News and Insights
Women’s History Month: A Spotlight on the New York Manufacturing Team
March 21, 2024
As we continue to celebrate Women’s History Month, we are sharing words of wisdom from many of the outstanding women at FINN Partners. We are highlighting the talented women on the Manufacturing team in FINN’s New York office. They share invaluable advice on how important it is to never be afraid to fail, embrace fear and stay curious.
Milica Jojic, Assistant Account Executive
What is the best advice you ever received?
How you do anything is how you do everything – ask the hard questions, pay attention to detail, and always show up early!
Millena Santana Collins, Associate Vice President
What do you wish you would have known when you first started your career?
- Know your strengths and never underestimate your value.
- When you nurture a positive and safe space for others, you free up space to be creative, think outside the box and deliver more impactful work. Plus, the process will be a lot more rewarding!
- Be clear and thoughtful in your communication with others.
- Have things outside of work that keep you inspired!
- Never be afraid to fail. The first time you do anything will be intimidating, but there really is nothing you can’t do if you put in the time and work.
Julie Tzivas, Account Supervisor
What do you wish you would have known when you first started your career?
It’s okay if you’re not an expert at everything. Everyone starts somewhere and if you think you have it all figured out, you probably don’t. Perfection is the enemy of growth and the beauty of growth is that it has no limit.
Christina Gorini, Vice President
What do you wish you would have known when you first started your career?
Embrace fear. Do not let fear paralyze you. Most regrets in life are the results of conceding to fear (fear of failure, rejection, looking dumb, etc.). While fear is natural — believe me, everyone experiences it — once I learned to lean into it and be willing to be uncomfortable it became energizing. I am two decades into my career and I am still learning to embrace fear, especially with media outreach and pitch ideas. For those early in their career, reach out to a peer or leaders about a mentorship, speak up about a different approach or idea in meetings, push yourself to write an article or present at a conference…continually expand your comfort zone. You have something special to bring to the table, but you will never know what you are capable of if you let fear hold you back.
Erin Pennington, Account Executive
What is the best advice you ever received?
As an African American woman, I strive to transform my fears into strengths. I understand that there will be many days when I will be the only one that looks like me in a room or a meeting, and it is essential for me to avoid shrinking, talking myself out of an opportunity, or running away. To ease the pressure, I believe it’s important to find allies and never hesitate to share my perspective on things. Fear is nothing but an illusion, and striving for perfectionism is unrealistic. These are two things that I keep in mind every day as I strive to always put my best foot forward.
Maddie McCarthy, Account Executive
What do you wish you would have known when you first started your career?
Stay curious! Every experience and opportunity is a chance to learn something new.
Emily Hogan, Account Supervisor
What do you wish you would have known when you first started your career?
Get out of your own way! It can be so easy to second guess yourself, not trust your instincts, and hinder yourself from being the best you can be. Through believing in yourself and striving to be confident, the possibilities and opportunities are endless.
What is the best advice you ever received?
“Let’s root for each other and watch each other grow.” We’re all in this crazy world together – let’s focus on supporting each other and celebrating each other’s accomplishments. Life’s too short to make this all a competition!
Christina Wilcox, Partner
What is the best advice you ever received?
Pay it forward. All the best things you gain are the things you should give as you grow. If you’re not starting your teammates ahead of where you once started, you’re not doing your job as a leader.