Happy Women’s History Month! In celebration, FSU’s College of Communication hosted the annual Women in Leadership conference on March 8th. Due to COVID-19, the session was fully online, so if you didn’t get a chance to attend you can still watch the conference on Youtube now! Here is a breakdown of everything that went down at the conference with the timestamps from the Youtube video:
Embracing Change (5:40 - 31:40)
In this segment, Kim Kelling interviews FSU Graduate Denishia Sword on how organizations change and develop when they are faced with challenges, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic. They highlighted the importance of being flexible and not locking your opportunities into a single mindset. If you are looking to learn about how you can embrace change in your professional life, this is a great segment to attend.
Gather Your Assets and Lead (32:30 - 57:55)
In this segment, Laura Barrett, Laura Spears, and Elizabeth Uchimura started off with an important question - Which is better, paper or digital when reading? They go on to discuss how leadership is not the destination, but should also be involved in the journey as well. Laura also answers the question of how her research background has had an influence on her leadership style. If you are interested in Library and Information Studies or how you can gather your assets and turn them into leadership experiences, this is a perfect segment to watch.
The Power of Being an Intrapreneur (1:01:10 - 1:31:00)
This segment brings together Brionna Boileau-Theresias and Nikki Mendez together in a discussion on what it means to be an “intrapreneur” and why it is so important. Nikki defines an intrapreneur as a “manager within a company that promotes innovation.” Brionna talks about her experiences and how they have shaped her into the leader she is today and how she currently uses her skills to promote innovation. Overall this was a very interesting session and provided great insight on how innovation plays an important role in the workplace.
Developing a Servant Leadership Mindset (1:34:35 - 1:58:15)
In this segment, Johanna Eugenio, Faith Gealey, and Chessa Goodman discuss what it means to hold a service leadership mindset. Faith speaks extensively of her work in the Caribbean, and how that has shaped her into the leader she is today. She emphasizes that it is important to see leaders who are acting out of “love of community versus love of self.” If you are looking for advice on how to expand life-long learning and how to build a service leadership mindset, this is the perfect session for you.
Overcoming Workplace Challenges (2:01:30 - 2:27:10)
Shannon Mitchell and Shayla Perry take on the next segment on overcoming challenges in the workplace. Shayla explains that there are always fires to put out and you have to be able to work on your feet and think quickly to be able to perform well, especially in the event planning industry. If you have any interest in event planning or are curious about how to overcome challenges in the workplace, tune into this session.
Communicating across Silos (2:30:40 - 2:54:04)
In this segment, Carson Mitchell, Communications Manager for Florida Conservation Voters, talks with Melissa Angel, Communications Coordinator at Global Landscapes Forum, all about communicating across silos. Carson brings up the importance of letting women share their voices and ideas, especially as creatives and she and Melissa discuss this issue within the workplace environment. If you have interests in conservation communications or are interested in broadening communication efforts, check out this segment.
STEM Efforts on Campus (2:57:10 - 3:29:50)
In this segment, FSU Alum Natalie Marcelo interviews four current students who are leaders of STEM-related organizations on campus. Gabby Dunlap, Cameron Chisholm, Kelly Newbrough, and I discussed how being in the IT/ICT field can be challenging as women. However, through the efforts of our organizations, we are making the STEM field look more diverse. If you are interested in learning more about these efforts or want to learn more about some amazing on-campus organizations, check out this session.
The Future of Work (3:33:20 - 3:56:40)
For this segment, I was back to interview Jennifer Garner, Director of Marketing Capabilities at Kraft Heinz, all about the Future of Work. In the interview, Jennifer highlighted the role of future College of Communication and Information (CCI) students and alumni and she discussed the skills they should be developing in order to raise the bar. She also talked about the steps her company has taken to give more opportunities to women. Check out this session to learn more about the future of work.
Leadership in Nonprofits (4:00:08 - 4:16:45)
Erika Benton and Jenn Topper come together in this session to discuss leadership opportunities in nonprofit organizations. In the session, Jenn touches on how she became a nonprofit communications professional and what that job entails. They also discuss the challenges that women continue to face on a daily basis. If you are interested in getting involved in nonprofit leadership roles or communications roles, be sure to watch the segment.
Living Uncomfortably (4:30:58)
In the final session of the night, Alissa Ovalle Marquez and Mikayla Owen talk all about what it means to live uncomfortably. Alissa reviews her steps to lock in a job right after graduation, and how starting her first job at a large company was extremely uncomfortable. Alissa says, “make work work for you.” This is the takeaway of the session, and if you want to hear more of that, tune in.