Our love of music is probably matched only by our love of technology. Initially, you may think those two things are not interconnected. But there’s a wealth of research suggesting the opposite. Music education has been shown to enhance neurological development, discipline, pattern recognition, and spatial analysis.   

These days, there are many efforts underway to introduce children, particularly those from underrepresented groups, to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (collectively known as “STEM” education). Such programs are not just important; they’re crucial. But, in our eagerness toward that approach, we should also be sure that we aren’t overlooking “the classics” in terms of giving our kids a cohesive foundation.  

The theme of this year’s Black History Month is “African Americans and the Arts.” All month long, we as a company have celebrated by sharing information about African American artists. We also spotlighted Seismic team members and asked them to share some of their favorite works/inspirations. Our team listened in on a great conversation about African American culture with noted DEI thought leader Julian Newman. And yes, there was also the playlist.  

But enough about us. To close out BHM 2024, we wanted to take a moment to highlight some great youth music organizations, starting with one in Seismic’s very own backyard of San Diego, CA!  

The San Diego Civic Youth Orchestra “makes the experience of performing ensemble music available to young people of any race, religion or ethnic origin, without regard to economic circumstances, in an environment that is positive and nurturing.” The “CYO,” as they’re called, is always accepting donations to help with their programming and equipment.  

Now let’s head to the opposite coast and show some love to our Boston office. ZUMIX is an east Boston-based organization that “empowers young people to build successful futures for themselves, transforming lives and community through music, technology, and creative employment.” They have a stated commitment to equity: “Diversity is an asset and the inclusion of multiple perspectives is necessary for a thriving organization.” We fully agree. You can give here.  

Last – but certainly not least – we’ll check in on our newest U.S. corporate office in Indianapolis. The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra is “a comprehensive program that equips students with the foundational abilities to learn and develop the capacities, skills, and knowledge needed to navigate challenges toward lifelong success, thereby strengthening the communities we live in.” There are several ways you can get involved with the MYO, including monetary/instrument donations, volunteering, or even booking them for your upcoming event! You can find more information on their Support page.  

As you can imagine, we could go on and on. But we wanted to take a moment to highlight just a few organizations that are doing incredible work with students, giving them a strong cultural education that is also proven to enhance their ability to tackle the STEM fields of today and tomorrow. We love what these organizations are doing, and we hope you’ll support their efforts where possible via your time and resources.  

We hope everyone had a great BHM 2024. See you next year!   

The post Black History Month: Celebrating African Americans and the arts appeared first on Seismic.

Seismic Sisters is dedicated to the advancement and professional growth of women and advocating for equity and equality in the workplace. The CoB aims to be an inclusive space where each person can feel engaged and know they belong. It’s a safe space that empowers all women at Seismic to share their experiences and become advocates for equity and inclusion. 

This Women’s History Month, Seismic Sisters hosted two company-wide events. The first, a Latinas at Seismic panel, featured a candid dialogue among Hispanic women at Seismic. We heard their perspectives on how their cultural identity affects navigating life and career, the realities of being a Latina in tech, what it means to strive for excellence, and much more.

Seismic Sisters also sponsored a second panel discussion that focused on empowering diverse teams. The panel included the CoB’s executive leaders SVP of Product Design Carmen Cano and President and Chief Revenue Officer Hayden Stafford. During the discussion, they shared strategies for building an inclusive workplace that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Spotlighting members of Seismic Sisters

As part of our weekly employee spotlight, we spoke heard from members of Seismic Sisters about the importance of belonging and how they’re celebrating Women’s History Month. 

Ellie Ryan | Senior Mid-Market Sales Director | Sydney, Australia

I joined Seismic Sisters because I wanted to connect with like-minded individuals and be a part of a supportive community at Seismic. Seismic Sisters provides a space for women and allies to come together, share their experiences, and support one another. One of the biggest benefits of being a part of a CoB is the instant expansion of your network at Seismic! I highly recommend it because you never know what you might learn or when you can help someone!

Megan Thompson | Event Marketing Planner | San Diego, CA

I joined to support and be supported by the fabulous women of Seismic! Being a part of Seismic Sisters and the Seismic Pride Alliance has helped me feel included and seen, there is no better feeling than knowing other people in your company are there for you.

Michelle Miller | Team Lead, Renewal Operations | Chicago, IL

I joined Seismic Sisters because we [women] really do run the world! I am all about celebrating diversity and inclusion and surrounding myself with people who support the growth and success of one another – not to mention the positive effect it has on mental health and emotional well-being!

