In honor of Women's History Month, SeeKing HR is proud to present Women in the Workplace, a feature dedicated to two influential women who are among the top talent in their respective industries. As a female and veteran-owned consulting firm, celebrating women, both the trailblazers before us and those among us, is as critical as it is enjoyable. "We rise by lifting others" is a motto that when exercised, creates a domino effect of empowering energy that spreads positivity and encourages an inclusive environment.

We hope that the responses from the women included in our feature inspire you and garner reflection. Who are some of the influential women in your life? What obstacles have they had to overcome to get to where they are today, and how can you apply those learnings to your current season?

Thank you for being here and sharing your passion for celebrating women in the workplace. If there is a woman in the workplace that you'd like to recognize, we'd love know about it! E-mail us at careers@SeeKingHR.com.

Megan Rudolph is the Sr Director of Parcel Operations for a leading omnichannel fulfillment provider. She has over a decade of experience specializing in business development, parcel operations, e-commerce supply chain solutions, and network optimization. She is a native Texan and a proud graduate of Texas A&M University. She and her husband live in New Braunfels with their two sons and another one on the way!

1. What moments of impact have you had in your career that have led you to where you are now?
The most critical moments have been when I’ve taken the time to reflect on my accomplishments and failures. Whether it be in preparation for an interview or to advocate for a promotion, I’ve always grown from acknowledging my achievements and accepting my mistakes. Searching for self-awareness and wisdom from my own experiences built more confidence than seeking approval from outside sources. Many women (myself included) are held back by our own self-limiting beliefs despite feedback from bosses or colleagues saying otherwise. Overcoming this challenge brought me to where I am both personally and professionally.

2. What advice would you give your 20 year old self?
At 20 years old, we’re so caught up in figuring out what we are supposed to be instead of just being who we are in that moment. I would tell my younger self to celebrate the women around you instead of seeing what they have as something that you lack. And it’s good to be thinking ahead, but don’t get caught up planning it all out because there WILL be detours. And finally, I would say to use her voice. There will be moments when your gut tells you to speak up, but you feel unqualified because you’re the youngest, least tenured, or only woman at the table. Always trust your instinct. You earned that seat – stop second guessing yourself.

3. Who have been the strongest influences in your life?
I’ve been lucky enough to know many great women throughout my life and career. They’ve all inspired me in different ways to be the best version of myself, so it’s difficult to narrow it down to one. The strongest influences are those that lead with integrity and conviction, empower others, and challenge me to get outside of my comfort zone.

4. What’s something that you’ve encountered along your professional journey that you felt was directly tied to the fact that you’re a woman that a man in your same place would not experience?
My husband and I both travel for work. After having children, I’ve been asked the same question during every trip. “Who’s watching your kids while you’re gone?” No one has ever asked my husband this question, not once. I surveyed friends and family and they’ve all had the same experience. It’s a seemingly innocent question, but it carries a lot of implications. It implies the woman is responsible for the children whether the man is at home or traveling. It also assumes that a man isn’t fully capable of carrying the extra workload in a woman’s absence.

5. What was you aha moment? Where were you? How did it come to be?
I’d have to say my biggest AHA moment was a few years into my career. Keep in mind that I started in logistics when less than 4% of the US population had an Amazon Prime membership. By 2013, I had discovered my niche and was working on deals with large retailers and upcoming eCommerce brands. Having early insight to changes happening in retail and our consumer buying habits showed me the need for resources in this space. I decided to change jobs and build a career specializing in eCommerce distribution strategies. It’s exciting to work in a growing market the keeps evolving. Plus… what other job could I refer to my online purchases as “research?”

6. What’s your favorite thing about being a woman in your industry?
Women only make up 25%-30% of the logistics industry. It’s traditionally associated with physical work, and consequently considered a masculine sector. Fortunately, the needs of the industry and our perceptions on gender-based skillsets are changing. I hope my efforts bring awareness to actions that are often unintentional, but still perpetuate implicit bias. For example, I worked for a male VP who was honeslty one of the best leaders I worked for, but the majority of his direct reports were male throughout his entire career. In the beginning, it was apparent that he struggled to provide me with constructive criticism despite me seeking direction in areas where I needed to improve. It was also obvious to my teammates (all male) that my feedback carried a different tone during group meetings. I respectfully brought it to my VP’s attention during my performance review and shared that his unintentional actions limited my ability to learn and improve. What I’ve learned and enjoyed as a woman in my industry is that most people are receptive to these conversations that bring awareness, but they’ve lacked the opportunity to hear it from our point of view.

7. If you could change one thing for women in the workplace, what would it be?
There are several things I could go into here…the pay-gap, the maternal wall, representation at the executive level, but most recently I’ve been devasted by the impact the pandemic has had on women in our country. Women make up nearly ALL the people I know who were terminated or demoted in the last year and I don’t know any men who resigned or requested a role of less responsibility. Although we’ve come a long way, the pandemic showed us that our society still feels domestic responsibilities fall to the woman. If I could change anything I would remove the stereotype that women aren’t primary or equivalent earners and men aren’t primary or equally contributing caretakers.

8. As you move forward in life, where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Ideally, I see myself in a more senior leadership position based on successes in my current role. I hope to be an example that a woman can be an incredible mother and have a successful career without having to make sacrifices in one area to excel in the other. Most importantly, I hope to honor my mentors by supporting and empowering other women to achieve their goals.

9. What one word would you use to describe yourself?
Determined.

10. What’s your favorite part of your workday routine?
It’s easy to get caught up in your workload between the calls, meetings, emails, and IMs. A few years ago, I started blocking “uninterrupted” time on my calendar. During this time, I limit distractions and it’s by far the most productive part of my workday. I use the time to focus on projects and prioritize tasks, but I’ll also dedicate time to market research and building strategies to support long term initiatives. The time looks different depending on my schedule week each, but I rarely sacrifice it.

