Pledge 1%'s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are paving the way for the next generation. While our featured leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, they are united in their efforts to promote equality for all women in the workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their journey to success, as well as lessons they’ve learned along the way.
Gabrielle Hendryx-Parker
CEO and Co-Founder, Six Feet Up, Inc.
Fishers, Indiana, USA
What is your current role? Briefly describe in 1-2 sentences.
As the Integrator (we are an EOS company), I strive to create an inclusive and diverse company culture, where staff members commit to doing the right thing for our clients, rely on teamwork, use a can-do attitude and give back to their community, both local and global. I help remove roadblocks and I work hard to make sure our staff is clear on our vision and priorities.
This year's International Women's Day theme is "Embrace Equity." What does this mean to you? How can we build workplaces that are more equitable and inclusive?
Embracing equity means leveling the playing fields and removing barriers for workers who can't do the traditional on-site 9-5 schedule. This means offering flexible hours, part time options and the possibility to work remotely. And making it ok for anybody struggling with little kids, aging parents, a sick family member, a mental health problem, and other personal issues to talk about it openly at work.
Do you have any mentors or role models who have helped you on your personal journey?
Early on in my career I witnessed plenty of injustice and people treated unfairly at work. I vowed never to follow that path in my own company.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
"Obstacles are the raw material of our goals" (Dan Sullivan)
The past few years have brought many new and unprecedented challenges. What keeps you motivated or inspires you to stay optimistic?
Embrace change. We are incredibly lucky to live in this day and age. We have access to thousands of years of knowledge and wisdom for free. Use it to grow and transform yourself and your community.
Pledge 1% helps companies of all sizes and stages leverage their assets for social good. Why do you think it's important that companies prioritize social impact? Do you have any specific stories or examples from your work or colleagues you can share?
Prioritizing social impact makes good business sense as it helps with employee retention by boosting morale, creating a sense of purpose and self-worth, and developing empathy in the workplace. It is also a great way to fulfill many entrepreneurs' goals to make the world a better place.
If you could describe yourself in one word what would that be and why?
Resourceful. I believe we can all solve many more problems than we think we can.
Do you have any unique or useful life hacks to help get through your day?
I focus on doing my best, no matter what it is, so I can't have any regrets. If I feel down, I first look at fixing my sleep. Beyond that, I have developed a crisis management list for myself for times when I get stressed out so I can remind myself of things that have helped me out in the past.
Do you have any go-to apps or tools use love to use?
All the real time collaboration tools: Slack, Notion, DropBox Paper, Todoist. And Oura to track my sleep stats.
