Happy Women's Day

Today is the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. To celebrate, we interviewed several executives at Affinity Express to find out what makes them successful and what advice they have for the rest of us. The participants are: Vice President of Global Finance and Accounting Andrea de Castro, Vice President of Operations Kristin Meidell, Vice President of Graphic Production and Support Services Joanna Grant, Vice President of Global Human Resources Tinna Hall, Vice President of Marketing Kelly Glass and Director of New Client Implementation Kellie Blaisdell.

It's clear that, despite the variety of disciplines in which they work and the different backgrounds they bring to their roles at Affinity Express, these women share a common outlook.

They attribute their success to persistence and flexibility, while appreciating that their current environment allows them learn and exposes them to new opportunities. On a daily basis, they work so hard because they find contributing to larger goals and solving problems fulfilling. Their greatest accomplishments revolve around mentoring other team members; in essence, passing the torch onto others.

Whether you work for Affinity Express or not, I hope you'll find their comments both insightful and helpful, regardless of where you might be in your career.

What is the one achievement in your career so far of which you are most proud?

ADC: I am proud of having achieved the professional level where I help to manage the company's operations from a financial perspective and assist in providing my colleagues with the power to make sound decisions. In addition, I believe that I am recognized as one who comes to work always prepared, can be relied upon and is always eager to face challenges.

KM: During my career I've been able to mentor several people who have gone on to achieve not only their personal goals but also contribute to their companies' visions. I've learned from my interaction with them and feel like I've come away with much more than I have given.

KG: I am fortunate that I have mentored several very talented young women and watched them increase their level of responsibility and success. To me, this is the true measurement of a manager—that your team members grow and acquire the skills to eventually do your job!

JG: I am most proud of the foundation of quality and reliability that has been established by the Graphics Services team. Without this, Affinity Express would not have been able to acquire the impressive accounts we have today and serve all our clients so well.

Joanna, you were on ASI's Power List this year: one of the industry's most powerful people! How do you feel about that?

JG: Candidly, I feel the "power" isn't with the person—it is with the people that work for Affinity Express.  Yes, my personal connections have provided the opportunity to work with many different businesses in the industry, but they would not be with us today if the entire Affinity Express team had not performed well and at such a high level.