Showcasing 5 Influential Women in Print

The annual celebration of International Women’s Day reminds us of the profound influence and contributions women have made to our society, our industry and our organization. The day shines a light on the challenges women face in the workplace, including bias, stereotyping and discrimination, all of which are counter to Konica Minolta’s core values (open, honest, inclusive, collaborative, innovative, passionate, customer-centric and accountable).

It was recently brought to our attention just how many female leaders exist among our print production and industrial print customers. Through Konica Minolta’s International Women’s Day Campaign, we asked some of these women to share their stories. Read on as these individuals reflect on their journeys and in doing so provide powerful insights as leaders.

Get ready to be inspired as we introduce you to some strong, show-stopping women leaders of our industry.and help us celebrate the experiences and wisdom of these women leaders.

Meet our Women in Print Leaders

• Joy Gendusa, CEO / Founder, PostCardMania
• Audrey Jamieson, President, marketing kitchen & 5am Lemon Inc.
• Britnea Martin, Vice President of Operations, Kodi Collective
• Christine Yardley, President, Print Panther Direct
• Diane Fischer, President, L & D Mail Masters, Inc.

Joy Gendusa, CEO / Founder, PostCardMania

1. What is your message to young women trying to establish themselves in the workforce?

JG: My advice is to know what you want to accomplish and give 110% to get there. Stay confident in yourself and positive in your abilities, and success will find you. If it doesn’t, don’t be afraid to bet on yourself, move on, and find an employer who is able to recognize you and your efforts — or even employ yourself!

2. How do you influence your company’s equality and inclusion efforts?

JG: My philosophy is basically whoever is best for a role and the most competent and willing will be the person chosen. Period. I want people willing to take on a challenge and put themselves out there 110%, because it’s actually rare these days. So few do it that it stands out, and those are the people I want on my team.

3. What is the best piece of advice you have received?

JG: The best advice came from my husband, who told me this before we were even married — and that’s to always pay yourself first — as in put money away into your reserves for a rainy day. He told me that money attracts money, and it’s true! So start your own stockpile as soon as you can and stay dedicated to it.

4. As a female leader, how do you navigate the challenges of imposter syndrome and self-doubt? What advice would you give to other women facing similar feelings?

JG: My advice is that you can’t control everything, but you can control how you feel and how you act. What helps me is to meaningfully and causatively change any negative outlook if it creeps in. I have literally gotten in front of a mirror and told myself: “Today is the best day ever and you will figure it out today!”. As a rule I look at all the good things — all the wins — and I concentrate on THOSE, not the failures. Only the wins. I would tell women or anyone — it’s easier than you think — try it.

5. In your experience, how can the print industry foster a more inclusive environment that encourages diversity and empowers women to thrive and lead?

JG: Is the print industry not inclusive? I hadn’t noticed! Sorry — I live in a bubble and that’s the universe I created for me and my team, and we definitely don’t think of ourselves as “The Print Industry” or not inclusive in any way at all. So I can’t speak to what an entire industry can do. I would only say to those that exclude women or demean women — Knock it off! You’re missing out on the best part of the population!! I’m laughing now as I write this!! Be the change you want to see, as they say!

Audrey Jamieson, President, marketing kitchen & 5am Lemon Inc.

1. What is your message to young women trying to establish themselves in the workforce?

AJ: Your gender shouldn’t define you, but equally, it should not limit you; you should never underestimate the power of your own unique perspective in driving innovation and success. Positively embrace the stereotypes and proactively demonstrate your value and in doing so you also pave the way for future generations of women in this dynamic field. Your contributions could and should shape the industry and inspire others to do similar things!

2. How do you influence your company’s equality and inclusion efforts?

AJ: As a Canadian company by virtue of the inherent multiculturalism, our hiring pool naturally provides rich diversity, and our employees reflect this while as a business, our male and female staff ratio is roughly 50/50 so the company is naturally diverse but in no way deliberately chosen to be that way – we strive to hire the most qualified candidates regardless of their ethnicity or gender. My goal is always to personally lead by example and demonstrate the inclusive behaviors that one would expect in every interaction but also to encourage the company at large to integrate too. This means that our company culture revolves around communication, collaboration, and inclusion both with our clients but also with each other. It means that we celebrate success no matter who drove it and that we always try when we collectively group at team events to mix departments, ages, seniority, and gender so that all bond and everyone knows and respects each other as equals.

3. What is the best piece of advice you have received?

AJ: I have received a ton of excellent advice over the years but the one that always comes to mind is if you take great care of your employees, everything else will fall into place. I spent 30 years being an employee before becoming an owner, so I definitely know what it’s like to feel appreciated and part of a team. The minute you start complaining on a regular basis at the dinner table about your job or your company it’s time to leave. “Not every day will be good (at Marketing Kitchen), but I do hope there is some good in every day” Alice Morse Earle. The last thing I ever want is my team dreading Sunday night because they have to work on Monday. Put your team first before anything else in your business, and if you work somewhere and you don’t feel appreciated and you’re not proud of where you work, then I think you know what to do.

