Finding My Tribe… at the WiM Summit

Posted on by Charli Matthews
Finding My Tribe at WiM

Such an amazing thing happened to me last week, I found myself surrounded by a group of women that were just like me, and I have to say…it was wonderful.

Let me explain how this happened –

A few weeks back I heard about an event in Hartford, CT called the Women in Manufacturing (WiM) Summit. Women in manufacturing!  I couldn’t book my ticket fast enough!

So I traveled to Hartford, CT to be inspired and make sure I was on the right track with my current mission to find and attract more Women in the Pump Industry.  Because I am not actually a Women in Manufacturing or even a Women in Engineering for that matter, so I often wonder if I am the right person to be pushing for this change? But I keep finding myself driven to promote organizations like this, in part I believe it is because if I was introduced to these career options when I was 10, and I could absolutely see me in either one. Walking through a manufacturing plant, learning how things are designed, and seeing how people and systems work together to create efficiency excites me. So, I can’t tell you how happy it made me feel to be surrounded by women who I could relate to.

I was impressed even before the first speaker took the stage. The lady that sat next to me was the project leader for a Youth robotics team.  She spoke about ***STEM, another passion of mine, and the importance of giving children different options after high school based on what they enjoyed and were trained to do.  It was fascinating! She was fascinating!  She talks about Dream It, Do It and Manufacturing Day, both initiatives very close to my heart.

And then the speakers started, and I was just in awe of each one.   These ladies had such passion for WiM, empowering women, and manufacturing.  I watched these ladies, hanging on every word they spoke.  The experience was unlike anything I have experienced before… It was “Empowering”… As they spoke I saw a little bit of myself on the stage.  A Woman…. A Leader… A Change Maker…

Later in the day, we broke into a session to determine our ‘problem solving style’.  It was at this moment that I realized I had found my tribe.  I hear that problem solving and creative thinking are basically the same…I have heard many times that people see me as creative but I never saw that in myself; but Problem Solving – YES – that is how I see myself!  You have a problem… GOOD… I want to SOLVE it! I have never been so happy as to finally “get me”.

Now get this… most women are on the left side of the “problem solving curve”.  More adaptive and supportive in nature, but the women in this room were shifted to the right.  This made perfect sense to me.  This was a group of women who have chosen to be in Manufacturing, a traditionally male dominated industry. Why? Because they know they Can Do It; no matter what the current setting, we know we can make it better, make a difference, we don’t have to conform, and the simple fact that Can’t is just fuel on the CAN fire.

I just loved their stories of childhood, pretending to be builders or just “playing in the dirt” activities. When I closed my eyes to think about myself at 10, I remembered building a tree house with boards and nails I probably stole out of my dad’s tool shed.

Not surprisingly, I learned that my problem solving style was the more right of center… which could be most easily described as a chaotic mess.  But like the rest of the ladies at the table… IT’s OUR MESS. And it’s the best and only way for us to think…I wonder how many of you reading already knew this about me?

This reminds me of the time Stewart googled “why does she scribble all over her paper as she talks to people” after watching me during one longer than normal customer conference call. The answer, he told me, was that this is how I solve problems; “A platform of mess that finds a solution”

So as we wrote the “Advantages & Disadvantage” for my group… I thought I have finally found my tribe!

The conference was about looking for opportunities for our companies to get involved through WiM, community outreach, manufacturing day, and other organizations to inspire the next generation of girls that Manufacturing is an option for them… and not just an option but a great one!

As we approach Manufacturing Day, please think of opening up your hearts and facilities to help the next generation learn about manufacturing!

What are you doing to inspire the next generation?!?

***Stem

Please read my other blog post about STEM and its importance for the next generation to give them insight into the alternatives they have for career choices.

And I’ll close with a quote from the kai feedback document that I found profound “The notion of “different but equally valuable” requires insight and time to learn… let’s take time to learn how we can all work together for the greater good!

