Episode 7 (Season 3) of the Empowering Women PodcastGUEST:  Christina Chen, Founder and Vice President of GirlsCodeItBIO:  Christina is, as a high school junior, Founder and Vice President of GirlsCodeIt, a nonprofit initiative led by passionate young women who strive to combat gender and education inequality in STEM. She is passionate about gender equality and the effects of gender roles on society. In her future academic studies, Christina plans to pursue Biomedical Engineering degree while continuing her groundbreaking work at GirlsCodeIt.  CONNECT WITH CHRISTINA AND THE GIRLSCODEIT TEAMEmail  GirlsCodeIt Website  Instagram  YouTube  DiscordWatch on YouTube.LINKSMay as Celebrate Inventors MonthSHRM:  Girls Who Code Filling The Gender Gap in TechnologyEmpowering Women WebsiteEmpowering Women Slack ChannelEmpowering Women 2021 Event InformationQUOTES“Coding – I actually got into that field accidentally.”“First thing I noticed is there were a lot more guys in the case than girls.”“When I was there struggling a bit (with a coding lab assignment), a guy tried to explain to me how to do it.  It was helpful, but he would not take ‘oh no, I can figure it out myself’ as an answer.”  He did not leave room for me to ask questions or for me to say anything.”“Saw an opportunity to start something that could help our community.  We all saw the gender gap in our classrooms and in competitions.”“We also wanted to build a collaborative community for girls.  We wanted to save space where girls come together.”“Society markets coding as a superpower that anyone can unlock.  But I think it’s deeper than what they portray.  Not only do you need the ability to code, you need the facilities.”“Start anyway you can.  Start as slow as you want; just continue to make progress.”“It’s not going to be a smooth path.  Probably going to be a little rocky.  You’re going to hit a few roadblocks.  It doesn’t mean you have to stop there.”

Episode 6 (Season 3) of the Empowering Women PodcastGUEST:  Patti Perez, CEO at PersuasionPointBIO:  Chief Drama Slayer that combines her experience as a licensed California attorney and a professionally-certified HR executive to specialize in the prevention and resolution of workplace drama.  Patti is the author of the best-selling, award winning book, The Drama-Free Workplace:  How You Can Prevent Unconscious Bias, Sexual Harassment, Ethics Lapses, and Inspire a Healthy Culture. As an entrepreneur, she is creating a revolutionary shift  in the way we communicate and connect at work. CONNECT WITH PATTILinkedIn PersuasionPoint WebsiteWatch on YouTube.LINKSApril as Celebrate Diversity MonthSix C’s of Inclusive LeadershipThe Drama-Free Workplace BookEmpowering Women WebsiteEmpowering Women Slack ChannelEmpowering Women 2021 Event InformationQUOTES“I think it’s important for men to understand, if they are fathers, the powerful influence that they have. My dad always believed in me.”“Instead of allyship I use the term radical kinship.  You walk with me. You are side-by-side on this journey with me.”“Who you think you are may not end up being who you actually are.”“If I had to give a single piece of advice to the ‘young Patti’, identify your unique strengths and unique value that you bring as early as possible and learn to communicate that.”“If you have to make yourself smaller or change the unique strengths that you have to somehow ‘fit in’ to the current culture you’re in, you’re doing yourself and the organization a disservice.”“Become better versed and understand why the legally-charged terms often (a) are imprecise and (b) end up raising the temperature instead of lowering it and what you can do instead. I advocate a 3-step process: (1) Talk about the words and behavior – don’t put that ‘label’ on it.  (2) How did it effect you.  (3) What we can do to fix it.”Three F’s of a Healthy Workplace Culture:  (1) Fearlessness (2) Fairness and (3) Freedom“Why employees do bring claims is because they do not have a perception of fairness.”“What I’ve long dreamed of doing is addressing that ‘middle tier’ that often goes ignored.  What I call a rising diverse leader. From an attrition perspective, it’s the most dangerous years”“We seem to give this message to women that you have to turn yourself into a pretzel in order to ‘fit in. “Watch this episode on YouTube.

Episode 5 (Season 3) of the Empowering Women PodcastGUEST:  Cynthia Orduña, Career Coach and DEI ConsultantBIO:  Career coach and talent development advisor with a background in recruiting, career development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has helped over 50 startup companies in L.A., S.F., N.Y., and Chicago recruit and retain talent, and has coached over 300 people in all stages of their career from entry to senior levels. She specializes in helping people enter the technology industry, build their business and create their personal brand. Her life mission is to amplify as many voices, cultures and backgrounds as she can by helping people develop themselves personally and professionally.CONNECT WITH CYNTHIALinkedIn Instagram (@cynnluu) YoutubeLINKSCynthia's WebsiteWomen's History MonthEmpowering Women WebsiteEmpowering Women Slack ChannelEmpowering Women 2021 Event InformationQUOTES“After having filled out the EEOC report for the company, I realized that I was the only Latina working in the organization in a non-janitorial capacity and 80% of their employees were white males.” “I soon realized, that once again, the industry I found myself in (technical recruiting) didn’t look like me… I wanted to meet people who understood what I was going through and not feel so alone in the process.” “I fought and I advocated to create more of a diverse pipeline. Get them to see people were qualified for these jobs even if they didn’t look like the perfect candidate.”“Allyship is about doing what you can to support and uplift voices from people in underrepresented groups “Allyship can be very simple.  Taking the time to educate yourself on your privilege or the lack of opportunities other people have because of their identity. Making sure you are listening and accepting the perspectives of the people you’re trying to support versus playing devil’s advocate, acting like we’re in a debate club, or believing that you may have the solution.” “Allyship isn’t necessarily about being praised or even being noticed for the work that you’re doing.” “Allyship is about being comfortable being a supporting actor.  Oftentimes it is a more personal journey more than anything else.” ‘Are we actively listening and seeing our unconscious biases during these dynamics while they’re happening?“Even as women we can end up judging each other and being detrimental to others’ careers.” “Microaggressions are often very subtle, indirect or unintentional comments that can negatively target or affect other person.  It is a form of bias and discrimination.”“Create an environment where people feel comfortable questioning them (hiring manager on hiring biases).”“Tons of ways women can be at a disadvantage because of these unconscious biases. Another thing that happens to women in meetings is getting cut off very frequently.”“Similarity bias is where we tend to like and accept people who look like us, think like us, and remind us of ourselves.”“Taking the initiative to getting to know everyone on your team equally.”“Empowering who you mentor to show up as their authentic self”“Allyship is not an easy journey."

Episode 4 (Season 3) of the Empowering Women PodcastGUEST:  Pattie Grimm, President and CEO – Advantage TrainingBIO:  With over 25 years of experience, Pattie is an empowerment expert for organizations, leaders, and women. Pattie served as a senior leader for several Global Fortune 100 companies.   Pattie was recognized by Executive Women’s Association, Who’s Who in Women’s Leadership. Women of Influence and the State of California. She is the author of Quiet Women Never Changed History – Be Strong, Stand Up and Stand Out – “Let’s Go Kick Some Glass.” CONNECT WITH PATTIELinkedIn  Twitter (@pattie_grimm) Instagram (@pattie_grimm) FacebookEmail:  [email protected] OFFERSBook offer https://www.womenkickingglass.com/book for only $10.00 including over $200.00 in free bonuses and free S & H. (Free S & H only available in the US). Book is available outside the US on Kindle @ https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Women-Changed-History-Strong/dp/0692742417 Email Pattie for a PDF guide on writing your personal vision statement. LINKSWebsiteWomen's History MonthThe Five Second Rule by Mel RobbinsSusan Cain: The Power of IntrovertsGirl Stop Apologizing by Rachel HollisEmpowering Women WebsiteEmpowering Women 2021 Event Information Empowering Women Slack ChannelQUOTES“I literally went from rock star, on the corporate track for success,… from that fast track to hitting rock bottom so hard that I was lying on that bathroom floor trying to get the energy to get up.”“I lost everything. I lost sense of myself and who I was.  I had to find my way back.”  “It wasn’t the company that did it.  I gave up on me.  I started playing the role everyone else wanted me to play.  Who I was.  Who I stood for and what was important to me.”“Be strong and play to your strengths. Find those roles and opportunities that fit your strengths.”“In order to stand up, you need something to stand on. You need a foundation. That foundation for you should be a personal  vision statement.”“Use that vision statement to make your career and life decisions.”“Be valuable. Be visible.  Be vocal”“We need to support other women and not sabotage.  We need to collaborate, not compete. Help lift other women up so we all rise.”“Put yourself as number one on your to do list.  You cannot give away what you don’t own.”

