Speaker 1:
As a bank that focuses on business, we work with business leaders all day, every day. We have a front row seat to what's working and what has potential. The First Business Bank Podcast is dedicated to sharing insights to help you work better, smarter, and faster to achieve your goals. Let's get into the show.
Bonnie Van Epps:
Welcome to the First Business Bank Podcast. I'm Bonnie Van Epps and I'll be your host for today's episode about women in leadership, where we'll talk about what it looks like to succeed as a female in business, how to avoid common missteps in ways that everyone can leverage the innate strengths that female leaders bring to an organization. To help explore this topic further, I have the pleasure of meeting today with Carol Sanders, Jan Eddy and Laurie Benson. Would each of you please take a minute to introduce yourself to our listeners? Carol, can I start with you?
Carol Sanders:
Yes. Good morning, and thank you so much for having us Bonnie. We are all very privileged to have you ask to interview us for this podcast. We're also very privileged to sit on the First Business Board of Directors. Thanks again for having us. My name is Carol Sanders, as you said. Born and raised in the state of Wisconsin. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. So I'm a proud Wisconsinite. We spend about half of our time there now on the other half in Florida and my career spanned over 30 years, primarily in the insurance industry. So broader finance services. I graduated as an accountant. I'm a certified public accountant, certified management accountant, and being in the insurance industry, I hold many designations there as well.
Carol Sanders:
Some of the companies that I worked for, you may know Secure Insurance in Appleton. I was CFO and COO at Jewelers Mutual Insurance company, and retired as executive vice president treasurer and CFO at Sentry Insurance in the middle part of the state in Stevens Point. I sit, of course, on the First Business Financial Services Board of Directors. I sit on the Alliant Energy Board, many of you know that Madison based company and on the board of a global financial service company named RenaissanceRe Limited. So thanks again for having me.
Bonnie Van Epps:
Excellent. We're so happy to have you join us. Laurie.
Laurie Benson:
Hello, I'm Laurie Benson and I'm a nurse entrepreneur, a business and community leader and a board director. So in my current role, I serve as the Executive Director of the Nurses on Boards Coalition, along with LSB Unlimited, which is my consulting company. And prior to that, I was fortunate to co-found and serve as CEO of a technology services integration company for a quick 25 years. And after that, I joined the First Business Bank Board and my current role. So my passion is leadership and everything I do has an overarching theme of elevating ideas, people and organizations.
Bonnie Van Epps:
Perfect.
Laurie Benson:
Thanks for having us.
Bonnie Van Epps:
Yes. And we can't wait to hear those ideas come out through our questions today. Jan, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Jan Eddy:
Thanks Bonnie. Well, I'm Jan Eddy. I spent my entire career in the information technology industry, going back as far as the early '70s. Hesitate to say that. I retired in 2006, after 20 years of being a CEO and president of two different software companies, both of which had successful exits. And for the last 15 years, I've been an angel investor and a promoter of trying to increase the access to capital in Wisconsin's entrepreneurial ecosystem. I have a particular passion for women led early and growth stage companies.
Bonnie Van Epps:
That's exciting. Thank you so much. Well, each of you has such a unique and compelling story, which you've given us a glimpse into as a part of your introduction. But wondering if you can tell us a little bit more about how you came to be in the roles you've had over your career and where you are today. Laurie, can we start with you?
Laurie Benson:
Sure. Well, everyone has a unique story. I've enjoyed getting to work alongside Carol and Jan and learning more about their journeys. I think each one of us thinks our story is no big deal because it's our reality. but as I look at my career and life, the way it's evolved, in retrospect, I realize that I recognized and acted on opportunities that arose a law along the way, on my way to my original goals. And I think many can relate that we all set goals and yeah, it's important to stay open to possibilities along the way.
Laurie Benson:
So when I became a nurse and I was working at the Red Cross Blood Mobile, a member of the Xerox Corporation team was there that day and invited me to come in for an interview for sales. And if you can imagine this, they were looking for someone with no business or sales background, which made me perfectly qualified. So I went for an interview and that launched my career in business and where I got to learn how great companies thrive regardless of economic and environment. It was an extraordinary opportunity, but listening to my customers, I heard about this gap that they were very concerned about the impending importance of technology and business.
