Robyn Cohen: Women's Advocacy Is More Than Just Raising Awareness

Robyn Cohen, Senior Vice President at Universal Media, embodies movement in every aspect of her life – from her global travels to her tireless advocacy for women in leadership. Her extraordinary journey began with a family business that pioneered shopping mall advertising over 40 years ago and continues today as she helps transform that legacy business for the digital age.

The conversation reveals how Cohen's nomadic spirit has shaped her unique approach to community building. Having lived everywhere from Toronto to Sao Paulo, she developed a remarkable talent for entering new environments and immediately creating meaningful connections. "I never feel alone because I build a network," she explains, offering listeners practical strategies for overcoming networking anxiety and making authentic connections even when attending events solo.

Cohen's advocacy work began during the early days of social media. As one of the first executive directors for Girls in Tech, she launched the Los Angeles chapter in 2008 and broadened the conversation beyond technology to examine how women were leading across all industries affected by the digital revolution. This wider lens allowed her to create more inclusive communities and spotlight diverse female talent.

What makes Cohen's perspective particularly valuable is her willingness to question conventional approaches to women's advancement. After years of organizing events and raising awareness, she reached a point of asking whether these efforts alone were making meaningful change. "Are we perpetuating the problem rather than actually making meaningful change?" Her evolution toward highlighting solutions rather than just problems offers a refreshing and constructive path forward for anyone feeling advocacy burnout.

The conversation takes unexpected turns – from Cohen's adventures living in an Airstream trailer (which she's driven 60,000 miles across 12 states) to her deeply thoughtful analysis of how companies can build better leadership pipelines for women. Her approach combines strategic business thinking with genuine passion for creating more inclusive workplaces.

Join us for this wide-ranging discussion that will inspire you to embrace movement in your own life, build stronger connections, and find more effective ways to advocate for positive change. Robyn's journey reminds us that leadership isn't just about professional titles – it's about showing up authentically and making an impact wherever you go.

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Transcript

Welcome to Robin Cohen's Story

Speaker 1 0:05

Welcome to the Elevate podcast . Well , linda Gates has said when women are in leadership , the whole world benefits . Today's conversation showcases the truth of that statement . Hello and welcome to another episode of Elevate , a Women's Leadership Institute podcast . We have the one , the only Robin Cohen with us today . She's been tricky to get , but I'm so excited about our conversation today . Thank you for being with us . Yeah , happy to be here . Robin is the Senior Vice President at Universal Media . This is a role she stepped into recently . Yep about a year ago .

Speaker 1 0:37

Yeah , I'd like to turn it to you to introduce us to that and what you do there and then also share like a personal tip . Okay , like I don't know , maybe you love karaoke , maybe I don't know what it is , but something personal , yeah .

Speaker 2 0:51

Yeah , so fun fact about universal media for those that don't know so , my father-in-law pioneered shopping mall advertising over 40 years ago . So when you go into a shopping mall and you see the directory and there's advertising on the other side . That's his invention , that's cool . Yeah , so um their first company . So it was my father-in-law .

Speaker 2 1:17

My mother-in-law and , you know , my husband was a whole family business but they had a team I want to save about 15 , 18 people and so they built up their first company to a portfolio of 450 malls across the country and sold it to clear channel in 1999 . Okay , so interesting partnership , yeah , yeah , well , and then it became clear channel malls . So they actually created a division , you know , based on what my family had built . Yeah , and so my father-in-law , you know , consulted for many years and then they actually moved here shortly after the sale . So they moved to Deer Valley and , like all good entrepreneurs , he's like poking around and just checking things out and , funny enough , someone from the Gateway .

Speaker 2 2:09

So good old Gateway reached out to him and they got back in the business , I want to say in about 2012 . And so now it's more of a boutique portfolio of shopping malls and unfortunately we lost my father-in-law to cancer a couple of years ago . So I've just been kind of looking at you know . You know , I mean I've been with my husband for 24 years , right , and he got back in the business , I want to say about maybe seven , eight years ago . So I've been watching things from afar , but not that far .

Speaker 1 2:42

Right .

Speaker 2 2:43

Yeah , and I just decided that it was time to jump in . You know , I've been watching it just really strategically grow and like what my husband specifically doing with it and so , yeah , so January of twenty twenty four , I jumped in Very good .

Speaker 2 3:03

And right now actually . So we still have a really strategic portfolio of malls in Salt Lake's our biggest market , but we're also in Boise , boston , miami and newly in Los Angeles and we're slowly growing . And then we are also moving from static to digital , as you know , when you drive up and down the I-15 , right ?

Speaker 2 3:29

You're like which billboard static and which is digital now , right , so we're , you know , and that's the same kind of across the industry , right Is this move into digital and and then introducing more programmatic along with , like , direct sales , all that kind of stuff . So it's been fun for me to be a part of it and now a part of the growth and kind of watching where the possibility of growth is , and so really , really exciting . So that's what I've been focused on for the last almost year and a half now . You know , along with you know other stuff on the side , and then always , you always have other stuff on the side .

Speaker 1 4:11

Yeah , you gotta have stuff on the side , I know Right .

Speaker 2 4:13

And I think that you have to have stuff on the side , whether it's like a hobby or even if it's a side hustle . I just think breaking from whatever that full time thing is is just good for your soul . So I always believe on having something on the side . Yeah , yeah . And so you asked me about a personal tip . Yeah , or a personal thing ? I mean I was thinking about this as I was saying . My answer Gosh , I don't know .

