"I am not a parent, but I have many friends who are parents or single parents. I cannot imagine the challenges they face every day or the difficult decisions that must be made in balancing family and work. While not every woman is a parent, women who choose to be a parent do have additional responsibilities just strictly because of biology. I read a post on LinkedIn several years back that resonated with me. I cannot recall the author’s name, but the topic stuck. While we strive for work-life balance, and as companies try to offer work-life balance, it is still a challenge for many. The author talked about work-life integration instead of work-life balance. In this regard, it identified that all our needs are different. Parents may need to leave early to get kids off the bus or to take the kids to soccer practice. An employee who doesn’t have kids may have an exercise class that is only offered at noon. Another employee may want to take classes that are only offered in the morning. The point was that whether you are a parent or not, our lives and what we fill our days with vary, and the integration of work and personal is more meaningful than just working less hours within the week.   While companies must comply with statutory requirements, I think that shifting the mindset to work-life integration will be beneficial to all employees, not just women."  

"First and foremost, do it! My experience has been that most women are less likely to do this. While there may be many reasons, it is important to advocate for yourself! While I say this, this is also something that I have had to work on throughout my career. Early in my career, I was hesitant at times for various reasons. I thought I’d be seen as aggressive, ungrateful, impatient – all things that I perceived but were not the reality. As I grew in my career and having experiences that helped to shape who I am, I realized that the only person who can control my destiny is … me. While it certainly helps to have managers to support you in your career, you have to put yourself out there and be your loudest cheerleader. Stay true to yourself, always. If you remain authentic, you will not have regrets."

"This is a great question. I’m not sure that there will be different qualities in the next generation, but I do think that each generation is more courageous. When I look back at what was considered the “norm” when I was in high school versus what I see in today’s youth, I see more openness, acceptance, and perhaps advocacy. It is refreshing to see the growth in each generation and my hope is that this continues in a positive direction.   We are still experiencing “first’s” which conveys that while progress has been made, there is still work to do. For the next generation of women leaders, we need to collectively support the advancement of women in fields that have been predominantly held by men. We need to nurture girls at an early age who express interest in STEM, as an example. We need to normalize that different styles of leadership and perspective are not only ok, but encouraged. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what we want to do, the important consideration is to ensure we have mentors to help guide us in the path forward."

"National Women’s Month is a time to reflect on the past, understand where we are today, and see the road ahead of what still needs to be. My personal belief is that each of us needs to have mentors, and then, when in a position to do so, mentor others. I am fortunate to have had many great mentors in my career – both women and men and have worked diligently to make sure that I give back whenever I can. This helps us to succeed together.   In corporate settings, it’s important to highlight accomplishments of the women who came before us – without them, we may not have succeeded. It’s also important to ensure that company practices are inclusive and evolve as the needs of the workforce evolve."