By: Anna Bernasconi, LiveGirl Digital Marketing Intern
If you were to meet my mom, it might come as a surprise that behind the pink suits, pearl earrings, and perfectly painted nails is a woman who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. Underneath the sparkle loving, fur coat wearing fashionista is not a woman with an affluent upbringing, but rather a frugal one in Montville, CT, with her chickens, and pigs, and the influence of her “nothing is impossible” parents.
My mother is the epitome of a woman with grit, a woman with perseverance, and an unmatched passion for achieving her goals. I am most thankful that my mom raised me to know that I can never set the bar too high for myself. Because of her, I know that I am just as capable as any male candidate in my future career endeavors because I am confident and know my worth. Her grit has taught me that it is possible to start from very little and achieve goals that may seem unreachable.
As a direct result of her constant hard work and perseverance, my mother is now the President & Chief Executive Officer at Seabury, a non-profit active life plan community in Bloomfield, CT, which provides services to individuals aged fifty and over. Her bountiful drive for a life of success has proven to me that working harder than anyone else in the room pays off. The example my mom sets shows me how important it is for young girls to have a female role model to look up to.
Growing up, I sometimes wondered why I was the only one of my friends whose mom worked. I even had jealousy at times of my friends whose moms always seemed to be around. Looking back, I feel childish for being jealous, but I was young and didn’t understand how fortunate I am to have a mom that shows me that a girl can grow up and have a successful career, too. Without her influence, I wonder if I would be aware of my own abilities. After all, I didn’t grow up with any other female executives in my life.
Would I even consider it a possibility that I could run a company?
Would I know that I have all of the right skills and talents to do so?
As I have matured, it upsets me to hear my friends say, “I want to marry rich,” and “I don’t want to work, I just want expensive things.” I feel pity, not for myself but for those friends who haven’t been shown their worth. My mother wasn’t the one hosting the cookie swaps, nor was she the one who chaperoned field trips. I now know this doesn’t matter and that the love, encouragement, and experiences she has given to my brother and me are so precious.
Because of the positive influence, she has had on me, I have decided to interview my mom about her upbringing, her hardest challenges, and her advice for girls aspiring to work in business. I am hopeful that reading even these few pieces of advice inspires other girls like me, who may not yet have a female role model, to find a woman who sets the bar high and teaches them to defy gender norms.
Q: Did you face gender discrimination growing up?
A: My parents were a-typical in many ways, especially when it came to traditional gender roles. My mother was a stay-at-home mom until I went to Jr. High School, and she went back to business school full-time. She built the kitchen cabinets in the house we grew up in, made furniture, and fixed the roof when there was an issue. She was a jack of all trades, including a wonderful seamstress, and loved to bake. My father loved the outdoors and would bring my sister and me camping, four-wheeling, fishing, archery lessons, and putting us through the National Rifle Association training course. He also enjoyed taking us shopping, especially if we wanted a new dress. As an adult, I realized how important it was to have learned from my parents all that girls could do!
Q: What was life like for you growing up, and do you feel that it has positively impacted your career success?
A: I always thought I was destined to do something great. I grew up in a small town in a lower-middle-income family. My parents instilled a great work ethic in all their children, and I started working at age 15. I was the first in my family to go to college and funded my college living expenses through many different jobs. All of this experience taught me that you can do anything you put your mind to if you want it badly enough.
Q: What advice can you give me, a female business student entering the professional world soon?
A: Find your passion in whatever you do, and treat every job as if it is the most important job that you have had. Become the authority on your position, and offer to take on projects, especially if you gain new skills. Persistence and hard work always pay off! And lastly, know that you have so much to offer the professional world; remember to give yourself that credit!
