Her Story
About Mollie
I'm working with a number of different groups, building AI systems both for myself and for different companies. I'm also doing a number of speaking engagements because I feel it's so important that everybody understand this technology. I'm located on Long Island, and we tend to be a little bit slower at adapting to new technologies and systems. New York, in and of itself, is an institution, so when you become an institution, it's harder to be more flexible and move towards newer things. I've been out there teaching as many people as I can that this new technology - it's not really a technology, it's an infrastructure - and there's a way for everybody to use it, whether you are a small entrepreneur or a large corporate company. It's amazing, and there's so many opportunities for our imagination and to help us grow with it. I tend to grow almost all of the businesses I touch. I've grown businesses and then been let go from them, and that happens when you're in a CMO, CRO type of role, because they're not able to change. Helping others understand that that's part of growth - it's not you, they'll only change so far. I've had to alter and evolve myself to understand that change and evolution is going to be a big part of it. No matter what, you can give anybody the technology, the solutions, the answers, but they still have to make that decision themselves. The first thing that we talk about when I go into businesses is how to change, and that leadership and development part is a huge part of my practice. I bring other people in - collaboration is huge, and it's one of the things I'm most proud of, that I understand how to collaborate with others to bring that development and leadership part in, because it's a decision-making process where everything gets stuck.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Mollie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to great people, being surrounded by great people and listening to them. I had great mentors. I had a wonderful first boss who believed in me, and then wonderful people surrounding me. American Airlines was fantastic. I had Sinesta, I had the Sonobin family from Sinesta, I had American Eagle, American Airlines were mentoring me. I had wonderful mentors all from my life. I think I still look for mentors because it's just such a positive experience. I had great mentors.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Don't sweat the small stuff. I still have to tell myself it all the time. Not everything has to be so perfect. It doesn't have to always just be perfect. You really don't have to take everything to heart, you know. You're gonna make mistakes on the way. Mistakes are part of growing, and sometimes those are part of becoming better, right?
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be good to each other. I think women compare and often we do have it hard, because especially you'll get to the top, you'll get to director, senior director, vice president, senior vice president, but that top, top position is very hard to get into. I'm hoping that it's changed now with the younger generation. I think that they don't even see it as a problem, some of them, when I talk to them, and I'm hoping that continues as women reach those top, top positions, the CEO positions. Most of the CEO positions I see tend to be given to women because of family or whatnot in big, big companies. Other than that, the top positions sometimes, they're far and few between, and unfortunately, sometimes other women stab other women in the back in the end. I think being better to yourself, being better to each other, and lifting each other up, and supporting each other, that's a way we will break those glass ceilings more, not by trying to get some law or some point system, or whatever, to get us there. It's about supporting each other.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I'm in media marketing, which is pretty much eroded. The whole organizational structure is changing and challenged right now. So it's in flux currently. You're going to have to keep redefining where you sit and where it is. New York is definitely a red ocean, as they call it. Sometimes success doesn't really look or feel like success. But one of the things I have learned this year is that you should definitely write down what your goals are, because sometimes when you reach them, you don't realize you have, and you forget to celebrate them. So remember to celebrate the little ones along the way, because you don't really realize sometimes when you reach them.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Truth, integrity, relationships, being good to others, paying it forward, giving somebody a good product. Knowing that I've given them good advice, I never short-sell anybody on anything, I never give them something I'm not proud of. I am a mother and a truth teller, I think. No matter what, I will bite off your nose just to spite your face. No matter what, I tell people the truth, even though it's hurt me many, many times. I tell people the truth, and my integrity is first above everything. And in the long run, I think that it serves me, but sometimes it takes a while for that long run to happen. I will not sacrifice that for anything, and it serves as an example to my daughters.
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