Felician University’s Women’s Leadership Initiative continued Wednesday, November 17, with a frank discussion via Zoom with Leigh Ann Soltysiak of Silverleaf Consulting, LLC®.

The presentation, “Real -Talk, Tales & Truths: Critical Career Choices: Wins, Disruptions & Life Along the Way,” was a timely talk during Women’s Leadership & Entrepreneurship week. Ms. Soltysiak specializes in global commercialization strategy, new product development, pre-launch strategy, and sales/marketing execution. She shared career tips with participants who logged in for the online presentation, looking back at some of the critical choices that were crucial for her success in corporate America.

Ms. Soltysiak earned a BS in Advertising and an MS in Marketing Integrated Communications, and worked for an ad agency, in the managed care arena on Wall Street, before establishing herself in marketing at Johnson & Johnson. She spent 19 years there. “One of the benefits of being with a large company like J & J is you can grow within the company, but you can also step outside of the company, and still be under the umbrella of a large corporation.” She spoke openly about missed opportunities along the way, as she leveraged her experiences to create a consulting firm seven years ago.

She talked about pursuing internships, even if they are not in your chosen field, and stressed the importance of networking, making sure your resume is flawless. She suggested including a good cover letter even if one is not required because, “it is being polished and assertive in the right way, to demonstrate your passion and enthusiasm to learn.” She also acknowledged that most hiring comes down to the people you know and, “it is important to leverage your network as much as possible.”

Ms. Soltysiak shared with the online audience ways they can navigate their career, especially while dealing with real-life stresses and challenges. Specifically, she talked about the importance of being open and unafraid of taking on new challenges and roles saying, “I hope I can be a resource for you in your forthcoming careers.”

When asked what she thought was one of the most important leadership traits employers look for, Ms. Soltysiak didn’t hesitate to say, “it is about your communication, your style, and your collaborative communication. It’s not enough just to do a good job. You have to be really effective at partnering with people, and a good communicator.”

The Women’s Leadership Initiative is led by Felician’s School of Business & Information Sciences’ Dean Heather Pfleger, EdD, Associate Dean David Turi, PhD, and Assistant Professor Joy de los Reyes, DBA.