Misti Williams Valenti and Rosyne Pedreanez: The Art of Connection and Mentorship

This week Misti Williams Valenti and Rosyne Pedreanez of Spherion, bring their stories and personalities to the podcast. Our conversation is a celebration of the belief that when we lift one, we elevate many, and the success we share in our professional lives amplifies our collective strength.

Both graduates of our Career Development Series and coworkers together at Spherion, Misti and Roseyne had me laughing and crying as they shared how mentors have shaped their lives, how they set about finding their purpose and how they support one another as friends and coworkers. 

After you listen, we'd love to know if you have a 5-minute meeting buddy and if so, who?  Sometimes when we talk about mentors or sponsors, it seems so serious and big, but really this episode showed that little things over time matter and are just as important as the big gestures. 



 

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Transcript

Speaker 1 0:05

Welcome to Elevate, a women's leadership institute podcast where we showcase stories, celebrate successes and shift culture. Welcome to Elevate a women's leadership institute podcast. I am your host, patty Cook, and I have Misty and Rosine with me today from Spherean and I am so excited to have this conversation. They are friends, they've been part of our programs and I'd like you to introduce yourselves a little bit, tell us what your job is and a little backed about you, so people can kind of get to know you better and then we'll jump into it.

Speaker 2 0:38

Okay, thanks for having us, Patty, we appreciate it. My name is Misty Williams-Valenti and I work for Spherean Staffing and Recruiting. I am a senior business development manager, so I basically align with companies to recruit mid-entry level and high-executive search. A fun fact about me this was hard because Patty just told me what the last person said and I can't stop it. No comparing, no comparing. I did not back up dance for kiss, but Shout out to Dana, I know, shout out to Dana. A fun fact about me is I love strength training. I just did a PR for a personal record for a deadlift at almost 300 pounds. What, yeah? So I'm super excited about that.

Speaker 3 1:25

Congratulations. She's a little bit strong, that's impressive.

Speaker 1 1:30

Yeah, that's exciting. Okay, all right. Okay, well, how can I follow that? Oh, it's going Kiss 300 pounds. I mean, come on, well, you're excited to have us here.

Speaker 3 1:41

We're so excited to be here and of course, this is happening. I'm Rosine Petranes and I also work with Spherean Staffing and Recruiting. I manage the Salt Lake City branch and Misty, you know, is our senior business development and she brings all these companies and clients and partners and we make the magic happen on the other side.

Speaker 1 2:06

Okay.

Speaker 3 2:07

So we're in the operations dealing with candidates and employers and just designing work for solutions for them and just helping people to change their lives, hopefully.

Speaker 2 2:19

Right.

Speaker 3 2:19

Yeah, fun fact, I'm fun. You are fun by nature, but I don't know. I'm a reality TV lover. Oh my God.

Speaker 1 2:30

Any special show. Well, or we can't divulge that.

Speaker 3 2:34

No, yes, we can. Oh, okay, you tell me. So right now I'm into the Real Housewives right. So different cities and all that but mean old school bad girls club.

Speaker 1 2:47

Oh, okay, I didn't even know that.

Speaker 2 2:50

I didn't even know that fun fact, there you go.

Speaker 3 2:53

I watch every season the things we learn, yeah.

Speaker 1 2:56

Yeah, yeah, Perfect. Well, when I thought about the topic one of the topics we talk about a lot at the Women's Leadership Institute is mentorship and allyship women supporting other women I thought of you too. So, Misty, you went through our career development series, which is our eighth month leadership series for mid to senior level women, and then the next year. I love that you came back to graduation when Rosine went through it. So tell me a little bit about your experience in the program, and then how you picked the next person.

Speaker 2 3:32

The 2022 cohort is what I was involved in and it was during the pandemic, right after things were weird in the world Right and we were all looking for connection. I'm a really connected person in person. Networking is obvious in my jam, so I'm in a business development role. I love people.

Speaker 2 3:52

And so it was an opportunity for me to not only gain more skills which is something I've always been growth minded but connect with women, and I think it was the perfect opportunity to apply for the cohort and I felt like when I got accepted, it was like I got accepted into grad school or something.

Speaker 3 4:12

It was really exciting and we celebrated it.

Speaker 2 4:15

That's awesome. It was just a transitional time. I think, like in the world, that we needed that connection. So networking, but also just learning from others. I think it's really important to connect with different people from different backgrounds and I think that's the perfect vehicle for a lot of women in my mid to high level to understand and develop different skills that can help us achieve more and succeed. And then also with that, it's really important to share that information as we learn it. So I would go back to the office and I'd be like what are your career drivers and how do we create these goals together and how do we strategic plan better? And Rosine was just like excited and on board and just so. There's people who are just willing to learn and open to learning and she's one of those. So it was just perfect to encourage her to develop herself in that way as well. It was, it was a beautiful. It's been a beautiful gift in both of our lives, I think.

