Retaining WIT

Retaining WIT

By Jossie Haines & Jordanna KwokTechnology
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Retaining WIT episodes

  • Episode 21: Season 2 Wrap Up - AI, Personal Life Updates, and the Tech Industry

    In the last episode of this season of the Retaining WIT podcast, Jossie and Jordanna discuss some of their recent topics and podcast guests, before digging in on exploring current events, technologies, and their own journeys. Thank you for joining us!


    We dive into:

    • Personal tech life updates
    • Big events in the industry
    • Artificial intelligence

    • Resources:⁠

      You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn:⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/⁠⁠ and on Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jordeewok⁠⁠

      You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/⁠⁠ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines⁠⁠. Jossie offers free strategy calls to women leaders in tech to empower them to thrive, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

      This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our embers and building their high powered network. Learn more at ⁠⁠sheTO.org⁠⁠!

      38 min
    • Episode 20: The Confidence Gap with Farzona Pulatova

      On today’s episode of the Retaining WIT podcast, we are joined by Farzona Pulatova, an Engineering Leader in Silicon Valley! Our interview with Farzona focuses on exploring the confidence gap and its impact on women in the tech industry. What is the confidence gap? How can this struggle be navigated? Our guest shares her insights on why women often struggle with confidence, and how this can hold them back in their careers. We discuss practical strategies for building confidence, including tips for overcoming imposter syndrome and cultivating a growth mindset.


      Farzona is an engineering leader with 16 years of experience in the tech industry with a history of leading teams to build consumer-facing products at MasterClass, Uber, Twitter, and Orbitz, to name a few. She's passionate about mentoring and coaching women in various stages of their careers and increasing the number of women in organizations. She has also helped create, lead, and support woman-focused ERGs and initiatives in the workplace. On a personal note, Farzona is a big fan of audiobooks and is always on the hunt for reading and listening to something new.


      We dive into:

      • How do we combat uncertainty with pre-committal, preparation, and mentally re-framing challenges?
      • How do we elevate and validate each other to build confidence and act?
      • What do we do if we're struggling, in order to accomplish our goals and thrive?

      • Resources:

        You can connect with Farzona on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/farzona/

        You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/⁠ and on Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/jordeewok⁠

        You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/⁠ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines⁠. Jossie offers free strategy calls to women leaders in tech to empower them to thrive, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

        This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our embers and building their high powered network. Learn more at ⁠sheTO.org⁠!


        20 min
      • Episode 19: Managing Performance in Uncertain Times with Teresa Martyny

        On today’s episode of the Retaining WIT podcast, we are joined by Teresa Martyny who is now Sr Engineering Manager at dbtLabs. The main topic of our conversation today is managing performance and making an impact in uncertain times. We discuss how to strategically build out team resilience and response, from care and curious communication to contextualizing company stressors in a way that is actionable on an individual and team basis.


        Teresa Martyny started her career in tech in 1997 at North East Regional Data Center at the University of Florida. She spent time leading teams building powerful data products, most recently at companies like

        New Relic, Twitter, and Amazon and is now an Sr Engineering Manager at dbt Labs. Her mission is to enable teams to build incredible products through thriving, collaborating efficiently, and being audacious.

        We dive into:

        • What are key strategies to effectively manage a team during times of uncertainty?
        • How can you boost your team's motivation and morale during hard times?
        • What are the challenges leaders face when making an impact during uncertain times?

        • Resources:

          You can connect with Teresa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresamartyny/


          You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn:

          https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok


          You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn:

          https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines Jossie offers free strategy calls to women leaders in tech to empower them to thrive, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

          This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!


          33 min
        • Episode 18: Effective Networking with Samantha Zeitlin

          In this episode of the Retaining WIT podcast, we are joined by Samantha Zeitlin, Former Senior Manager of Security Machine Learning at Elastic. The main topic of our conversation today is effectively building and managing a professional network. Networking is crucial for career success, especially as we go up the career ladder. Yet, women in tech often hesitate to leverage this crucial skill due to a misconception it will take a lot of time, or feeling discomfort about reaching out to strangers.

          Sam was a cancer researcher for twenty years before switching to software, learning Python for data science and machine learning. More recently, she has specialized in MLOps and managing machine learning teams that put models in production.

           

          We dive into:

          • How do you approach networking with authenticity and purpose, rather than trying to "collect" as many contacts as possible?
          • How do you make time for networking?
          • How do you stay connected with your network over time, especially with individuals who may not be in your immediate work circle?

          • Resources:
             

            You can connect with Samantha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgzeitlin/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/samanthazeitlin

             

            You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok.