Laurie Benson:
I know saying that now seems a little silly, but at that time, unless you were an enterprise business, you did not have consulting services available to you. So, I left and co-founded a technology systems integration company based solely on that vision of the importance of technology as an enabler and risk certainly mitigation. So that was a great experience where I applied my nursing lens to serve my employees and my customers, my community, and my industry. And then when I successfully transitioned at the sale of our company, I was really excited to learn about the Executive Director, Nurses on Boards Coalition.
Laurie Benson:
When you think about it, now I get to come back and we really, we started a business that was designed based on the mission to improve health for all in communities across the nation, through the service of nurses on boards. So for me, yes, this was an opportunity I recognized, but with my own board experience and my own background as a nurse, I can relate to the stakeholders. I see this as a true opportunity to include the nursing perspective. I don't think there's ever been greater awareness or appreciate of the importance of including the nursing perspective as leaders, as decision makers.
Laurie Benson:
So it's a way for me to have an impact in serving my country. I get to honor nurses and the profession I'm so proud to be from. So I'll always be a small town girl from Milton, Wisconsin, but I do believe everything is possible and I will always be excited and inspired to move these ideas and these people and these organizations up forward that will last long past my involvement or those of my colleagues. So sustainable impact is just so rewarding. It's humbling and bold at the same time to be a part of this type of opportunity. And I'm a grateful girl from Wisconsin.
Bonnie Van Epps:
When I hear so much of your story about learning and recognizing gaps and really not being afraid to jump into something that you maybe didn't know really well. I love how you say you weren't qualified, which is exact what made you qualified. So I love that. I bet we'll hear some themes very similar from our other women leaders here. Jan, tell us a little bit about your story.
Jan Eddy:
Well, my story goes way back as I was working in the IT industry. Now you'd call me a coder. Back then you called me a programmer. I was working the IT industry. I was working for the state of Wisconsin and I actually was recruited away from the state to help start an IT consulting business with about five other people. While I was doing that consulting practice, one of my clients was Lands' End and I went from being a contractor who was hiring people for them to do the work. They ended up hiring me and I was very content there. Other than the drive back and forth from Madison, I really loved my job. And then I was recruited by a husband and wife team that I used to work with at the consulting company. They were just starting a PC software company and thought I'd make a great CEO.
Jan Eddy:
Well, I have to tell you that if it weren't for others throughout my career, seeing something in me that I never saw in myself, I'd probably still be coding somewhere. I think what I've learned in looking back is that I always have had an appetite for learning very similar to Laurie and for expanding my skills. The way I learn is yes, by doing, by reading, by observing others, sometimes it's by knowing what not to do. I discovered that bringing order to chaos is one of my significant interest areas and skills. So when they asked me to join this Greenfield startup company, I debated for a little while and then said, yes, and jumped in with both feet. And to be honest with you, that pattern repeats itself throughout my career.
Jan Eddy:
I just have to say I was probably naive and innocent and didn't know what I didn't know, but I learned along the way and made of mistakes, learned from my mistakes and I continue in that whole process today of continually learning, reading through both formal education and informal observations and trying to add value back to the ecosystem that was so very kind to me.
Bonnie Van Epps:
Amazing, and how amazing to continue to say yes to those opportunities when you get tapped on the shoulder, which is great, and we're so happy to have you on our board as well, continuing to say yes to those things.
Jan Eddy:
Thank you. It's been an honor to serve on the First Business Bank Board of Directors.
Bonnie Van Epps:
Carol, tell us a little bit about your story.
Carol Sanders:
You're probably going to hear me echo many of the sentiments Laurie and Jan already expressed, but I think hearing about common themes is a good way to reflect on how people move through their careers. The first theme that Laurie talked about was learning and I was blessed to be raised by two educators. My parents were both public school teachers. They raised my three older sisters and I to believe that if we studied and worked hard enough, the world was our oyster. That every opportunity should be at least explored. And so after finishing my college education, I took a job in public accounting, like most accounting grads do.
Carol Sanders:
About three years after being with a public accounting firm, I got a call from a recruiting company who asked if I might be interested in working for an insurance company. And believe me, the first reaction was, "You've got to be kidding me. Isn't that the most boring industry that anyone could ever select?" And so now I'm telling you, I didn't grow up dreaming of being in the insurance industry for 30 years, but because I took that opportunity and that's the second theme and that's what Jan talked about. Always being open to opportunities. I took that opportunity 30 years ago. Believe it or not, that's where I actually met Jerry Smith when I became treasurer at Secure Insurance.