Speaker 1 5:13

Yeah, I love that. One thing that we do encourage in the cohort is take this back to your teams, take this back to your friends, so I love hearing that you actually did that and that you benefited. You did a great job on that. I mean, we're always catching up on things. A plus, thank you.

Speaker 2 5:28

She did a great job on that the first A plus I've ever had, so thank you, whatever.

Speaker 3 5:32

We're always looking for topics to talk about without even looking for topics to talk about, and we have a very famous five minute meeting that it's a variety of things, it's never five minutes. And then we're always like I think we need a five minute meeting right now. I'm like I don't have those five minutes.

Speaker 2 5:51

We have to take our five minute meeting to like Friday nights. No really yeah.

Speaker 3 5:58

And I remember her sharing her experience with the program and I remember that I actually looked at it before but I'm like, oh, this will be cool to do it. But you know, when you really don't do it, like okay, I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna postpone it, or oh my gosh, the deadline the tab, and then I'm like, oh, no, where did that go, I don't know.

Speaker 3 6:18

But actually she bringing up these topics that were so of so much interest. You're talking about the connection, the development, the learning and things that you can relate to and how you make those applicable to your every day, because the lessons are not only for professional development but for your own personal growth, and I also wanted to see my community represented, you know, because I'm like, okay, so where are the people like stuff, like me?

Speaker 3 6:47

You know I need to put my touch in there, Absolutely so. So it was very like motivating and exciting to always learn and I'm like, okay, let me find out. Plus, I learned to that the speakers are not always the same, you know so the variety. I love it, my brain. I always have something about my brain sparking, so I want my brain.

Speaker 2 7:12

I want my brain to be like you know like ignite a fire, light and inspiration, and I think I remember getting out of the meetings and I would call all the people that I like wanted to share the content with, and I would be like guess, what we learned today and part of that is for me is retaining information.

Speaker 2 7:34

The more you teach, it, the more you retain it, and I wanted to retain that information, I wanted to keep it, I wanted to you know, share it with other people, and I think you were one of those people that I often called that. I'm sorry. It was a five minute long, five minutes. And then she didn't meet me.

Speaker 3 7:50

The lesson after her lesson, and I'm like, okay, I need to be ready for this lesson oh, there you go.

Speaker 3 7:55

I think that we have in common that we're both very curious and I don't know. We're friends. I mean, she's just a great friend of mine, I love her and I think we are very encouraging of each other to we're very great, and sometimes with each other too, we have these discussions that are brain sparking, you know. So the um, so the women leadership Institute, was that when I had the opportunity to also like enroll myself, and I actually felt the same way when I, when I apply, I apply in silence because just in case I don't get a set up, you know, I know what it's going to know. I'll tell the story later. I'll cry.

Speaker 3 8:36

You know, that's actually how that happened. And then I'm like oh my gosh, am I going to Harvard? What's?

Speaker 1 8:42

going on.

Speaker 3 8:44

I know it feels like that I'm so happy to hear. But I've been following up, you know, following the, the, the trajectory, and you and Patty and Nicole, like I'm like this will be nice. Plus, you know, you have your biggest promoter right here. And then I went to the graduation. I'm like, oh, I'm going to be there to support her. You didn't even know I was going. I showed up in there. I'm like I need to go. I need to go now, I need to be ready, because she has been so supportive of me and even of my dreams and my ideas that I can only just be there and hug her, you know, and be as your leader.

Speaker 3 9:20

You know, so yeah, so then we won't cry.

The Power of Mentorship and Sharing

Speaker 1 9:23

I cannot cry today I love what you guys were talking about because, statistically, most people know that mentors are good for us, right? Like you've been talking about, sparking ideas, it ripples into our professional and our personal lives, but most women don't have relationships like this at work, where you can both interact personally and also learn together and from each other. Yeah, oh, absolutely.

Speaker 3 9:54

They're things that we learn together, but they're things that I definitely learned from her. Yeah, you know so yeah.

Speaker 1 9:58

I think that's good. So, in your careers, who else has been a mentor to you and how has that impacted your career?

Speaker 2 10:07

You want me to go first. Okay, I feel really lucky. When you asked this question and gave us the parameters, I thought I thought a lot about this and I definitely have had so many mentors, like truly a lot of people. I think when you're curious, naturally, or when you admire people, or when you want something, I feel like that shows up in your space.

Speaker 2 10:30

And so because you seek it. So for me I've had a lot of people early on in my career. There's phases of mentorship for me that were very much male dominated. I think in my early career I definitely have had a lot of great leaders over the years, but some of them I learned what not to do, which I learned that way too actually learned deeply that way. But I think in my early career I had a lot of male mentorships. I had gone through a divorce and I had a whole bunch of males support me during that time who really championed me, sponsored me, advocated for me in a time when a male dominated industry, or just okay.

