International Women's day is a global celebration of the achievements of women. At Thistle, 5 out of 7 of our senior leaders are women! Read on as they share some words of encouragement, advice & general wisdom for all the ladies around the world.
What are some of the traits you admire/respect in your female mentors or peers?
I’ve never worked anywhere with such an incredible group of intelligent, gritty, humble, and resilient women who work collaboratively towards building the future they want to see - both in terms of our mission as a company and the culture within. I count myself lucky to get to work with and learn from these women each and every day.
Do you have a mantra you go back to when work/life gets spicy?
Always a student. Whenever things get difficult I try to remember to reframe the challenge as a learning opportunity. What could I have done differently in this situation? What can I learn from this person, even if I disagree with the perspective, tone, etc? Reframing conflict or challenges as just another chance to learn, grow, and improve helps me lose any agitation and focus on finding the best solution to the problem at hand.
What advice would you give to women as they step into leadership roles?
Be confident that you deserve to be where you are and that the qualities that your friends and family love in you are probably the same ones your professional network loves too, so be yourself! Also remember that there's always going to be something new to learn from every single person around you, and to put in the thoughtful, daily, intentional effort to be the leader YOU would want.
What’s been the most surprising or rewarding thing about being in leadership role?
Being able to pay forward some of the support and mentorship I've received from my previous managers (who have mostly been women) is really great. The strongest and most rewarding relationships in my life, both personally and professionally, have been with female friends and the women I work with, and it feels good to keep that chain going. We gotta lift each other up!
What are some of the traits you admire/respect in your female mentors or peers?
Somehow most of my mentors have been strong women. Overtime I have seen these women dedicate their time and effort completely to the process and not to the results. It is definitely important to identify the desired end results, but it is crucial to fully dedicate to the process and results will inevitably follow.
What advice would you give to women as they step into leadership roles?
Don’t be afraid to surround yourself with people smarter than you, remember it takes a strong team to be successful—appreciate everyone’s expertise. Have a sense of urgency and a sense of humor. Confront your problems head on and don’t get attached to any one of them, tackle them as they come and move on with a smile!
What’s been the most surprising or rewarding thing about being in leadership role?
I’ve learned that the best way to achieve your own success is to help those around you achieve it first. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a team member succeed!
Do you have a mantra you go back to when work/life gets spicy?
Yes, don’t sweat the small stuff! I try to take a step back and think about the things that will matter weeks, months, and even years from now. Gathering my thoughts in this way helps me to refocus and realign in order to move through life’s inevitable spicy moments.
What advice would you give to women as they step into leadership roles?
Be humble, proactive, persistent and always curious - push yourself get uncomfortable, demonstrate grit, and learn from those around you!
Do you have a mantra you go back to when work/life gets spicy?
If you aren’t an active participant in your own happiness at work, who’s going to do it for you?” I keep this on my desk so that when tricky situations come up and things start to bring me down, I am reminded that no one is responsible for making me, and those are me, happy than me! It’s a great reminder to pick myself back up, find the good in the situation I’m confronting, and get back to problem solving to get it done!
International Women's day is a global celebration of the achievements of women. At Thistle, 5 out of 7 of our senior leaders are women! Read on as they share some words of encouragement, advice & general wisdom for all the ladies around the world.
What are some of the traits you admire/respect in your female mentors or peers?
I’ve never worked anywhere with such an incredible group of intelligent, gritty, humble, and resilient women who work collaboratively towards building the future they want to see - both in terms of our mission as a company and the culture within. I count myself lucky to get to work with and learn from these women each and every day.
Do you have a mantra you go back to when work/life gets spicy?
Always a student. Whenever things get difficult I try to remember to reframe the challenge as a learning opportunity. What could I have done differently in this situation? What can I learn from this person, even if I disagree with the perspective, tone, etc? Reframing conflict or challenges as just another chance to learn, grow, and improve helps me lose any agitation and focus on finding the best solution to the problem at hand.
What advice would you give to women as they step into leadership roles?
Be confident that you deserve to be where you are and that the qualities that your friends and family love in you are probably the same ones your professional network loves too, so be yourself! Also remember that there's always going to be something new to learn from every single person around you, and to put in the thoughtful, daily, intentional effort to be the leader YOU would want.
What’s been the most surprising or rewarding thing about being in leadership role?
Being able to pay forward some of the support and mentorship I've received from my previous managers (who have mostly been women) is really great. The strongest and most rewarding relationships in my life, both personally and professionally, have been with female friends and the women I work with, and it feels good to keep that chain going. We gotta lift each other up!
What are some of the traits you admire/respect in your female mentors or peers?
Somehow most of my mentors have been strong women. Overtime I have seen these women dedicate their time and effort completely to the process and not to the results. It is definitely important to identify the desired end results, but it is crucial to fully dedicate to the process and results will inevitably follow.
What advice would you give to women as they step into leadership roles?
Don’t be afraid to surround yourself with people smarter than you, remember it takes a strong team to be successful—appreciate everyone’s expertise. Have a sense of urgency and a sense of humor. Confront your problems head on and don’t get attached to any one of them, tackle them as they come and move on with a smile!
What’s been the most surprising or rewarding thing about being in leadership role?
I’ve learned that the best way to achieve your own success is to help those around you achieve it first. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a team member succeed!
Do you have a mantra you go back to when work/life gets spicy?
Yes, don’t sweat the small stuff! I try to take a step back and think about the things that will matter weeks, months, and even years from now. Gathering my thoughts in this way helps me to refocus and realign in order to move through life’s inevitable spicy moments.
What advice would you give to women as they step into leadership roles?
Be humble, proactive, persistent and always curious - push yourself get uncomfortable, demonstrate grit, and learn from those around you!
Do you have a mantra you go back to when work/life gets spicy?
If you aren’t an active participant in your own happiness at work, who’s going to do it for you?” I keep this on my desk so that when tricky situations come up and things start to bring me down, I am reminded that no one is responsible for making me, and those are me, happy than me! It’s a great reminder to pick myself back up, find the good in the situation I’m confronting, and get back to problem solving to get it done!