Episode 3 (Season 3) of the Empowering Women PodcastGUEST:  Titi Sule, Portfolio Leader – Controls and Technology at Ingersoll RandBIO:  As a Portfolio Leader at Ingersoll Rand, Titi is responsible for strategic direction for Controls Technology including hardware and software. Her portfolio includes onboard controllers, system controls, and IoT integration. Titi has had diverse 13 years of experience in manufacturing companies including control system engineering, application engineering, aftermarket service offerings, and technology strategy including three patents. Titi is also a writer of educational children’s books and serves on the board of director for Access2Success, a NC based nonprofit supporting over 250 kids in Nigeria. CONNECT WITH TITILinkedIn  Twitter (@titi_sule) Instagram (@tzsonline)LINKSWebsiteAmazon Author Page:  Titi SuleEngineers WeekSWE Women in Engineering by the NumbersWomen of Color in the Engineering Workplace StudyAccess2Success WebsiteEmpowering Women WebsiteEmpowering Women 2021 Event InformationQUOTES“My first exposure to engineering was through my dad.”“What I do remember, very early in my childhood, is when we were constructing our house I wanted to build something.”“My father wanted his girls to be in places that allowed women to advance their careers and be in leadership positions.”“To be able to see my name on a patent was something beyond anything my mind would have imagined… Deal with imposter syndrome a little bit on the first one, maybe this was just luck. By the third one, I really could say I did a good amount of work and I feel proud of my work and I feel proud of the patent.”“To share knowledge is part of who I am. To share my experiences… I would not be where I am today without other people who have poured into me.”“I had the mindset of ‘do the work’ and people will notice. It’s not true. The organization is huge and people might not notice. Other than your job, you also have to do the work to let people know who you are, what your interests are, and how you want to develop.  It matters just as much as you doing your work”.“I still have that voice in my head of ‘How do you want to show up?’”“There’s power in you actively writing or stating what you wanted to do. It helped me believe in myself that if I wanted to do something I could actually do it.”“You feel that imposter syndrome right away when you’re the only person in the room that looks like you.  It can really affect someone’s confidence.”“I really cannot overstate how much mentoring matters.”“Even going outside the workplace, into the schools, we have to meet people where they are.”“There’s nothing like someone whose walked in those shoes to show you how to do it.”

Episode 2 (Season 3) of the Empowering Women PodcastGUEST:  Angela Hosking, Founder and Owner of Her One TribeBIO:  Angela is a women’s empowerment and leadership speaker, author, workshop facilitator, coach and the owner of Her One Tribe, LLC.  She combines her 10+ years of healthcare executive leadership experience with her expertise as a women’s empowerment writer to deliver impactful workshops and motivational speeches.  Using her self-developed Personal Empowerment Framework as her cornerstone content, Angela educates and inspires national and international female audiences to unlock their confidence barriers and diminish their Imposter Syndrome thinking. Angela is the author of Woman on Top: Lead Like a Lady Boss and hosts an online community at HerOneTribe.com for aspiring women to find education, inspiration and support with their fellow sisters.CONNECT WITH ANGELALinkedIn  Facebook (@heronetribe) Instagram (@heronetribe) LINKSHer One TribeWoman on Top:  Lead Like a Lady BossThe Happiness Project by Gretchen RubinImposter Syndrome:  Pauline Rose ClanceBrave Bold Beyond Virtual SummitEmpowering Women WebsiteAmerican Heart AssociationQUOTESAngela’s motto “Empowering Women to Empower Women”“Never discount your early goals and passions.  I have found they come back later in your life and you’re able to fulfill them then.”“I’d been told and raised that in order to be successful in leadership I’ve got to be like the guys…. What I really wanted to bring to the table, to the team, was a different type of leadership.  One that was more authentic, more inclusive and got to the root of motivating and inspiring people to be their very best selves.”“What kept coming up again and again was the confidence issue.”The Good Girl Paradox:  “We were born into a society that when the doctor said, ‘It’s a girl!’, there were already preconceived notions about what type life we would live, how we would be in this world…. It is still very much engrained in our society that little girls are born into a world where they should follow the rules and not question them.”Imposter syndrome linked to:  (1) loss of confidence and (2) lack of "risky play".“We think playing by the rules will keep us safe and we do not necessarily take risks.  Risks are what create confidence”“It’s not that I don’t have it anymore (imposter syndrome); I now know how to manage it. I now know how to recognize it and I know how to quiet the inner ‘mean girl’ voice so I can keep moving forward’.”Insanely Brave Moments (IBMs):  “50% exciting and 50% super scary”.  Schedule them in you life!In Angela’s surveys:  87% of women felt responsible for doing it all.  82% of women felt constantly exhausted and depleted.“It’s not about being more productive.  It truly is not. It is about balancing and recognizing what you put on your ‘to do’ list is 10 days worth of ‘to dos’. ”“Build relationships across the white spaces.”

Episode 1 (Season 3) of the Empowering Women PodcastGUEST:  Stacy Cassio, Founder and CEO of the Pink Mentor NetworkBIO:  In 2017, Stacy Cassio founded the Pink Mentor Network, Charlotte NC’s first female mentorship community.  Followed by the creation of Pop-Up Mentor, a brand new model for mentorship in 2018.  Today, that model is being used by organizations of all sizes & industries to build transparent, scalable, measurable employee resource programs. Stacy is dedicating her life to reshaping how individuals seek & obtain mentorship, and helping organizations build cultures of mentorshipCONNECT WITH STACYLinkedIn  Twitter (@StacyCassio)   Facebook  Instagram (@pinkmentornetwork) LINKSPink Mentor NetworkPop Up Mentor:  Categories – Start, Lead, Expert, Innovate, Grow, SurviveEmpowering Women Website QUOTES“I’ve never met a woman I couldn’t learn from”“When you hear your intro, I’m getting better at soaking it all in because I think it’s really the grit, the dirt , the stuff that isn’t in that intro that really made me the woman I am.”Number 1 piece of advice on finding your purpose:  “Find that thing that you just feel hasn’t really been solved.”“At that moment, I was solving my own need.”On her mentor model journey:  “Create something different that would change it from that traditional pairing system and instead make it a community about the times in our lives when mentorship is super important.”“I think we put ourselves into boxes and we just forget that’s where we’re living.”“Challenge it all in 2021.  2021 will be the year of the experiment.”“Show up with the vision of your career – not your baggage”.“What we lived through doesn’t become valuable until it’s shared.”“Challenges you face should not be faced alone.”

