Whitney Johnson

Welcome to the Forty Over 40 blog. We frequently spotlight one of our honorees and their thoughts on reinvention, mentorship and momentum…plus a peek into what makes them tick.

This Q & A is with Ekpedeme “Pamay” M. Bassey, Global Learning and Development Executive.  Pamay is innovating her field of work by launching My 52 Weeks of Worship Project in 2010 and authoring the book, My 52 Weeks of Worship: Lessons from a Global, Spiritual, Interfaith Journey to encourage conversation in the public arena about spirituality, faith, religion, culture and understanding. She also visited 61 different places of worship worldwide in 1 year to increase spiritual connectedness—does what she challenges others to do.

1) What was a pivotal momentum of reinvention for you?

3 moments come to mind. First, when my “position was eliminated” at a technology startup where I worked in 2001, I responded by doing two things: fulfilling a lifelong dream to study and graduate from the Second City Conservatory in Chicago, and launching my own e-learning design and strategy company, The Pamay Group. Then, in 2010, a personally challenging year where I lost my father and my grandmother inspired me to take a spiritual journey which led to my writing and publishing my first book: My 52 Weeks of Worship: Lessons from a Global, Spiritual, Interfaith Journey. Finally, and most recently, after determining it was time to shake things up in my life, I moved to New York City and took on a Director position at an asset management firm – moving from entrepreneurship to intrapreneurship.

2) Who has been a valuable mentor or sponsor?

My sisters, Sorors, and friends. I have been blessed to be surrounded by a number of strong, intelligent, accomplished women who have served as motivators, mentors, sponsors and supporters.  From time to time, depending on whatever personal or professional challenge I might be facing, I call one of the women on my “personal board of directors,” and we talk through it on the phone, or grab brunch, or coffee, discuss via email, or plan a rejuvenating weekend getaway – whatever it takes – and afterwards I feel refreshed, inspired, and ready to tackle whatever is next.

3) What is your biggest goal right now?

I am challenging myself to focus on health, wellness and fitness, so I can live a well-rounded life and enjoy all the gifts I have been so fortunate to receive.

4) How did you get your first job? How did you jump to your second job?

My first job was working for my mom in high school — she has owned a health food store in Atlanta for almost 30 years. I jumped to my second job by applying to and being accepted by INROADS, a program whose mission is to develop and place talented youth in business and industry, and prepare them for corporate and community leadership. Through INROADS, I secured an internship with Coca-Cola USA, where I worked for 3 summers in college.

5) What time do you typically wake up? What do you do every morning?

I’m up at 5AM in the morning, generally. Every morning, I start my day by reading something spiritually inspiring, and meditating and/or praying. When I don’t do these things, my day is noticeably and negatively impacted.

6)  What challenge / achievement are you most proud of?

My 52 Weeks of Worship Project. It was personally transformative for me, and it has been a true honor to meet people who have shared that they have been touched by my story, and the lessons I have learned on my journey.

7)  What is your “keep me going” quote?

“It’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit. Start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or worst of it. I hope you see things that starve you. Hope you feel things you never felt before. Hope you meet people with a different point of view. Hope you live a life you are proud of and if you find out you’re not? I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”  -The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

8)  Who on the list of prior Honorees would you like to meet?

So many of them! Betsy Beers, Producer, Shondaland, Suzanne McKechnie Klah, CEO of Build, and Denise Restauri, CEO of GirlQuake, to name a few!

9)  What was the last business book you read?

 The Power of Failure: Succeeding in the Age of Innovation, by Fran Tarkenton

10)  What song can’t you get out of your head? 

‘Work” by Rihanna

Check out Pamay Bassey’s full 40 Over 40 profile here!

Welcome to the Forty Over 40 blog. We frequently spotlight one of our honorees and their thoughts on reinvention, mentorship and momentum…plus a peek into what makes them tick.

