Women in Business: Interviewing Jennie Fisher of GreatAmerica

In celebration of her recent "Female Executive of the Year" award by the Cannata Report, we were reminded of this great interview with her from 2022. She's been a role model for us all for many years and we congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition.

With nearly 32 years' experience in the industry and a track record of unparalleled excellence, Jennie Fisher is an incredible example of female success in the office technology industry.  

In the last 30 years, how have you seen or experienced a change in the business landscape for women?  

When I started building a presence in the marketplace, I began attending industry events and had the opportunity to speak at various meetings. It didn’t matter if it was a group of 30 people or 250 people – less than 2% of the people in the room were women. It was predominantly a male world.  

Today, that looks very different and it’s exciting. There are several women owners in the industry as well as women executives and employees that are participating in the conversation. Not only that, but as some of the more tenured generations are looking to retire, many of these individuals are getting their daughters involved in the business.  

Even in the workforce today, the percentage of women in leadership is still lighter than males.  Women bring great value and contributions to their organization, no matter their position within the company. However, the presence of women in the business world today is much greater than it once was. The opportunity for female leadership in the industry has increased. GreatAmerica founder, Tony Golobic, has always been supportive of having women in the organization and helping them continue to develop and achieve what they want in life. 

The business world, and the office equipment industry, is a male dominated field. What was it like building your career surrounded primarily by male leaders? 

It’s been an incredible and exciting experience. These guys are very intelligent, entrepreneurial human beings. My mission has been to learn what I can from them. Of course, there were times during meetings with executives where I would feel intimidated; I’m sure I prepared to the 100th degree to appear intelligent and be able to answer any question asked. However, I learned after a period of time that you just have to be yourself. If you have the desire and the passion to learn, go after it. Don’t be afraid to show that you may not know everything.  

I’ve had to deal with challenges where both men and women were threatened by me, be it due to my title, my outgoing personality, or perhaps the experiences and intelligence I brought to the equation. I realized there will always be situations where someone in the room will try to make you look inept or to create a challenge for you, and many times, especially early on, I would take that on personally. Eventually, I decided I didn’t want to let that type of pressure impact me.  

Instead, I say, “You know what, there’s a lot of good in that person, and there’s a lot of good in me, and I know we can help each other.” I challenge myself to proactively break down that barrier to develop a relationship that can be mutually beneficial.  

You have to be tenacious, and you have to be fearless at times. One reason I think people in this industry have really embraced me is that I show a genuine desire to learn, and I have the ability to build a relationship with them on a personal level as well as a professional. This approach has even earned me some informal mentors. 

Did you ever have feelings of doubt around your abilities?  

Women, especially, are perfectionists. They want their family life to be perfect and have everything they do in an organization be perfect. I’m a hard worker. Because I was a non-traditional student and didn’t complete my college degree until I was 40, I always felt like I had to work really hard to prove myself and continue to excel. That feeling of inadequacy at times would break me down – but I finally realized that I’m my own problem. I challenge myself to get out of my own head, take a step back, and reflect on myself and the situation. This allows me to understand where my strengths and opportunities are, get my head back in the game and say, “I can do this.” 

David Pohlman frequently shares a quote from Henry Ford, and to this day, it is one of my favorites. It says, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.” When people doubt their careers and abilities, it’s because they’re saying, “I can’t do this, I’m not good at this.” But really, you are good at this – you just have to work a little harder. And that’s what I would tell myself. When I encounter situations where  I don’t feel good enough, I look to one of my mentors.  Talking through a situation with them often uncovers perspective of advice I hadn’t considered and this has been tremendous for me. 

Speaking of mentors, how has mentorship played a role in your life?  

If you don’t have a mentor today, you need to find one right away. Everyone should have at least one mentor. I’ve got many more than that. Each mentor brings different perspectives to your life: they see different things in you and they’re willing to be transparent with you. Some people are lucky to have mentors approach them. For those who don’t, think about people that you look up to and admire, and don’t be afraid to ask if they’d be willing to mentor you. 

Tony Golobic has been a mentor to me since I was his Executive Assistant at GE Capital. I didn’t really understand how much respect he had for me. He can give feedback that makes you feel like you are a part of something much larger than yourself. When I moved to GreatAmerica with Tony, he started pushing me because he knew I possessed capabilities that could take me to new levels. Honestly, there were times I walked out the door not knowing what more I could do, but at the end of the day, because of I cared and respected him, I continued to excel. When you care and respect someone, you do not want to let them down. He pushed me to go back to school: to Kirkwood, then Mount Mercy, and then to receive my master's degree at the University of Iowa. He always pushes me to be better, to be smarter, to think differently, and strive for big goals.

What does work-life balance mean to you? 

I struggle with work-life balance. I have so much passion around what I do, and it’s hard for me to say no to certain opportunities. I always shorted myself on personal time, especially when I was going back to school and raising my son. People used to ask me, “how do you feel good about yourself?” They felt that I didn’t dedicate time to my family. But in reality, I prioritized my son and my husband before myself. I found ways to weave my personal life into my responsibilities. I woke up at 4 o'clock each day to do my homework before my husband or I took my son to school. I was at my son’s activities – my nose might have been in a book, but I was there! We would do homework together at night, eat dinner as a family, and read together before going to bed. 

In the past, I wasn’t very good at delegating or raising the white flag at work when I needed help, and I still struggle with that at times today. I very much had an “I am woman, hear me roar” attitude. I felt I could do it all. But you can’t do it all, and you have to recognize that. Reach out to your resources and ask for support. As a leader, I’ve had a strong focus on refining my delegation skills. Analyze your priorities and understand where you can delegate to others. The more you delegate, the more others have opportunities to develop outside of what they’re accustomed to. I take time each month to evaluate where I’ve spent my time and identify where I could have delegated more.  

What opportunities should young women looking to break into the business space be taking advantage of today? 

Be proactive at getting involved anywhere you can in and outside of your organization. Be a mentor and a leader, whether it’s formal or not. There are many ways you can demonstrate leadership and be seen as a leader without a formal position.  

During my time on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters, I provided representation for GreatAmerica and learned a lot from participating with a diverse group of people. It was a great experience for me, and it was fulfilling. We all need that in our lives: professional and personal fulfillment. Part of that personal fulfillment is about feeling good about your ability to help others. 

Whether you’re a woman or a man, surround yourself with smart people and with genuinely good people who are positive, forward-thinking and intelligent. These are the people you will learn from, and who can help you excel to that next level.  

My mom used to say, you are who you hang out with. When you hang out with smart and creative people, you inherently learn from them. You can find that in a lot of people. One of my favorite quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson says, “Every man I meet is my superior in some way, and I can learn from him.” Seize the opportunity to learn what you can from the people you encounter in your life. 

What would you say to women who may feel out of place in their careers, or struggle with feelings of inadequacy?  

If you’re struggling to find your fit, it may mean you’re trying to achieve in an area where you don’t have true passion. If you want to excel, passion for what you’re doing is a key ingredient. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from David Pohlman was just that. There came a point where I began to doubt my abilities in a position. He told me, “I think you can do it, but you must make that decision for yourself.” He continued, offering wise advice to “not quit when you are feeling down,” but to instead, get past the emotion of it, dig deep, and decide if the passion for what you do is truly there. And I learned from that.