In this introduction episode of the Empowering Women Podcast, Charli interviews our new host Shannon Bumgarner about her plans for the upcoming season.Episode Links:Empowering Women Website Shannon's LinkedIn 

Episode 14 (Season 2) of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Bonnie Marcus on Leadership and The Politics of Promotion BIO: Bonnie Marcus is an executive coach, author, and international speaker with a passion for helping professional women gain the visibility and credibility they need to have a fulfilling career. She works with high achieving women in corporate settings who want to move up and assume leadership positions. Bonnie helps them navigate the workplace politics and get the promotions they deserve.   LINKS Bonnie Marcus' Website  Bonnie's Twitter @SelfPromote   Bonnie's LinkedIn Bonnie on Forbes    Notable Episode Quotes: “Assumptions keep us apart. Assumptions keep us small. You know, we often put people in categories based on their age, their gender, their race, their educational background, all these things and it keeps us from really understanding other people, and building strong relationships.” “If there are women who have made it to senior leadership, take a look, use them as role models. How do they communicate? What kind of relationships have they built? What’s their client base? What kind of projects do they work on? How do they leverage their work for increased visibility?” “People are too busy with their own stuff to go out of their way to recognize and reward you for your work. It’s your responsibility to let others know… And it’s not just a selfish, self-serving thing. If you’re getting great results because you tried a new approach to a project, say, it will benefit your colleagues, it will benefit the organization if you let people know how you got those results. Everybody can learn from it. So we need to rethink about self-promotion as just being self-serving, and think about how our work and the results we get and the lessons we’ve learned can benefit the organization as a whole.” “Your value proposition is how your work contributes to positive business outcomes. It’s not your job description.” “You can’t build a network, you can’t build a career in a vacuum. We need to understand how important a network is before we really need it. We need to build an intentional and supportive network before we’re desperate...” “The danger of making assumptions… Sometimes that’s our blindspot. We believe, very often, that there’s a level playing field, that our work alone will get us ahead. We believe that if we work really hard, that’s going to help us. We assume certain things about the culture in our organization without really looking under the covers and understanding what that culture is about and how best to navigate within it. We assume that certain people in the organization behave the way they do because of X, Y, Z. We don’t really get to know people. Assumptions keep us apart. Assumptions keep us small… It keeps us from

Episode 13 (Season 2) of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Jennifer Braganza on Investing in Yourself & Your Career BIO: Jennifer Braganza has over 20 years of professional experience in product design & development, process improvement, and leading strategic change initiatives. Her experience spans nonprofit and public boards at UNC Charlotte, University of Michigan College of Engineering, and the Society of Women Engineers. Braganza is an expert in project management and leading global and virtual product development teams. Her strengths include: Strategic thinking, business coaching, leading global and virtual teams, intercultural communication, project management, process improvement, project leadership, leadership facilitation, public speaking, training and workshops, non-profit leadership, product development, and program management.   Notable Quotes: “I will tell you, if you really want to understand a company’s values, pay attention to what they’re doing right now. If they really are living their values, they’re living them now. They’re living them in times of difficulty, in times of financial struggle. This is when you see what companies are made of. ”   “I’m very aware of the fact that my experience as a female person of color is very different than that of a Black man, or different than a white female. We all have different experiences that we bring to the table and my job, as a leader and as a person, is to respect those differences and to invite them. And to ask questions to understand. And to love people regardless of all of those things. So that’s what I strive to do; that’s how I try to show up.”   “As you continue to grow in your career, you start specializing and niching down. You know longer think, ‘I can do all of these things!’ Instead, your messaging is very tight. Your brand is very tight about what it is that you do and what it is that you don’t do.”   “I’m a huge believer in the definition of luck - luck is when preparation meets opportunity. And the reality is that that preparation is all about you and how you’re willing to invest in yourself, in your career, in the growth opportunities that you challenge yourself with in order to be ready for that next career opportunity. Because if you leave it in your company’s hands, then it’s going to be about when *they decide you’re ready and they’re willing to invest in you. Why would you give anyone that kind of power over your career?”   “As individuals, we have to take accountability for investing in our own careers.”  

Episode 12 (Season 2) of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Barbara Trautlein, Change Intelligence, Change Catalysts BIO: Barbara Trautlein has a PhD in Organizational Psychology and is the founder and principal of Change Catalysts, LLC. Their mission is to catalyze successful and sustainable change by partnering with clients to plan, execute, and enhance organizational, team, and individual performance, through their deep expertise in Change Management and Leadership Development.   Barbara is the author of Change Intelligence and  was also the keynote speaker at the inaugural 2019 Empowering Women in Industry conference.    Notable Episode Quotes:   “I believe we are all change leaders, regardless of tenure, title or role.”   “The definition of Change Intelligence is: the awareness of our style of leading change, and the ability to adapt our style across people and situations… People tend to lead change from four different focus areas -- Head, Heart, and/or the Hands...”   “The more options we have, the more power we have.”   “What looks like resistance is really a powerful source of information that we can use, as change leaders, to change the only think we can, which is ourselves -- to reframe what looks like resistance from our enemy to our ally.”   “Relationships get results.”   “Change is threatening when done to us, exhilarating when done by us.”  -Rosabeth Moss Kanter   “The higher you go in any organization, the harder it is to get any feedback at all, let alone real time and actionable feedback.”   “What you see depends on where you sit.”   Recommended Books: Change Intelligence by Barbara Traulein, PhD The Change Masters by Rosabeth Moss Kanter  The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni 

The Empowering Women in Industry Awards - August 1, 2020 - will be live-streamed on the Empowering Women in Industry Facebook page!!    Episode 11 (Season 2) of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Shannon Polson, The Grit Factor | Twitter, LinkedIn BIO: Shannon Huffman Polson has worked with leaders in industries across the country and around the world on managing change, building leadership and grit, and planning for diversity. Polson is founder and CEO of The Grit Institute, a leadership development organization dedicated to the whole leader approach to ethical and people centered performance in times of change and challenge. Reach out for instruction for you and your organization online, and discuss supplementation by live webinars, and keynotes to ensure your team has what it needs to succeed. Polson is the author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World, forthcoming from Harvard Business Review Press in September 2020.   Notable Episode Quotes: “When you take care of your people, they take care of the mission.” “Leadership is a sacred trust.” “The only way you can bring your full self to work is by addressing the needs of your full self.” “A leader is responsible for setting the vision. They’re responsible for connecting people to purpose.” “Setting some sort of vision for your people is still important, even if we don’t know what the long-term looks like. And I think that is both the opportunity and the responsibility of a leader today.” -- Shannon Polson on being a leader during a time of #Covid19 “And I love that word ‘audacity’ because it’s really being willing to go out and take risks, and know that sometimes you’re going to fail and that it’s not failure that matters but what you do with it that counts. You’re going to fall. You’re going to fail and you get up one more time than you fall down. That’s the key to success, right?” Additional Links and Resources: Support Shannon’s initiative to build a local library by visiting: https://www.winthroplibraryfriends.org/ Shannon's Medium Post about Karen Baetzel Battle Axe Consulting - Karen Baetzel Books: The Grit Factor by Shannon Polson   The Excellence Dividend by Tom Peters  

