About
I’m passionate about empowering women and helping to close the gender gap in senior…
Articles by Katy
Activity
114K followers
-
Katy McFee shared thisThere will always be more white men qualified for that leadership role Hard truth, but i's true. Because even when there are an equal number of men and women coming in at the entry level: - Men are promoted on potential and women are promoted on experience - Women are passed over for opportunities when they're pregnant or just coming back from mat leave - Women are often balancing family life and missing out on opportunities to network outside of work - Men are more likely to apply for positions even when they don't meet all of the criteria and women tend to wait We see this in the data: More men are promoted to mid-level manager positions, Which increases the pool of available men for senior-level positions And so on... And I say 'white men' because data shows that this is the only group that is overrepresented at the C-suite So here's a wild idea Stop relying on years of experience in a role as your hiring criteria Instead, focus on the skills and traits you need Focus on culture add vs. culture fit Consider a first-time woman VP who may not have been in the position before, but is kicking butt as a Director and is ready to make that leap Consider choosing the diverse hire for that manager position, even if they rank second instead of first Encourage the young women on your teams to apply for positions they want, even if they aren't 100% qualified Until we get serious about making these changes, the gap will continue to exist And the gap will continue to widen as you go up in a company My goal is to help narrow this gap, even a little bit Who's with me? ✌️💜
-
Katy McFee shared thisToday is Canada Day! Here's a story of why I love this country so much: The other day I was getting my license and health card renewed As I was talking to the woman helping me, She says, "Oh, there's the PM. He's just walking out." Our Prime Minister - Mark Carney - was also renewing his license that day And I didn't even realize it! He was just in there, like everyone else, doing 'regular person' things And I think this is such a great example of why Canada is amazing No one was bothering him He didn't have a massive security detail They didn't shut down the whole place to accommodate him And it was fine. Today, like every day, I'm beyond grateful to live in this country Yes, we pay more tax Yes, things are more expensive Yes, we often have to wait for non-essential healthcare But... We are safe We're taken care of We're free to be who we want to be Women have autonomy over our bodies Our Prime Minister can walk down the street And there is no such thing as 'medical bankruptcy' And I could list a dozen more reasons So I just want to say: As a woman As a feminist As a mom of school-aged kids As someone who's had 3 complicated births/surgeries I'm grateful every day for this country Thank you, Canada ❤️ 🇨🇦
-
Katy McFee shared thisI'm often asked about unsupportive female bosses Whenever I post about women in leadership, I receive comments and private DMs wanting my thoughts and advice on this And I totally get why this is disappointing We expect women to lift each other up We expect our sisters to have our backs! And when they don't, we're shocked and upset It's in the same way we're always so disappointed when a beloved athlete or celebrity does something terrible... We assume because they're famous, they must also be a good human... Why do we assume this? The same thing goes when a woman gets to 'the top' Why do we assume her mission is to life other women up? Here's the deal: If she's a confident leader who's comfortable in her skin, She'll probably help you out and lift you up If she's full of insecurity or ruled by ego, There's a good chance she'll be a beast to work for Breaking the glass ceiling doesn't automatically make someone a good person. So here's my no-BS advice: If your boss is terrible, you should probably leave that job Your Manager has SO MUCH influence over: - your opportunities for advancement at the company - your growth & development in that job - your day-to-day happiness And whether it's a man or a woman who's making you miserable doesn't really matter So my advice is to start looking elsewhere, where you'll be supported And once you break the glass ceiling, Be the woman who does better ✌💜
-
Katy McFee shared thisAnna recruited for a 100K-person org for years And not once did they hire an online applicant for a senior role Not once! The first conversation was always: Who do we already know? If that makes you uncomfortable, this week's episode of More Women Promoted is for you Anna Belyaeva is a career strategist who helps senior professionals land $150-300K+ roles And she broke down something I think every person job searching right now needs to hear: If you're looking to land a $200K role, The real cost to the employer over a few years is closer to $1M So you're trying to close a million-dollar deal And most people are doing it by customizing a PDF and submitting it online In this episode we get into: - Why the strategy you used at 25 will not work at the VP level - The framework that builds your pipeline months before a role is even posted - Why "fake jobs" aren't actually fake - The two non-negotiable weekly priorities for anyone job searching right now 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! ✌️💜
-
