Embracing equity: Celebrating the women of PayIt

March 7, 2023

What makes PayIt so special? Our people.

PayIt is proud to celebrate women (today and every day). We also recognize that girls and women continue to face barriers in their personal and professional lives. March 8th, International Women’s Day, is a globally recognized day to celebrate the achievements of women and raise awareness about the work that still needs to be done.

We’re lucky to have insightful women shaping our company, and today we’re highlighting a few talented leaders helping pave the road at PayIt.

Women of PayIt tell their stories.

Each year, an overarching theme is selected for Women’s History Month. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” So, in honor of International Women’s Day, we invited some of the women at PayIt to share their stories — mainly the challenges and successes they’ve had throughout their careers. Here’s what they had to say:

Amy Schweppe: Manager, Product Experience Design

Do you have any advice for women in junior roles? Or advice for other women in male-dominated industries?

Earlier in my career, I used to spend a lot of energy thinking about how much I was missing out on because I hadn’t ever had a female boss. I felt like if I just had a manager that was a good example of strong female leadership then by following her lead I’d be able to grow my career like her.

It was years into my career before I had my first woman boss, she was great in many respects, but didn’t meet the idea I had in my head of my knight in sparkling armor coming to my side. Oh, woe is me, I thought. So, in what I felt was an act of defiance, I began engaging with my female colleagues who were closer to my level. I shadowed women I respected from other walks of life, read lots of books, attended networking events, and I went on my way.

Fast forward, and I realized that:

You won’t go far with a “the world is out there to get me” attitude. There are lots of things I’d change about the world if I could, but I need to spend my energy improving the things I have control over.
Mentors and female leaders are all around you. They don’t have to be your manager, they don’t have to be in the same job as you, and they don’t even have to be more experienced. I’ve learned so much by surrounding myself with women from all walks of life.

My advice: Be grateful for those women in your life, and cultivate as many relationships as you can.

Jean Nobile: SVP, Operations

What part of PayIt’s culture makes you feel the most supported?

I feel incredibly supported by a remarkable team of smart people who care. We all lift each other up — across teams and within teams. While the whole team is supportive, I of course have to acknowledge the incredible women who cheer for each other and help each other be successful every day.

I also feel empowered by our co-Founders Mike and John. They trust me and respect my point of view. They lean on me for things that have a substantial impact on our business, and when I tell them I need help, they are willing to listen to understand what role they can play in doing so.

Candidly, I don’t feel like my gender is particularly relevant in how I am treated by my superiors. They treat me like a smart person and challenge me to be better every day.

How do you influence your coworkers and the wider business?

Authentic relationships matter. Being kind matters. Words matter.

Empathy is more than listening. It’s truly understanding what someone else is going through. Always assume positive intent.

Building great teams requires real people to come together and trust each other. In order to trust each other we have to listen, understand points of view that are different from our own, and look toward outcomes that are better than before.

Do you have any advice for women in junior roles? Or advice for other women in male-dominated industries?

Make friends, be curious, volunteer to take on a challenge, and advocate for yourself.

Pursue feedback, and if you are not getting it, ask.

Can you think of specific benefits to having more women in leadership roles?

Different perspectives change the course of progress. We all experience life through different lenses. Diverse experiences and viewpoints lead to stronger teams who make better decisions — especially when it comes to identifying opportunities, problem-solving, communication, and understanding customers.

This is a reality with real data to support it. For years, a room of men rejected an SNL skit because they didn’t have the life experience to understand it or think it was funny. Finally, when there were more women in the room to point out how funny it was, it was published, and it won awards for something men had repeatedly rejected because they didn’t understand it.

In the absence of diversity, there are missed opportunities.

Kelly Davis-Felner: Chief Marketing Officer

Can you think of specific benefits to having more women in leadership roles?

Diversity of thought is crucial to innovation, and research has repeatedly shown that companies with diverse leadership teams have better business outcomes. Having women in the C-Suite and leading throughout the entire business can be a force multiplier for innovation and creativity.

What’s the worst advice you’ve received?

“Don’t fold your arms when you are presenting in the boardroom because it makes you look hostile.” Seriously. (It was about 60 degrees in that particular boardroom, by the way.)

Flipping this category of bad advice on its head, I’ll offer the following: Be authentic because trying to be anything else will fail you — and you will be miserable. If you operate from the data, communicate with conviction, and have the right expertise, then being yourself is always the right answer.