Episode 10 (Season 2) of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Cheryl Merchant, CEO of TACO Comfort Solutions BIO: On January 1, 2019, Cheryl Merchant joined TACO as President of North American and was promoted to CEO in March of 2020. Prior to this, she held the position of President and CEO of Hope Global for nearly 20 years.   Before Cheryl became the President and CEO of Hope Global in 1999, Cheryl built her career from the shop floor to top management in leading operations around the world with the automotive industry giants of General Motors, Mazda, Ford Motor Co. and Lear Corporation. Under her leadership, Hope Global’s sales more than tripled and operations grew beyond world-wide headquarters and manufacturing facility in Rhode Island to include manufacturing facilities in Mexico, China, and the Czech Republic. There, she built a team of experts, united and driven to take the company to unprecedented levels of growth.   A recognized industry and community leader, Cheryl has been honored with two honorary Doctorate degrees, and was named 2014 New England Business Woman of the Year.   Her specialities include: Mergers and acquisitions (most recently: purchased with extensive due diligence and merged 2 companies in last 2 years), general operations (lean manufacturing, supply chain management, production consolidation (closed operations in France and Ireland to consolidated into Czech Republic), develop management in all levels, and Financial oversight of P&Ls, balance sheet and Cash Flow.   Notable Podcast Episode Quotes:   “The company has to succeed or none of us succeed”   “I learned that there’s so much more to a total company business. There’s the banking, there’s understanding the entire picture of your value - your name… ”   “I believe the entire C-suite is responsible for every piece. I don’t care if your marketing or production - we’re responsible for the whole picture. ”   “It doesn’t do any good to sit from your end of the boat and point to another executive and say, ‘uh - you have a hole - your end of the boat is leaking...’ we’re in one boat. And it’s the same thing when you’re all in the same pool -- you don’t want anybody using it as a bathroom.”   “You’re not in the room as a token.”   Books Discussed: No Ceilings, No Wall by Susan Colantuono   The Coffee Bean  Speed of Trust by Steven Covey 

Episode 9 (Season 2) of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Aneesa Muthana, President, CEO and Co-owner of manufacturing company Pioneer Service, Inc.    BIO: "Manufacturers are makers. The process of bringing people together to MAKE something that will go on to serve a bigger purpose is where my passion lies. Knowing that the parts that leave my shop are contributing to the world at large, touching lives, and benefiting people fuels my passion. I am the President, CEO and co-owner of Pioneer Service Inc., a certified women-owned and operated small business (WBE/WOSB) providing precision machined parts since 1990. I am a hands-on leader with extensive experience in almost every aspect of a production machining environment. My success was only possible through building a high-performance team that embraces leading-edge technology. I believe in building relationships both inside and outside of my company, and in the strength of inclusivity in an industry where success can only be earned, and never given. "   Notable Podcast Episode Quotes:   “I chose to step up and really put everything in my company, work really hard. I was always told that, ‘you’re probably going to end up back at your father’s place!’ I’d joke and say, ‘I’ll learn how to say - do you want fries with that?’ before that would happen”   “Being in this country and being in the land of opportunity - even today if something were to happen to Pioneer, God forbid, I don’t believe that that’s the end of my career… I always believe that because of the obstacles I’m facing it’s only pushing me in another direction where there’s more success to attain.”   “Once you have good leaders in place, and I’m not talking about just managers, I’m talking about high-performing leaders in place. Then, it is your job as the CEO or President to take the back seat and let them make their mistakes, and let them thrive. And let them also feel the rewards of that accomplishment.”   “I will definitely hire based on personality, based on drive, over skill every day.”   “In 2020, as I walk into board meetings, as I lead trade association talks, I see it. I’m not naive.… I hear the comments. I see the faces of those that question my presence in “their” environment. But I don’t let *that deter me from doing what I love.”   “I believe the most crucial lesson my parents taught me was Amana. And that’s an Arabic word that means respect, trust, accountability, and responsibility… and I try to lead that way. It’s really having the empathy and understanding that the people I’m leading are counting on me, are counting on my decisions...”   “You can’t separate your personal and your professional life when it comes to your core values. They have to both be aligned. And what you want for your kids is what you should want for the people that work under you. Not that they should be referred to as children, but it just puts it into perspective. You should always be looking out for the best, and not just the bottom line.”   “My business strategy has always been and always will be - people first. Does that mean I don’t look at the profit margins? Does it mean that it’s not important? Of course not! It’s important. But it’s

Episode 8 (Season 2) of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Charli K. Matthews, CEO and Founder of Empowering Brands (including Empowering Pumps & Equipment, and Empowering Women in Industry) Resources: Strengths Finder Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown BIO: "I’m a business owner, mother, power networker, serial optimist, world-traveller, and a handful of other labels that would defeat the purpose of a short version. I started my company over nine years ago and have learned numerous lessons along the way. Some of them, I share in this episode of the Empowering Women Podcast!"   Notable Podcast Episode Quotes: “In order to write out your value proposition, you need to think about how are you better, faster, and stronger.” “I like leading the team because I feel like I can see all of their gifts and how they fit together… I enjoy watching people develop… I like the challenge. There’s some really difficult times about being a leader that I enjoy; I like the hard work.” “As a leader, I light the match; my team members are the ones creating the fire.”

*Episode 7 has been marked as explicit because rape and sexual harassment come up in discussion. Although these are not discussed in detail, we wish to be mindful that you might be listening to this podcast with others around.  Episode 7 (Season 2) of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Kristen Saranteas, Head of Treasury Management at First Midwest Bank Resources: The McKinsey Report on Women in Finances BIO: Kristen (Ritchie) Santeas is currently the Head of Treasury Management & International Services at First Midwest Bank where she has responsibility for the overall client experience during the entire sales cycle -- from proposal through implementation, and support phase activities.    Notable Podcast Episode Quotes: “To me, what a great salesperson is is someone that can match the needs of that company to the products and services that you’re offering. I was not someone that was hawking a product because that was the shiny object of the day. Instead, I was very strategic around what I saw as the specific need of those clients, and wanted to be really helpful to the way in which the products we had could be make them more effective in what *they did… Feeling like I was really confident when I walked in the door to talk to a company - both because I’ve done my homework about them and I knew my products inside and out - that made me a very  successful salesperson.” “Once you distinguish yourself as successful in the route that you have decided to move up - that gets you noticed, not only because you’re having individual success, but because you’re seen as a leader in your craft.” “There’s one way in which you want to lead - as someone who knows your own and hones your own craft. But there’s also a way in which you want to lead and distinguish yourself for something you’re personally passionate about. For me, that meant giving back to our community. I feel really strongly that bankers, in particular, bear a service. It is incumbent upon us to be really great stewards of what we bring to the community and understand what those needs might be. So, giving back and volunteering, and eventually getting on boards, and bringing others along with that passion to be good community members is a way in which, not only did I rally my own team around similar values and ways in which to give back to the community. But it [also] distinguished me personally within my organization as someone who isn’t just a treasury management person, but I’m being recognized for the other things that I’ve led in. And for me, that’s been around community involvement.” “It is less typical to see women, not only in the C-suite or executive management positions, but clearly, they’re not being chosen as lines-of-business heads. So you’re not seeing [for example] women that are heads of commercial banking… I would never say that people making those decisions as to who is rising up don’t want women in those positions. Everyone is on record, and I know that they feel passionately that they should have women rising up. It’s an unintended bias when they’re looking at candidates - to look at people that look like them. We have to continue to press upon the decision-makers to go outside their comfort zone to start choosing a slate of candidates that don’t include just people that look like them.” “We need people in HR,

