Observed throughout the United States each year on August 26, Women’s Equality Day marks the anniversary of the official enactment of the U.S. Constitution’s 19th Amendment in 1920. That amendment, of course, guaranteed women the constitutional right to vote. And here at The Brandon Agency, we see the holiday as a great opportunity to celebrate this hard-won achievement — along with all the trailblazers who fought for the freedom and all the incredible women who lend their talents to our team!
Below, some of TBA’s female executives and managers share their thoughts on what it means to be a woman in leadership, along with how The Brandon Agency supports the sustained success and growth of the women in our workplace.
Tyler Easterling, President and COO, The Brandon Agency:
Being in any leadership position is an honor that I take seriously. I want to do the best job I can, be a trusted team member and, hopefully, be fun to work with. Being a woman — and even more, a mom — can make it challenging. There are a lot of balls to keep in the air all the time, both at work and at home.
What I have always loved about The Brandon Agency is the flexibility my teammates have provided me to be successful at both. I hope I do the same for others and model skills that help others move into leadership positions. I have never been treated differently at TBA, and all I have ever been asked to do is my job. When anyone at TBA performs, you get opportunities for promotions and rewards — and you cannot ask for more than that.
Lisa Capparella, Accounting & HR Manager, The Brandon Agency:
Me, a leader? I really didn’t think I would call it that! It’s funny because I have been invited to join and/or speak at leadership meetings, attend leader events or to share my leadership experience with others a lot lately — not just at work, but in other areas in my life like my Women’s Support Group and at church.
I honestly didn’t really consider myself a leader. I’m more of a behind the scenes, streamlining/organizing the work and helping get stuff done kind of gal. I thrive on helping others use the tools we have available to succeed — and ooh, if I get a thank you or pat on the back for it, I am beaming and my heart soars!
I often tell myself when things get hectic around the office that I am the lucky one, because as an HR professional I get paid to help people while others must volunteer time to help someone. I am also very fortunate to have a great group of women surrounding me in my both my work and in my personal life who care enough to remind me of that fact when I start to lose hope. These women are also not afraid to tell me when I am the problem and are kind enough to stand by my side when I just need to get the emotions out.
So, if I’m a leader, then so are they! Some of these women have leadership words in their job titles, some of them do not. I would say that at TBA, a woman in a leadership role is one who simply enjoys helping others grow and succeed.
Jami Flannelly, Project Director, The Brandon Agency:
As a 14-plus year veteran at The Brandon Agency, I have really seen many changes and growth, along with the evolution of my leadership role. I started off at TBA on the creative team working with traffic and print production. My experiences over these years have helped me to develop into a better leader — and I have had strong female mentors that helped me find my voice and strengths along the way.
As my role has evolved, I have been able to feed off my peers and life experiences to foster my comfort and confidence. Many of us come from different backgrounds and have ample experiences, but I have always felt that I am encouraged at The Brandon Agency. Here, I am often asked what my opinions are — and they are valued. Further, I am always encouraged to offer new ideas as I constantly push myself to become a better me, and give myself goals to help my team members become leaders, too.
Being a woman and a leader makes me feel strong and important, especially knowing that my work ethic along with my creative ideas and talent are well received. As I continue my growth, I always keep in mind — never stop learning and leaning on the team that surrounds you.
Sherry Moats, Media Manager, The Brandon Agency:
I have been the Media Manager at The Brandon Agency for more than 12 years. As a woman holding that leadership position, I feel proud, empowered and inspired. I am proud to work at a company that encourages equality in leadership roles. In turn, this empowers me to encourage other young women just starting out at TBA that they, too, can achieve such roles if they put their mind to it, keep learning and take advantage of every opportunity they have. And as long as I’ve been working at TBA, I have seen so many women grow and advance into leadership roles, and that is very inspiring to me.
As a woman in my role, I feel I bring a variety of skills, different perspectives and ideas to the table, and I hope they’ve led to successful decision-making as a whole for the agency. I work with a vast array of vendors, and with the skills I bring to my role here at the agency, I have gained their trust, leading them to have trust in the agency and building those lasting relationships.
I also take pride in knowing that, as a woman in my position, I am a mentor and coach to not only those in my department, but throughout the entire agency. As a woman, wearing different hats is common — and balancing a career and a household has helped me adjust to new and different situations and focus on finding solutions to real-life and work challenges.
In my position here at TBA, I have supervised both men and women. To be honest, I experienced challenges with both, from levels of respect to handling confrontation. But being able to balance different situations, those challenges were not so hard to overcome.
Shelby Greene Selner, VP/Media Director, The Brandon Agency:
I have been fortunate to hold several leadership positions across many different types of organizations throughout my career, and to continue to have great mentors along the way. These experiences have made me the leader I am today, and I’ve continued to grow my skills through my experiences on the executive team at The Brandon Agency. When I joined TBA almost 10 years ago, I became one of three women on the executive team, and I was immediately treated as an equal to my male counterparts.
It is always intimidating to start in a new job or position, especially fresh out of college. But TBA’s culture of respect and equality across all areas of diversity and experience levels makes it easier for all who come on board here. All of our agency’s team members come to the table with different skills, abilities and experiences, and we are all treated and respected as equals. I am very proud to be a part of the executive team at The Brandon Agency and to help make decisions that guide our agency’s success, especially our culture and mentorship of younger coworkers.
Ed Lammon
Managing Editor of Agency Content
Ed Lammon is the Editorial Director of Blog and Long-Form Content for Brandon. A native of Enterprise, AL (home of the world’s only monument to an insect), Ed is a 1998 Journalism graduate of Auburn University (War Eagle!). When not working, he enjoys travel, hiking, telling dad jokes, and hanging out with friends and family (particularly around campfires, at concerts and at tailgates).