Girl em[Power]ment – A Series of Short Essays.
Over the next few months Flancake.co will be bringing you the Girl em[Power]ment series, which consists of interviews with several working women of all ages in different stages of their career. These are women I not only find inspiring and interesting, but who I think women of all ages should know about and learn from. These women hold careers in several different industries, from creative design to politics. They’ll give us an inside look into what their job is like, how they got there, share their advice for twenty-somethings, and touch on what Girl em[Power]ment means to them.
[be sure to follow along on insta – @girlempowerment]
For today’s influencer, I’m so excited to introduce you all to a women I was able to get to know over the summer, but have known for a few years now. We were first introduced by my mother, who knew each other from being sorority sisters. Over the months that I got to know her, I loved her spunk and charisma, and also how her intelligence inspired me to go above and beyond.
Introducing Wendi Rosenblatt, of Hearst Television
Q: What is your current job title, and can you please briefly explain your career path?
A: I am the Senior Director of Financial Planning & Analysis for Hearst Television. We own 30 local TV stations and two radio stations spread across the US. I started with the company over 10 years ago back in Kansas City, MO at our TV station there and moved to NYC in September of 2008 to advance my career with our Corporate team. In a nutshell, I make sure we make money!
Q: Where did you go to school and what was your major?
A: I graduated from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville with a degree in Business Administration. My major was Accounting.
Q: How do you deal with negativity towards women in the workplace, if at all?
A: I have been in the workplace for over 25 years and I have seen or felt negativity from time to time, although it is generally more indirect than direct. Indirect negativity takes the form of not enough women in high profile roles in certain companies I have worked at. It is also interesting to me that I find myself the only woman in a meeting with five men (or more) occasionally. I always try to see if there is a way I can improve that ratio by nurturing other women and working to include them in the discussion.
Q: Who are your role models or mentors that you look up to?
A: My Mom was my first major influencer and besides being a great person she showed me at an early age that women can and should be accepted in the workplace and that we can accomplish anything. She was the bookkeeper for our family business when I was young and I think that is where my interest in and aptitude for accounting and finance began. Hillary Clinton was my UofA commencement speaker and I always recall how eloquent she was that day and it sparked my desire to use my degree to the best of my ability while also giving back to the greater community. My Dad has also been an important mentor to me. He has always been very proud of my achievements and supportive of my life and career choices. He reminds me that it is OK to be proud of what you have done, enjoy life and never forget your family is there for you along the way. He has always been in my corner and encouraged me to “go big”.
Q: Have you ever felt unsure of yourself or felt that you weren’t “enough”, and how did you overcome that?
A: I have felt the need to prove myself from time to time during my career, most importantly when I am starting a new job or large project. I have also had some times when I wasn’t sure I could live up to expectations I set for myself or others had of me. In those times, I remind myself to start with the small things and once I have a few victories, move on to the larger tasks.
Q: What are other things you do [hobbies, projects, interest] that you feel passionate about?
A: I love to sing [my extrovert side, although I still get major stage fright], read [my introvert side, especially autobiographies of strong women] and of course, I watch a lot of television [come on, it’s my industry!].
Q: What career and/or life advice would you give to your twenty-year-old self?
A: Honestly, don’t work so hard! I have sacrificed a lot to advance in my career and I continue to work on finding a good work/life balance.
Q: What does Girl em[Power]ment mean to you?
A: I’ve been fortunate to always live in a world where I never felt excluded as a woman or that there was anything that could hold me back from achieving my goals and dreams. I encourage all women to live their lives with that feeling as a starting point. Believe in yourself and great things will happen!
I hope you enjoyed hearing from Wendi – I love her honesty when discussing not working as hard, but rather to find a balance.
Xo, Flancake
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