For International Women’s Day, we asked some of our women leaders to share the life experiences that led them to become who they are today. We’re grateful for their willingness to share so openly and hope their candor inspires you, just as they inspire us. Catherine Stiver, Chief of Staff Tell us about the women (or a woman) who helped you in your journey.One of my first supervisors after graduating from college was the epitome of a servant leader. When I decided I wanted to get my MBA, I was worried about telling her because I’d be leaving the company to do so. Her letter of recommendation was a crucial piece of the application process. I will never forget the sincere joy and encouragement she showed when I finally mustered the courage to tell her. What factors impact a woman's ability to lead others?Along the way, you learn the type of leader you want to be and the type of leader you don’t. I think the strongest women leaders are smart, decisive, transparent, and compassionate. Trust is a huge factor influencing a team’s loyalty. What is the most significant barrier to female leadership, and how have you overcome it?For me, I think it was trusting my own voice. I often would hold back expressing my thoughts and opinions until a colleague said to me, “when you speak, people listen.” I realized the value my voice brought to the room and that quality matters over quantity. What advice would you give your 25-year-old self?You’ve got a plan and a path — go get it! There will be unexpected surprises and obstacles along the way, but just keep climbing. Meredith Jenkins, Sr. Vice President Marketing Accounts Tell us about the women (or a woman) who helped you in your journey.When I played soccer in the 1980s in Ohio, the leagues were gender-specific. I didn't like playing with the girls, because most of them didn’t seem as focused as I was. Further, I'm very competitive and never liked when it was assumed that boys could do something better than girls. I told my mom I wanted to play on the boys' team and she went to the league with my request, and they had me try out for the team. I was the first girl to play in the boys league and was the motivation for the co-ed teams for the youth program. My mom has always been my biggest cheerleader and probably my most constructive critic, too. That balance has motivated me throughout life. The women in my family are pretty hard-headed. I remind myself often that this will one day serve my daughter well. What factors impact a woman's ability to lead others? Equal treatment. Self-doubt. Proper support system. What is the most significant barrier to female leadership, and how have you overcome it? Being treated as an equal. Making sure my voice is heard and proving my strengths and value with my actions. What kinds of things have you done to develop your leadership skills? I think real-world, everyday experiences have helped me the most to organically develop, finesse, and improve my leadership skills. That also means finding and landing those opportunities to showcase and perfect those skills. I have also tried to surround myself with female mentors that I admire, learning by example, reading books around leadership, but more importantly (for me anyhow) is seeking out leadership content around the human and emotional aspects of leadership. I strive to discover people's strengths, motivations, etc., so I can help them successfully lead based on their strengths, not my strengths. What advice would you give your 25-year-old self? Don't stress so much. Trust your gut and enjoy the ride. Joellyn Detjen, Quality & Finance Director Tell us about the women (or a woman) who helped you in your journey.As I reflect on my life, there are women who pop up all along my path. My patient kindergarten teacher, my passionate dance instructor, my driven college roommate, my mom and sisters who give unconditional love (truly), my mama crew who listen . . . I am who I am because of their influence, time, and hearts. Unquestionably. What factors impact a woman's ability to lead others? Empathy, clarity, ideas, vulnerability. What is the most significant barrier to female leadership, and how have you overcome it? The biggest barrier is really pragmatic: children. I found really good caregivers, so I could continue to lead because I like working. What kinds of things have you done to develop your leadership skills?I looked inward and found fears that got in my way. One example, I fear looking unknowledgeable and inexperienced in front of others by saying something wrong. So my natural tendency is to not speak. In evaluating that fear I faced the consequences of saying something wrong — not getting the job, eroding my team's confidence in me, or losing a friend. But on the flip side, I can learn something new, be approachable and open a door for communication. I found that the risk of not speaking was greater than my fear. This helped me to voice my ideas and opinions. What advice would you give your 25-year-old self?Go to the party. Have the conversation. Walk through the door. It's not that serious. Ashly Myers, Vice President, Creative & Strategy Tell us about the women (or a woman) who helped you in your journey.There have been many women who have helped shape my journey. Growing up, my mom set a strong example with her work ethic, compassion, and care for others. My little sister taught me how to share and how to set a good example for someone else. I had several female sports coaches who taught me the value of determination, discipline, and practice when