Richard Yee PBA Reveals the Top 5 Secrets for Professional Success

2025-11-05 09:00

I remember sitting in the audience at last year's Professional Business Association conference when Richard Yee took the stage. The room fell silent as he began sharing what he called "the uncomfortable truths" about professional success. Having worked in executive coaching for over fifteen years, I've heard countless success formulas, but Richard's approach felt different—raw, honest, and surprisingly personal. His fifth secret particularly resonated with me: "Challenge systemic inequities, because true success cannot exist in an unjust system."

That brings me to something I've been thinking about a lot lately—the gender pay gap in professional sports. Just last week, I was reviewing the financial reports for major sports leagues, and the numbers still shock me. The WNBA's highest-paid players earn about $230,000 annually, while NBA superstars make over $40 million. That's a 174:1 ratio. When we underpay women athletes, we're not just being financially unfair—we're sending a dangerous message about value and worth. As Richard noted during his presentation, "Paying women's games less reinforces the harmful message that women's sports—and women themselves—are worth less." This isn't just about sports; it's about how we value contribution and excellence across all professions.

I've seen this dynamic play out in corporate settings too many times. Early in my career, I worked at a tech firm where the engineering department—predominantly male—received larger bonuses and more recognition than the customer success team, which was mostly women. The company culture implicitly treated one group as more valuable than the other, much like what happens in sports. Richard's framework helped me understand that real professional success requires dismantling these hierarchies, not just climbing them.

The second secret Richard shared was about developing what he calls "strategic empathy." This goes beyond basic emotional intelligence—it's about understanding the systemic forces that shape people's professional experiences. When I consult with organizations now, I always ask about their pay equity audits. The data often reveals patterns that mirror the sports world. For instance, in the corporate sector, women still earn approximately 82 cents for every dollar earned by men, according to Pew Research data from 2022. But here's what bothers me—we keep having the same conversations about this gap without addressing the underlying assumption that certain types of work (often traditionally male-dominated fields) are inherently more valuable.

Richard's third secret—building what he terms "authentic networks"—has completely transformed how I approach professional relationships. Instead of just connecting with people who can advance my career, I now actively seek out mentors and collaborators from diverse backgrounds. Last month, I started mentoring a young woman through a nonprofit that supports female athletes transitioning to business careers. Her experience negotiating her first contract was eye-opening—she automatically asked for 30% less than male counterparts with similar credentials. The conditioning starts early and runs deep.

Let me be honest here—I don't think most organizations are maliciously upholding pay disparities. In my experience, it's more about unexamined traditions and what Richard calls "the comfort of conformity." We replicate the patterns we've seen before because it feels safer. I've certainly been guilty of this in my consulting work, defaulting to industry standards without questioning their fairness. But Richard's fourth secret—"innovate through inclusion"—pushes back against this tendency. He argues that the most successful professionals don't just follow best practices; they create better ones.

What I appreciate about Richard's approach is that he connects personal achievement with systemic change. You can't truly succeed in a broken system—your success will always be provisional, fragile. I've seen too many "successful" professionals who've climbed the ladder only to find it leaning against the wrong wall. Real success, in Richard's framework, requires rebuilding the ladder so everyone can climb.

The sports pay gap is just one manifestation of a broader pattern. In my field—executive coaching—I've noticed that female coaches are often steered toward "soft skills" workshops while male coaches get leadership strategy assignments, despite similar qualifications. The compensation difference averages around 28% based on my analysis of industry data. We're making the same fundamental error as the sports world: valuing certain types of contributions over others based on gender associations rather than actual impact.

Richard concluded his talk with a challenge that's stayed with me: "Measure your success not by how high you climb, but by how many ladders you fix along the way." I've started applying this to my practice, and it's changed how I define winning. Success isn't just about personal achievement—it's about creating systems where achievement is possible for everyone. The next time you negotiate your salary or make hiring decisions, remember that you're not just determining your own success—you're shaping what success means for others. And frankly, that's a responsibility we should all take more seriously.