Episode 6 (Season 2) of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Kenyatta Browne -- Bank Manager (and Actress and Mother) shares the scoop on Personal Finances 101   BIO: Kenyatta Browne holds a BS in Communications and an MBA. She describes her career this way: "Banking isn’t boring. This career is a unique space to change the course of someone’s life. I walk into work ready to make a difference daily. I believe this mindset has been the key to my success in an industry that has gotten a lot of negative press. My communications and education background plays a huge role as well. "   Notable Podcast Episode Quotes: “We have to be smart borrowers as professional women, we have to be strong savers as professional women, and we have to be masters at managing our money” “It’s not about business. It’s about being able to help each other find success financially.” “You should not buy those shoes, girl, you gotta find them on clearance!” “A strong saver knows how much 6-months of expenses are, and that’s how much they have in their savings account.” “Take three months of your last statements and categorize your spending. And then create a spending plan, not a budget because budget is a curse word. But a spending plan, so that you’re able to be mindful about your spending. Being present when you’re using your debit card [for example].” “Let me just use myself as an example, because as much as I tell people this, I [too] am a victim of spending in the sense that I had a serious *serious relationship with Starbucks. To the point where in my mind, I justified that my coffee being $10 per cup was OK. I decided for a month not to drink Starbucks. And what I was able to save in that month blew me away. It was really putting my money where my mouth was. But you have to be able to sit down, look at those things, and test yourself, and see which one makes you feel better. For me, I make my own coffee at home, it doesn’t taste as good, but it has the same effect - I stay up all day. AND I’m able to save money.” “Being a master at managing money is seeing where you can make changes, seeing where you can make little sacrifices so that you can live better at the end of the month…” “A lot of times what we do is for other people instead of ourselves. And I think that plays a lot into the purchases that we make… A lot of this becomes introspective into - why do I spend the way that I spend? And why do I make the financial decisions that I make. And that’s a personal journey that we all take.” “It’s tricking yourself into giving yourself money as opposed to giving it to someone else to profit on.”  “I’m a big believer in writing that [goal] down and putting it out there because if you’re putting money into your 401k and you have no picture of what and when you want to retire and where you want to retire to, and all of those things… those things you should have pictures in your mind of what that looks like.” 

Episode 5 (Season 2) of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Erika Armstrong -- Pilot, Instructor, & Author   BIO: Erika Armstrong is an international corporate and airline pilot/captain, published author, writer for seven national aviation magazines. She is an Aviation Professor at MSU Denver, a Director of Instructional Design and the VP of Business Development for Advanced Aircrew Academy. During her thirty years in aviation she has worked in all aspects of the industry. From the friendly front desk CSR of a busy FBO, to the captain's seat of a Boeing 727-200. Her education includes a BA in International Business, Economics and Culture from the University of Denver, with additional education through the University of Minnesota's journalism program, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical. Armstrong’s writing can be found at Plane & Pilot, Colorado Serenity magazine, Mountain Connection, Disciples of Flight, NYCAviation, Contrails, Airline Reporter, Consumer Affairs, Flying.com, Mentor and Business Insider. Learn more about Erika Armstrong and her writing and speaking at A Chick in the Cockpit.    Notable Quotes: “Women in Aviation groups are all trying to make an effort to at least put that thought in little girls’ heads that - You can do this if you want to. It’s really important for all of us in the aviation field to go into a classroom and talk about your career; talk about the things you get to do. [Aviation] truly is a fabulous industry.”   “Women are cognizant that even though we’ve broken through the glass ceiling in the skies, we’re still the ones that have to pick up all the broken glass.”   “We’ve more than proven that we can be where we need to be. We can be in the board rooms, we can be in the captain’s seat. We can do all those things as well as men… but the reality of our lives is that we are still the ones who come home and do the grocery shopping, clean the houses, take care of the children. There’s an exception here and there, but the vast majority of women - they tell us to lean into our jobs and we do all that, but we still have to come in and do all those things that women do within the family construct. We’ve created double the work… creating that happiness, that level of ease of being a person in the world, it’s been a challenge for us. We’ve pushed really hard to get where we are; we’ve doubled our load…. Truly supporting each other is so important. Making other women feel that other people understand their challenges.  That’s what I like about seeing all these support groups out there.”   “It’s so important that we help each other out. We’re all going to have our moments of failure and success, and to be able to share both of those is very important.”   “Thought leaders don’t want you to just agree with them. Lead implies follow. Thought lead means lead into thought.”  

Episode 2 (Season 2) of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Karen Sands, Director of Planning, Research, and Sustainability for the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District   Bio: Karen Sands is the Director of Planning, Research and Sustainability for the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) where she’s worked for over 15 years. As director, she integrates grey and green infrastructure planning to recycle wastewater, reduce energy use/switch to renewables, and manage river and stormwater flooding. With a career spanning 30 years, Karen has held a number of planning positions in the public and private sectors in Wisconsin, Maine, and New York. She spent the first half of her career helping highway and airport runway projects move forward, and she’s spending the second half ensuring that infrastructure is designed with nature in mind. She is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and is an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP). She serves on several boards including the Water Quality Board of the International Joint Commission (Legacy Issues, U.S. Lead), Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust Inc., Northwest Side Community Development Corporation (Vice Chair), Discovery World, and the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Planning Association (Secretary).   Notable Quotes: “I think mentorship is important for everyone. Sponsorship is important for anyone who wants and believes in the need for upward mobility. …”   “And then the network is really important. It’s not always one person who can make the magic happen, but it’s who you know. And it’s not like using people. It’s more like using the good will of relationships you’ve transparently and genuinely built.”   “Any leader who wants to be believed… they have to be able to say, ‘here’s what it is!’ And hang their laundry out.”   “She said, ‘Mom, you’re old enough you’re going to die from old age, but I’m going to die from climate change.’ I was floored; the next generation really understands what must be done. And so my advice to her was - you need to get a firm hold on the science, and the data of what you’re going to be talking about.”   “What’s important is - to connect what’s true and intrinsic to your soul, to what you want to do and what you want to change. Without that, you’re just pushing paper and making widgets.”   “Don’t just innovate; let’s talk about disruption!”   Resources: Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Site Mentioned: Christen Wood's Career Manifesto from Season 1 Water in Real Life by the H2Duo

Episode 3 (Season 2) of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Suzane Greeman on 'Taking up Space' -- Asset Management Strategist, Instructor, International Keynote Speaker, and Author of Risk-based Asset Criticality Assessment   BIO: Ms. Suzane Greeman is author of Risk-based Asset Criticality Assessment (R-b ACA©) Handbook: A practical guide to improve asset criticality by incorporating asset, risk, quality and business management principles!  She is a Physical Asset Management expert, and certified asset, maintenance and quality management professional with over 22 years of experience. Her career has spanned asset-intensive industries, including heavy manufacturing, power generation, waste water and consulting/professional services. Suzane is a visionary in delivering results to large and established public and private sector organizations in identifying and realizing significant continuous improvements and maintenance process re-engineering. She has cultivated an exceptional knowledge of and experience base in asset, maintenance and supply chain management, engineering, environmental, health and safety (safe work practices), quality control, change management and risk management principles. Extensive background in leading major capital projects. Finally, Suzane has managed budgets up to $200 million U.S. She is adept in financial analysis, financial planning, asset management, accounting standards for capitalization of turnaround costs, and KPI development and analysis.   Notable Quotes: “How do we position the assets to give the best performance, while at the same time, managing these 3-dimensional risks that are hitting us and then, managing the costs to deliver the performance, and costs to mitigate the risks we’re encountering”   “We have unprecedented numbers of women in industrial jobs. But what that did is… in turn shedding light on how much of a gap still exists between men and women in these roles - in particular at the senior levels, and at the entrepreneur levels.”   “Taking up space, for me, means using professional gravitas to be relevant. In the professional sense, I am defining professional  gravitas as having professional weight, seriousness, and dignity about yourself and about your career.”   “If you’re following your dreams, they will also be inclined to follow their dreams. So, it’s a knock on effect on your family.” Suzane Greman on Taking up Space and the impact it can have in your personal life.    “Risk is multi-dimensional. The more input and the more triangulation you have into identifying and treating risk, the more successful that organization is going to be.”   “By themselves, gifts and talents just aren’t enough. You have to hone them. Your energy, then, is your light, your passion. People sense it, they feel it. It is the aftertaste you leave after you’ve left a room. Everybody has it. Everybody has a light, even darkness. So, your light and your passion, what you have to do along with your gifts and talents is -- you have to learn what they are, you have to hone them, and you have to integrate them with your other assets.”   “We have the people who have 22 years of experience, but it’s really 1 year of experience 22 times… What we’re focusing on is with each passing year, month, day, that you’re adding something to the experience that you have....”   “How well do you deliver anything? So