This Q & A is with Emily McKhann, Co-Founder of The Motherhood.  Emily is innovating her field of work by helping lead the way for women online to be seen as experts in their own lives, to be valued for their voices, opinions, diversity, large and loyal audiences, and their impact.

1)  What was a pivotal momentum of reinvention for you?

I was in my 30s when my best friend got breast cancer. Erin Kramp did something unusual at the time – she used her cancer diagnosis as a catalyst to rethink her priorities, her life work, her relationships, her spiritual side. We wrote a book together called “Living With the End in Mind” that got a ton of coverage (including numerous appearances by Erin on Oprah). Erin’s friendship and spending her last year writing our book changed my life. Before Erin got sick, I worked all the time and barely came up for air. After losing her, life looked different. I am just keenly aware that life is short, that we need to savor the days. This experience helped me realize that while I want my work to matter, to help people, I also want to prioritize my time with the amazing people in my life.

2)  Who has been a valuable mentor or sponsor?

I have to say my women friends.  I couldn’t ask for smarter, wiser, funnier, truth-telling, boundary-pushing, glass-ceiling- cracking, cheerleading girlfriends. They’re my brutally honest and ever-encouraging sounding boards who get me to the places that are right for me.

4)  What is your biggest goal right now?

Be a good role model in work and life for my two teenage daughters.

5)  How did you get your first job? How did you jump to your second job?

I took a job as a receptionist at a DC PR firm and read every piece of work that I was given to file. After six months, they moved me to account work and two years later I was made a VP and opened their Southwest office in Dallas.

6)  How do you unplug? How often do you unplug?

With family. I’ve got two girls, ages 16 and 14, who are young feminists with lots to say and who like to laugh and at least for the time being hang out with me. So my go-to unplug zone is with the four of us.

7)  What challenge / achievement are you most proud of?

I am incredibly proud of The Motherhood and the many ways our company gives women opportunities to be heard and valued.

8)  What cause do you most want to advance?

This month marks the fifth year of Blogust, a program I helped create. Throughout the month of August, influencers post to their social platforms and for every comment, like or share they get, the UN Foundation’s program Shot@Life helps get a vaccine to a child in need around the world. The goal this year is 30,000 vaccines. Please support the #Blogust hashtag on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to help us get vaccines to kids!

9)  What song can’t you get out of your head?  

The Hamilton soundtrack!

10)  What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

“Look for the good” Look for the good in people, in situations, in life.

11)  What is your keep me going quote?

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” Maya Angelou

12) What is your secret indulgence?

Mochi!

13)  Who on the list of prior Honorees would you like to meet?

Who wouldn’t I want to meet?! What an incredible group of women.

Check out Emily McKhann’s full 40 Over 40 profile here!

 

Welcome to the Forty Over 40 blog. We frequently spotlight one of our honorees and their thoughts on reinvention, mentorship and momentum…plus a peek into what makes them tick.

This Q & A is with Fif Ghobadian, CEO of Road 22.  Fif is innovating her field of work by Co-founding Road 22, a fashion brand with social mission of employing women who were formerly incarcerated.

1) What was a pivotal momentum of reinvention for you?

I completely changed after I had my kids. I started focusing on myself and my kids and grew into a more independent and self-confident person. I realized the importance of family and what really matters and was able to take risks more easily. I changed my career and left the corporate world to work for myself as a mortgage broker and went on adventurous trips alone with the kids. I guess I felt this inner strength that I had never fostered.

2)  Who has been a valuable mentor or sponsor?

I really haven’t had one mentor or sponsor. Different people have come into my life at key times and each has had a significant impact. I remember growing up that my father always encouraged me to be strong and independent. He raised me like his son. When I told him that I wanted to have kids on my own, he was supportive and told me that I could do anything. When I was pregnant with my son, I met a woman who was a successful interior designer and she quit her job and left the security of her home and income to start a new life in Mexico. I was so impressed by her ability to change her life and dive into a whole new world. The thought seemed scary to me before but she encouraged me to take risks and the pattern started. I became a mortgage broker and most recently decided to start my own company.

