Jenna Fisher’s Post

In every generation, there are pillars of perfection that women compare themselves to (Carol Brady comes to mind!) — and that we all need to tune out. I keep thinking about this article in the The New York Times last month by Hannah Seligson. The "Millennial Mother Midlife Crisis" is the latest iteration of this. Social media makes it easier to access—and perseverate on—perfection and expectations than ever before. But there is a thread that connects the struggle for all women: The expectation that we are supposed to do it all. With women having children later in life so that they can build careers, the crunch of working, parenting young children and taking care of aging parents is even more pronounced. Here's my advice: Do what you can to put down your phone. Close the apps. Tune out the ideas of perfection that someone else is selling. Focus on what is in front of you and how you and your partner can create a mutually supportive structure for you both to succeed at work and at home. What matters most is how YOU feel about your life. Don’t let other people decide that for you. #tothetop

Unlike several years ago, most newly appointed CFOs are doing their job for the first time. The reasons for this are multi-fold: lots of retirements coming out of Covid, promotions from CFO to COO/President/CEO becoming much more typical, and many CFOs shifting to full-time board service. Our cadre of incredibly talented and insightful CFO mentors helped us write the following short guidebook for success. So many thanks to George Davis Jeff Epstein Howard Averill David Meline Chris Kreidler Kevin Ozan Bob Shanks and Maria Henry for their generous time and insights. We couldn't have done this without you - thank you again for your partnership. #cfo

Since I was a little girl, I have loved the Fourth of July. Going to the parade. The singing of the National Anthem. Dressing in red, white and blue. Above all, the promise of this country. Many times throughout the year, I am struck by an overwhelming sense of gratitude that I am an American, but I am especially thankful on Independence Day. Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Those were bold words in 1776. Yes, they were imperfectly applied, but they conveyed a hope and an ideal. It is that promise—for all—that keeps me believing that we, as a nation, are capable of continued greatness. As we continue to learn from our past mistakes, I believe we can—and must— find a way to do better in the years and decades and centuries ahead. Although we are not yet the most progressive nation when it comes to women in leadership, I believe that we have the tools, the knowledge, and—most of all—the will to ensure that the future of leadership in this country reflects all Americans, not just those that the Founding Fathers recognized. Here’s to independence and to the promise of this great nation. Happy Fourth of July! 🇺🇸 #tothetop

Great spaghetti and great careers have a lot in common. Hear me out. On a recent trip to Italy with my family, I went deep into the history of pasta (while enjoying many bowls of it). Today, we all think of Italy as home to the world’s best rigatoni, bucatini, cavatelli (pick your shape), but it was the Chinese who actually invented it thousands of years ago. And that succulent tomato sauce? That wasn’t Mediterranean, either. Tomatoes are indigenous to South America, where they were harvested and transported to Mexico before being imported to Spain some 500 years ago. These circuitous culinary histories got me noodling—even on vacation—about what it takes to make something, including your career, great. It’s not necessarily about invention, but what you do with the ingredients you have. This is especially important for women. We are already out-achieving men academically and we have the skills and competencies to be successful leaders. More often than not, we find ourselves in organizational constructs we did not build but know must be changed for women to be able to succeed en masse. So what can we take away from pasta? ➡️ Consider what’s next rather than what has been. What tweaks or twists can you implement to support yourself (and other women) on your journey to the top? Just because nobody used basil before doesn’t mean it won't be delicious. ➡️ Think about what kind of support or systems you need to put in place to achieve a fruitful, healthy life. And don’t be shy about it. Speaking up for what you need will embolden others to do the same. Perhaps some Calabrian chillis can be the kick your career needs. ➡️ Feel confident in your own recipe. Your special flavor—or particular concoction—might just be the world’s next spaghetti and meatballs. (Don’t worry, I know that one is completely American.) #tothetop

