Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Megan Gluth-Bohan of TRInternational On The 5 Leadership Lessons She Learned From Her Experience

You are good at what you do. You are not an imposter. Women struggle with imposter syndrome differently than men do. We have to simply keep reminding ourselves that we are talented, and we are exactly where we belong. We have to say it and believe it. Because its true.

As a part of our series about “Lessons From Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Megan Gluth-Bohan.

Meg is the Owner & CEO of TRInternational, Inc., a US-based chemical distribution and services company. Prior to entering into the chemical space, Meg was a practicing attorney. She proudly works and leads in an industry often under-served by the talents of women. Meg is committed to the uplift of both people and commerce.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I came to TRI originally as the Company’s General Counsel. It took very little time for me to fall in love with the business- chemistry touches literally every aspect of American life and our economy. It’s fascinating stuff. Over time, I grew more involved in different parts of the business. I became the Company’s President, then Chief Executive Officer. I purchased the Company from its original Founder in 2019. I find myself engaged and challenged by the diversity of this business. No two days are alike here.

I did not ever set a specific goal to arrive where I am today. I believe that life presents opportunities at various points, and it is my practice to lean into those moments intuitively. I go where I believe I am led, and where I can be of the best and highest use. Not coincidentally, I find myself both surprised and genuinely happy with where those paths lead. My arrival here is no exception.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?

It would be difficult for me to pick one story. One of the reasons I love what I do is that every day is- truly- INTERESTING to me. Each day I learn how interconnected we are. For example, a drought in Central America can cause the water levels in the Panama Canal to drop. This means that container ships have to carry less weight to help them stay lifted, which means that American companies who import or export now have to incur greater shipping costs to re-route or create alternatives for getting products to market. These costs in turn enter the stream of commerce, making those goods more expensive. Thus, an imported t-shirt can be priced based, in part, on the weather in Panama. I am deeply interested in those kinds of chains of connection. I love thinking a challenge back to its original source, and then working a solution from there.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

A lot of chemical elements and compounds have long, complicated names. To shorten them, abbreviations are frequently used, and some of them are used more than once. (I obtained a BA in History and a law degree- I am not a trained chemist.) I once spent an entire conversation with a supplier talking about a product that shared an abbreviation with another entirely different chemical compound. We did not realize I was making this error until the end of the conversation when I asked if it could be shipped in bags, and the supplier advised me that the product he was talking about was a liquid and would not, in fact, go anywhere in a bag. We had a good laugh, but I did feel a sting of embarrassment for my error.

I never repeated that mistake again. The reason is that I took a moment to look at my performance with accountability. I had not adequately prepared for that meeting. I was not fully informed about the chemistries we would be discussing or the scope of the Supplier’s work. This was not respectful of anyone’s time or talent. The lesson was clear: ALWAYS PREPARE.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

I believe our company stands out because of our commitment to HOW we do things, not just WHAT we do. This applies to our business, as well as the inner ethos of our team itself.

At TRI, we are deeply committed to making sure that we deliver an experience to those who do business with us that reflects the genuine care we have for their objectives. I can tell countless stories of TRI teammates taking panicked calls from customers on Saturday mornings with a request for more product than they thought they would need for a batch, and delivering additional product the same day. We have taken customers’ manufacturing projects in-house for them when they are unexpectedly unable to staff a shift to do it themselves.

Within our team, it’s the same spirit. We recently had a teammate suffer from a stroke. Rather than distance ourselves, we leaned in. We kept her on our payroll and on our benefit plan. Her colleagues formed teams to help deliver meals and groceries to her and her sons. We worked together to build a return to work that included time for her physical therapy. And when she came back, we celebrated together.

Our team has an instinctive reflex to help. That sets us apart.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

We are excited to be completing an acquisition of a plant in Chicago which will add toll manufacturing, blending, and many other services in a more streamlined manner. This will also open up some exciting expansions of our business capabilities well into the future. I am constantly scanning the horizon for ways to improve our business and the experience we deliver.

Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Are you currently satisfied with the status quo regarding women in STEM? What specific changes do you think are needed to change the status quo?

