I’m not an Engineer… but a Girl can Dream!

Posted on by Charli Matthews
Photo of Charli K. Matthews

Engineering wasn’t something that was even mentioned as an option when I was deciding what career path I should follow.  Now… I am surrounded by engineers each and every day and I find myself wondering… Could I have been an Engineer?

I graduated from the University of Alabama with what I thought was the hardest major I could have chosen – FINANCE. The classes I really loved were Economics, Risk Management, and GBA490 (Strategic Management). So, it’s not that I was given the option of becoming and engineer and thought – oh that’s too hard, or that’s not for me…  I just don’t think it even came up.. and Math and Science were my best subjects.

So.. This is something I want to help change! As you know I have two boys and a girl, and I talk to them on a regular basis about engineering, pumps, and making a 100 (meaning always ‘do your best’). But, is that enough?… Is it enough for us to only talk to and educate our own children? The more engineers I meet, the more I feel a sense of responsibility to spread the word about these amazing people, and the outstanding opportunities the engineering field offers to my community and network. I started Pump Person of the week 3 years ago to help showcase technical leaders, such as engineers, in the pump community – so I guess even then my need to do more was strong.

This week I went to my kid’s elementary school and lead a day of introducing children to engineering. It was one of my all-time favorite experiences!  I learned so much, had a LOT of fun, and I of course gained more respect for our amazing teachers!

I started the presentation with who I was and that I worked for a digital media company that, as part of its mission, connected engineers and helped inform and educate them about products and resources that could be used to improve their systems… And like Pumps… Engineering is everywhere and vital to life! Then we watched this really cool video: https://youtu.be/FAJGx3zP-Eo

I loved watching the kids in the class light up as the video talked about all the cool things engineers do. Its message is clear; engineer’s touch every part of our lives and without them progress would stop…wow! I think this is something we should be constantly reminded about.

After the video, I asked the question, Can you see yourself as an engineer?  I let them know that we were all going to be engineers in training and start a project to build boats out of aluminum foil. The engineering design process was on the wall in the classroom which was excellent! So, I learned that it is:

Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Communicate, Improve

And then I let them work together in teams… The best was watching the girls team win especially after the boys saying “oh that’s the girl table”.  I was so proud of them… It happened several times.  I had to hold back the words #BeThatEngineer GIRLS!  But their work spoke for itself… Plus they were able to then stand in the front of the class and communicate how they built their design and what other should do to improve theirs… I was so proud. I especially like the girl on my son’s team who told him it was her design that won.

I think it is important that we introduce our children to engineering and these possibilities it offers, otherwise, they just won’t know!

So I have a goal to promote the engineers I know and the engineering community while encouraging the little ones I know to DreamBIG! And I encourage you to do the same; y’all could start by showing your kids the engineering video and then building the aluminum boat project***. I guarantee you’ll have fun watching your children problem solve, but you also may just ignite the spark that creates another fabulous engineer that will help change the world and keep progress moving forward.

***Aluminum Penny Boat Project

In this easy science experiment you will be designing a tin foil boat that will hold the greatest number of pennies. Get your kids together with some friends and have a contest to see who can design a cargo boat that will hold the most pennies.

http://www.kids-fun-science.com/easy-science-experiment.html

More activities here: http://www.discovere.org/our-activities

Inspire an Engineer… They Create the Future!

Posted on by Charli Matthews

Inspire an Engineer

Yay, it’s finally Engineering Week! I have been looking forward to this all year!  I am planning to visit my children’s school and present “What is engineering?” and do a design/build project to show that being an engineer is a blast!

Did you know that The National Society of Professional Engineers founded Eweek in 1951 to ensure a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce!? “Today, EWeek is a formal coalition of more than 70 engineering, education, and cultural societies, and more than 50 corporations and government agencies. Dedicated to raising public awareness of engineers’ positive contributions to quality of life, EWeek promotes recognition among parents, teachers, and students of the importance of a technical education and a high level of math, science, and technology literacy, and motivates youth, to pursue engineering careers in order to provide a diverse and vigorous engineering workforce.” You can learn more here: https://www.nspe.org/resources/partners-and-state-societies/national-engineers-week

The sad truth is we just don’t have enough students planning to be engineers!  I encourage my family (two boys and a girl) to study engineering and I’m hopeful they will one day post #ILookLikeAnEngineer!   I have talked about how engineering is really cool and fun and that engineers work in all industry! Opportunities are vast, the work is rewarding, and you can really make a difference in people’s lives!

