- Hey there, supply chain friends. Welcome back to the She Supply Chain's podcast. This is Katie and I've got the always amazing Courtney with me. Today we're bringing you someone truly special, Samita Penitor. Samita's been everywhere and done everything in the world of manufacturing, engineering, and continuous improvement from powerhouses like Amazon and King's Hawaiian to General Mills. She's got serious skills with a mechanical engineering degree from Purdue and an MBA from UCLA's Anderson School of Management. Courtney and I met Samita early in her career and it has been a blast watching her evolve. Whether inspecting concrete or leading operational excellence, she's got this infectious energy that lights up a room. We can't wait for you to hear more about her journey for manufacturing, to investment baking all the way to continuous improvement superstar. Let's dive in. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - So welcome, Samita, like so excited to have you here. - Welcome. - Yes, I'm so excited to be here. Thank you, thank you. - Awesome, so Samita, first we wanna just let our audience get to know more about you. So can you share more about yourself and your background? - Yeah, definitely. So I currently live in Boston. I've been here for now for about a year. And previous to this, I was at Amazon and Connecticut. So I've moved a ton in the last, since I've seen you guys a decade and a half. Before that, I was at King's Hawaiian and getting my MBA at UCLA. And then I was a General Mills right before that. So I've worked in manufacturing my entire career in life. Really like Boston, my family is out here and I think it's a great combination of the cities that I've lived in before. And it's like not overwhelming like New York, but it is this amazing small microcosm and it's extremely like so many universities here. So the people you meet are very academic oriented and I like that it's like still in a metropolitan area. So it's like easy to get around other places. Yeah, yeah, I love Boston. - And tell us about how did you get into supply chains? So was there a moment when you were like, this is for me or did you kind of stumble into it? Did you think about your career? - Yeah, I was thinking about this. So a lot of times like when I started studying engineering in college, I could be asked any of my peers, like what got you into engineering? A lot of people would say Legos or I wanna be an astronaut or like I didn't know, I did not have any of those interests. Like I always wanted to be financially independent and I looked at careers that would get me to financial independence and I saw engineering popped out and it felt like a very feasible feel. It wasn't intimidating, it was math heavy, science heavy. I was like, this is, I can do this, I can get a job so I can go live my life. So like that was really all I was thinking when I was young, getting into college and all this. So, and I felt like with engineering but I went to Purdue, it was, they always like had jobs. Like it was very like, I would never have heard about people not having internships. And I was like, this is like a high, low risk, high reward feel to get into. And I had a couple of different jobs before I got into supply chain. Like I, my first job, I was a concrete inspector, like driving around Cleveland in a Ford F450. - I love it. What do you inspect when you inspect concrete? - I was taking samples and then bringing them back to a lab for someone else. And I, like I was, it was a very interesting summer. I felt very unqualified for the job but I felt like I was. And I, it was a great experience. Like really gave me intro into working with like, you know, production floors. Wasn't an office oriented. I was outside and very hands on and that was, but what it provided me was like a really good foundation on my resume for the jobs I had after. So after that, I worked at Procter & Gamble. And then the summer after that, I worked at General Mills as an intern. And that's kind of when I had my first footing into manufacturing and like understood what supply chain was, understood what a line was, what a production line was, what all of those different terminology. And I think that that's probably when it really clicked. I was like, okay, I could do this. It's very people oriented. I'm a very people oriented person. I didn't really gravitate towards the heavy design or heavy, what I found like engineering style jobs that I was, I didn't feel as connected to. I was like, this feels more process improvement, efficiency, I feel like this is logical to me. And for me, the root of all, of like what I enjoyed most about engineering is the problem solving aspect. And in supply chain, I found that like, you, I was able to solve problems on a daily basis and see the return very quickly. And I found that instant gratification really exciting. So that's, I would say General Mills was the first place I got the taste and I really liked it. And then I came back the following after I graduated. And I think that's like, if I'm being honest, I like that about it. I like that there wasn't stress and like finding another job again. And like it was felt stable to me. And that really is what attracted me in the beginning. Yeah. - Okay. To a stranger on the street, if we were doing that, who does that? Jimmy Fallon, I don't even know who does it. They're like, what do you do in supply chain? So how would