Speaker 2 11:09

Yeah, architecture and engineering, and so it was a. It was Mel, primarily males, were several women who worked there too, but the males really embraced me and I think mentoring to me means believing in somebody when they really just didn't believe in themselves. So for me, I know um. For me, I think I I'm super grateful for that foundation Um, because they really did believe in me when I didn't believe in myself. That gave me the self-esteem to be even more curious and develop more and to be, um excited about learning and growing and not afraid to be vulnerable with people. Right Like I was going through a weird time in life, um, and they helped me then fast forward.

Speaker 2 11:52

Now, you know, I sit on the executive board for people, helping people and I mentor, so it's really paying it forward and giving back to my community in that regard. So it's been multifaceted for me, but I'll always have a mentor um, both personally and professionally. I create that in my life, I plan strategically for my own life and if there's a skill set, whether it's like a foundational skill I want to be more emotionally intelligent or I want to be, you know, better communicator or whether it's, um, a hard skill related to my job, to be better at Um. I try to create, you know, two each quarter and then I find a mentor, somebody who can support me, a book or a learning institution or somewhere that can support and facilitate and close that gap for me. So it's just a practice that I've had. Mentorships I think are critical. Communication and um and connection I think are just vital to success and to um threat to be being able to thrive.

Speaker 3 12:51

And you are so great at that. She's consistent and at that, always just doing that. And not only that, but she's always trying to mentor somebody on soliciting. You know, I'm like let me tell you. I'm like I know what we're doing, but it sounds like it was really important for you.

Speaker 1 13:12

It was like that was emotional for you to to have people who were in your corner when you didn't believe in yourself like that is. So I think we've all been in spaces or that's really important for us to move forward. So I appreciate that and sometimes it's okay, it's unsolicited because it comes from a really, really true place.

Speaker 3 13:30

Right, it really comes natural, even when she plans. You know she has her structure, her calendar. She does it naturally, you know, even with people that don't even know she's giving a good advice, offering help you know, so it's, it's like that Shout out to Missy for yes.

Speaker 2 13:49

If you learn something that really impacted your life, why not share it, like I don't want to ever. You know, and here's the thing too, a lot of people like, instead of bringing people up, we we kind of somebody said this to me once we rise above something and then we like, bring the ladder up with us. Let's not do that. Yeah, let's not bring the ladder up. Like, share that information, let other women you know rise above. There's enough success for all of us.

Speaker 1 14:16

Yeah right, I think I think that's a generational thing Because as we talk to women, sometimes women have had this idea of scarcity, Like there's only one physician at the top and I've fought really hard to get it so they don't turn around and bring people up with them, like you were talking about. But I feel like more and more as we talk to people and we graduate women, that they want to share it and I'm so happy that that is changing because I really feel like there's a place for all of us.

Speaker 1 14:45

Absolutely there's strength in numbers, in my opinion.

Speaker 2 14:48

So I think that's fought off and your shine doesn't dual mine, like your abundance doesn't make my life abundant. We all have been flow at different times in our life. Let's celebrate that for everybody. If you don't want to grow and you don't want to stay in a mid-level manager role, it's OK. Like you have permission to do that. If you want to grow, you should have the opportunity to do that as well.

Speaker 3 15:12

And I share the goodness, the secrets. That shouldn't be secrets. You know I call them like. I'm going to share the behind the scenes. I'm going to throw my secrets with you right now. Are you ready?

Speaker 2 15:21

Because they're not secrets.

Speaker 3 15:22

So then I can share whatever I know. And I always say you make it your own, put your personal thoughts, what you think, improve it, get it better. And when you're talking about that, I always think that I want to make it a little bit better. I think at least a little bit better to the ones coming behind me.

Speaker 3 15:40

For sure you know there is always somebody coming behind me. I will tell you, hey, I know that this is how people do it or have done it in the past. This is what I found. It worked better for me. Try it out to see if it works better for you.

Speaker 3 15:53

You know, so, hey, maybe, or even in our organizations, right? One thing that I have learned about Patty is that she communed. I think that she communicates better this way. Hey, have your dots together. If you're going to talk to her, present this with confidence. Do your research before I'm not going to just throw somebody to the lions. Just go there, figure it out, because I had to figure it out the hard way, because there's some empathy for my career.

Speaker 3 16:21

Yeah, so definitely you're sharing. That is so important and when I look back you're reflecting about your question too and writing all these notes last night that I forgot about. But, like she was saying too, there are so many different stages in your career when you start and I went to school for like 90 percent male dominated career, so I went to school for petroleum engineering oh, interesting. So you know it's a 90 10 ratio.

Career Growth Through Mentorship and Sponsorship

Speaker 3 16:56

That could have been your fun fact, is that fun, yeah, but well, I remember this being like all my professors, everybody in the faculty everybody was a man, you know, and you're no one. Oh, that's so hard, oh, the papers are so hard, and I'm like, okay, we're three girls here and 27 guys. It's okay, we'll be fine. So it ended up being challenging, but I was used to that when and I remember these powerful woman she was an engineer that I looked up to and I'm like she's awesome, what's her name? And I remember her making an impact for me and I had to pick a mentor and the least was all of them were men. And then there was Isandra Villegas and I'm like I'm going with her, you know, I'm going with her and I and, and then I started realizing, oh my gosh, we can do so much. Fast forward to so many years later, I came here to the United States and, trust me, my confidence is now what it is right now. You know that I'm super confident, but now I think I know myself better.