Katy McFee shared thisY'all we NEED to be having this conversation: Wondering how women at the top manage to 'do it all'? - Successful career - Cooking organic meals - Raising perfect screen-free kids - Baking the bake sale cookies from scratch - Keeping a perfectly tidy house - Staying healthy and in shape - Volunteering at the PTA ??? I recently learned the answer. They don't. We don't! Because here, I thought I was the only one I've always felt kind of guilty... That I outsource a fair bit of help, That I have a village raising my kids, That I grab grocery store cookies for the bake sale (come on, who hasn't done this?) But the more I bring this up with women, the more I hear: "I kept the nanny even though the kids are in school but I don't tell people." "I've don't do laundry or cleaning - I hired someone." "I have a ton of help from my mom and my in-laws" And we NEED to talk about this more openly! Because when we don't, We leave women with the impression that some of us are doing it all That they should be able to be perfect parents, homemakers and careerwomen all at once Ladies - no one was meant to live like this We evolved from generations of women who all helped each other And now, we try to manage everything, all by ourselves, in isolation It's insanity And here's the thing: I believe we can HAVE it all: Career, family, and a life we love... But we can't DO IT ALL. It's an impossible amount of pressure to put on ourselves And getting help may look different for different people Let's be honest - we don't all have the same resources But most of us can either ask family or outsource something I think it starts with giving yourself a break And letting go of perfection in every area of life So for the women out there trying to do it all, I'm giving you permission to drop the ball on something today: - Grab those grocery store cookies for the bake sale - Swing by McDonald's after soccer practice - Make the birthday cake from a box mix - Give the kids KD for dinner - Let the laundry pile up And be okay with it. Let's quit trying to win at the game of perfection And remember that sometimes good enough is good enough ✌💜
-
Katy McFee shared thisFor most of my career, I was the most ambitious woman in every room And I wore that like a badge of honour I was the one driving the hardest, thinking the biggest, pushing myself the most In my friend group, I was the one with the intense corporate job that nobody quite understood On my leadership team, I was often the only woman And at the time, I didn't realize just how detrimental that was When you're used to figuring it out on your own Or you've just been somewhere so long that you've gotten too comfortable You unintentionally create a ceiling for yourself So in today's newsletter, I'm getting into all of it: - Why being the strongest or most ambitious person in the room might actually be holding you back - The difference between networking and proximity - The realization I had as a VP that I wish I'd had years earlier Because the rooms you're in are shaping the leader you're becoming Whether you realize it or not Happy Reading ✌️💜The room you’re in is shaping the leader you’re becomingThe room you’re in is shaping the leader you’re becoming
-
Katy McFee shared thisMe: I don't think there's a bro culture here Colleague: That's because you're a bro Katy Me: 😳 This was one of those interactions that I couldn't stop thinking about I had read a review before I started at this company that mentioned the 'bro culture' A number of months into my role, I was talking to some other execs And that's when the conversation happened Was I a bro? Was I contributing to the supposed 'bro culture' at this company? As an ambitious woman who came up in male-dominated industries, With only male role models And often as the only woman in the room… I had spent years learning and adapting And I unintentionally became 'one of the guys' This was the beginning of a new intention to make sure I was showing up authentically at work (First I had to figure out what that even meant lol) I tell this story because I know that I'm not the only woman who has felt this pressure To fit in. To be 'one of the guys' Because in some ways, we feel as though our careers depend on it And this is why it’s so important to have more diverse representation in leadership So no one feels they can't be their full selves at work We need to stop apologizing for who we are, whether that means: - having kids - not drinking - being an introvert - needing accommodations Once we can truly embrace this, the magic happens ✌💜
-
Katy McFee shared thisI've always focused on making money And I refuse to apologize for this As women, we're made to feel bad about wanting money But guess what? It affords you freedom It allows you to help others It creates opportunities for your kids that you never had Growing up, I knew far too many women who depended on their husbands And then ended up in a bad situation when the marriage dissolved I remember hearing "We can't afford it" often And early on, decided to start making my own money From the time I was a teenager, I remember thinking to myself: "I will never depend on a man for money. I will be self-sufficient" And I worked my ass off to ensure that happened. Here's the truth: I've received my fair share of judgement for my ambition Especially when my kids were younger And if I'm honest, there were some tradeoffs I had to make... Are there things that I regret missing? Yeah, of course. But on the flip side: - When I got divorced, I was able to buy my ex out of the house and keep the nanny so the kids could keep as much of their life consistent as possible - When I had to leave an abusive relationship, I was able to walk out freely because I was not financially dependent - When my eldest needed additional resources, I could get them a private assessment and send them to a Montessori, where they are truly thriving I'm grateful to now be in the position where I no longer have to hustle But my ambition served its purpose, and I wouldn't change it. It gave me choice and security, for myself and my kids. So here’s your gentle reminder: 1. Ladies, it’s ok to want money. For whatever reason you have. No need to justify. 2. It's okay to talk about money We're so shy to have these conversations, but that only keeps us in the dark. 3. Think twice before judging someone's priorities. We all have our own stories that shape our motivations ✌💜