Speaker 2 4:42

I would say this I have always been an avid exerciser . Health and wellness is huge in my life . Yes , I lost my mom to cancer 21 years ago , so I was really young , and she was one of the first people that introduced me to like waking up early , going to the gym , and so the fact that someone like her would get cancer was kind of mind-blowing to me . You're like she did all the things ,

Universal Media and Family Business

Speaker 2 5:11

she did all the things and then cancer still took her life . So I think my personal tip is just take great care of yourself , like your mind , body and your soul , your spirit , whatever that looks like for someone . And you know I always talk about doing movement every day . So I don't say exercise . I love that , you know , because not everybody likes exercise or wants to .

Speaker 2 5:36

Sometimes it has a negative connotation . Totally does so I'm like movement every day . What does that look like to you ? Could be a walk right , it could be yoga , it could be whatever you want it to be . So that's my biggest thing is some form of movement every day .

Speaker 1 5:54

I love that that feels very true to who you are . Thank you for sharing that and it's really interesting . I love that you've had this position to kind of watch this business grow Right and say , huh , where's it going to go ? Yeah , I want to be a part of it . I have things to contribute to it . That's a really cool spot to be in , so I'm excited to watch how that grows .

Speaker 2 6:18

Yeah , thank you , yeah , yeah .

Speaker 1 6:20

Yeah , okay . So with movement you have been all over . You've been in many states , different countries , all kinds of different places , and last year you were voted as one of Utah Business's 30 women to watch . Yeah , and when they ask you what your most proud accomplishment was , you mentioned your work with women how , no matter where you are , that's something you always try and focus on . Tell me , like the impetus of that or why that's an important part of who you are .

Speaker 2 6:51

Yeah , yeah . So yes , I'm like speaking of movement .

Speaker 1 6:54

I've moved a lot , yeah , you have A lot .

Speaker 2 6:58

So , for those that don't know , I'm originally from Toronto , Canada , born and raised , and I went to university in Montreal . So I lived there for probably about a good four or five years so did you know university , but then continued to live there for a couple of years just to work and have fun and gosh . I'm like I've lived in Reno , nevada , you know , park City , sao Paulo , brazil , new York , los Angeles , spent a lot of time in San Francisco . So so , yeah , I laugh because I say like movement's important and . I've moved a lot .

Speaker 1 7:33

Quite literally , but what a great perspective right From all those different places .

Speaker 2 7:38

Yeah , and I think that it was . Maybe there's like a two-prong reason why . You know one , I'm a woman . I'm looking at the history of women right , where we've come from , where we're going in many different industries , and looking at what was happening in tech was one of the first things Right .

Speaker 1 8:03

Right .

Speaker 2 8:03

So I became involved with girls in tech when they were still based in San Francisco and I think , actually , like they recently just shut down , which was , you know , unfortunate to hear , but they really did make a massive impact . So when I was with them , I was one of the first executive directors and I think that we had grown to maybe a dozen chapters . The first year , year and a half , I launched the Los Angeles chapter , so this was December of 2008 . Okay , and really just like blazed a trail there in that city , for not just what was happening with women in technology , but but because we were on the precipice of so much change back then . Right , because LinkedIn had come on the scene , twitter had come on , facebook had just opened up . Right , so you didn't need a edu email anymore . Right , it was open to the public . The iPhone right was like , I mean , it was just a year after . Right .

Speaker 1 9:11

It seems like that was so long ago , but it really wasn't .

Speaker 2 9:14

It really wasn't 15 , 16 years ago , right A ?

Speaker 1 9:17

different thing .

Speaker 2 9:18

So I was like , okay , yes , there's women in technology and what's happening there , but then how is technology affecting every industry ? And so I would have monthly events where we would touch upon what is happening in public relations , like as it pertains to social media , and then who are the women at the forefront of that ? Right , looking at what was happening with , you know , let's say , the environmental , eco-friendly kind of space , right , how is technology affecting that ? Who are the women on the floor ? So I wanted to open it up much larger than just the lens on women in tech . And that was kind of the beginning . So , because of the success that I had there , okay , so because of the success that I had there , you know , and at the time it was kind of like wherever my husband's investors wanted us to be , you know , I had , you know , we went and then I would be like , okay , what's happening with women , you know , in this city , in this community ?

Speaker 2 10:22

And so that's why it was both . You know I'm a woman and and what am I highlight ? Just whether it was founders or executives , you know , in that space . So it was , it's always just been the thing that I do , you know . And and obviously when I moved here , um , I'm trying to think , when I first moved here , I got involved with women printers . For those of you that remember , um , shout out to Rose Maisner and Stephanie Stetler and they have . I'd say so , yeah , so that was like the first um , the first thing that I got involved in , because I was like , okay , well , what are they doing and what is happening here ?

Speaker 1 11:22

And then it just kind of grew from there , like okay , well , what are they doing and what is happening here , and then it just kind of grew from there . I can see that because , as you look at your career , you're always seem to be on the front edge of things , looking at the front , forecasting right , seeing what's going on . And then I also love the idea that you come into a community and say how can I give , what are they doing here and how can I amplify and help that ? Yeah , I think that's a really unique talent that is very admirable about you , because not everybody does that right . They come , they do their thing , but they don't necessarily give back to the community , so that's really cool .

