Stephanie Matelli

I attribute my success to having the confidence to jump in and figure it out as I go, even when I don't feel completely ready. Looking back at my younger self, I realize I didn't try a lot of things out of fear or avoided situations because I didn't know what they would be about. But as I stepped into the workplace, I was able to grab hold of those fears and change them by stepping into every opportunity with confidence, even if I didn't know how to do it completely. I've learned to surround myself with people who have the answers and have done it before, and I'm not fearful to reach out and ask for advice. I'm never going to be the smartest person in the room, but surrounding yourself with those value-add individuals goes such a long way. I also read a lot of books, not fiction but books where there's so much to learn, because there is so much value in continuing to educate yourself and be a lifelong learner.

The best career advice I've ever received came from the many wise individuals I've been able to be around, including my dad and some of his closest friends. They taught me that a lot of times we can step into spaces where we don't feel good enough or we may have a bit of imposter syndrome, but the key is taking advantage of the opportunities that you're given, even if you don't feel like you're ready. That advice has been invaluable throughout my career, helping me push past self-doubt and seize opportunities that have led to my success.

I would tell young women entering my industry to stay off of ChatGPT and make sure that you are able to communicate with confidence as a young woman. Don't lean on technological efficiencies to be the sole avenue of your communication and learning. It's so important to develop your own voice and ability to articulate yourself clearly and confidently, rather than relying on technology to do the work for you. Building genuine communication skills will serve you far better in the long run than any shortcut technology can provide.

Some of the biggest challenges in my field right now unfortunately come down to gender differences. It's gotten a lot better, but I've seen numerous times, not just with myself but with other women, situations where you're asked to do something and you do it well, but you're seen as a threat. Whereas if it was a male that did the same exact thing, it would be encouraged and praised. That's been something I have seen happen numerous times to myself and to others, and it's extremely discouraging. I'm not quite sure how to combat that other than continuing to stay as positive as possible and realizing that it's out of your control and not on you. It's exhausting, but what's the alternative - to not try, to not do what you're good at? And that's just not an alternative that's worth it.

The values most important to me are staying true to myself and my ethics, even when it can be pretty tempting to go down a certain path just because everyone else is doing it. Working in this industry, you can see some stuff that really makes your feathers ruffle and some disappointing behaviors, so I stick to my values and ask myself, am I going to be proud of myself or disappointed with myself? Even if everyone is doing it, how am I going to feel about it? That's been my best compass. I am loyal to a fault at times, but I value trust and honesty with my whole heart. Being in sales, it can be difficult because you want to be a yes woman, but thankfully that has never been a part of my journey. If I'm unable to deliver or unable to provide something, I've always been honest, more so out of a fear of failure. I would rather say that I can't do something and figure out later on how to do it than say that I can and then be unable to deliver.