Lisa White
Business Development & Operations Director
Zander Press Inc.
Website: www.zanderpressinc.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisawhitensc/
Did you choose print or did print choose you?
Print definitely choose me and I am so glad it did! Prior to joining Zander Press, my wheelhouse was in the software industry. The opportunity came up for me to change gears and dive into print. I thought it would be a really interesting switch, and it has been! I never knew all of the amazing things that could be done with print. Being able to use print and digital to communicate with prospects and customers, has been invaluable. It feels great to me when I can educate someone who is digitally minded to try something different with print show them how using both can take their communications to the next level. I truly can’t wait to see what is next for print, it is a really exciting time for technology!
How do you establish credibility with customers, colleagues and bosses?
Credibility for me is about being honest. Honesty about what you know or what you don’t, whether you can or can’t do something. This honesty builds trust and integrity and that is what builds a relationship. This also allows me to be open to learn new things and adapt. All of this takes time, but starting on the right foot and being straight forward from the get-go moves things in the right direction.
What advice can you offer regarding negotiating salary raises/addressing fair pay issues?
I am very lucky to currently work for a woman owned company who strongly believes in fair pay. But, in my male dominated former life, it was a very different story. I felt I had to go above and beyond the status quo – just because I was a female. I had to prove myself and learn to be able to talk about my accomplishments in a way that men have always been able to do. It isn’t bragging or tooting your own horn, what it is, is not being afraid of telling people how good you really are at what you do. As women, we are built a little differently and tend to be more emotional, and humble when it comes to talking about our talents and expressing ourselves. But as soon as we let ourselves be confident in what we do, and let our passion shine through, we are much more able to talk about our value and negotiate our worth.
What advice did you receive early in your career that you wished you had followed?
One of the best bosses I had lived by his version of the 4 P’s. Patience, Persistence, Perseverance and Passion. He talked about it all the time and I used to view it in a very literal way – usually per project or per customer. It took me a long time to truly understand and put to use what this simple concept actually meant. Your career is a journey, and it should be an immensely satisfying one, but it is important to remember that you may never actually reach your intended destination. The journey is often challenging, and it takes a lot of patience, persistence and perseverance to succeed. And, this success doesn’t happen overnight, learn from your mistakes and try again as these are mere stepping stones in your journey. Your passion is what ultimately keeps you from giving up– the day you lose that passion in what you are doing is the day you need to make a change and start a new journey!