Speaker 2 11:54

Well , and I've always looked at it as it's less about me and it's more about shining a spotlight on the women that you know I mean . Take here , for example W Collective has been through many iterations . I'm like pre-COVID , during COVID , post-covid , right and I want to say that even from the very beginning , it was like how can we create a hub where we're talking about all things women , right ? And so what I wanted to do was I wanted to create a platform where I was talking about everything that was happening here , right , in terms of women organizations , initiatives , events . You know who are the prominent women in this community , in every industry . You know what are they doing , how are they shaking stuff up . So we started as an online publication the W Collective , yes and then we moved into doing more events and then narrowing the focus down to entrepreneurship and women in VC . So we had a pretty good run there in terms of doing lots of events .

Speaker 2 13:11

But yeah , again it was like let me create an event around a topic and then it's not just about highlighting that topic , but who are the women and men ?

Speaker 2 13:24

as I might add right , because not many organizations do that , and I have touched upon this a lot right , I'm always like the change that we would like to make can't happen just by us alone , right , and then we can't complain about men having these exclusive clubs or you know , events or whatever that is , and then we go and do the same thing , yep , and it's been like that for a while , you know , yes , and I think that that has .

Speaker 2 14:01

We could probably do an entire podcast on what

Women's Advocacy Around the World

Speaker 2 14:05

that has done to DEI and various other things , but let's put that aside . So it wasn't just about obviously creating a platform for women , but also involving men , because , because they care and and they want to be a part of it , and so if I could invite them to be the moderator of an event or on the panel , so not only was that and yes , it was like a token man Ha ha , but the representation of that was important Mattered . The representation of that was important Mattered . And then in terms of who was attending the event , then they would invite their network and then you would have a blended audience . So it was always very intentional and strategic , very strategic .

Speaker 1 14:56

Sometimes , when people talk about events , they don't bring in strategy or like what do you want at the end and then work backwards . And I think that's just a missed opportunity , especially in this space , because , like as the Women's Leadership Institute , sometimes they see the word women's and they're like well , none of that is for me , I know .

Speaker 2 15:13

And gosh in our current environment right now , which you know is for some , is , you know , yeah , it's very tricky , and so just the mere word women , yeah , right now , yeah , it's , it's tough and it's unfortunate , right , it's unfortunate , yes , you know . But I think that if we just , you know , keep things as is , but maybe frame things differently , right ?

Speaker 1 15:38

Or just use different language . It's very much a marketing .

Speaker 2 15:41

Yes , yeah , you know we can . We can hold on to it , you know , and hopefully get back to a place where it matters . Yeah .

Speaker 1 15:52

Because , like you said , we really believe that when we have an event and just women show up , that's awesome , yeah , but also to move the needle , we definitely need the men involved , absolutely yeah , it's like a humanity piece , right ? Yes , not so much a gender piece , exactly , that's right , yeah . Okay , that leads us right into the power of events . Okay , you've planned a lot of events . You're very strategic about it , which I love . You've also got the Media Dinner Club , which you've started , right , yeah , um , why is gathering vital in your experience ?

Speaker 2 16:28

Yeah , so I would say so one . I've been doing events in every single city I've ever lived in I would say that the only maybe two cities . So Toronto is my hometown . I have yet to do an event there . Montreal , where I went to university I've yet to do an event there .

Speaker 1 16:53

I've done different events there . Is that because you want to keep that or just wasn't the time ?

Speaker 2 16:58

It was just that when I finally got into more advocacy type of work it was in Los Angeles , and so it was , you know , toronto , montreal , new York , then Los Angeles . So that's when I really kind of took off in the event space , so the cities that you know I lived in before . I haven't had an opportunity yet to do something there , you know , but I'm sure eventually I will Right right . So it's been a long time about 15 , 16 years of doing this and I have it like down pat , depending upon the type of event , how small , how large I kind of have like my template type of event , how small , how large , I kind of have like my template .

Speaker 2 17:47

And so just to give me a bit of background with the Media Dinner Club . So now that I'm in media , you know , advertising one of my newest connections on LinkedIn , I noticed that she had started a chapter in her city . So I reached out and I was like tell me more about this . And I thought , wow , what a great way to do something that brings together what I love Women , events , gathering , networking all that fun stuff , all of them .

Speaker 2 18:20

But in my new industry , you know , and and the other thing too is I thought like wow , because we do so much here around , as you know startups and entrepreneurship and tech and we don't do a lot of things in other industries . So I thought wow , like what a great way to gather women that are in marketing and PR , branding , journalism , right Just a lot of different industries that sometimes are left out , you know . And so I was really excited to be able to bring the Media Dinner Club here and so I'm the chapter lead and it's for Salt Lake City and Park City , because I live in Heber , so it's like I can kind of go back and forth right between the two .

Speaker 2 19:12

And with that said , you know , I think that with events and I've pulled back tremendously on doing events over the last couple of years for a myriad of reasons I still think events are very important . I think it's great from a marketing standpoint , a lead gen standpoint . You know there's a lot of great use cases right around events . Obviously , events have evolved , you know , in our post-COVID world .

Speaker 2 19:48

And again , like , there are still online events and there are offline events , but I think that the way that people are gathering now is just a little bit different . It is , I think it's more intentional . I think that and again , when we look at events , you know we as humans naturally love to gather , right ? Sure , I don't care if you're an introvert or an extrovert , it's true .