Empowering women through professional development

Women’s group circles have a rich history that dates back centuries. History shows that women have been gathering in circles to share stories, seek support, and build community since ancient times. In some cultures, these gatherings were reserved for women only and were seen as sacred spaces to connect with one another, heal, and grow. 

In recent years, the concept of women’s group circles has seen a resurgence. Women are looking for ways to connect with one another, share experiences, and build a supportive community. This is especially important in the workplace, where women have historically been underrepresented and undervalued. 

To celebrate Women’s History Month, the leadership team of the Seismic Sisters Community of Belonging, Haley Thompson, Sarah Porteous, and Tamara Richards used Seismic’s professional development fund to attend the GameChangers, inc retreat in Tulum Mexico. The retreat is a unique opportunity to bring together a diverse group of women to level up their careers and provide women with professional development workshops, where they can experience community lift and break down career obstacles, together. 

Haley, Sarah, and Tamara each shared a bit about the impact of attending this retreat. 

For Sarah, the retreat was an opportunity to harness her power of intention, lean into vulnerability, and find a moment of lift with the other women in attendance. She was grateful for the messages shared by the facilitators, the connections and friendships built, and the energy she had to bring back to her team. 

Haley found that there was something to be said about bringing together a group of women who were all GameChangers in their industry. She shared knowledge and inspiring stories, worked on career obstacles, and took time to reflect and celebrate her successes. 

For Tamara, the retreat was a chance to experience women supporting women in a way that was different from what she had seen before. She appreciated the safe, supportive, and empowering environment created by Rachael Rogers and Sofie Angelica Svelander. It was a powerful reminder for her of the power of collaboration and how we can achieve greater things when we work together. 

The importance of the Seismic Sisters CoB

The Seismic Sisters community is a testament to the power of women coming together to support one another. When women are empowered and supported, amazing experiences can happen. The founders of the Seismic Sisters recognized this power and are using it to create positive change in their own lives and communities.

If you’re interested in learning more about diversity, equity, and inclusion at Seismic, we encourage you to download our Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Report FY2023. We’re also hiring – see the latest job opportunities on our careers page. 

The post Celebrating Women’s History Month with Seismic Sisters appeared first on Seismic.

In keeping with the spirit of transparency and accountability, today we published our second annual Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Report FY2023. In this post, we’ll share what DEI means at Seismic, findings from this year’s report, and our commitment to strengthening DEI at our organization and in the broader enablement industry. 

What is diversity, equity, and inclusion?

Before we get started, let’s first define diversity, equity, and inclusion at Seismic. Diversity is who we are. It’s our backgrounds, identities, experiences, stories (and more) that make us, us. Equity is what we do. We strive to create opportunities and equal outcomes for all. Inclusion is how we work. We want each person to feel engaged and know they belong.

Why is diversity, equity, and inclusion important? 

We take pride in DEI because we believe it’s an essential part of our One Seismic culture. It’s why “we are inclusive” is part of our Seismic values. And, it prioritizes the mindset we want and need our employees to bring to every facet of their work. Seismic is a mission and values-driven organization, and we want our customers, partners, and employees to share a sense of belonging. By embedding DEI into everything we do, we can engage one another with empathy and create a respectful and safe environment for everyone to show up as their authentic selves, which will make Seismic that much more innovative and successful.

Seismic’s commitment to Belonging

We recently introduced “belonging” as an outcome of our DEI journey. 

Findings from our FY2023 DEI Impact Report

One of our top priorities in FY2023 was to improve the recruitment and retention of our U.S. Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and Asian employees. Additionally, we identified opportunities to improve representation for women globally, most notably in product and engineering and go-to-market roles. 

Over the course of the past year, we made progress in both areas. At the end of FY2023, the population of women at Seismic was 36.8%. As an organization, we also increased representation for Black/African American (+0.8% YOY), Hispanic/Latinx (+0.8% YOY), and Asian (+1.4% YOY) employees at Seismic. 

Additionally, we advanced our goals across hiring demographics. Our FY2023 hires had more gender and racial/ethnic diversity compared to the current representation. Women made up 38.7% of global new hires, and our U.S. hires were more diverse compared to our race/ethnicity representation for Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and Asian. 

Each of these areas of progress marks a continued commitment to our DEI goals around representation. In addition, over the last year, we have expanded and solidified the structure of our nine CoBs. Our CoBs have provided employees with ongoing opportunities for connection and networking, engagement, and learning. In their first year, CoBs hosted more than 75 different programs and initiatives, and grew membership to 33% of Seismic’s global employee population across seven different countries.

