International Women’s Day
Happy International Women’s Day! I know many strong and wonderful women. Many of them are in my inner circle. Today’s blog is about two remarkable women who have affected my professional career and my person. Those two women are Katie Bircher and Danelkis Serra, whom I met at different times.
I met Katie when we worked in departments that related to each other. She was helpful and pleasant when I had an issue. In the early 90s, we ended up in the same department. She was promoted to manager, and I was on her team when I got promoted. She was a great manager, and we became good friends. After working for her for about one year, she moved to a different team. I didn’t work for her when I got another promotion, but I sat near her department.
She was my manager again, but it was another short duration. We both moved to the project area and were teammates. I became a Business Analyst, and she became a project manager. She left the company after being there for 29 years. She went on to a successful career at another company, rising to Assistant VP. We stayed close friends even after she left Mutual. She returned to Mutual 2021, which has worked out for her. We have celebrated many happy occasions and also sad ones. I learned so much from her; it is hard to believe it has been almost 34 years since I reached out for help.
I met Danelkis Serra when she came to work at IIBA. She is the Chapter Operations Manager, and I was the GCC Chair until the end of 2022. Our roles did overlap at times, except I was not an employee. We clicked as friends immediately, and at first glance, we appeared as opposites. In the last four years, we have become infinity friends. It’s funny because she will be 46 next week, and I graduated from high school when she was three months old.
We keep each other grounded and talk about almost everything. We have made a great team and have many successes to be proud of. She has affected me in positive ways by helping me to show my gentler self. She is an excellent BA and has a new perspective whenever you present something to her. That has caused me to revise many slide decks. She encouraged me to start my business and is one of my biggest fans. She is one of those friends who tells you what you need to hear, not what you want. That is a priceless trait in a friend.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, please remember all the strong women in your life. Be sure to tell them how much you care because life is a once-and-done journey. You never know when that journey will end, and there are no do-overs. To all the women out there, enjoy your day.