Excelle Professional Woman of the Week, February 11th, 2008
Excelle
February 11, 2008
Name: Sarah Lee
Company, Role: Jones New York, Assistant Designer
Location: New York, NY
1. Now that we know your job title, what more can you tell us about your job?
I design trims for the Jones New York Dress division. Trims include buttons, ribbon, zippers, brooches, belts, buckles, and anything else that is applied on the garment.
2. How would you describe your work environment?
My work environment is my favorite part of my job. I love the people I work with. It’s harder than anyone would ever know to be a part of a design team in the garment industry that is as talented, industrious, and humble as my team at Jones Dress. We all strive for the very best and are all willing to pitch in and help one another in whatever it is we need to accomplish.
3. What are the strengths that you, as a woman, bring to your job?
I am not certain if it is my strength I bring to my job that is notable, but rather the strengths that are drawn out from others to accomplish my job that speak for themselves. The garment industry, as one might imagine, is full of women, and although I have been known to complain about this from time to time, this is the very aspect that makes it unique from other professions. I think that as women, we are fulfulling the needs of other women to achieve a level of style, which in turn instills confidence and a sense of fulfillment. I work with an amazing group of women and I am always grateful for the nurturing, edifying and encouraging spirit that I find in each of the women I so admire.
4. Are you a workaholic, or can you maintain a work-life balance? How do you de-stress?
I enjoy my job immensely, but I cannot stress the importance of balance in “adulthood”. Life is too fleeting to spend it stressing out and overworking your body and soul on something like a job. I am always more focused on inter-personal relations at my job, which is a huge priority for me and usually is more valuable than any set task or goal. Furthermore, I find that the more stressed out I am, the less I succeed, thus a work-life balance is crucial in all aspects of sound body, mind, and spirit. I surround myself with family and friends and if that means I am late to work one day or I leave something to get finished the next day, I work harder to keep that balance!
5. Do you see anything that is still holding women back, from a professional standpoint?
Besides the usually “glass ceiling” that continues to hold women back, I think women need to be more empathetic to each other in general. I often see women competing against each other rather than being cooperative. We need to somehow work together to break through even cleaner than ever.
6. What’s next on your plate?
I would really like to focus more on my music and jewelry designs, so the more comfortable I am in my current professional life, the better everything else that surrounds it will be.
7. Anything else to share with other women out there aspiring to become successful in their careers?
The key thing is to be true to yourself. Never compromise on your beliefs, because you will ultimately succeed, even though that success might not be what you originally anticipated to be.
Make Sarah Your Friend!
Check out the <a href= “http://www.jonesnewyork.com”>Jones Dress Website
Previous Professional Women of the Week
<a href= “http://excelle.monster.com/careers/articles/548-excelle-professional-woman-of-the-week-february-6th-2008”>Nicole “Nik” Caldwell: February 6th, 2008
<a href= “http://excelle.monster.com/careers/articles/497-excelle-professional-woman-of-the-week-january-28th-2008”>Shaherose Charania: January 28th, 2008
<a href= “http://excelle.monster.com/careers/articles/451-excelle-professional-woman-of-the-week-january-21st-2008”>Annie Winhold: January 21st, 2008
<a href= “http://excelle.monster.com/careers/articles/419-excelle-professional-woman-of-the-week-january-14th-2008—”>Currin Berdine: January 14th, 2008
<a href= “http://excelle.monster.com/news/articles/322-excelle-professional-woman-of-the-week-january-1st-2008-”>Alicia Morgan: January 1st, 2008
<a href= “http://excelle.monster.com/careers/articles/317-excelle-professional-woman-of-the-week-december-18th-2007-”>LaToya Thompson: December 25th, 2007
<a href= “http://excelle.monster.com/careers/articles/292-excelle-professional-woman-of-the-week-december-11th-2007-”>Kim Diorio: December 11th, 2007
<a href= “http://excelle.monster.com/careers/articles/248-excelle-professional-woman-of-the-week-december-4th-2007”>Margaret Lee: December 4th, 2007
<a href= “http://excelle.monster.com/careers/articles/223-excelle-professional-woman-of-the-week-archive-3”>Rachel Cho: November 25th, 2007
<a href= “http://excelle.monster.com/careers/articles/222-excelle-professional-woman-of-the-week-archive-2”>Celia Saino: November 18th, 2007
<a href= “http://excelle.monster.com/careers/articles/200-excelle-professional-woman-of-the-week-archive-1”>Amy Posey: November 11th, 2007
Know someone who should be the next professional Woman of the Week? Let us know: <a href= “mailto:info@excelle.com”>info@excelle.com.
Think you deserve to be featured? <a href= “http://excelle.monster.com/discussions/48-should-you-be-a-woman-of-the-week”>Join the Woman of the Week Group and go for it!