Another highlight of the report focuses on our commitment to global pay equity. We conducted a pay analysis in partnership with a third-party agency to make certain that we have provided equitable programs and pay opportunities for all Seismic employees. The results showed that the steps we have taken worked and that there were no pay disparities across gender globally and race in the U.S. at Seismic.

As we look to the year ahead, we’re excited to embrace new opportunities to make further progress against our representation goals and toward promoting a culture of belonging.  

DEI in the broader enablement industry

As the global leader in sales enablement, we’re not only committed to promoting DEI at Seismic – we’re also steadfast in our commitment to creating a more diverse and inclusive industry for enablement professionals. 

Just over a year ago, we helped launch ENABLEship, a program to train, mentor, and bring sales enablement career opportunities to underrepresented candidates. Since the launch of ENABLEship, we’ve welcomed the first class of graduates and hired three program participants in 2022. 

As we continue our DEI journey at Seismic and within the broader enablement industry, we look forward to sharing our progress and finding new ways to grow as an organization. If you’re interested in becoming part of our journey, you’re in luck – we’re hiring. And, if you’re interested in jumpstarting a career in enablement, we invite you to check out ENABLEship. 

If you’d like to learn more, we invite you to read more in the Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Report FY2023. 

The post FY2023 DEI Impact Report: Igniting growth with purpose appeared first on Seismic.

The month of February offers us an opportunity to celebrate and honor the impact that Black history, culture, and stories have had on communities around the world. I’ve personally spent this Black History Month reading literature from my favorite author, Ta-Nehesi Coates, enjoying Black films like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and listening to music that has shaped Black and American culture. 

Perhaps, most excitingly, I’ve been able to celebrate Black culture alongside my Seismic colleagues. And this year, The Movement made sure we celebrated in style, hosting trivia, a cultural impact lunch and learn, and creating a playlist to bob our heads to. 

In addition to company-wide programming, members of The Movement shared their favorite fun facts throughout the month. 

February 14 is Frederick Douglass’ “birthday.” Because he was born into slavery, he never knew his actual birth date. “The most photographed man of his era (more than Lincoln or any other contemporary!) chose to celebrate his birthday on Valentine’s Day based on one of his few clear memories of spending time with his mother—her presenting him with a heart-shaped piece of cake.”

acslaw.org

We also learned firsthand from Seismic team members why they joined The Movement, in addition to what Black History Month means to them. Here’s what they had to say. 

Tamara Richards | Associate Sales Engineer | Alabama

While I think all people should be celebrated equally throughout the whole year, I love Black History Month because it is a time to specifically recognize the contributions of a community that could otherwise go ignored or just missed. 

I joined the Movement because it’s very important to know that there is a safe place to commune with people whose paths may resemble yours. It’s important to connect so that we can influence change as a unified voice. 

Communities of Belonging provide resources you would otherwise have to search for on your own. Especially since we are mostly remote now, these communities help us feel a lot more connected. 

Liz McLemore | Product Marketing Director | California

Black History Month is a celebration of everything Black people have experienced – the good and the bad. It’s a chance for us to not shy away from the hard things but continue to challenge ourselves to succeed by looking at folks who did the most with the least. The fact that some people are trying to obfuscate or erase Black history means that it is something powerful worth learning and teaching. 

I was the leader of the Black employee resource group (ERG) at my previous company, so joining The Movement was a no-brainer. Having this kind of outlet is key to retention and well-being. Being Black is my jam.

One of my mom’s favorite phrases is: “I’m not telling you what I heard – I’m telling you what I know.” To be with people who have had that actual experience is invaluable, and to learn from others’ lived experiences is also enlightening. We should always want to learn and grow. 

Happy Black History Month

February is an excellent opportunity to recognize the history and accomplishments of Black Americans. I’m grateful to have a workplace and Community of Belonging that seeks to celebrate and create opportunities to learn and grow. 

If you’re interested in learning more about Seismic, you’re in luck – we’re hiring! Check out our latest openings here!

The post The Movement celebrates Black History Month appeared first on Seismic.

With a calendar dating from the third millennium BCE, the Chinese people have been building on ancient customs of New Year celebrations for thousands of years. Although they may vary from region to region, village to village, and even family to family according to social position, many of these customs are still observed. 

Today, during what is now commonly referred to as the Spring Festival, passenger trains, buses, and riverboats are packed with holiday travelers from all over China. Shops do a flurry of business selling gifts, new clothes, and festive foods. Kitchens bustle with preparations for elaborate feasts and streets are filled with the sounds of firecrackers and seasonal greetings.