Speaker 3 18:11

I know what I can do, I know what I you know, um, and I'm like, how how can I even I wouldn't understand a word of English, you know. So I'm like how can I do this and then do it? Right? I still like tell people sometimes hey, turn your subtitles on baby, because I'm going to talk and that's okay.

Speaker 1 18:32

I love that. You just embrace it, though. I embrace it and I love it Cause you know how hard I've worked to get to this.

Speaker 3 18:39

So it is my thing.

Speaker 1 18:40

This is the claim.

Speaker 3 18:42

This is me. So, um, I remember working in this customer service job that I saw like so big, am I going to get hired. Finally, that I think I'm understanding. I think I can do this. I went to that interview, that interview, and the guys were hesitant and I would see it and I was like I'm like, yeah, I'm like, give me the chance I'll learn this.

Speaker 3 19:06

So this is how I started. I remember freezing on my first call and I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm not going to be able to do this. But there was this woman and his name is Deborah Rojero, and I'm going to say her name because she made such a difference for me and this is my emotional moment right now because I'm going to have other ones. But she she told me, why don't you apply for this, why don't you do this? And we were part of a big corporation and I'm like me Know that I didn't think anything of me or what I was, thinking, less of me, but I'm like you think. And then she's like learn these things, you know, do this training, do this. I'll help you. Let's find you coaching for this interview. And I'm like, yes, I want to do all that.

Speaker 3 19:55

You know, and I'm like she did so. She talked about somebody. She talked about me with somebody, which I don't know who it was. It happened to be a director. They were looking at me. You have so much talent and I'm like thank you for telling me that. So that changed.

Speaker 3 20:12

I love that. That changed my trajectory there and really everything that I applied for to move in my career. And then I was focused and everything I got it and I had the opportunity to learn so much and I knew and I understood that I needed more training. Yeah, Now, okay, now I need to get better. Now what's?

Speaker 1 20:31

the continual growth.

Speaker 3 20:33

So she was not only a sponsor or a mentor and then, of course, a friend, but she was. She ignited that in me too, that I already had from before, but it was a new space for me, yeah, you know. So I'm like I always need to be that they were for others.

Speaker 1 20:51

I love that and you guys did so great at telling different stories, because people often ask us what's the difference between a mentor and a sponsor? A mentor will coach you, they'll be in your corner, they'll believe in you. A sponsor will actually open doors for you that you cannot open on your own and give you the opportunity, and I think both of those are really important, both from males and from females. Right, it takes both of those perspectives and mentors and sponsors to build a career. So I want to come back to something that you said Misty about how regimented you are in building mentorships or seeking out people who know things that you want to know for people who are kind of challenged in that area. Yeah, what does that look like?

Finding Purpose and Taking Action

Speaker 2 21:37

Like, how do you actually do that? Yeah, that's such a great question and I did something a little bit risky about seven years ago. I read this book. My friend, spring, had given me this book. That was or told me about this book. That was called Miracle Morning by Hal Elvrod, and it talks about your morning, how you wake up, how you set intention, and in the back of this book there was a task, if you will, an exercise that you could do by asking your friends and your family, and I even included some of my clients and I sent my closest 30 people in my inner circle.

Speaker 2 22:14

She's an extrovert Her closest 30 people.

Speaker 1 22:16

Yeah, 30 people.

Speaker 2 22:16

Yeah, I think I sent it to 35 people. I know it seems crazy and then I sent it to them and I got a lot of response back and a lot of the stuff I already knew.

Speaker 2 22:27

Right, it was self-aware of and was it there like questions you sent to them Questions about how I show up in life, like who I am, like how do I make them feel, how do I, how do I? I was looking to see, like, how do I show up in people's lives? Like, how do I want to show up in people's lives? I probably had just gone to a funeral or something I don't know. You have the whole like, but how do I want to prioritize my life? And I was going through this moment.

Speaker 2 22:50

I sent it out to all of these people and then I just started kind of digging into where is my opportunity. Right, I already knew I had some perfectionism that I probably needed to unpack a little bit or own, I mean whatever you choose to do with it. But I also had some, you know, things that I wanted to work on deeply. And so for me it was just a strategy and tactical, like a tactical strategy of just saying here's where I need to work, but I can't be overwhelmed, right? So that's why I pick one thing each quarter to work on, because if you really think about it, you're picking eight topics per year. That's something to work on and sometimes I use, you know, if I pick a topic Q one, I end up maybe even taking it into Q two or even throughout the year. If it's big enough, if it's a skill set, development or I mean something larger, a larger task, I'll keep it. But I always pick a personal and a professional and I think just start by asking yourself this question like what do I want?

Speaker 3 23:44

What's important to me? What's my priority Question for?

