International women’s day 2022: Our female ‘flyers’ offer their honest perspectives

For the last four years, I’ve looked forward to writing our annual International Women’s Day blog. I treat this as a time to check in with my female colleagues on things below the surface. Sure, we have our #mfly-women channel on Slack and many of us see each other on countless Zoom meetings each week, but this is a time to really check in. And the conversations that come out of writing this blog are always insightful, motivating, and incredibly meaningful.

This year was no different. I asked my fellow female flyers across various teams, geographies, and roles two questions:

1. What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a woman in the workplace?
2. What do you feel is the biggest benefit of being a woman in the workplace today?

To give you a glimpse of life as a working woman today, here are a few of their responses.

What is the biggest challenge you face as a woman in the workplace?

	“Probably the employee/Mum balance. I feel Mum guilt when I have to shut the office door after the school run. And I simultaneously worry about giving enough to work. I think my guilt often makes me overcompensate in both areas, and that leaves me pretty tired most days.” – Charlotte Powell, Creative Director
	“I feel as though I have to bring more valuable and strategic ideas to the table and team to compete with male colleagues, just to get the same amount of recognition or praise.” – Diana Laughlin, Talent Acquisition Specialist
	“For me, seeing is believing. Not having enough women in the C-suite makes it harder to relate or see what’s possible. While men have been very effective mentors, and more importantly, sponsors of me throughout my career, it’s because they’ve usually been the ones in positions of leadership and influence. But I have found that nothing is more powerful than seeing another woman in a leadership position. It provides both inspiration and confidence in the sense that if she can do it, I can do it too!” – Isabelle Papoulias, CMO

What is the biggest benefit of being a woman in the workplace today?

	“I love that women naturally want to celebrate and support each other. Let’s face it, the last two years of living through a pandemic have been especially hard on women, with many feeling pressure to downshift their careers to be caregivers. Throughout it all, I’ve watched female colleagues connect, listen, and empower each other at every turn, jumping in as partners to provide support both on and off the job.” – Lindsey Tishgart, SVP Marketing – Brand Experience
	“The biggest benefit to being a woman in the workplace is the ability to bring a different perspective and approach to the business. Generally speaking, women and men think differently, and as women, we have an amazing opportunity to bring a fresh perspective. I think women tend to be more naturally empathetic than our male colleagues, and that provides many advantages when communicating and relating to people in all of the dynamic situations that come with business engagements.” – Christy Philips, Enterprise Sales Director
	“Generally speaking, this is a great time to be a woman in the workplace as there is so much more awareness of the need for diversity and the different perspectives that come from gender balance. It is especially rewarding as a female leader to have a bigger opportunity to open doors for other women.” – Isabelle Papoulias, CMO
	“Companies nationally are placing a huge emphasis on Affirmative Action goals and diversifying their workforces. As working women, we are finally being seen and considered for leadership roles, promotions, and upward mobility. We have a long way to go, but we are moving in the right direction!” – Diana Laughlin, Talent Acquisition Specialist

A Brighter Future for Women at Work

Like my female colleagues at Mediafly, I’ve had my share of challenges, but I’m excited about how far we’ve come. While the last two years have been incredibly tough for so many of us, I’m hopeful that we can continue striving for gender parity moving forward, recognizing that women have so many amazing and unique abilities to bring to the table.

Since I began working at Mediafly in 2018, the number of female employees has grown by 28%. Meanwhile, the number of women in leadership positions (VP-level and above) has jumped from 1% to 33%. That’s a lot of progress in four short years. I’m proud to work at a company that works so hard to show its female employees that they are on an even playing field with their male counterparts. And that their contributions to the business are valued just as much.

“After spending most of my career in male-dominated teams, I sought out a role that would allow me to work with and support women in the tech space,” said Johan Abadie, SVP Marketing – Demand Generation at Mediafly. “It took me less than a year to realize I had more to learn from them than they had to learn from me. Working with women is the best career move I’ve ever made.”

“At Mediafly, I feel so fortunate to get to work with inspiring women every day. From Chief Marketing Officer Isabelle Papoulias and Chief Customer Officer Jodie Jansen to VP of Operations TJ Patel and VP of People Laura Singer, I am motivated every day by these remarkable executives as they deliver results time after time,” says John Evarts, President and Chief Operating Officer at Mediafly. “Not only do they deliver, but they ensure we have an inclusive culture we can be proud of and push me to be my very best every day.”

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