Natural Ability Enhances Workplace

    One of the most popular questions asked when growing up is “What do you want to be when you grow up.” You might be one of the lucky few who have no idea but somehow it all fell together because of your natural gift.
    Three young professionals with their degrees in Communication/Journalism from St. John Fisher College who work at  Xerox, Clear Channel, and The Berry Company are aware of the importance of using natural gifts when it comes to sales.

Kathleen Tipper, account manager at Xerox, knew she was always a people person. “When it comes to natural passion it’s people!” she said with enthusiasm. While Emily Engle, account executive of Clear Channel, stated with confidence “I knew comm was always a passion of mine.” But after her internship at Clear Channel she found sales to be a huge interest. Lastly Melissa Gonzales, account manager of The Berry Company, said “Being a people person is so beneficial to me.”

    But knowing what you are good at make does not make you automatically know what career you want. Tipper said “When I was younger I was a waitress at a restaurant. This is when I started selling myself and my product.” She also mentioned “From this point I knew I had to rely on myself for my own commission.” If she was not a good waitress she would not get tips. This self-reliance helped her be prepared in her professional career at Xerox. “I learned everyone is out for themselves,” she said. “This is an extreme environment.”
    While Tipper was more prepared for the “Real world” based on past experiences Gonzales was not. “When I started working it was a slap in my face,” she said, because she was so used to just being a student. Internships and previous jobs had helped her learn what she did not want to do rather than what she wanted. But what did prepare her was losing the job she had before before becoming the Frontier account manager at The Berry Company. “Before I got this job I was unemployed which taught me that I had to fight for my money,” she said. But her job loss never made her insecure. “I knew that being in sales were 75 percent natural and 25 percent taught.” This made her succeed knowing that she had a both natural gift and a degree in communications.
    Engle was also prepared. “Growing up I was a waitress and a cashier at Tops. Working with people. This also taught me the importance of networking.” Engle also agreed with what Gonzales said about needing both street smarts and book smarts. With this said she was prepared going into Clear Channel where she also had to be self-reliant. “Not everyone has ethics, when you realize that you grow from it, and unfortunately everyone is out for themselves.”
    Through all of this the women all recognized the same struggle -- that although they have a natural gift of selling they always have to work harder each day. Engle stated “It is a fierce industry and it is all driven, absolutely nothing is handed to you,” while Tipper said “I have to learn something new every day. When a sale does not go through it feels like a break up, but you have to never give up.”
    Gonzales stated “I have to take control and have to cover my ass every day.” But even though they have to be strong representatives of the company, they also have to be likable. “People buy from people they like, I approach every situation with trust,” Tipper explained. Gonzales said her secret is “To sit back and observe then take action; trust me sometimes you want to ring the person’s neck on the other side of the phone but you can’t let them see you sweat.” Engle’s key is “becoming a chameleon to which ever situation you’re in.”
    These women have a natural gift but it does not down play their work ethic nor does it make them want to learn any less. Engle said it best, “When you want to give up say, no, no, no, and keep moving forward.”

Sisterhood Is the New Revolution.

By Nicoletta Persi
    “Helping one another, is part of the religion of sisterhood,” American novelist Louisa May Alcott once stated.
      The Bethany House of Rochester represents this statement with its positive effects on women in the community. Their slogan says it all, “We will love you, until you love yourself.”
       This house has a sense of warmth and hospitality. Standing outside in the busy streets of Rochester in the 14 degree weather and then walking in offers a feeling of safety, security, and home. The Bethany House gives the women of this community a way to transition their lives and start fresh. The building previously was a convent, making this the perfect place where sisterhood can develop.
       Sally Vaughan, the director of Campus Community Service at St. John Fisher College, mentioned that Fisher has had a long relationship with the Bethany House. Vaughan said “This is a very moving thing to meet with these women. I ask the students who volunteer to always reflect on the experience they have at the house.” Some of the questions she asks the students are “Do you have anything in common with these ladies?” She then mentioned “They answer that they have common dreams, age, goals.”
        The work Vaughan does with the house was a moving experience. “Looking at our lives it’s very important to see you have a lot in common with the poor or the abused.”

Vaughan mentored a fisher student named Kaitlyn McCall. McCall said working with Bethany House absolutely changed her life.

“I changed my major because I discovered my true passion was to serving those in need, especially these young women. Also, working with this population of young women in the inner city was something which I was not exposed to before college,” McCall said. “I learned people of all types of life. I became very open minded and even more sensitive. I feel like I have learned a lot, especially some of the circumstances which really make people and young mothers homeless.”

  This was more than learning more about others to McCall; this was now her new family. McCall mentioned that if these women were under different circumstances and if it did not break the shelter’s policy, that she would be with them as much as possible.  “The atmosphere was very family oriented.” McCall also mentioned, “I fell in love with my site and now I do it because I see the difference I make.” She also does more volunteer work because of her experience.

Donna Ecker, co-director of the Bethany House, explained how Fisher students are not just affected by their experience but how it has  affected the women of the house. Wednesday evenings the Bethany House holds prayer service, and Fisher students often come at that time. She then describe a banner that they all relate to during prayer service “This banner is of the people who passed away by homicide in the streets of Rochester this year. Last year we had 40, now this year so far we have four.” This shows the common ground everyone has in the Rochester community and to try to make it a better place.

       Wednesday also is is when they have celebrations. “If it’s someone's birthday, anniversary, any sort of celebration is held,” Ecker said, which brings the women and volunteers together.
       “Many women in the community donate clothes.” Ecker then explained “Although I have never met most of the women that donate I remember their name, they are so generous and have opened my heart.”

Ecker works closely with Kim, a resident of the Bethany House who was humble and excited to share her story. “I have been here for two almost three weeks now, after I am going to stay at the Y. I mean before this I was incarcerated then went to rehab and I have been sober for four months.”

       Kim was nothing but grateful for the Bethany House. “The staff is great, and the volunteers keep my mind busy. When I’m not busy I’m bored, and when I’m bored I use.” She then said “I have family and when they’re together without me I just think about how much fun they are having without me. Then I meet with these great people and it does not seem to matter anymore. My mind does not start going crazy and I feel like I am at home, but sometimes even better.”

       The phone interrupted, and Kim apologized and explained “Cassandra, another resident here wants me to finish her laundry because she’s caught up with something, I will be right back.” It seemed as if these women were in this together, watching how they interacted, giving each other advice, and comparing their stories to one another.

           Lynn Marie Persi, a long time donor of the Bethany house, said “I do not know any of these women I donate to, but these are my sisters and we are all children of God.  My daughter always gets mad saying ‘Mom I can’t pay for my rent but you can give to people your don’t even know.’ And I say ‘Yes, just because I do not know their names, does not mean they are strangers.”