4. What initiatives or programs have you implemented to support the career growth and development of women within your organization? (if applicable)

AJ: Career advancement and growth is truly based on merit and ambition rather than gender at Marketing Kitchen. In the organizations I worked at before starting Marketing Kitchen, I was fortunate to have never felt any glass ceiling limits and in today’s world I feel that women are more than capable of reaching the top without needing special treatment or development programs

5. As a female leader, how do you navigate the challenges of imposter syndrome and self-doubt? What advice would you give to other women facing similar feelings?

AJ: The one valuable lesson I have learned over the past 10 years is to never second guess yourself. I left a very lucrative job in sales to launch Marketing Kitchen. It took a lot of courage and self-confidence to walk away from a secure income to no income at all, but my one piece of advice is to never lose self confidence in yourself. Don’t ever look back or dwell on what could have been as you can’t change the past. Focus on what you can do moving forward to change your future. Make time for yourself, and for women with young families it can be a challenge to juggle a career, kids and still find time for extracurricular activities but you must make time to do the things that you love and that make you feel good. Be selfish and don’t give in to the critics. And lastly, always trust your gut, it’s amazing how rarely it lets you down.

6. In your experience, how can the print industry foster a more inclusive environment that encourages diversity and empowers women to thrive and lead?

AJ: The print industry (as with all industries) needs to ensure it presents an inclusive environment by treating everyone equally and solely based on merit – providing equal opportunities for advancement regardless of ethnicity or gender. That said, implementing policies that support work-life balance are vital for any organization to thrive. My office staff have the flexibility to work hybrid, but my warehouse and laser teams which have a high concentration of women, do not have that luxury. Last year we asked them what job flexibility would look like for them and now we see 80% of the team leaving with huge smiles on their faces at 1pm every Friday.

Additionally, creating mentorship programs and job rotation positions can further empower the print gurus of the future and expose them to aspects of the business they might never encounter. My belief is that if every onus is placed on diversity and/or female empowerment then the focus is not on finding the absolute best of the best, as by its nature this is restrictive and the opposite of inclusive. The real stars of the future do not need to be identified and promoted by gender or color alone – instead, if the most capable are to rise to the top then we should strive to be blind to appearance but have our eyes wide open to finding fantastic leaders who demonstrate grit, tenacity, and creativity, who are hungry to prove themselves and implement change while still helping others along the way.

Britnea Martin, Vice President of Operations, Kodi Collective

1. What is your message to young women trying to establish themselves in the workforce?

BM: You are in charge of your own destiny. Set goals and challenge yourself every day. Work to your fullest potential regardless of your current title. Strive to make an impact and never underestimate your potential.

2. How do you influence your company’s equality and inclusion efforts?

BM: I strongly believe in career mapping and setting goals to advance our team. Most often, we find that women apply for entry level positions in a production environment. I like to give this group every opportunity to become an equipment operator or future leader of our business through development. I take a one-on-one approach with those that do express interest in leadership opportunities. I also believe that it’s important to lead by example. By setting a good example and challenging my team, we are able to open opportunities for others.

3. What is the best piece of advice you have received?

BM: The advice that I have received that has had the biggest impact on my career is to venture outside of my comfort zone and never become complacent. We are typically well versed in areas that come easily to us. By stepping outside of our comfort zone, we can challenge and grow our skill set.

4. What initiatives or programs have you implemented to support the career growth and development of women within your organization?

BM: Kodi Collective is a company that values an inclusive environment with many women holding executive and leadership positions. This amazing group of women are in the process of developing a program to support the women in our organization through career development and offer advice in round table discussions. I’m actively involved as a leader in our company engagement counsel which fosters collaboration and inclusion for all.

5. As a female leader, how do you navigate the challenges of imposter syndrome and self-doubt? What advice would you give to other women facing similar feelings?

BM: I believe that this is a work in progress for many of us as well as a challenge to overcome. I find that I feel most accomplished when I have a clear objective that I can hold myself accountable to. I often have conversations with my leadership team to make sure that I understand the scope as well as ask for feedback. We need to be open to constructive criticism as well as praise and accept challenges that extend beyond the norm.

6. In your experience, how can the print industry foster a more inclusive environment that encourages diversity and empowers women to thrive and lead?

 BM: It’s important that we have the conversations and understand the goals of each team member. If someone is interested in a leadership position, we should take a personal interest in their development. Encourage them to consistently reevaluate their progress and raise the bar. Make yourself available for coaching and feedback. Be honest with them on their strengths and weaknesses.

