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The Gift of You

Posted on by Charli Matthews
Charli K. Matthews

As a lot of you know, February 2nd, was my birthday.  One of the childhood lessons I learned, and one that I truly believe in, is that it is always better to give a gift than to receive one.  So today, I would like to give you a gift…  It is access to CharliKMatthews.com. I want this this to be your window to me.  As you know I have been writing blogs for several years on EmpoweringPumps.com under Charli’s Blog.  I would like to write to YOU as much as possible, about things that may not always relate directly to the pump industry.  So, I hope this site will give me the freedom I need to connect with you more often and on matters that affect us in both Business and Life! I am fortunate to have had many experiences… some good, some bad, BUT I am very lucky that they have connected me to people from all around the globe. I think we learn by storytelling, so…  My gift to you… is ME… & My Story!

Now, I would like to receive the #GiftOfYou! Please send me a message about YOU!  I would like to know more about your hopes, dreams, goals, and inspirations!! I believe we are all connected for a purpose, and I want to help in #EmpoweringConnections so we can better serve each other.

This was probably my toughest growth year at work. Identifying “who we are” and “what we do” took some soul searching, courage, and a lot of strategic planning… thanks Ian!   Empowering Brands was created with a true group effort that really helped us grow as a team.  Writing everything down also gave others the ability to know my plan (the one I’ve been keeping in my head) so they could help make it a reality!   I would like to challenge you to do this.  Write down your top three goals… it can be related to business or life. If you don’t know, get someone to ask you a lot of questions about your hopes and dreams. Then..write down the answers – because this is what starts to making them become a reality.

The more you share about your goals, the more they become a reality. And remember people like to help others and once a goal is known, it can be realized.

I look forward to learning more about YOU!  Share your story with me at Charli@empowering-brands.com

Women in Engineering and the Power of STEM – #Eweek2017

Posted on by Charli Matthews

Women in Engineering and STEM

Today, I snuck away from the office to the movie theatre with my sister.  Hang on! before you get too excited, it was actually to do a little research for writing this very blog… and of course to share the experience with one of the smartest ladies I know…my sister!

The backstory; I recently watch the Golden Globes where I heard about a movie called Hidden Figures, sounded interesting so I took a mental note to go and watch it…  Then, last night I saw a tweet that said this movie had inspired girls to take up careers in ***STEM.  I didn’t read the whole article as it was ‘shut off the phone time’, I did however immediately contacted my sister, a nurse and lover of science and #girlpower, to see when she was available to go see this movie.

Well I just have to say – YOU HAVE TO SEE IT! It is the best movie I have seen in a while.  But, there is more… It is more than just a story. It is a TRUE story.  I’ll try not to give all of it away but consider this your spoiler alert.

It is a movie about three women that work behind the scenes at NASA, until they decide to ‘push the bar’… and move front and center to one of the most important NASA space missions of all time! Think about how their hearts must have been racing as the astronaut successful splashed down safely at the end of his mission, all because of their work! These three women (Numbers – a pure genius in calculating numbers, Engineer – a phenomenal engineering mind, and the Supervisor who thought “mechanically”) had very different jobs but worked for one purpose… To get a man into space and back safely!

These three courageous women had to stand up for themselves individually and work hard, but they also had to be each other’s support group when they needed a little pep talk!

Let’s look at Numbers. She could calculate any problem without a calculator! But it wasn’t until the leader encouraged her (saying she was better at computing than anyone in the room) that you saw her stand up for herself and demand that she be recognized for her work. The leader’s confidence in her work is what helped her to the next level.

The Engineer was the most “mouthy” of the group.  She knew what should be done, but also realized not to have unrealistic dreams and focus on doing her work. It wasn’t until her #bossman encouraged her that she decided to become an engineer… She had many obstacles to face and she faced them by research, hard work, and confidence!  This is because her work environment allowed her to grow. I think this is key in any industry that is predominately male… We need more men willing to encourage #WomeninSTEM & #WomeninTECH, and we need more women willing to ‘push the bar’. I’m a believer that this starts by encouraging high school girls that the ****STEM education Classes offered by their schools are great choices and are in fact really fun and cool – who wouldn’t want to learn the basics of robotics, I know I would.