Helping Houston By Working

Posted on by Charli Matthews

As y’all know I live in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, so thankfully was not personally impacted by Hurricane Harvey; But, as Houston is one of my go-to-cities understandably I am emotionally affected. It’s not that I am constantly saddened by the images of the suffering or in awe of the amazing stories of people helping each other in Texas, and it’s not even that we were just 20mins from the tornado that spun off Harvey. It was because I have guilt for not being able to leave my commitments to go and help with the rescue effort. I am constantly thinking of what I should do to help and feel guilty each time I have a normal happy day.

I know so many people in Houston, and some of my best friends were in the areas most impacted by the storm; I just don’t know who to help first or what they need most.  I first went to donate to the Red Cross because they are the pros, then I sent messages to my friends who were affected to see how I could help (of course they are overwhelmed and, if they had tried, couldn’t tell me what was needed).  My children’s school was taking up donations of food, clothes, and other items that would help with the relief effort which I thought would be a great way to teach my children compassion and selflessness, so we donated… But still… I keep wondering what did we really do… Life still goes on… work still goes on… commitments and responsibilities don’t stop….and Texas has a long way to go to recover.   This to me is just heart breaking.

I know this doesn’t even come close to compare, but it reminds me when I first lost my job; it was very clear to me that other people’s life didn’t stop.  It is hard.  I am sure it is even harder when you don’t have a home like some of the people in Houston.

This week I received an email from TPS that said they would be putting together a relief effort for those people still without shelter, which made me proud to be associated with such a great group. This made me think…this must be the worst, people who have lost everything or maybe they never had anything to begin with… have no home. This gave me the direction I needed. TPS brought me to Houston the first time 10+ years ago, and I would like to help give back to the community I call my 3rd home…

Read More to learn how Empowering Brands will be Working for Houston.

 

Connecting for Purpose

Posted on by Charli Matthews

The quote “When you do what you Love, Everything else falls into place” has hung in my office for a number of years and I’ve often wonder… “what exactly do I love about what I am doing?”  I always tell people that “I love my job” but there are things about it that are tiring and also not so enjoyable, so why then do I claim to “love my career and what I do?” I always come back to the same conclusion… It’s the people. It’s meeting new people, and reconnecting with friends, and getting the chance to hear their stories and experiences… It is having the chance and ability to listen and observe and then help create opportunities.  This is what I love to do.

Yes, some of these opportunities benefit my company, which is always a bonus!  but my favorite is when it is not benefiting me directly.  It’s the times when I have the opportunity to influence others or help them understand the connections that I see so clearly.   I love to meet someone and instantly have the thought “you have got to meet _____! I know they could help solve your problem or benefit from knowing you!  Thankfully, I have a great memory (Praise God), and a lot of highly skilled connections that I can put them in touch with!

So if my job is merely connecting others – Yes…I must say… I LOVE THAT and would say… ‘that is my Gift from God!”

I’d like to tell you a story as an example of how I see things connecting…  Today, I saw my baby brother, Dr. Corey Neill, preach a sermon at his church. The pastor, a longtime family friend and the man that married Carter and I, was on a much needed sabbatical. He had heard Corey’s story before and thought he should be given the opportunity to share it with others. It is always great to see your brother suit up, but like most people who climb on the stage for the first time, Corey was nervous and out of his comfort zone.  I know this uncomfortable feeling well… and it can be painful.  So naturally, Corey calls his big brother Brody on stage to shares this experience 🙂, I think he was looking for some moral support. After all big brothers are invincible, don’t ya know.

But as Corey begins to tell his stories, that I have heard many times before, something happened.  God spoke to me through my baby brother – This was AWESOME! 

I had always been concerned about Corey (as big sisters do).  One thing I often think about is why he gave up his dream of Medicine.  I had heard the story about him witnessing someone die during his time as an EMT, which unfortunately turned him off from the program; This is how I remember it.  But today, I heard something different…  As he told the story and compared a lifeless body with a body filled with the Breath of Life aka God’s Breath, I saw the connection. I understood that my brother had to see death to understand life, and then have the passion and purpose to educate the world. He began to quote scriptures about the breath of life that we have heard so many times, how Jesus put his hands on his people and healed them.  The scripture he shared today said that he healed them and made them straight!

