Additional Resources & Community Discussions
Community Discussions
Share a question and an update in the Slack channel.
Conversations during the call
00:04:33 Ellen Guthrie: Hi Jen!
00:04:34 Kelley Jabr: Hello!
00:05:41 Kelley Jabr: I’m in Austin, so it’s a hellscape here right now. But I have power and internet, so I thought this might be a nice thing to do to keep my mind off things. 🙂
00:05:57 Kelley Jabr: (But y’know, limited video & voice for me right now.)
00:07:16 ada chen: Turning my video on when I get back upstairs, my dog is giving me a guilt trippy look
00:10:41 Kelley Jabr: That’s a great quote!
00:17:48 Aleta Williams: “I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I always knew the woman I wanted to be.” DIane Von Furstenburg
00:17:59 Belma McCaffrey: I love that quote!
00:18:05 Belma McCaffrey: Such a powerful one
00:20:05 Aleta Williams: Spent college getting an electrical engineering degree and ended up in software. Have never worked as an engineer.
00:20:37 Belma McCaffrey: Jen!!! <3 <3
00:23:15 Brittany Burns: Me too!
00:25:26 ada chen: SO true – like literally I will bend over backwards for this job!
00:26:36 Belma McCaffrey: Jen – you are amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing here and being vulnerable. It’s a huge act of service to everyone here / all of us.
00:26:45 Elizabeth Evans: Don’t you think gender bias plays a role in our inclination to start with the inclination to adjust for others instead of starting with our inherent value?
00:27:20 Aleta Williams: Embarrassed but relieved…that is me
00:27:23 Belma McCaffrey: Powerful question Elizabeth…that can definitely play a role but as I hear Jen speak I also think adjusting for others happens when we’re not grounded
00:28:00 Belma McCaffrey: Aleta <3
00:28:22 Elizabeth Evans: Yes, the lack of grounding comes first. Makes sense.
00:28:45 Belma McCaffrey: I think bias too though! It definitely feeds into all the struggles women experience
00:32:53 ada chen: That’s so cool that the whole company is focused around learning and skill building 🙂
00:33:09 Belma McCaffrey: Yes – so aligned for you, Jen!
00:34:17 Aleta Williams: Definitely resonates with me
00:34:45 Kelley Jabr: LOVE that mission statement!!!
00:34:53 Dana Wakeley: I love it!
00:35:08 Corina Aoi: Thank you!
00:35:21 Kait Edwards: Thank you for sharing!!
00:35:29 Ellen Guthrie: Thanks, Jen!
00:35:36 Stacey Rice: Yes. It is so nice to know we’re not alone. 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
00:35:57 Neena Stephen: Echoing, thank you so much!
00:36:08 ada chen: Yes, thank you thank you!
00:36:17 Stephanie Hughes: Thanks Jen. Apologies – I need to sign off.
00:36:35 Kalena Michalec: Woo! Same 🙂
00:37:08 Brittany Burns: Hi Jen. Thanks for sharing! I recently had an interview where when I said “I want to help people,” the interviewer replied “then wouldn’t working at a hospital fulfill your values more?” How do you explain to people about the self-fulfillment you get from helping a company that aligns with your values as opposed to literally doing the value-work?
00:37:24 ada chen: Oh my god, Brittany – I’ve gotten the same question before
00:37:29 ada chen: It’s so frustrating!
00:37:32 Kait Edwards: One of the hardest parts of the mission work for me has been putting it all together. Can you share more about how you got from the exercises to action.
00:38:47 Stacey Rice: There’s a woman I know (in her 60s) who said she’s on her 8th career and who knows what the next one will be!
00:41:04 Ellen Guthrie: Great call out, @Kait!
00:42:10 Neena Stephen: yes, the “oh shit” moment 😬
00:42:45 ada chen: Hahaha yes, the “oh shit” is so real
00:42:55 Kait Edwards: I was making good progress and had a draft, and then my baby came 2 months early haha 🙁
00:44:32 ada chen: It’s definitely scary and stressful – even a little more than a year out from having my moment, I still experience self-doubt 🙂
00:44:35 Corina Aoi: I can relate to Kait about when a baby comes into the pic…so much harder to drive the action that has to come along with strategizing career.
00:44:49 Kait Edwards: Yes, that’s a whole new challenge now!
00:44:51 Corina Aoi: Your baby becomes your new project!
00:45:18 ada chen: As many of my old coworkers used to say, a baby is the “ultimate product management project”
00:45:28 Corina Aoi: And that’s ok. I found that having my child actually helped solidify even more about what my mission was…wonder if you have the same changing thought post birth.
00:45:46 Belma McCaffrey: 100% Corina!
