For the fifth year the City of Spring Hill and City of Gardner held a breakfast networking event for women in business.

Sharon Mitchell, President of the Spring Hill Chamber, said it started as a joint project with the Gardner Chamber president at the time Jason Camis and Mayor Carol Lehman as a pow wow at the Perkins Gardner restaurant and it was something they all felt was strongly needed.

“Things are always different for us as women and caretakers,”Mitchell said. Attendees also included students and sponsors from Gardner Edgerton High School, Insight School of Kansas, Spring Hill and Olathe South High Schools.

The two hour event held at the Olathe Health Education Center featured a panel discussion with four business leaders and an opportunity for attendees to receive a $10 head shot withAdams Pro Photo. The four panelists Linda Smith, partnership manager at Screen Sanity, Carla Gibson, Vice President of Programs at REACH healthcare foundation, Christy Milroy, HR in mergers and acquisitions for T-Mobile and Amber Goering, entrepreneurial CPA were moderated by Janet McRae, the economic development director for Miami County. Panelists shared their job backgrounds. Smith said she helps families navigate technology and pursue digital health by maximizing screen benefits but minimizing their negative effects.

Gibson said she grew up with limited means but didn’t know that her and her six sisters were limited.

“We value school and a strong work ethic,”she said. Gibson said huge issues she experienced in the healthcare sector are what led her into that field. Milroy said she had 25 years of Human Resources experience, and received her Adult Care Home Administrator license to open an Alzheimer’s Assisted Loving facility. She also earned an emergency substitute teacher certificate.

Goering said she grew up on a dairy farm in South Dakota and is the oldest of five kids. Her passion was singing and she originally pursued it with a music business degree before transitioning over to accounting.

“You can do anything in it,”she said. “Numbers can go all directions.”

Goering said she also loved mentoring others.

“I’m passionate about creating a workspace I would want to work at.”

The four panelists shared their pivotal career moments that led them to their current positions.

Milroy said she went from healthcare back to HR. “It’s a matter of surroundings,”she said. “It makes such a difference. Things haven’t changed in managing people and how you treat them. Take care of the people underneath you.”

Milroy advised others to take chances even though she had made conservative choices throughout most of her career.

“Get out of your comfort zone,”she said. “Don’t be scared of being uncomfortable.”

Goering said she went from a big firm to a smaller one that didn’t have maternity leave while she was pregnant, and she took the five weeks off despite the lack of leave time offered.

“I spent the five weeks setting up my own business,”she said. “It was the best thing I ever did. It was a big leap of faith.”

Smith said the company she worked for looked good on the outside and her current employer Screen Sanity was a client at the time.

“You have to put yourself out there,”she said. “Listen to your intuition and voice. Know when to leave.”

Smith said women should choose a job that lights up their world and is a cause they believe in.

“It brings out the best of me,”she said.

Gibson said she had two pivotal moments and the first began in college when she was told to major in business because she has to make money.

Gibson started in marketing and found it unfulfilling, so she changed to sociology before working in banking for five years.

“I hated it,”she said. “I didn’t want to go to work.”

Gibson said you have to follow your passion which is how she ended up in the healthcare business.

“There are so many health disparities in my own community,”she said. “HIB was a huge issue at the time.”

Gibson became an outreach prevention worker to help combat the disparities.

Her second moment was when she was working at the free clinic posting a job for her own department when she saw the the position for the job she is in now. She applied.

Gibson left the service side of healthcare to be in philanthropy. “When one door closes another opens but you have to be willing to walk through,”she said. “You have to act in the opportunities offered.”

All four panelists said they had made mistakes in their careers and would also offer advise to their younger selves. Gibson said she shouldn’t have listened to other people as it led her to waste time in careers she wasn’t into and didn’t like. “Be true to you and know yourself,”she said. “You need to be the one that makes decisions.”

Gibson said you have to be happy in what you’re doing and own up to mistakes. “Don’t sweat the small things,”she said. “You’ll have bigger fish to fry in your older years. Little stuff really doesn’t matter.”