             

            You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines. Jossie offers free strategy calls to women leaders in tech to empower them to thrive, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more

            info! 

             

            This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!


            21 min
          • Episode 17: Bouncing Back from Layoffs with Yuliya Falkovich

            On today’s episode of the Retaining WIT podcast, we are joined by Yuliya Falkovich, Head of Engineering for Chassis Capability @ ION Analytics (a division of ION Group). The main topic of our conversation today is bouncing back from layoffs, which is a crucial topic in our current tech landscape. We also follow Yuliya’s journey and discuss visibility, perseverance, and resilience in technical fields. 


            We dive into:

            • The importance of seeking visibility and finding sponsors
            • Building perseverance through a realization that careers are so often non-linear
            • Building resilience by being prepared for layoffs before they happen
            • Dealing with the emotional impact layoffs can have not just on those impacted, but the leader and remaining team as well

            • Yuliya is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of software engineering and development team management experience. She is leading a globally distributed team of software engineers building innovative products and laying the foundation of reusable UI and natural language search components. In the past she has held numerous senior level positions on the Selerity team, serving as the Director of Application Development prior to ION's acquisition. Yuliya's extensive professional experience spans the financial, media, and technology industries. Prior to Selerity, she held various senior engineering and management roles in Morgan Stanley's fixed income technology department, Thomson Reuters' media department, as well as in various startups. Yuliya is bilingual in English/Russian and currently holds a dual Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from New York University.

              Resources:

              You can connect with Yuliya on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuliyafalkovich/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yuliyafalk


              You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok

               

              You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/ and on YouTube at: http://youtube.com/@jossiehaines/   Jossie offers free strategy calls to women leaders in tech to empower them to thrive, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

               

              This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that women hold less than 9% of engineering executive roles? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with the goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high-powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!

              26 min
            • Episode 16: Being Heard and Respected for Our Technical Abilities - Interview with Bhavna Bhatnagar

              On today’s episode of the Retaining WIT podcast, we are joined by Bhavna Bhatnagar, Engineering Leader at Rivian, in the Identity Access Management space. Today's main topic of conversation is how to be heard and respected as a technical leader. So often, women are assumed to be non-technical.  Jossie’s example drives this home, “When I managed at Apple, people constantly assumed I was the project manager, and I even got an apology letter from someone who made that assumption.  I think this is a crucial topic to ensure we retain women in tech.”

              In our conversation with Bhavna, we dive into the challenges women face with being technical. We discuss unequal role opportunities, gender bias, unbalanced work requirements for growth, and issues that can arise in pushing policies and initiatives.  She shared how small, consistent wins can reinforce an identity of competence and enable us to gain allies and build trust. She also shares tools for handling situations that bring you unexpectedly out of your comfort zone.

              Bhavna has over 25 years of professional experience, from a software engineer to growing through the ranks to a leadership role in the Identity Access Management and Security space.  She has global experience, having grown up and studied in India, and then she made her way to UK, Singapore, Germany, US, India, and then US again for her jobs and family. She is an avid blogger, holds 4 US patents in the identity space, and is one of the authors of the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) specification. She led and started the Women in Tech forums at UBS, helping younger talent find their voice.  She is married to a wonderful supporting husband, lives in South Bay, California, and has 2 boys.

              Key Insights:

              • Find the balance. Apply compassion and curiosity confidently in dealing with perceived bias issues

              • Start with low complexity, avoid jargon, focus on the business, and consider the audience, especially when talking to non-technical teams and leaders.

              • Show and delegate repeatable competence. Empowerment through accountability allows teams to have ownership, lean in, and show mastery, bringing pride and technical excellence.

              • Resources:

                On the Web - Bhavna’s articles on zero trust, IAM, and Security:

                • https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/zero-trust-its-players-principles-bhavna-bhatnagar/
                • https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/zero-trust-prevalent-security-bhavna-bhatnagar/
                • https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/saml-oauth-openid-connect-bhavna-bhatnagar/

                • You can connect with Bhavna Bhatnagar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhavna-bhatnagar-784403/


                  You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok


                  You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines   Jossie offers free strategy calls to women leaders in tech to empower them to thrive, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!


                  This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!

                  31 min
                • Episode 15: Interview with Dr. Bushra Anjum on Building Inclusive & Diverse Tech Teams

                  On today's episode of the Retaining WIT podcast, we are joined by Dr. Bushra Anjum, Director of Data Science and Analytics at Doximity. We highlight her journey from academia to industry and from an individual contributor to senior management. Our conversation then focuses on her recent work to improve the hiring practices and diversity numbers for the Doximity data department. Dr. Anjum is also the inaugural board member of the women@Doximity ERG. We discuss her leadership philosophy, the effectiveness of DEI activities, and the company’s policy to offer compensation for leading ERG efforts. From hiring to promotion and team management, Dr. Bushra Anjum details how diversity plays a crucial role in employee quality of life, productivity, and retention.  