Carol Sanders:
Jerry Smith was the chair of the investment committee. And all those years later, Jerry and I stayed in contact. Jerry was a mentor for me throughout my career, not on a regular basis, but we would touch base every once in a while. And after I retired, we reconnected and that's how I joined the First Business Board of Directors because I developed relationships and I took the opportunity. And every one of my career moves after joining Secure, moving to a couple of different insurance companies was because I believe I was brave, I kept my eyes open and was open to hearing about new opportunities. I actually never went out and looked for new opportunities, but when the phone rang, I tried to keep an open mind and to listen to whoever was making the call about what the opportunity may have for me.
Carol Sanders:
The third theme that I think all of us love to share right now at this point in our careers is how do we get to this point was part of the original question is we love giving back. All of those mentors, those individuals along the way in our career paths who opened the door or asked the tough question or said, "Hey, Jan, or hey Laurie, or Hey Carol, would you be interested? Or what do you think?" Every single one of those individuals, but potentially pay played a big part in our career development because we leaned in.
Carol Sanders:
We were brave and we were willing to listen to the opportunities or challenges that they presented with to us. And so now we're all blessed to be in a situation where we're giving back and mentoring and hopefully participating in very active and productive ways on not only the First Business Bank Board, but on all we do and the other boards that we serve on and the coalitions and all of those that we are now mentoring and leading.
Jan Eddy:
I'd like to add something if it's all right.
Bonnie Van Epps:
Absolutely.
Jan Eddy:
Mentioning Jerry Smith's name, Carol, brings back an opportunity that I had to join a local five person advisory committee or board to give away money. Well, it was called investing back then, but I looked at it because I was the entrepreneurs. Let's just give it to them. I served on that committee with Jerry. I have to say, when I said yes to that for my own set of reasons, never in a million years, would I have guessed that a few years down the road, Jerry would be starting a new bank and call me on his way back from a baseball game in Chicago and said, "Hey, I'm starting a new bank. Would you be interested to be on the board?" I mean, those two things never crossed my mind. So it just is another example of, if you keep yourself open to opportunities and others will recognize in you, your contributions and you will not really have to go looking, they will find you. You just have to be open to say yes.
Laurie Benson:
I would add one observation as I'm listening to Carol and Jan talk that you didn't hear any one of us say, "Let me see if it's convenient." We didn't check our schedules, right? When you have people that approach you so respectfully, it's such an honor, but I think sometimes it's easy to say, "I'm too busy." And there are times in our lives that all of us are, but to be open and not have any drama around the pathway, that's in front of you to embrace it.
Laurie Benson:
And so I just raised that because I appreciate so many people are busy now and a lot of demands on them, but you have to lift your head up and say, what's that path forward and can I contribute? And can I add value? Like you said, Jan. And it's really not about you. It's about what you can enable. And so I never wanted to get in the way of advancing something that was important and I know Jan and Carol feel the same way.
Bonnie Van Epps:
We're already leading right into the question I was going to ask next, which is all about the top two or three keys to your success. I mean, you're all women who have built successful companies and are lead organizations at the highest levels. You've already shared a couple of tips of things that you've done along the way to really open yourself up to those opportunities. What would each of you say are the two or three keys to the success that you've had over the course of your career? And Carol, do you mind if I start with you?
Carol Sanders:
No, I'd be honored. Thank you. It's very interesting because we're now hearing a very recently about significant pushes in diversity, equity and inclusion. I would say as a female professional and a woman in leadership, one of the things that I believe contributed to my success was always willing to be inclusive. I may have been the only woman in the room. I may have been the youngest. I may have been the oldest. I may have been the oddest, that's for sure.
Carol Sanders:
However, I learned at a very, very early point in my career, that being inclusive and again, being open to listening to opportunities, which meant learning to be open to listen to others, that together listening and working together, move the organization forward. And that oftentimes you may individually, each have a blind spot but when you bring in and inclusive team together and work as a team side by side, shoulder to shoulder, you may disagree on a topic, you may disagree on the way forward. However, listening and learning and being open and inclusive to others' ideas, I believe was always one of my strengths.
