- What prompted you to join the military?
- It was kind of an accident! Though a lot of my family is in the Army, I didn’t consider it until we took the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) exam in high school. The recruiter read my score in front of the class and asked if I was “some kind of brain?” Because of my score, the Navy offered me a $50,000 college fund to join the Naval Nuclear Program. Since both my parents had been laid off in the mid 90’s, I could not afford to turn down such an offer. It turned out to be the best decision I made. I became a supervisor in the Nuclear Electrical Department and traveled the world. When I left the service, I was able to use the college fund and the GI Bill for an associate degree in Accounting and then a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering and Technology.
- What leadership lessons did you learn along the way and how have you applied those to your civilian life?
- In the Navy, we used to joke, “we defend democracy, we don’t practice it.” The military is a very rigid leadership structure that does not always leave a lot of room for challenging superiors, though often for good reason. However, within this strict structure, I learned that I would never ask my crew to do anything I was not willing to do myself. I was always there with them for every issue, and I did the same work. I also learned that transparency when giving directions was important. People need to know they matter, and they tend to buy in more to ideas if they understand the basis behind them and why their role is important. Trust is critical to being a good leader. If your people do not trust you, they will only comply with direction and not commit. So, it really boils down to “do what you say you will do.”
- As a woman, do you think it’s important to have a female mentor? Or do you see value in collaborating with male counterparts?
- I think it is important to have both male and female mentors. Each person has a unique set of experiences, so getting diverse perspectives is important to learning leadership skills. People face different challenges throughout their careers and have different strengths that could be beneficial to learn from. Throughout my career in the military and the nuclear world, there were not many options for women leadership mentors, as the fields I was in don’t have many women. Therefore, I always had male mentors who taught me a lot, particularly my Master Chief in the Navy. He was a leader who inspired me to not just do my job well, but to do the job well for him. At PPL, I have finally had the opportunity to have my first female mentor. Stephanie Raymond, the president of PPL Electric Utilities, has been my mentor for the last year. She and I have discussions about leadership scenarios, and she asks that I bring my own experiences and ideas of how to handle situations and challenges. She always asks for two-way conversations that do not consist of her just telling me what to do but challenging me to think and listening to my ideas.
- What advice would you give a woman going into a leadership position for the first time?
- Be yourself and use your strengths. Sometimes, and I saw this in the Navy, women will change their normal behaviors and “act” like someone they are not. It usually tends to be how we perceive a male leader would act, which can come across as overly tough, and sometimes downright aggressive. But women have different strengths, and while there are qualities that are fundamental to being a good leader, we do need to remember to be ourselves. People can sense when someone is not authentic, and that erodes trust. Without trust, the group cannot be successful in the long run. Always remember the words of the amazing Eleanor Roosevelt: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
- What’s something we can learn about you that’s not in your LinkedIn profile?
- I am a big fantasy lover! I play Dungeons and Dragons (yes, the actual tabletop game with the dice!) with friends on weekends, and my stepson serves as our Dungeon Master. I love going to Renaissance Fairs, and I have a ton of handmade costumes. I also love to cook and give my loved ones cookies to send for sympathy when they need it. When I was in the Navy, I got to see Dubai, Venice, Rome, Slovenia, Crete, Naples, and Cartagena, Spain. I ate so many different types of amazing food that I came home and taught myself how to make a lot of things from scratch. I am also an avid reader although not as much lately as I would have liked, but it is for a good reason. I am currently in the middle of a master’s program for Predictive Data Analytics at Moravian University. Talk about a career change! didn’t know anything about this type of work a year ago. I am very excited to be learning something new and to work for a company that actively and enthusiastically supports my continuing education.
Welcome to the PowHERful Perspectives blog
A new intimate blog series, where we share insights on leadership, career paths, allyship goals, self-care routines as well as what our member community does outside of work to be inspired.
Salute to Service- Our Conversation with Julie Medina, PPL and United States Navy Veteran