For those living outside of their native countries, Asians who celebrate this holiday still try to honor tradition by gathering with family and friends at home or at a favorite Asian restaurant for a lavish meal and giving the gift of bright, beautiful red envelopes (known as 紅包, hóngbāo) filled with new money to children or unmarried adults for good luck in the coming year!

How Seismic celebrated Lunar New Year

This Lunar New Year, Seismic’s Asians and Pacific Islander Community of Belonging hosted several events to celebrate. We hosted Asian-themed lunches at our Seismic offices to honor Lunar New Year traditions, and, most importantly, we learned from members of the AAPI Community of Belonging. Here are a few of their stories. 

AAPI Community of Belonging honors Lunar New Year

As part of our weekly employee spotlight, we spoke with team members to learn more about how they celebrate Lunar New Year. 

Lena Gu | Support Engineer I | China

During Lunar New Year, I remember a popular saying in Chinese, “You Qian Mei Qian, Hui Jia Guo Nian,” which means, regardless of being rich or poor, we go back home for the Chinese New Year.

In previous years, our family would have been busy since the December 23rd Lunar calendar. My brother and I would help my parents clean up the house and prepare special purchases for the Spring Festival. We would buy a lot of candy, nuts, and new clothes. The most important thing was to make a lot of delicious food. And my favorite food was the fried sweet potato balls. You peel and mash steamed sweet potatoes and make them into balls, then fry them in hot oil until they become golden brown. It’s crispy outside and soft inside. It’s very delicious.

Early on the morning of New Year’s Eve, my mother would start to prepare materials for making dumplings. My brother and I would paste the Spring Festival couplets and blessing characters. We hope that the whole family can receive good blessings in the coming year. After that, our whole family would make dumplings together (although the dumplings I made were a bit ugly, the whole family was happy together). We would put two coins in the dumplings and whoever ate the coins would have good luck in the coming year. To get the coins, children would eat more dumplings than usual.

I hope that everyone can get coins and have good luck in the coming year.

Hannah Kim | Associate Solution Consultant | Chicago, Illinois

When my family immigrated from South Korea to America, to follow along with the American holiday calendar, we shifted our celebrations from Lunar New Year (LNY) to the New Year (January 1st.) This was common practice across many immigrant families that didn’t want to disturb their holiday schedule or inconvenience work holidays. They believed in changing to the country they are now calling home instead of asking for days off.

Since then, we shifted back to doing our celebrations on LNY! We eat a dish called Tteokgook ( 떡국) which translates to rice cake soup and we eat it with banchan (side dishes). This soup has flat and ovular rice cakes in a beef bone broth garnished with thinly sliced eggs (separating the whites and yolks to make it pop), roasted seaweed, and green onion. The ovular rice cakes look like coins and symbolize upcoming prosperity, while the whiteness of the broth symbolizes a pure, clean start to the new year. We will also have a family dumpling folding party to make the dumplings that go into the soup!

Growing up, we dressed up in traditional Korean clothing called Hanbok (sadly, mine no longer fits). Then we go to family and friends’ homes, and perform a sebae (a Korean ground deep bow) to elders, wishing them luck and prosperity in the new year. The elders then share words of wisdom with the younger and give them money (to save for their future, of course). 

We also play a game called Yut Nori! There are 4 special sticks and two teams. You throw the sticks in the air and how they land determines how far a player moves on the game board. 

Tashi Chomphel | Senior Software Engineer I | Ontario, Canada

For Tibetan Lunar New Year – what we call Losar – Tibetan families all over the world spend meaningful time together celebrating the end of one year and welcoming the beginning of another. 

Traditionally Losar is celebrated over 15 days and on the first, we visit a Tibetan Buddhist monastery to pray for our loved ones and for all sentient beings. On the second you spend time with your own families, and for the next few days, different themes are celebrated for each day. 

If it weren’t for the pandemic, here in Toronto, we would usually have a large community gathering at our community center and celebrate together over food and cultural performances by people from all age groups and walks of life, and end the celebrations with traditional circle dances! As we would say, Losar la Tashi Delek! Happy Lunar New Year! 

Ae Na Truong | Senior Sales Engineer | Australia

Lunar New Year is by far my favorite time of the year. Being of Chinese heritage and as a first-generation Australian, my parents taught me that Lunar New Year was not just about the red envelopes, frivolous new clothes and delicious banquet, but rather coming together as a family and celebrating what had been and the year that it will be.

The preparation for Lunar New Year at the Truong’s starts a week beforehand when we’d go to the temple to send up our wishes for the next year. We’d spend a week preparing sticky rice cakes (Zhong) and Teo Chow spring rolls (Twice cool, steamed and fried). Not to mention, the numerous trips to Cabramatta to stock up on groceries for the Reunion Banquet and cleaning of the house – it’s a very busy time.