Milroy said to be confident and say yes to chances and challenge yourself. “Give yourself grace,”she said. “We put too much pressure on ourselves. Focus on personal relationships. We can get caught up on texting but there are times connecting eye to eye that will carry you forward.”

Milroy said a mistake is only a mistake if you don’t learn from it. “Challenge yourself to learn,”she said. “Do something you enjoy.” Milroy said she always had great work life balance.

“Be confident in what you want to do.” Goering said think about if it is going to matter one year from now.

“I was so concerned about getting a husband, having kids and a house etc that I wish I had been more focused on my career,”she said. “Focus on the task on front of you and everything else falls into place.” Goering said she makes mistakes every day and we are defined by how we handle those mistakes.

“Admit the mistake,”she said. “People are forgiving. Don’t pass blame.” Smith said don’t be so quick to judge. “We are all going through so many of the same things,”she said. “Think twice and give the benefit of the doubt.”

The panelists addressed the biggest challenges young woman face. Smith said a person is so much more than their digital persona and we need to connect more on an individual level to build relationships. “It’s about maintaining relationships,”she said.

Gibson said work life balance is something all women struggle with and the pandemic she’s a huge light on the issue that people are still dealing with. “You have to achieve that or you will burn out,”she said. Gibson said it is important for women to make sure they are paid what they are worth, as it is a huge struggle. “Don’t settle for

less,”she said. Milroy said she agreed with Gibson and it was important to have confidence in asking for money. Goering said it is easy to be passive. “Sometimes society tells you to find something you love,”she said. “But it is best to make the best out of a situation and now I’m doing what I love. It’s ok to stay where you are at. Not every job is going to be exponentially enjoyable—but make the best of it.”

When asked about their greatest accomplishments in their careers Gibson said being where she is at now especially with where she came from. “Life in poverty as a woman of color,”she said. “I’m proud I’m not a statistic and didn’t fall victim to life’s circumstances,”she said. “I had parents who said ‘I can’t’ wasn’t an option.”

Milroy said her work life balance. “Balancing family while still having a job I’m proud of,”she said.

Goering said starting her own business and a place she would want to work at as an employee that created a culture of kindness and teamwork.

“Sometimes accounting is not sexy believe it or not, but we have fun,”she said. “Invest in you and care about you.”

Smith said she also agreed work life balance as a woman was a huge accomplishment. The four panelists said having mentors in their career had been their best moves and would be their best career advice for  young women. Goering said if she were to go back and change anything it would have been her education. “I feel very grateful to be in this career where I’m at right now,”she said.

Goering said the past few years had been tough for her industry and she has really felt the pain of small businesses. Her future plans involve looking at her firm internally and continue to growing it reasonably.

Smith said things happen the way they do for a reason.

“I’d slow down and have a little more fun,”she said.

Smith said she was in her 50s and blessed to be in a job position she wishes to stay in.

“I think I’m where I’m supposed to be,”she said.

Gibson said she wouldn’t have wasted time in certain jobs.

“I would have sought my passion early on,”she said. “And not wasted time in something I didn’t enjoy or bring me happiness.”

Gibson said she is toying with the idea of getting a doctorate degree.

“It would be the ultimate achievement,”she said. “Growing up I thought it was unattainable.”

Milroy said she didn’t really have regrets. “In 2005 I did turn down a job that could have been an opportunity,”she said. “I probably would have been great at it.” Milroy said she plans on getting better at the job she is at now. Attendees asked the panelists how they deal with work place harassment.

Goering said there was so much education now that was intentional with Human Resources and legal.

Milroy said as much education as there has been though some people still weren’t paying attention or getting it.

“It is important to be leaders and treat people well,”she said. “Managers don’t realize there is high turnover because they’re not being good to people.” Gibson said she works with all women so it is not an issue. Smith said what is encouraging is the youth and their approach to matters.

“They just call it out,”she said. “I love what I’m seeing now— not afraid, speaking their minds and going for it.”