I think the reason these ladies were successful was partly because they had each other… They looked out of one another, encouraged each other, and pushed each other outside their comfort zones. We need this in our industry… any industry.  Women Empowering Women.  Too many times, we judge each other or think only of competing. We can accomplish so much more if we push and support each other instead of pushing each other down. In the movie the leader in the group was the encourager, the one that pushed and supported the others to grow and eventually succeed.

I don’t have an engineering degree or think I could design anything at NASA but I can see talent in others and I believe in “CAN”.   The power of positivity is the topic of many blogs, books, and events – but the reality is that it starts with ‘you’ and it works best when you are encouraged and supported by those around you – just like in the movie….can you tell just how much I loved this movie!

My daughter isn’t an engineer “yet” ? … but I hope to raise a leader who follows her own mind who understands she can accomplish her goals by doing the work!  The Dream Big mind set starts at a young age; and that is why I am actively supporting #Eweek2017.

So, as we look ahead to February we will be covering Engineering and Engineering Week! I am excited to participate in raising awareness to supporting DiscoveryE’s #Girl Day and help #BringitOut! Let’s teach our girls what engineers do, and then let them go #BethatEngineer!

Make sure you follow all the hashtags in this article and comment below with any great engineering stories you know!

***STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. STEM is important because it pervades every part of our lives. Science is everywhere in the world around us. Technology is continuously expanding into every aspect of our lives

****This is the theory behind STEM education. By exposing students to STEM and giving them opportunities to explore STEM-related concepts, they will develop a passion for it and hopefully pursue a job in a STEM field.

Tracking the Shift in My Strengths

Posted on by Charli Matthews

 

Empowering Connections Charli

Many of you have read my blogs about my strengths: Positivity, Empathy, Woo, Developer, Activator.  I didn’t come up with these “strengths” myself. I took a test called the Strengths Finder in my twenties during a ‘Ministry by Strengths’ class. I decided to take the test again when I asked my team to take it a couple months ago. I was shocked… My strengths had changed.  Part of me was upset that the guide I had been living by had changed, but at a deeper look… I found it just was an extension of the traits I had. Which means improvement!

I believe my first writings about my strengths was to help me understand what I needed to do to build my career and truly discover my passion.  I think I have a good handle on that now. I am extremely thankful that my first test had positivity as my first strength.  I really needed to believe in the positives when building my business.  The world and even your most supportive friends and family cannot always make you believe in positive outcomes – thankfully I was able to lean on that inner voice that says “I can. It is Possible!”

My new strengths list is Woo, Maximizer, Futuristic, Strategic, and Communication.  I was so happy to see the Communication strength appear. I have been working hard on improving the ways I communicate with our audience.  I have been forcing myself for several years to reach outside my comfort zone.  I have been presenting at tradeshows, taking on committee leadership roles, and writing when honestly I felt… I had no business doing so… Thankfully, I have a very supportive team and the encouragement and support helped me strengthen that muscle.

I believe that positivity is still there in my Communication strengths. I am focused on sharing positive messages to help build up others in my network as well as educate on the benefit of using digital media tools. I look forward to continue to work this muscle and make it stronger.  You will see more writing, live coverage, and presentations from me this year. That brings me to my next strength: Maximizer. I really love helping others find the strength inside that drives them.  And now, I am working with others who have a common mission to actually help them discover how to build from that knowledge of their strengths and use it to accomplish their career goals.

When I look at my next strengths, Futuristic and Strategic, I see them as a product of owning a company. I also see it as an extension of my Activator trait.  Because I am one to get things started and with a “want to do it right now” attitude, I have had to force myself to be strategic and not jump before thinking about the future or the opportunities that might be lost if I “jump”.  The experience of building a business and running an established one has given me insight that I will hopefully be able to share with my network, help them through some of the obstacles, and identify opportunities.

Lastly, WOO! I like the definition of Woo; it means “ to seek favor and support”.  I am still working to Connect, Inform, and Educate the industry.  I will continue to seek support from strategic partners that have this common mission to amplify the voice of industry and the systems and people that make it all possible!

Thankful Thursday

Posted on by Charli Matthews
thankful thursday

Today I started my morning by asking the question… “What are you thankful for?” I asked each of the family members to tell me what they were thankful for. The answers compiled of your normal responses – Jesus, Family, Work, Dog, Food, Shelter – But there were a couple profound statements that I would like to share with you.

