Women’s History Month
March is Women’s History Month, commemorating and encouraging the study, observance, and celebration of the vital role of women in American history. This month, at MIL we are celebrating the vital role our staff makes, our Women Making the Difference. Check out some of their bios, below!
Can you tell us more about your role at MIL?
In my role as MIL’s VP of Proposals & Marketing, I work closely with our business development team to support their strategic goals, capture management activities, and proposal submissions. I also lead MIL’s marketing and corporate communications efforts. This work encompasses marketing collateral, advertising, social media, events & conferences, newsletters, and more. My department’s responsibilities are dynamic and exciting and I am proud to have smart, driven, creative women on my team who help get the job done!
What career advice would you give your younger self/young women?
You are your own best advocate. Use your voice to be a leader, to affect change, to make improvements, and to accomplish your goals. Seize opportunities, don’t just wait for them!
Who is one woman you look up to and why?
My mother is the most wise, compassionate, and intelligent woman I know. She is widely respected for her grace, strength, and integrity. I love that she created the life she wanted to live and I try to follow her example every day.
What does International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month mean to you?
Observing women’s achievements is a good time to reflect on how we can help other women to be the best versions of themselves and to support and uplift them each step of the way.
Can you tell us more about your role at MIL?
At The MIL Corporation (MIL) I am part of an amazing team. The Proposal & Marketing (P&M) team is a group of talented, intelligent, professional women that are relied upon daily to meet the requirements of various business units and corporate initiatives. As a proposal writer at MIL, I support multiple response efforts by developing compliant proposal content in response to federal government requests for proposals. I also provide content and support for various marketing endeavors (e.g., newsletters, press releases, ads, blogs, etc.). With decades of experience as a writer and manager of proposals and marketing, I am excited to be able to use both those skillsets regularly. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such a successful, progressive company.
What career advice would you give your younger self/young women?
The career advice I would give my younger self and have given other young women is to be confident in your work and understand your self-worth. I would sometimes self-sabotage by doubting my performance. I learned to stay focused and to excel at my craft. Having been working since I was 16 years old I know and understand the power of a strong work ethic. I also learned how to diplomatically command the respect I deserve from my peers. Over the years I have had the opportunity to mentor young women and would often be asked how come I was not disrespected in the workplace (as were other women). I would tell them… ‘don’t allow it.’ Give respect, always be professional, and take pride in your appearance and conduct. Be the example. Then you can hold others accountable for their behavior, actions, and words. Clear, professional communication helps to facilitate the dialogue necessary to get your peers to respect your contributions in the workplace. Take pride in you.
What are the most effective ways to counteract the negative stereotypes of feminism, especially in the workplace?
Education, communication, and creating a culture of diversity, equality and inclusion are ways of encouraging the type of dialogue that mitigates feminist stereotypes. Hiring experienced women in roles of leadership, and encouraging professional networking, also counteract negative stereotypes. MIL leadership has invested in a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Working Group with the help of a third party firm, to develop authentic measures, conduct focus groups, and collect data, in an effort to help enhance the culture in our workplace. That makes me feel respected and valued in the workplace.
How do you succeed in male dominated environments? What advice would you give women struggling in a male dominated environment?
Over the years I have come to learn how to successfully deal with difficult people. Most often it is someone else’s own insecurities that move them to discriminate against others. So, I remind myself that I am not responsible for their behavior, therefore they will not block my successes. Male dominated environments can be intimidating; but if you build your confidence and strengthen your skillsets, you level the playing field, and no one can dispute that. My advice would be to stay professional, work hard, and make no excuses for being female AND being good at your job. And remember, you do not have to adopt male behavior in the workplace to be as good if not better than your male counterparts. Be unapologetically you.
What can men contribute to women’s empowerment (at home and in society)?
Men can contribute to women’s empowerment by acknowledging that discrimination exists, exploring if they have male privilege that affects us, and supporting the things women empowerment represents. I think men who are honest with themselves, and open in their communication with women, tend to appreciate what we have to offer at home and in society. They respect our varied contributions and are not challenged by women who may be as good or better than them in any way. It is also important for men to teach the younger generation of boys and young men to honor and respect the women in their lives.
Can you tell us more about your role at MIL?
I am a Systems Administration Specialist in the Proposals & Marketing department. I manage MIL’s internal SharePoint and information management systems.
What career advice would you give your younger self/young women?
Don’t be afraid about exploring different career interests—the more versatile you are the more valuable you are. And even if your specific role doesn’t require you to use a lot of technology, learn and use it anyway! It will ALWAYS be useful and will give you an edge over others who may be up for the same promotion or new role.
Who is one woman you look up to and why?
Amelia Earhart and Maya Angelou—neither of them let the confines of their pasts, their times and their social expectations define who they were or how they behaved. They chased and mastered their dreams despite all of those things!
