Episode 23: She+ Michelle Zamperetti
In this episode:
Michelle Zamperetti, the founder and CEO of Zamperetti Consulting, came to She+ through a mutual connection of ours. I’m so honored that we connected because her story really empowered me to become a better version of myself, especially in the workplace.
Michelle had a leading position at General Electric, commonly known as G.E. But in 2018, she was laid off. Although she expected the layoff to happen, she wasn’t fully prepared for what would come with unemployment. In this episode, she shares how she coped, and also didn’t cope, with being unemployed. There were days where she laid on the couch and wallowed, wasn’t the kindest to her kids and had a depleted sense of self-worth. She soon realized just how much her self-worth was related to her ability to be a working professional.
Gradually, Michelle built herself up again. This involved applying to and interviewing for many different jobs. But she also realized that many of these jobs required her to sacrifice an element of her life that she wasn’t willing to relinquish. Whether it was being home on-time for dinner with her family or a price tag that fit her qualifications, Michelle started to envision a position for herself that fit all of her needs. And that was where Zamperetti Consulting came to life.
In this episode, Michelle talks about the importance of workplace resilience and how you can teach it to yourself while in quarantine. She’s passionate about motivating women to grow comfortable with communicating their needs when it comes to work-life balance, pay and more.
She talks about a specific way that women can hold the power of being both a mother and a hard-working employee by allowing your children to break-in during Zoom calls. Michelle wants to demolish the concept that women are always the ones helping with home schooling their children and cooking the meals. She encourages men to get involved in this, too.
Concerns about this episode? Email us at sheis.podcasting@gmail.com.
Episode Topics:
How guests land on the She+ podcast
Explaining Zamperetti Consulting and what it offers to individuals and organizations
Michelle getting laid off from General Electric
How the layoff impacted her lifestyle and her mental health
The process of Michelle rebuilding herself
Finding her own voice in job interviews and communicating the things that she needs
The launch of Zamperetti Consulting in January 2019
How COVID-19 has impacted the progress of Zamperetti Consulting
The psychological quality of resilience
How Michelle taught herself resilience and her advice on how you can practice resilience, too
The impacts of COVID-19 on workplace culture, work-from-home life and more
How women specifically struggle to communicate their needs in a professional environment, and Michelle’s take on how you can be more comfortable communicating your needs
How to be strong and communicate your needs without feeling vulnerable or weak
Michelle’s mentorship work with young women in PLEN
Additional Resources:
Stanford research provides a snapshot of a new working-from-home economy
20 major companies that have announced employees can work remotely long-term | Business Insider
13 ways the coronavirus pandemic could forever change the way we work | CNBC
