‘Authenticity Is The New Flex’ — Meet CEO Michele Y. Smith, The Black Woman Bringing Real Culture To MoPOP [Exclusive]

For over 25 years, the Museum of Pop Culture, coined MoPOP, has been the home of popular culture in the United States. Located in Seattle, the trendy institution (10-plus exhibitions and 80,000-plus artifacts) is a place for sci-fi fans, gamers, hip-hop heads, and beyond, drawing over 500,000 annual visitors. Film, music, fashion, and gaming all exist at the museum in the form of interactive storytelling. Last summer, MoPOP celebrated its silver jubilee with “MoPOP25: A Quarter Century of Culture.” Planned a year in advance, the MoPOP25 commemoration featured all-day activations for attendees of all ages. 

At the forefront of MoPOP is Michele Y. Smith, formerly the Chief Business & Financial Officer at the Woodland Park Zoo, an award-winning cultural landscape. Smith is also a 2024 Silver Stevie Award recipient for “Non-Profit Woman of the Year.” In her words, “pop culture has always been in my DNA.”

The MoPOP executive is a proud Philly native, former instrumentalist, and daughter of one of the first Black ballerinas. Part of Smith’s mission is to highlight the arts and emphasize the importance of Black contributions to the American zeitgeist. “It’s important for me to be relevant and keep up with what’s going on in the global community of culture,” she explains. “…Don’t let the CEO fool you [laughs], I’m 5% CEO, the rest is Michele Y. Smith from Philadelphia.”

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The head of MoPOP spoke exclusively to Madame Noire about leadership, success, and the future of inclusion in the arts and culture world.

Madame Noire: I know that you wake up super early and you’re really big on routine. Our audience would love to know what a day in your life looks like. Walk us through your day from the 4:30/5:00 am wake-up, to wellness, and diving into work emails.

Michele Y. Smith: Sure, my usual wake-up is at 4:30 because I have a 5:30 private pilates appointment at Equinox. And for me, it’s important to start my day right by stretching and getting myself together. I’m usually back-to-back every day. And after work, I’m usually either out, maybe with a donor, or doing an event at the museum. I know that if I’m going to get any of my wellness in, I have to start in the morning. And I have to start with a routine. I usually get up, get myself together, drink water with some creatine, and then hop in the car and go down the street for my pilates appointment.

Then I’m done by 6:30, back in my apartment. I’m just having my coffee, getting myself ready for the day, and really taking that time to ground myself. No. 1, “What are my goals for the day?” No. 2, kind of just journaling and manifesting things that I want to do for my personal life. I always look towards the day to put “What are the three things that I want to do for myself?” and “What are some of the three priority things that I need to get done for the role that I’m in?”

I know your approach [in the workplace] is very wellness first. Does that trickle down to staff as well? I’m pretty sure you encourage them to “take the time that you need.“

Our employees are our biggest asset. And if you’re not well, I don’t want you to come to work unwell. I believe in making sure you take time off for vacation. I make sure that you’re working out and having wellness for yourself, to show up to work authentically and present for what you need. And if you’re sick, please stay home. We don’t want to get sick, but also we want you to get your rest. The other thing I prioritize is making sure that when you’re off work, you’re off work. 

You don’t need to answer the emails. You have a team that you can delegate to. You also have the out-of-office [notification] that lets people know what you’re doing. So set yourself up for success. Right now, there’s so much burnout going on, and I want people to be able to take the time, not feel guilty. Then after work, not have to answer emails after six. We’re a museum, we’re not a hospital. So I want to make sure that people take that time to be with their families.

The post ‘Authenticity Is The New Flex’ — Meet CEO Michele Y. Smith, The Black Woman Bringing Real Culture To MoPOP [Exclusive] appeared first on MadameNoire.