On Lunar New Year’s Eve, I would wake up with my dad at 5:30 am and head out to buy roast duck, pork belly, and chicken. Until midday, we’d spend time preparing numerous dishes to offer our ancestors. We’d then come together for our reunion banquet. This is where, no matter distance, we’d come home to my parent’s house and eat to our hearts’ content. It’s a joyous time, fueled with lots of love and laughter (not to mention alcohol).

In the evening, we’d head off to the temple and send ahead our prayers for the new year. It’s always a treat and a real spectacle with lion dancing and topping everything off with midnight fireworks.

Among the many fond memories (like playing who can find the smallest lychee seed over Reunion Banquet), my favorite is New Year’s Day. I love waking up to an unlimited supply of Love Letters egg rolls. I feel like a kid all over again.

Happy Lunar New Year

As we look back on the Lunar Year, we’d especially like to thank our AAPI Community of Belonging. Celebrating the new year has been a great experience that our teams have enjoyed around the world. 

If you’re interested in learning more about Seismic, you’re in luck – we’re hiring! Check out our latest openings here!

The post Seismic’s celebration of Lunar New Year appeared first on Seismic.

These small group discussions gave all voices an opportunity to be heard and to share about the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on reproductive health care. Attendees found the discussion to be valuable and were interested in future sessions.

“I found the Safe Space Discussion extremely valuable. The Safe Space Discussion was a perfect example of Seismic values of ‘We are Inclusive, We Seek to Understand, and We are Vulnerable’ and how we put our values into practice on a daily basis here at Seismic. I felt I could be an ally and that I was supported both as an ally, as well as with my own feelings on the topic. Seismic is a special company in these regards, and I am grateful to be a part of it!”

“I am so grateful for the opportunity to join this safe space discussion. This setting provided me the chance to lean into vulnerability and listen and learn from my colleagues across the organization. I highly recommend joining a discussion if you have the chance.”

Resources were sent out to employees reiterating Seismic’s benefit offerings including mental health resources, such as the Employee Assistance Program they can leverage.

A webinar centered on managing compassion and change fatigue was also held. The webinar provided an understanding of what compassion fatigue is, and how to recognize the signs and ways you can help yourself and others with strategies to boost mental health, create connection, and combat compassion and change fatigue.

We will consider leveraging this kind of space in the future on topics that impact our employees.

By listening to and empathizing with each other, we can learn from our collective experiences and contribute to the diverse and inclusive culture we are fostering at Seismic.

If you would like to learn more about how we celebrate DEI, please visit the Seismic Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page.

The post Creating opportunities for all voices to be heard appeared first on Seismic.

Earlier this year, we shared an update on our mission, vision, and values. This month, three values rang loud and proud: 

• We are inclusive
• We are vulnerable
• We seek to understand

These values were important to us this month as they guided our conversations throughout Pride. We created space for LGBTQIA+ colleagues and allies to share their stories and how we can all help build a more inclusive culture. 

We also hosted Pride-themed lunches at select Seismic offices around the globe, creating space for conversations about Pride Month and supporting LGBTQ-owned businesses in our local communities.

As an organization, each week we spotlight one of our team members. During the month of June, we highlighted members of our LGBTQIA+ Community of Belonging. When asked what Pride means to them, here’s what they had to say:

“Pride means liberty to me. It means that I get to be who I am and celebrate those in my community who fought and continue to fight for my right to exist without persecution.” – Sergio Toranzo | Senior Solution Consultant I

“For me, Pride means being comfortable in your own skin and creating a safe space for positivity in the community, so that everyone feels welcome and free to be who they are.” Chris DiPasquale | Senior Proposal Manager I

“Not having to hide who you are. Being safe to be yourself in society.” – Abigail Nail | Senior Software Engineer I

Highlights: Why allyship is important

Earlier this year, Deloitte released a report, LGBT+ Inclusion @ Work: A Global Outlook. The report surveyed 600 members of the LGBT+ community who work in a variety of diverse sectors around the world. In the study, 80% of respondents reported that their employers have introduced LGBT+ inclusion actions and initiatives, with 95% believing that this has led to meaningful support for LGBT+ employees across the organization.

With that research in mind, four Seismic employees hosted a panel discussion about the importance of allyship. According to Deloitte’s report, respondents cited allyship as a critical element for enabling LGBT+ employees to feel comfortable in their workplaces. Nearly 40% of respondents noted that allies who speak out against non-inclusive behaviors and who listen and learn from their LGBT+ colleagues can help foster more LGBT+ inclusive work environments. 