Speaker 1 23:46

a lot of women. It's very uncomfortable yeah.

Speaker 2 23:49

And sometimes we're not even really honest with ourselves right. So pressure has us, you know, thinking we need to do things and we need to grow and we have to climb the ladder, and we have to do this and we have to do that, but you're managing a family simultaneously and it's not the right season or time for you Never.

Speaker 2 24:05

I think there's so many different times in our life that things don't necessarily that we're not really honest with ourselves about what we want. So I think getting granular about it whether you have to meditate right, sit there in silence for a while is a practice that I've used. We're just getting quiet right, like there's a lot of noise around us even I mean social media and content and what we should be doing and how we should. You know, I don't know. Going to therapy, I don't know.

Speaker 2 24:30

It's just a lot All the things, so quieting some of that noise, to see, like, what do I really want? What lights my fire, that spark you talk about, what is something that really brings me joy? If it doesn't bring me joy, I just don't participate.

Speaker 1 24:44

So if it's gonna recondo it, right yeah.

Speaker 2 24:47

Yeah, If it's not gonna bring me joy and fulfillment, I just don't prioritize it anymore. So that's how I processed. You know kind of the tactical ability to just sit down and write out goals and then I just show up for myself. It's unreasonable, it's like an appointment with you I would show up for, but I had to get.

Speaker 2 25:09

That was some work for me to do is to show up for myself, right, Like I have a two hour morning routine that I have to wake up at five o'clock in the morning for because I have a family to raise. So you just kind of get creative, but you show up and it's not negotiable.

Speaker 1 25:26

So I like that. It's cool. And how do you? How do you network? How do you find mentors? In your next topic, and what lights you on fire? What's your process?

Speaker 3 25:35

Well, I don't have 30 people that I reach out to, that's okay. Some people do, some people don't. So I ask for these things, but I, through connection, is really important for me, the relationship, what I feel, intuition, and then I feel that connection with you. You know, like those people that are, oh my gosh, are you going to be my person? I think that you are.

Speaker 1 25:57

I'm very likely to be friends. We're going to be friends, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 26:02

So that is important. But also looking for that connection and people that you admire, and it can be either within your organization, within your industry which can be even a competitor sometimes, because you are just in the same type of business but also outside, sometimes even with friends and I try to spark these conversations with friends that they do something totally different. Let's say that somebody works in transportation or in medical industry and then try to get another perspective, right, yeah, and the thing is that when you were saying that you need to know what you want, sometimes we don't know or we don't have an idea. So I would say, to find what brings you joy or happiness or whatever you want to put it, but you need to try to define first what that means to you, because maybe what brings you joy or you different? What brings me? So where do you feel the best at doing what? So I started exploring that, or when I said that, how I call it, when I said that my brain specs when I'm doing what activities and what's the intention of that activity?

Speaker 3 27:13

So I really pay attention, pay attention to that and paying attention to your emotions and your what you know, what you do, and then be intentional about what way you're going to go and remember there is always time for everything else, but we need to put ourselves first.

Speaker 2 27:32

It's something that I struggle a lot with I can mentoring her.

Speaker 1 27:39

Showing up for yourself.

Speaker 3 27:41

That I struggle with, because I want to take care of everybody.

Speaker 3 27:44

I think that's a common nature of all the time and I think it's very common for us women right, because of our family, because of we are providers, we do everything. Right, we have the car full of groceries, or you need to pick up the kid, or you need to go here, you need to go to an appointment, you need to do this, you need to work, you need to clean, you need to cook. None of that, I don't click it. Who said I don't clean, I don't cook?

Speaker 1 28:09

Yeah, I don't. There's lots of things to juggle for many of us not everyone but we all have different priorities, right?

Speaker 3 28:18

So just just learn what those are and what those mean to you and then just make a little bit of room for that and then give yourself the grace that you are making progress, because we're not perfect and will never be, but we can be as perfect as we can for what we have and who we are.

Speaker 1 28:35

It's a process. It's interesting, as you say, that I think back to the episodes we've done with companies and they say the exact same thing when they talk about belonging, diversity, inclusion. It's a process, right? Because sometimes we'll do really well. Sometimes we backtrack, sometimes we move forward. So I think that all of us, I think the important thing is to engage in the process, but then to give yourself grace, to stay in the process you have to keep momentum.

Speaker 2 29:02

It's so critical. There is a balance of not stopping when you get tired. You do have to slow down, but you can't stop. It's true. I think that's really important. A coach recently, a mentor actually recently taught me that through strength training, ironically yeah, don't stop, just keep the momentum.

Speaker 3 29:20

That's true. I was talking about somebody else about momentum a few days ago and I'm like I'm swamped, I'm doing this, but yeah, but this is the right moment to do it. This is like right now things are moving. Get take advantage of that you know, because then, if not, it's going to go to your drawer. And then there's another goal that was postponed, right, right.

