERFUL AND STRESSFUL.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, MY MOTHER HAD
MANY SAYINGINGS, AND ONE OF
THEM, SHE WOULD OFTEN SAY WAS,
KAMALA, YOU MAY BE THE FIRST TO
DO MANY THINGS, MAKE SURE YOURE
NOT THE LAST.
AND THATS SO MUCH OF WHAT YOUR
WORK HAS BEEN.
>> THATS A LOT TO CARRY, FOR
SURE.
WERE SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS LIST
BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY OF US.
AND IM JUST WONDERING, WHEN YOU
WERE IN YOUR 20s AND 30s, DID
YOU EVER IMAGINE YOUR CAREER
AFTER 50.
>> NOPE.
>> I KNOW.
ME NEITHER.
>> BUT BY THAT, I MEAN, IVE
NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT AND IVE
NEVER BEEN ONE TO DO A FIVE-YEAR
PLAN.
LIKE, NEVER.
I HAVENT EVER EVALUATED MYSELF
BASED ON MY AGE.
ITS BEEN BASED ON A TASK.
>> MM-HMM.
>> AND THATS REALLY HOW IVE
KIND OF LIVED.
YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK THAT -- I
WILL SAY THAT I THINK THAT THERE
IS SO MUCH THAT WE STILL NEED TO DO TO ENCOURAGE GIRLS AND WOMEN
DO TO ENCOURAGE GIRLS AND WOMEN
OF EVERY AGE TO KNOW AND
INTERNALIZE THEIR CAPACITY AND
INTERNALIZE THEIR STRENGTH AND
THEIR GIFT, WHATEVER THAT MAY BE
AND TO NOT BE BURDENED BY OTHER
PEOPLES LIMITED VIEWS OF THEIR
CAPACITY BASED ON WHO HAS
HISTORICALLY DONE WHAT.
>> AND PACE YOURSELF, YOUVE GOT
A LONG TIME.
DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
>> AND DO WHATS IN FRONT OF YOU
WELL AND THE NEXT THING WILL
COME.
>> I MENTOR A LOT OF YOUNG WOMEN
AND A LOT OF THE THINGS I
BELIEVE AND I SAY IS FIGURE OUT
WHAT KIND OF GIVES YOU -- YOUR
BRAIN A TINGLE.
THE THING THAT YOU WANT TO READ
MORE OR YOU WANT TO DEBATE IT.
THE THING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL
SOMETHING, BECAUSE YOURE GOING
TO WORK HARD, WHATEVER YOU DO.
BUT IF YOU HAVE THE LUXURY --
AND IT IS A BLESSING AND A
LUXURY, TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW
YOUR PASSION, BUT IF YOU CAN
FOLLOW YOUR PASSION, DO THAT AND
THE OTHER THINGS WILL COME.
>> WAS THERE A POINT IN YOUR
CAREER WHERE YOU THOUGHT MAYBE
YOU HAD A LONGER RUNWAY THAN YOU
THOUGHT?
>> NO.
I MEAN, LISTEN, LIKE, I AGAIN,
TELL A LOT OF PEOPLE I MENTOR, I
EAT "NO" FOR BREAKFAST.
SO HAVE I BEEN TOLD MANY TIMES
DURING MY CAREER THINGS FROM --
OH, YOURE TOO YOUNG, ITS NOT
YOUR TURN, THEYRE NOT READY FOR
YOU
YOU, NO ONE LIKE YOU HAS DONE IT
BEFORE, IVE HEARD ALL OF THINGS
MANY TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF MY
CAREER, BUT I DIDNT LISTEN AND
I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYONE WHOS
BEEN TOLD THAT, WHATEVER THEIR
GENDER, TO NOT LISTEN, BECAUSE
AGAIN, DONT BE ENCUMBERED BY
TIN ABILITY OF OTHERS TO SEE THE
POTENTIAL OF WHO YOU ARE.
I THINK ITS REALLY IMPORTANT TO
RECOGNIZE THE LIMITATIONS THAT
OTHER PEOPLE HAVE BASED ON THEIR
EXPECTATIONS AND NOT TO IMPOSE
THAT ON ONES SELF.
