Michele Sink

I'm very proud to have been the first person on either side of my family to go to university, and then my siblings followed after me. My parents didn't have the opportunity to go to university like I did, so graduating from college stands as one of my greatest accomplishments. Throughout my 15-year career in the SaaS IT and technology sector, I've worked across almost every kind of industry - financial services, banking, hospitality, healthcare, IT, manufacturing, and education. I know that sometimes moving between different industries and jobs is frowned upon, but I actually think that's what makes me more versatile. I've been fortunate to have a broad spectrum of working with different kinds of people in different kinds of industries, which has given me a unique advantage in my positions. Another thing I can attribute to my success, which also stems back to my childhood and upbringing, is the unwavering thirst for excellence. Meaning, always giving 110%, always taking pride in my work, always producing the best work I can, going above and beyond without being asked. This is how I was raised, to always over deliver, to do everything the right way and to the very best of your ability, even when you are nervous, scared, unsure, etc. This has built my reputation in my industry, has gotten me promoted into Leadership and mentorship as well as built secure trust in my professional relationships.

One of my mentors told me "you don't change your goal, you just get flexible about your method". Essentially, don't change the desired end result/goal, but you've got to be flexible, pivot and adapt on how you are going to get there. That took me a little time to learn as I didn't know that right away earlier on in my career but that's definitely something I've learned over time, is how to pivot fast. Like, okay, this plan isn't working, but the end result is still the same. I still need to accomplish XYZ by Friday. So how am I going to do it? That opens up your mind to a strategic problem solver mentality and think outside of the box. It doesn't have to all be done one way. There's always more than one way to get to an answer. If you're adding numbers, there's different ways to get to the same number. Having that unrestricted mindset can help anyone in any profession. My mentors have also given me advice about patience, meaning staying the course and seeing things through even when it doesn't go the way you planned or turn out exactly as planned. You set out one way, it usually doesn't happen that way, but there is still a way to achieve what you wanted if you stay the course and don't give up.

I would give the advice to "be a sponge"! Whoever you think is the smartest person in the room, stick by them, shadow them, emulate them, write down everything they say. That cuts down so much of the learning curve if you just get a good mentor or example to follow, and it might not even be that they know they're your mentor. That's happened so many times, whether it's been a direct supervisor of mine, or maybe just someone who headed a different department, or even just a co-worker that's the same level as me, but they've had more years in that industry or more years' experience with that platform. People are really a wealth of knowledge, and I think that's the biggest knowledge bank out there. Don't be afraid and think that you have to know everything right off the bat, especially when you're just starting. I did not know everything when I started this career, but I was very good at paying attention and asking questions to those people who I felt like were the smartest or knew the most, because that was how I learned the fastest. Also, embrace diverse experiences. I know that sometimes moving between different industries and jobs is frowned upon, but I actually think that's what makes you more versatile. Having that broad spectrum of working with different kinds of people in different kinds of industries gives you a unique advantage.

The biggest challenge in the market and being in this industry is that it's just changing so fast overnight. There's just new apps, new platforms and new companies, and so there's a lot of competition in the IT industry, and definitely in the software and nonprofit space. I think that's always a challenge, but I guess that's good because it forces us to level up and think, okay, how can we be better than the other person? That's an ongoing challenge which is not ever going to change, really, in this industry. Working in IT means constantly navigating change and staying adaptable. New technologies, platforms, and competitors are always emerging, and with the market changing so rapidly and all the competition, it forces us to level up. I've learned that there's rarely just one right way to solve a problem - success comes from being open, adaptable, and willing to try different approaches until you find what works.

In my personal life, my passion is really around nonprofits and mission-based organizations. I've always had a heart and a soft spot for nonprofits and mission-based organizations that are literally changing the world. That's why I do a lot of volunteer activities that have nothing to do with what I do at work. I volunteer through my church in the grocery hall, which is basically like a food bank for anybody that's needing food, and I also volunteer at Safe Harbor, which focuses on helping domestic violence survivors - women and kids - and helping them transition into their new apartment, their new life, and helping them find work. I really want to help other women, especially those who are newer in this industry or role. Having 15 years in this space, I just want to really pay it forward and pass down the knowledge that I've been blessed to get. I like to see other people win and grow and be blossoming like I want for myself. That was really the main point of wanting to be featured - I just wanted to give back, and hopefully my story could inspire someone. We're really badass women doing stuff, and we need to celebrate each other. I love the whole platform of women empowerment.