Today, 8th March 2021, is International Women’s Day 2021 and here at Practice Labs we are proud to be celebrating Women in Tech.
Looking internally here at Practice Labs, 38% of our CREW are female which is 10% higher than the average #womenintech statistics.
We reached out to our crew members to discuss their careers, ask who inspires them and importantly, to understand what the #choosetochallenge hashtag means to them.
Introducing Natalie, our fabulous Senior Marketing Executive based in the UK: 
- Who inspires you?
“Karren Brady is a star in my eyes. Her successes are endless, and what amazes me most is how she overcame a life-threatening illness and continued to achieve extraordinary things. Whilst juggling motherhood and a public career, she has proved how women can break down barriers.”
- Tell us about your career highlight so far.
“At the age of 20, I accepted a promotion as a sales executive for a large paper company. The role involved driving in central London and presenting to marketing and graphic design departments. Everything about the role was completely out of my comfort zone, but I knew it was something I had to do. Even the idea of driving and parking in the city terrified me. But despite my fears, I accepted the role and after 18 months one of my clients approached me to work for them - that was my open door into a career in marketing and I’m glad I made that decision to push my boundaries.”
- Describe your job in three words.
“Agile, fulfilling and creative”
Meet Jade, our dynamic Head of CREW and Culture based in the UK: Jade has just given birth to her second beautiful baby. Congratulations we can't wait to meet her.
- What is the best piece of career advice have you been given so far?
“Keep going! Embrace the tough times and keep pushing through with your end goal in mind. I also think it’s important to take time to reflect on how far you have come and give yourself some kudos!”
- What does the #choosetochallenge mean to you?
“Continuing to challenge gender stereotypes, striving for equality across the board and acknowledging as women we don’t have to choose between a career or having a family. We can have both and do both well.”
- Describe your job in three words.
“Rewarding, inspiring & challenging”
Meet Aima, our amazing Head of Production based in USA:
- What is the best piece of career advice have you been given so far?
“Listen twice as much as you speak. If you're the smartest person in the room, find a new room. Build a group based on strengths not job titles.”
- Tell us about your career highlight so far.
“One of my first new hires, was an older gentleman, towards the latter years of his career. I hired him on little more than a gut feeling. Turned out his experience, wealth of knowledge, and skillset made him a productive member of our team from day one. I, however, had a lot of insecurities about my own management approach at the time. A couple of years ago, I got an email from him announcing his retirement and thanking me for giving him the opportunity all those years ago; expressing how he felt valued and productive, and honoured to have worked for me. I cherish that email.”
- What does #ChooseToChallenge mean to you?
“I receive #ChooseToChallenge as a call to action. Every day. In small and big ways. To show up, to listen. To ask why and why not. To get uncomfortable and do the work. To honor the women, immigrants, sisters, aunts, wives, and mothers that came before me and did all the heavy lifting. To hopefully leave this space a little better than what it was when I got here. “
We are proud of our crew here at Practice Labs. We strive to support and increase the amount of #womenintech pledging to continue to offer the opportunity to learn digital skills via our hands on live learning Practice Labs.