Something special happens when you ditch expectations and claim the truth of self — when you refuse to be confined or defined.
At Splitit, we encourage the true brilliance of our employees. They show up for each other and or customers in amazing ways. The impact of women in our corporate culture is appreciated, welcomed and embraced.
In this post, you’ll read the thoughts of women, surveyed from different departments and roles all over our company.
These women represent Australia, Canada, Israel, Ukraine, the United States, the United Kingdom. Combined, they speak ten languages. Out of all the roles they embrace, they most identify with being a friend.
And now, we honor our friends by sharing their wisdom with you.
10 Lessons from the Women of Splitit
In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, we felt it imperative to share a glimpse of the genius we experience from them, every day.
Here are their thoughts on business, life, growth, and balance.
Lesson 1: You must enjoy your work.
Some days, showing up is half of the battle. With all of life’s responsibilities, days and nights can get hectic. Yet, no matter what, you must enjoy what you do.
Never let the pace of work impact your ability to enjoy it. Take time to breathe and remember why you chose this work in the first place.
Based on a survey, these benefits of work resonate with our female employees the most:
- Financial stability (93.3%)
- Helping Splitit excel (86.7%)
- Building strong relationships with co-workers (86.7%)
- Being asked to solve problems (86.7%)
- Being challenged by interesting work that fuels a sense of accomplishment (80%)
- Being respected and valued (73.3%)
- Making a positive impact at work (73.3%)
- Delivering value to Splitit customers (46.7%)
- Being creative (53.3%)
Clearly, our employees get a lot out of the work they perform for Splitit. And while financial stability is an obvious benefit for any employee, we love the fact that everything our employees care about involves action. These actions are what helps our company thrive.
Lesson 2: Be present in whatever role you find yourself at any given time.
“No matter how busy life gets, my wife, son, and I always sit down together for dinner,” shares Natasha Richards, Director of Payments at Splitit. “We put our devices away, turn off the TV, and just enjoy each other’s company. This is our favorite part of the day because it allows us to be present as parents and partners.”
Being present is much like active listening. You tune into the moment, resolving to be immersed in the beauty of right now. Our employees shared that they wear many hats in business and in their personal lives.
The women in our company identify as:
- Mothers
- Partners
- Friends
- Role models
- Advocates
- Volunteers
But they aren’t limited to these roles. Often they have to switch roles on the fly or create a new role to deal with a new situation. The point is, in whatever role you find yourself, give yourself fully. It empowers and blesses you and everyone around you.
Lesson 3: It’s never too early to experience the value of work.
Many of our surveyed employees started work at an early age. Irma Proshker, Marketing and Events Manager, began selling lollipops to family members at the age of nine!
It’s interesting to see how, even early on, career paths were forming. Just take a look at where some of our top employees are now and the possible parallels to their very first jobs:
- Head of Funding Operations, Gali Komemi: At 14, Gali’s first job was in a clothing store. She provides strategic funding oversight in her current role, and we see the building blocks in her early work — retail is a springboard for learning how to direct money, wisely.
- Product Marketing Lead, Perri Finkelstein: Perri started babysitting for her neighbors at age 14. She was able to market herself as a trustworthy, responsible person and she got the job. Early on she learned the value of having a good name in her community.
- Marketing Manager, Stacey Kaplan Itzhak: Stacey’s first job was also in babysitting. She was just 12 years old. Noticing a theme with our marketing employees yet? Every day, she works hard to make sure that Splitit has a good name, globally.
- Director of Customer Support, Louise Moghaddam: Louise began working in retail at 16. “My first ‘proper’ job was in banking where I spent the first 4 years of my career,” she shares. Eventually, she went into customer service in retail/ecommerce and this space is where she remains to this day.
- Deputy General Counsel, Aasma Shopoff: Aasma’s first job was stocking general merchandise at a grocery store named Randall’s when she was 16. It’s no doubt that the order required to stock shelves gave way to the order required in court.
“It’s fine not to know what you want to do,” writes Gali. “Learn your strengths and your passions. Life will lead you where you are meant to be.”
No matter where your career path leads you, stay true to who you are. Being authentically “you” will always lead you to your best work.
“Be true to yourself,” shares Claudia Xu, Finance Manager. “Do the things that make you happy.”
Lesson 4: Having a role model or mentor is important.