you describe your role to someone on the street? - Yeah, I think it is, it is ultimately, you are like solving problems, driving efficiency and delivering value to customers. I really think those are the three things that you do on a daily basis. And I, it took me a while, but I realized like in the last few years, like what I do can be translated, it's industry agnostic. Like I used to think like supply chain is like to a plant or like to a production floor, but really those skills that you learn there are, I don't work in a plant right now, but like is applicable to all different parts of a business. And so yeah, that's what I would say. Like if you are, if you know how to solve problems, which I feel like every woman is like intrigued into it to be love solving problems and then driving efficiency. So, you know, reducing waste in any foot shape or form and increasing your value to your customers. If you're like making something, selling something, how can you increase you? And that can come in forms of like margins and could also come in for like a customer's receiving in their hands, things like that. - I think that's a good reminder. - It is, yeah. - That we're good, women are good problem solvers. - Yeah, I feel like it is, it's natural. And I think that they are, you do it from a very young age without thinking. And I feel like, like something I've thought a lot about is like rebranding engineering, not that it needs a rebrand, but I wish that something I had known before. If I had known, oh, engineering really is about problem solving. I probably would have gravitated to it much earlier on and kind of came with it for different reasons. And I think has changed a lot now. It is like when I talked to the interns that are in our team, it really is, if you like solving problems with limited resources, that is engineering and that is supply to an impact show, yeah. - I love that again, it's true. And I love to how you said it's industry agnostic. No matter where you go, you take this skill set with you. I love that. So another question for you then along those lines, 'cause you've worked in a lot of different things. So engineering, manufacturing, concrete inspector. This is a new one for me. The people of Cleveland are safer because of you, Sumita. So as you worked across all these different roles, what has been, you can share one, the other both, what has been one of your favorite roles and why, or what has been one of your least favorite roles and why? - So I would say like a couple different things, right? Like one, definitely, and I'm not saying this just 'cause I'm talking to you guys, but my first, when I look back at my career, when I was a maintenance planner at General Mills, that really was a time in my life that I didn't fully realize how much fun I was having in the moment. And it was, I remember my coworker, Mike, and was like, you know, Sumita, this is a moment. Like you should, this is a core memory you're falling. I was like, how, what? Like we're just dealing with so much like problems. How is this looking back? I would like take that every day relative to what I think. Right? And so it was such a fun time. And I think that was like, you know, that was the first time I had to understand how to work with difficult people, like solve problems on the fly, work under pressure. But then also have fun with the people I was around. And that was, that was a probably pretty big moment in my career where I was like really shaping myself in that way. And then I would say a next moment is my first eight months at Amazon, I joined right in the beginning of the pandemic. And I think March, 2020, I remember is where they are, right? And it was such an ambiguous time. And I was going into work every day in person. And we had insane demand and volume to meet. And I feel like the highs were so high during that time. Like it felt really good to be shipping out. We were shipping out a quarter million units a day, like insane numbers. And it was very exhilarating in that moment. And I think I was saying worst roles, I think you can do that for eight to 10 months and then you get burnt out. And I was burnt out the following two years. So that's like it went up. But that was a very exciting time. Yeah. I love that. Okay, so as you've done these different roles, so again, maintenance, engineering, operations excellence, operations excellence is something we haven't really talked about yet. And a lot of it is all about like problem solving, which you've talked about. And you have to get others though to buy into this, right? And so thinking about like leading change, what that is, can you share maybe your approach to that or what you've learned, maybe some good lessons learned over the years as you as you've implemented change enough. And maybe too, you know, before I even start with that, what is operations excellence? Yeah, so, you know, that's a great question. So operations excellence, the way I see it is, you are essentially an internal consultant at your company where you are attacking areas that need improvement, change and efficiencies. And so I, my roles over here, like go from working with one of our plants to working with one of our demand planners and seeing how they can streamline them, working with one of our, looking and seeing ways I can drive profitability and some portions of our business. So it's a very, it's beautiful because you get to work in all