Carol Sanders:
So I like to believe that part of my success was because that's just how I leaned in and participated, and then eventually led also. I would also say that one of the reasons that I'm successful is because I not only understand my strengths, but I understand my weaknesses. A lot of times what happens in people's careers, like it happened in mind, you succeed very early in your career based on your strengths. If you were educated, or if you were born with those strengths, but that's what gets you to a very early start in the trajectory in your career.
Carol Sanders:
That's the easy part, right? Because that's what you were good at. You may have been good at something in junior high and high school, and you excelled at it in college and then you build an early career to really round out your, and eventually learn to lead others and I believe reach your full capacity. You have to understand what you're not very good at and begin to tackle what you're not very good at and admit it and try to get better because the easy stuff takes you on the first part of the trajectory of your career, but then rounding yourself out and being open and honest. Not everybody is good at everything.
Carol Sanders:
And having the critical thinking skills and the ability and self-awareness to say, I'm not very good at that, once again comes right back to being inclusive, because you reach out to people who are good at something else. And when you bring all those strengths together, you'll move the organization forward.
Bonnie Van Epps:
Yeah. That makes so much sense and probably takes a level of humility to be able to do that too, right? In terms of really looking and identifying what are those areas where I could use a partner or some help or some learning or development around.
Carol Sanders:
I believe Jan and Laurie will automatically agree with this. It takes a lot of laughter, right?
Jan Eddy:
Yes it does.
Carol Sanders:
You need to be able to laugh at yourself, you need to be able to be critical of yourself and not be completely deflated if others are critical of you, because those good mentors, the wonderful leaders that you have an opportunity to work with at times need to be critical, but they're not doing it to be derogatory. They're doing it to help and advance your career. And so laughter and smiles go a long way too.
Jan Eddy:
Right. They surely do.
Bonnie Van Epps:
How about for you, Jan? What are the one or two keys to success?
Jan Eddy:
Well, I'm going to build upon what Carol just mentioned. Not at all was what I was prepared to say, but she triggered a memory for me. It goes to not only recognizing what your strengths are and where the skill set gaps are. But it also ties in with saying yes to opportunity because while I was running my software company and was working long, long hours and I was approached to join the Madison Chamber of Commerce, my initial reaction was what Laurie referred to earlier is I just don't have time. But I also knew that small business was not adequately represented at the chamber and I thought, "Okay, well, someone's got to do it." So I jumped in.
Jan Eddy:
And the rest of this story has to do with building your network and accessing your network. I didn't know what I was doing was building a network back then, but in retrospect it certainly was, and I was asked to head a project for finding an insurance offering for very small businesses. It's not something I had done before, but I thought, "Okay, I mean, I'm a small business. I can relate to this." So I surrounded myself with people who knew and came from various backgrounds and industries. And we did a really great job of doing the market analysis and everything. I had to stand up and give a presentation to the full board. And of course, I mean, I'm just a small business person and I'm giving presentations to the CEOs of some of the largest companies in the Madison area.
Jan Eddy:
And little did I know that that presentation and how I handled myself and led that team in that project would lead to members of the board of directors endorsing me in the future to be board members. Some became my mentors, some became investors. I mean, it is just in credible to me, the difference of combining the prior discussion of taking advantage of an opportunity, even when you feel like perhaps you can hardly fit any more time into your day. And while I did say yes to that opportunity with the expectation it would lead to anywhere, it's often those very naive moments and just providing your own passion towards whatever you're working on, that you start building a network informally and formally.
Jan Eddy:
It's really important that using that network to find your mentors, your coaches, your business advisors, your board members, that's where all of that comes from even if you don't start out to build a network, you just are doing it informally. So just have your antenna up as you go about your normal business week, and saying yes to some opportunities and then reflecting back and using the opportunities and the people that you meet to even further advance you either personally or your business.
Bonnie Van Epps:
Such great advice. Laurie.
Laurie Benson:
Well, as I'm listening, I'm learning a new today. So this is really great and there's some reminders of experiences along the way. For example, something that just jumped out to me, we talk about keys to success, but now I'm not sure there is such a thing as key to success. I think there's key to opportunity, and then you figure out how to get to success. So I just learned that right now, but in terms of success, I would say that from early on that I would always gravitate to powerful visions. Even as small children with my sisters, our parents encouraged us, if something's possible, let's figure out how to make it happen, but you're not going to sit on the sidelines.
