Women in Wireless
Series Two - Jody W.
What does it mean to be a woman in the technological field? For most of the world, it means being part of the 5:1 statistic. Meaning, for every five men in technology, there is only one woman. When I first saw this, I have to admit, I was pretty discouraged. Being a young woman, in this field, I was mortified by what it might mean for my future.
As I began my journey with TEAM, some things started to change my perspective. I was in awe by the number of women who held admirable leadership roles. I have come to realize that these integral women are the lifeblood of some of the most important facets of the company.
Recently, I caught up with a few of these incredible women to do a short email interview about what their experience has been like within the company.
Following our interview with Tarrie last week, we asked another incredible woman within our company, Jody W. to comment on the following questions. Jody is the absolute lifeblood of what we do. She is a real inspiration to many in the company, and a woman that I especially admire. Her work ethic is top-notch, her commitment to TEAM is unparalleled, and she is an absolute joy to talk to.
Below are her responses to our interview:
Q: How long have you been with TEAM?
Jody: I have been with TEAM since May 1st, 2013.
Q: How did you get started with (TEAM)?
Jody: I was working for another company and we were part of an acquisition for TEAM. I was hesitant to change companies at that time as I had such a great job, great coworkers, and was very happy. I could not have made a better decision to stay with TEAM during the transition. I am happy to be here!
Q: What role did you start in when you first came to the company?
Jody: Sales consultant.
Q: What position are you in currently?
Jody: Director of Field Operations
Q: Did you foresee yourself ever working in technology/retail? Why/why not?
Jody: I did, I have worked in retail roles since I was young, and I have always enjoyed technology. The two are a good fit for me.
Q: What is the most challenging part of your current role?
Jody: Different aspects at different times, I enjoy a challenge.
Q: Is there any leader that you particularly look up to or strive to emulate within your life/career? (Either with TEAM or within the world)
Jody: In my personal life, my mom is my hero and I hope to be as much like her as I possibly can. She has taught me that hard work pays off. In work, I have always looked up to Charlie and have been lucky enough to have him as my supervisor for several years now. Thank you for everything as always Charlie.
Q: What’s your favorite memory with the company?
Jody: Oh, there are far too many to name one. Tug of war (first edition) is always a fond memory, our leadership conferences, lip sync battles, training classes, the list goes on…
Q: What’s your hometown/what brought you to the area you’re currently in?
Jody: Dollar Bay, MI is technically my hometown. But I grew up in Houghton, MI for the majority of my life. A few years ago, I had an opportunity to move due to some family events and I moved to Marquette. I enjoyed it in college and missed the area.
Q: What challenges led you to grow into the person you are both within and outside of the company?
Jody: Mostly experience with friends, family, coworkers, and just life in general. I typically learn by doing. Some of the challenges have been by learning the hard way and growing from those experiences.
Bonus Questions:
Q: Which Office character do you think you’re most like?
Jody: [After initially thinking she was most like Pam, she went to Buzzfeed and found that she was wrong.] According to Buzzfeed, I’m more like Jim.
Q: What’s been your most used/helpful app since the beginning of quarantine?
Jody: GroupMe, Gmail, Google Keep, and Apple Music are my main apps. No real changes for me since the beginning of quarantine. However, an honorable mention to Among Us.
Q: I know it’s hard to narrow down, but if you had to choose, favorite pizza topping?
Jody: Cheese is a topping that cannot be forgotten, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, artichokes, basically any vegetable.
A HUGE thank you to Jody for participating in our series!
Follow along for another interview of Women in Wireless next Wednesday!
Written by:
Madison Eazsol
Marketing Coordinator
TEAM Wireless, Verizon Authorized Retailer
