By Bullseye Strategy Staff Every year, March 8th is International Women’s Day (IWD). It’s a global celebration of women’s social, economic, cultural and political achievements. These efforts do not belong to any one country, group or organization. As InternationalWomensDay.com puts it, “[IWD] is all about unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action – whatever that looks like globally at a local level.” At Bullseye Strategy, the celebration is a proud one, but our actions are what speak the loudest. For one, we are a digital marketing company co-founded by a female, Maria Harrison (aka “Maria on the Move”). With Maria at the helm, we strive to be a shining example of what it means to value women in business – and how that translates to success. On this International Women’s Day, we want to recognize what our women bring to the table, including their inherent ability to collaborate, their powerful support for one another and their intuitive understanding of work-life balance. These are all critical elements of success for us – and any business.
Collaboration is Key
There are certain traditions that are gender-specific, including the garb we wore for Dressember: women wore dresses, while men wore ties. But we aren’t afraid to defy those gender roles. For instance, women traditionally favor collaboration. Numerous studies have shown that women prefer to work in teams and excel when they do. Instead of segmenting our staff, we embrace collaboration across all genders, because it’s beneficial to both our strategists and our clients.
A 2014 Gallup study found that “gender-diverse business units have better financial outcomes than those dominated by one gender.” The study notes that “men and women have different viewpoints, ideas and market insights, which enables better problem-solving.” We couldn’t agree more.
“Collaboration is paramount to our success. Because we take a team approach to our client’s strategies, each team member is holding the others accountable to deliver a thorough and outstanding marketing strategy.”– Maria Harrison, President & Founder, Bullseye Strategy
Mentorship
Another valuable female tendency we’ve adopted is the concept of supporting each other. A 2015 study from the University of California Haas School of Business found that women gained more social capital from a mentorship than their male counterparts. Forbes.com reported that the social capital and business opportunities that come from mentorship are “critical to becoming a leader in a corporate setting.”
At Bullseye Strategy, many of us benefited from mentors as we developed our own careers. It only makes sense that now we pay it forward by providing opportunities to our colleagues who are just cutting their teeth in the working world.
In fact, some of our best employees were once interns – like Kylie Braeseke. With excitement, we watched her grow from intern to paid media coordinator and wouldn’t be surprised if soon she, too, starts offering guidance to someone following in her footsteps.
“At work, I am surrounded by boss ladies that motivate me and inspire me daily. I’m studying, multitasking and chasing big goals at a young age. My circle of mentors cheering me on assures me that I can do anything I set my mind to; and stepping out of my comfort zone will only make me stronger in the long run.” – Kylie Braeseke, Paid Media Coordinator
Work-Life Balance
For decades, men went to work and women stayed home with the children. In the 1960s, those gender roles began to shift, as large numbers of women entered the workforce. By the ‘80s, we saw how much women were struggling to “have it all.” Thankfully, we’ve been able to navigate some of those struggles with the help of technological advances. Today, we can lead a conference call in the car or finish a presentation while waiting in the pediatrician’s office.
As a business of the twenty-first century, Bullseye Strategy offers all of our employees – mothers, fathers, pet parents and everyone in between – the benefits of a flexible work environment. We understand that flexibility allows us to thrive at work without being defined by it.
“As a mom of three kids who spent a good portion of the last few years on airplanes for my prior role, I now consider work-life balance THE ultimate work benefit. Being able to stay home with a kid with strep throat without missing a beat at work is critical and gives me energy to be productive that I probably would have lacked if I’d been spread too thin.” – Jorie Mark, Senior Director of Content Strategy
