Lynn

We sat down with Senior Director - Programme Management and Customer Service at Affinity, Lynn Helfrich for a special International Women's Day chat about her career, inspirations and highlights.

Tell us about your career journey.

"My first job out of college was as a trainee in a large U.S. retailer's Management Training Program. After six months of training, I was assigned as Manager of the Housewares and China Departments of one of their retail stores. After a year of working almost every weekend, I decided I needed to find another job to give me more time to spend with friends and family.

My next work experience was in the Banking industry, working as a Marketing Coordinator for the head of Retail Banking at the fourth-largest bank in the U.S. at the time. Initially, I worked at the bank's headquarters in Boston, MA., which exposed me to all the various departments within the organisation. Throughout my 15-year tenure at the bank, I leveraged the relationships I built with multiple teams to obtain challenging and varied positions from special projects team member, distribution network planning, market research, branch regulatory and compliance, to marketing. I decided to leave the bank as I was commuting an hour to the office and needed to be closer to home for my young son.

I found a Program Manager position with on-site childcare at one of the top apparel companies 10 minutes from my house. The skill set that I developed in understanding and marketing to bank customers made the transition into the apparel industry seamless. As a Program Manager, I managed the company's most extensive account for a few years before being promoted to Director of the account team. I continued in this position for nearly ten years before deciding I needed a change and found the Director's position at what is now the Affinity brand. Although in my initial years, I worked closely with the same client, over the past few years, I have learned and grown with several different clients of all sizes. In April, I will celebrate my 7th anniversary with the company."

What career advice would you give to people entering the workforce?

"Be open to new opportunities that come your way. If you graduate with an accounting degree, it doesn't mean that you need to be an accountant your entire career. Throughout life, you will meet many people professionally and socially, and opportunities outside your current path present themselves to you. Be bold and take risks, especially early on. As you progress in your career, more factors will come into play for consideration, such as housing, partners, and children, that may impact the decisions you make for your path. Work hard but remember to have fun too."

Which female leaders have influenced you in your life and how?

"My grandmother had a tremendous influence on me. She didn't always have the easiest life; she was the twelfth of thirteen children growing up; a young widow when my grandfather passed suddenly, working hard to support my mom and uncle; and a breast cancer survivor. Even in the most challenging times, my grandmother was a very strong person, never seeming to crack under pressure. She never wavered and was always true to herself. She was always highly supportive of me and my endeavours, except that I loved to play sports and didn't choose dance- two left feet."

What are the work challenges you've faced in your career? How do you juggle work-life balance?

"My most important job in life has been focusing on being a good mom and strong role model for my two sons. Having a full-time career requiring some travel has presented me with many moments of "Mom guilt" along the way. I've missed school events, sporting events, and a birthday here and there. Over the years, things have changed, and now there is a greater focus on work-life balance, which is a needed change. My boys are now in their 20s, but when they were young, there was such pressure and almost disappointment from some of my male managers on those days when I had to call in sick because they were homesick. I certainly wasn't any less dedicated to my job, but family first. Luckily, both sons were healthy because those calls were more challenging than they should have been.

I've also spent many work lunches and dinners where I was the only female amongst a table of male counterparts. In those instances, I felt terrible for the majority as it was evident that everyone was on their best behaviour as I was in their presence. I'm a relatively quiet person, but sometimes it took an icebreaker from me- How about those Red Sox? to get the conversation flowing and everyone more at ease."

Which significant female figure in history celebrating social, economic, and political achievements do you admire and why?

"There isn't one significant female in history to single out for me. I've learned that every woman has a story through life and my career. Each has individual wins and challenges, and admiration should extend beyond those with greater visibility or status."