IntegrateHer: Celebrating the Women of Integrate, Week 4

Today we’re inspired by the story of Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, the woman who discovered the composition of stars.

 “Payne-Gaposchkin was a woman of many firsts: the first to receive a PhD from Radcliffe College, the first to be professor at Harvard, and the first to discover the composition of stars.”

She proposed in her 1925 doctoral thesis that stars were composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. Her groundbreaking conclusion was initially rejected because it contradicted the scientific wisdom of the time, which held that there were no significant elemental differences between the Sun and Earth. Independent observations eventually proved she was correct. (source)

Speaking of inspiring women and stars, we’re excited to share this week’s group of #IntegrateHer honorees as part of our continued celebration of National Women’s History Month. Discover more about each of these women below—from what led them to Integrate, to the challenges they’ve overcome, to the advice they’d give their younger selves. We are proud to be sharing their responses, especially so that those outside of Integrate can see that the women we get to work with every day are a diverse group of strong and talented women. 

Read more of our #IntegrateHer blogs here, or discover our individual stories on LinkedIn. 

Gabby Scotland

Director, Data Partners

1. What do you love most about your role at Integrate?

This sounds cliché, but my team. I may be a bit biased… they’re the best group in our org. Their dedication to our customers and their roles keeps me coming back every day. I love working with such a great group of people.

2. What are you most proud of (personally, professionally, or both)?

Over the last decade, I’ve worn many hats and learned many things. I’m proud of myself for continuing to take risks and not giving up when things get hard, rather facing challenges head-on.

3. What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?

I love to read! In the summer you might find me outside on my front porch and enjoying the fresh air with a good book. On cold days like today, you’ll find me curled up on the couch with a book and a fuzzy blanket.

4. What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?

A good conversation with a teammate or customer will instantly brighten my day.

5. What is one piece of advice you would tell your younger self?

Take a deep breath and go one step at a time – you can only control what you can control.

Hannah Burke

PSO Enablement Manager

1. What do you love most about your role at Integrate?

Getting to work with so many different people across all the organizations at Integrate! I get to meet new faces often and have opportunities to work towards unique goals with many varying personality types. Each day is a new, exciting adventure!

2. What are you most proud of (personally, professionally, or both)?

Being a self-starter – whether it’s completing a new project, getting all the “adulting” tasks done in my personal time, or accomplishing long-term goals I’ve set for myself, I’m heavily motivated by my own ambition and drive to succeed through hard work. I appreciate creative curiosity in all things, and I get a lot of satisfaction from accomplishing tasks on my own through knowledge gathering, thoughtful planning, and thorough execution. I grew up on the lesson that hard work pays off, and I truly appreciate the level of freedom I’ve had in all my roles at Integrate to achieve success through ambition and effort.

3. What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?

Exploring a new location (road trips through New England are the best!), or working on my favorite hobbies (yoga, painting, cooking, baking, or home organization)! I’m also a big animal lover, so playing with my own pets or with friends’ fur babies is always time well spent in my eyes!

4. What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?

This is easy – caffeine! Espresso fuels my fire. Once I have a latte in my hand, I just know I’m going to rock the day!

5. What is one piece of advice you would tell your younger self?

“Don’t stress the small stuff!” I’ve found that when I’m feeling anxious about a task or event, 9 times out of 10, my concerns were not even warranted. I remind myself daily to stay in the moment, and not to stress too much about what’s happened in the past or what may happen in the future. It all works out for the best, at the end of the day!

Jacqueline Natz

Account Executive Team Lead

1. What do you love most about your role at Integrate?

The diversity in experiences I am able to have under one role.

2. What are you most proud of (personally, professionally, or both)?

A happy life is a balanced life and I have always been proud of the focus I put on trying to maintain that balance. It sounds counterintuitive but I have found this is best accomplished through a fairly rigid routine, which requires me to schedule time for everything and stick to that schedule. At 8am, it’s time to run, at 9am it’s time to work, at 5pm it’s time to help with homework, cook dinner and visit with my family (without my work phone in arms reach). Significantly in 2021-2022 I was able to shift my mentality to support better mental and physical health for myself, by removing various negativities and replacing them with healthy habits. It took a great deal of sacrifice and motivation, but brought me and my family a heightened level of peace and happiness that was beyond what I had envisioned. I am proud of my ability to sacrifice to make things better for myself and the people around me.

3. What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?

I love a good adventure! During COVID, we started this thing where we’d jump in the car without much planning and if it was within 2-hours distance, it was fair game. What started as a way to get out of the house morphed into our finding a permanent 2nd home in the Poconos, so now you’ll often find us there skiing in the winter or doing various woodsy / lake stuff in the Summer.

4. What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?

A compliment or a hug!

5. What is one piece of advice you would tell your younger self?

Life is a marathon, not a sprint.

6. As the focus of International Women’s Day turns to #BreaktheBias, please feel free to share if and how gender biases may have impacted your role over the years. And is there something that you feel organizations need to focus more on or that you’d like to see more of in the coming year?

To be honest, I give gender biases very little attention. I don’t feed it, and I wasn’t raised to think I am any less skilled/important valuable because I am a woman. Adversely, I feel a sense of empowerment that I am female, and that my perspective is crucial.