If you show up authentically, and it isn’t welcomed … you’re in the wrong environment for you.

Do you have any advice for women in junior roles? Or advice for other women in male-dominated industries?

Women get a ton of (often unsolicited) advice about how to present themselves, how to communicate, when to speak up, and when to remain quiet — even what to wear. Almost all of that kind of advice has been pretty bad in my experience. It’s usually designed to help women fit into a stereotypically male model of what good leadership looks like.

A caveat I like to keep in mind is that if the advice is on style vs. substance, you might think twice about taking it.

Megan Eisenhauer: Creative Director

What part of PayIt’s culture makes you feel the most supported?

I love the flexible schedule and work environment at PayIt. It enables me to focus on my health, which includes working out every morning and taking the dogs for a walk. The flexibility and trust are unlike any other place I have ever worked, and I am thankful every day I found such a wonderful employer.

Can you think of specific benefits to having more women in leadership roles?

I am surrounded by women role models in the marketing department, and I have never learned more at any other job. They also understand what it’s like having to juggle home life and work life.

What advice do you have for companies looking to build and support more diverse teams?

You will find more talent and diversity if you look beyond your own zip code. And if you want people to come into the office, make the office a wonderful place to be. Invest in not only your people but also the environment you are putting them in.

Do you have any advice for women in junior roles? Or advice for other women in male-dominated industries?

If you are feeling the job you are in isn’t the right fit, DO NOT SETTLE. Keep the search going, and don’t worry if you haven’t been at the job for the “2-year” quota everyone says you have to work at a place before you leave.

Life is too short, find something better. Also, don’t get stuck in a niche job you don’t like doing. I job hopped for about 15 years from identical job to identical job, I thought maybe the next place would be different. I didn’t grow or learn anything new. Push yourself out of your comfort zone, and you will be happier in the end.

Monica Harrell: Senior Manager, Release Management

What part of PayIt’s culture makes you feel the most supported?

After working for PayIt for about 1 year, I was pregnant with my first child, and the company didn’t yet have a formalized parental leave policy. Our founders gave me the opportunity to influence the policy, and I’ve now been able to enjoy competitive parental leave benefits twice in my tenure at PayIt. In a post-pandemic time, I still frequently work from home, which is life changing in terms of feeling like I can manage (to the degree anyone can, ha) both work and caring for little kids.

My most productive meetings of the week tend to be with other women leaders who are ready to quickly analyze problems and make decisions. And, my (male) manager tells me never to apologize when my kids make, sometimes loud, appearances on conference calls!

Can you think of specific benefits to having more women in leadership roles?

Ruth Bader Ginsburg said 9 women on the Supreme Court bench would be “enough.” PayIt may never be run exclusively by women, but there are more women leaders here now than at any point in the company’s history. This demonstrates to other women at the company, prospective employees, and even current and prospective clients that we value women’s perspectives and contributions.

Do you have any advice for women in junior roles? Or advice for other women in male-dominated industries?

Ask questions. Ask the most obvious questions, and always ask the questions that seem like they should have obvious answers but don’t. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve asked a basic question in a meeting and received messages after a meeting to the effect of “I’m so glad you asked that because we were all wondering.” Also don’t call your questions “dumb.” You don’t have to qualify your question before you ask it. Just do it respectfully and really listen to the answer.

What’s the worst advice you’ve received?

Early in my career, a close, trusted, family member encouraged me not to negotiate my salary when I was starting at a new company. He, a person who has managed swaths of people at very large companies, told me not to ask for too much, and not to seem greedy. Fortunately, I had a coworker who encouraged the opposite and gave me specific talking points to negotiate. I got the money.

Sarah Wells: Finance Manager

What part of PayIt’s culture makes you feel the most supported?

PayIt values and empowers women in ALL roles, from the support team to the executive team. I am continually impressed by the caliber of women I work with daily at PayIt. We collaborate to solve problems and move the business forward, and we also encourage each other personally and professionally.

I feel lucky to work with such an intelligent, creative, supportive, and unique group of women every day!

How do you influence your coworkers and the wider business?

I try to influence co-workers and the wider business by being a team player with a positive attitude. I’m not afraid to ask questions or share what I have learned over the years at PayIt. I also try to have a growth mindset and understand that just because we’ve done something one way for a number of years doesn’t mean that is the best way.