Episode 2 (Season 2) of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Cindy Wallis-Lage, President of Global Water Business Line, Black & Veatch Cindy Wallis-Lage holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering and an M.S. in Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering. She has over 30 years of experience in the water/wastewater space. She joins us on this episode of the Empowering Women Podcast to discuss perspectives on growing into leadership, and opportunities she sees in the infrastructure world.   Notable Quotes: “I call it the power of a moment - when something interjects and totally redirects what it is that you’re doing. And I had that fortunate experience… he [the dean of engineering] said, ‘Why aren’t you in engineering. You’re obviously strong in math and science…’ He took thirty minutes and explained what Civil Engineering could be, and I went ahead and enrolled right then and never looked back.”   “[In engineering] women are still in the minority. And, therefore, regardless of what your role is, you have to treat it as an opportunity that you can raise the bar regarding the acceptance of women.”   “For me it was being consistent in my walk and talk, being respectful, being present, leaning into conversations - making sure my voice was heard, not just because I wanted to talk a lot, but rather being heard such that when I was communicating I was doing it in a respectful manner… and my opinion was impactful.”   “We need to call out [unconscious bias] and highlight it... Sometimes we have to find a way to break or at least highlight it, and that’s the way to change things. My focus continues to be on how I can help break any of those biases about female leadership and make sure those opportunities are there for those”    “[Success] didn’t happen just because it’s what I wanted. Yes, I was driving, however I had great advocates, great support systems, and mentors - inside the company, outside the company - that allowed me to be successful. Sometimes [they were] pushing me, sometimes pulling me. And all of that makes a difference. No one is successful on their own. ”   “Don’t wait for [advocates] to come to you. Ask people to help you. Ask if they are willing to support you and work with you and how you would to be able to work with them to help further your own career, and what you’re trying to achieve.”   “I think that frustration happens when people become too isolated in what they’re trying to achieve as opposed to looking for a team. I need ‘team Cindy’ if you want to look at it from that standpoint. Who’s going to help me be successful. How do I engage those people that are going to make a difference. ”   “We need to have tremendous communications skills. The biggest challenge you have is when we resort to communications just with emails or texting or however we’re doing it in an electronic manner as opposed to just pick up the phone or sit in a meeting and to have those conversations… There’s so much that comes with body language.”    “That emotional intelligence of being able to understand people, to be able to communicate with people, to understand how to talk to different individuals based on their personality types - really important as you are seeking to mature through your career and have leadership roles. It isn’t just the technical... It’s also about how do you work with the team and then how do you lead a team. So being an effective team player, and then being effective at how do you lea

Empowering Women in Industry Bonus Episode, Season 1, #13 The Empowering Women in Industry Conference organizers, Cieana Detloff, Rebecca Mechtensimer, and Bethany Womack, join Mel on this bonus episode to discuss what's coming in the conference agenda and what pieces they're looking forward to most. Links Empowering Women in Industry conference registration and details The video Mel mentioned The podcast Cieana mentioned: After the Glass Ceiling, a Glass Cliff?   Quotes "Change is messy. Change is not easy. And it can take time, but it's worth the effort" -Cieana Detloff   "I want us to be able to come together to better ourselves and each other. " -Becca Mechtensimer   "I want to see [a day when] we have this whole generation of women in the workforce that are proud and strong and don't feel like we need to defend ourselves for wanting to have a conference." -Bethany Womack   "That really ties into my goal for Empowering Women in Industry.... I want to see us come together and really effect change, so we don't have to talk about the glass cliff. "   "Make it a priority to come and learn with us and grow with us..."

Episode 12 of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Tish Berge, General Manager of Sweetwater Authority Tish Berge earned a B.S. in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College and an MBA with a focus in Finance from the University of California. She has over 25 years of experience in the environmental industry, from private chemical manufacturing, to consulting, to public service. Currently, Tish serves as General Manager for Sweetwater Authority, a water provider in California.  Notable Quotes   On career planning:  "As Covey would say, begin with the end in mind. What is your real goal?"   On having children: "In finance there's a term call the Big Bath... The big bath is when you take all your losses in one year. Maybe you extend your losses to the next fiscal year or realize them early, so they all happen at once. So what I did was when I went back to school to get my MBA, I chose that time to have my family, and to have my two beautiful children."   "You can be feminine and strong... I think it does take a unique person to have their confidence to be able to handle it."   "I remember trying on a lot of different personas. And maybe it's because I didn't feel like i had role models. I would try them on, and then they didn't work. For example. back when I was in technical sales, I used to try to be a guy. I used to tell jokes like a guy, I used to hang out with the guys, do shots with the guys... I wish I could have found a way to get to know myself earlier better and get more comfortable in my skin, instead of bumping around so much as far as -- what works for me? What doesn't work for me? What resonates? What gets me the results. "   "You know what, it's all about people. Business is all about people. Come join us."  

Episode 11 of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Charli K. Matthews, Founding CEO of Empowering Brands Charli is the founder and CEO of Empowering brands, and under this umbrella she has Empowering Pumps and Empowering Women in Industry. Through this media and marketing company, Charli helps clients get the most out of their marketing investments and gets clients in front of larger and more diverse audiences focused on their specific areas of expertise. Empowering brands drives thought leadership, and shines a light on future leaders in the industry at hand. Find Charli: Instagram: @CharliKMatthews @EmpoweringWomeninIndustry Twitter: @CharliKMatthews @WomeninInd Facebook: Empowering Women in Industry Notable Quotes "I want to be clear with one thing. I am creating a community for women so that we have a network to go to, to learn from, to feel supported... to understand that if we empower each other, instead of compete with each other, then we're stronger, we can have better brands, we can have better businesses..."   "I don't have the answer to all the problems and I don't think any one person does. But collectively, we can absolutely solve problems. ...We can get better and support each other, encourage each other... "   "I want women to have access to the table... to sit and share their ideas. I want them to have access to leadership, so that they can present their ideas. And I want them to have access to skills, so they can better present their ideas."   "At the end of the day, we're trying to help each other."   "There's not enough women in our industry to fill the gaps that are needed to have this creative, holistic approach to the problems that we have to solve today..."   "It's not about me having access to the table; I own my own company. But I want to make sure that women who want to be in any field, whatever their passion is, that they have the opportunitiy to sit at the table of their choosing, and share their ideas with the skills to do so "   "I think owning our voice is so much more important than being liked...  ...It is more important to me to be respected for the knowledge that I have and the experiences that I have than to be liked. And being liked is very important to me!"      

Episode 10 of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Shereen Yusuff, Production Petroleum Engineer Shereen has held positions in Project Management, Business Development and Customer Success through her 15 year career in Oil and Gas. Within oil and gas, she has worked on Production, Drilling and Reservoirs. This is unique experience in the context of oil and gas professionals because she has worked on both the service and operator side of the industry. Resources Books Recommended by Shereen Rise Sister Rise by Rebecca Campbell: Amazon Heroz: Empower Yourself, Your Coworkers and Your Company: Amazon Jonathan livingston Seagull by Richard Bach Book that has quote Mel mentioned in the break Becoming Leaders by Williams & Emerson: ASCE  Shereen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shereenyusuff/ Shereen on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/shereenyusuff/?hl=en  Notable Quotes "You are not alone... whatever struggle you're facing, don't ever feel like you can't talk about it."   "I think I had to change the way I looked at women as well. This has a lot to do with my background, growing up in Oman... a good book that really helped me with that resonance associated with how I should look at other women, and how I want to respect other women, and how I want to honor other women is this book called Rise Sister Rise. It's a beautiful book... [the author] learned how to honor the female power within her and how she spreads that to other women as well"   "You can do a lot just exactly where you're at. Even if you've been in the company for 6 months. Even if you're in college. Even if you are in school. Even if you've been at the company for ten years. It doesn't matter what space of life you're in, what your career path is, or where you're at. I think you can make a difference no matter where you're at.... You are a walking talking role model for all of the women around you. "   "Happiness lies within us."   "The struggles never go away, they just morph over time... As we grow older we gain skills or we have a skill set that helps us deal with these struggles...  As a woman, we have so many different kinds of struggles that come into our lives... As we go forth in our journey, it never gets easier; we only get stronger. And I genuinely believe that we get stronger when we are together. The more we work together, the stronger we are as a force."