Speaker 1 20:21

Like it's statistically I literally had this conversation the other , it's statistically conversation .

Speaker 2 20:23

Yeah , it's statistically true , right Like we are meant to .

Speaker 2 20:26

Yeah , and so with events , right , it's about gathering , it's about human connection , it's about networking , right , you know , building your network , and I think that it has a massive purpose . It has done wonders for me and I think that's why , when I saw the success of what I built with Girls in Tech in Los Angeles , I was like , wow , you know , it just helped me to connect with new skills , right , and just learn more about myself and what I was able to do . Absolutely right , and just learn more about myself and what I was able to do . Yeah , absolutely . And then , because I moved so much , it was a great way to get involved with the community .

Speaker 2 21:10

Yes , right to bring people together to meet people , yeah , right , and so I . This might sound strange , but wherever I've ever lived like I never feel alone , because right or bored , or you know , because there's always something , because I build a network and , and I think for women especially , I think it's , I think it's easier for men not all men , sure , and you could say there are the personalities , where we're looking at the introvert versus the extrovert , but if I am going to zero in on women , I think we're much more hesitant to put ourselves out there . So I've never been afraid of finding like an event and just going by myself .

Speaker 1 21:58

And that would scare some women A lot . They wouldn't do it . Yes , and I think that . So what's your tip ? When you walk in the room and you know no one , do you like take a moment in the bathroom , you're like I got this , I can do this . Like , what is the tip for that ? Really , just cold moment .

Speaker 2 22:13

So when I'm researching events , obviously you know when I've moved , right , it's like wherever I've ever lived . Yeah , obviously , when I've moved , it's like wherever I've ever lived . But even if I'm traveling . So I'll look up an event , I will look up where it's happening , the topic , the people that are going to be speaking . So I really want to understand all the key points of the event . Sure , I definitely prefer an event where , when you arrive , that the panel is happening soon .

Speaker 1 22:47

Yes , I hate it when they say it starts at six but really it's seven and you're like when is this going to happen ?

Speaker 2 22:53

Yeah , so I like it where it's maybe about a half an hour buffer in terms of people arriving , checking in . You know sitting down , Because then when the event happens , you know obviously it's great content , right . So like I'm absorbing great content , but then I'm looking around the room For who you want to connect with To who I want to connect with , because you've done your research before , yes , so I just get that , so give me your pitch .

Speaker 1 23:19

You go up , you walk up to them and say and I'm sure this is different depending on whatever but what's your ? So I teach a class of seniors who are graduating college . Yeah , and it's all about the elevator pitch right now . So I'd love you to share , like what are some pitches that you found work ?

Speaker 2 23:34

well , okay , so the first thing that I do is when the panel wraps , I want to go meet one of the panelists . Why ? Because when you're standing waiting to meet that panel , because usually there'll be a gathering of people right , then you can meet people as you're waiting .

Speaker 1 23:54

Right , and there's a purpose in your waiting .

Speaker 2 23:56

Yes , yeah , you know , so I can be like hi , you know I'll be like hey , what did you think of the panel ? What did you think of the topic ?

Speaker 1 24:06

Really easy topic . What was a key takeaway ? Yeah , okay .

Speaker 2 24:09

Then I get to meet hopefully I get to meet the panelist , yeah , and then from there , right when you turn back around , there's still people waiting to meet them . So you can continue to kind of hang out there and meet people , right them . So you can continue to kind of hang out there and meet people , right . Or I'll find little flocks of people . So if there's like I love that you call them a little flock , so it has to be at least two to three people or more , right , but two to three people , like , is a good number .

Speaker 1 24:40

And I honestly just insert myself .

Speaker 2 24:41

I will not say anything , because if they're already talking , I don't want to be rude Right . Right . So I let you know , let them continue the conversation , right , and naturally they'll be like well , hi , who are you ? So you don't even have to wait , they'll make the invitation , you know . So those are kind of my tips .

Speaker 2 25:00

Yeah , those are great tips and I really always encourage women like , especially for business events , don't be afraid and don't be shy . You honestly don't know who you're going to meet for whatever reason . Because I've worked so hard on building my network , that's helped me with jobs . It's helped me with . If it's sponsorships you know for events , yeah , it's helped me with jobs . It's helped me with . If it's sponsorships you know for events , it's helped me with sales . It's helped me with other events . It's helped me . Maybe I want them for a panel that .

Speaker 1 25:32

I'm putting right there's so many different reasons .

Speaker 2 25:35

But , yes , I encourage women Don't be shy . Get the babysitter If you can . I am not a mom but I know it's a big deal . Get right , ask the husband to . Hey , you know , come home right Whatever you got to do , but if it's an event that you think is really interesting , is going to be valuable for you , go to it .

Speaker 1 25:59

I love that , and I love also that you're like here's some tips . It's going to be okay , right ? No one is going to know if you went in there and it didn't turn out like you thought it would . Yeah , but one thing that we say in the office all the time is you have to show up . Just in showing up , that matters , because you don't know who you're going to sit next to . But if you don't ever show up , you don't get to grow in that way , exactly who you're going to sit next to , but if you don't ever show up , you don't get to grow in that way , exactly . So that's a great tip , okay .

