Throughout the month of March and beyond, I will be featuring spotlights with “women who wow” me – these are women I’ve met through my professional and personal lives. They are leaders in their fields who inspire me and push me to be a better version of myself. They are role models for the future generation of women.
In the first installment, meet Emily Joslin, a lifelong New Yorker who recently relocated to Florida for the next chapter of her life. Her career has pivoted in a very interesting way – she was a marketing executive in the financial services industry for many years, an entrepreneur in the wellness area and the founder of a nonprofit organization that sought to put kids on the path to philanthropy before she entered the entertainment business as an on-air host in Florida for a lifestyle show, Fly with Kevin Scott.
Emily is kind and strong, she is inspiring to me in so many ways. I met her unconventionally – we bonded over a shared connection and our experience with that person. We supported each other and became friends – I immensely value her advice and friendship. Emily is a great mom and friend, and she’s someone you should know more about. Here’s my interview with her.
Tell me about a woman who you admire.
I look up to Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx. She has amazing advice regarding failure, resilience and overcoming obstacles and she has been incredibly successful. She is also very “real” as a mom, wife and friend (although her family adventures are pretty over the top!), which I love.
Tell me about a mentor who inspired you.
I have had a mentor for many years named Joanne Heyman, founder of Heyman Partners. We met when I worked at Lehman Brothers/Barclays and she was the Executive Director of Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Foundation. We partnered on some events but more importantly, we remained in close touch in the years since both moving on to new positions and life phases. She is now an incredible business coach to lots of successful organizations and individuals and I feel so lucky to have her as my mentor!
What do you think is the key to success?
I think the key to success for any woman is to remember to become allies with other successful women in your field and in your firm. Women are often their own worst enemies in the workplace so when you meet good ones, keep them close! I also think it is important to remember that women just may have to work extra hard to prove ourselves in some male dominated fields and that is just the truth. So pull up your big girl pants and step up your game. The only way to gain success and respect is to earn it. And never be afraid to stand up for yourself or to ask for the pay/promotion you deserve just because you are a woman. Your male colleagues aren’t!