This year I have signed up to be a #GirlDay role model! Karli and I have already built our Foil Boat since I will be in Chicago on the 23rd, which is the official #GirlDay. If you were wondering, this topic is very close to my heart, and I do have real concerns about pushing my daughter to be an engineer, especially when I read the stories about women who graduate in engineering but then don’t join the engineering workforce.  They are instead being offered secretarial or administrative type projects instead of “real” engineering.  This is not something I want to still be an obstacle when my daughter graduates!

So, Managers, Leaders, People… this has to be addressed, lets get involved, this link will give you some additional information on how: http://www.discovere.org/our-programs/girl-day

Let’s be honest, this problem is not just in the engineering field… I have experienced this in my own career. This is why it is so important to have a peer group to talk to, we need to share our stories and teach others based on our experiences because unfortunately we have a tendency to judge instead of encouraging one another.  I am looking for a network of women that want to build up ladies and help them know when to speak up, when to ignore, when to negotiate, when not to, and above all.. encourage other ladies they can be #WomeninIndustry!

It is easy to look around our daily lives and see where we are treated differently, but I say embrace our differences… We are women, we are smart, we are attractive, AND we can build a rocket too!  Just ask those ladies in the Hidden Figures movie!  We CAN change the way a girl is treated in the workforce! For #GIRLDAY2017, I will be encouraging my little dancing princess to also be an engineer… and that she can wear a dress and heels to work, if she wants!

This is a great article and well worth taking the time to read: https://goo.gl/1GRwCe Check it out and the hashtags within this post.  They are sure to inspire you! Also, Don’t forget to go and watch DreamBig with your family and friends!

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.

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.

 

Connecting Business and Life

Posted on by Charli Matthews
Live Happy

One of my favorite sayings is “There is no work-life balance, there is just life!” I say this because I live it everyday. I enjoy my work, but it is more than that. I am blessed to get to work in an industry that shows me daily how my business, the pump industry, is vital to life. From drinking water to manufacturing, none of it would be viable without pumps. Wait a second, let’s not walk past this thought! This is a huge!!! You should stop what you are doing right now and tell all your friends and family about this discovery… Pumps Are Everywhere, they Power our Lives, and are the heart of many process systems. It’s that important! I tell my family constantly how important pump systems are to our lives. I am encouraging my sons and daughter to be engineers so that they can help develop the next and more efficient system… why? Because it’s important to our business, AND it is important to our lives!

A lot of people might think we are just an advertising company; maybe even saying things like, “you want to educate pump users or inform the pump industry; talk to Charli”. But Empowering Pumps is more than that… it’s bigger than advertising a product. It is about being a significant part of our customers and readers stories. The unexpected email from the reliability guy that says you made his day with a solutions or the hometown friend reading a blog that inspires her to act; this energizes me and it energizes my team, making us to want to have a bigger impact. It is all about the connections. It is about networking with your connections in business to better their lives.  It’s about loving them enough to do what you can to help them succeed. And, whenever possible… put a smile on their face during the process!

When I started Empowering Pumps, we focused heavily on educating the industry about social media.  We hosted webinars, wrote blogs, and sat beside them to show them exactly which submit button to click.  We started to teach others how to create a LinkedIn profile; as basic as this may sound today people needed to be shown how to do this.  Now, we need to show them the “why”.  Why are we doing this? What is the purpose of networking through social media? The answer is… it has power!

I have been privileged over the last 5 years to be able to define my company’s culture and set its business goals. My personal goal and that of my business is to keep improving in every area. As a constant reminder to myself I wear bracelets that read, “Anything is Possible” and “Live Happy”.  They are mantra I have lived by every day since I started EP and I work to instill the same passion in my team. I believe you can work hard and accomplish what you put your mind to. I believe we all have different abilities and gifts so we should be realistic in our goals, but if you have a dream – GO FOR IT!

In order for me to live happy, I need to travel. Some people say I travel too much and that it isn’t all work.  The latter is true; I always try to add some time for fun to my work trips… An hour, A day, or once in a while A week.  This may seem selfish to some, but it helps keep my passion alive.  I need to experience new things and have quality time and conversations with my customers. I have many business travelers tell stories about never leaving the conference room or eating dinner in their hotel rooms; never taking the time to see the area they just traveled all day to get to! I urge you… Get out and SEE SOMETHING NEW…. Meet Someone…  Network with a stranger! They may just have the answer to your life’s question! Something you will never know if you stay in your hotel room.


Get out and connect your life with your business and live happy!