Christine Yardley, President, Print Panther Direct

1. What is your message to young women trying to establish themselves in the workforce?

CY: I would like my message to empower and transcend gender boundaries. Determination and a broad focus are a necessity as one’s career journey may take unexpected paths, and that’s perfectly acceptable and even enriching. My career has taken so many twists and turns to get me to where I am today. I challenge stereotypes and encourage individuals to pursue their aspirations without preconceived notions about difficulty or disadvantage. Capabilities and potential are not gender-specific, but individual qualities. In promoting a mindset shift, urging everyone to embrace challenges and view them as opportunities for growth rather than obstacles, I believe I help in debunking the notion of inherent disadvantages based on gender. I choose to empower individuals to focus on their skills, determination, and passion. I encourage individuals to pursue their dreams with confidence and remind them that success knows no gender boundaries.

2. How do you influence your company’s equality and inclusion efforts?

CY: I have tried, in all areas of my life both home and work, to lead by example. I emphasize action over rhetoric, and endeavor to set tangible standards for others to follow. A dedication to equality both at home and in the workplace, and the explicit belief that everyone is equal, without exclusion, cannot help but to foster an inclusive environment. I am an equal opportunity mom, raising both a son and a daughter without imposing gender-specific expectations. I instill in them a mindset of equality, authenticity, and Fairness.

3. What is the best piece of advice you have received?

CY: “Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star.”

4. As a female leader, how do you navigate the challenges of imposter syndrome and self-doubt? What advice would you give to other women facing similar feelings?

CY: Stop. Stop feeling self-doubt. Listen to motivational speakers. Be the positive force. 70% of people will experience impostor phenomenon at least once in their lifetimes. Not just women. All people. It is usually the result of a new or unknown environment, give it time. Consciously choose confidence and believe in your abilities. Our very nature makes us take a forward vision; there is no reason why women should look back. (Nancy Astor) Circa 1920 (I love this quote. It adds a historical perspective and helps emphasize the timeless nature of the struggle against self-doubt and the importance of looking forward. It serves as a reminder that women, like anyone else, should focus on progress and growth rather than dwelling on perceived limitations).

5. In your experience, how can the print industry foster a more inclusive environment that encourages diversity and empowers women to thrive and lead?

CY: Each of us, regardless of gender, can play a role in empowering one another to thrive and lead. Thus, promoting a sense of unity and shared purpose. Drive and commitment are fundamental attributes that can lead to professional growth and leadership. Success is not tied to gender but rather to individual capabilities, dedication, and skills. We must all reinforce the importance of meritocracy and equal opportunities.

Diane Fischer, President, L & D Mail Masters, Inc.

1 . What is your message to young women trying to establish themselves in the workforce?

DF: Surround yourself with good people who are invested in helping women grow. Always be willing to do anything asked of you, even if it doesn’t fit your job description. This is when you learn things that are invaluable. Always be willing to learn from everyone around you. Volunteer to work on the production floor, it will help you know the industry better. You will be more respected if you have some of the answers.

2. How do you influence your company’s equality and inclusion efforts?

DF: When hiring for a position, I look for the best person to do the job. I encourage all women and men to exchange roles and learn something from each other. I try to create an environment where roles are not always played by an expected person. Learn every day, and you will always have knowledge you can pull from.

3. What is the best piece of advice you have received?

DF: Be careful what you wish for. If you are willing to work for the goal, you will achieve it. Then you will have to know what to do with what you’ve achieved. Some days are scary, but if you are not scared or excited, you need to push yourself more.

4. What initiatives or programs have you implemented to support the career growth and development of women within your organization?

DF: We look for the best qualified to do the job, hiring more than just the typical roles in the printing industry. Daily, I encourage women to take on the role they desire and let them know they may make a mistake, but that is how they learn. We also implemented the EOS system and had the whole company read the book. This helps us all to work like we own the company. People surprise me every day. This is what makes my job more fun!!

5. As a female leader, how do you navigate the challenges of imposter syndrome and self-doubt? What advice would you give to other women facing similar feelings?

DF: If you are successful and making waves, as I call it, you will for sure have people doubting your capabilities. I try to remember; I will laugh the doubters all the way to the bank. I look in the mirror every day and say “You got this! Keep focused on your goals! Whatever you are afraid of, hit it head on.” We learn from our excitement and taking on the new challenges.

6. In your experience, how can the print industry foster a more inclusive environment that encourages diversity and empowers women to thrive and lead?

DF: Remember, many women are both mechanical and technical. When you learn to recognize this, grab on to them. Women pay attention to the details and can bring double the productivity and sales to the organization. There are many women in all industries right now and capitalizing on their abilities will only put you ahead of the game. All employees have their strengths, learn to capture them, and make them work for the company.