Speaker 2 29:45

I think when you become so clear about your goals and you have something so tangible that's a goal or something to look forward to, it's easier to stay on the path of momentum when you have that built and into your framework Right. It's something to look forward to and it's something that's not negotiable, that's not not going to keep you stuck, that's true.

Speaker 3 30:07

But if you are not a structure or you don't have that, framework then you have to take care of that momentum and then take advantage of it, because it's now or never, because we're going to postpone it. My framework is a little bit more steady.

Speaker 1 30:19

You know, the whole conversation makes me think of work life harmony right, having that, and some days, work life harmony for me is working 12 hours, right, yeah, and I'm gone before my kids wake up and they're in bed by the time I get home. But some days I'm there with them, right, it's inflex all the time and I think I get gummed up sometimes when I think it should look a certain way and for some seasons it has looked a certain way. But I think the most important thing is just to know that life is inflex. So when you're in that moment or when that opportunity is before you like, grab it, yeah, and know that there'll be another season, do something differently.

Speaker 2 30:59

Yeah, you're absolutely right. That's such a gift Something I learned through the pandemic, like flexibility, yeah perfect. Right, we just have to be adaptable and flexible. Nothing is perfect Balance. I used to think you know we have to have this balance life, this balance topic.

Speaker 1 31:12

That's why we try and call it harmony. It's not balance.

Speaker 2 31:14

Yeah, yeah, because there are 12 hour days and there are, you know, days where you can relax a little bit more and take a breath and rejuvenate and fill your cup up differently. So it's not, it is harmony and finding what harmony means to you is important.

Speaker 3 31:27

Yeah, that's what I'm saying, like what that, joey, or that fulfillment means to you. Hey, if you thrive in chaos, be chaotic. Are you going to be chaotic all the time? I don't know. It works for you.

Speaker 2 31:39

I think that's not chaos, yeah, but yeah it is sustainable.

Speaker 3 31:43

But you know it's your purpose and it's what works for you. That harmony can look can look like a, you know, regular wave. But you mentioned opportunity. Yeah, and we have to be ready for that opportunity, because we all get opportunities, but it's what we do about it right and how we approach that opportunity, then, when we can, you know, maybe make a difference, or Make a difference even for your, for ourselves, you know, yeah.

Speaker 1 32:18

I think one thing you're talking about this whole conversation is why it's so important for companies to have flexibility In how women on board, how we off board, how we're retained, because there are different seasons of life and the things that we can do. I want to talk a little bit about barriers in your career and how you've overcome them. Like what are some Things as you've gone along and you're working in your joy and you're strategizing, and then you're like what, what is this? And Then how do you get?

Speaker 3 32:52

over those.

Speaker 1 32:53

Take a deep breath.

Speaker 3 32:57

I would say sometimes, resistance to change, okay, when you bring something different to the table, yeah, that Usually, in general, people are scared of, you know, like of the change of it feel a little unstable.

Speaker 3 33:11

Why, why is that? Well, why not? And then I had a friend that she will always say like I'm like, okay, where are we doing that, why not? And then I, she wouldn't say anything but it was all everything. Well, why not? So I'm like that's right, oh, why not? So that resistance to change is something. But I would say, like the, the, the number one thing to any barrier. And then remember that I told you what me and the going to school and then having all that was a big barrier.

Speaker 3 33:43

But or the language barrier or whatever very but believe it in yourself, believing that whatever you put your head into your mind, your intention, you can accomplish and if you cannot accomplish it at the level you want, you're gonna get there, and then you can get better, and then it's gonna get easier.

Speaker 1 34:00

So just keep out it. So I did momentum. Yeah, okay, yep, okay. What do you think, missy?

Speaker 2 34:06

How do I overcome barrier specifically, or how or what barriers exist? I think both are good questions, right yeah and Overcoming barriers is look different and different parts of my life and different times in my life and, I think, for me showing up for myself as something that I've learned over the years. I used to think self-care was getting a pedicure truly like in my 20s. Yeah self-care was like I got a pedicure. Today I'm really loving myself.

Speaker 2 34:33

Well, that's sometimes how it's told, right, that's what I thought it was until I got into my 30s and then I, you know, did a deep dive inside and you know, and then it got layered, like Shrek was not wrong about the onion thing, like right, and then it's like this, never Like it's like a whole journey, you know. So I think it's looked different for me over the years, but it's just being disciplined and I think the core values that keep me overcoming any barrier, right. It's curiosity for one, like foundationally for me I'm naturally curious, which I'm really grateful for, is just how can we overcome this, like, how do we overcome this obstacle? And there's a lot of issues that exist and in the world and here I mean that's just the reality of it.

Speaker 2 35:21

There's a lot of problems everywhere. I mean my child is going to Represent Sudan as a delegate. I mean there's a lot of problems in our world that are a lot of them are bigger than they are here. So we have an opportunity to fix some of that through curiosity. I think genuinely being open and willing to learn and listen to other people is how we're gonna overcome some of the challenges.

