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Trish Thomas 0:11
Well, welcome to Advantum health, women’s History Month roundtable.
I’m so happy to welcome Katie and Brittany here with me.
My name’s Trish Thomas and I’m the marketing and communications lead at Advantum.
To just fill you in on what we’re going to be discussing today in our roundtable conversation, well, women’s History Month traces its history back to the first International Women’s Day in 1911.
It’s observed to highlight the contributions of women to key events in history and contemporary society and culture.
Women represent a large percentage not only of advantum’s workforce, but also our leadership as well.
In honor of Women’s History Month, we just wanted to talk today to a few of our rock star women at Advantum to learn what role women in history have played with them in their life and their career, and how their advancing their own legacy of influence, innovation and progress.
So I hope you really enjoy our conversation.
I’m going to start by just letting my cohorts introduce themselves.
So, Katie, do you want to start?
Kathryn Haring 1:22
Scenario absolutely.
And Trish, thank you so much.
This is a near and dear topic to myself, so I’m very honored to be at the Roundtable today.
My name is Catherine Haring.
Umm, but I actually am the director of business development here at advantumhealth.
Feels like I’ve been here forever, which isn’t a bad thing.
I enjoy it very much and I work closely with our successful sales team, but very much enjoy being here and being a part of the team.
Trish Thomas 1:55
Love it?
How about you, Brittany?
Brittany Robinson 1:57
Umm hello.
I have been with Advantum now since December and I am an implementation specialist and a client success manager.
So I have two roles and I work very closely with our VP of Processes here, so I love it here.
I love advantum.
I’m not leaving.
Kathryn Haring 2:16
Britney is killing it, by the way, doing a great job.
Trish Thomas 2:16
E sorry.
Brittany Robinson 2:19
Thank you.
Trish Thomas 2:19
Killing it on two jobs, I love it.
Umm well to kick us off, I’d like to hear from each of you about an influential woman in history or even in your own life experience who’s inspired you to become the person you are today.
I’ll kind of kick us off.
I had a really interesting experience with Colleen Abdullah, a professional woman that was the former CEO of Wow Networks, a big cable company in the Midwest and one of the Colleen’s best pieces of advice them to myself and some other women.
One time that she was speaking was about weighing our words very carefully and she said she never said anything unless first considering if it was kind, necessary and true, and if it was not.
All three of those things she did not share it, and I have told myself that advice so many times when I wanted to like, you know, unleash a judgment on somebody, or fire an email off without thinking about it or whatever.
Share my opinion when it wasn’t asked for and so I’ve always remembered that sage advice kind necessary and true.
So, Brittany, how about you?
Brittany Robinson 3:30
Umm.
Trish Thomas 3:32
What’s a story about a woman who inspired you?
Brittany Robinson 3:35
Well, it was kind of hard for me to just pick one, but I’m definitely gonna say my mother and my grandmother.
I’m going to say as a bin, not only a woman, but an African American woman, I deal with a lot of stereotypical and bias Ness from other people.
And having my mother and my grandmother have been a pillars of my strength and wisdom.
They instilled in me the importance of self confidence and resilience and remind me that I am the author of my own story.
So the guidance that they’ve taught me is never let someone else’s doubts and perceptions define my worth.
So and that is how I became who I am today.
Trish Thomas 4:09
Fantastic advice.
And how about you Katie?
Kathryn Haring 4:12
Well, I can’t say.
My mother, my grandmother, that it’s.
Is that I was trying to do a little different than Brittany, but I honestly I really can’t give.
I feel it’s a little unfair to give credit to just one.
I’ve been very blessed to have a multitude of women in my life, whether they were family, dear friends, even women, who have been challenging in my life.
I give thanks to it’s helped me grow into the person I am today and video I really.
I really couldn’t just tie it down to one person, but since I’ve come here to advance him been very, very blessed to have wonderful mentors and leaders help guide me through my growth here.
Trish Thomas 5:04
Wonderful.
I couldn’t agree more.
Umm.
Mentorship for women is really, really powerful in changing our career trajectories.
Brittany Robinson 5:10
Umm.
Trish Thomas 5:13
Umm.
On that subject, let let’s talk about the visibility of women and how important it is to see the stories of smart, powerful, successful women amplified in the media and in our cultural storytelling.
How pivotal has it been for both of you to just see women more prominently displayed and society and on the airwaves?
