Woman of the Week: Shelly Stotzer

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Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Shelly Stotzer

My Current Job/Company:
Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer / Highlights for Children

My Birthdate:
04.03.1972

My Work:
I lead an amazing team of people who are focused on extending the Highlights mission of “helping children become their best selves.” My work includes aligning a diverse team of analytics, operations, brand communications, domestic and international sales & marketing, and strategic planning leaders to work within our values system to drive profitable business growth. I believe we can do the right things, in the right ways.

My Passion:
People. Giving people the benefit of the doubt, being open-minded and respectful.

My Family:
I have a supportive husband, Joe and two kind, smart, loving and funny daughters – Cambria, age 9 and Ava, age 7. Our family also includes our anxious rescue Goldendoodle, Max.

My Heroes:
My Grandmother. She was a strong, passionate, loving woman. She knew how to laugh and how to love.

My Escape:
The outdoors, especially the beach. I also love a great cup of coffee in the tranquility of our backyard.

My Pet Peeve:
When files are distributed without the right print settings (what a waste of time for all recipients) and when a question is answered with “Because that’s how we’ve always done it.” (Really, is that an acceptable explanation?)

My Indulgence:
Massage. I shoot for once every 6-8 weeks, but would like one every day.

My Roots:
Assiduous, frugal, family-focused, simple and grateful.

My Future:
Is what I make of it……it looks full, positive, productive and fun.

My Love:
Hugs from my daughters, the words “I love you, Mom,” and genuine and deep friendship.

My Movie:
“Mary Poppins.” The timeless message in the story and the combination of fantasy and reality makes it one of the only movies I’ve watched multiple times. Plus, who doesn’t want to sing “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” once in a while?

My Quote on Life:
“Anything is possible.”

My Accessory:
Optimism. Does that count? I try to wear it every day.

My Advice to Young Women:
Surround yourself with a variety of amazing women who lift you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Take the high road, even when it’s easier to take the alternative. And, always lift others.

How I Balance it All:
Having clear priorities and resetting them as new information becomes available. There is ALWAYS a way to do what’s most important. At first, the solution just might not be obvious or comfortable. Keep searching. You CAN take that business meeting AND make it to your daughter’s recital.

Marissa Mayer’s Doing Telecommuters a Favor

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Marissa Mayer’s decision to pull the plug on telecommuting at Yahoo! has sparked worldwide debate over its necessity and wisdom.

Obviously, Marissa is taking measures to turn around a floundering business. She said Yahoo! needs “all hands on deck” to get things going in the right direction again. And, earlier this week, the New York Times reported that the decision was made in part, to boost morale. With more than 200 employees working from home, and plenty of empty cubicles as a result, it’s easy to see how the energy of a workplace could be affected.

But what about the telecommuters themselves? Could this actually be a good thing for their careers? Could getting themselves out of their yoga pants and into the office for some networking and face time help them get ahead?

One of our community members, Tish Hevel, a communications consultant, believes that it could. As a work-at-homer herself, Tish shares her perspective in her post, “The Case for Showing up.”

Tish writes, “As a regular member of the no-commute club, I know there are definite advantages to staying in your own pajamas in your own home and petting your own big black dog while working. It saves time, money and wear and tear – on your car, wardrobe and psyche. For certain functions, it’s possible to be much more productive and focused. But over the long haul, and as a routine arrangement for full-time employees…there’s really no argument. It’s a bad idea.”

Tish continues to explain how valuable face time is to morale, relationships and work.

“Simply put,” Tish says, “the presence of people matters – no matter how imperfect, inconvenient and yes, insensitive they can be. I’m with Marissa. I remind myself of this on the days I grudgingly shower, get dressed, slap on some lipstick and scrape the snow from my car. Sales managers love to say it, and I believe they’re on to something. (Thank you John Potter.) You start differentiating yourself when you show up.”

To read Tish’s entire article, click here.

What do you think? Could this be a good career move for those who work from home? Share in the comments!

Being a Mom May Make Marissa Mayer More Effective

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By Chasity Kuttrus

Yahoo's new CEO, Marissa Mayer

Yahoo's new CEO, Marissa Mayer

There was interesting news in the corporate world this week. Yahoo! announced that it has hired Marissa Mayer, a former Google executive, as their new CEO. She’s tasked with leading the technology company into new territories. Well, that’s incredible news…..a new female CEO taking the reins!

But wait one minute… here’s the real news; she’s pregnant! What does all this say about Yahoo? Well, in Marissa’s own words: “They showed their evolved thinking.”

Yes, they did. And I’m guessing when push came to shove, someone recognized and pointed out what I believe to be true: many working mothers possess a certain extra motivation and drive that can make them extremely effective in high level executive roles.

Really?

Yes. Any working professional will tell you that if you surround yourself with the right people and the right tools, your job becomes much easier. The successful working moms that I know seem to have some sort of “work-life integration.” They have surrounded themselves with good people who support them at work. And they’ve done the same thing for their home life. They have support and help with their children, their homes, their grocery shopping, their housecleaning, and so on. They know when they get home they don’t want to spend time doing the laundry; they want quality time with their kids. True, not every working person has this luxury but I’m sure that Marissa does.

While Marissa has stated that she’ll be working through her maternity leave, no doubt she’ll have plenty of help on all fronts.

What good can come of this?

If she is successful and Yahoo! is successful, she will be the new “case study,” demonstrating how women can manage it all…with some good quality support. And, I believe that many women, when they are their busiest, with the most demanding schedules and the most important decisions to be made, thrive.

Why?