these different areas under the umbrella of operations, right? And I wouldn't be successful in this role if I hadn't had the 10 years of experience before that. Like I needed, I really do think it's, you need to have some level of foundation because I'm coming in with a point of view and with recommendations and I wouldn't feel confident having those if I hadn't made a ton of mistakes beforehand and know what to say, right? So that's, maybe, and then that's one thing I would say is operation excellence. I would look at it as a internal change consultant to your company. The other question was around how did handle change and, you know, every role I've had, change has been a forefront of it. And one thing I have learned, like a few different things, right? When you join a company and especially as a change agent, every conversation I have is a conversation and it is a way to build trust and report. And I never, I learned this at General Mills. I remember either someone telling me or me realizing, like, you never want the first conversation you have with an employee to be around disciplinary or negative conversation. You need to build that foundation of trust. And that was a big thing even at Amazon, like earning trust of your team. And that is really important. And the way to do that is by following through on commitments, showing up on time, being present, being in the office, things like that, right? You really have to be seen as a reliable trusted source because if you're asking people to change habits, that is, it's already a lift from what they're doing. And I would say the next thing around change is so much of, I used to think changes like these, how can I save $200,000 or, you know, these massive numbers and processes and really all the most effective changes are like the small day-to-day habits that you can fix in a team or change or add. Like it really comes down to those minor details of communication gaps that exist or process changes that need to happen. And some of the most impactful change I've done is simple daily cross-functional meetings. This, nobody's talking to each other, like let's get talked. Or a simple way of tracking source of truth for things that are changing. And that's like so involved. Simple processes can have massive big impacts and not to underestimate those changes. But really, I really do think the most effective changes are done in small pieces consistently over time. - I mean, I also think that's just, it's true no matter kind of what you're doing, whether it's at work, whether it be at home. I think sometimes in our heads we do, we're like, I'm gonna do this big amazing thing. And even if you wanna do that big amazing thing, you have to break it down into actions, right? And it's usually these other things that kind of come to light that you're like, oh, improving a communication process, connecting these two departments together. Yeah, it doesn't have to be something really grand and big. - Yeah, yeah. And I think building, like once you have the change, having mechanisms to track the change is really important as well. I'm really big on leading metrics versus lagging metrics, right? Lagging metrics is like, how many units would be making a day? Leading is how many people shut up to work today. If people don't show up to work, you're not gonna make anything, right? So when we get caught up in talking about all these lagging metrics, and so we have to think about, are we talking about it? And those are all baked into the change, but I have noticed that as soon as you start tracking something, it'll start improving. It is just as people like to see green, people like to see their name next to a green box, like play into those things definitely helps, yeah. - That's great, good. - Okay, we're gonna switch a little bit and talk about inclusive environments. And you're a woman of color, you've worked in manufacturing, worked in different corporate environments. And so what steps do you think companies can take to create a more inclusive environment that fosters innovation attracts a wider range of talent that looks like yourself? Like what are those things as you think about, attracted you as you've moved to different organizations? And how do we retain lovely women of color like you? - Yeah, no, I'm very passionate about having more women in the industry. And one thing I will say that's exciting is when I look at our intern class, there's a lot more women entering the intern class. And I see it was an as diverse as this when I was interning. So I definitely see there's like a slow uptick, but I think that we really need to be agents of our own business and like speak about the, working in a plan, or not I'm just an airplane, working in a supply chain. There is like, it is a very cool job to have. And I feel like sometimes as women, we don't maybe not necessarily be agents and talking about it as much and positively as well. Like I think that's one of the things, like I think just highlighting it and speaking about it will attract more women. 