working toward a goal. Many of my favorite teachers (from elementary school through my MBA program) are smart, successful women who helped me identify and develop my own unique strengths. Professionally, I've been fortunate to work with some amazing women. Their support, encouragement, and trust have helped me find the confidence to tackle ambitious projects and develop my own leadership skills. I hope I can be as influential to the next generation of female leaders as my role models were to me. What factors impact a woman's ability to lead others?There are internal factors such as the desire and motivation to serve as a team or company leader. Leadership roles are challenging and often come with an expectation of being able to demonstrate good judgment and make decisions in the face of uncertainty. Being a leader (at any level) takes courage and confidence and a willingness to accept that you'll never have all the answers—and then moving forward anyway. There are also external factors such as company values centered around equity and representation, mentorship and sponsorship from higher-level executives, development and training, and merely being exposed to leadership opportunities. What is the most significant barrier to female leadership, and how have you overcome it?I think one of the biggest barriers is a fear of failure. As a girl, I learned that perfection was rewarded, so I got into the habit of striving for perfection in every aspect of my life. No surprise, perfection is an illusion, and trying to achieve it in the complex world of grown-up problems is not sustainable or healthy. I've had to unlearn a lot of lessons in order to continue advancing my career and leadership skills. Now, I celebrate progress, not perfection, which makes me a better leader (and a happier person). What kinds of things have you done to develop your leadership skills?I've done the standards: gone to business school for formal education in management and leadership; read countless books about leadership; sought out management roles to practice leading teams. But I think most of my leadership development has come through nontraditional channels: volunteering for projects I had no idea how to tackle at first and did the work to figure them out; immersing myself in early-stage startups where every day is sink-or-swim and taking ownership of outcomes is the only way to survive; pushing back against the status quo to create a more productive and fulfilling work and life schedule for myself. It's a process. I'm always learning. What advice would you give your 25-year-old self?Sleep more. Don't eat your feelings (literally or figuratively). And whatever you're putting off until "someday" — just do the damn thing already. (This is advice I'm still giving my 38-year-old self.) Suz Nelson, Vice President, Design Tell us about the women (or a woman) who helped you in your journey.I owe so much of my success to all the women I've worked with throughout my career, but above all, I owe a lot of that success to my mom. As a young girl and into adulthood, I watched her go back to work while juggling the responsibilities of taking care of her children, her elderly mother, and everyday stresses or responsibilities. I watched both of my parents work so hard, and it instilled a drive inside of me to make them, as well as myself, proud. As a new mom, I have an even better appreciation of the struggles of balancing career and parenthood. Another woman I've looked up to that has helped me in my journey was my dad's mom, Alta. She was born in 1914, had 9 children over the span of 20 years, and worked full time at the National Security Agency (NSA) at Fort Mead, Maryland. Even though the times were very different then, almost a century ago, I still think about how incredibly impressive she was. I am truly grateful for the strong, hard-working women I have in my family. What factors impact a woman's ability to lead others?Confidence and representation. From my own experience, I believe that confidence, or lack thereof, has a huge impact on our ability to lead. Representation is also so important. What is the most significant barrier to female leadership, and how have you overcome it?I believe the most significant barrier to female leadership is balancing and growing in your career while raising a family. I wish I could say I've overcome it, but I am currently in the middle of it all, trying to find the right balance. Typically, women tend to put their careers on the back burner to care for their families, and we've seen it spike even more during the pandemic. This has heightened the inequalities of women in the workplace and at home. I am grateful to have a partner that has a flexible job that can help share the responsibilities of caring for our child, which has helped tremendously. On a daily basis, though, I struggle with feeling like if you give 100% of your attention to your career, then you aren't giving enough to your child, and vice versa. It's a continuous feeling of guilt on both sides. What advice would you give your 25-year-old self?Don't be afraid to ask for help or to ask questions. Don't be scared to make mistakes, that's how you learn and grow. Connect and network with people even if you're too afraid to reach out, you never know where it will lead you. Women seeing other women in leadership roles and seeking out mentorship can positively impact their ability to lead others. If we see (and meet) more women in executive and C-suite roles, then we'll feel more confident in leading others ourselves.