During the discussion, panelists were asked why they identify as an ally. Seismic Global Vice President of Strategic Alliances Preseetha Pettigrew stated that “as a minority, we understand the struggles and challenges that other minority groups go through. I’ve experienced struggles in the past and people supported me and that’s always been appreciated.”

Regional Vice President of Sales James Palmer also shared his opinion on allyship and the importance of combating microaggressions. “I think allyship is slightly different inside and outside the workplace. Inside the workplace, it starts with the belief that everyone has the right to come to work and feel happy, safe, and respected – and there’s absolutely no reason for that not to be the case.”

Deloitte’s study also found that 42% of LGBT+ respondents reported experiencing non-inclusive behaviors at work. We asked our panelists to discuss the best way to address these behaviors and other microaggressions in the workplace.

Seismic Commercial Account Executive Derek Harvey responded “I’ve been fortunate in that I haven’t experienced a ton of microaggressions. I think of things that people used to say and how it’s shifted in how acceptable they are. Over the years, I’ve gotten more comfortable with saying ‘hey, that’s not cool to say or standing up when I’m seeing other people being mistreated. It doesn’t need to be a big issue.” 

What’s next?

Pride doesn’t end on June 30. We plan to celebrate Pride in the months to come. In July, Seismic Pride Alliance will host a panel discussion with our Parents and Guardians Community of Belonging to discuss how we can support our LGBTQIA+ youth, friends, and family. 

If you’d like to learn more about how you can support LGBTQIA+ youth, please visit the Trevor Project website. You can also visit the Seismic swag store, AfterShock, to purchase a Seismic Pride t-shirt – all proceeds will benefit the Trevor Project.  

The post How we celebrated Pride appeared first on Seismic.

In the time since last year’s blog on Women’s History Month, Seismic has continued to deepen its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Our Women’s Community of Belonging, Seismic Sisters, was formed in 2021. The group meets on a monthly basis to discuss women’s experiences as tech professionals. Each month, a different Seismic Sisters member leads a discussion on a topic of their choice. 

For Women’s History Month, Seismic Sisters has led several activities to educate employees, and have some fun while doing it. This month culminated in a Women in Leadership panel discussion, featuring leaders from within the organization. 

Highlights from the panel discussion

The Women in Leadership panel was made up of several global employees, including Seismic Vice President of Product Marketing Eve Alexander, Director of Solution Consulting Jeannine Butler, Senior Vice President of Sales Nadia Rashid, Vice President of Strategic Alliances Preseetha Pettigrew, and Vice President of Web and Content Rekha Thomas. 

The panel discussion covered several topics, including their career paths, the importance of mentorship, work-life balance, and combating imposter syndrome. Here are a few highlights! 

The importance of mentorship

Support, encouragement, and mentorship were recurring themes throughout the panel discussion. Each of the panelists shared their stories about how they navigate being a woman in a male-dominated industry. 

Panelists shared how they’ve grown throughout their journeys as a result of guidance from male and female colleagues. Preseetha Pettigrew shared the story of a mentor she met early in her career. “At the start of my career I had a mentor who gave me support and guidance on how I could amplify my voice, deal with obstacles, and I’m really grateful for the support he provided. He saw that gender has nothing to do with the skills you have to do a job.”

Panelists also discussed the importance of being a mentor to others. Jeannine Butler noted that “As leaders, we have power, influence, and authority that the people who follow us don’t. Our responsibility in making a difference is to use that power for good – not just with our own outcomes in mind, but also having the good of others who will come after us in mind. It requires that we have one foot in the present and another in the future.” She added that her own manager champions the same ideals. “My current boss spends every moment of her day advocating for her teams. She lays herself down to be a bridge that we can cross and her team is fiercely loyal, deeply connected, and ever-growing.” 

Mentors and allies in the workplace can take different forms. Eve Alexander noted that she has mentors who help her become better at her craft, professional development, and advise her during challenges. “Mentorship is a daily activity. I’ve built mentorship relationships as mini-mentorships. It’s not one mentor with a capital M. I have different people who I can go to for different things.” 

How to manage work-life balance

Managing teams and strategic priorities can limit the time available to pursue passions outside of work. A recent PEW Research poll found that 56% of women said they do more household chores than their spouse or partner. And, among mothers, 74% said they do more to manage their children’s schedules and activities than their spouse or partner. 

Two panelists who are parents discussed the importance of managing work-life balance. 