'Cause I still think there's people in colleges that don't fully understand what supply chain means. And that's one aspect, right? And the other aspect I will say is that, I remember learning this or hearing this, while a plant is not the most nine to five flexible schedule. However, some of the advantages of working second shift does give you more flexibility into your life. And I feel like there is a little bit of that shift work that happens in a plant that is more advantageous in general. I'm not just saying like, into a lifestyle that I don't think is like communicated as well, or people know about as much. That's one of the things, I think that I am definitely noticing like, as I've gotten older, like I have fewer women in my like, peer set that are in supply chain roles. And I think a lot of it is not having the flexibility in their careers and at home. And I think we need to have more of that. And I do think that exists in supply chain because it is a 24/7 lifestyle of operation and like some other feels. But I'm surprised and like that change is still slow to happen is what I would say I've observed, yeah. - So second shift, I had like a love hate with second shift. So I'm a morning person, but so I got so much stuff done. But yes, I do think like one of the things I did is a plant manager and a mentor had told me this and to your point, I changed my shifts to meet all three shifts at the plant every week. And I made my schedule work for me. So I would work third shift on Friday and second shift on Monday. And I kind of give myself like a long weekend, but the plant teams loved it 'cause I hit all three shifts every week. And it was almost like I was waiting for someone to give me permission to do that. And one of my mentors was like, you're the plant manager, just do it. And then I encouraged a team to do it. And everyone was like, well, you can't do that. What are people gonna say? What if you're not here on, you know, for this meeting and nobody said anything and cared? So I do, I love your perspective on we should think about some of the shift work or other flexibilities that work for us and figure out how to make that work in supply chain. 'Cause I do feel like sometimes we're self selecting out and not thinking about how to be more creative about making it work. - I agree, I had a plant manager, female. And she was the first one that I think actually leaned into this. And so I still remember in the summer, her kids had swim meets in the morning and she's like, this plant runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week and I need to see all three shifts. So no, I'm not coming into the plant until maybe 12 or one o'clock because I'm gonna go, I'm gonna do my kid's swim meet in the morning. I'm gonna see second shift, I'm gonna see third shift. And actually taking advantage of that 24/7 operation rather than letting it always handcuff you. Now, I'm not saying working third shift for the rest of your life is the best thing or second shift. I have huge empathy for people that are doing that. But I do think there is a way that we can start to lean into that and create flexibility just 'cause there's been done a certain way for so many years doesn't mean we can't change yet. But sometimes it does take one person to almost tell you like, yes, go do it. No, absolutely, you hit the nail on the head. That is exactly true and I mean, some daycares don't open till eight, nine o'clock in the morning. Like, there's that as well. And I think that it is, there is like, you have to be creative with your time flex, and that's one aspect of it. But I think the other thing is like, continue mentoring the new women that come into the workforce and like doesn't have to be just in your company event. Like, I have old interns that I still talk to. I have that are in their careers now. I have old family members, like things like that. I think tough speaking about it and like speaking about how you can leverage your career and feel more supportive. Because if you do work in an environment where you are like the minority in the room, it can feel very overwhelming to advocate for yourself. And that can come advocating for yourself. Like, people often think that, oh, I'm asking for more money or negotiating salary. But like advocating, again, it's like a small things, right? How do you say, no, I think that's a bad idea. I think we should do this. How many times has that thought crossed your mind? And like, one of my old coworkers who, she lives in Florida. And like, you know, she's like, you know, how do I express that I don't feel supportive in my shift right now? And I was like, you say just that I don't feel set up for success. And you shouldn't feel afraid to say that. But you have like, how do you speak up and advocate for yourself? I think oftentimes we think of like mentorship as these like formal conversations. And they happen, you can continue to support women in other careers and other fields in an informal way on a very regular basis. - Okay, Samita, you have your MBA. What inspired you to get it? Was it always something you wanted to do? Or did someone at some point tell you you think you need to have this? Can you talk about that, please? - Definitely, so I knew in the back of my head I would go and get an MBA because it felt like that's what everyone else was doing. It felt like a very natural step. That's like the honest truth. And then I, but I never really knew the why behind it. And when I was living in California, so I ended up getting my MBA while I was working at King's Soine. And it was a perfect work schedule. There were very supportive of it. But the reason really why I went back was I felt at that time, honestly, like tapped out in manufacturing. I'd been in manufacturing for like six years at that time. And it tapped out in a