Last week marked the 17-year anniversary of when I returned to work from my first maternity leave. I’d been at home with my son for four months, and although I didn’t fully detach from work email—I learned to do that on my second leave, three and a half years later—it was an incredibly happy and relaxing time for our budding family. Still, the day I returned to work at Russell Reynolds Associates, I was excited to be going back to a job and career that I loved and was good at. I had wondered how becoming a parent would change my dynamic at work. Perhaps because I was never conflicted about whether I should stay home, the transition back to work was seamless. Rather than feeling alienated, I found new points of connection with my colleagues and clients who were parents. I was overwhelmed by and so grateful for the support and admiration that I received. Here are some of my takeaways from that first leave that I hope can help other parents returning to the workplace 1) Pay for the best child care you can afford. It’s true peace of mind. Whether you’re hiring a nanny, doing a nanny share, or putting your baby in daycare, having experienced people take care of your child eases the transition back to work. Because I felt secure that my son was in good hands, I could focus on work and continue to build my career. It was an investment in both of our futures. 2) Set boundaries. My son went to bed religiously at 7:30 pm every night, so I planned my schedule accordingly and dropped whatever I was doing in the office at 5 pm to commute home and spend quality time with him before he went to sleep. I would leave my phone in my car when I arrived home so I wouldn’t be tempted to look at it. Then I’d log back in after he fell asleep to finish emails or return calls. Those two hours with him were sacred. 3) Outsource with abandon. When my kids were little, I ruthlessly prioritized two things: my babies and my clients. I did my best to delegate anything that allowed me to focus on my top two priorities and free up the one resource I couldn’t make more of: my time. Yes, I also spent time with my husband and my friends (and went to the gym), but my children and work took top billing. 4) Realize it will never be perfect. There were times that I had to travel and desperately missed my little ones. I’ll never forget that horrible gate agent at O’Hare who shut the door to the plane in my face as I was dripping sweat from racing across the airport to make a connecting flight after a delay. And yes, it is maddening when you feel no one else can do it well but you. But they can. And it’s important for your kids to love—and be loved by—other people. Don’t get bogged down in the minutiae. Keep your eyes on the prize: Raising resilient kids and building your career. You won’t be physically present for every moment, but your kids will know you are always with them and there for them. #tothetop

Words of wisdom from one of my favorite professors from my alma mater The Wharton School. Thank you for sharing, Adam Grant. And thank you to Nick Bloom at Stanford University Graduate School of Business in my backyard for researching! #tothetop

There's a pervasive assumption that as women get older, we are less capable of learning new technology that is needed to stay competitive in the workplace. It’s ageism. It’s wrong. And here’s what you can do about it.

My baby girl graduated from middle school last night. It’s the end of an era, the beginning of a new chapter—high school!—and it definitely got me thinking about how we guide girls as they move from one stage to the next. Here’s my advice: Be brave. Girls are taught to be perfect while boys are taught to be brave. https://lnkd.in/gEimAeJ5 We need to change that playbook. Being brave is essential to learning new skills, to trying new experiences, to taking risks. You need to be brave to build the life you want. Ditch perfection. Many ambitious women feel they need to be “perfect” and get it right the first time, as if anyone—male or female—walks off the graduation platform and into their dream career without growing from a misstep. We need to give ourselves the time and space to know that career paths are not usually linear, and very few people can project what they want to be when they’re a young adult and get it right the first time. Take advice. It’s easy to think we know it all—especially when we are just out of school—but getting guidance from someone more experienced is invaluable. I wish I’d had a career coach sooner in my life. It wasn’t until I was transitioning out of my consulting job at Bain & Company and heading to The Wharton School for my MBA that I was fortunate enough to work with a career coach, Sue Gould. It is not an exaggeration to say that she changed the trajectory of my life. I was able to find a career that I truly fell in love with—and it was one I knew very little about before my work with her. One-on-one coaching is by no means the only way to get the mentorship you need. Build a brain trust. Ask someone a stage or two ahead how they did it. Join a networking group. The key is to absorb feedback and be open to new ideas. Strike a balance. When you are beginning your career, you are naturally excited to explore your passion, but it’s also essential to be pragmatic. I cannot overstate how important it is to consider the earning potential of any profession you consider. Men certainly do. Making smart financial decisions early in your professional life will set you up for economic security—and thus financial independence—later on. The takeaway: Be brave and courageous. Make mistakes. Welcome feedback. Think about money. And always remember that whatever you do will make for a great experience or a great story. Either way, you will have furthered your journey on your terms. I’d love to hear from you. What graduation advice would you give? And what do you wish someone had told you at the beginning of your professional journey? #tothetop

I just picked up a new novel whose heroine is not a spy or a medical examiner but …wait for it…a corporate executive. Best of all, her superpower is a secret society of successful professional women who guide her through the pitfalls of life at the top of a global company. Not only will this be my next read, it’s going to the top of my teenager daughter’s list as well. The Closer is the first in Shaz Kahng’s three-book Ceiling Smashers series, which has already won all kinds of honors and awards. I had the pleasure of recently meeting Shaz, and we were both just at The Wharton School’s reunion. I loved learning how she made the shift from the C-Suite to the writers’ room. What an incredible way to create a next chapter, literally and proverbially! As the former CEO of Gymboree and Lucy, and having been a divisional leader at Nike and several other major brands, Shaz built a library of experience navigating the historically male-dominated worlds of corporate power. Now, in addition to sitting on corporate boards and running a forum on board leadership, she’s literally rewriting the narrative for women leaders. Book 3 is already in the works. I can’t wait to read the whole series. #tothetop