Herstory: Jack Morton Boston Attends the Women’s Leadership Forum

Jack Blog

March 27th, 2017

“HerStory: Stories told. By women bold.” Six attendees from Jack Morton Boston spent the day living through six remarkable women’s experiences at the Ad Club’s Women’s Leadership Forum.

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Pictured: Lois Casaubon, Account Director; Angela Tisone, Account Supervisor; Laura Voigt, Business Development Director; Carrie Mahoney, Strategist; Alicia Durfee, VP, Sr Account Director; Allison Kromer, Finance Director

Account Supervisor Angela Tisone said it best when she said, “To me, the most amazing thing was the diversity of the speakers. Whether it was a mathematician or a musician, each speaker brought her own story to the conference and somehow, despite their different backgrounds and personal experiences, they were able to relate to all of us in the room.”

Business Development Director Laura Voigt’s favorite quote was the following: “Always remember that your curiosity is a vital organ,” from Lizz Winstead, comedian, writer, & co-creator of The Daily Show.

One of the speakers, musician and entertainer Grace Kelly, mentioned her once-in-a-lifetime experience performing an original composition with the Boston Pops Orchestra before the age of 15. Her secret, she shared, was this:

[important]”Jump in, and learn on the go. Say yes as much as possible, even when not always sure, with the belief that the decision to succeed is just as important as actually doing it. It can be a good thing to be uncomfortable, as it results in growth.”[/important]

Dr. Miriam Meckel, expert on media economics and communication, explained the importance of understanding oneself and others – and appreciating the emotional layer of our lives as a strength, not a weakness.

Madge Meyer, former EVP and CIO at State Street Corporation, shared inspiring stories of her growth up the corporate ladder, including her ability to make deals with skeptical male managers throughout her career, one of which saved her company over $40 million dollars a year. Her advice included:
[important]”Promote yourself. It’s not bragging, it’s just speaking up….Don’t accept ‘no,’ but find a way around it.”[/important]

The event also included the conferral of an Admiration Award to Collette Divitto, a talented baker with Down syndrome who started her own cookie company after she was rejected multiple times for jobs she was qualified for.

For Account Director Lois Casaubon, the award ceremony was the most memorable moment. “While [Collette’s] story in itself is completely inspiring, seeing that young woman get up on stage in front of 1100 people to accept the award was totally incredible. She was clearly nervous, but didn’t let that stop her from saying what she wanted to say, and making sure her story got told. She was incredible!”

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Strategist Carrie Mahoney said, “To me, one theme kept reappearing: carve your own path. Each speaker talked about the importance of identifying a need within an organization, finding a solution and taking on that role. None of them sugarcoated their setbacks, their doubts. But the times they succeeded the most were when they were doing something no one else was.”

Looking around the table at our JACK group, I thought about how we work together. And rather than compete with each other, we often support and lift each other up. “I’ve got my own thing, ya know, instead of competing and chasing the fad… ” said Grace Kelly. How remarkable is it when we can all have our own thing, and still be able to connect to create something extraordinary?