sense, not burnt out, but I felt like I was not ready to move to a different level because I didn't feel I had the skillset necessary to speak from a business context. And I got an MBA, like my full intention at that time honestly was to like switch careers. I was like, you know what? I've tried manufacturing. I wanna try something else. And I will go and get my MBA. And I fully, I enrolled it to like go pivot into finance to go into investment banking. So that's like why I did it at UCLA. I was like, okay, I'm gonna try something completely different. And I went through the entire recruiting process, which was very grueling, but a great learning experience and worked at a private equity company. And that summer it was like mutually decided between me and my employer that this was not a great fit. Like I was not in a conference room 10 hours a day on Excel, moving cells around, deciding how much head count to cut. I was like, this is the like, how is this value added? Like what value are we creating here? And I very quickly was like, then I was like, I'm coming back, like I'm, but I'm glad I covered back manufacturing. I love you, you know, right? I was like, I can't believe it because it was, I feel like the internet glamorized it, right? Like I'm where you'd be wearing suits to work. And you're speaking and all this financial lingos. Like I've never tried it. I used to wear jeans and all this stuff. And so then I was like, no, like this is, this is not where I belong. And, but I'm really glad because what a few things, like a business, my business school degree really taught me company financials. And I would say like, if anyone, if you're considering getting an MBA or not, like one of the things that I didn't feel like my undergrad really prepared me for is like an accounting class and understanding P&Ls and those things really do matter when you go in, when you start applying your manufacturing and a business operation excellence type of role. So that it really pivoted me. And so when I came back, I recruited for tech and like the first offer I got was with Amazon and I was like, this is a no brainer. It fills my skillset. I felt like it was a great transition from what I was doing into what I wanted to do. And so I did that. But yeah, it was, it was definitely an interesting time period. 2019. - So me to you done like so much more than like concrete inspector, investment baking, supply chain. - Yes, and you know, funny thing, like I have like every job I've had has been a pivot from what I was doing before. So like at Amazon, I was working in the distribution center, running a shift, that's just you do the scale at which you do things as insanity there. And I was ready to try something else and then moving into obs excellence. But I will say like every job I have had prepared me for the next rule, like it wasn't so, it wasn't as mutually exclusive as it looks. I think one of third perspective, but I would not be good at this job where I'm setting processes, finding cost savings areas, like things like that, if I didn't have Amazon. Amazon really teaches you how to be frugal, how to work with limited resources. And like those are life skills I think to have in any job. - I think that is some of the best advice. I think I got it early on in my career was like, you don't know, like throw yourself into the role that you're in with like your whole heart because it might not be the next and maybe the one after, it could be the one, you know, three roles later. But that experience that you're gaining in that moment is setting you up for the next thing, whether you realize it or not, yeah. Okay, you did, you sort of answered some of these, but is somebody's thinking about and going back and getting their MBA? Any advice that you would give to women in supply chain who are considering this right now? Anything, 'cause you know, it's a pretty big, both the time commitment, a financial commitment. So anything that you would share with them is they're evaluating programs or maybe they've been making the case to their employer to help support this next step in their education. - I think it's very important to get clear about what you want to get out of it if you're going back to get your MBA. So like whatever it is that you want, like do you want to switch careers? Do you want to accelerate your career? Do you want to make more money? Do you want to do it for change? Like be very clear about what it is and see if the program you're going into supports that because not every single MBA program will support you in achieving your goal of what you want. And I do think that like, if you've only had engineering and supply chain experience, an MBA really does round out your knowledge and like I had never taken a marketing class before. I'd never taken an accounting class or corporate finance, like things like that are very useful classes to have that I feel like are very applicable to day to day life. Like in that way. And yeah, that's what I would say, like looking back, like really look and see what courses are offered and like go to the campus, like speak to the current students there, see what they are getting out of the program, why are they in it? If you do want to switch careers, like I would like spend time talking to people who have done that and see if they've found value in that. I did a lot of that. Like I spoke to a lot of people who made the switch from manufacturing