S. Battaglino - Reflections from Both Sides of the Glass Ceiling

2021, English, Interview, Stephanie Battaglino,

Full title: "In Reflections from Both Sides of the Glass Ceiling: Finding My Authentic Self in Corporate America" by Stephanie Battaglino.

In her compelling memoir, Reflections from Both Sides of the Glass Ceiling: Finding My Authentic Self in Corporate America, Stephanie Battaglino offers readers far more than a traditional account of climbing the corporate ladder. Her story is a raw and powerful examination of identity, privilege, transformation, and resilience, woven together with the precision of a corporate strategist and the soul of a truth-seeker.

 

Battaglino’s narrative is not only a personal reckoning but also a pointed critique of corporate culture and the silent yet pervasive barriers faced by women and transgender professionals. For decades, Stephanie lived a double life. In the boardroom, she was a respected and successful marketing executive, known for her competence and leadership. But inside, she was struggling, wracked with guilt, shame, and a deep sense of disconnection from her true self. The mask of masculinity she wore professionally afforded her the privileges society bestows upon men, but it also cost her a sense of authenticity and emotional peace. Her memoir captures this dissonance with gut-wrenching honesty. The tipping point came when the internal strain became unbearable.

 

Battaglino chose truth over fear, and in doing so, she made history, becoming the first officer in the 175-year history of New York Life Insurance Company to come out as transgender on the job. This act of bravery not only transformed her life, it opened a new chapter in the ongoing story of transgender inclusion in the workplace. One of the most striking aspects of Battaglino’s story is her unique vantage point. Having lived and worked as both a man and a woman in corporate America, she is uniquely positioned to comment on the systemic biases that persist. Her transition stripped away the unspoken male privileges she had once enjoyed, instant credibility, unchallenged authority, and societal respect. In their place came a subtle but relentless resistance: doubt, dismissal, and the now-visible glass ceiling that countless women encounter. In vivid, candid detail, Reflections chronicles this shift. Meetings felt different. Her ideas were second-guessed. Colleagues who once treated her as a peer began to treat her with a kind of professional caution or condescension. The change was swift and disorienting, and profoundly illuminating. Battaglino’s narrative makes it impossible to ignore the gendered double standards that govern the modern workplace.

 

More than a memoir, Reflections from Both Sides of the Glass Ceiling is a call to action. Battaglino doesn’t just recount her journey, she draws broader lessons from it, challenging companies to do better and calling upon leaders to look beyond performative allyship. Through her organization, Follow Your Heart, LLC, she now devotes her energy to workplace training, speaking engagements, and consulting, using her experience to foster more inclusive environments for all. Her writing is not bitter, but it is bold. She doesn’t blame; she educates. And she does so with vulnerability, grace, and a touch of humor. Whether she’s discussing the intricacies of corporate policy or the deeply personal journey of gender transition, Battaglino maintains a tone that is at once intimate and universal.

Today, Stephanie Battaglino is a prominent voice in the movement for LGBTQ workplace equality. She serves on the Board of PFLAG National and chairs its Business Advisory Council. Her previous board service includes the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, the LGBT Community Center of New York, and the International Foundation for Gender Education. She has contributed to numerous national media outlets and diversity platforms, including HuffPost Live, The Advocate, GLAAD, and HRC.org. Her expertise is informed not just by her corporate background, over 40 years of leadership in marketing and communications, but by her lived experience. She has walked through fire and come out the other side stronger, clearer, and more determined to make change. She embodies what it means to “follow your heart”, not as a slogan, but as a way of life. Although Battaglino’s journey is that of a transgender woman, the themes of her memoir resonate with all women, particularly those navigating patriarchal systems while trying to remain true to themselves. Her story is not only about gender identity, but about authenticity, courage, and what it takes to be seen and valued for who you really are.

 

For women, cisgender and transgender alike, Reflections from Both Sides of the Glass Ceiling is an affirmation. For allies, it is an education. For corporations, it is a challenge. And for anyone hiding their truth behind the walls of shame or fear, it is a beacon of hope. Stephanie Battaglino’s Reflections from Both Sides of the Glass Ceiling is more than just a milestone in transgender literature. It is a powerful testament to the human spirit's capacity for growth, reinvention, and triumph. Her journey from denial to authenticity, from male privilege to feminist insight, and from corporate conformity to transformational leadership, offers inspiration for all who seek to live more honestly and love themselves more fully. As Stephanie herself puts it: “I knew I had to stand up and face my truth and embrace my innate uniqueness, my humanness. So I did the only thing I could do, I came out.” And in doing so, she opened a door through which many others may now walk, heads high, hearts full, and determined to rise, glass ceiling or not.

Available via Amazon

and The Heroines of My Life

Photo via Heroines of My Life.

 

Some publications about Stephanie Battaglino: