In 2009, women dominated in many male-dominated industries. Roxanne Rivera offers up her who's who of the women who made the biggest splash this year.
Another year has come and gone, and there is no denying that 2009 was full of ups and downs. It was a year that was shaped by continued economic distress, healthcare debates, big time celebrity deaths, and all those other incredible news stories that make each year unique. But Roxanne Rivera says the reason 2009 will truly be one for the history books is because it saw women - young and old, conservative and liberal, famous and not-so-famous - making big splashes in industries and businesses where the headlines usually go to the men.
"Naturally, every year you could come up with a list of women who've made headlines," says Rivera, author of the new book There's No Crying in Business: How Women Can Succeed in Male-Dominated Industries (Palgrave Macmillan, December 2009, ISBN: 978-0-2306181-2-1, $39.95). "But it seems to me that 2009 was an especially big year for women in male-dominated industries. From the entertainment business to politics to sports and more, women used 2009 to make their mark."
Rivera knows a thing or two about making it in a male-dominated industry. In her new book, Rivera provides lessons she learned through her own experience running her multi-million-dollar construction company. And she rounds out her own advice with lessons from women from a variety of male-dominated fields, including medicine, the military, academia, politics, and other professions, whom she interviewed for the book.
"There are obstacles and opportunities for women in every industry," says Rivera. "I think in 2009 we saw that women are making their names in more and more male-dominated industries on a grand scale. All my experience and research shows me that women can do extraordinarily well in most organizations and industries, no matter how long it has been a bastion of male dominance or how widespread and ingrained that dominance has been. The women of 2009 have further proven that."
Here's a look at the women who made a big splash in male-dominated industries in 2009:
Officers Allison Jacobs and Lisa Campbell: How a mother's intuition led to a miracle. When University of California-Berkeley police officers Allison Jacobs and Lisa Campbell encountered Phillip Garrido and his two daughters on that fateful August day, they knew that something just wasn't right. Citing a "mother's intuition," Jacobs and Campbell picked up on Garrido's erratic behavior and the odd, withdrawn mannerisms of the two girls, which led to the call they placed to Garrido's parole officer. When he informed the officers that Garrido didn't have any children, a search of Garrido's home ensued, revealing Jaycee Lee Duggard, a kidnapping victim that Garrido had taken from outside her home nearly eighteen years before. "Because these two officers paid attention to that little voice in the back of their head, the Duggard family will always remember 2009 as the year they celebrated a miracle," says Rivera.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: Why being a gracious loser can make you a winner after all. It has been said that second place is the first loser, but in the case of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, second best has never looked so good. After losing the race for the democratic presidential nomination to Barack Obama in 2008, most Americans waited for the smear campaign to begin. But instead, the former senator used her political powers to help her opponent win the presidency, and in turn, earned her most recent position as the Secretary of State. "In an unparalleled display of grace, dignity, and respect, Hillary Clinton showed us that coming in second can be almost as rewarding as coming in first, and you can look darn good doing it, too," says Rivera.
Country Music Star Taylor Swift: You're never too young to be the best. When Taylor Swift burst onto the country music scene at the tender age of 16, she had high hopes for where her music career would take her...someday. Three years later, Swift is having the kind of year that some stars can only hope to have after devoting their entire lives to the music biz. She began the year with a hit single that became the first country song to top the Mainstream Top 40 Chart (and subsequently went on to break her own record again in September of this year with a second hit single). She continued to prove her crossover appeal when she appeared on Saturday Night Live as the youngest country singer to ever grace its musical stage. And she didn't stop there-after handling the infamous Kanye West interruption with grace and poise at MTV's VMAs, Swift became the youngest artist in history to win Album of the Year at the Country Music Awards and the female artist with the Most Top 40 singles this decade. In addition to those achievements, she's shown up on many "People of the Year" lists and was named AP's Entertainer of the Year.
"The new year holds even more promise for Swift with eight Grammy nominations and a nearly sold-out tour to look forward to," says Rivera. "There's no telling what great heights she will reach. And the rest of us? Well, we just can't wait to see."
News Anchor Katie Couric: How hanging in there can pay off. Well known as "America's Sweetheart" on the Today show, Katie Couric appealed to viewers across America with her infectious and warm personality. In 2006, she left her job at NBC to become anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News, making her the first solo female news anchor in history and the highest paid news anchor at the time. Couric initially struggled to make the broadcast a ratings success, but remained committed to delivering the nightly news, winning the 2009 Edward R. Murrow Award for best newscast and the 2009 Emmy Governor's Award for her broadcasting career. Still in the anchor's seat three years later, Couric has proven that a woman can deliver the news to the American people.
