SHE LEADS – with Laney Mullen
Job Title
CB Tier Tech Support, Cox Communications
What would you tell your younger self?
Don’t get distracted by boys and trying to be popular when you have this amazing chance at education. Do not let ANYONE influence what YOUR dreams are and GO FOR IT!
What was your major in college and how did you get to the position you are in today?
I switched majors several times. I never ended up graduating because life happened and it’s a BIG regret. I ended up in my position because I really love people and I am a natural helper.
What was your inspiration and what helped you become successful? How do you define success?
I define success as being able to look around and be satisfied with life exactly as it is and not having any actual needs. Wants are another matter and will exist all the time. My inspiration is my grandmother. She was a flapper in the ’20s and didn’t care at all about what anyone thought of her. She was going to chase joy and happiness and she did that until the day she passed away.
How do you balance your work and personal life? Often times one has more importance, and we’re curious to know how you’ve handled the balance.
I haven’t always handled the balance well, and when I don’t balance it well, I end up feeling like a failure at both home and work. What really helps me is leaving work at work when I leave the building. Once I’m with my family, they get to have my presence.
What is your favorite quote?
“The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people. As you grow, your associates will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They will want you to stay where they are. Friends that don’t help you climb will want you to crawl. Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream. Those that don’t increase you will eventually decrease you. Consider this: Never receive counsel from unproductive people. Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how. Not everyone has a right to speak into your life. You are certain to get the worst of the bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person. Don’t follow anyone who’s not going anywhere. With some people you spend an evening: with others you invest it. Be careful where you stop to inquire for directions along the road of life. Wise is the person who fortifies his life with the right friendships. If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But, if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights. “A mirror reflects a man’s face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses.” The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate – for the good and the bad. Note: Be not mistaken. This is applicable to family as well as friends. Yes…do love, appreciate and be thankful for your family, for they will always be your family no matter what. Just know that they are human first and though they are family to you, they may be a friend to someone else and will fit somewhere in the criteria above. “In Prosperity Our Friends Know Us. In Adversity We Know Our friends.” “Never make someone a priority when you are only an option for them.” “If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude..”..” ― Colin Powell
What’s your favorite part of your job and why?
Getting to turn around someone’s entire experience with the company. Having the opportunity to work with someone angry and turn it around.
What is your favorite hobby?
Getting outside with the family.
What advice do you want to give the next generation of women leaders?
Don’t lay down your dreams for anyone. Achieve them first. Chase them like your life depends on it.
What does leadership mean to you?
Leadership means working from the front. It is not as a supervisor but as a front-worker.
What’s your advice on mentoring?
If you want to achieve what someone else has achieved, take the same actions that they have taken.
What’s your favorite ice cream?
I don’t like ice cream – I love sherbet. All kinds but mango is my favorite.
Is there any other information that you think Girl Talk members would benefit from?
Build up other women. Cheer them on when they reach for their dreams. Keep friends who have the courage to call you out and tell you when you’re wrong. Pay attention to those friends and their motives. If they say it out of love, they are probably right. If one person tells you something it’s their opinion, if 2 people say the same thing, it’s something to look at. If 3 or more people are telling you the same thing, it’s your perspective that’s probably wrong.