Speaker 2 35:44

Yeah, and I used to be pretty hardened, like if it wasn't, didn't look a certain way or this was a barrier, it would harden me and like I don't want anything to do with it. And now I feel like I embrace it so much differently, like I'm curious, how did it get to be like this? I'm curious about the history of it. I'm curious about the people, the systems and how do we overcome that? Because we do need to acknowledge that there are some systems and Some barriers for women in Utah that are absolutely unacceptable. It's the year 2024. Like we need to do better with closing the gender wage gap. We need to do better with you know I'm providing inclusive and diverse and, you know, equitable environments for women, specifically and women of color. Yeah, that's unacceptable to have, you know, a 70 cents on the dollar, you know, compared to our male counterparts, and even more so for women.

Speaker 2 36:35

I think those are things that we need to address and talk about and be open and willing and curious to learn, and I appreciate so much. I feel like there are so many men out there who really do want to learn, who are willing to learn and Advocate for what's right and want to do better. I feel like, generally, most people want to do better and I think curiosity helps us get there. And just listening to each other and really taking action. Right, you're like the momentum you said if you acknowledge that something isn't right, it doesn't make it bad or wrong. Yeah, can't bury you into a hole. It really has to have some compassion around it. Mm-hmm. And acknowledgement, yeah, that we can do better. So I think for me, it's momentum and compassion and curiosity, addressing some of these, you know, big topics that we're trying to tackle.

Speaker 1 37:23

Well, and one thing that you said I loved is you're like I wanted to represent me, like where are the people who look like me?

Speaker 3 37:29

Yeah, and I just wanted to say that I feel that. And then just talking about the diversity, and then In including more like every, like everything that it's out there, every type of yeah, mine, background, mindset, background, you know it's so important. But one barrier that I see, and then just just following up on what you're saying, you know, of course, talking about the gender gap and the pay gap, of course it's lower for women, we know, and it's even lower for women of color. Yes, so it is so frustrating.

Speaker 3 37:57

You know, and it's like you get like really like I'm doing even more than you or better, or you know, and this is what's happening, but it's through education and awareness and all that, but a barrier that I see. That actually even bothers me sometimes. That it's like and when you're saying that people are wanting people, organizations, leaders, they're wanting to be more flexible and no more. And yeah, we're so inclusive and so I Sometimes I find it a little bit of a disconnect and some other times a lot of a disconnect Mm-hmm, because we sometimes become a culture of repetition right.

Speaker 3 38:36

What's? What's what's trending right now?

Speaker 2 38:38

because now we're all talking about Connection trending or what's built, or what's been established that a hundred years ago that's so. Let's talk about a quote.

Speaker 3 38:47

We all good, we all love a good quote or a good initiative. So we are repeating that, we're saying that it sounds good, it looks good it's, the are we putting the action to actually represent what we're trying to portray. Yes, you know, also, sometimes I see organizations and even I work with different hiring managers and they really want to, and you see the intention, but no, the action. So me, that's what I would like to see.

Speaker 3 39:17

Yeah it's been pulling those things. And then let's call out in a good way, you know just let's give examples or solutions hey, this is how we can actually improve on this. Let's bring more people that think different, look different, act different, have different from a different generation, and then let's go to that. I'm gonna break this mic.

Speaker 2 39:39

And then let's go.

Speaker 3 39:40

Let's go to that Flexibility that you were also talking about. Yeah, because we are all different. We all harmonize in different ways and create and produce in different ways, so why not really embrace that?

Speaker 1 39:56

Yeah, diversity and the synergy of it yes and being as inclusive of as we say we are.

Speaker 1 40:03

That I really appreciate that you brought that up, because it is true, because with so, we have the elevator challenge that companies can sign up for, and Sometimes it's like a check the box did it, mm-hmm? Because every company gets to do it in their own way and where they're at, and some companies really run with it and not only like check the box, oh, but see the people and I think there's a big difference between those two, right Like seeing and hearing people and giving them opportunity and just saying, yeah, we did it.

Speaker 2 40:34

So why don't we give them a checklist on the checklist and they can use it throughout the year to check off how they're actually creating change in that space. Like I think if there was transparency into that and there was some Transparency is huge.

Speaker 3 40:49

Yeah, and leadership.

Speaker 1 40:50

Leadership and with Ken Garf, when the top leader brought on, the ripple effects of it were massive. Yeah, correct, but if you have, like, an HR manager who's really on board, but the top leadership or not, it gets a little trickier.

Speaker 2 41:04

Oh, I love that.

Speaker 1 41:05

So hence, leadership development right, not just for the women in our programs, but also for the CEOs and the C-suite.

Speaker 2 41:12

Right. Well, and this is I mean this is the bottom line is that when you develop individuals, we take that information and share it, then we that, then she's going to take that information and share it. It's really a domino effect and the organization benefits from that. Right, if the organization wants to do better, it's really an educational component from the bottom up, absolutely, and it really does make a huge impact in a company and how they show up for individuals and that's huge in attraction and it's huge in engagement and it's huge on the back and retention, and.

