WITI Women Survey Questions and Responses:
1. What was your first job in technology?
My first job in technology was at Weather Services International ( WSI ). I worked in customer service doing primarily phone support. I also wrote the monthly Weather Almanacs that were purchased by TV stations, and developed some graphics that were broadcasted during the summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984. We had to have our customer service desk up and operational 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so I often worked nights, weekends, and holidays.
2. Who has been your most significant mentor? Why?
My most significant mentor has been a personal coach who I'd like to keep anonymous. My coach has advised me on leadership dilemmas, survival, trust, and learning to believe in my own capabilities.
3. What has been your greatest challenge and what strategies did you use to overcome obstacles?
I would say that being a single Mom is probably my greatest challenge, and is a challenge that I am still working on mastering. I am always looking for new strategies to balance parenting with working full-time, which is one of the reasons that I decided to start my own company. Being my own boss is something that I have had in the works for a while -- it allows me the flexibility to keep my own schedule -- something that is critical to my productiveness. I enjoy being able to set my own priorities and am now able to be home for dinner every night with my son...something that I know from experience a lot of businesses don't value. My son will only be young once and I want to be the one to influence him, instead of having him raised by some other care giver. After he grows up I will have the rest of my life to put my own agenda first.
Laura Taylor 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. If you couldn't do what you are doing now, what profession would you choose?
4. What is your definition of success?
