MADEUS
to be successful. I’ve also learned that
in running a start-up, my job function
changes every year as we grow our
team, improve our product and expand
our reach.
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE
FGB COMMUNITY? At its core, our
mission is to improve the workplace for
women through transparency, and we
aim to be the go-to source for women
throughout their career.
WHO INSPIRED YOU TO SPEAK
UP? HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN
COMFORTABLE SPEAKING UP IN
THE WORKPLACE? I’m a big believer
in practice making perfect. I’m also a
lawyer by training so I have been to some
extent professionally groomed to make
logical arguments and speak up when I
saw that something didn’t make sense or
wasn’t right.
WHAT ARE SOME QUESTIONS
WOMEN SHOULD ASK TO
DETERMINE THE CULTURE OF
THEIR COMPANY? You can and
should certainly ask about a company’s
cultures and values. However, not
everything is comfortable to ask directly,
or you may worry about getting
insincere answers. Therefore, there are
important clues you should look for to
determine what a workplace culture
is like. When considering a company,
it’s important to look at who’s in senior
management. Leadership (and pushing
for gender equality) starts at the top, so
by seeing who is leading a company and
familiarizing yourself with their bios and
accomplishments, you can gain valuable
information on what the company might
be like. Additionally, when interviewing,
I recommend scheduling an interview
first thing in the morning and/or toward
the end of the day. That way you can
see when and how many people are
in the office to get a sense of working
hours and flexibility.
In terms of questions, you can also ask
“Why do you like working here?,” and
“What are the challenges of working
here?” to gain some insight. Additionally,
I would recommend doing an
informational interview if you have any
contacts who work at the company to
get a different perspective.
HAVE YOU SEEN A SIGNIFICANT
AMOUNT OF PROGRESS SINCE
STARTING? I have. I believe many
companies are trying to do the right thing
when it comes to creating fair, equitable
corporate cultures that support employees
across the board. I also think the #MeToo
movement has helped speed the case
along for gender equality, diversity, and
the need for more women in leadership.
We’re making progress, but it’s still too
slow going.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST
SIGNIFICANT BARRIER TO WOMEN
LEADERSHIP?
I believe the biggest barrier is overcoming
unconscious bias, which take a significant
cultural and institutional shift.
IN YOUR OPINION WHAT WILL BE
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR
THE GENERATION OF WOMEN
BEHIND YOU? In a perfect world, their
career journeys would be challenge free!
But in reality, I believe we have a long
way to go in achieving equal pay and
universal paid family leave. Unfortunately,
I think some of the challenges we’re facing
now will still continue to be relevant in the
coming years, but hopefully Fairygodboss
will make it easier for the next generation
of women to navigate these issues and
advocate for change.
WHAT ADVICE/ENCOURAGING
WORD WOULD YOU GIVE TO
WOMEN WHO FIND IT DIFFICULT
TO SPEAK UP FOR THEMSELVES?
Surround yourself with supportive mentors
and sponsors at your company who
can help guide your career and be an
advocate for you. I think you’ll find that
their support will give you the confidence
to speak up more and more throughout
your career.
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