In a nutshell, because they have no time for nonsense. Sometimes leaders can wait too long for answers…and to make decisions. For Marissa and for all working moms, every second, every minute matters. I doubt she will allow a whole lot of politics, hot air or pettiness in her ranks, because she simply doesn’t have the time.

This built-in, mandatory hyper focus that many working moms employ may well be Marissa’s secret to success.

What’s your reaction to the news? Are you like Yahoo and “evolved” in your thinking? Are you Marissa’s greatest supporter? Or are you her greatest critic? Personally, I want nothing more than Marissa to be wildly successful. She has a lot of women cheering her on. Taking on the Chief Executive position is a bold, courageous step in anyone’s career. She’s doing it at a time in her life when she has some serious competing demands. While there are very few examples out there, I want my own daughter to know that she can be a CEO AND A MOM. One does not exclude the other.

Quick Tip for Work Life Balance

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When you’re helping your key leaders stay on top of their game, sometimes a little simple advice can make a big difference. Here’s one idea you can give them for managing work-life balance:

For those women with traditional 9-5 job and kids, encourage them to figure out a system or a person that can help with dinner a few nights a week. Otherwise, they will drive themselves crazy every single day.

Taking an easy step to eliminate this source of stress will change the dynamics of a working woman’s life significantly.

And, if you have kids you should try it too. It’s a great tip for any working woman, at any level of her career!

Work Clothes-Mommy Clothes-Me Clothes

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Too often, we fall into the trap of defining ourselves by the things that take up the biggest chunks of our time. When we do this, we sometimes neglect the other important pieces of ourselves that make us who we are.

It took a major crisis (any woman will agree this was a crisis) this week to remind me of this.

It was 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday.  I had a normal day, packed with back-to-back meetings.  My last meeting of the day was with a favorite client and that morning, she asked me to go to the Keith Urban concert with her that evening. Really, I hadn’t been to a concert in years.  And that was the problem…I also hadn’t dressed to go to a concert in years!  I have mommy clothes that I wear in the evenings and on the weekends with my family and I have work clothes that I wear during the day with my clients.  I have nothing in between.  Nothing!  Especially nothing that seemed appropriate for a concert where Keith Urban might actually see me in the crowd! (Love you, Jack!)

After my lunch meeting, I did some quick calculations to figure out how much time I had to go shopping before my next appointment. I discovered I had approximately 18 minutes to speed into the nearest shopping mall and pick out something concert-y to wear. 18 minutes.  This was a real test.

Of course, you can’t find anything you need when you need it.  And then there was the issue of time.  17 minutes….16 minutes…..15 minutes…..Ugghhhh…

Somehow, I ended up in the business suit section. I had to shake myself, clear my head and march right on over to the “fun” section.

As I wandered around Macy’s, I felt bad.  My husband probably gets tired of seeing me in mommy clothes.  I know that sometimes, I get tired of my mommy clothes.  (But, I know who doesn’t mind: my kids!)

So I vowed at that moment to stock my wardrobe with more “fun” clothes  – things I can throw on to go to a concert, things that help me break out of my two major “personas” in life (executive and mommy) and let me be just, well, me.

The 18-minute shopping dash ended successfully. I found a little white tank top with a few silver sequins and it was perfect for me!  It made me feel energized and lively and reminded me of another aspect of myself that sometimes gets pushed aside in favor of my more demanding roles.

Don’t get me wrong. I love my family and I love my work. But don’t be surprised if you see me vacuuming the house or taking a business meeting in my new sequined tank top…….

Woman of the Week – Angel Harris

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Each week, we feature a new woman from our growing community of dynamic professionals. If you know someone who should be featured, contact us!

Angel Harris

My Current Job/Company:
Senior Assistant Vice President, Development – United Way of Central Ohio

My Birth Date:
10.22.1975

My Work:
I lead a great team that works with public and private organizations to help them reach their philanthropic goals while generating over $40 million a year for community investment.

My Passion:
My spiritual walk, family and my career

My Family:
Christopher (Husband), Daughters (Alexis – 15 & Angelina – 2), Step sons (Kellen – 18, Esteban – 14, Ruel – 12 & Elon – 10). We are expecting a son on July 4th, 2011

My Heroes:
My mother and older sister. My mother taught me to be dedicated, introspective and benevolent. Drema taught me incredible life lessons from my ABC’s to being a conqueror that never settles.

My Escape:
“Girl’s Day Out” for shopping and dining that includes a mani/pedi!

My Pet Peeve:
People who litter.

My Indulgence:
Cheesecake….any kind of cheesecake!

My Roots:
Hardworking. Humble. Encouraging. Supportive of one another. Fun loving.

My Future:
Blessed and successful, yet probably not the way it is laid out in my 20 year plan!

My Love:
Date night with my husband, being with my children, laughing with my parents and siblings about family memories and antics until my eyes water.

My Movie:
The Mirror Has Two Faces. I have sat with my mother and several cups of coffee watching this movie for an entire afternoon.

My Quote on Life:
“I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13.

My Accessories:
Shoes and earrings.

My Advice to Young Women:
Have a plan for your personal and professional life so that you can visualize the success you want to achieve. Know what works and what doesn’t in the space you are in and pay close attention to the things going on around you. Don’t compromise what you believe but, be open to coaching in areas that will make you a stronger, better leader. Select a handful of women whose advice you can trust to be in your inner circle. And it doesn’t hurt to add a man or two to your group of mentors to give you balanced advice.

How I Balance it All:
I have an incredibly supportive family structure. They have been there for me every step of the way encouraging me to be the best at whatever I do. And my husband is the greatest. He fills in all the places that I am missing and is so great with the kids. If he didn’t do what he does, I couldn’t do what I do!