3)  What is your biggest goal right now?

To raise my two teenagers without losing my mind, and to grow Road22 into a successful big company that will be recognized nationally for our social mission and our excellent brand.

4)  How did you get your first job? How did you jump to your second job?

I have worked since I was 16. My first job was at McDonalds and then every summer I had a job in either a restaurant or a company. Then when I graduated I worked for Levi’s strauss during the day and at Pizzerio Uno at nights. I wanted to save money to travel. So, I took 6 months off and traveled in Europe.

5)  What time do you typically wake up? What do you do every morning?

I wake up at 6:30 and after I get the kids organized, I go for a run. Running is my sanity and its my time for me. I truly need to run.

6)  How do you unplug? How often do you unplug?

I don’t really ever unplug. When I’m on vacation, I love going to Europe because I can enjoy my days with my family and then at nights I can work. That is pure heaven. I guess on the weekends, I check emails only once or twice a day.

7)  What challenge / achievement are you most proud of?

I am proud of anything that I’ve done without anyone’s help. I am proud of raising my kids on my own and I am proud of changing careers and working on my own as a mortgage broker.

8)  What cause do you most want to advance?

I feel strongly about helping people who were formerly incarcerated in the US. When you serve a sentence, you are not done with paying back for your crime, because when you’re released you can’t get a job, food stamps, or government housing. As a result, 67% end up back in the system. It doesn’t make sense to me, because we have the resources to help people get back on their feet.

9)  What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

The best piece of advice is that life is short and don’t waste it. I am fully aware of every second in this world and never take anything for granted.

10)  What is your keep me going quote?

“Anything is Possible” and “Never say Never” I think anything is possible and I truly believe that. I live by the belief that if you visualize it, work for it and expect it, you will have it.

11) What is your secret indulgence?

I love going on vacations. I absolutely love staying in nice hotels, eating great meals and being on vacations with my family.

Check out Fif Ghobadian’s full 40 Over 40 profile here!

Welcome to the Forty Over 40 blog. We frequently spotlight one of our honorees and their thoughts on reinvention, mentorship and momentum…plus a peek into what makes them tick.

This Q & A is with Frances Colon, Government Advocate for Science and Innovation in Public Policy and Diplomacy. Frances is innovating her field of work by utilizing expertise as scientist to build bridges between science, technology and innovation and high-level decision-makers in the U.S. around the world.

1)  What was a pivotal momentum of reinvention for you?

Two years ago I decided to dedicate my time outside work to giving back to the place that shaped me, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is in the midst of a severe economic crisis yet there are 5 million Puerto Ricans in the US mainland from all walks of life- thriving, persevering. I felt that there had to be a way to organize and use our talent, expertise and connections in the diaspora to  help improve Puerto Rico’s outlook. Cenadores Puerto Rico, now a non-profit, was born as a platform to harness that talent to empower civil society on the island to take Puerto Rico’s future into their hands. I left 20 years ago to pursue my education and I didn’t really look back until now.  It means everything to me to use every tool I have and put at my community’s service. I believe in Puerto Rico’s future and I am going to ensure I play a part in making it as bright as possible.

2)  Who has been a valuable mentor or sponsor?

Dr. Bill Colglazier, the Secretary of State’s Science and Technology Adviser from 2011-2014, really showed me what it means to be a servant leader. While 30 years my senior, he never hesitated to challenge me beyond what I thought I was capable of doing. I had the role of his deputy and he had full confidence that I could represent him and the United States scientific community in any forum. I stepped in for him on many stages that most would have felt were still a number of years away for me. He not only opened doors but showed me how to handle conflict with grace and intellect.  Most important, I learned that mentors should be of both genders and of all ages and races because that is how we begin to see ourselves in others’ shoes.