00:45:52 Belma McCaffrey: LOL Ada!! Love that
00:46:39 Dana Wakeley: I have to jump early. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences! 🙂
00:46:45 Corina Aoi: New twist on DIane Von Furstenburg quote : “I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I always knew the Mother I wanted to be.”
00:47:46 Corina Aoi: Letting being the mother I want to be guide what I want to emulate for her in my work. What do I want to feel when people ask my daughter “what does your mommy do?”
00:48:13 Belma McCaffrey: That’s a powerful way to look at it Corina!
00:49:32 Brittany Burns: Yes! Sorry for the odd-worded question, Jen 🙂
00:49:44 ada chen: Belma, we totally had a 1:1 session on this haha
00:49:44 Stacey Rice: A bit condescending, too.
00:50:02 Stacey Rice: This reminds me of the TED talk you have in one of the sections…
00:50:03 Belma McCaffrey: Ada, yes!!!
00:50:24 Brittany Burns: Yes! After I went through it they totally weren’t going to fulfill my value requirements cause they didn’t have theirs figured out as well
00:50:25 Belma McCaffrey: Stacey – the find you’re WHY talk?
00:51:14 Stacey Rice: I can’t remember. It’s with the Scottish gentleman…. who worked on an oil rig.
00:51:27 Belma McCaffrey: Ohh yes the values talk!
00:51:54 Belma McCaffrey: Kait that’s a great way to look at it and a way to let go of that pressure.
00:52:03 Kait Edwards: yes!
00:52:06 Stacey Rice: Yes! The person who interviewed Brittany might want to watch that!
00:52:13 Belma McCaffrey: HAHAHA!!!
00:52:17 Brittany Burns: Hahahah
00:52:19 Kelley Jabr: lol
00:52:27 Debbie Duncan: 🙂
00:54:12 Corina Aoi: Similarly, my boss used the concept of OKRs to help me develop my own career OKRs….using the “product management” technique to manage my career like it was a product.
00:55:24 Belma McCaffrey: Yes the emotional is key!
00:55:38 Belma McCaffrey: That’s where the fulfillment comes from
00:56:16 Kelley Jabr: Lol Corina, I can definitely relate
00:56:43 Kelley Jabr: One nice thing about the company I work for is that they are pretty Geta about encouraging us to look for roles we’re interested in throughout the company
00:58:15 Kalena Michalec: What are some of the interview questions you asked to see if the company’s values are actively being enacted within the company? I currently align with my company’s values, one reason I accepted the role, but found them not aligning with them more often than not and want to try and be more intentional in the interview process once that happens (hopefully soon!).
00:59:48 Kelley Jabr: Lol I am regularly asked “how can we make you more successful/engaged/etc?” And I always say “I don’t know” because my role just doesn’t really fit with what energizes me 🙁
01:00:07 Corina Aoi: For anyone interested in how OKRs work: https://rework.withgoogle.com/guides/set-goals-with-okrs/steps/introduction/
01:00:27 Corina Aoi: Ada you’re speaking my language haha
01:00:58 Kait Edwards: thanks for sharing that!
01:00:59 Brittany Burns: Good point, Ada
01:01:04 Neena Stephen: great great point!!
01:01:42 ada chen: Definitely still processing how it all went down (and it has been about a year since I left), but always happy to talk about it with anyone here 🙂
01:02:06 Corina Aoi: This career strategy for me has been 2 years in the making because 1) maternity leave and 2) manager…finally got a manager more invested in the career development of the people he manages
01:02:47 Kalena Michalec: Love that, thank you!
01:02:50 ada chen: That’s sooo good
01:03:15 Stacey Rice: Love it!
01:03:30 ada chen: @Corina – having a supportive manager is so key, so glad it sounds like you have that
01:03:56 Stacey Rice: Jen, thank you so much!!!!
01:03:58 Kait Edwards: thank you all! Great chat!
01:04:02 Elizabeth Evans: Thanks especially for the reminder that WE interview the employer as much as they interview us in a job search
01:04:05 Debbie Duncan: Thank you so much!! So much appreciated. Loved your story – thank you for sharing!
01:04:08 ada chen: Thank you Jen!!!
01:04:12 Neena Stephen: thank you so much Jen!
01:04:14 Kristin Chasky: Thank you so much for sharing!!
01:04:18 Kelley Jabr: Thank you, Jen!
01:04:19 Brittany Burns: Thank you Jen, very insightful!
01:04:22 Kalena Michalec: Thank you, Jen! I really appreciate the perspective of someone who career transitioned and pivoted. Super helpful and encouraging 🙂
01:04:32 Stacey Rice: Please do post them! Thank you!
01:04:35 Corina Aoi: Thanks so much Jen!
01:04:38 Kelly Chen: Thank you so much!
01:04:39 Corina Aoi: And thank you Belma and everyone!
01:04:42 Aleta Williams: Is it nice to hear someone experienced the same thing as me and is overcoming it.