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WITI Women | Ellen Braun

WITI Women Survey Questions and Responses:

1. What was your first job in technology?
My first job in technology was as a developer. I wrote parts of an energy cost calculation application designed for early PCs. I had completed an undergrad degree in biochemistry and headed off to a doctoral program, also for biochem. I was on the path of least resistance. It was clear after one semester that the program was not a fit for me. I left after two semesters and picked up the programming job. My primary motivation was not related to technology or a career. After doing college sports, I wanted to continue to be an athlete. I started bike racing when in grad school; programming was one of the few things I could do during the off-season and make enough money, combined with sponsorships, to make it through a racing season full-time. I continued work as a programmer/analyst in progressively shorter off-seasons as my cycling career progressed. I ended up on the U.S. National Team, racing on the domestic road circuit and international track circuit for the next six years. The travel that cycling involved was also great preparation for my current consulting career.

2. Who has been your most significant mentor? Why?
I've been lucky to have great access to potential advisors. Just like opportunities seem to present themselves when I am ready and open to them, it seems that when I face a difficult issue and would benefit from an outside perspective, a mentor becomes available. The lesson I've taken from that is to seek advice early and often, take it in and apply it.

3. What has been your greatest challenge and what strategies did you use to overcome obstacles?
My greatest challenges have not been related to the complexity of technology or the difficulties of serving clients in a consulting capacity. My challenges are overwhelmingly personal or internal. I'm not all that disciplined. I'm keenly aware of areas where I'm not as effective and I sometimes get caught up in being overly self-critical. I've had a tough time learning to be at ease with myself sufficiently to take criticism without feeling defensive. My strategy for dealing with this has been to learn from my own management role. I would never strongly criticize someone with whom I work; to do so would be both cruel and ineffective. So I hold myself to that same standard when I start being self-critical.

I have also come to recognize that some things I thought were obstacles are actually advantages. I feel as though my brain works in a fundamentally different way than many of my friends and colleagues. I gather facts, see patterns and arrive at insights differently, almost as though I flip flop from left-brain to right-brain orientation without much impedance. This weird flaw has not been greatly convenient; it makes it difficult to stay on task. Recently, though, it has turned into this great advantage. When I really need to understand something reasonably complex at a holistic level and if I've done my homework, a metaphor or mental model seems to come to mind that helps me understand and clarify the situation for others. I'm not sure I can explain why, but this seems to be the source of any true insights I have.

Ellen Braun answers these questions:
1. What was your first job in technology?
2. Who has been your most significant mentor? Why?
3. What has been your greatest challenge and what strategies did you use to overcome obstacles?
4. Who has been the most influential person in your life? Why?
5. What lessons have you learned that would be valuable to women beginning their careers in technology?
6. What new technology do you believe will have the most positive impact on the world in the next 20 years? The most negative impact?

On the lighter side:
1. If you could have dinner with any 2 people (living or not), who would they be?
2. What was the last book you read? What books do you love to recommend?
3. What is your definition of success?

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