Women of Multiverse - Kelly Springs-Kelley
(4 min read)
Written by Kelly Kelley, a Digital Marketing Coach at Multiverse in the US.W
I have always loved storytelling, but have more of a reporter’s analytical mind than an author’s hyper-creative one. After graduating from the University of Kansas with a degree in Journalism, I quickly embarked on a career in digital marketing, as it nicely merged crafting a narrative with measuring its results. A little more than a decade later, I found myself wanting a career that made an impact on the lives of others, and thankfully found Multiverse! As a Digital Marketing Coach, I have the privilege of working with our outstanding apprentices, teaching them digital marketing skills and helping them grow into future industry leaders.
When I’m not working, I love spending time with my husband, two kids, two cats, and three dogs. I love to exercise and always say I’m like one of the animals - I have to run every day! I live in Phoenix where I am surrounded by desert mountains, so I spend as much time as possible hiking, biking, and running the trails.
For being the ‘fairer’ sex, so much of being a woman requires immense strength. For centuries we have been pushing for equality, whether that is a seat at the table at work or a place on a sports team. And while we continue to break both perceived and imposed barriers, so many of us are also succeeding in “stereotypical” ways, such as in service to others, providing our friends, family, and even strangers with empathy, caring, and advocacy. Being a woman means having the courage to be both emotional and intellectual; to care for others but also chase our own goals.
I am so proud of what women have collectively accomplished when we support one another and relentlessly pursue the greater good. I am proud when I see women both embrace and smash stereotypes. When I look back at my life, I feel like being a woman has allowed me to ‘have it all’, but I also know that my “all” might be different from another woman’s. I celebrate that we have that diversity of choice.
So much of what women navigate on a daily basis is loaded with bias. Often it’s so ingrained that we don’t even see it anymore - we just deal with it. The theme #breakthebias is hyper-relevant and important in shining a light on the biases that we confront each day, but also in confronting those biases that we might unconsciously hold related to ourselves or other women.
Sports have long held a bias against women, either spinning the narrative that we can’t compete, or somehow that, when we do, it’s not as interesting. Yet, as women’s soccer or women’s basketball, for example, gets increased media exposure, so too does its growth in audience.
In that same vein, when I think about #breakingthebias, the first person that comes to mind is my incredible 12 year old daughter. Since she was 5 years old, she has loved basketball and played relentlessly - sometimes 6 days a week! But for most of her life - in fact, up until very recently - there were not enough girls in our area to make up a team. So she played with the boys and thrived.
When she was young, being the only girl was no big deal. But as she got older, the comments came. Sometimes from the other team, when kids (or even parents) audibly wondered what a girl was doing on the court. Later, from boys who had not played with her and refused to pass to her, or making her feel uncomfortable when joining a game on the playground. But every time, I saw my naturally shy kid brush off their comments and objections and play the game that she loves. She breaks stereotypes over and over again, without complaint. There have been times that were harder than others, but no matter what, she has stayed in the game. The reality is that it’s not fair that she has to continually face bias and resistance day after day. But like so many women in similar situations, she keeps pushing forward sometimes proving to people individually that she is capable.
My manager, Rebecca Augustio says it best - “Your wins are yours.” As women, too often we default to modesty and are hesitant to celebrate our successes, achievements, leadership, and accomplishments. But when our wins are on full display, we change narratives. Much like my kid fighting her heart out on the basketball court, it’s through showing what we are capable of that we silence doubt and #breakthebias. We have to tell our stories, highlight our victories, and show the world what we’re accomplishing every day. Female successes, large and small, should be on full display, and if another woman is hesitant to speak out about how great she is, it’s up to us to shine the light on her.
If you missed our International Women's Day events you can watch the recordings:
- Breaking the Bias in Leadership