As a senior vice president of sales, Nadia Rashid’s job is demanding. When she first started her career, she recalled feeling a need to always be on, even when she was off on vacation. “COVID forced me to say it’s time to prioritize what’s most important, and for me it’s family.” This understanding has shifted the way she manages her team and workload. “I now have priorities where I do need to shut down at times and I want to empower my team to make decisions on their own. Work-life balance is having a clear understanding of what is important right now.”

Rekha Thomas echoed her sentiment. “Work-life balance is more like a pendulum. Sometimes there are responsibilities at work that swing you in one direction and, other times, there are personal commitments that swing you in the other direction. The key is to try not to swing so far to one side or the other that you can’t get back to equilibrium.” She also shared five practices she follows to find equilibrium:

• Be flexibly prepared
• Know when to zoom in and when to zoom out
• Celebrate smaller successes
• Be vulnerable and know when to ask for help
• Give yourself grace

Combating imposter syndrome

The panel discussion wrapped up with questions from the audience. One question, in particular, stood out: How do you silence the voice in your head, practice kindness with yourself and deal with imposter syndrome? 

Jeannine Butler shared her own story and experience. “It’s something I have to practice every day because I haven’t mastered it. I practice gratitude on a daily basis. I include myself in appreciation for the progress I’ve made. I reflect on it and rehearse it. So that when I’m up against a challenge or I feel like an imposter, I look back at what I’ve done and recognize that if I made it that time I can do the next hard thing.”

More Women’s History Month at Seismic

This month has been a great opportunity for Seismic to come together as a company and celebrate one another. If you’d like to learn more about how we celebrated Women’s History Month, check us out on LinkedIn. 

We’re always looking to hire the next wave of women in leadership at Seismic. If you’d like to join our team, check out our careers page. 

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This month, Seismic employees are celebrating Black History Month with a series of speakers, panels, and events. We’re also making a commitment to give back. We will match employee donations to Code 2040, an organization committed to the equitable distribution of power in an economy shaped by the digital revolution. 

We’re excited for the opportunity to celebrate Black History Month with all of our employees. To share what’s in store this month, I recently met with Rayana Speller to discuss the planning that went into this month’s events. 

Tony: Will you tell me about some of the events that you’ve helped plan for Black History Month at Seismic?

Rayana: The DEI Council put together a fireside chat with our CFO John McCauley and Deepcrawl CEO Craig Dunham to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

More than anything, we wanted to celebrate, but we also wanted to give back. This month, we are giving to Code 2040, a nonprofit that is focused on building Black and Latinx youth by helping them build the skills needed to get into the tech industry. 

We’ve also planned a diversity in tech panel with Black leaders who will share how to make the workplace more inclusive for the next generation of tech employees. There will also be a Black History trivia event themed “Black History is American History,” which will celebrate Black Americans as an integral part of American history. 

Tony: How did you select speakers? And what do you hope our colleagues will learn/take away?

Rayana: Donna DeBerry did the lion’s share of planning the panel. We’ll be joined on the panel by top tech industry leaders from Facebook, Google, SurveyMonkey, Reddit, and LiveRamp. We wanted to hear from leadership of color at large companies and have them talk to the Seismic staff about the importance and positives of diversity. We didn’t want to focus on the issues faced by people of color, but use this panel discussion to be a positive reflection about how diversity and inclusion enrich us all. 

We invited Craig Dunham to speak because he is a Seismic alumnus. On my first day at Seismic, I walked into the office, not knowing anyone. Craig came out of his office and sat with me for 20-30 minutes and showed an interest in what I was doing, why I joined the company, and he made me feel comfortable and excited to start this journey. I knew that he had a strong hand in developing DEI here at Seismic and he’s also done a lot of work on the business side in terms of getting Seismic to where it is today. So, what better person to bring in than Craig? As a CEO, he has a different perspective and I thought his voice would be helpful and he was quick to say “yes.”

Tony: How important is it to celebrate diversity and diverse histories in the workplace?

Rayana: I think it’s very important. Most of us grew up in a society where a lot of what we learned wasn’t historically accurate. The history that we’ve been taught has focused on one group of people. So, celebrating Black history is important for us to understand everyone, as well as our shared history. It’s important for older generations who haven’t learned as much about race as maybe they should have. And younger generations have a different perspective – they’re open to learning and being exposed to more about other cultures. 

This month, I want to take the focus off of slavery because that’s not our entire history–it’s a part of it, but our history is so much greater and it’s important for people to see more about other diverse histories like Asian American and Native American history. It’s important for our growth to know each other’s history.