3)  What is your biggest goal right now?

I want to find the sweet spot for using my background as a scientist and my decade of policy experience to make a significant impact for the advancement of women and minorities. I know I have the tools to give these groups a voice and I want to choose my next step wisely.

4)  What time do you typically wake up? What do you do every morning?

I wake up at 6:00am every morning except when I see my trainer, then it’s a 5:00am wake up call. I am an absolute morning person. It’s when my neurons are at their most creative and everything comes together for me. I can plan the day, write a blog and send 10 emails in that first hour of my day. The rest of the day is just implementing the overflow of ideas from the morning.

5)  How do you unplug? How often do you unplug?

I travel internationally a fair amount for work and that gives me time to unplug on airplanes and the time differences play well to allowing for some me time.  I always build in some extra days to explore and let myself be adventurous. As I write this I am about to set off on a 4-day trip to Machu Picchu as a break from a work trip to Lima, Peru.

6)  What challenge / achievement are you most proud of?

Becoming the first Executive Branch official to meet with the Science and Environment Ministry in Cuba in over 50 years to bring our scientists from both countries together again.

7)  What cause do you most want to advance?

I want to empower a new generation of Puerto Rican civil society leaders that I believe, with the right values and access to opportunities, can catalyze a bright future for Puerto Rico.

8)  What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

You can’t move up unless you help those that will take your place and expand on your work. Always reach back and pull up those following in your footsteps.

9)  What is your keep me going quote?

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” by Margaret Mead

10) What is your secret indulgence? 

Cuban salsa is my vice. I go to as many concerts as I can, alone or with friends, wherever in the world I am. Dancing just takes me away.

Check out Frances Colon’s full 40 Over 40 profile here!

Welcome to the Forty Over 40 blog. We frequently spotlight one of our honorees and their thoughts on reinvention, mentorship and momentum…plus a peek into what makes them tick.

This Q & A is with Llana Golan, F-16 Flight instructor, Engineer, Founder & CEO of Stiya.  Llana is innovating her field of work by breaking gender barriers in Israeli military and founding Stiya, a Storytelling platform for businesses using automation and allowing them to share more relevant and personalized content with their clients in a click.

1)  What was a pivotal moment of reinvention for you?

I was an F-16 flight instructor in the Israeli air force. I worked around the clock but knew that only men became commanders in my unit. I couldn’t really accept this glass ceiling and was super motivated to prove to everyone that I can do this just as good as men. I worked really hard to prove myself and eventually it paid off. I became the first woman to become a commander and in charge of training of all F-16 pilots. It was a big moment for myself, for the air force and for women in Israel overall. But my days didn’t become any easier now that I achieved it. I knew I had to prove it was the right choice.  With a lot of work from my amazing team I completely changed the training and education program for pilots in Israel and received the prestigious ‘Best Commander Award’. I knew that after such a success more women will become commanders and will get the trust we deserve. I also proved to myself that barriers are meant to be broken and with the right mind set and hard work – you can make the impossible happen. I live by this ever since.

2)  Who has been a valuable mentor or sponsor?

In my first year of engineering school  (Technion) I got a job as an engineer at Intel. Usually as a student in corporate (especially in the first years) you focus more on testing and doing small tasks. But due to an amazing boss my experience was different. My direct manager was a brilliant man called johny srouji (He is now SVP of Hardware Technologies reporting to Tim Cook at Apple). Johny could look at me and see right away what I am capable of and give me his complete trust. He let me own a big project and helped me do it right. He saw me not as a student, not as a woman but as a great engineer who is making things happen for the group (and he provided the support to make me successful). He sent me to business trips even though students were never sent abroad; he gave me a rank usually saved for experienced full-time engineers as he thought I was functioning as one etc. This taught me many important management and leadership lessons, which I apply ever since.

3)  What is your biggest goal right now?

