Fun Fact: A woman wrote the first book on space travel
Katherine Johnson, known for helping pioneer the space age, was rejected by NASA the first time she applied to help them manually compute the numbers that would help send the first men into orbit. Nevertheless, she persisted and would become a part of a team of women who would provide human verification for the computations needed to ensure the astronauts’ safety and to land the first men on the moon. She’d go on to help co-author one of the first textbooks on space while working for NASA.
Today is International Women’s Day - a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women globally, making National Women's History Month all that more special. We’re excited to continue recognizing Integrate’s female employees with #IntegrateHer, a month-long program showcasing stories of their challenges, contributions, and learnings across their diverse careers. Check out more of what they had to say below.
Abby Grip
Manager, Customer Success
- What do you love most about your role at Integrate?
I love that my role is focused on helping people be successful whether it is my team or the customer. Seeing their success is my success.
- What are you most proud of (personally, professionally, or both)?
Professionally, I am most proud of seeing the people I have trained and mentored grow to be star performers in their role. Personally, I am most proud of growing two healthy humans and keeping them alive...so far!
- What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?
Doing something outside like hiking, paddleboarding or skiing.
- What's one thing that can instantly make your day better?
Flowers.
- What is one piece of advice you would tell your younger self?
Don't undervalue yourself. You have a unique point of view that is worth being heard.
- As the focus of International Women's Day turns to #BreaktheBias, please feel free to share if and how gender biases may have impacted your role over the years. And is there something that you feel organizations need to focus more on or that you'd like to see more of in the coming year?
Navigating motherhood is where I have felt most impacted by my gender in the workforce. I think organizations need to place a priority on offering fully paid maternity leave benefits and resources for mothers as they return to the workforce. Women return to work after having a baby because they want to be there either because they are passionate about the work that they do or out of needing to provide for their family. Both motivators produce a fiercely hard working employee that you want to invest in keeping on your team.
Melissa Malcom
Customer Success Manager (Operations)
- What do you love most about your role at Integrate?
The flexibility it allows me, the ability to interact globally with customers on a leading edge product, and the ability to use my experience as part of a growing team.
- What are you most proud of (personally, professionally, or both)?
After losing my husband to brain cancer when my daughter was 5, I have raised her alone, balancing my work life and raising a great kid. Professionally, I took a few years away from the corporate world to be able to do what I needed to do and then came back when she entered high school.
- What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?
Meeting with friends or family for a meal, doing the farmer's market with my daughter when she is interested in still hanging out with me and hanging out in the back swimming in the pool.
- What's one thing that can instantly make your day better?
A text from my daughter hearing about something joyful that has happened to her at school and knowing I'm still valued enough for her to share that with me immediately.
- What is one piece of advice you would tell your younger self?
Align yourself with a good mentor professionally to help you grow and learn how to balance stress in the workplace by meeting with that mentor frequently.
- As the focus of International Women's Day turns to #BreaktheBias, please feel free to share if and how gender biases may have impacted your role over the years. And is there something that you feel organizations need to focus more on or that you'd like to see more of in the coming year?
When I first started my career, I worked in professional motorsports (auto racing) and it is a male dominated industry. I've been asked to "fetch" this and that over my time - particularly when I worked in our UK office. After I left that company, I worked very hard to be a valued part of a leadership team, balancing my family and career. Over the years I've had to face a struggle particularly with men specifically who had a wife who didn't work outside of the home understanding the value I needed to play as mother and father in my daughter's life and balancing time outside of traditional office hours. I've been very fortunate that I've generally had very understanding managers when they are male with only about one exception. I think companies have started focusing on the non-traditional family and balancing that with remote work when needed.
Chelsie Anderson
Strategic Customer Success Leader
- What do you love most about your role at Integrate?
I enjoy inspiring and mentoring fellow Integrators. I also enjoy strategizing with our customers and mapping out success and celebrating their success
- What are you most proud of (personally, professionally, or both)?
Professionally, I started at Integrate almost 10 years ago. As Jeremy Bloom once told my team, I didn't know a lot about the industry when I first started. I leaned in, learned, and really immersed myself in the industry, challenges, and pain points. I've been able to grow and evolve as the industry changed, and I’ve also been able to grow into different roles and opportunities at Integrate.
Personally, I'm most proud of my ability to be able to be adventurous. Pre-pandemic I was fond of taking a solo trip to a different country. The excitement of seeing a new place, sitting in a restaurant. and striking up a conversation with the person next to you, and having the opportunity to reset yourself is a very rewarding experience.
I am actually planning my next trip, maybe Croatia or Portugal this summer.
- What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?
Being a tourist in my own city or state
- What's one thing that can instantly make your day better?
My rescue dog, Henry!
- What is one piece of advice you would tell your younger self?
Be in charge of your own happiness! Take the solo trip, do the things that you want to do but are nervous or scared of, buy the purse or outfit, and always get the dessert!
Britney Bazinet
Customer Success Manager
- What do you love most about your role at Integrate?
Working alongside a team that makes me better every day! Shoutout Squad 1!!
- What are you most proud of (personally, professionally, or both)?
I'm proud of my growth here at integrate. Over the past 4 years, I have had the opportunity to work in various roles and on multiple teams. I am proud that in my time here I have been able to learn from such strong female leaders!
- What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?
In a lounge chair at the beach.
- What's one thing that can instantly make your day better?
Fresh air, sunshine, or scrolling through the #doggos Slack channel.
- What is one piece of advice you would tell your younger self?
Don't sweat the small stuff.
Leslie Reilly
Manager, Customer Success
- What do you love most about your role at Integrate?
Helping customers see the value in their investment with Integrate.
- What are you most proud of (personally, professionally, or both)?
Being a mentor to newer CSMs on the team. Watching them develop in their role. It’s nice to think that if I can make even a small contribution it may help an individual's advancement both with Integrate and beyond.
- What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?
Taking my dog for a walk in the woods. Nothing better than watching him run around with his tail wagging.
- What's one thing that can instantly make your day better?
When something I've shared with a customer or colleague has helped answer a question or solved a problem.
- What is one piece of advice you would tell your younger self?
Don't be afraid to try something new. You can spend too much time in an unhappy situation because you fear change more. Don't obsess on what might go wrong, but rather focus on all that might go right!