Speaker 1 26:25

So one thing that I really appreciate about you is your honesty , in a state that can be a little passive , aggressive . Yes , because we want to be kind , many of us , and sometimes we feel like being direct is not kind , which is , I don't believe , right , that's an important thing to understand and the dynamic here , yep , so I just you mentioned on International Women's Day just a couple of weeks ago . You're like I am done talking about this , like , yeah , people , and then you're like , no , I can't be done . And you listed all of these statistics . Yes , right , that are still like there's still more work to do .

Speaker 2 27:03

Yes .

Speaker 1 27:04

So one thing that has been interesting as I've started to talking to people is burnout on people who are advancing social causes . Right , not just women , but all kinds of social causes . Yes , and when do you know when it's enough ? When do you do we really have to give our help in order to advance these causes Like ? I just love your perspective on that . When is enough enough ? Do you tap someone on the shoulder and say , hey , I got to tap out for a while . Right , will you do this ? What does that look like from ?

Speaker 2 27:31

your perspective ? Yeah Well , as someone who has been doing it for a really long time .

Speaker 2 27:37

Yeah , and I've probably , honestly , have hit the wall at least half a dozen times . Yeah , because I get real frustrated . That's one of the reasons why I pulled back on events . I thought to myself you know , it's just not enough anymore to only bring awareness to it . You just feel like you're banging your head against the wall .

Speaker 2 28:07

And you know , even today on LinkedIn , right , yesterday was equal payday . So I said yesterday was equal payday and I decided I'm not writing about it . Because why ? So that I can vent and complain for year number 10 on like for what ? Right , and I wish I could do more ? Right , like I wish there was something that I could do to make change , which is why you get into advocacy .

Speaker 2 28:36

Right , because you hope that you can be a change maker . That's right . Right , and not to , you know , not to say that I haven't made change or

The Power of Events and Networking

Speaker 2 28:50

that I haven't made an impact . You know , I know I have . Yeah , just doesn't seem like enough , especially in this state , and I think being honest and direct about it matters . I don't think that you need to be disrespectful no , you know or rude yeah , I still think that you can be respectful , diplomatic and graceful about it , while being like a strong voice about it or while calling out like the glaring issues . You know , I think that you can , but last year , so last year , I did make a real strong stance and I was like I'm done . I read a piece where this woman said enough with these breakfasts and these lunches and these happy hours , and you know , and which . At one point I'm like yeah , I totally get that .

Speaker 1 29:49

It really resonated with me .

Speaker 2 29:52

And it made me feel like am I a part of the solution or am I part of the problem ? That's a good question to ask , because if we're only ever bringing awareness to it , yeah , and how do you measure awareness ?

Speaker 1 30:08

really An education ? Well , that too , right .

Speaker 2 30:11

But then I'm bringing awareness to a problem . So then I feel like , are we then perpetuating the problem rather than actually making meaningful change ? And I honestly I will call this out to like everyone out there I think it's something for all of us to think about , right ? And so I've kind of pulled back and I will still use LinkedIn , you know , instagram , my other platforms , because , if I can maybe talk about it in a different way , that's less about focusing on the problem and maybe focusing on the solution , like , for example , all of the rolling back of DEI , which is painful , very painful .

Speaker 2 31:00

But I was like , who are the companies that are holding on tight ? And they're saying , no , we are going to continue to commit , yeah . So I was like , great , let's talk about those companies , rather than highlighting what you want yeah , rather than , rather than highlighting the companies that are rolling back on it yeah , right . So I'm trying to be more aware of okay , how can I maybe talk about this in who is making the change or who's part of the change , or which companies are . So that's what I'm trying to look at a little bit more closely , rather than only just bringing awareness to the problem . Yeah , on a regular basis .

Speaker 1 31:44

Because I think we're at . I mean , we were founded 10 years ago , yes , very different than where we are now . Oh yeah , still work to do , but just very different , yes , and I think awareness has grown a lot .

Speaker 2 31:55

It's not like people don't know that this is a thing .

Speaker 1 31:58

So I love that you said that , and it reminded me of Corrine Clark when she was here . Okay , and the Women's Leadership Institute has a gender lens , like that's part of our mission . Yes , but when I ask her something I can't remember the exact question , but adjacent to that she's like I don't have time to think about that . Right , I'm going to go in and I'm going to get it done and I'm going to get to the solution Yep , and if that comes up then I'll address it . But that's not ever what I lead with Yep , and I've thought about that for a long time because , just to your point , am I perpetuating the problem ? Yes , or even if I'm not perpetuating the problem , how do I amplify all the people who are doing actual work that is impactful in this space ?

Speaker 1 32:41

Yeah , yeah , that's the position , because a lot of times , especially I've seen in this state . People are doing amazing work , but they don't always toot their own horn , so you might not know about it .

Speaker 2 32:52

Yes , well , and then also in terms of events , right . So the other reason why I pulled back and don't get me wrong it was always about and especially because I became much more focused on women founders and women in venture capital .

Speaker 2 33:08

So I wanted to raise awareness of who are the women in this state that are building businesses , who are the key women in angel investment , right , venture capital and private equity . So that was that lens , and I felt like that had more meaning to it . But I was being much more mindful of , you know , because I don't like and I say this , you know with like a little bit of trepidation , but but I've also just been more mindful of more of those token style events , you know , which . Again , you know , I recently walked away from an event that was very near and dear to my heart , you know , and and for many , many reasons like there's a laundry list of reasons why but I felt like , once again , not enough was happening , right ? So it's like I want to go beyond just raising awareness and I want to go beyond just like , well , here here we're highlighting these women , but like is this ?