>> WE GET SET BACK BY NOs, I
THINK.
YOU GET A NO AND A LOT OF THEM
TAKE IT REALLY PERSONALLY.
I LOVE THAT YOU EAT THEM FOR
BREAKFAST.
>> HERES THE PIECE OF IT THAT
IS AT ITS CORE.
WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO TELL
YOU WHO YOU ARE?
YOU KNOW, YOU DONT LET PEOPLE
TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE.
YOU TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE.
THATS HOW I FEEL ABOUT THESE
THINGS.
>> MINION MOORE SUBMITTED THE
NOMINATION FOR YOU FOR FORBES 50
OVER 50 LIST.
SHE WROTE THIS.
VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS BELIEVES
THAT EVERYONE, NO MATTER WHAT
THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES IN LIFE MAY
BRING, DESERVE TO BE TREATED
WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT.
HER VISION IS AN AMERICA WHERE
EVERYONE SEES THE THEMSELVES AND
EVERYONE IS INCLUDED.
WITH SO MANY SMALL BUSINESS SES,
ESPECIALLY RUN BY WOMEN, SHUT
DOWN AND BRUTALIZED BY THE
PANDEMIC, HOW DO YOU ENVISION
GETTING ACCESS TO CAPITAL TO
MARGINALIZED ENTREPRENEURS?
>> IM SO GLAD YOU BROUGHT THIS
UP.
THIS IS ONE OF MY AREAS OF
FOCUS, I CARE SO DEEPLY ABOUT
THIS.
ONE, LETS BE CLEAR ABOUT WHERE
WE ARE.
HALF OF AMERICAS WORKFORCE
WORKS FOR A SMALL BUSINESS OR
OWNS A SMIBSALL BUSINESS.
SAD
SADLY, DURING THE COURSE OF OUR
PANDEMIC, ONE THIRD OF OUR SMALL
BUSINESSES HAVE CLOSED.
LETS ADD ON TO THIS, IF YOU
LIFT UP THE ECONOMIC STATUS OF
WOMEN, LIFT UP THE ECONOMIC
STATUS OF FAMILIES, ALL OF
SOCIETY BENEFITS.
AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES
RANGE FROM THE CHILD CENTER TO
THE SOFTWARE COMPANY AND WHAT I
HAVE SEEN IN MY TRAVELS IS THAT
WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES,
MANY OF THEM, THESE TWO OF THEM,
IS RUNNING A RESTAURANT AND ONE
IS RUNNING A CATERING BUSINESS.
I MET WITH THEM AND SAID, HOW
DID IT GO IN TERMS OF STARTING
OUT WHEN YOU HAD THIS VISION.
AND BOTH OF THEM SAID, I HEARD A
WORD ID NEVER HEARD BEFORE.
I WAS TOLD I WAS UNBANKABLE.
SO THEY WENT TO A BANK TO START
THEIR BUSINESS AND THEY WERE
TOLD THAT THEY WERE UNBANKABLE.
THAT THEY BASICALLY WERE NOT
WORTH THE INVESTMENT.
AND SO WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING
IS BOTH OF THEM FOUND A WAY TO
ACTUALLY HAVE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE
IN THEM AND ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WE SHOULD DO MORE OF IS
INVEST IN COMMUNITY BANKS CALLED
CDFIs WHICH ARE IN THE COMMUNITY
AND HAVE THE ABILITY BECAUSE
THEYRE IN THE COMMUNITY TO SEE
THE VISION OF THESE INCREDIBLE
ENTREPRENEURS.
THATS SOME OF THE WORK IM
DOING.
AND IVE MET COMMUNITY BANK
CDFIs, THERES ONE THATS RUN IN
SOUTH DAKOTA THATS FOCUSED ON
THE NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITY
THERE.
AND THE BANKER, THE PERSON WHO
RUNS THE SMALL BUSINESS, WHICH
IS A COMMUNITY BANK, SAID, YOU
KNOW, THERE ARE NATIVE AMERICANS
IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE A
VISION FOR OPENING AN OPERATION
TO MAKE QUILTS.
BECAUSE CEREMONIAL QUILTS,
QUILTS FOR SPECIAL OCCASION.