 This is neat because this is exactly what chiropractors do. They adjust you with their hands to make sure your body is in alignment.  Their hands help move things around to make sure you aren’t blocking a much needed nerve communication. He can better explain that, but I have experienced it and I highly recommend you receive an adjustment and see what you think… I was a non-believer, even after my first adjustment… Now… I take my whole family!

Having seen and read these scripture verses before, I was amazed at how we can see, or even more, how we can relate to Jesus by realizing the breath of life within us and how it can be passed to others through our hands… I have become a believer in the power of touch and words.  But the phrase “ Laying hands on” has always made me uncertain… What does that really mean?  I now have a whole new perspective and understand how praying while holding hands or lifting hands in praise, can be so much stronger when we recognize the Breath of Life. There is power in our words, in our acts, and in our hands! 

And he can use us all… even my baby brother, with one scared hand, can help work God’s miracles!

I believe in Connecting for Purpose… what is that purpose for you?  If you are struggling… read this article: 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/karlmoore/2015/01/19/the-great-power-of-connecting-passion-with-purpose/2/#7e537bd429a0

I’d love to hear your comments on this below…

 

Diversity – a point of difference!

Posted on by Charli Matthews
Diversity wins

What does the word “diversity” bring to mind for you?

I loved the definition that just simply stated… variety. That is exactly what I look for when I am hiring someone for our team. Someone better than me and that adds unique skills to the team! I have been writing a lot about recruiting more Women in the Pump Industry. Note: We are having a dinner at the fall HI/FSA meeting! This is what I think about when I think diversity, but we should look for other differences in the people we hire… it not just about gender. I loved reading these articles about how businesses perform better with different cultures represented on their team! Diversity wins!

LinkedIn just published a great article that showcased 50 Must Read articles about diversity in the workplace… Take a look and start investing in Diversity for your Workplace!

50 Must-Read Articles on Diversity in the Workplace: Valuable Insights on the Challenges, Benefits,and Best Practices for Cultivating Diversity

First published on my Connect blog on the HI anniversary site.

6 Years a Wonder Woman

Posted on by Charli Matthews

June 2nd has had the words “Wonder Woman” filled in on my calendar since the first moment I heard the movie would be available.  There are so many reasons I wanted to see this movie.  For one, I thought she kicked butt in Batman vs Superman, and I couldn’t wait to see what she would do next.  But additionally, I am looking for inspiration.  I am looking for a leader, and yes someone to look up to that reminds me I am on the right track.  As I celebrate my 6 year anniversary being a business owner, I have called on my “inner wonder woman” many times. It was exhilarating to see those traits on the big screen.

As I watched the movie (like all movies), I empathize with characters.  First, Diana’s mom… as a protective mom trying to shield her daughter from the pains of the world. And then her Aunt who mentored her to master the skills she needed to be fulfilled. Then, of course, Diana.  As every girl dreams… I want to have the power to save the world.

While watching the film, the moment she discovers her powers, our movie screened paused with this very powerful frame on screen. It couldn’t have been planned better if it was on purpose!  It was such a powerful scene and this glitch somehow amplified her powers all the way to our seats!   It was great!! It was also great when the film continued to play. 🙂

Diana Wonder Wowan

The next thing I noticed is that Diana had to take hold of her future.  Much like we have to do with our careers. We have to make the difficult decisions and take risks to see our goals realized.  I could really relate to her taking that leap!  You just have to make it happen, even when it seems impossible.  You Must Have Self-Confidence.  The only reason it worked is because she believed in herself; she knew she had the skills, so she was able to trust in her abilities.

This reminds me of the day I decided I would start a company.  I thought about my abilities. I have a business degree, I have built and obtained the right audience, and I could take care of a customer. I could almost see Diana going over this scene in the movie. Yes, Yes, Yes… I CAN…

But, let’s not forget the people that helped her and me get there… too many to count, but all playing a part in helping us get where we needed to be.

This is why it was so important that Diana had a mentor to guide her and make her do the work to be the best version of herself, so she could succeed. Even Wonder Woman needed help, so it’s ok for us to need and accept it as well!!