"Even when things looked bleak, Couric persevered - refusing to listen to her critics when they were telling her to throw in the towel, and coming out on top in the end," says Rivera. "By hanging in there through all the criticism, Couric has shown her viewers and the press that she is one tough cookie, determined to succeed no matter what."
Actress, Writer, Producer Tina Fey: Making the move from behind the scenes to the spotlight. Tina Fey has been gaining titles, along with awards and recognition, since her early days as a writer at Saturday Night Live. Fey's hard work behind the scenes paid off in 1999 when she eventually became the only female head writer in SNL's history. Though she left SNL in 2006 to write and produce the hit television show 30 Rock, in 2008 she briefly returned to the show and once again proved her sketch-writing and performing chops, when she co-wrote and gave Emmy-award winning performances as vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. In addition to her SNL successes, with 30 Rock, Fey has earned many awards including the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Actress in a Comedy Series in 2009. Nominated as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2009, an Entertainment Weekly Entertainer of the Decade, and Rolling Stone's 2009 list of 100 People Who Are Changing America, Fey has proven that she is a force to be reckoned with.
Talk Show Host Ellen DeGeneres: Why labels don't matter. Written off by critics and fans alike after publicly coming out in 1997, Ellen DeGeneres is back and bigger than ever. Though her television show was cancelled shortly after she, along with her on-screen character, came out and ratings declined, DeGeneres made a comeback in 2001 when she hosted the 2001 Emmy Awards and did the voice of Dory in Disney's animated hit Finding Nemo. DeGeneres did things her way again in 2003 with the launch of her daytime television show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Known for her infectious dance moves and hilarious interviews, DeGeneres celebrated her 1,000th show in 2009. Today, Ellen is a household name. With a hit talk show, a gig as the face of Cover Girl Cosmetics, and a job as the newest American Idol judge, she is proving how her ability to overcome the labels of the media has made her America's favorite sweetheart. Who's laughing now?
Sportscaster Erin Andrews: Don't be the victim. Erin Andrews has always played nice. The daughter of an Emmy Award-winning journalist, Andrews was a natural when it came to pursuing a career in communications. After working for several regional networks in the south, she joined the ESPN team in 2004, and until recently was best known for her presence on the sidelines at college football and professional baseball games. All of this changed when compromising videos of Andrews surfaced on the Internet. The videos, taken by a stalker via the peephole in the door to her hotel room, unleashed a scandal in the media that went so far as to accuse Andrews of being a participant in the video's production. Rather than succumbing to all of the media chaos and scrutiny, Andrews escaped a near career-ending episode by focusing on just that, her career. In December of 2009, Andrews faced the accused voyeur in court and testified against him to put the scandal to bed once and for all. "Just like the athletes she reports on, Andrews faced her challenge head-on and came out on top," says Rivera.
Racecar Driver Danica Patrick: Life in the fast lane - it's not just for the boys. Introduced to racing at a young age, it's no wonder Danica Patrick has been successful on the racetrack. In her 2005 debut season, Patrick's fourth place finish in the Indianapolis 500 was the highest placing out of the four other female competitors at the time. In 2008 Patrick became the first woman to win an Indy car race when she came in first at the Indy Japan 300. And in 2009 Patrick beat her own record with a third place finish at the Indianapolis 500, setting a new record-high finish for female drivers in that race. "Blessed with good looks and exceptional talent, Patrick has a proven track record for success," says Rivera. "And she's not done yet: Patrick just recently announced her plans to compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2010. Looks like the competition just heated up a bit!"
Women's Basketball Coach Pat Summitt: Succeeding at a man's game. Coaching is Pat Summitt's passion, and it shows. Her time as the head coach of the University of Tennessee's women's basketball team has been successful, to say the least. After years of conference and national championships, in 2009 Summitt's victories earned her the distinction as the only coach, man or woman, in Division I basketball history to win 1,000 games. And Summitt's achievements don't stop there: She was recently named the Naismith Coach of the 20th Century. Beating the boys at their own game must feel good.