Kathryn Haring 5:33
Isn’t it wonderful?
Trish Thomas 5:35
It’s wonderful.
Brittany Robinson 5:35
Yes.
Kathryn Haring 5:37
I I have to say I think just being an amplifying the narrative on that is, I think, helped dismantle the stereotypes, promote equality.
And I also think it’s empowered women to pursue their aspirations without limitations.
Trish Thomas 5:55
So.
And how about you, Brittany?
Brittany Robinson 5:56
E Yes, I have to.
I have to 2nd that she kind of took mine a little bit, but I’m just gonna say seeing is believing.
I’m I think that right now in our culture that with media it runs a lot of people’s mindsets.
So, and it definitely empowers them so to see more women in powerful and successful roles will push other people to know that, you know, you can do whatever you want to do.
Trish Thomas 6:23
Yeah.
And we’re not just seeing that with women now, but even more diverse UM visibility.
Brittany Robinson 6:28
Yes.
Trish Thomas 6:29
So it it’s incredibly important.
I couldn’t agree more.
Umm, talking both of you mentioned people in your personal lives.
And Katie, you particularly mentioned kind of mentorship in your career.
How do women leaders impact the performance of a company or team?
You know, at advantum we have a lot.
How does it make a difference having women at the helm?
You know, women with a seat at the leadership table.
Brittany Robinson 6:54
E.
Kathryn Haring 6:56
Maybe it’s inspiring.
I look at the some of my fellow women and leadership and you know, we it’s important to feel heard, to feel like we have a seat at the table.
We’ve earned the seat at the table.
Umm.
Brittany Robinson 7:11
E umm.
Kathryn Haring 7:12
So for me, it’s just been wonderful.
Brittany Robinson 7:16
Yeah.
It’s nice to to feel valued, to know that, you know, there’s other women here that you know, started off just like us.
Kathryn Haring 7:19
Yes.
Brittany Robinson 7:25
And you know, they have all worked themselves up at the ladder and done exactly what they needed to do and didn’t let anyone stop them.
And I think that’s powerful within itself.
I mean to have that type of encouragement in house is wonderful.
Trish Thomas 7:40
It really is and I don’t know about both of you, but you know, I think the modeling piece is really important.
You know, like like you mentioned, Brittany being able to see somebody in a place that you could be.
But I think also women lead a little bit differently than men, don’t they?
It’s.
Brittany Robinson 7:54
Yes.
Trish Thomas 7:55
Yeah, it’s.
There’s just, I don’t know, there’s a different energy.
There’s some different choices that are made.
There’s we need both.
You know, we need that complementary mail and female energy, but women leaders definitely bring a different way of critical thinking and problem solving.
And sometimes, emotional support for the people under them.
Brittany Robinson 8:12
Umm.
Trish Thomas 8:14
I think that’s really, really important.
Brittany Robinson 8:18
E.
Trish Thomas 8:19
Let’s talk about women in Advantum, since that’s all of our current workplace in both of your view, I’d love to hear.
Like what is advantum doing to elevate and showcase women in their ideas and just kind of gut check?
How are we doing as a company?
Brittany Robinson 8:35
I think we’re doing well.
I mean, look at our leadership.
We we have, although we have a good mixture, but we do have a lot of women that are in leadership roles and like I said, they’re they’re great advocates that you know, you can do it as well.
You know, with, with mentorship and resilience, you can be here too.
So I think that is awesome to to see that because I have worked in a lot of corporations where it has been a lot of mill dominant roles and it just makes you feel valued and heard sometimes.
And then also to like you said, they as women, we hold a lot of more empathy.
We pay attention to detail a little bit more.
It’s just a lot of different areas that would not have been hit in other corporations that I feel like it’s definitely hit here in advantum.
So I think they do a great job.
Kathryn Haring 9:27
I I think you hit the nail on the head, Britney, and is exactly that.
And I think just being again valued being heard, there’s a lot of we hold a lot of positions that influence our decision making within the organization.
And but I I think I nailed it.
Trish Thomas 9:47
Well, Tammy Taylor, our female CEO will be very happy to hear that when she watches this podcast.
Umm do either of you have any ideas for improving the visibility of women and building respect for women’s contributions in the world?
Are there some places where you see a gap?
Maybe it’s something we can do here at advantium or at home.
Maybe it’s something bigger you’d like to see play out at a societal level.
