This Women’s History Month we are sharing insights from our founder and CEO (Chief Empowerment Officer) Amber Lowry. Amber started Syssero with a personal goal of building something for herself that leaned on her experience and allowed her to establish the work-life balance she needed for her mental well-being. She and her leadership team have set out to be the standard of empowerment for employees in corporate America. She has a vision for Syssero to be the company that all other companies look to when trying to create a culture of psychological safety and true equity in the workplace.
Well, seven years into building Syssero – things are going just as planned! Not only for herself, but her entire team.
Learn more about her life/career journey and the advice she has for us as we go through this thing called (work) life in this honest and candid Q&A session.
Q: What do you love most about your work?
Empowering the unique, dynamic people on our team. I love helping to build bridges that allow everyone on our team to feel that they deserve to have a voice and have a safe, supportive space to speak and share ideas freely.
Q: What are some key challenges you’ve faced in your career and how did you manage through them?
As a woman in IT there have been many challenges but mostly I’ve experienced age discrimination, sexism and my overall worth being challenged. I created Syssero to allow myself space to grow and learn with those that want to empower each other rather than tear someone down.
Q: Are there any women who have inspired you? How have you incorporated their teachings/examples into your own life?
As a child I was inspired by Amelia Earhart, the aviation pioneer. I thought her attire, attitude and overall willingness to never give up was inspirational. Over time I’ve allowed myself to be more my authentic self–the woman that never backs down and is always more comfortable in jeans than a dress. That has transpired into my work and I haven’t asked any of my employees to “dress” a certain way as I find being comfortable allows you to be more authentic.
Q: What do you think about when you consider the women who paved the way for female leaders in the workforce?
I can be found saying, I love that I live in this day and age as I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have made it to 30 in any other time period. While we have a LOT further to go, it’s encouraging to see how far we have come. The women before me have been trail blazers and I hope to be seen as such by my daughters one day.
Q: What advice do you have for women as it relates to career and life?
Find your tribe. Find the group of amazing humans that will encourage you to be brave, courageous and take chances. Find the group that will laugh with you, cry with you and fight with you.
Q: What are the qualities you look for in your team? Key leaders?
I look for people who have emotional intelligence, empathy, that they seek to understand and that they bring unique perspectives and experiences to the table.
Q: What type of future world do you hope your daughters/children get to live in as they grow up?
I hope my daughters and children live in a world where they are not judged by their clothes, status or accents but by the kindness they show others and their ability to be understanding yet analytical in thought.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share?
Life is too short not to be at peace and empowered by those around you. Make the change and be what you deserve to be–empowered.
Thanks for those great insights, Amber. Words to be inspired by this Women’s History Month and beyond.
If you want to learn more about Syssero, email us at info@syssero.com