to banking and asked them their story and why they did that. And that really was helpful in affirming the decision I was making. I also talked to people who didn't like did that and came back and things like that. So like, but I think being crystal clear about what you want because I see a lot of times like people go and get an MBA because just because they feel like lost in their career and they feel like they're not really going. And like not that that's it's a pretty expensive decision to make to figure your wants in my opinion, right? Like I think there's other avenues you can do if you really want to figure out if you're in a career, like cross T zone or anything like that. But you only will get out of it what you want and what you put into it. So I knew people who got an MBA, but like never went through any classes. Like they were just there to get the degree. Somebody was paying for it. And like, I don't think like they benefited as much. But then I also know people that like got involved in clubs like spoke up in class, like did the rate like those folks like you really walk away and you retain that information because it is a very MBA program is a very experiential learning experience. Like you learn from like speaking with your peers networking. And I do recommend like if you have the opportunity like go in person and take the evening classes or the weekend classes because you do get like I learned so much from talking to people from different career paths. So up until my business school career, I'd never had a friend who worked in finance or worked in entertainment or real estate. And like I learned so much about their careers and what led them to their path. And I think that is a very beneficial like one from a networking standpoint. It's always good to know people in other industries but two is like also learning like, okay, do I have the skillset? Like do I want to go into like a corporate finance role? Like I definitely considered it and I would never have considered if I didn't go get my MBA. So I think like that I would be very deliberate about that decision. - I got went back and got my MBA. There's a long time ago and it was an old boss. And he said he goes, no one's going to require this of you but it will help round you out in ways that you didn't even know about. And to me kind of the two things, one was the cohort that you just talked about, right? And so this group of people that you're taking these classes with and learning from, I wouldn't have crossed paths with these team members and other, like it just wouldn't have happened. And they came from everywhere. And then the other piece that ended up, you know, I was like hardcore, I'm going to do finance. I want to know all these things because we didn't study this in engineering. And instead it was organizational effectiveness, like all the HR stuff. Yeah, ended up being the most helpful, helpful classes I could take when dealing with like the union, all the things, those and change management, those ended up being the most helpful classes. So similar takeaways there. - Yes. So Samita, talk us through as you have experienced clearly more breadth of experience and Katie and I put together what differences did you see in the cultures and how does that impact what you saw in the supply chain culture specifically? - Yeah, you know, General Mills was a very established company. They had processes, they had, you know, like you, once you don't have it as when you start to appreciate it, but like, you know, we had downtime tracking and we had, you know, measuring units. That doesn't exist everywhere. And, you know, General Mills was pretty advanced in their technology and the plants is what I have realized. So that's one aspect of it, right? Like, but you know, the flip side, you have all this data, but what are you doing with it and how are you looking at it? So like, for me, that was my foundation to like, my base, I started. Kings of iron is a family run business. And that had, what I noticed there is that the people who work there, one, they work their entire lives, like 10, 20, 30 years. And it was, they really cared about the product. I would say cared about the product more than the bottom line. Like they, we tested the bread multiple times a day, every single day. And when you have people who care about the product, they, it's harder to implement change that is not related to the flavor of the product. Like that is like, it's not driven by cost so much. So it's harder to drive cost in that way. But then the flip side of it is there, when you have a very dedicated workforce, it's like you, I learned to how to leverage that passion to deliver what I needed to, what my goal was to. And that was my first continuous improvement role coming out of General Mills, very different in that way. And for me, working in that plant, it was challenging because I had come from such a massive plant at West Chicago to this tiny plant with two lines. And I sat next to the plant leadership team. Like I felt like there was not as many levels between me and the plant manager. I reported the plant managers at that time. So I felt like this is interesting. Like I'm on the PLT, but it's such a small, it was a big fish in a small pond in many ways that way. But I liked it because I was able to impact a lot more change than I would have done anywhere else. From, I would say like King Zoan in General Mills, like a