BONUS: If a movie was made about your life . . . who would play you?
Julia Roberts

As SAMMinistries’ President and CEO, Nikisha Baker provides strategic oversight for the Ministry’s efforts in offering housing interventions and supportive services for San Antonians experiencing or facing homelessness. Having served the Ministry since 2015 in a number of roles of increasing responsibility, Nikisha is credited with developing and implementing the organization’s annual fundraising strategy which includes grant requests to corporate and family foundations, government and quasi-governmental entities, major gifts, and campaign solicitations. She has also been responsible for several special projects including two major renovation projects at the TLLC, mission driven strategic conversations, and media and public relations. Nikisha holds a Master of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of Central Florida and a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations from the University of Florida. She and her husband Larry, a retired Air Force veteran, are the proud parents of four children, Rodney (17), Ainsley (15), Avery (9), and Landon (6).

1. What moments of impact have you had in your career that have led you to where you are now?
I was raised in a family where I was taught the principles of Christianity and I have developed my own faith walk. Beyond my spirituality, my life has largely been guided by my parents who served our family, our friends, and the community for as long as I can remember. It seems like we were always doing something – when I was a kid I learned from my mom and dad early on that we have a responsibility to help those around us.
Shortly after moving to San Antonio, I began to look for an opportunity to give back to the community that my family was now calling home. I found SAMMinistries. Once or twice a month, my little ones and I would volunteer at SAMMinistries’ Transitional Living and Learning Center providing child-care while parents were participating in Life Skills training. Up until that point, my service had largely been in the fundraising sector, so the experience exposed me to an entirely different concept of need. In 2015, when I was recruited to serve as SAMMinistries’ Development Director, it was an easy “yes.”

The work I have had the opportunity to engage in on behalf of SAMMinistries has shown me a clear path for where I want to go in my professional and personal life. I am humbled to have grown in and with this organization. The idea of service above self, working in a space that is rooted in faith and compassion, fuel me to want to do even more for those in our community in need. I am proud of all that I have been able to accomplish professionally over the last 15 years. Recognizing the great responsibility I have been entrusted with, I am excited to continue moving SAMMinistries forward in service to vulnerable families and individuals.

2. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?
To remember that every action has consequences. As a young person, you often consider yourself invincible. But in the age of the internet and social media, bad decisions follow you forever. So, if I could go back and change things, that period between 18 and 24 would definitely be it!

3. What’s something that you’ve encountered along your professional journey that you felt was directly tied to the fact that you’re a woman that a man in your same place would not experience?
Work life balance is certainly a challenge that I feel indirectly impacts professional women. With work cell phones connected to email, and virtual meetings that have increased since the COVID pandemic, defining boundaries between work and personal life can be hard. Women often carry the majority of the emotional stress relative to households, both with and without children. Finding balance can be difficult particularly as our male colleagues are often able to take the early breakfast or after-hours meeting.

As a wife and mom of four, ensuring that I am able to be present for my children and get all of the work expected of me done, has been a challenge throughout my career. I am blessed to have had work environments that allow the flexibility of working from home and accommodating schedules that have allowed me to thrive. It is not lost on me though that rarely are men in the workplace making the same requests.

4. What was you aha moment? Where were you? How did it come to be?
My aha moment came in April of 2012 as my husband prepared to deploy to Afghanistan. At that point he’d served in the Air Force for more than 15 years, but we were in a new city, with three small children, and no support system. I was fundraising for a school that I loved, but my job required me to travel to meet with alumni. Our kids were scared. I felt alone. And my husband was helpless, his choice to serve our country required both commitment and sacrifice. In that moment, I learned that to move forward I just had to put one foot in front of the other. I have been living life in that way ever since. Most days I start with a to do list and most days I add more to the list than I cross off. But every day is a new beginning.

5. What’s your favorite thing about being a woman in your industry?
In the nonprofit space, women bring a sense of compassion to the work simply because of our femininity and I wouldn’t change that for anything. In 2018 (according to The Nonprofit Times) women accounted for 73% of all nonprofit employees. That is representative of change that I think we want to see happen in our communities. And I think it is inherently true because of the natural nurturing characteristics that women hold.

6. If you could change one thing for women in the workplace, what would it be?
While women make up the majority of nonprofit employees, they only account for 45% of nonprofit executives and only 21% of nonprofit organizations with a budget of $25 million or more. But perhaps most upsetting is that female CEOs make 66% of their male counterparts. If there was one thing that I could change, it would be to shatter the glass ceiling and eliminate gender inequity in the workplace.

7. As you move forward in life, where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In 10 years, my husband and I will almost be empty nesters, which I hope will allow me more time to focus on policy change for vulnerable families and individuals. In my time with SAMMinistries, I’ve come to understand that homelessness is a symptom of larger issues like generational poverty, domestic violence, unemployment or underemployment, mental illness, etc. and until we address those larger issues, it will be difficult to eradicate homelessness. So, as I continue to grow into my role and what I know about homelessness, I hope in the future to be able to make an even greater impact by focusing on system changes.

I’m also hoping that my husband and I can get back to traveling, which we put on hold, to focus on our family. At some point, I’d like to accompany him on a College Game Day adventure, following the show across the country during college football season.

8. What one word would you use to describe yourself?
I would use the word dedicated. No matter the task, big or small, personal or professional, when I set my mind on something, I am committed to getting it done.

9. What’s your favorite part of your workday routine?
Walking the hallways after lunch, is by far my favorite! I don’t always get to connect with everyone, but I learn a lot about the members of my team, what they are working on, and what is important to them in those informal conversations.

BONUS: If a movie was made about your life . . . who would play you?
Kerry Washington