Author.

Redefining Power.

The First, the Few, the Only: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America is a bestselling and award winning book with a deeply personal call to action for women of color to find power from within and join together in community, advocating for a new corporate environment where we all belong—and are accepted—on our own terms.

The First, the Few, the Only is a roadmap forward for us to make a profound impact within and outside our organizations while ensuring that our words are heard, our lived experiences are respected, and our contributions are finally valued.

"Deepa’s firsthand experience as a senior executive, combined with the stories of the influential women she spoke with, has yielded a powerful collective narrative that business leaders would be wise to study closely in their quest not only to recruit and retain the top talent, but also to lead with empathy and understanding."

Indra Nooyi, former chairperson and CEO, PepsiCo

Bestselling and
Award-Winning Book.

Best Business Books, March 2022

5 Star Reviews

The Best Work and Management Books of the Past Year

Business Bestseller, March 2022

2022 Axiom
Award Winner

Summer’s Best Business Books

Top 5 Books About Gender and Race at Work

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What They’re Saying.

  • Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School professor and bestselling author of Men and Women of the Corporation and Confidence

    "The First, the Few, the Only is full of eye-opening stories and empathetic advice that will benefit anyone who wants the inside scoop on power in today’s companies. This insightful book is a rallying cry for women of color to find their leadership pathway and blaze the trail toward more inclusive organizations that are more appealing to everyone. A must-read for managers too."

  • Indra Nooyi, former chairperson and CEO, PepsiCo, and author of My Life in Full

    "Deepa’s firsthand experience as a senior executive, combined with the stories of the influential women she spoke with, has yielded a powerful collective narrative that business leaders would be wise to study closely in their quest not only to recruit and retain the top talent, but also to lead with empathy and understanding."





  • Brooke Baldwin, journalist and bestselling author of Huddle

    "A must-have resource for women of color struggling to overcome established power structures in corporate America. Deeply inspiring and uplifting, The First, the Few, the Only highlights the power of community, encourages women of color to be unapologetically themselves in a white male-dominated environment, and provides the necessary tools to help women thrive in an environment not designed for them."


  • Minda Harts, speaker and author of The Memo and Right Within

    "We need more books by women of color for women of color—books that highlight our unique experiences and challenges in the workplace—so we can feel seen and reclaim our whole, unfiltered identities. Deepa does an amazing job of sharing her own story while also highlighting the journey of hundreds of other women of color navigating corporate spaces. You will walk away seeing yourself in the pages, experiencing a rush of validation, and feeling emboldened to find success on your own terms."

  • Publishers Weekly

    "Empowering . . . A fresh, worthy addition to the growing body of work on diversity in the workplace.”










  • Billie Jean King, social justice champion and founder, Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative

    "The First, the Few, the Only is a deeply personal call to action, encouraging readers to learn and feel seen from its stories and messages. This important and engaging book will help build bridges, dismantle barriers, and change how we lead in the workplace."



  • Booklist

    "A thorough analysis of the struggles faced by women of color in the workplace. . . . This is an inherently fraught topic, but [Purushothaman] addresses it with sensitivity and nuance. The book is well written and would be a solid addition to any career collection in an academic or public library."




  • Financial Times

    “The rare book that can simultaneously make professionals of colour feel seen and give white male colleagues a comprehensive education.”



E. Weinzimmer

“This book is so important - a must read, even (especially) for white folks”


”I am so grateful this book came across my radar. As a white woman building my own company and working as a leadership & DEI trainer in corporations, there is so much insight, knowledge, and vocabulary I have gained from the accounts and stories in this book. To any white folks that are getting the impression that we are going to be displaced when people of color and women of color have places at the table: that is so very far from the truth. We live in a culture, corporate and otherwise, that has still barely moved the needle in terms of patriarchy and white supremacy. If we want things to change - and oh my goodness I want things to change - we must listen to, understand, and celebrate the experience and contributions of women of color. I am so grateful for the clarity and generosity of this book, and feel that it's a must read for everyone in corporate America and beyond.”

Amazon Customer

“The most important book you can read this year.”

“The First, the Few and the Only is not just book for corporate America. This is one of the most powerful books I have ever read. It is filled with gripping stories from women of color in the workplace, and while you read, an understanding arises, the old construct is failing and failing away. A new face of power has emerged. With their incredible brilliance, grit and talent, women of color are gathering and leading us away from an old status quo that does not work for us and forming a new world based on innovation, bravery, truth, equity and inclusion This text is so enlightening, so inspiring and in its wisdom creates empowerment in the reader that lasts far after the last page. Deepa Purushothoman is a leader for the ages. I am forever changed by this book. If you do not else this year, read this book!!!!!”