Brittany Robinson 10:14
I think that these types of things need to happen more, and I think that it should be spoke about more in the media, social media, on TV because like I said, in our culture those are driving, you know, points for a lot of our younger generation.
So if we could televise that, if we can put that more out there that you know, these are women leaders that are doing great things in our communities.
And to be honest, like inventing, we’re doing things all over the world, you know?
So it’s not even just in, just in the community to think that we are providing, you know, jobs and other places outside of just locally here in Louisville, KY is amazing.
So I mean, just putting that out there, that these people are making these changes and doing great things in our world.
I think that just needs to be amplified.
Trish Thomas 11:05
Yeah, I echo that.
Kathryn Haring 11:05
Yeah.
Trish Thomas 11:06
That’s what this roundtable is all about.
How about you, Katie?
Kathryn Haring 11:09
Exactly, exactly that.
I think just more of it.
I think this year and last year, I think it’s been tremendously amplified.
You know, we’ve had the world of Barbie.
We’ve got Taylor Swift.
Brittany Robinson 11:19
Mm-hmm.
Kathryn Haring 11:20
You know you have these women who are really out there and just be empowering.
Umm, you know, I saw this this podcast and they asked.
Brittany Robinson 11:25
Umm.
Kathryn Haring 11:30
They went around and asked everybody, named the first CEO that comes to mind and everyone’s, you know, Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos.
And but no ones thinking.
You know, there’s no Catherine Graham.
There’s no Ursula burns.
I want to hear those names.
Those names should be out.
The fact that come first and foremost, so I Yep.
Trish Thomas 11:51
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
Well, I will say we have a women in leadership feature every month here at advantum.
So that is a great place that people who are listening to our roundtable can go and get to know some of the amazing women on the workforce here at advantum.
Umm, we’re always creating history as we we move through life, right.
Let’s kind of circle back to Women’s History Month when you think about the future of women and what we can offer young women and girls growing up today, what do each of you feel as most important for you to share or model for them?
Like what?
Personally, do you try to model for the young women watching you?
Kathryn Haring 12:40
And so being a mother of two daughters, uh, I asked this very question to both of them, not just even just a week ago, I said, you know, I check in with them.
Brittany Robinson 12:43
E.
Kathryn Haring 12:50
How am I do?
And you know, as a mom who work, where can we do better?
And and my oldest?
I asked her this question and my little ones like Mom never never say no, never take no for an answer, you know, and my oldest daughter, she said.
I think the best advice that you’ve given me is just always being in a positive mindset.
Umm.
And then also I think for me it’s just forget likability.
Forget about being liked, because when you’re so worried about offending other people or twisting yourself to fit in you, you forget you’re so more concerned about being accepted and everyone saying yes and getting along that you you aren’t true to your own story and without that you you can’t grow and you deserve a seat at the table.
Brittany Robinson 13:19
Umm.
Kathryn Haring 13:47
Like I said earlier, but and to be honest, if you you shouldn’t have to twist yourself to the first people to like you.
So, umm, there’s always gonna be someone who likes you.
Brittany Robinson 13:54
That’s right.
Kathryn Haring 13:58
And if you have the right people who like you, then you’ve got the right people on your team.
So forget likeability.
I think it’s we’re so worried.
I think it’s taught to us as young girls to always feel like we fit in, and that’s simply not true.
You deserve the respect.
Brittany Robinson 14:14
Umm.
Kathryn Haring 14:15
Not just to be liked.
Trish Thomas 14:15
Yep, authenticity is as critical.
Brittany Robinson 14:17
How?
Yes, I would have to say for me, I always like I do a lot of volunteer work with children, so I always let him know that sometimes that you’ll have to do it alone.
You won’t always have cheerleaders.
You won’t always have someone in your corner, and that is OK to have that.
Sometimes you have to be your own support system and stand in your own power.
Don’t ever allow anyone doubt to perception or any of that to determine who you are and what you can do.
I think sometimes we allow we’re our own worst enemies sometimes in our head where would just be like, oh, no, I can’t do this.
This is too hard and I always let him know.
Listen the the hardest things comes with the biggest, biggest results.
You know you’re going to be able to to take those things and those trails and tribulations that you went through, and it’ll be a learning experience at the end of the day.
And you’re going to overcome that and know that you are way more powerful than you ever gave yourself credit for her.