Laurie Benson:
So I've never done a reality check or a feasibility analysis, unless I thought there was this big opportunity. I would say a key to success or a key to an opportunity that led to success consistently played out that I always set my sites high. Thinking about the best possible outcomes for everyone involved. I don't have a lot of interest in getting involved in things that are just moving along, but as far as thought leadership, I remember calling Jan, I was getting on an airplane and I'd just joined the First Business Bank Board and I'd been at my first meeting. I was thinking of all the things that we could do to be the best. I called her from an airport and said, "Jan, what do we need to do to be on that short list of companies that thrive regardless of circumstances and there's going to be a Harvard Business Review article written about us?" I mean, I remember doing that. You probably remember getting that call.
Jan Eddy:
I do.
Laurie Benson:
But that to me has been a key to success about, think about what's possible. Then you got to say, what is the worst thing that can happen? And what's most likely because you can balance. You need a healthy dose of pragmatism here, so you don't trip. But I think setting the sites high. The second thing is being true to my deeply held values, beliefs and principles that no matter what the outcomes, I want to be proud of the fact that I held onto those and also make sure I listen to what those values, beliefs and principles are of the others that are included because we want to honor all of those.
Laurie Benson:
And then I would say, don't confuse my self worth with the success of something that I'm leading and our chairman of the board at the time in our tech company, Loren Mortenson said to me once when we were challenged at the beginning and he goes, "Well, I certainly hope you don't confuse your self worth with where we are right now." And I looked up at him and said, "I won't ever again." So I have those words still ring too. And lastly, to acknowledge that success does not happen in neutral. So keep moving forward to your goals and being flexible along the way, but do not stall out, check out or chicken out.
Bonnie Van Epps:
I love that.
Carol Sanders:
I love that Laurie. I like Laurie's new tagline, aim high and stay true to yourself.
Jan Eddy:
Yep. Agreed.
Laurie Benson:
Great. Thank you.
Bonnie Van Epps:
So good.
Laurie Benson:
And I love the laughter. I love the laughter. 10 minutes a day is a must.
Bonnie Van Epps:
No other way to live, right? So this has been so great in terms of just keys to success and different ideas and things that have really helped contribute to your success. What about the flip side of that coin? What are some lessons learned either from mistakes that you've made or seen? What sort of advice could you give to help women either build better businesses or succeed in leadership roles or really to avoid some of those missteps or critical mistakes along the way? Jan, why don't ahead?
Jan Eddy:
Okay. Well, I'll say that don't stay in your head too much, I guess, as you are leading a business or a team, and you're often asked to chart new waters by what you're doing, whether that's in using the latest technology or applying some good old fashioned common sense. Don't let the fear of making the wrong decision, lead you to analysis paralysis. Yes, if you're the leader, the buck stops with you, but unless you're a brain surgeon, no one's going to die from your decisions.
Jan Eddy:
And there's usually time to revisit your course, as you gain new information along the way even if the decision that you made originally was the best possible decision. I guarantee you things are not going to move forward in a straight line. So you need to constantly be gathering new information. Some to verify that you're on the right course, and some is going to be unintended consequence information that you need to absorb, analyze, and react to.
Carol Sanders:
Great theme. I couldn't agree more Jan, decisiveness. Don't be afraid to make a decision. If it's wrong and you need to apologize, that's fine. We're all humans, but you'll learn from it. So be decisive, move forward with pace and learn, continue to learn. That momentum will increase the velocity and will make it easier to make the next decision. And when you make a wrong one, get up and brush it off and move on and learn from it.
Laurie Benson:
And in addition to that, I would say transparency. Make a decision but always have context because left unattended, people come up with their own interpretation of, well, where'd that come from? So provide context in all of your communications. Claim your own space and then ask for help. There's so many people willing to help if you ask and we've talked a little bit about that. I love the thinking that comes with there's no one to impress and many to serve.
Laurie Benson:
And I think as leaders that resonates so true. The more power we give away, the more there is. So it's not a divisible pie and empowering others and moving at the speed of trust. Creating a culture that you can move at the speed of trust is such a positive thing for everybody involved. And lastly, do right by others every time. Do right by others every time you'll be okay. Make sure they are.