Former Vice Presidential Nominee, Former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin: Be heard. Whether you love her or hate her, there's no denying that Sarah Palin didn't let losing in the 2008 presidential election or resigning as governor of Alaska stop her from getting her message out to the American people. Instead of laying low or letting the uber-criticism she's received get to her, she hit the road on a book tour for her memoir, Going Rogue: An American Life, including a stop on the Oprah Winfrey Show where she netted the highest ratings in two years. Going Rogue became a bestseller and outsold big name authors such as Dan Brown, Stephen King, and James Patterson in its first week on the shelves. "Though she's still not saying whether there is a 2012 presidential run in store for her, it certainly wouldn't surprise most people," says Rivera. "There is truly no telling what this scrappy woman from Alaska will do next."
Sergeant Kimberly Munley: How being tough can save lives. Going about her daily duties on November 5, 2009, Kimberly Munley had no idea that she would be one of the two officers to stop a shooting spree at Texas's Fort Hood. As one of the first to arrive at the scene, Munley's confrontation wounded the alleged gunman and saved several lives. "Without the decisive action of Munley and her partner, more of America's heroes could have been wounded or killed," says Rivera. "It has been said that out of tragedy comes triumph, and in this case, thankfully we have Munley's actions to celebrate."
Environmentalist Jane Goodall: The power of a lifelong passion. Jane Goodall is the face of a movement. Interested in animals since a young age, Goodall would eventually study chimpanzee social interactions for 45 years. During this time, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute, recognized for its conservation and development programs in Africa. Earlier this year, Goodall released her fourteenth book, Hope for Animals and Their World: How Endangered Species Are Being Rescued from the Brink, which was named by Amazon.com as one of its must-read titles of 2009. Now dedicating all of her time to advocacy for the environment and chimpanzees, Goodall is a testament to the impact one person's passion can have on the world.
PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi: How to be the right one, baby! Climbing the corporate ladder from India to the United States, Indra Nooyi joined PepsiCo in 1997 and has only looked up from there. When PepsiCo needed some fizzle to boost their sales, Nooyi led the restructuring of the company in ventures such as the acquisition of Tropicana and the merger with Quaker Oats in 1997 and 1998, respectively. Nooyi's hard work did not go unnoticed when, after six years as CFO, she became the fifth CEO in the company's history in 2007. "Her style of leading with a sense of fun and heart has proven successful as PepsiCo's annual sales have risen more than 70 percent since she started with the company as CFO," says Rivera. "After being named the third most powerful woman in 2008 by Forbes, the magazine gave her the honor again in 2009. It's clear Nooyi is the right fit for the job."
FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair: And you can take that to the bank! At the time of her appointment as chairman of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Sheila Bair could not have guessed a financial crisis would put her front and center just two years into her tenure. Bair's extensive background in finance and banking, including positions at the New York Stock Exchange and the U.S. Department of Treasury, prepared her to preside over the nation's financial decisions during the recent recession, a critical time for all Americans. "Bair's swift response to the financial crisis, like raising the amount for insured deposits, earned her the status of the second most powerful woman in the world according to Forbes," says Rivera.
"These women have all gracefully accepted the challenge to break down barriers in industries typically dominated by men," says Rivera. "Whether you love them, hate them, or don't want to read another word about them, you cannot deny the mark they made on 2009. I can't wait to see what great women take up the challenge in 2010!"
About the Author: Roxanne Rivera is the president and CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors of New Mexico. She also serves as New Mexico's liaison to the National Associated Builders and Contractors in Washington, DC.
Roxanne has been working in the construction industry for decades. In 1981, using a personal savings of $1,200, Rivera co-founded a sole proprietorship construction service business and grew it to a $13 million company that incorporated in 1989. She wrote, marketed, and secured multi-million-dollar contracts in both the government and private sectors.
Her construction firm received numerous small business awards. She was named Female Executive of the Year by the National Association of Female Executives in 1995. Her firm was listed in the Top 500 Hispanic-Owned Businesses in the United States for five consecutive years.
Rivera has also spoken at and conducted seminars throughout the country with regard to Communication in the Construction Industry and Women in Construction.
In addition to her position with ABC, Roxanne serves as founder and CEO of Syntactics Communication Skills, LLC, a company that offers presentation and speaking skills training and coaching to executives at every level.
For more information, please visit www.nocryinginbusiness.com.
About the Book: There's No Crying in Business: How Women Can Succeed in Male-Dominated Industries (Palgrave Macmillan, December 2009, ISBN: 978-0-2306181-2-1, $39.95) is available at bookstores nationwide and from major online booksellers.
