EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE EVENT
Did you hear that one of our co-founders spoke at the “Equality in the Workplace” event at Iona College in New Rochelle, NY recently? Sarah Lehberger took part in a panel discussion on Monday, April 1st, 2019 in Iona College’s Romita Auditorium as part of the WICR (Iona College Radio) speaker series which wrapped up their programming for Women's History Month.
The evening started with a fireside chat between Kate Adriani (WICR President) and Anne Fiyalka (a 98 years "young" woman) who flew with Amelia Earhart back in 1936 when she was just a teenager! Anne was a teen in high school when Amelia visited her small town, and a student would be picked to fly with Amelia on what was sure to be a daring adventure back then. Could you even imagine this happening today at school? Just think about the permission slips and legal documents you’d have to sign! Anne’s parents weren’t even notified that she was picked for this great opportunity and up she went! It was one of the greatest highlights of her life. Anne shared others stories with the crowd, and she discussed going back to work after her husband passed away and seeing all of the various women’s movements and changes to her rights (as a woman) in her lifetime. For the students in the audience, it had to be hard to imagine not being able to buy a home or get a credit card in your name because it was against the law for women to do this back then. It was incredible to hear this history first hand too, and she encouraged us all to keep making strides because there is still work to be done in order to achieve equality.
Sarah Lehberger photographed with Anne Fiyalka and Dr. Bridget Cooper (L-R).
Soon after, the media panel was called on stage to discuss various aspects of working in the media industry, including changes and challenges they've experienced over the last twenty years, and what advice they have for those seeking careers in media and mass communications. Laura Behnke (sports anchor turned fashion and lifestyle blogger) and Katie Barnes (award winning journalist for espnW.com covering sports and culture) spoke along side of our very own Sarah Lehberger. Their individual experiences were so unique and each of the women shared some similar pieces of advice with the audience.
Laura Behnke, Katie Barnes and Sarah Lehberger (shown L-R) after their media panel at Iona College.
Sarah shared her career highlights and lessons learned from a career that began in the TV/online news and entertainment fields, then shifted to working with editorial clients at a photo agency in NYC, then while launching her own photography business, and now through her work at She Will Thrive. Some of her greatest pieces of advice were:
be flexible as that will give you more opportunities to learn or grow in other areas or departments
learn to embrace change as technology and online media is constantly evolving
make sure that the work or media that you are putting out there represents all of humanity and not just the people who look like you or share your limited perspective
"I was humbled to share the stage with so many incredible women working towards the goals of equality and inclusion in their own unique ways throughout their careers. We have to keep working and take action to advance humanity, and to make sure that women and women of color are represented in the workplace as well as every aspect of media, society and culture." - Sarah Lehberger
And finally, Dr. Bridget Cooper inspired the crowd with her vulnerable keynote story about her TEDx speaking experience. We wanted to share her TEDx video with you all here so you can be just as moved and empowered to be a game changer or your own superhero. Please note: this video may be a trigger for some (discusses abuse, sexual assault, rape).
Looking for a speaker for your upcoming event? Our co-founders would love to chat about your needs and see how we can help to empower or educate your audience. Reach out to us today and learn more about collaborating with us in the future! And thanks, Kate and WICR team, for inviting Sarah to be a part of this amazing event. We look forward to seeing all of the great things that you all will do with your careers, and to gaining your help in achieving equality in the workplace in our near future.