Episode 9 of the Empowering Women Podcast Guest: Taralinda Willis, Co-Founder & CEO of Curate Solutions Bio: Taralinda earned her MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a focus on operations and project management. Taralinda has experience in large-scale public project management, overseeing the creation of a $94M multi-use facility for the state of Wisconsin, sales and account management at a performing arts venue, and customized client solutions as the owner of a consulting business. At Curate, Taralinda leads customer acquisition and business operations.   Resources Business Incubator, Gener8tor: https://www.gener8tor.com Women Entrepreneurs Network and Support, Doyenne Group: https://doyennegroup.org Shared space + support for entrepreneurs in Madison, Starting Block: https://www.startingblockmadison.org/   Notable Quotes "If you're trying to get contracts through, they might have a 20% success rate. So when you get to 8 "No"s out of 10, celebrate that - because you know you're getting close. You have to celebrate those and you also have to celebrate the small stuff and the wins. Being comfortable celebrating both sides is really valuable... If 8 people tell me "no", then I will take myself to dinner and have a glass of wine."   "Fundraising is very similar to the sales process. It's all about your follow-ups. It's all about making connections with people and being able to share the vision."   "Building a company takes a village... so many people have had an incredible impact on me personally, as well as the company that have made us successful."   "You have to optimize for both the wins and the losses."  

Episode 8 of the Empowering Women Podcast Guest: Ingrid Lindberg, Founder & CEO of Chief Customer Consulting Bio: Ingrid Lindberg is the founding owner of Chief Customer Consulting. She is the first person to hold the title of CXO, or Chief Customer Experience Officer. From the early age of 14, Ingrid began working full-time at a salon; she soon worked her way into retail, and then retail management at the age of 17. Leveraging her customer service experience, she took advantage of opportunities to catapult into the world of customer experience, which was really just becoming a thing when she got into it. In our discussion, Ingrid shares her story of working her way up to executive leadership in Corporate America as a Customer Experience expert.    Resources Book - Words of Wisdom from Women to Watch: Career Reflections from Leaders in the Commercial Insurance Industry Alan Cooper, Resource for User Experience Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers (by HBR on Second Generation Bias)   Notable Quotes "Your voice matters. Raise it. Own it. Use it."   "There's room for all of us to succeed and there's absolutely no reason why you shouldn't be on that path. If you want it, raise your voice."   "When you tell the top 10 execs they have to find someone to mentor, it has to be 5 women and 5 women... And actually putting numbers around who you're helping to lift through the organization... you're creating dissonance in the fraternity. "   "There's so much fear that drives silence."   "Corporate America has been built around the support of the fraternity, from the places where "deals are done" to the business that is done over brown liquor and cigars. The fraternity was built to help men get from one stage to another is one that seems impenetrable for women... Fraternities have built a certain kind of toxic business environment of insiders and exclusion. I questioned the assumption that I should try to join."   "When I was managing a team of all men who would invite me to lunches, but would never take me to Friday night happy hour... so I followed them once. And walked straight into the strip club that was three and a half blocks from work. And sat do

Episode 6 of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST:  Drena Howard is a Senior Environmental, Health, Safety and Sustainability professional with 15 years of experience in retail, manufacturing and warehouse, spanning cosmetics, building system services, and aerospace. Drena holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from South Carolina State University, which is an important Historically black university, or HBCU. Drena also holds a Masters of Environmental Management and a Master of Public Health, both from Yale University. Drena is recognized as a leader in EHS as showcased by her roles with the National Association of Environmental Managers, where she is currently on the board of directors. -- Notable Quotes and Concepts from Drena: What do you like about being in Environmental Health & Safety “Serious injuries can completely alter a person’s life… being able to prevent something like that from happening…so that they can have their limbs, their mobility, and can provide for themselves and their family as well as do the things they love to do on the weekends… makes my day”  -  Regarding how Drena would like to see the EHS profession change: “There are a lot more people of color and women in the environmental health and safety profession, but they’re not always represented in conferences or trade events and trade shows… I would encourage organizations – if you have up and coming talent, whether they be women, people of color, LGBTQA, etc. that instead of just always sending your most senior people to the conference, send some of your more junior people. Send some of your more diverse candidates to these conferences, to these trade shows. Because it shows representation of your organization as well as it is a way to groom and develop your talent through their exposure, the things that they learn from the conference…” -   “I am passionate about environmental justice because if you can improve the health and quality of air, quality of water in these communities, it gives more people an opportunity to go on to advanced education because they’re not sick and missing school. And if they’re not sick and missing school, then they have more job opportunities. It creates a stronger pipeline for the future as a whole… Environmental justice is not just limited to ‘not in my back yard.’ It’s what are some of those opportunities to improve the air, the water, the basic things that people need to function and live, which then opens up so many more pathways for success. ”  -   “Ask for what you what. Ask about the opportunities ”  

Episode 6 of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Sepi Saidi, Civil Engineer & Entrepreneur, Founding Owner of SEPI, Inc. Sepi Saidi is a visionary leader who founded SEPI Engineering & Construction in 2001 and has led the company to become a premier full service civil, environmental planning, and construction management engineering firm in the Southeast. The firm’s awards include Fast 50 firm by Triangle Business Journal, Zweig White Hot Firm List, Inc. 5000, and being ranked as a Top 500 Design Firm on the Engineering News-Record’s 2017 list. Incorporating the firm’s core values, SEPI is dedicated to providing a unique work space and environment for its employees to plan, design, build, and give back to the communities in which we serve. With a dedicated passion to support organizations that align with the health, safety, and well-being of the families in our communities, Ms. Saidi and the firm are proud to be champions of community service. A Professional Engineer and alumna of North Carolina State University, with degrees in Civil and Agricultural Engineering, Ms. Saidi has been named by the Triangle Business Journal as the 2018 Businessperson of the Year, was recently selected as a Charlotte Business Journal 2018 Women in Business Achievement Award winner, and has been inducted into the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame.   QUOTES "Persistence is really really important, and believing in your vision, whatever that vision is... believing and being excited about that vision is extremely important."     "When you're excited about your vision and you believe in it, you can do more."     "If you love your career...  focus on ways you could do it with the help of a husband partner, or building a community around ourselves... building communities and not giving up o the idea that it's important for me to stay in this... that I am really passionate about.     "You can start by really showing up when you say you show up, whether it is a committee you get involved in, whether it's a task you took on, or an extracurricular non-profit you're involved in - doing what you say you will do is really important - not coming up with excuses."     "Have a voice, but also allow other people to have a voice. So collaboration, positivity, solution-driven and supporting each other-- those are the beginnings and then it builds. [Success] just builds and builds on that."     "When you look at the world through the lens of curiosity, you are not being judgemental. You are open. You are interested in learning. You want to receive. And through that lens, everything is more inclusive... I feel that if we look at the world through the lens of curiosity, then we're not putting people, things, ideas in a box... and it creates more bonding opportunities."   "I believe we can find a common point with everybody, if you approach it from curiosity."     "Fundamentally, we are really all the same people... having freedom, having happiness, contributing to our communities, building a great career, contributing to our families. It's all the same. That's why I believe you can build bridges with people you think you have nothing in common. That has been one of the biggest secrets to my success. Embracing people from different walks of life. "     "It's not really about balance, and it's not really about having it all. It's about choosing... making decisions that create happiness and balance for your family, your particular lifestyle, and what's important to you. [You can] craft that. Craft your lif