There were a few things I wanted to accomplish from day one:

  • To have a job (one that I would love)
  • To help the Fluid Sealing Association with their digital presence and expanding their partnerships
  • To Present on Social Media at TPS (Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia)
  • To partner with the Hydraulic Institute

I am most proud and fortunate to have been able to raise money for water charities and supported 32 children in Uganda. I have been able to take my family on work trips, which has just been the best! I have also employed people I love to work with and we together have built a really great brand!

If you didn’t already know, I am on the steering committee for Pump Summit Americas and also continue to help many of our clients and partners with strategic marketing plans.  Going from self to team and from my 1st client to now over 40… it has been a learning experience, a truly fabulous one!

For the last 15 years, I have worked to build my personal brand and thankfully have had access to a network of respectful (and also disrespectful) people to learn from – you’ve really got to take the good with the bad to truly learn.  It wasn’t easy…in fact, it has been extremely hard.  But, today I can truly say that I am satisfied in all my accomplishments, and that is something.

So, what’s next, you knew there was a next right!! With all I have done to craft a process and build a team… Next I would like to focus on developing others.  Maximizer is one of my strengths, and I truly believe I can help others improve by showing them simple tools that have come easy to me, but ones they might not have ever thought of.

My purpose is to help as many people as possible understand their value in our industry; an industry that is so important to living in comfort, and ironically, people just don’t realize it.  I also think our workers don’t realize just how special they are! So we are going to shine the spotlight on their hard work and dedication to our industry!

I also would like to recruit more women into our industry.  I need them as peers and our industry needs their new ideas and holistic problem solving approach!  I also want to keep telling my story so I can help other women identify what is needed to be successful in a predominantly male dominated industry, and know without a doubt – Women in Pumps is achievable and necessary. We just have to be able to find that balance where it all works for good. And sometimes, we have to tell ourselves “If no one else will defend the world, I must” ~ Diana AKA Wonder Woman!

Let’s take a minute to talk about the man in Diana’s life.  He completely shakes up Diana’s world, but he gives her the information she needed to begin her quest, and Diane chose to follow him into an unknown world.  Looking to him to lead her to the very spot where she could make the biggest difference. Demanding it even!  He supported her with resources and connections until it was her time to lead. And then, when it was her time to lead, he didn’t stand in her way.  This did not make him weak, instead partnering with her made him stronger, and they saved the day.  When it seemed impossible to all the men around her, Diana saw the solutions. She could see the big picture: the purpose, the path, the reason. It was not only to accomplish her goals but also for the good of the people. As we seek our own careers, we must look at where our talents lie, and what we can do for the greater good.  This is why I like to be at the table. If I am not there, I can’t see the whole story, and this is where real solutions to problems can be found.  So, I plan to get more women to take a seat at the table!

I’m sure you’ve noticed that I have been directing my messaging to women, because I feel that I can be a great deal of help as they maneuver their careers.  I have experienced many things in my 15 years in this industry, and I want to share my experiences so that hopefully someone else can benefit from the lessons I learned from an oh-so-bumpy ride.

I think we can all find a little Wonder Woman inside us!

Reading Patty Jenkins’ (Director of Wonder Woman) story was truly an inspiration.  She followed her dream to produce this EPIC film, and I’m sure soon-to-be-award-winning movie. Patty is a woman, she has a family, and she has a strong husband that admires and respects her.  I just read an article in which Chris Pine describes her husband taking care of the children as she worked tirelessly on the beach scene. How she was one of the best to work with because of her sense of humor.  With a project so big and so dear to everyone’s heart, she worked until it was right, while her husband handled the kids and showed that he was a very proud husband.  Now that women are half the workforce, I see this as a new normal (though every family has their own version of ‘normal’).

It is important to have female peer groups so we can learn from each other the skills on how to be successful in business and life, and just as important, to motivate and support each other – which is something I have mentioned a number of times before in my blog posts.

So last but definitely not least – we should pay attention to Gal Gadot.  She was excellent – beautiful, strong, loving, compassionate, funny – on and off the screen. She must forever be comfortable in her own skin.  She will always be, as Lynda Carter is, Wonder Woman.

Now… who is the next Wonder Woman I will meet? Please tell me your story, so we can learn from each other!