big, big shift was coming into Amazon. Like that was just, it was like insane learning curve, culture difference, process difference. And like, so Amazon for me was so different in many ways. But what was the most challenging part at Amazon was up until then, the people I had worked with, majority were engineers. Like even in, I would say 80% of my peer set was engineers, like every plant I'd worked at or had some sort of technical experience and breadth. And Amazon, they hire from many different, any area, you can walk from any different areas and backgrounds. I was working with folks that had not, several non-engineering degrees. And the challenging there was how do you, I communicate with my peers about in a way that I can't talk to. Like I feel like when an engineer and I would talk a very similar language, a very logical, very speak very similarly. But then I talked to someone who's like, previous experience was working in customer service at enterprise, right? And like she brings completely different skill sets. She can read people, she knows how to handle difficult situations. But then like, I have a different set. So like how do you, and they purposely like blend all these different skill sets. That's where I would say I really learned how to work with any kind of person, but any kind of background. And I think that's really important to have in your career. Because if you've only worked with folks from a high, like I feel like, you know, high achieving to great education, engineering school and like that speak like all one language. And then you get accustomed to not really like changing yourself. And at Amazon is where I really learned like crisis management and like learning how to deescalate tough situations, but also like learning how to work with difficult people. Like that was, 'cause it's a very high stress environment. So it's a pressure cooker. So like how do you, like everyone around you is freaking out, but you cannot freak out. So how do you handle those situations? Yeah. - That is a fascinating model. I don't think I realized the diversity backgrounds that they hired. And I think that's such a good. - I didn't know that either. - Yeah. And that's such a good insight. To use me to think about, I'm reflecting now, I'm like, oh my gosh, am I not growing or adjusting my style? Because I'm surrounded by people that talk like me, right? - But then also like, I think what Amazon really taught me is you really cannot underestimate someone's skill because they did not study or something that you're familiar with engineering. And you really, like I really learned there how much soft skill management, like how much that can take you so much further in your career than like being extremely technically deaf. - So true. - That like coming up with the best macro in Excel and all that jazz, like that's where it really clicked for me. Like handling difficult people. Like I, one of my peers at Amazon, like I learned so much from Hershey, she could like talk to someone on like the brink of a nervous breakdown. And within five minutes, like calm her down, had to get her to be productive, delivering results. And like me, I'm in that moment, I'm like, I don't know what you mean to do. Like I was just like freezing at the moment, I was like, do you want to go home? I was just like, check on. No, we have to find a way to work through this situation. And like, that's it, right? Like it's very easy to like, especially in like these manufacturing environments, is like, look at people as like, okay, these folks are going to deliver value. We're going to put them in these positions. This person's skill set is this. We're going to give them these processes. But like that isn't always work if someone's having a bad day or going to a regular crisis. And like swap people out. Like yes, you have a tons of headcount, but like how to work through and how to handle those situations. I really learned that at Amazon. - All right. So we're switching over now. So this is one, actually Courtney and I heard this at a conference a couple of months ago and loved it. And it was called hero hardship and highlight. And so who has been a hero for you, somebody important in your life? What has been a hardship or maybe you've learned an important lesson? And what's been like something to highlight? Like something you're really, really proud of? - I mean, and this is being completely honest. It's like not, you do not pay me for this. But one thing I will say is like, following your career, Pat Katie, over the last like 10 years since I've known you and like you have stuck with General Mills, I would say like, I definitely look up to you from, you know, your mother to kids and you are very successful at your job, but then you're also extremely relatable and like easy to talk to. And that's, I would like to aspire to hopefully be. - You love Katie. - Yeah. - I'm like the meaner. - No, I definitely would say like, 'cause I've been like, we've been keeping in touch and like, I'd say from a career, say about 100%. I would say like, I definitely look up to you in, you do your expat assignment in India and then you have an amazing family, you have like, but then you're also not, but it's not the right word. And you're also successful in your career and like, so it's really nice to see a very balanced. And I think like it's really important that, like that is highlighted more often. And I think like, you