How Giving Back Pays Joy Forward

(My contributed piece to Women in the Channel Nov 2017 newsletter.)

There is something magical about the energy women create together when, for example, at the height of the most challenging project at work, we are asked to attend a fundraiser, or to contribute to a campaign to help people after a natural disaster, or to spread the word on social media networks about important issues. Maybe it is because of our roles as sisters, daughters, wives, mothers and grandmothers, and our collective efforts to succeed in exciting careers while also creating beautiful homes and lives for our families, that we have the capacity for superhuman performance, particularly when we see others hurting. 

Going back to the beginning of the WiC organization, I saw this group of women as being caregivers and that it applied across everything we do; we really do care! Caring for our team at work, caring for our family, caring for our friends, caring for our community, and caring about moving positive values and compassion forward is the best way we can care about – ourselves. 

2017 has been an unbelievable year for me, professionally and personally. 

I am humbly grateful to be in a position to make a difference at the company I work for, which recently transformed itself through a merger into a new brand called Ribbon Communications. I was inspired by the incredible hard work of both GENBAND and Sonus executives, who organized so many complex, moving parts into what was ultimately a well-orchestrated and harmonious “newco” at the end of October. I got to be a major contributor to this exciting transformation.

Yet during it all, I ended up doing more to help society than ever before, including dancing in a competition to benefit the LA/Beirut “Sister Cities” organization. Talk about transformation; rehearsals, training, performance and – winning! Everybody won the evening of the dance competition, and everybody wins when we find the energy to help no matter how busy we are -- including women, and all of you, Women in the Channel! Giving back, even in times of tremendous challenge and change, gives me joy.

Find time in 2018, and benefit from the continual joy of being fully alive human beings. Kind women and kind people, are always the ultimate winners.

With Thanks,

Bita Milanian

Senior Vice President - Global Marketing, Ribbon Communications

Member, WiC Communications Committee