Sophie Hutchins

Customer Success Manager

1. What do you love most about your role at Integrate?

I love the relationships that I have been able to build, both internally and with our customers.

2. What are you most proud of (personally, professionally, or both)?

I am very proud of the career growth I have had over the last couple of years. I started in sales and found my way to Integrate as a Campaign Manager and eventually moved into a new role as a Customer Success Manager.

3. What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?

An ideal day off for me would include getting out of the house and going outdoors. I love going on hikes and exploring new places.

4. What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?

Spending time with family and friends or traveling!

5. What is one piece of advice you would tell your younger self?

Try not to compare yourself to others too much. Everyone goes through life at their own pace.

Amber Kleine

Strategic Account Director

1. What do you love most about your role at Integrate?

I don’t just sell, I build relationships.

2. What are you most proud of (personally, professionally, or both)?

My 2 girls and determination. While I have my full-time job, I’m a single mom to an 18-year old and 4-year old. In the last 5 months I have scaled my property investment group from an idea to ownership of 6 properties.

3. What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?

What’s a day off? Just kidding. Being with my girls or enjoying the social scene in ATX and San Antonio.

4. What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?

A workout! It completely sets me up for success and purpose.

5. What is one piece of advice you would tell your younger self?

Drive is not something taught, and in life there are two guarantees adversity and death. How you handle every moment in between defines you. Live with purpose.

6. As the focus of International Women’s Day turns to #BreaktheBias, please feel free to share if and how gender biases may have impacted your role over the years. And is there something that you feel organizations need to focus more on or that you’d like to see more of in the coming year?

I’m a first generation LatinX woman in SaaS and sales. I’ve been underpaid, passed over on promotions, perceived differently in business meetings. It gave me a large amount of self-doubt the first five years. Although, all of those drove me to be more purposeful and precise in my career trajectory.

Yasmin Edwards

People Coordinator

1. What do you love most about your role at Integrate?

I love being able to help all individuals in the business and offer support and guidance which ultimately helps the success of the organisation.

2. What are you most proud of (personally, professionally, or both)?

I’m most proud of where I am today! Last year I was a PA in a company and wasn’t sure of my career path. I took a leap of faith and decided to pursue HR. I started by studying for a qualification in Human Resource Management and then decided to find a role which would help me learn and grow which led me to Integrate, it has been the best decision for my career. I have learned so much in short space of time and I will continue to grow with the help of an amazing and supportive people team!

3. What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?

My favourite way to spend a day off would be to either to sit out in the sun when it’s warm or to watch a great series on TV with a cup of tea on the sofa.

4. What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?

Waking up to the sun shining 🙂

5. What is one piece of advice you would tell your younger self?

I would tell my younger self to feel the fear and do it anyway!

Maria Sweeney

Campaign Manager

1. What do you love most about your role at Integrate?

The opportunity to work with world-class people and share our experience with each other. Everyone in this company is interested in your personal and professional growth as much as you are. It’s very inspiring

2. What are you most proud of (personally, professionally, or both)?

I am proud of being an “international” person. I am originally from Russia, moved to China when I was 16 and stayed there for 7 years, and generally I was lucky to travel to a lot of countries. It helped me to see the world from a different perspective, not afraid to be vulnerable, and help others no matter where we are from and what language we speak. It’s hard to learn this from books, and I am happy and proud that I got a chance to see how different and, at the same time, similar the world is.

3. What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?

Quality time with my family and my dog. Either we go to the beach or cook our favorite meal together

4. What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?

Good food 🙂

5. What is one piece of advice you would tell your younger self?

Your mistakes don’t define you. They increase your experience, and experience decrease your mistakes

Courtney Plaster

Sales Development Representative – recently promoted to Associate Account Executive 

1. What do you love most about your role at Integrate?

Truly and honestly, I actually love everything about Integrate and my role. I simply cannot just pick one specific thing 🙂

2. What are you most proud of (personally, professionally, or both)?

This has been the greatest year of my life both personally and professionally. I am so beyond thankful for Integrate for being the biggest contributor to my growth and development. I am just so happy and so proud of what I have been able to accomplish with Integrate thus far. I have the best team of mentors who have helped shape my continued success by providing the most amazing advice and support. This has given me the tools to flourish and not be afraid to try new things (innovation) in my prospecting efforts. This has created an environment where I felt confident to be myself and try new tactics with support and success and my record-breaking performance has shown that. I am just so happy to be a part of Integrate and cannot wait to continue to grow into the best version of myself both personally and professionally as my career grows here 😊

3. What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?

My typical Saturday starts with Uptown Farmer’s Market in Phoenix (I love supporting local). I go first thing in the morning. This is followed by a hike or run depending on the day, laying out in the sun, and enjoying time with friends and family.

4. What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?

Personally: Running. I am currently training for my first half marathon. 

Professionally: The community of mentors I am surrounded by at Integrate. I am continually blown away by my fellow Integrators and their ability to go above and beyond to help peers no matter what role someone is in. It is especially amazing to have this sense of community in a remote work environment. Sales is a roller coaster. I am blessed to have such amazing people to ride the highs and lows with.

5. What is one piece of advice you would tell your younger self?

Never stop shining your light. Life can take you in a million different directions, but as long as you’re true to yourself your path will take you exactly where you need to go <3