PEOPLE BUY THOSE, THEY WANT
THEM, THERES A MARKET FOR IT.
AND THEY MAY GO TO A TRADITIONAL
BANK GET THE INVESTMENT, BUT
TRADITIONAL BANK DOESNT SEE THE
VISION, RIGHT?
BUT THE COMMUNITY BANK DOES.
SO IM FOCUSED ON WORKING WITH
COMMUNITY BANKS TO MAKE SURE THAT WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS WHO
THAT WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS WHO
HAVE A VISION EF-, THAT THEY ARE
RESPECTED AND HAVEKCAN GO TO A P
WHERE THEY ARE BANKABLE.
>> IM THINKING OF THE WOMEN
OVER 50, ESPECIALLY, WHO HAVE
BEEN FORCED INTO EARLY
RETIREMENT, WHO DONT WANT TO BE
DONE.
WHO CANT AFFORD TO BE DONE.
>> THATS RIGHT.
>> WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM AND
WHAT CAN BUSINESSES AND
GOVERNMENT DO TO HELP THESE
WOMEN?
>> WELL, THERES A LOT.
FIRST OF ALL, THERE IS THE WHOLE
ISSUE OF RIGHT TO RETURN, RIGHT?
SO TO YOUR POINT, I HAVE SPENT A
GREAT DEAL OF TIME WORKING WITH
WOMEN WHO WORK IN THE
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY, CULINARY
WORKERS, HOTEL WORKERS, IN LAS
VEGAS, FOR EXAMPLE, AND A BIG
ISSUE GOING ON THERE IS THAT
THEY WERE LAID OFF DURING THE
PANDEMIC, BECAUSE, OF COURSE,
THERES NO BUSINESS, BUT NOW
THEYRE FIGHTING TO GET THEIR
JOBS BACK.
AND THE OLDER THE WOMAN, THE
MORE FEAR SHE HAS THAT SHE WILL
NOT BE REHIRED.
AND SO THERES A WHOLE PUSH
LEGISLATION AND FOR PEOPLE TO
SUPPORT THOSE WOMENS RIGHT TO
BE ABLE TO RETURN TO WORK.
SO, THERE HAS TO BE A
PERSPECTIVE ON BEHALF OF EVERY
BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT THAT
RECOGNIZES THESE WOMEN LOST
THEIR JOBS THROUGH NO FAULT OF
THEIR OWN, THEY SHOULD NOT BE
PENALIZED FOR A PANDEMIC THEY
DID NOT CREATE AND THEY
ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT BE
PENALIZED FOR THEIR AGE.
BECAUSE, BY THE WAY, THEY BRING
EXPERIENCE TO THE JOB AND THEY
HAVE AN INVESTMENT IN THE WORK
THEYVE BEEN DOING FOR IN MANY
CASES A COUPLE OF DECADES.
>> AND THEYVE GOT MANY DECADES
TO GO.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO WOMEN
IN THEIR 20s AND 30s WHO FEEL
LIKE THEY HAVE TO PACK IT ALL IN
AND STRESSED AND FEEL LIKE THERE
IS A CLOCK TICKING AND THERE IS
A TIME SHELF ON THEIR LIFE.
>> ONE, CONTINUE WITH YOUR
AMBITION AND DONT APOLOGIZE FOR
IT.
AND CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT YOU
CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO
BUT ALSO KNOW YOU HAVE A RIGHT
TO EXPECT THINGS LIKE AFFORDABLE
CHILDCARE, YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO
EXPECT PAID FAMILY LEAVE WHEN
YOU NEED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR
CHILDREN OR YOUR ELDERLY
PARENTS.
THAT YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPECT
THAT YOU WILL BE SEEING IN THE
FULL DIMENSION OF WHO YOU ARE
AND YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND THAT THEY SHOULD BE
SUPPORTED.
THESE THINGS COULD COEXIST.
SO WHEN I SAY DO NOT ACCEPT
FALSE CHOICES, THAT YOU HAVE TO
CHOOSE EITHER THIS THING OR THAT
THING, THAT IS A FALSE CHOICE.
DONT ACCEPT IT.
>> SHE EATS NO FOR BREAKFAST.