Speaker 2 41:44

And it costs a lot of money to replace employees. Yes, I mean, it really is. You can monetize it. You can put a pencil to it and say this is how much it costs me Developing people and making people feel like they have a space they can show up where they're at in their life in different seasons, and this changes for women a little bit more than it does for men, right? So how do we engage them? How do we keep them engaged? Women want to contribute and they are so capable of contributing in so many ways, but sometimes they also want to be a mom and you can do both. But what if we scale back on the hours for a couple of years and they still participate? I mean, I've done it and I still show up and was a high producer, and I think that there's various ways that we can make these environments so much more inclusive and better, right?

Speaker 3 42:31

What are the actions?

Speaker 1 42:31

Like you know it's accountability. That's a million dollar question.

Speaker 3 42:34

Accountability is huge for me. So, when you are talking, the talk but not doing the thing, the alignment of it, yes, yes, so you know it's pretty yeah, I hear you Well and it's also interesting from this perspective of WLNR programs.

Speaker 1 42:50

We'd like to include more diverse voices in our programming. It's like someone just said it's expanding the pool of where you find the people right, because if you go to the same places you'll find the same kind of people so you got to expand your pool of where you go and it's kind of deconstructing things a little bit, but that goes to curiosity, that goes to all those kind of things as well. So I love that we've touched on so many things right. It's like a minute.

Speaker 1 43:17

Yes, this was our five minute minute. Okay, that's like a whole other episode, yeah. But as we close, I always ask, like, what is Utah doing really well? Something they're doing really well, and what's something that they could improve on? I know we've talked about accountability a couple of different things. Is there anything else you can think of?

Speaker 2 43:37

I think Utah has a really great like lifestyle culture, right. The work-life balance, I think, is actually quite healthy here, compared to my son lives in Manhattan and it's grind, grind, grind, grind and we grind here too in a lot of ways, but our grind isn't so grindy when you compare it to a big study. But I do think we have that going for us. I do think there is a need for leaders to just do better for women, women of color. I think there's a need for just acknowledgement, right, just to acknowledge like we can do better, just to be curious about doing better. I think we need more male allies. I think we need more men helping us do some of this work and I'm super grateful for the men that we do have doing this work, but, like, where are all the men at? We need allies and advocates and sponsors and we really need people who encourage and light fires and help us, you know, in various pursuits with some of these bigger issues.

Speaker 1 44:38

Be sponsors too. Yeah, and they have a lot of love. Yeah, absolutely, and men care.

Speaker 2 44:43

They have daughters, they have wives, like here in this environment. When they get daughters, they have a tendency to care more. Yeah, so shout out to all the men who advocate and allies Well and in all honesty.

Speaker 1 44:52

that's one thing that I hope this podcast does is share the stories of the people who are such good allies to this work, because often they they aren't recognized. They're just behind the scenes doing the good work, but there is a lot of them out there. There are a lot of them.

Speaker 3 45:07

I also think it's important that for us, for us, for everybody fighting this fight and putting this out there, like the work that you're doing and the Women's Leadership Institute and all the work that you do, that more people back you guys up, back us up. That more people speak up, more women speak up, because we tend to do it in private and we are afraid of confrontation and we are afraid of oh, what am I? What are they going to say about me? Don't forget about that. They're not going to say anything.

Empowering Women Through Collaboration

Speaker 3 45:39

Let's, let's let's let the imposter syndrome go, because yeah, sometimes we are actually trying to make a difference and, like I said, I'm trying to make it easier for the ones behind me, yeah, but then when I'm trying to speak up and the ones behind me I'm still, they're still not speaking up, even though I'm saying, hey, we're here, this is for you. Yeah, we have to do this together.

Speaker 1 46:00

The momentum of our voices, you know, yeah, everything.

Speaker 3 46:04

So we have to do this together. So we also have to wake up a little bit, even if it's a little bit be a little bit more vocal or more intentional about what you're saying. Yeah, that little 1% to 2%, whatever that represents to you can make a difference, because now it's going to be your voice, your voice and my voice. So I think all of us supporting each other and even more women, supporting more women and instead of, like sometimes, criticizing each other right, it's been like, let's do it. How can I help?

Speaker 1 46:34

you, yes, get there. So I think everyone needs a five minute. Yes, everybody needs a five minute. I'm so glad that we're driving by, we're driving together

Speaker 3 46:44

right now because I have a few things.

Speaker 1 46:46

Yeah, well, I love this discussion and I love that you two are so different but such good friends. Yeah, that has been really amazing to watch and I commend you for that. And thank you for coming to our programs and sharing what you learned, not only with each other, but everyone else. Right, let's rally and get this ripple going so we can impact more and more people.

Speaker 2 47:07

We're here. Thank you for coming. We're here for you. Thank you, and we'll see you again.

Speaker 1 47:11

Thank you, Patty.

Speaker 3 47:12

You're welcome. Thanks, rosine, thank you, thank you.