Our female employees agree that having someone to look up to or bounce ideas off of has been necessary in their pursuit of success. We can all benefit from the wisdom and experiences of others.
Many shared that their mother, father or grandmother is their strongest role model. Some, like Louise Moghaddam, are inspired by those they are around every day:
“There are many people in the public eye that I admire but I also take inspiration from the superwomen around me who juggle multiple demands from home and work on a daily basis with kindness, efficiency, and good humour,” she writes.
Lesson 5: Don’t let fear stop you. Stretch yourself.
Overcoming fear was a recurring theme. It was echoed in the advice these women have received and given.
“Don’t be afraid to do something different,” Stacey Kaplan Itzhak advises. “If you get the opportunity to work in a new field, live in a different country, attend an interesting event…do it!”
Fleeing self-limiting beliefs allow you to embrace more of life.
“Don’t be afraid to take on the projects no one else wants to do,” writes Aasma Shopoff. “I raise my hand for projects that are outside of my comfort zone while staying close to the day-to-day work.”
By stepping into uncertain territory, you gain new footing. Never let fear keep you from growth.
Lesson 6: Never stop learning. It nurtures growth.
Lessons are everywhere. Take advantage of them to fuel your growth in business and personal settings.
Levana Chongloi, Onboarding Manager, summed it up like this: “Think of yourself as a lifelong learner.”
Having a teachable demeanor can get you far in life. But it won’t always be easy to get the knowledge you are pursuing. Perri Finkelstein completed her MBA in the midst of a pandemic. It’s a testament to the importance of learning despite obstacles.
It’s OK not to have all of the answers, but you must make an effort to find them.
“You don’t know what you don’t know,” writes Irma Prishker. “ASK.”
Lesson 7: Self-care is the greatest balancing act. Practice often.
Self-care is essential.When you take care of yourself, you are better able to help others.
“Just like in airplanes, you have to put the oxygen mask on [yourself] first before you help others,” writes Irma Prishker. “If I’m not well, I am not able to properly help others.”
Always make time to practice self-care. And while the meaning of self-care varies depending on who you ask, I think we can agree that it involves making sure you are all right, inside and out.
Lesson 8: Share your wisdom.
Never keep what you learn to yourself. Reach out to younger people to share what you have learned about navigating your career.
Here’s a roundup of the advice our employees shared:
- Believe you are strong; you can do anything you set your mind on.
- Study the career you want.
- Don’t do what everyone expects. Do what’s in your heart.
- Take regular naps!
- Be your own advocate.
- Talk less, listen more.
We especially resonated with what Gali Komemi shared. She likened navigating life to juggling, borrowing an illustration from author Nora Jones. Jones said that the key to juggling is understanding which balls are made of plastic and which ones are made of glass.
It’s OK to let the plastic drop, but fiercely guard the glass.
“I am not hard on myself,” shares Gali. “I go to sleep knowing I did the best I could and that maybe tomorrow I can juggle more (but maybe not!)”
Lesson 9: Always speak up for yourself and others.
Your voice matters. It can move mountains. If you keep your eyes open, you can see opportunities in your personal life and in business that can benefit from your voice.
Our employees spend time volunteering to help students with learning disabilities. They leverage resources to get clients what they need, even if it means going beyond what is expected. They deliver solutions to people who need help.
Natasha Richards fondly recalled a time when she was able to address a gap in healthcare for residents living in rural, underserved communities. She launched the first-ever behavioral health telemedicine program. It became the largest network of online mental health providers in the country and services more than 800,000 members.
Our employees care. When they speak up and lend their talents, they spark change in the world.
Lesson 10: Mistakes are inevitable. Learn from them.
Trying to avoid making mistakes in business and life is like trying to stay dry in a downpour. It’s impossible! Instead of avoiding errors, look for ways to learn from them.
We think Denise Carlin, Chief People Officer, sums it up best:
“Mistakes allow us to grow beyond our comfort zone and what we already know. Being comfortable with making mistakes means you’ll learn much faster than others who feel they have to be perfect. Always use mistakes as learning opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of what you’re working on. It will also help you take mistakes less personally. You can’t continue to learn and grow without mastering how to handle mistakes!”
We couldn’t agree more.
Final Thoughts
We hope these pearls of wisdom will help you in your daily pursuits. As you go through Women’s History Month and celebrate International Women’s Day, look for ways to celebrate women. Hear what they have to say and add your voice to the mix to create a better world. It takes all of us.