Nicole and Haley: Taking Care of You, Business Edition

Mental health should always be your number one priority. Our VP Nicole Fontaine & WOI planning committee member Haley Chupka spoke about their history with mental health and their advice for young women in business who may not know how to address their own difficulties. Here are some of their tips:

1. You are never alone! Friends and family will usually support you if you reach out to them. Even if they don’t always understand or they’re not always helpful, it can be good to have someone on your side. And on a grander scale, you’re in good company — Demi Lovato, Ellen Degeneres, Oprah Winfrey, J. K. Rowling, and so many others are wildly successful in spite of their struggles.

2. Therapy is a great thing. You may not like the first therapist you find, but that doesn’t mean you should stop trying. No therapist will be upset if you stop going to them, they just want you to get the support you need! There are plenty of resources on campus to get you started too: the Center for Counseling & Psychological Health and the Center for Women and Community both offer counseling or therapy.

3. Take care of yourself first. When thinking about mental health in relation to the workplace, you have to remember that you can’t pour from an empty glass. If you’re not well enough to work, don’t push yourself to keep going; make recovery your priority. Check out this video for more on the topic:

“Managing your mental health in the workplace” by Kati Morton on YouTube:

Keeping in mind all of the above is critical to keeping yourself healthy. Ultimately, it boils down to knowing when to reach out for help and knowing your own limits. If you have questions, reach out to either Nicole or Haley!

Artificial Intelligence & How it Shapes the World Around Us

Author: Tyler Spellman

A current trend that is transforming the business world as we know it is the use of AI, otherwise known as artificial intelligence. The term artificial intelligence is being used constantly by large firms who are looking to recruit college students for jobs and internships. Companies are looking for students who can keep up with the evolving technologies and become a valuable aspect of their team. We all grew up using technologies, specifically laptops and smartphones. Older generations in the business field are looking towards us to use these technologies in the workplace as well. In order to do so, it is important to understand what exactly artificial intelligence is.

Artificial intelligence is the use of computers performing human tasks, usually to increase efficiency within a business. If businesses can delegate tedious tasks such as calculating or scanning to a piece of AI, more time can be spent focusing on innovation and high-quality work performed by humans. There is a stereotypical image of artificial intelligence as a human robot taking over human tasks in an almost frightening way. There are in fact robots out there, however, AI comes in many different forms. AI may even be in your own home. Home robots include vacuums and pool cleaners that can sense when a wall is approaching. Applications such as Alexa or Google Home respond to our questions and commands in a split second. Also think of the Siri application on our smartphones. Siri thinks like a human when responding to questions about playing a song, navigating the GPS, making a phone call, surfing the web, or stating the weather. Although Siri doesn’t have the look of a robot, she is definitely AI.

Social media has also been dramatically transformed. Have you ever noticed a sponsored ad looking eerily familiar? This is due to AI. AI is constantly scanning our social media usage to personalize our customer experience. This concept is significantly used by sites such as Amazon and Netflix. AI is looking at our data usage and coming up with shows or items we could be interested in. This increases profitability for these companies as a whole. Although these examples represent a smaller scale, AI is also transforming industries on a much more massive scale as well.

In regard to the business world, AI is altering the workplace tremendously. For example, AI has impacted finance industries by scanning markets and finding stocks that would be smart to invest in. This saves both time and energy for us. AI is also revolutionizing the accounting industry. AI allows audits and estimates to be completed much quicker and more efficiently. This allows the firms to focus their energy on greater things.

The impact artificial intelligence has had on our lives and in the business field is significant, however, it is still growing. The transformation that comes from AI has only just begun and will continue to develop and create a life-changing impact in the future.

Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone and Learning to Take Risks

Author: Kayla Kay

As a freshman at Isenberg, I am familiar with how nerve wracking it can be to adjust to a new school and environment. On top of trying to tackle the everyday struggles of adjusting to the social norms of college, learning the ropes of Isenberg can be daunting. Sometimes, with so many classes, clubs, and opportunities available, it seems easier to sit back and not take advantage of the opportunities UMass and Isenberg have to offer. To get you out of that rut, here are my top 3 ideas of ways to step out of your comfort zone and take risks in your life at UMass.

1. Go to Club Fairs:

I have to admit it, I skipped the club fair hosted at the beginning of the year to lie in bed and watch Netflix. While burying myself in fury blankets and watching The Office was amazing, attending club fairs is extremely beneficial in learning about the clubs offered on campus. Even if you don’t find a club you want to join, going is a great way to help you discover more of what you like and what you don’t like. Bring a friend along, it makes the experience less overwhelming and more fun!

       2. Take a Class that has nothing to do with your interests:

My love for the sciences does not go much further than watching Bill Nye the Science Guy, so I was not happy when my advisor informed me that I had to take a Biological Science course. However, trying the course and studying the material was a great experience for me: I ended with an A and also confirmed I definitely do not want to be a scientist!

3. If the Opportunity is there — Study Abroad:

Being homesick is a hard feeling to deal with- I get it, I was always the kid to call my parents at sleepovers. It is easy to abandon the idea of going abroad out of fear, but going is an amazing way to extend your education and experience other cultures. We just got back from Spring Break, so start fresh and choose a time to meet with your advisor! Ask them questions about abroad programs- whether it be a domestic or foreign program!

