287: Women In Supply Chain, Jolene Peixoto

In today's episode of Women In Supply Chain I'm joined by Jolene Peixoto, a powerhouse who is as passionate about championing female leadership as she is about bringing stories to life. Jolene launched her career in high tech PR 20 years ago, and has never looked back. Working at leading brands including Emulex, Blue Yonder and now FarEye, Jolene has driven global corporate communications strategies, encompassing brand awareness, public relations, social media, customer and content marketing, to great success. And, during this time, Jolene has always put a focus on empowering women, as a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion. Today Jolene will be talking to us about her career so far; her love of storytelling; lifting women up to leadership roles; and some of the evolving trends in supply chain marketing. Plus, she'll be sharing her experiences as a woman in supply chain, as well as her words of advice for all of the women following in her footsteps.   SHOW SPONSOR:   This Women in Supply Chain feature was sponsored by Sifted. As a business dedicated to empowering confidence within the shipping industry, we're proud to support Women in Supply Chain. Sifted is the leading logistics intelligence software that combines insights with expertise to empower bigger, smarter shipping decisions. As growth and disruptions present ongoing challenges for supply chain leaders, thousands rely on Sifted to set their businesses up for success. Learn more about Sifted here.   IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [08.04] Jolene's early career, and how she discovered her natural talent for communication and storytelling. "It started from the very first job I ever had. I was an intern… I had the magic touch right away with pitching media… and it was gratifying from that point on!" [09.55] How a challenging work climate led Jolene to take an internship and discover a passion for technology. "I took an internship… but I got into it really quickly, because it was a challenge…. It was different to representing a consumer brand." [13.29] Jolene's move to Blue Yonder, how she came to embrace supply chain, and the power of building a social media network. "What surprised me the most was how many people in my network, that I'd developed and grown… were in supply chain." [20.35] Jolene's highlights and successes from her time at Blue Yonder, and what she learned along the way. [24.32] Jolene's previous role as marketing lead for Blue Yonder's Diversity, Inclusion, Value and Equality Council: what she loved about it, why it was so important, and her tips for anybody looking to implement something similar in their own workplace. "You don't have to jump on the bandwagon if you don't have a perspective, because you'll just look like you're checking a box." [28.30] Jolene discusses the lack of women in supply chain leadership roles, and how to open up opportunities. [32.07] Why Jolene is so passionate about women championing each other, and how we can tackle mentorship and woman-to-woman relationships in a competitive and male-dominated environment. "It's 2022, why do we still need these types of awareness opportunities? We shouldn't have to, but we do… it's this real push-pull." [36.16] How Jolene found her current role at FarEye, and what she's working on. "I wanted to find a place where I could start from scratch… my role was created for me." [38.44] Jolene reflects on what has changed in the world of PR and marketing during the course of her 20 year career. "Back in the day, the press release was the be all and end all… now the social media community has become a much bigger way of achieving brand awareness and recognition." [41.01] Jolene shares the achievement she's most proud of. "Leaving a job without having a job was a risk, but I'm proud of it because I learned a lot… I firmly believe everyone should do it at least once in their lives." [43.23] Jolene's advice for all of the girls and women looking to follow in her footsteps. "Trust yourself… and take a chance. If it doesn't work, so what?" RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:   You can connect with Jolene over on LinkedIn. If you enjoyed the show, why not check out episode 249: Making Deliveries Better For Everyone, with FarEye, where Kushal Nahata, co-founder and CEO at FarEye, chats all about the company, what they do, the challenges of last-mile delivery, reducing your carbon footprint while cutting costs, and why, in the e-commerce industry, experience is the new loyalty.  You might also enjoy Kushal's blog, Achieving Sustainability Goals in Supply Chain Delivery. Check out our other podcasts HERE.