I want people to view me for who I am: A successful entrepreneur, amazing problem solver, great speaker and unique leader who can make the impossible happen.  Not as a woman, not by age, not by title. I want to give this gift to others and provide the hope and tools for people everywhere to achieve whatever they set their minds to.

 4)  How did you get your first job? How did you jump to your second job?

I was in my first semester in computer engineering (out of 8 semesters). I saw that there is a job fair but usually only 4th semester students and onwards were going to these events. I figured I’ll just walk around to get an idea. I saw someone I know from the army days near the Intel booth. Figured its worth talking to him and before I knew it I was invited to an interview. I had 3 interviews because I was so early in my studies they had to test me on potential and problem solving. I passed and joined Intel as the youngest student they ever had. I’ve been 6 years at Intel overall (four as a student), breaking many records for the first time. I left Intel to explore the world and go travel for many months. A different experience and an incredible one altogether with many important lessons learned.

5)  How did you feel on your 30th birthday? What were you doing at that time? 

I believe life has many phases and in each one you have a goal. Before my 30th I was already the first woman to command the entire F16 pilot training, I was a successful engineer , I traveled solo for many months covering overall over 50 countries and climbed my first 21,000 foot mountain. On my 30th I decided my goal is to finish an iron-distance triathlon. I did my very first marathon exactly on my 30th birthday and had 7 months to train for the full Ironman (2.4miles swim, 112miles bike, 26.2miles run). Building your body to 13-14hours plus of exercise is not easy. I’d wake up at 5am every morning and train almost every single day. There were days I really wanted to stay in bed especially if it was cold or raining but I knew I had to do it. And I did it – I completed my first Ironman in a pretty awesome time. From this experience, I mainly learned how much stronger the mind is vs the body and even when you are tired, hungry and feel weak, your mind can push you forward. The power to not give up is in your head and you can train your head to keep going step by step because quitting is not an option.

6)  What challenge / achievement are you most proud of?

I moved to the US to start the operations of Qualisystems in the US. It wasn’t doing great in Israel and Europe and I was excited about the opportunity to make such an impact. But after a couple of meetings with big US players like Cisco and HP, it was clear that our product as is will not work in the US market. I did find a real pain at our clients and I knew we could solve but I needed the buy-in internally and their trust to make this pivot. What do I do now? I moved my family to save a company but their product doesn’t make sense here. I tried to explain the situation internally but the upper management that wasn’t in the US thought that I simply didn’t know how to sell their product. I knew this wasn’t the case but felt defeated. I was letting everyone down including my family. But eventually I managed to get Qualisystems to bet on this direction and make a pivot and meanwhile I worked with our clients to make this successful. This pivot got us a remarkable growth and made us a standard tool in the industry, reaching within only a few years $15M yearly revenue.

7)  What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

“Always know your audience and adjust your message to them”. Here is the story: 

I was giving a brief to an F-16 pilot twice my age after training him in the simulator on air-to-ground combat. When I finished the brief, the pilot looked at me calmly, smiled and said “Honey, do you know who I am?”  I knew his name but was I supposed to know more than that? “I destroyed the Iraqi nuclear plant in 1981 when you were about 6 years old”, he said. I knew exactly what he was talking about – the destruction of this plant was one of the most famous and dangerous missions ever accomplished by an air-force.

How did I miss that???

Obviously this guy knew how to do air-to-ground attacks in his sleep. Initially I was shocked and hurt by how he talked to and treated me, thinking to myself “even experts make mistakes and thats why I am here…to remind and train them on the basics”. It took me a few weeks to understand what I did so wrong. 

I didn’t bother to take the time to learn who I was talking to and I thought one teaching approach could fit all.

Boy was I wrong. That slap in the face is still one of the best lessons I’ve ever learned. Always understand who you are talking to and always tailor your discussion to the person in front of you. The same message can be communicated in so many ways…Which way is right for your audience?

Check out Llana Golan’s full 40 Over 40 profile here!