As Solomon Page commemorates Women's History Month this March, we proudly acknowledge and celebrate the achievements and invaluable contributions of female professions. Alongside celebrating successes, this month acts as a reminder that diversity and inclusion are indispensable to innovation and growth. In honor of this occasion, we are highlighting several of our women leaders across Solomon Page by sharing their experiences and insights.
What strategies do you believe are effective for building a strong network of women, both within Solomon Page and external professional circles?
Jocelyn Jachimowski, Senior Vice President of Client Services, Creative & Marketing: I never thought of myself as particularly strategic in my approach to building my female network. I naturally seek out like-minded women with a similar philosophy about putting people first and who understand the importance of spending time to find the appropriate solution. My clients who by now have seen me in my living room, listened to my dogs, and have probably heard me yell at my children, are definitely a major part of my life.
I am often drawn to women who are passionate, driven, and who look for the fun in their work. Some days are tough, but it’s much easier when you can find opportunities to laugh. I always believed this but have found this to be even more true during the past few years –having a circle, within the office and outside as well, is why I feel confident taking risks, which is especially important in a turbulent market. My Solomon Page circle consists of salespeople who are beasts and relentless recruiters whom I rely on daily. I admire and appreciate the strong women in my circle and draw from their energy, intelligence, and integrity daily.
How do you prioritize and manage your accounts ensuring you build a relationship with clients where they feel valued and understood?
Debbie Kim, Managing Director, Hospitality: In my approach to prioritizing and managing accounts, my foremost principle is not chasing the dollar. I firmly believe in delivering genuine value and solutions to my clients rather than focusing solely on financial gains. Regardless of whether a client is the smallest or largest, I treat each one as if they are my only client. This means providing the same level of attention, care, and dedication to every relationship, ensuring their unique needs are met comprehensively.
Above all, I place a high regard on the relationship, genuinely caring about the individual behind the business. For example, it can be remembering birthdays and anniversaries, sending baby gifts, sending dinner when they are not feeling well, or just calling to say hello and not calling for business. This approach means valuing the person over the transaction and striving to deeply understand their goals and challenges and offering them a solution. By adhering to these principles, I aim to build lasting relationships in which my clients always feel genuinely valued and understood.
Describe a specific instance where you effectively converted a client’s rejection into a success. How can other women use similar strategies to achieve a similar outcome?
Wendy Sullivan, Managing Director, Legal Services: When I was trying to break into a large LA-based law firm, the person who was responsible for hiring contract attorneys would not meet with me. It was early in my career, so I was afraid of stepping on people's toes. They had a case come up that I really wanted to work on, so I decided to find another angle. I went to the partner on the case directly, and once I established my relationship with him, he directed the person in charge to work with us. While they did it begrudgingly, our work proved far superior to other vendors, and they are now my largest client. There are times, as women, that we feel like we don’t want to come off as too aggressive, but that should never stop us from going after what we want. You may end up with a career-making client like I did.
How do you stay motivated and maintain a positive attitude in a competitive sales market?
Sara Pagano, Business Development Manager, Administrative & Support: Staying motivated and maintaining a positive attitude in a competitive sales market can be challenging, but I've developed a resilient mindset that keeps me going and have always been a generally positive and tenacious person.
Since the start of my sales career, I’ve always embraced an every little bit counts mindset coupled with the knowledge that diligent effort consistently yields results. There are instances when I invest substantial effort in one place without immediate returns, yet unexpectedly, significant rewards may emerge from another.
I find motivation in the value I bring to my clients and the impact I make in their businesses as well as reaching my own goals; for my longer-term goals, I go as far as to create a vision board for my home office, and for short-term, more actionable goals, I write out “S.M.A.R.T.” goals regularly. When inevitably we find ourselves in a slump, I also find that motion spurs motivation, so my advice is that if you’re feeling unmotivated, take action, even if it's the smallest step. Just do something, anything, and you'll be surprised how that can kick-start your motivation. Small actions can add up to big changes.
How important is the role of leadership in fostering an environment where women in sales are successful, and how do you collaborate with other leaders to achieve this?
Tricia Weathers, Vice President of Business Development, Healthcare: Leadership in sales is incredibly important. It can be the difference between feeling encouraged and supported to excel or stifled and completely demotivated. I have been fortunate enough to work for some incredible leaders that have supported and encouraged my efforts to succeed and gave me room to continue growing beyond the scope of what was defined. My best leaders have allowed me to be unapologetically assertive and tenacious. As my career has progressed, I have tried to follow the examples they set; collaboration, mentorship, and highlighting each other’s individual strengths and success only results in success for all involved.
What are some of the ways companies can better create an inclusive environment for women?
Lynda Fraser, Senior Vice President, Human Resources: Remote work has notably supported more US women in staying employed, as they often shoulder caregiving responsibilities. Pre-pandemic, many women left jobs to care for family. Remote work during the pandemic offered flexibility but Return to Office (RTO) mandates now risk pushing women out of the workforce.
Global policies vary widely. In Europe, full-time employees are legally entitled to 20 days of vacation, unlike in the US. Companies are working to standardize benefits globally to address these disparities.
Flexible work policies, paid time off (PTO), and healthcare are crucial for inclusivity, along with equal pay, partnerships with women-supportive organizations, valuing results over hours, diverse leadership, role models, mentorship, women-focused Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and zero tolerance for harassment.
This Women’s History Month, we are reminded of building a supportive network that fosters diversity and inclusion. Our leaders emphasize the significance of an inclusive environment that values client and employee relationships. Thank you to all our contributing leaders.