Each month, we profile BWF members of the community in our "Member Spotlight" series. This month, meet Melissa Albonesi. Get to know her a bit better!
Melissa Albonesi
Business Development Advisor
BWF Board Member
Your favorite BWF program to date? What were your memorable takeaways?
Work in the Time of COVID-19: The Changing Future of Career Progression was my favorite BWF program to date.
My biggest takeway from this session was around the ecosystem of our careers. I especially loved this comment from Meghan Beaupre, “It is important for us to remember that the ecosystem of our career is for us to decide. Even when a bomb gets dropped into the middle of it, we still have the power to regroup and make our careers what we want them to be”. I just found this comment to be so inspiring. We are living in a time where so much feels out of our control. I think it is so important for us to remember that we can still take control and be in the driver’s seat of our career progression. While it is critical that we continue to forge ahead, this is also a time when we need to give ourselves and others grace. COVID-19 has dramatically altered how we all live and work. This pandemic has had a devastating effect on the lives and the careers of many. Many people just want to talk or vent so it is important to be a good listener and help build people up and make them feel valued. This quote from Maya Angelou is always timely….”People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
What is your #1 WFH tool?
I have not fully mastered these but I am working on implementing a few WFH tools. I am trying to make more of an effort to take small breaks throughout the day to step back, think strategically and prioritize what is most important on my to-do list. Some days I feel like I am “running” from one meeting to the next. For me, it takes a different level of energy to connect through a screen rather than meeting in person. You’d think that not traveling or commuting would make work a lot less tiring but I know I am not alone on Friday afternoon when I am grabbing a large coffee to keep going. Zoom fatigue is real! I am much more efficient and I am able to work at a higher level if I can give my brain a break from the screen. There are days when it feels like you really don’t have the time to take a break but even ten minutes away from the home office does wonders for me. There will always be days when you can’t take a break and step back. My goal is to not have those days dominate my week. I always feel so much better when I have energy left at the end of my work day to be fully present for my family.
Something you are most proud of in your career?
Bringing my two daughters to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on International Women’s Day was a definite highlight for me. I have worked full-time since they were babies and I have spent a lot of time away from home on airplanes and in hotel rooms. My girls were so excited to go on a business trip with me to the Big Apple. I felt lucky to have the opportunity to have my daughters see the floor of the NYSE full of powerful women! I have been so inspired by the many working moms that I have interacted with over the years. It truly takes a village. Balancing it all is not easy and anyone who tells you that you can have it all is lying!! As I have gotten older, I am slowly learning how to cut myself some slack and take things one day at a time. I am grateful for the encouragement I have received over the years and I am working hard to pay it forward and be a source of encouragement for young women trying to navigate through their careers.
A "go to" for inspiration/motivation? Jam song, best read lately, guilty pleasure, binge watch? (pick one)
My “go to” for inspiration and my new obsession is my Peloton!! I know, I know, there is so much hype and I hear you, I was sick of hearing from people about this craze too! Trust me on this though, it is awesome. It is a great diversion and I really feel like I am in a hip, fun spin studio when I am actually in my basement. I recently took a “Yacht Rock” ride. Nothing like jamming to the tunes of Christopher Cross and Hall and Oates while imagining you are on a yacht in the Caribbean!!! My family makes fun of me because I am typically singing along at the top of my lungs. Nothing like a good sweat and good music to give you some perspective and get you ready to face the day!
_____________________
Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn!
ABOUT BOSTON WOMEN IN FINANCE
Boston Women in Finance is a professional women's group dedicated to bringing together a diverse community of accomplished women with financial backgrounds, experience, and industry interests, to network, collaborate, and inspire.
Our membership is a powerful community of women leaders, innovators, and influencers who meet monthly to delve into a wide range of topics including economic and financial trends, technological advancements, evolving leadership roles, professional development, and much more.
At Boston Women in Finance meetings and social events, you will always meet someone new and learn something too!