Go for it! You won’t regret it!

Michele Equale: Transitional Mentorship

Michele Equale’s pet peeve? Women sitting in the back of the room. Our speaker opened the meeting by telling us that when we give up the seat in the front, we give up our seat at the table. We cannot let ourselves become part of the background, even if it’s more comfortable. After asking the audience to move up and fill in empty seats toward the front, we began our meeting on transitional mentorship. Here are some important takeaways:

1. When you’re assembling your mentor panel, think of it like a board of directors who complement your strengths. On a board, you would have someone you turn to for help in finance, or operations, or any number of specific functions. Mentors (yes, more than one!) should function similarly. As a side note to this point, Michele mentioned that if you have an internship this summer, you should try to leave with 5 or 6 warm contacts, outside of your team!

2. It is easier for someone to be your mentor if they know what you need. So figure out what you’re looking for, and make that intention clear. If you’re reaching out to someone, know what you’re asking for from them! Having a goal also helps you both know if the mentorship has run its course — once your goal has been met, it’s fine for you to both free your calendars and keep a more casual contact. It’s fine to not need a mentor for a bit!

3. When you have a mentor, be present and authentic in the relationship and in your communications. The easiest way to figure out what you truly need mentorship for is as simple as this: think back on your last month. What felt really great, and what was so horrible that you never want to do it again? If you can think of one thing in each category, you have things to reflect on with your mentor. Also, be honest! Communicate to your mentor when you need them to be nice, or when you need tough love to get things done. Michele argued that, “You’re allowed to have a delicate day,” but you need to be on the same page.

Our closing question of the meeting was a classic: what does success mean to you? Equale responded that her favorite days are when she watches people turn on. She adores creating value and watching people grow. In the final minutes of the meeting, she shared “I just hope I’ve helped other people along the way.”

Leadership Advice from Powerful Women

Author: Victoria Jeschke Patton

Right now women are killing it as entrepreneurs and leaders in the business world. As women continue to break the glass ceiling in all industries, it’s important for them to speak up and share how they got where they are so other women feel inspired and follow in their footsteps. Women are fantastic at networking and supporting each other professionally. The record number of female CEOs in the Fortune 500 list currently is a major milestone. Mary Barra, Indra Nooyi, Ginni Rometty and Gail Boudreaux are all driven women who have stood up for one another and given candid advice about the obstacles that stand in the way of ambitious women. They are perfect examples of innovative leaders, and all the driven women in a predominately male business setting can learn a thing (or four!) from women like them.

1. Be confident about who you are. Don’t be apologetic about what you do or love because it’s what makes you you and there has never been a more important time for accurate representation in positions of authority. Real leaders and game changers in the business world are just like us with passions, hobbies and quirks. Women can especially benefit from hearing relatable stories.

At just 18 years old, Mary Barra started working at General Motors as a student and quickly went on to take several management positions. Women aren’t expected to show interest in the automotive industry and rarely get as far as managers, but Mary worked her way up the ladder and followed in her father’s footsteps. It’s inspiring to see young adults like Mary express interest in such a male-dominated industry and then work their way up to CEO.

1. Don’t wait to speak up. There is an unspoken culture for newer employees to be quiet and observe, don’t rock the boat or question a decision until you’ve “paid your dues” or earned your voice. This has been especially harmful to women, who are expected to play the role of office angel or stay on the sidelines. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind at the table and with others. If you’re in a leadership position, you’ve already earned it and should absolutely speak up and spread your ideas.

During Indra Nooyi’s tenure as CEO of PepsiCo from 2006-2018, she launched a strategic redirection of the company. They merged with Tropicana, Quaker Oats Company, and Gatorade in addition to bringing healthier PepsiCo products into the market. Her ideas and strategies increased sales by 80%. No idea is too small to be shared.

1. Share your personal story. This ties in well with being confident about who you are. If you have a unique perspective, sharing it makes you memorable and personable. There is strength in opening up to others, and when a leader shares something special or relatable about them it makes others feel reassured in the workplace. Many women fall prey to imposter syndrome, where they feel as if they don’t belong or haven’t earned their leadership role. Hearing personal stories, especially from a leader, makes a inflexible setting feel more humane.

Ginni Rometty came from a modest family on the outside of Chicago. In her mid teens her parents divorced, her mother worked multiple jobs to support the family, and she maintained the household in the evenings after school. Ginni is now the chair, president and CEO of IBM and the first woman to head the company. Big things have small beginnings, indeed.

1. Empower and support others. So many women are used to being the only one in a room full of men. Talk to every woman in your network and workplace, leaders and interns alike. The success and good feelings that come from supporting other women is astronomical and looks good on everyone. Not to mention, it’s a good practice professionally to laud each other and make those positive connections.

Gail Boudreaux played women’s basketball from 1978-1982 at Dartmouth and received several awards and recognitions for her athletic prowess. After studying business at Columbia, she had several executive positions and she’s currently the CEO of insurance company Anthem Inc., now the second largest American company with a female CEO. If there is anyone who understands teamwork and how useful a supportive network can be, it’s Gail.