Hello, Collegiate Women in Business!
As you may have heard, elections for 2018-2019 leadership positions are approaching. The CWIB Chronicles will be starting “Get To Know the Leaders”; a series that will highlight each of the available positions. In these articles, each person that currently holds that position will be interviewed so you can find out what it takes to carry out the duties, and what they got out of it. If you are interested in running for a position (which you DEFINITELY should!), hopefully you will find out what position is right for you by the end of the series!
The first leaders we are going to highlight are the Co-CEO’s, Madison Blevins and Ashlin Webster!
Description - The Co-CEOs lead the CWIB Leadership team and set the vision for the organization as a whole. It’s their responsibility to ensure the success of the organization, develop future leaders of CWIB, build club relations on & off campus, set expectations and responsibilities for CWIB Leadership, prioritize CWIB above all other organizations, and communicate effectively and efficiently.
Name: Madison Blevins
Position: Co-CEO
Empower - Madison notes that you may not be fully prepared for a leadership position, but by pursuing this role, she gained “the perspective to see comfort zones as an area to be stretched, not something to be scared of.” She also admits that she had to deal with stressful situations, but they, “won’t beat you down if you love what you’re doing. My biggest takeaway from serving as Co-CEO is that if you find something you’re passionate about, go all-in. Don’t be intimidated or afraid of taking the jump because it just might make the greatest impact on your life.”
Prepare - When asked how Co-CEO has prepared her for roles beyond CWIB, she explains that, “I have used the communication skills I developed from being Co-CEO in every internship and class I have had. Whether it is communicating via email or phone, or face-to-face in meetings, this role taught me how to effectively communicate with teams to achieve a common goal.”
Connect - Madison says that by being Co-CEO, she has met “some incredible alumni and students who are making a difference on campus and in their cities.” CWIB has exposed her to various industries and people from all over, and as Co-CEO, she has been able to give other members the same opportunities that she’s had since the club’s founding.
Name: Ashlin Webster
Position: Co-CEO
Empower - Ashlin admits that being Co-CEO has humbled her because she learned that to become a great leader, you must realize that you are only as good as the “weakest, least dedicated person on your team.” Instead of blaming others, a leader should lift them up. Also, this role has taught her that humans are not perfect and often have regrets, but it is important to focus on your successes and leave the “what-ifs” behind.
Prepare - The process of improvising is something that Ashlin does in and out of CWIB. Ashlin says that the ability to take a blank page, write down your creative ideas, and not be afraid to try new things is something that bosses “usually love.”
Connect - Ashlin believes that “People are always willing to help people that they respect.” As a result, she guarantees that she will stay close with the whole leadership team after she graduates and knows that they will help each other out in any way they can.