Speaker 1 34:23

making meaningful change , right , yeah , what's the connection ? That strategy piece that goes along with it ? Yes , um , it's interesting . So we have a thousand alumni throughout the state Congratulations as well as elevator challenge companies who , many of them , are actually doing the work . It's messy and different divisions do it better than others , but there are people doing the work and I had a representative contact me from media and say who are these people ? Because we always go to the same women , which is awesome , but there's not even a database in our state of people in the media who could be like hey , you know , this person is in biomedical Right and they are an expert in their field , right , right . So the idea of collecting that so you can see the people who are making a difference , you can see how ?

Speaker 1 35:15

they're making a difference . Yes , I thought that was really interesting . I mean , someday I'd like to create that , yeah , when I get the bandwidth , but I think it's an interesting piece .

Speaker 2 35:25

Yeah , and I agree with that that .

Speaker 2 35:27

I've been asked that a lot you know , um , when we first started W Collective , um , it was a mix of interviews , um on women founders and executives , um profiles on all the different organizations and initiatives , and then highlighting events that were just beneficial for women , and at the time I was like someone was like , hey , why don't you , kind of like , create this database ?

Speaker 2 35:56

And I didn't . Then , when it came to the focus on founders and VCs , oh , I had so many people say like you've got to create a database . I will say that I did start a Slack channel , so W Collective has a Slack channel . There's a hundred members on there , which is pretty good , but again , you know , life and stuff gets in the way . It's not as active as it was , you know , when we first kicked it off . I'd love to be able to do something with it where , you know , maybe it's not necessarily like a database , but it's just this online gathering place for founders , you know , for venture capitalists , you know that , for events , right to promote events , so , so we'll see , but yeah , yeah , yeah , I hear you , something that's needed .

Speaker 1 36:50

I love giving women and and even men right A space to claim their expertise and how they're working through this Exactly , and they don't always get that opportunity , yeah , yeah , okay . So I want to talk about your mentors , because we know , statistically , women who have solid mentors or allies , especially early in their career , their career explodes faster than people who don't . Yeah , so who are your mentors ? It can be personal , it could be professional .

Speaker 2 37:24

Who's someone who really made an impact . Well , what's interesting is my . So , throughout my whole professional life , I have felt that I actually haven't had a lot of cheerleaders , haven't had a lot of mentors , cheerleaders haven't had a lot of mentors . So I kind of had to look within myself , um , as well as just get inspiration from women that are doing the thing , um , to follow in their footsteps . You know , so , um , I mean In terms of , like , strength and perseverance and confidence and all of that . I definitely did get that from my late mother . Um , I would say that , throughout the years , just because I've been in the advocacy space in so many different cities , so it's really just the women that I've invited to my events and to hear from them that they've been very inspirational to me .

Speaker 2 38:27

Um , and honestly , you know these are like bigger names , you know , and that they're really well known , but there's something to be said about their story . You know , oprah's story is remarkable , right . So it's so . She's it's almost like a mentor from afar , if you will , because she's so inspiration . I mean she's 70 . Right , like , look at her and what she's doing , you know , I mean she's really remarkable , right . Sarah Blakely I mean her story is incredible , yeah , taking 5,000 bucks right Selling fax machines door to door . What I didn't know . That Okay , oh yeah , and then started Spanx . That's a tedious job .

Speaker 2 39:11

Oh my can you imagine , no , and what she was able to build . And then how long Spanx was private , right , before she ever sold it . Yeah , I mean , it's just remarkable , right ? I mean , even more recently , poppy are you familiar with ? The poppy beverage sold , right , so you want to talk about another story ? Yeah , so , and again , um , unless you follow someone's story , right , you think that they go from like zero to 60 , right , so they go from like we started this company and sold it for two billion .

Speaker 1 39:46

No right .

Speaker 2 39:48

So her and her husband , okay , right , they . So she had some health issues , right , and started um the beverage . But it was called mother beverage at the very beginning . It was in glass bottles and it was the same concept , right ? So just like a dash of apple cider vinegar , you know , like sparkling water , and then some kind of like infused you know fruit or whatnot . Right , they were on Shark Tank . She was , I think , nine months pregnant , which is awesome in itself . So if you haven't seen it look it up , yeah .

Speaker 2 40:25

So and then when you follow , you know her journey . I mean it's really remarkable , right , because she's grown this company Allison forget her last name just slipped my mind right , but has grown this now almost $2 billion company right While building a family . So for anyone out there that carries on about women building businesses and family and whatnot , she is now become more of a pinnacle example of what is possible Right , and there's other nuances there . So so I I I can't say that I've had um a really like close mentor . You know , in my life Um I've just followed women so closely and um read their stories and keep up with their stories and that's kind of been my constant and consistent inspiration to keep going .

Speaker 1 41:26

I think there's a lot of value in that , right Like being able to see how someone does it , because my guess is the traditional way of being a mom might not look that way when you're building a business , right ? Yeah , that doesn't mean it's any less Exactly , and so giving ourselves the flexibility to do do it however we do it .