What does International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month mean to you?
I love seeing the buried stories of women’s successes that have historically overshadowed; especially authors and soldiers who had to disguise themselves as men or use a male pen name just to follow their passion and make a difference in their field.
What are the most effective ways to counteract the negative stereotypes of feminism, especially in the workplace?
Don’t feel like you have to match coworkers’ machismo to fit in and ‘prove’ you are equal. Let your expertise and your confidence speak for itself and fight for what’s yours.
How do you succeed in male dominated environments? What advice would you give women struggling in a male dominated environment?
Speak up! When they don’t listen—speak up louder, make yourself seen. If it’s a toxic supervisor keeping you back take the risk to go over his head. If that fails, leave…that is a red flag that it’s in that company’s culture to overlook your talent based on your gender. There are so many incredible companies who thrive because of their equality and reliance on excellence over gender roles!
What can men contribute to women’s empowerment (at home and in society)?
Be an advocate instead of a ‘bro’…when you see or hear sexist remarks or witness discrimination, call them out right then and there in public. Let others see and witness your intolerance to objectifying women or the discrimination against them—it sets the tone and let’s others know they don’t have to ‘play the game.’
What progress have you seen for women in the workplace?
So many female CEOs, leading scientists (who are actually getting the recognition they deserve), female fighter pilots and combat positions in the military, and, um, oh, a female as the United States VICE PRESIDENT!!! (Insert fist pumps and raising the roof motions here!)
What challenges (or privileges) do women stereotypically face, based on their gender?
Women still face pay discrimination in the workplace…making 82 cents to every dollar earned by men. Even though we now outpace our male counterparts in higher education, we still make less which leads to women holding 2/3 of all outstanding student debt. This debt often follows women into retirement which translates into women only having 70% in retirement income compared to men (all other factors being equal).
Which international women’s stories need to be heard and supported more?
The female stories of inventors, writers, scientists (why didn’t we learn about ‘Hidden Figures’ in school?), war heroes, religious leaders, and prominent businesswomen—throughout the ages! There are SO MANY!
Where are you feeling empowered or disempowered in your own woman’s story?
I’ve always felt empowered in my career and personal life because my Mom was so strong and taught me to fight for the principles of a matter. It was hard understanding it when I was younger (when she would model the behavior)—but it stuck with me and I understood it completely when I hit the real world!
How could you contribute your wisdom, expertise, or ideas to empower other women?
Mentoring other young women and girls; modeling what it looks like to be empowered and OWNING my power…that’s a hard lesson to just teach or talk about, sometimes we have to show younger women what it LOOKs like in action; and helping our male counterparts, friends, spouses, brothers, fathers understand why this change is crucial without judging them in return. And lastly, not ever allowing anyone (male or female) to harm us or hold us hostage to a career emotionally, physically, sexually, or financially! #metoo
Can you tell us more about your role at MIL?
As Creative & Brand Manager within the Proposals and Marketing Department, I am responsible for guiding the brand and image of MIL. I work to develop and execute strategy across departments to shape our identity through visual and verbal means: designing all marketing collateral (print/web/digital/video), web presence, and managing our internal and external communication/public relations.
What career advice would you give your younger self/young women?
Don’t think you have to have it all figured out right away. Your experience all means something -even if it feels like you are swimming in a dark sea of random jobs or hating your first gig out of college. I think it’s really easy when you are first starting out to think you have to follow a specific timeline or path, and especially as a women, that you have to be perfect at it before moving forward. You are often ready to take that leap before you think you deserve it. Everyone has a unique talent and it’s up to each of us to realize how to make it work from the experiences we’ve gained for ourselves, even if it means taking a new route unexpectedly. We’re often taught that a successful career means the biggest company with the highest salary and the most important position. Really, it’s finding happiness in work-life balance, a team that you love (even if you are a one-woman show!), and purpose in your work. Focus on that. The rest will fall into place.
What does International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month mean to you?
It’s an opportunity to reflect – on what women before me have done to push us forward, how they have struggled, overcome, and thrived – but most importantly, recognizing and acting on the work that is left to be done. How can we continue to lift one another up? As a mother of a young daughter, it is important that I set a good example and guide her to find her own unique voice along her journey. Knowing that I can aid in creating confidence in a younger generation of women is a great privilege.
What are the most effective ways to counteract the negative stereotypes of feminism, especially in the workplace?
In my opinion, negative stereotypes are often held by those who feel a certain behavior it is a threat to their own power. If you break it down, those negative stereotypes are often positives. Oh, that female executive is bossy? No, she is a leader: she knows what she needs to get the job done and how to communicate it without adding an excuse to the end of her requests. How to counteract? Stand in your worth and take up space by being you and not apologizing for it. Support one another, male or female!