Martin Waymire is predominantly run by women and a majority women-employed company. This representation is essential, as it was only a century ago that women were granted the right to vote. Now, women are in dominant positions that drive the success of organizations as a result of their unique talents and life experiences.
Student practitioner B Wyne interviewed Martin Waymire leaders Andrea Kerbuski, Angela Minicuci and Andie Poole to better understand how gender influenced their careers.
Andie Poole, APR — Partner
Andie stated being a woman affects everything, especially work. She recalled experiences when working in the male-dominated technology industry that were challenging and occasionally isolating. It taught Andie to be vocal with her thoughts and opinions, and to try to lift up other voices in a room who may feel marginalized.
She also articulated how becoming a mother was a big deal in her career. Things that used to be easy to say yes to — like attending an evening networking event — suddenly required a lot more planning or were not feasible. And best laid plans were often thrown off due to illness, especially in her kids’ younger years. It led Andie to shift her priorities and appreciate the importance of work-life balance not only for parents but for every employee.
Andie shared a story of reading the book Lean In as part of a book club. The underlying message of the book didn’t sit right with her, and another person in the group put her concerns into words: “This book is encouraging women to conform to the male-centered way of doing business. Why aren’t the women telling the men to lean out?”
Andie celebrates Women’s History Month as a time to reflect on the people who came before us and recognize the barriers they faced to achieve equality. It’s also an opportunity to strategize and act on building a better future for women and in our industry now and in the future.
Angela Minicuci, APR — Partner
Early in her career, Angela found herself being pulled into meetings simply to be the skirt in the room rather than for her perspective. She sought to change that. While it was her skillset that she had hoped to be hired for, her gender became just as relevant in the tasks she was assigned, office dynamics and the way she held herself at work. Over time, Angela learned to trust and refine her instincts, and focus on her expertise as a way to position herself, thanks to the support of her female mentors.
She expressed how becoming a mother changed everything. Before kids, Angela had the flexibility to dedicate more time to her profession. Now, she has to juggle putting in time and work to meet professional goals while being a mom — which is a 24/7 job with no boundaries. However, Angela is adamant that she would not change a thing as her family is her biggest inspiration.
She trusts the power of women supporting other women. Angela believes that, as a women-owned business and a business committed to advancing issues that will move our state forward, we have a duty to this work to create a future that is inclusive to everyone. Gender equity is a priority in the work we do and important to Martin Waymire. She made the point that it is not about the work we do, but about why we do it. It’s because Martin Waymire genuinely cares about the state of Michigan and its communities.
Andrea Kerbuski — Vice President
Andrea recognized early in her that career gender impacted the way she was treated at work. She felt uncomfortable in her skin as a woman and thought unwanted compliments on her appearance and unwelcome physical touch was part of the profession.
It took some time to unlearn what is and isn’t — or shouldn’t be — accepted in the workplace and eventually could go from a place of insecurity —feeling as if she had to agree with her male counterparts — to finding her voice. She acknowledges that while she had to work harder at times to prove herself, she had less barriers to overcome as a white cisgender woman.
Andrea’s takeaways from this experience is that progress is not linear, and her biggest failures were the most valuable lessons to learn. It took time to become the confident woman she is today with the ability to communicate firm boundaries, but she had strong female professional role models to look up to. Andrea mentioned in particular a director she admired while working for Capital Area Works who encouraged her to be unapologetically herself and speak her mind.
Gender parity and equity is essential as it shapes democracy around the globe. It is important to Martin Waymire as it encourages us to act with inclusion and respect everyone regardless of gender identity and expression. The leading women of Martin Waymire remind us of the importance of advocating for oneself and others to create genuine, empowering networks. We encourage you to celebrate the women in your life and reflect on the ways gender discrimination is still present in our society today to generate positive change.