Speaker 2 41:47

Yeah , I think there's a lot of power in that and watch other people do that and learn from them yeah , absolutely yeah , okay , so , um , I want to ask about your airstream .

Speaker 1 41:58

Yes , I love this right it feels so free , like aligned to who you are . What ? How did that happen ? Is it just from the movement ? Are we continuing ?

Speaker 2 42:06

I know Right Movement's a big theme in my life , my goodness , so I think back to it was . Well , I'll say this

Advocacy Burnout and Meaningful Change

Speaker 2 42:17

I was a camper when I was very young , right , but it was more of those like traditional . You know , you go to go away to camp and it's a cabin , right .

Speaker 2 42:26

So it was like your closest thing to camping , but I always loved it . It was very adventurous to me and I also love travel . Travel's big in my life , and so it was probably 2015 . So it was a year after we moved here , and you know . And then , of course , like you , just see where people are going on Instagram , right ?

Speaker 1 42:48

And you're like why am I not there ?

Speaker 2 42:50

Yeah , exactly , and , as you know , the Intermountain West has some of the most spectacular landscape , not just in this country but in the world . So we started tent camping , but in the world . So we started tent camping . So we did probably a good gosh . Let me think now , four years of tent camping , yes , so glamorous . Robin is also , I think , like a hippie . You know , by nature I have like two personas . I have like my hippie , you're hearing , like you know , like my , you know bougie . You know hearing like you know my , you know bougie . You know like executive woman self , right , that probably keeps you very grounded . Yeah , yeah , yeah . And so , um , when we went camping , yeah , you know , when you're tent camping , I mean you can only kind of like be off grid for so many days when , like , you need a shower , right , right please yeah so when we went to the rv parks , you know , I just started to get really curious about all these different trailers , right ?

Speaker 2 43:52

so I'm like , okay , what are all these different trailers ?

Speaker 2 43:54

right , you start learning about class a's and sprinter , vans and classy right , all of that jargon yeah and then , you know , came across an Airstream and , honestly , you know , I think that maybe like in marketing or like online somewhere , like I've seen them , but not thinking too much about that , right , right , yeah , until I was up close and personal and and I'm camping in a tent , right , so I just was like huh I feel pretty good about this . So , um , it was so we had started going to the airstream dealership here on a pretty regular basis because we just wanted to understand , like , all their different models again .

Speaker 2 44:37

No , they really . I think that was I like when we would walk in . They'd be like oh my gosh , they're again .

Speaker 1 44:42

But at least you know what you wanted , right , that process is important .

Speaker 2 44:45

Yeah , Like , we narrowed it down to Airstreams pretty quickly , one of the most iconic brands out there period in any industry , right , fun fact for those that don't know , so Airstreams has been around , I want to say , at least from around maybe the 40s-ish and almost 70 of all airstreams that have ever been built are still on the road . Think about that . It's remarkable , wow . So that's also a testament to the craftsmanship right , to just how well they're built . So we narrowed down to airstream pretty quickly , right , pandemic hits . Right . Then we're like shut off from the world . But I , we were like , well , what , what better thing can you do right now ? But to camp , to go out ? Yeah , right , and we would gather friends and be like , hey , let's right , because you could just be outdoors and still connecting with people .

Speaker 1 45:42

Right , and being safe , you know .

Speaker 2 45:46

And so let me think it was July of 2020 when we bought our Airstream , october of 2020 when we picked it up . Our first trip was to Zion National Park , just to kind of , you know , drive it and then because and my husband had backed this up you know I'm very adventurous and completely fearless . So , okay , our second trip out ever with the airstream . We did a cross-country trip from salt lake to miami . How fun it was . It still to this day , one of our most enjoyable trips .

Speaker 2 46:25

So it's the heart of the pandemic . It's december 2020 , january of 2021 , okay , and may I say it was very interesting , when you were going from , like , blue states to red states , what was happening with covid . It was fascinating I'll tell you this florida was having a good time because everyone was outside . You know , it's warm outside and whatnot .

Speaker 2 46:47

But yeah , we did kind of what I call a kamikaze trip . So we drove six to eight hours every single day to get across the country and then we were in Florida for about a week and then same thing on the way back , so it was a three-week trip total absolutely incredible . Got to know our airstream real well great it's . To me it's still the best way to see this country is road tripping under percent because you could stop in , like the local gas station .

Speaker 1 47:17

Yeah like , oh , what do they sell there ? Oh yeah , people like I love that part , oh yeah .

Speaker 2 47:22

so it's like if you love road tripping but you're maybe you don't want to , you know buy like a whole rig or whatnot , so you can rent one or whatever that looks like , but it really is the best way to see the city . So to this day now , I think we've done almost like 60,000 miles . We've gone to 12 states . We even lived in it for a couple of years straight , which was fun and crazy all at the same time . Um , and now with the business , so with our media business , yeah , great way to not only like scope out new properties right , um , to even like . We just did an installation in Los Angeles . Guess what ? We didn't have to stay at a hotel , we didn't have to rent an Airbnb .

Speaker 1 48:09

I love this mixing of like it's great passion and what you love , along with your business .

Speaker 2 48:14

It's great . So it's like mobile home office hotel .

Speaker 1 48:17

Yeah .

Speaker 2 48:18

So so we didn't think that far ahead with it , right . It just happened to be like oh wow , great way , as we've been kind of building different partnerships and relationships , right . They're like well , hey , why don't you come out and see our property ? We're like sure .