Carol Sanders:
I think I would be remiss and failing to point out that we have our esteemed immediate former chair of the nominating and governance committee at our current chair of the nominating and governance committee of the board of directors of First Business and the empowering others and trusting others is at the heart of our governance model. And we do stick significant amount of work and heavy lifting in all the committees. We trust one another, we share our decisions to Laurie's point. We articulate the reasoning behind our decisions, but it makes your board of directors much more effective. And these two ladies are at the heart of the governance of the First Business Board of Directors.
Bonnie Van Epps:
As I'm listening to you talk, I'm hearing a couple of undertones around asking for help and diving in even if you feel like you're already too busy. Do you mind sharing with me a little bit? What does that look like over the course of your careers and as your life stages evolved? Again, as very successful women who probably had lives outside of the business as you are leading and the boards you've been on, what does that look like over the course of your life?
Carol Sanders:
Very natural. I think that's one strength that will him in innately have. We're not afraid to ask one another for help. If it's, "Can you help babysit the kids or can you give me a ride here or pick me up from the airport?" We're not afraid to ask for help because the reciprocation of it comes so naturally. And so if you need help ask, and I think you maybe learned at at a very young age, but somehow over the course of your education or career, you're led to believe that if you ask for help, it's a sign of weakness. I say it's exactly the opposite. It's exactly the opposite. I always ask people, no surprises. Let me know if you need help.
Carol Sanders:
We talk about a project or we talk about deadlines or outcomes or expectations and everybody leave the room and everyone would be happy. And I would presume that everything was going well. People were working on their various aspects of the project. If somebody would raise their hand and ask for help, all it did was bring us back together to increase the likelihood of success. And someone sat idle and frightened to ask for help, then you'd come together as a team back in the good old days in person. We'd come together as a team in a meeting and that's how a project or an initiative could fail because someone had fallen behind and was afraid to ask for help. And so don't be afraid to ask for help and don't be afraid to reciprocate. Offer it. Right. The worst that can happen is that you get turned down.
Jan Eddy:
Going back to the early '80s of my first software company, you guys, I didn't even know what stock options were. I had to find resources that would spend the time with me and help me understand. And I called on a local entrepreneur who had started his company a few years before mine, Bill Linton. And he came over and as a mother of two young little girls, I couldn't make commitments for after hours so to speak. Like after seven o'clock or whatever. So he came over to my office and we did whiteboarding and I asked a gazillion questions.
Jan Eddy:
My kids were playing in the corner and I have never, ever reached out for help from anyone in the greater Madison area that said no to me. And that I have spent the rest of my career trying to give back and pay it forward because there's no nothing better than that rich set of resources that you build that trust relationship with. It's just fabulous.
Laurie Benson:
It's a gift in our lives and I know we've all shared that with each other. And when you talk about that live in our gratitude is a theme we have. Live in our attitude, but one of the things that I would caution is asking for help, all of us get approached every day. And as long as I live and I can at least contribute value into the ask, I'll make time for people nights, weekends, it doesn't matter what it is. We all get the energy to do this because for all the reasons have been shared, but how you ask for help makes a difference. I would strongly recommend be very articulate and specific that I want your help on these two things, because we can't all take on someone's whole business challenge or whatever it is.
Laurie Benson:
So I've actually started a requirement that anyone that's referred to me or asked to meet with me, I say, "Absolutely, I want to make sure our time together is helpful to you. So can you send me two things that you'd love to get from our time together." And most people do it and it's so great for them and it's so great for me, but when somebody says, "Oh, I want to pick your brain." That sounds painful to me. You know? And so I've said, I try not to use that language, but how about telling me exactly. And then the other thing is, if you're asking me, I can transfer that to somebody else. So if somebody says, "Would you talk to me about my business idea?" Well, I can say, "Talk to Jan Eddy." And I've done that before, but as far as-
Jan Eddy:
And vice versa.
Laurie Benson:
Yes. And that's great too, but I think if you ask very specifically and the person knows why you've come to them, it's not transferable and you're going to get those meetings and it's going to be respectful of their time. I just celebrate every one of those, but I think how you ask for help and don't minimize it. Don't surprise them. Send it in advance. Everybody's busy. So how we ask for help is I a significant determinant of the help that we get.
