The Ethical Optimist

I recently participated in Junior Achievement of New Jersey’s Future Leader Forum: A Roundtable Discussion with Top Female Leaders.

The forum sought to inspire students to succeed and give them specific steps to take in order to achieve. As it turns out, I was the one who was inspired!

I always look forward to sharing my knowledge of the communications industry and my workforce with people entering the business. This Forum gave me the opportunity to speak more generically, from a woman’s perspective, to young women about to enter the workforce for the first time.

Some of the topics I was questioned on included becoming a leader with finesse, balancing work and personal life, and breaking through the glass ceiling. These dynamic young ladies were so eager for information, and so savvy.

The only drawback was in feeling a bit like a dinosaur. I mean really, didn’t I just graduate from college myself? How could I possibly be old enough to give advice to someone? All kidding aside, it was an invigorating, uplifting experience.

As the founder and leader of a socially responsible public relations agency, I always encourage this type of community involvement and outreach with my team. At Utopia, we believe that giving back to the community and encouraging future leaders is not only a duty, but a privilege. Encouraging ourselves through the service of others is part of our corporate DNA.

What is the ROI for my time you ask? Well, the young intern who coordinated the event, Sangeetha Subramanian, a student at Rutgers University, sent me a note saying that “Gradating into the ‘real world’ from college is no easy task.” She went on to say that “Having someone like you share your wisdom with me and my peers has been an honor. The tips you gave us will certainly lead to a leg-up in the workplace and make us more dynamic leaders in our near future.”