Women share business experiences at discussion panel
Laura Ellsworth said most leaders get it wrong.
“Being a leader doesn’t mean being a hard ass,” she said. “It means being kind.”
Ellsworth, the partner in charge of Global Community Service Initiatives, was one of five panelists sharing their insights at the fifth annual Women Shaping Our Region event on Friday afternoon, Oct. 11. Over 500 women — and men — from the region attended the celebration of women in leadership, held at the Pittsburgh Marriott North in Cranberry Township.
This year’s focus was empowering women, fostering women in leadership roles and emphasizing the significance of uplifting other women on their journeys. The Butler County Chamber of Commerce and Pittsburgh Business Exchange organized the networking luncheon. WPXI-TV news anchor Lisa Sylvester moderated the panel discussion.
The panel featured diverse perspectives from business, education and industry, offering valuable advice for aspiring female leaders.
Dina Powell McCormick, vice president, chairwoman and global head of client services for BDT & MSD Partners, emphasized the unique approach of women entrepreneurs. She told the audience that during her time at Goldman Sachs earlier in her career, she had the privilege of helping to form two organizations — 10,000 Women and 10,000 Small Businesses — geared toward helping women business owners succeed.
During the research phase before launching, McCormick said they discovered female entrepreneurs received less capital than their male counterparts and lacked access to the pragmatics of business education.
“Yet, they were holding up our country because most of them that owned small businesses were creating the new jobs that were so desperately needed.”
Something else about women entrepreneurs that stood out was their willingness to pay it forward, McCormick said.
“They often took a lot of the proceeds and revenue and invested it back into their communities. And nine out of 10 went on to mentor other female entrepreneurs.”
Some of the panelists discussed the uphill battle women can have in certain industries. Laural Ziemba, director of public affairs for Range Resources, acknowledged the oil and gas industry is male-dominated. “But it would be tough to find an industry that really isn’t male-dominated,” she added.
“Yes, there have been times when I’m the only woman around a table full of men, which has been a challenge,” Ziemba said. “But it’s also sometimes a challenge to be a woman around a table full of women, right? We need to do better advocating for other women and ourselves.”
When gender differences cause challenges, sometimes women in leadership roles must get creative in solving them, she said.
Ziemba said she’s a fan of the communication strategies taught in the Social Style model. It teaches how to use someone’s social preferences for communication to resolve issues and have tough discussions with people. She said she recommends doing research, sharing perspective, and being willing to hear the other person’s perspective before seeking common ground in resolving an issue.
Ellsworth advised not to assume the worst. She shared an experience from her time as a young associate in a law firm early in her career. She wrote a strategy memo, and everyone liked it at the firm, so she was invited to present it to the senior partners. During that presentation, one of the most senior partners asked her if she was the person who had made the lovely muffins they were all eating. “I paused for a moment, and I said no, but I wrote that lovely memo,” she said.
Afterward, she was called to the senior partner’s office, where he apologized for his remarks, calling them inappropriate. “He became one of my best mentors after that day,” Ellsworth said.
As the first woman to lead Sewickley Academy in its nearly 200- year history, Dr. Ashley Brown Birtwell knows all about breaking the glass ceiling.
“When you work hard, stay determined and focus, you can accomplish what you set out to do,” she said.
When she was a student at the academy, she had teachers who helped her develop strengths and pursue her passions. Now, she does the same for the young women at the academy, empowering them to consider STEM-related fields and to appreciate the importance of data literacy.
Meghan Sweeney, the owner/operator of 21 McDonald’s Corporation franchises, is part of the Women Owners Network for McDonald’s franchisees, representing over 600 women owners out of 2,000 total U.S. franchises. “We went from being the wives of franchisees to leading the charge,” she said. “In fact, we’re probably the most put-together diversity group with a vision.”
When it comes to building self-confidence, the panelists had several suggestions for aspiring women entrepreneurs.
“Just follow your passion and follow your heart to what brought you into the business, and stay ingrained in that,” said Sweeney. “The confidence will grow because your people will support you.”
Birtwell said it’s important to find a mentor who isn’t afraid to speak the hard truths to help you grow, which includes gaining the self-confidence needed to succeed.
“Sometimes mentors see strengths in you that you don’t see in yourself,” she said.
Ziemba said something that’s helped her gain confidence over the years is the realization that she doesn’t have to be perfect.
“People crave connection, not perfection,” she said. “Besides, being imperfect makes you more relatable.”
If they had it to do over again, some of the panelists said they would have focused on getting serious sooner in their careers, while others said they would have listened more to their intuition.
“I would have given myself more grace because it does let you enjoy the journey a bit more,” said McCormick. “I don’t believe there’s such a thing as work-life balance. I think it’s called: we’re doing the best we can along the way.”