Jan Eddy:
I was going to jump in and say, that also goes to, I think, how all three of us feel about the fact that it's very important to us, that we add value. It's not just our time. It's that we really through the network that we have, through our own personal experiences, and through our own talents that we feel that we have some way to add value to you and your request of us. So any way you can find to express that, that helps us determine that I am the right person. And if I'm not, as long as I know what you're looking for, my network might include someone who does have those specific skill sets that they could add value to you.
Jan Eddy:
So it comes around in a lot of different ways, but just calling and saying, "Can I buy you lunch? I need to either pick your brain or my company's in trouble and I've heard you might be the person to help me." Those are such vague and you're putting your sense of urgency on me, right? And I'd like to determine for myself what that sense of urgency is by knowing what the real issues are.
Bonnie Van Epps:
Carol, you started to touch on this a little bit when you were talking, but I'm curious from your perspective, are there particular business skills that women innately have that are often overlooked or maybe even undervalued in the business world and what are those?
Carol Sanders:
Yes. I can think of three. First is communication. I believe that women are fantastic communicators and it's not only the spoken word. I think women do a fantastic job in the written and also listening and a combination of all of communication skills that women bring, I think, is undervalued dramatically. I think that women are fantastic multitaskers and we all know at any point in our life, in any given day, the ability to multitask and prioritize is extremely important.
Carol Sanders:
There are very few women that I know who are single threaded throughout the day, because as Jan said earlier, life takes left and right turns. So I think women are fantastic multitaskers and women negotiate very, very well. I think women negotiate very, very well because we're compassionate and because loop back to number one, we're good communicators. And so we take cues from the other side, but being able to multitask strong communicators and the power of female negotiation, I think is very often overlooked in the business world.
Jan Eddy:
I totally agree. In fact, communication skills written, verbal was at the top of my list as well, but I also want to say they're great communicators and quite transparent in delivering both good news and bad news situations. And then just to build a little bit on what Carol said earlier about explaining their decisions. I think, I call it positioning the decisions rather than just announcing them as a decree because in positioning your decision, what you're doing is you're sharing the decision process and how it led to the conclusion to your decision. Whereas announcing your decision just as she also said, leaves things open to interpretation based on no information or even worse, bad information.
Jan Eddy:
And then that person feels disconnected from the decision process and may actually be a naysayer going forward. One other thing I wanted to mention in this area might seem a strange thing to say is a strength, but that is that women are often underestimated. If you can find a way to take being underestimated and turn it into a strength, I think you bring a lot of power into the situation. One of my favorite T-shirt slogans is, "Go Ahead and Underestimate Me. This Will Be Fun."
Carol Sanders:
I would never do that, Jan. Believe me.
Laurie Benson:
Likewise. So I think in addition to when we talk about these skills that women innately have, I think it's important to acknowledge that not all women have these skills and others have these skills as well, but from our experience, these rise to the top, and these do you know, if you look at critical success factors, they're going to be right there at the top. So in addition to what Carol and Jan shared, I would say, Carol, you talk about multitasking. Women are accountable. Amidst multiple, but they are accountable. They take accountability. They're resilient. They bounce back if something doesn't work, come right back and try something different.
Laurie Benson:
Empathy. Paying attention to those around you, and then also collaboration. So I can give a perfect example of this. Bonnie, when you invited us, when you sent out a doodle poll, all of us worked together even behind the scenes to make sure we could find a time we could all be here because our collective voice is something we're proud to share. I think that's just a perfect example of we come together naturally in teams, we say, who can help and who's got something to share? And it's a shared success and that's so meaningful. So when women contribute in these roles, sometimes it's almost as though we could be invisible. Like you said, about don't underestimate me.
Laurie Benson:
It's okay if nobody sees us. We're not seeking the limelight. And you can move around freely with that kind of environment and really make an impact. So I love that working in teams, collaborating, having empathy, being resilient and accountable. But to me, my favorite, if we're allowed to have favorites is acting with courage.
Bonnie Van Epps:
That is a beautiful way to wrap up this segment of this podcast. I can't thank the three of you enough for participating today in what has been just an enlightening and such an important discussion. And also to thank our audience members for listening today. We ask that you please visit us at firstbusiness.bank to check out other resources we offer for business owners and leaders. We invite you to experience the advantage with First Business Bank. If there's a way we can help, please reach out to us.
Speaker 1:
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