-
Katy McFee shared thisI lied during my first job interview I said I played basketball in high school... Total lie. 100% false. II was being interviewed by the VP Sales and he asked me: "Did you play any team sports in high school or university?" Now, the answer was 'no'. I never played many team sports... I think I played handball (poorly) in grade 10. But I read the room: - I knew the VP Sales was a sports guy - I guessed he was asking this question as a proxy to "Are you a team player?" I WAS a team player, despite not having played team sports. I really wanted the job, and looked like a basketball player so I said, "Yep, I played basketball in high school" I got the job. And then I became their top rep for the next 3 years. Later I admitted my lie to him and he laughed. No hard feelings there. The point of this post is not to suggest you lie in your interviews. To be clear, I'm not proud for having done this. It's to point out that using these generic proxy questions can screen out potentially great candidates This company may have screened me out, and I was their top rep for the entire time I was at the company! Specific situational questions like this bother me because: - they assume people have had the same opportunities in life - they suggest if you're not athletic, you won't be good at sales (or something else) - they perpetuate the issue of hiring people just like you Trying to create a more diverse team? Strive to be more inclusive with your interview questions. ✌️💜 Follow me Katy McFee for more posts on women in leadership
Katy McFee replied to a comment
1d
Billy Zerillo Lake Louise - if you haven’t been there it’s well worth it!
Katy McFee replied to a comment
6d
Kavita Ahuja both - I did a lot of inner work over the coming years to really understand who I was and what i wanted
-
Katy McFee reacted on thisKaty McFee reacted on thisShe wrote a book about what happened inside one of the most powerful companies in the world. Sexual harassment. Corporate misconduct. A company that preached free expression while silencing the woman who dared tell the truth. Her name is Sarah Wynn-Williams. Former Director of Global Public Policy at Facebook. Author of Careless People. Number one on the New York Times bestseller list. And Meta made her pay for every word. They fired her in 2017. They said poor performance. She says retaliation for reporting sexual harassment by a senior executive. They forced her to sign a non disparagement agreement as part of her severance. She felt she had no choice. She wrote the book anyway. Meta went to arbitration without her knowledge and obtained a sweeping gag order. They fined her $50,000 for every violation. Every book sold counted as a separate violation. Then came the Hay Festival in the UK. She was invited to speak on a panel about her own book. She sat in complete silence for the entire discussion. She could not speak. Could not nod. Could not shake her head. Her attorney's letter was read aloud by the journalist next to her to explain why the author was not allowed to say a single word. One panelist called it a hostage situation. The audience stood up. She broke down in tears. Now she has filed suit in California alleging Meta is punishing her to strike fear into anyone else who dares speak the truth. This is not just Sarah's story. This is every woman who reported harassment and was told she was the problem. Every woman who signed something under pressure to survive. Every woman who told the truth and watched the institution protect the person who hurt her. The NDA is a tool. Not to protect companies from lies. To protect companies from the truth. What protected Sarah was the audience that stood up. The readers who bought her book anyway. The journalists who read her letter out loud. The people who shared her story when she could not. That is the only protection that has ever worked for women who tell the truth. Each other. Read Careless People. Share this post. Because that is exactly what they do not want you to do. #CarelessPeople #WomensEmpowerment #PowerOverNarrative
Experience & Education
-
Insights to Action Coaching & Consulting
View Katy’s full experience
See their title, tenure and more.
or
Honors & Awards
-
OBJ Forty under 40
Ottawa Business Journal and Chamber of Commerce
Recommendations received
-
LinkedIn User
5 people have recommended Katy
Join now to viewOther similar profiles
Explore more posts
-
CHA Learning
Your #SundayRead: Canada has the talent, research excellence and innovation ecosystem to lead, but we need a clear, coordinated strategy to turn that strength into patient access and economic growth. That is why HealthCareCAN - SoinsSantéCAN welcomes the creation of the new Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Sector Task Force. Read HealthCareCAN's op-ed on the topic: https://lnkd.in/eccRXnna #Healthcare #CDNHealth #CDNPoli
1 Comment
Explore collaborative articles
We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.
Explore More