A story was told about the morning church sermon that was focused on listing 100 things you are thankful for. At first this seems like a lot, but if you start with the people in your life that you know and love this list adds up fast. I encourage all of us to make that list today… and review it often!

Another answer this morning was about being thankful for freedom and ancestors. The freedom to learn to read, drive to church, and build a home. I found that statement very inspiring because we often take those for granted. This reminded me how important leaders today are important for future generations. Starting with your spiritual leader and then looking at the leaders around us in government, industry, education, sports, and entertainment. These are the people who mold the future of our lives. Think about how you can be a leader for the future. 

When I asked Carter what he was thankful for and he said, “you” (safe answer but it still made me smile )… I am thankful for him as well and what he did next is an example of why… he surprised me with his thoughtfulness.

As we were downstairs talking about the fruits of the spirit,
“the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23), he shared this video with me on Facebook which is a great example of a leader that exudes Kindness:

Ellen ends every one of her shows with “Be Kind to One Another” This little statement should inspire us all. You can tell it is genuine:

I will end this blog with the answer from my eleven year old son, “Remember the 7 “F”s and be thankful for Fun, Family, Food, Friends, Forgiveness, Faithfulness (believe in others as he described it), and of course… Football!

ROLL TIDE Yall and Happy Happy Thanksgiving! My family, staff, and I are thankful for each and every one of YOU!

Leadership through Mentoring and Training

Posted on by Charli Matthews

Leadership through Mentoring and Training

We hear a lot of talk about the importance of leadership and its impact on our employees and business as a whole. Leadership comes in many forms, but its importance in both our business and personal lives is clear. Recently, I’ve been asking myself….what really is Leadership?

In my world of Digital Media, it’s most clearly seen when a person or company establishes their voice and takes a leading role in becoming active on-line to help industry improve or overcome a specific challenge. But I also know its more than this; so again I asked myself, “What really is Leadership”

Looking back, my first leadership award was given to me when I was captain of the Hale County High School girls’ basketball team. I remember being shocked at the term and thinking to myself “why did I get this?”  When I look back, I think it was because I encouraged everyone to work together, get along, and win as a team, for the team. I am still doing the same thing today, and I believe it’s about working to bring people together for a common goal or mission.

So for me Leadership is not telling people they must do something, it’s about inspiring them to want to be part of the team, for the team, and be willing to go the extra mile for the mission.

At the fall HI meeting, I had the great privilege to meet Lt. General Russell L. Honoré and hear him speak about Leadership. I also read his book “Leadership in the New Normal”.  Apart from the fact that it’s an inspiring book, which I would recommend to anyone, in it he gives many examples about what it means to be a leader today. I found his ideas noted below inspiring:

  • No great change comes without leadership and sacrifice.
  • Good leaders are not afraid to take on the impossible.
  • During difficult times the leader must be visible to her or his people.

I found this one very insightful as its something I’ve lived by since my days as a basketball team captain and continue to live by today.

  • Good leaders learn to do the routine things well.

Meaning that a leader does not avoid menial or routine tasks, rather they master them so that they never get in the way of derailing the true focus of the team on delivering a successful mission…WOW!

We recently published an article relating to how companies can solve the ‘Aging Workforce’ issues as well as build capacity in their existing workforce. The article, by Ian Baynes, discusses how Succession Planning, Career Development, Mentoring, and Training all play a role in helping companies avoid the loss of institutionalized knowledge as key individuals’ transition into retirement and also how it can help create the leaders of tomorrow. Partnering existing leaders with those that show promise, interest, and drive enables the transfer of critical knowledge and skills through showing and doing versus telling. No leadership training program that I’ve ever heard of has ever created a leader; it’s more about the person being around the right people, being shown how a true leader acts, and then being mentored on the ‘how’ and ‘what’, and trained on technical skills that might have been missing.

So I believe that Leaders are not created through training programs or being put into positions of authority or power. Rather, they develop over time through gained experience and guidance from others. I’m my case, I believe that it was a combination of team coaches and mentors who guided me and showed me what a true leader is. To this day my guides and mentors are there for me, and I hope I can pay this forward by being the same to a person starting out on their journey.

It takes a mentor to train a leader, and that takes passion; passion to be part of something bigger than you, to truly believe in your company, products, and services and know that you have the ability to drive change for the good of the industry.  This is the key to being a leader.