It’s Women's History Month and to celebrate the wonderful and empowering women in our lives, we have asked our 10K Humans staff to share some words of wisdom from the inspiring, beloved, and encouraging female role models in their lives.
Jadah Chatterton, Project Manager, cherishes any opportunity to talk about her beloved mother and best friend, whom she lost to breast cancer at just 19-years-old.
“My mom was constantly teaching me and my sisters that being true to yourself would always be more important than fitting in, and that being happy should never be based on other people's opinions. She was the silliest, most supportive, and most creative person I knew!”.
Amie Moynihan, Executive Assistant, had the privilege of being raised in a “Rainbow Family,” where her 2 mothers showed her the power of owning one's true self and embracing life in its entirety.
“My moms always stressed the importance of women building each other up. Supporting one another. Unfortunately, it’s easier to criticize than congratulate. Be the change. We are stronger together.”
Mark Atty, 10K Human’s Operations Director and lead APAC, is thankful to his late mother-in-law and mentor for being the perfect balance of caring and career women.
“Arriving in Australia and not knowing anyone but my wife was difficult, but Jane took me under her wing and gave me the confidence to start a new career path in Market Research. She held a high-powered corporate position and was well respected in her field, however it was not always that way and she faced many adversaries being a goal-driven woman, which in the 80s and 90s was not easy! Her perseverance in tough times, quick wit, and savvy always floored me.”
Christy Ruegamer, Account Director, draws inspiration from her incredible 95-year-old grandmother. With a Master's in Chemistry, an advocate for social causes, an author of “a few books just for fun,” a world traveler, and just casually assisted in rewriting a state constitution, (not to mention makes the best Belgian waffles), Christy’s nan has had a lifetime of accomplishments, and she did all that whilst raising a family. She sounds like Wonder Woman!
“I asked my grandma, who had managed to achieve so much as a mother, how she managed to do it all. She laughed and said, ‘I didn't do it all at once.’ Whenever I find myself feeling overwhelmed by how much I still want to do, I hear my grandma's voice telling me to relax, stay in the moment and take things one day at a time.”
10K Humanss Chief Operations Officer, Jay Tye, has had the privilege of working with incredible female mentors, bosses, and leaders throughout his career in the MRX industry. In fact, all of the companies he’s worked for were women-owned businesses, and what stood out to him the most was their highly collaborative and inclusive approach to work.
“Learning to become an optimistic realist was one of the first skills of importance that I was taught by my first mentor and boss, Debbie. She instilled in me that striking a balance of positive and creative thinking, while remaining grounded in reality and acknowledging challenges and obstacles, would result in finding solutions and opportunities that exist within life’s constraints.”
If we hope to be creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive environments, it’s important that women are not only being uplifted, but also doing the uplifting. Having women mentors, and not just for women employees, is a key part of embodying DEI and having a well-rounded workplace.
We often forget to show thanks to the women in our lives, personal and professional, for all they have done for us. So this Women’s History Month let’s acknowledge and honor the women in our lives that have gifted us with their wisdom, whether that’s your mom, grandmother, aunty, daughter, sister, mentor, colleague, or friend.