Tony: What historical black figure are you most excited to celebrate this month? What would you like your colleagues to know about them?

Rayana: It may be cliche but I’d say Harriet Tubman. She was a fearless Black woman and it is always–as a person of color, particularly in America – there are different burdens for black men and women. What she did took bravery, commitment, and self-discipline to have the vision to say “I want the people who I left behind to have the chance to experience life as a free person.” The bravery and strength it took for her to do that is something that I aspire to. 

I also look at my grandmother as an influence. She was a Black woman in the South with very little education and she was brave enough – braver than the men – to rally around the people in her community to help the freedom movement in that region of the South. 

We’re grateful for the work that has gone into planning Black History Month at Seismic. We’re also excited to contribute to the great work of Code 2040. If you’d also donate, you can do so at code2040.org. 

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Since arriving, she has listened to the stories and experiences of Seismic executives, team leaders, and employees. These conversations, conducted as “listening sessions” help form the foundation of her strategy for building an inclusive culture. 

In this post, we’ll chat with Donna to learn more about listening sessions, and share tips for building a more inclusive workplace. 

TS: Tell me about your first several months as the VP of Global Inclusion at Seismic.

DD: My first several months at Seismic have been focused on building relationships, analyzing data, and conducting listening sessions with our employees about their experiences at Seismic. 

I’ve been working on a bottom-up, top-down inclusion approach that involves all of our employees as stakeholders. It starts with getting insights and recommendations from our employees and engaging our leadership team in inclusive culture strategic planning. 

When we think about being successful in attracting, recruiting, and retaining a diverse workforce, creating a culture of inclusion is critically important to employee experience. 

TS: What have you learned as you’ve met with Seismic’s leadership, management, and employees?

DD: As I’ve met with Seismic executive managers, and employees, I’ve learned that our executive team is vulnerable, authentic, and transparent about what they know and what they don’t know about DEI.  They are 100% committed, individually and as a team, to continually creating a culture of inclusion. 

They are absolutely committed to the process, what we’re doing, and what we want to accomplish. They want DEI to be part of the culture and values of the company and they’re always asking what they can do to help.

Managers and team leaders are interested in building their inclusive leadership competencies so that they can fully engage and lead diverse teams. As we attract and recruit more diverse employees into our workforce, it’s important for our leaders to leverage these inclusive leadership competencies to optimize performance and build strong teams.  

TS: Since joining Seismic, you’ve hosted “listening sessions” with different underrepresented communities. Will you explain what a listening session is?

DD: A listening session is similar to a focus group. It’s a facilitated discussion with a group in order to gather information about people’s unique experiences. Listening sessions are designed to learn what we can do better as a company, identify gaps, and take recommendations from employees regarding our initiatives around diversity, equity, and inclusion.

TS: What communities have you and the DEI Council been able to connect with during listening sessions?

DD: I’ve conducted listening sessions with Black, Latinx, International employees, people with disabilities, women, LGBTQIA+, and AAPI groups. It was important to drill down into specific demographics to get feedback on challenges and insights on their unique workplace experience. These communities’ insights provided us with the opportunity to create an equitable plan in seeking ways to elevate the employee experience.

TS: What are you looking for as you host listening sessions?

DD: I’m looking for specific things like common themes that arise from the discussion. We discuss these themes in our executive meetings. It was important to drill down into specific demographics to get feedback on challenges and insights on their unique workplace experience. These communities’ insights provided us with the opportunity to create an equitable plan in seeking ways to elevate the employee experience. They also help us create a strategy based on the top areas where we need to focus in order to make us a better company for all. 

TS: How does giving voice to employees help shape DEI in organizations like Seismic?

It gives employees opportunities to express their ideas, concerns, and perspectives with authenticity, and without fear of social or workplace consequences. That means employees have the ability to influence decisions at work through their feedback. Giving a voice to your employees helps shape company culture and values which are critically important to hiring and retaining talent. 

When employees feel like their voices are heard, it represents inclusion at the highest level.  

It shows that our company cares about the things employees care about. 

TS: Why should other organizations include listening sessions as part of their DEI strategy?

DD: In order to attract, recruit and retain your talent, organizations should create listening sessions as a part of their overall business strategy. Employee feedback should go beyond an engagement survey. You need to build trust with employees by having an engaging dialogue about their unique experiences. Employee experiences are not “one size fits all.” Listening sessions support the overall goal of the organization and give employees an opportunity to be authentic and transparent about their experiences. These sessions focus on listening, learning, and understanding.

Seismic is committed to building an equitable and inclusive culture. If you’d like to join us on this journey, check out our careers page. 

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