Episode 5 of the Empowering Women Podcast Guest: Jackie Saling, Chemical Engineer and Remediation Community of Practice Leader at Arcadis Jackie Saling has over seventeen years of professional experience in the environmental consulting industry and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Michigan. At Arcadis, Ms. Saling is lead engineer for several large accounts where she develops technical project strategy, effectively communicates complex technical concepts to clients, regulators, and stakeholders, and builds strong technical project teams to execute complex technical solutions to meet the needs of clients. Ms. Saling supports the in-situ remediation discipline at Arcadis and has led the air sparge and soil vapor extraction (AS/SVE) and in-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) communities of practice. Through these roles, she is known as a national resource within the company to provide assistance with the evaluation of Sites for the use of in situ remedies; designing and performing field pilot tests; full scale design and implementation; and optimization of the operation of in situ remedies. In addition, Ms.Saling’s engineering-related experience includes developing feasibility studies and remedial strategies; designing and performing pilot tests; designing and installing full-scale remediation systems; troubleshooting and optimizing remedial systems; generating design specifications, remedial investigation work plans, remedial action work plans, and associated project reports; developing project budgets; and preparing cost analyses for remedial alternatives. Discussion Arcadis Remediation Jackie's project that won the Arcadis pro-bono contest   Notable Jackie Quotes "When I was just focused on being technical and going into technical leadership, I couldn't get anywhere because there was a structure and no way to move up very quickly. When I recognized that the fastest way to get where I wanted to go may not be a straight line, and that by coming much more well rounded about our business in general... it was amazing! It all came full circle and I got right where I wanted to be." "A lot of people listening will be engineers, scientists, linear thinkers... but for your career, that might not be the fastest way to get from point A to point B." "Something I've had to learn as a leader is the art of building a team so that I can take off my plate the things that are opportunities for others..." "What she had been branded with as being a bad attitude was not at all a bad attitude. It was basically she commanded authority when she was in the field... it was all these traits where if it had been a man in the field, he would have been a rock star. So she was being cast off as like a problem child... I tried to make her aware of the perception. And by me being her manager, I could be her advocate... She grew to be my go to for everything." "Just having those women to talk to, bounce ideas off of and celebrate our successes has been career and life changing for me..."  

Episode 4 of the Empowering Women Podcast Guest: Christen Wood, Wastewater Operator Christen is currently the Operations Administrator at the County of Summit Department of Sanitary Sewer Services. She has been working in the wastewater field since 2008, first at the City of Ashtabula wastewater laboratory, then in both laboratory and operations roles for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. Her education includes a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Findlay. She currently holds certifications as a Professional Operator, Wastewater Treatment Class IV; Ohio Class III Wastewater Operator; and Ohio Class II Wastewater Analyst. She is passionate about Operations Challenge competition and sharing the excitement of clean water with the world, including through the wastewater twitter community as @sewer_chic. Her achievements include OWEA Professional Wastewater Operations Award, NESOWEA Herb Hansen Award, and writing the winning WEF Fight Song: Treat the Water Right. LinkedIn Article Mel wrote about Christen's "Career Manifesto" Advice: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/guiding-principals-career-manifesto-mel-butcher/ Notable Christen Quotes “The doctors of the world are very celebrated as they should be, but wastewater operators save more lives each year by protecting the waters that people are drinking and fishing and swimming in….” “People see roads and bridges and think of infrastructure. They don’t think about the water and wastewater pipes that are running underground that may have been their hundreds of years. And worse yet, we’re facing this huge need for infrastructure because the Clean Water Act, a lot of the equipment that was put in the ground or in the plants for that reason is starting to reach its expected lifespan. Convincing people that it’s worth it to spend the money to upgrade these systems to continue to clean the water is sometimes hard if they don’t recognize that service is being provided in the first place…” “I love challenging others and myself, I’m certainly not exempt from this; there are plenty of colleagues I have not gotten along with… I really think it’s important to find the value and worth of everyone that you work with, regardless of your own personal style.” “She stared right at the class and she said I need to tell you this, this is important, pay attention. If you have to choose between a loud job and a stinky job, choose the stinky job and here’s why. And she proceeded to tell us that your ears will physically hear every sound coming in. So if somebody is using a jackhammer outside of your house, you will hear every time it strikes. For your nose, however, it will only  detect changes. So for example, if you walk into your house at the end of the day, you might notice it smells like your house… After 10 minutes or so, you don’t notice” “Part of the problem in our industry is that we don’t have enough women. We also don’t have a lot of minorities. Where I’m currently working, I was the diversity program walking in the door.” “I can speak to this through the operations challenge. I’ve found that when I was building my operations challenge team, the best people (team members) are from really different backgrounds. Having someone that’s in management and someone that’s in a union, and someone that’s black, and someone that’s a woman, and someone with sales experience, and someone that worked at Olive Garden. When you get people from all those different backgrounds coming together against a single problem, you will find the right answer...” “If you’ve never toured a

Episode 3 of the Empowering Women Podcast Guest: Jenny Han, Architect, Director of Design Operations at Skender Jenny Han is a licensed Architect based in Chicago. Her specialities include design of healthcare facilities. Ms. Han also has a special interest in the intersection of space and community. She shared her story of being the daughter of immigrants and what it was like to find her path at the intersection of art and science.  QUOTES “It is important to me to lead, to not say “no”, even if it is something I’m fearful of”. “If somebody else has faith I can do something, I give it a shot… That has enabled me to do things I wouldn’t normally volunteer myself for.” “If there’s three reasons to do anything, I always say you should do it.” “The overriding theme with golf is like anything in your career…. Just show up. Don’t be so paralyzed and afraid that you don’t even show up to your seat at the table.” “Find mentors in all aspects of your life that fulfill different roles and needs you might have…” Concepts and Resources Discussed      National Council of Architectural Registration Boards       Panopticon      Ethnography      Public Housing      Robert Taylor Homes      Lean Manufacturing      Value Engineering Jenny's Education      Cornel Architecture      University of Chicago Companies & Organizations Discussed      Proteus Group      Skender      Young Women Warrio

Episode 2 of the Empowering Women Podcast Renee shared her career path. She started her career in the HVACR space without any technical training. She courageously shared her experience of leaving the workforce to become a caretaker for her terminally ill father, and her experience returning after some time away. Renee has exception, heart-felt advice for women working their way up in male-dominated career spaces. It's also obvious from her talk, that she has a deep passion for diversity, and works towards improving the environment for all people in the HVACR space.  Renee on Twitter: @ReneeJoseph15   Links to Subjects Renee Discussed Johnson Controls Burj Khalifa  Life of a BTU Video by Johnson Controls  Understanding Building Automation System Changing Demographics in the HVACR Industry White Paper Spending time with the coolest women in industry TRANE AHR ASHRAE P&L – Profit and Loss Statement in operating a business CRM  - Customer Relationship Management     QUOTES “You really have to make sure everyone has a seat at the table and that you encourage and coach out those voices so that everyone can be heard.”  “We know statistically that teams that are more diverse are higher performing teams… we use a lot of that data to encourage bringing those diverse teams together, especially on big important projects to show how the diversity in thinking can help produce better results.”