Robin Lee Stewart, Junior Technical Support Specialist at DigitalView, discusses the opportunities that have shaped her career, how continuous learning keeps her motivated, and why creating inclusive workplaces is important for women in the print and technology industries.
As part of the Change 1 Woman (C1W) initiative, Stewart reflects on her definition of success, the stereotypes surrounding women in positions of power, and what companies and industry leaders can do to provide women with greater opportunities to develop their careers.
Stewart describes herself as ‘an unusual character with endless love and care to give to everyone who walks by my path in life’. Her approach to her career is similarly centred on learning, personal development and helping others.
What inspired you to pursue your career, and what has kept you motivated?
Honestly, there was no one particular thing that inspired me. I had spoken to someone in the industry and they were kind enough to give me this opportunity to learn and grow.
The ability and opportunities I have to keep learning and becoming a better version of myself have been what has kept me motivated.
How do you define success today, and has that definition changed over the years?
Success has, for me, always been finding a space where I can be happy and help others.
My definition of success has not changed very much over the course of my life.
What can companies and industry leaders do to better support women in the workplace?
I think companies and industry leaders can give women more opportunities in the workplace, as well as making the workplace more inclusive of females.
Creating opportunities for women to enter, develop and progress within an industry can help build a more inclusive working environment.
What is one stereotype about women in your industry that you would like to see disappear?
One I have heard quite occasionally is that women in power are ‘bossy’, ‘aggressive’ or ‘scary’.
I myself had thought this about powerful women before. However, they are no more ‘bossy’, ‘aggressive’ or ‘scary’ than the men in leadership positions.
I would like more people to see these women for what they really are: powerful, strong and committed.
What does empowering women mean to you?
Empowering women to me means giving women opportunities and spaces where they can learn and better themselves.
It is helping those women find those spaces and encouraging them to continue to fight for themselves.
What advice would you give to young women who want to follow a similar career path?
If I could inspire every woman reading this with one message, it would be a poem by Maya Angelou. However, just the title will suffice as a beautiful message too: ‘Still I Rise’.
Africa Print are proud media partners of the Women in Print series hosted by Printing SA this month.
C1W Initiative
Change 1 Woman (C1W) aims to empower women in the branding, print and signage industries. As part of this initiative, Africa Print would like to spotlight women-focused content like this piece. If you have any trend/business articles related to the signage, branding and printing industries, please email content to: info@c1w.co.za. Follow C1W on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram for more updates.
DIGITALVIEW
www.digitalview.co.za