So I think just just standing in your own power is important for women because we can have a lot of doubts around in US and negative thoughts from others and ourselves.
So just remembering that.
Trish Thomas 15:29
Yeah.
Yeah. Absolutely.
Umm, I love that cause I think you know as much as we’re always talking about the people that inspire us, the people that helped make us who we are, it’s important to remember that we’re shaping the lives of other people every day, as all of us just walk through the world, right.
Brittany Robinson 15:46
Right.
Trish Thomas 15:46
So how we do that?
How we hold ourselves, what we model for other people, really has a lot of lasting impact.
Umm in closing, is there an inspiring or an impactful woman in history that you kind of want to send a shout out to somebody whose story you love?
Brittany Robinson 16:01
E.
Trish Thomas 16:03
Somebody that you know that really left it left a mark on you do you can either of you think of anybody?
Kathryn Haring 16:11
So, and I might have to sell Britney’s first answer.
Brittany Robinson 16:12
Go ahead.
Kathryn Haring 16:18
I really I really have to thank my mom.
Umm, she’s probably the most inspiring person I know, and the best person in the whole world to me.
So she inspires me every day and and reminds me to stay positive.
Trish Thomas 16:33
Yes.
Kathryn Haring 16:33
And I can never talk about her that getting emotional, of course.
But she always had this crazy idea that I could just do anything and be anything and just, you know, she even brought me here to life.
So have to think, Mom.
Trish Thomas 16:49
That’s beautiful.
Brittany Robinson 16:51
I’m gonna say my.
Trish Thomas 16:51
Have I seen Brittany?
Brittany Robinson 16:56
It’s gonna totally kill me because she’s gonna be, like history.
We are nine years apart.
So she played a big, big part in my life and pushing me, my, my parents and I have a lot of money, but she got to make sure she got full ride scholarships to Fisk University.
She did everything that she was supposed to do.
And what she said she was gonna do and more.
So I think just watching her grow in and exhale and say, Oh my God, I don’t wanna be like her, you know, she she did everything that she said she was gonna do in life anymore.
So it’s beautiful to see that and especially so close to me being in my home, you know, growing up with her.
So you don’t have to save my sister.
She’s the best and she’s a therapist.
So she lets me dump all of my my anxiety and things on Earth.
Kathryn Haring 17:41
That’s sisters are for, you know, I love that.
Trish Thomas 17:43
That’s handy to have in the family.
You’ll always get advice from your sister, but you get actual professional advice from your sister.
Brittany Robinson 17:50
Yes, yes.
Kathryn Haring 17:51
Yeah, I think that I think that’s so important to the sisterhood and women hood.
Brittany Robinson 17:52
And she never judges.
Kathryn Haring 17:56
We having a sister myself too.
Brittany, what’s really great is that they check us too, so it’s not.
Brittany Robinson 18:02
Yes.
Kathryn Haring 18:03
You’re not just getting someone who’s telling you.
Yes, cuz there’s a tiered of mode.
If they tell you how it really is, so I agree with you on that.
Brittany Robinson 18:08
That’s right.
Trish Thomas 18:11
Oh yeah, for sure.
It’s interesting.
I’ll close with some impactful women for me, but I guess it was about a year ago I went with a friend to see a little play.
That was off Broadway called stuffs.
That was about the suffragettes and the women’s right to vote movement, and I was so happy to see that.
I think it’s just made it to Broadway.
It’s really taken off and it’s grown and I’m that’s a beautiful story, you know of women just kind of standing together to earn a right that had been withheld for a very long time.
Kathryn Haring 18:34
Umm.
Trish Thomas 18:41
So anyway, I was excited to see that, you know, like I said, that play that musical take off.
So, umm and the suffragettes were they were quite something.
They really stood firm.
Umm well, thank you both so much for joining.
This was a really fun conversation.
I’m so happy to close out Women’s History Month, strong chatting with the two of you.
Any closing thoughts?
Or shall we wrap this up?
Brittany Robinson 19:08
We can wrap it up.
Trish, thank you so much.
Kathryn Haring 19:10
Yeah.
Brittany Robinson 19:10
I appreciate that this is wonderful.
Kathryn Haring 19:11
Thank you very much.
Trish Thomas 19:13
Absolutely a wonderful conversation.
Well, we’ll have more round tables from Advantumhealth to come and thank all of you for listening.