July 2022 Newsletter
Women Who Succeed
Remarkable women give their time, resources, and talents to grow confidence and leadership skills in young women.
A Note from Erin,
Wow! 149 members are providing internships, attending events, giving scholarships, sponsoring events, and mentoring young women.?You are truly making a difference to the young women of Utah!?This year will be spectacular thanks to ALL of you!
Member Spotlight
Sheridan Mordue
Sheridan is the owner of Hip & Humble, a women's lifestyle boutique she began with her sister 23 years ago, shortly after completing her studies at the University of Utah. She has grown her store to five locations, including premier spaces at 9th?& 9th?and the SLC International Airport. Her 6th?location will open in 2022 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She is known as the "go-to" gift shop showcasing fun and color-driven collections of fashion, home accessories, and gifts.
Through her 23 years of business, she has become passionate about the economic impact of local independent businesses and women-based issues. You can find her engaged in many city and state-wide organizations supporting, guiding, and lobbying for small business and female equality. Some of her service experience include Co-Chair of Local First Utah, Board Chair of 9th?& 9th?Business District, Board Member of Utah Independent Business Coalition and Craft Lake City, Committee Member of Visit Salt Lake, and Founding Member of Women Who Succeed.?
When not at the shops, Sheridan enjoys mountain biking with her husband and five children, as well as hiking to remote places on a quest to view Native American archeological treasures.?
Jill Bennion McAree
Jill McAree is called many things, but some of her very favorites include Honey, Mom, Aunt, Friend, and Leader...in that order. The foundation for each is the same, it's all about loyal relationships. That loyalty has led to almost 24 years with the same company, Discover Financial Services. Jill started as a customer service agent and used her grit and hard work to climb the corporate ladder. She is currently the Director of Talent Acquisition, leading a team responsible for hiring almost 6000 agents across the United States this year. No matter the leadership role Jill finds herself in, she is passionate about helping people get excited about themselves and all they can accomplish
She loves to break down complex problems, challenge standard ways of thinking, and find creative ways to be successful. Jill inspires others through her own hard work, taking on challenges like completing an Executive MBA at the University of Utah while working full time and raising a young family, or moving to the United Kingdom, all alone, to take on a new professional challenge. She says this is her favorite because she brought home a very handsome souvenir named James.
Jill loves to share her experiences and lessons and is often invited to speak to large groups. She uses these opportunities to inspire others to change their perspective and embrace new ways of thinking. Volunteering has been a passion of Jill's since she was young. She has served on the Board of Festival of Trees and worked to raise money for Primary Children's Medical Center for many years. She is actively involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters and Women Who Succeed. Jill spends her free time growing amazing flower baskets, quilting, snowmobiling, following the Utes to every football game, and spending time with her family: James, Jesi (18), and Brett (11).
Lizzy Solies
Born in Provo, Utah; Lizzy was the youngest of 8 children. She was raised in the Polynesian community and started Hula dancing at the age of 7 and performed with a professional entertainment group for nearly a decade. When Lizzy was 15, she was involved in a severe tubing accident that fractured her spine and nearly left her paralyzed. She was told by her doctors that the chances of her Hula dancing ever again were very slim. This was one of the monumental events that helped shape Lizzy into the driven individual she is today.
At such a young age, she knew that she could overcome any obstacle with enough hard work and grit. In less than a year, Lizzy won a dance competition and was featured in a solo spot performing for 20,000 people. At the age of 17, while her oldest sister battled cancer, Lizzy dropped out of high school to care for her niece and nephew. The experience inspired Lizzy to find more opportunities in healthcare. She earned her GED and was hired on as the youngest member of the administrative team for an intermediate care facility for intellectually disabled individuals. Lizzy attended Salt Lake Community College to achieve her vocational license as a Recreational Therapist.
At 20, Lizzy married and moved to California. She accepted a position as a business manager for the cosmetics line Origins, where she mastered sales. Within the first four months, Lizzy brought her counter sales up by 425%. After successfully streamlining the processes, she created events and a client database that promoted more engagement and opportunities for sales. Lizzy moved on from the cosmetic industry and started administrative work in HR and office management. In 2012, she was hired as a receptionist for CashMan Services, an armored car company. She was told that there were no opportunities for promotional growth because the company was small, consisting of only eight employees.
领英推荐
Again, Lizzy took this as an opportunity to do what supposedly could not be done. Over the next decade, Lizzy implemented crucial processes and structures to the company. She introduced creative new marketing ideas and was able to secure contracts that the owners of the company never thought were possible. She was promoted continuously from Receptionist to Office Manager and then again to the Director of Operations. The company quickly grew from 8 employees to 40 with Lizzy's guidance. In 2015, Lizzy welcomed her baby girl and boy into this world yet found herself at a crossroads in balancing motherhood and a career. She shifted gears by taking a Sabbatical from CashMan and moved to the vacation rental industry as a Systems Administrator. This allowed her to prioritize her newborn babies as a young mother and the freedom to support her family remotely. From there, she gained the confidence to take the leap and focus solely on entrepreneurial ventures in the software, small business, philanthropic, and creative media markets. In 2018, Lizzy found herself again at a fork in the road when she and her husband decided to end their marriage and business relationship. She started providing operational consulting and was able to serve multiple small businesses.
At this time, the CEO of CashMan invited Lizzy to return, as the Chief Operating Officer, in order to lead the company. Lizzy has since devoted her time and energy to carving out a smoother path for women like her to follow. She has embraced the opportunity to use her position and influence to hire, mentor and promote more women within her male-dominated industry. In addition, Lizzy also serves on the board of directors for the non-profit organization, Needs Beyond Medicine. Its mission is to decrease the burden of cancer on those undergoing treatment by providing financial support for non-medical expenses. Although Lizzy has not taken the traditional educational route and considers herself an alumnus of the school of hard knocks, she has attained a C-suite position running a multi-million dollar company. She is working on her degree in psychology en route to an MBA. Lizzy's spent more than half her life working, learning, and growing, finding joy in sharing what she learned. If life has taught her anything, it's this: "When you hit rock bottom, dig deeper, plant a seed, and grow." "Even if you reach the top, that doesn't mean you can't learn to fly."
Diamonds on Ice
The long-anticipated Diamonds on Ice will take place on September 22, 2022, at the OC Tanner Jewelers at 15 South State Street in Salt Lake. This dazzling evening is our only fundraiser of the year so bring your favorite bag and matching credit card!?We will have both a silent and live auction with some fabulous items including a Louis Vuitton handbag, a one-year lease on a Mercedes Benz, a beach house in California, and of course, the spectacular Grace Diamond that will be frozen in an ice cube for one lucky winner!
We need sponsors!?If your company may be interested in a $5,000, $10,000, or $25,000 sponsorship we would be grateful for their investment. If you are not the “Giving Officer” for your company but could introduce Erin to them, it would be much appreciated.
?Mentee Highlight: Tanya Yu
Tanya Yu is a rising high school senior at West High School. This is her second year participating as a mentee in the Women Who Succeed program as well as the Code to Success program. She is from Salt Lake City, Utah. Her interests lie in STEM, technology, and computer science, and dreams of becoming a computer scientist. She is a dedicated student, in the AP and IB program at her school. Check out Tanya’s video below to get to know her better!
?We HEAR Her Podcast
Our Women Who Succeed have been busy sharing their stories, insights, and lessons learned in our We HEAR Her Podcast Series. Listen here and subscribe to our weekly episodes released on the following platforms:
Public Servant | Journalist | Program Manager | Relationship Builder | Women and Children Advocate | Trilingual
2 年????????????