Speaker 1 48:40

And we'll stay for a couple of days . And we'll stay for a couple of days . You just make friends across the country wherever you go . Maybe we'll do an event , Maybe we'll stay for a couple of days and we'll stay for a couple of days . You just make friends across the country wherever you go . Maybe we'll do an event , Maybe we'll do this .

Speaker 2 48:48

Yes , that's exactly right .

Speaker 1 48:49

Yeah , very cool , very cool . Well , I love that you are you , thank you . That is so powerful as we wrap up to our demographic between , like , the gender lens on the modern workplace and especially leadership . Yeah , how would you say we make that change , that lever , to say things actually are progressing . What can we each do ?

Speaker 2 49:15

So you're thinking about , like , when we're talking about leadership in general , but leadership as it pertains to women . Women are just organizations ?

Speaker 1 49:24

right , embracing retention , what is good for people ? Yeah , not just women , but everyone . Right , right .

Speaker 2 49:30

So I think a couple of things come to mind . Okay , one is , I think what we have not done very well and this is everywhere is just created a solid pipeline , you know , to evolve in your professional sphere . I can see that and obviously , when we look at the numbers

Airstream Adventures and Leadership Insights

Speaker 2 49:54

in terms of women representation , right , whether if it's like C-level executives , board of directors , that kind of thing , right , I think that there is something to be said about obviously looking within , right , so looking at your base of employees and what are like the programs and whatnot that you can build and create to create that internal pipeline , but obviously being mindful of what that looks like to also recruit from the outside right .

Speaker 2 50:26

I mean , it's a mix of both and , gosh , you guys know that better than anyone else . So creating that pipeline , I think , is like massively important , right . I think there's something to be said I'm going to throw this out there , I've said it before but there's the pipeline like within an organization , but then there's also the pipeline when we're looking at younger women , right . So if we're looking at the high school , college age , women , right , like , for example , women who succeed , I think that they do a great job of kind of like bridging that together , right , that whole mentorship and whatnot , you know . So I think there's something to be said about corporations and businesses taking a more active role . If you can , you get involved with you know , maybe it's like a summer internship , you know . I mean , I think there's a lot that we can do where we're giving those experiences to women at a younger age , right , and then maybe even identifying talent , then , right . And then it's like how can we mentor that so that when they graduate we hire them ?

Speaker 2 51:50

I think there's something to be said about that .

Speaker 1 51:53

Especially in . I feel like the workplace is evolving quite fast right now generationally , with AI technology , all the things and so to identify talent , support them and then bring them into your organization , I think is a really wise strategy .

Speaker 2 52:11

Yeah . And then it's also like you know , a lot of corporations and businesses do lunch and learn yeah . Why don't we do that in universities and high schools , where ?

Speaker 1 52:22

you know , corporate what's the return on investment ? Yes , but corporate what's ?

Speaker 2 52:26

the return on investment , yes , but Absolutely Right , because it's almost like we always say , like you can't be what you can't see 100% . So if corporations and businesses took a more active role , then I feel like then we're inspiring the younger generation to maybe tap into what they want earlier so there's . So there's the internal , but then there's the generational . I can see that , and that to me , I think , is honestly an untapped market , quite frankly . So I don't know who's gonna come up with that you have any ideas .

Speaker 2 53:04

Yeah , yeah , so those are two things that I think about , and then also , I just think it's about how do we continue to educate people in general ? Yeah , all ages , all genders , right on the importance of you know , why do we want to fill these roles with ?

Speaker 1 53:27

absolutely right , like it's really based in good data .

Speaker 2 53:31

Yes , not just because we think you should be nice , I'm like , contrary to what's going on right now and I know that di has just I I mean , it's honestly mind-blowing to me that we're even here with such a backlash against it .

Speaker 1 53:51

Hence the burnout right Like wow .

Speaker 2 53:53

But whatever you want to call it , yeah , data , facts , stats , data I mean it is out there right will show that your team , you as a leader , right your company will ultimately be more successful , more profit like so you take the political rhetoric out of it .

Speaker 1 54:17

Yeah , this is a good business strategy to have diversity of thought , diversity of product right , all those yeah , and wouldn't you .

Speaker 2 54:24

And maybe it's because I've traveled so much , so maybe my experiences are different , you know , than someone else . But yeah you know , when you've lived in brazil , all right , like when you've lived in all these different places , you realize the power of just the world that we live in , with all the different beautiful people and genders and backgrounds and ethnicities and experiences and skill . So you want it all right . And let's not forget age , because that's a part of it as well , you know so .

Speaker 2 55:01

So to me , we might be going through this backlash and maybe it will evolve to something better , right ? Sometimes you have to like pull back to move forward , I think . What company was it ? One company is changing from DEI to DOI , so it's diversity , opportunity and inclusion and I'm like great , if you want to rebrand , go for it , yeah , but if that allows you to continue to like work within those parameters and knowing the benefits of it , great .

Speaker 1 55:39

Yeah , yeah , very good . Thank you so much for taking your time for speaking , my pleasure .

Speaker 2 55:43

Good luck on all your upcoming good .

Speaker 1 55:44

Thank you so much for taking your time for speaking . My pleasure . Good luck on all your upcoming things . Thank you , and we'll catch up with you later . Absolutely .