by Robin Amster
Last updated: 5:41 PM ET, Thu September 7, 2017
"Don't judge us differently because we have different plumbing."
That piece of advice-aimed at men dealing with women who aspire to executive-level positions-comes from United Airlines pilot, Captain Brenda Tirshfield.
Tirshfield was one of six powerful women-representing an airline, an industry association, a major travel agency, plus ocean and river cruise lines-who took part in a panel discussion on Soaring Above the Glass Ceiling at ASTA's recent global convention in San Diego.
The six are proof positive that women can indeed shatter the travel industry's own limiting factors. Here are highlights from their war stories, insights and advice:
Career Challenges
"Balancing family [and work] is the biggest challenge," said Tirshfield. "I have to credit my husband for expressing a desire early on that he wanted to be a hands-on father. That allowed me to do what I want with less guilt-not no guilt-but less guilt."
Tirshfield was 24, "and looked like I was 12," when United hired her.
"I was working with men who didn't want me in their clubhouse," she added. "It wasn't uncommon for someone to say 'There goes another empty kitchen.' It definitely required some disarming on my part. But those days are gone. My copilots are now my peers-it also helps to be the captain."
Vicki Freed worked for Carnival Cruise Lines for 25 years before joining Royal Caribbean where she's now senior vice president of sales. She was also the first (and only) female chairman of CLIA. Freed said former Carnival Cruise Lines' CEO Bob Dickinson had offered her a senior post with the cruise line early in her career. She moved from her native California to Miami to take on the job.
"Every morning for the first two years [in Miami], I'd wake up and throw up my guts and I wasn't even pregnant," Freed said. "I thought 'What did I do with my great life in Southern California?' Many people at Carnival wanted that job. I had been tapped for it; I didn't apply for it. My biggest challenge was to win over those people [who wanted it]."
Early in Ann Chamberlin's career, she had a job with a "very male dominated company."
"They didn't see the value of internal talent, not necessarily just women," said Chamberlin who is ASTA's senior vice president, membership and strategic partnerships.
"They thought they could do better by hiring people from outside the company," she added. "I moved on from that job. Sometimes you hit that glass ceiling and you have to go around it; you don't necessarily break it."
Ellen Bettridge, Inworld Boutique River Cruise Collection President and CEO, said her manager, a woman, at a former job Bettridge held with American Express, "told me I'd never be a manager."
Interestingly, a man there became her mentor.
"Sometimes our worst enemies are other women," Bettridge said. "We need to support each other."
Managing Different Personalities
"I'm incredibly direct and a little bit old fashioned," said Jennifer Wilson-Buttigieg, Valerie Wilson Travel Co-President and Co-Owner.
"I have high expectations for myself and others," she said. "My mantra is: The glass is half full. If you do that, you build a wonderful culture around you. Look at one-to-one relationships; you can't categorize people."
According to Kristin Karst, AmaWaterways Executive Vice President and Co-Owner, "You can learn things, but your heart has to be in the right place. That's the culture our company has formed. We are together; there are no egos, no prima donnas. We are all on the same level."
"It's about figuring out different peoples' communication styles," according to Bettridge. "My career was not about being a ladder. It was about being a jungle gym; you move across, not up."
[READMORE]READ MORE: ASTA Announces New Board Members[/READMORE]
Advice for Other Women
"'Act as if, dress as if, and dream as if.' I got that advice from another woman," said Bettridge. "Those three things stuck with me. No one will give you anything; you have to work for it and want it. You have to work harder."
"The travel industry is every woman or men for themselves," said Freed. "You have to have grit and tenacity. You have to take on more than you're asked to take on. That way you get noticed, and when you get noticed, you get promoted."
"I think what's important is that, whatever we face, we should all believe in ourselves and that everyone around us is a partner because respect is what drives this industry," said Karst.
Advice for Men
"Be proud of your employes, encourage them, and if you see that spark, push them to do more," said Bettridge.
"Recognize that people learn differently and communicate in different ways," Chamberlin said. "Sometimes I just pick up the phone and call my employes."
"Work as a team. If you do so, everyone wins," Freed said. "The whole gender thing isn't good [in careers]. After all, there are men who cook dinner for their wives."
"Assume competency; assume that the women in powerful positions are already competent and then empower the people you lead," said Bettridge. "We have the ability to build each other up.
"So treat men and women exactly the same."
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