What woman inspires/inspired you and why?
Hands down, my mom. She did not have an easy childhood and she shuffled between relatives’ homes, but she decided at a young age that would not define her. On her own at 16, my mom got a job, met the love of her life, and created the family and life she didn’t have. Although she didn’t graduate high school, she pushed her three children to be strong, smart, compassionate and above all, good people. After raising a family and managing a household for over 20 years, my mom returned to work at her first job – Strawbridge & Clothier – and retired at 82! Even as a part-time sales rep, she was always a top 10 performer. My mother was a fierce caregiver of my father during his 25 year journey of Parkinson’s disease. I still don’t know how she was able to raise a family, manage a household, take care of my father, have a career, help with her grandchildren (she babysat at least one day a week!), and still make time to be mom to her adult children and in-laws. This inspiring woman is my mother, Theresa Piccoli. She and my father made sure that my sister and I “KNEW” that we could accomplish anything if we worked hard and that there were no boundaries just because we are women.
What was the first thing you bought with your own money?
Hmmm my first job was babysitting at 14. At 16, I worked in retail and continued that job throughout high school and college. My first purchase was probably some trendy article of clothing. I was taught to be a saver and to never spend more than you can afford. If you have a credit card, you can only afford what you can pay off each month! I moved home after college to save money, and after 1 year, I made my first “real purchase” of a small condominium. I figured this was an investment, and I would never be able to afford anything if I paid rent.
What qualities make a great leader?
There are many to choose from, but for me the core qualities of a leader are good communication, integrity and empathy. Be open to listening to your team, understanding their strengths, and treating people with honesty and respect to empower them to be innovative. To paraphrase: if you listen, you just might hear something.
If you could meet anyone, man or woman, living or dead, who would you want to meet?
Ruth Bader Ginsburg! I admired her resilience, intelligence and dedication to women’s rights and gender equality. She blazed a trail for woman in law and politics and relentlessly fought for social justice. Ruth became a pop culture icon with little girls dressing up as her for Halloween. I would ask her how she balanced work and family. My favorite quote from her is, “fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
Leave a Reply