                  Resources:

                  Doximity on the Web- https://www.doximity.com/

                  You can connect with Dr. Bushra Anjum on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bushraanjum/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBushraAnjum and https://twitter.com/doximity


                  You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok

                  You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines   Jossie offers free strategy calls to women leaders in tech to empower them to thrive, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

                  This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!

                  24 min
                • Episode 14: Welcome Back to Our Second Season!

                  In this episode, Jossie Haines and Jordanna Kwok return to share updates on their own lives, discuss changes in the industry, reiterate goals for supporting Women in Tech, and unveil their plans for the podcast! 

                  On the podcast, we will be addressing two main focus areas to help women thrive in technical fields:

                  - “How can we retain women in tech via resilience, allies, policies, and initiatives?”
                  - “What should women do if they are thinking of quitting tech fields?”
                  This season will include a number of great podcast guests focusing on these crucial topics!   

                  In this episode, we dive into: 

                  • Our thoughts on the layoffs in tech and which companies are doing them well (or not!)
                  • How to deal with being a survivor after layoffs happen 
                  • How the pay transparency law rollout in California is going

                  • Resources:

                    - California Pay Transparency Links:

                    • https://jobs.netflix.com/jobs/242491401
                    • https://careers.google.com/jobs/results/117515302763143878-principal-software-engineer-cloud-business-intelligence/?distance=50&location=UnitedStates&q=principal
                    • https://www.metacareers.com/v2/jobs/490745366498885/
                    • https://stripe.com/jobs/listing/engineering-manager-of-managers-service-platform/4735847

                    • You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok

                      You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines   Jossie offers free strategy calls to women leaders in tech to empower them to thrive, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

                      This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!

                      33 min
                    • Episode 13: “Best Of” Darlene Rouleaux on Momming in Tech
                      Jordanna and I are taking a break between seasons and wanted to share with you some of our best of episodes from when we first launched.  We'll be back in March with new episodes and interviews! 
                      In this interview from 2019, Jossie and Jordanna speak with Darlene Rouleaux, UI/UX software engineer at Schneider Electric, as well as a mom of two young kids. Darlene shares the challenges of being a mom in tech, as well as her transition from individual contributor to manager and back.
                      Other topics include:
                      How different the real world is from college
                      Transitioning back from parental leave
                      Promoting diversity at work
                      Being brave
                      Here are some additional resources Darlene mentions in the episode:
                      https://twitter.com/mommingintech
                      https://mommingintech.com/
                      https://www.instagram.com/mommingintech
                      Special Guest: Darlene Rouleaux You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok
                      You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines Jossie offers free discovery calls to women leaders in tech looking to be heard, lead authentically and play by their rules. Be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!
                      This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!
                      20 min
                    • Episode 12: "Best Of" Karen Catlin on Being Better Allies

                      Jordanna and I are taking a break between seasons and wanted to share with you some of our best of episodes from when we first launched.  We'll be back in March with new episodes and interviews! 

                      In this inaugural podcast episode, Jossie and Jordanna speak with Karen Catlin, leadership coach and diversity advocate, about her start in the tech industry, the challenges of staying in the tech, and how to be better allies to women and other underrepresented groups.

                      Other topics include:

                      • Issues around diversity in hiring
                      • The struggles of being the only woman in the room
                      • Bias in the tech industry
                      • Here are some additional resources Karen mentions in the episode:

                        • karencatlin.com
                        • betterallies.com
                        • "Better Allies" on Amazon
                        • Social media: @betterallies on Twitter, Medium, Instagram, Pinterest
                        • Better Allies newsletter
                        • "Present! A Techie's Guide to Public Speaking" on Amazon
                        • Special Guest: Karen Catlin.


                          You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok

                          You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines Jossie offers free strategy calls to women leaders in tech who are struggling to be heard, lead authentically and get that promotion they deserve. Be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

                          This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!

                          33 min

                        About Retaining WIT

                        From the publisher's feed

                        Research shows that 56% of women leave the tech industry during the second decade of their careers. Join us as we share our stories, create an environment where women can be successful, and teach each other the skills we need to stay and thrive in the tech industry. Join the hosts Jossie Haines, and Jordanna Kwok as they share their experiences in the tech industry, and interview others to share unique stories and skills around the challenges of keeping women in tech.