know, I feel like sometimes we like lose touch with our own selves as we get older maybe sometimes. Like I like to stay relatable with the youth. So. (laughing) - So it's like so nice to meet you. - Thank you. - Hardship, yes. So for me, I would say my last year and a half in Amazon was like probably like a very difficult time in my career. And it was hard about that. And this is like, ties into advice is that I wish, one of my like career regrets. And it's, I didn't quit my, I wish I'd quit my job a year before and that I actually did. And I think sometimes as achievers, we tend to stay in jobs or roles to prove to whoever other people that we can last it, we can make it and like. - Ooh, Samita, that's like so much right there. - And that is just, that was my ego. And like, I just felt like I had to prove it that I could make it and I could last it. And like, you really don't need to do that. Like you don't, like that is, I will never, and that's a good advice. I say like, I'm not saying like quit when the party gets like boring. Like you have to rough like the good and the bad will come up. But if you're having chronic stress in your job, like the only person that can really change that is yourself. - I think that is really good advice. Yes. - Yes. - You are so wise, Samita. (laughing) - And I would, what, the last one was a highlight. - A highlight, yeah. - Well, we would say I, the job I have now is, I mean, it's, I've like, think a little bit about, I don't take a day for granted the job I have at four labs. I am so happy here. The people here, incredibly brilliant, the cultures, incredibly, and, but I think what I, I'm only liking my job now because of all my experiences I've had before. So like, one experience I had before makes me appreciate this, but I also feel like it really is the amalgamation of every job I've ever had. Like one of my projects right now, I'm working with our plant in Ohio, and it's giving me all these flashbacks to general mills. Some of my, one of my first projects was very into profitability, it would remind me of my private equity internship. It really does, like, into all these different skillset, and I do pinch myself, whoa, this is crazy that this came into my life, and I'm very into all of the, like, I'm a big, I'm a big manifester, right? And it's like insane, like once I start. - Oh, Katie, you're a manifester. - You are. - Oh my God. I was, yeah, so like, decided to leave and made that choice at Amazon. Like, the right position, like, showed up in my, really just happened, I applied on LinkedIn, and I'm here now, and you, it really, you do have to create the space for things to happen in your life. And I think, like, as, I think it's very easy, and sometimes when as women, like, we draw a lot of self-worth and value from the jobs we are in, but really, we need to remind. I, brand new reminds of, like, a job is just, it's a job, and, like, yes, you should do be good at it. Like, it feels good to do well at work. Like, you don't want to come and dial it in every day, but there's, like, it's just one piece of your whole puzzle, like, in your whole pie. It's like one little piece with so many other things that, in that pie. - That is so awesome. I was, I have a little group chat and someone sent me, I have to find it, this video, and Michelle Obama was talking about how it amazes her as we get older, people prioritize, all these other things over their friends and, like, talked about how important friendship is to your happiness, and she's, like, it kind of amazes me, and people are, like, "Well, I'm too busy, I'm working," and putting work on this pedestal over all the other things in your life that make you a full person, and it is just a good reminder, 'cause I do think when you're in it, and we are, and it is ego sometimes, a lot, where you want to be the best at it, you want to give it all, and you can sometimes give too much. - I'm your person, and I think that one thing I will say is, like, single advice, I always tell people, never stop looking to see what is out there, because, one, the best case, I'll affirm that you're making the right decision by staying where you are today. Like, okay, all this out there is not great, like, I'm gonna stay here, but you could have something that is even better than, and you wouldn't, and the best time to look for another job is when you're really happy in your current job. Like, that's when you have the biggest leverage, that's when you can negotiate the best, like, when you really don't, that's like, and it's the best case scenario, it's practicing to get a higher salary, and then, how amazing it is, like, okay, I'm turning down a higher salary because I'm happy in my current job. Like, that is-- - That is like alignment, right? I mean, that is alignment, yeah. - Oh, this was so fun to catch back up again, and see you, and all the amazing things you're doing. - Yes, thank you guys, this was so nice. Thank you so much. - Thank you for joining us on She's Applied Chains Podcast. We had a great chat with Samita about the importance of soft skills, working with people from different backgrounds, and when to let go of your ego. A big thanks to our team and our amazing listeners. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share. Stay tuned for our next episode with Rhonda Wright from Mars. See you soon, supply chain squad. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)
