Her Story
About Courtney
I started in the medical field directly out of high school and worked in so many different areas, from primary care to pulmonology, oncology, and even a little bit of GYN. I was working with a physician who was also a research physician, and she needed some help on her research side of things. I wanted an opportunity for a little bit more growth and was at a ceiling with her practice, so she talked with the owner of the research company she worked with and said she had a really strong medical assistant who would be a great coordinator. That's how I started working in research, and I've been with research ever since. Now, as a clinical operations project manager, my day is never the same, which is really great for me because I get lost in the monotony of things. One day I might be working on a project with all of our sites doing the same study, aligning on goals or how we want to execute certain things to make sure we're executing those goals properly. The next day I might be working on revamping our processes and SOPs with our quality department. They also give me an opportunity to go and actually work with the site, so I'm delegated to coordinate on several studies as well. I'll travel to some of our sites if they have a staffing conundrum, and I'll get to go and help coordinate some studies, draw some blood, do some vitals, and still go back to my roots, which is really nice.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Courtney
01What do you attribute your success to?
I have been very, very fortunate, especially in the last company I was with. I had a mentor, really a director, who believed in me, and every time I asked for more responsibility, like I want to learn how to do something else, she never said you need to stay in your lane. Having really supportive women in the industry has been instrumental. We all know there's a bad connotation with women in the workplace, and I'll say that having a very strong, supportive woman by your side to say you can do this, you've got this, let's push you further, has definitely been instrumental to my success.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is that other people do not see you the way that you see you. This has been so important in helping me understand my own value and how others perceive my contributions differently than I might perceive them myself.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't sell yourself short. You're worth way more than you think. The workforce is so hard, and it's easy to undervalue yourself. Another important piece of advice is don't compare yourself to somebody else. Comparing yourself is the biggest road to hardship, and it will only hold you back. You're your own individual, and you need to recognize your own worth without measuring it against others.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important values to me are reliability, integrity, and trust. Those three are my fundamental go-to. Being reliable is huge for me. I want people to be like, oh, I know Courtney will be able to get this done. If someone wants to work with me, I want someone to go to them and say you definitely want Courtney on this project because you can trust that she's going to get it done, you can go to her when things are on a timeline, and you know that she's accountable. Even if it costs me a little something in the end, I'm going to make sure that my integrity stays intact.
Keep Exploring
More Influential Women · Alabama
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.