I don’t know if I can say I am satisfied with the status quo surrounding women in STEM. In some ways, I am delighted: We see increased awareness of the gifts and contributions that women and girls can bring to our STEM industries, along with commensurate outreach. But we also have a long way to go. I think the biggest changes are systemic within all business sectors. First, we need to make sure that women know that STEM is BROAD. There are so many businesses and industries that fall into the STEM category. And so many of these industries are full of on-ramps for women. In my industry, for example, there are so many opportunities for women to enter careers that do not require advanced degrees, or consistent uninterrupted patterns of work. I, for one, would gladly honor the 5 year break a woman might have where she chose to be home with her young children- I KNOW what powerhouses of talent and organization those women are! And I am not alone in my industry. We need to bring more women at every level of the workforce into the fold, and we need to be visible and present so our daughters will know to follow us. We also need to reimagine what it might look like to accommodate an employee’s need to be present at home AND at work. This should apply to men too! Our society benefits when parents can be PRESENT. STEM businesses can lead the way. Finally- we MUST have paid family leave, and create workplaces that accommodate the needs of returning parents.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women in STEM or Tech that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts? What would you suggest to address this?

Like most industries, women often get left behind or taken off the “career ladder” when they decide to have children. This is unacceptable. STEM businesses in the US set the bar for ingenuity, advancement, and creativity. We should be leading the way to eradicate the gaps that inevitably widen when a woman decides to become a parent.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a woman in STEM or Tech. Can you explain what you mean?

I think there is probably a sense among some people that being a woman in STEM or Tech makes you a nerd. And I guess as a self-proclaimed, loud-and-proud nerd myself, this doesn’t bother me. But for younger women, this can be seen as a deterrent. There is significant evidence that girls entering adolescence start to shrink and hold back in STEM classes as they enter formative years. We can’t let this be the case. We have to be proud of who we are, and again, show those younger women how to follow us here.

What are your “5 Leadership Lessons I Learned From My Experience as a Woman in STEM or Tech” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Be solid in who you are. If you love what you are doing, don’t let anyone sway you with an opinion or a stereotype. Know yourself. And be proud of yourself. If you are not in a place of self-knowing or personal pride, make your necessary adjustments to get there. It’s a daily practice for me.
2. Don’t look for a wound. I have often been the only woman in a room full of men. I’ve even had men hold a meeting because they were waiting for the boss (hint: that’s me) to arrive because they assumed it would be a man. I didn’t let that turn into a situation that led me to a place of feeling less than or wounded. Instead, I showed up powerfully. I let the men in the room carry their own embarrassment for their small-minded assumptions.
3. Just because you are the only woman, doesn’t mean they don’t want you there. Most of the time, everyone around you is so glad to have you in their company, working on their project, or as their colleague. Just because you might be the only woman does not mean they are not stoked to have you. In my experience, a huge majority of the men I work with are delighted to have me alongside their efforts. The minority who have a problem with you are not worth the energy of your thoughts.
4. The rules are different for women. We DO have to work harder, we cannot act the “same” as men, and we DO have to make different sacrifices. Knowing this and acting accordingly is key to my personal sanity and helps me live with a sense of acceptance of the way things are. That does not mean I don’t do all I can to help make a change. It just means I place a high value on my inner peace. With my own sanity intact, I then roll up my sleeves and get to work pulling women along with me. We can all do this- even in small ways.
5. You are good at what you do. You are not an imposter. Women struggle with imposter syndrome differently than men do. We have to simply keep reminding ourselves that we are talented, and we are exactly where we belong. We have to say it and believe it. Because its true.

What advice would you give to other women leaders to help their team to thrive?

I think I would tell other women to honor their gut instincts and to be open about them. I think one of the primary gifts women leaders have is our ability to move intuitively. This is an asset, and I believe that women-led companies benefit tremendously from this. We shouldn’t hide it- I am open about my intuitive side. It’s one of my greatest gifts.

What advice would you give to other women leaders about the best way to manage a large team?

Be excessively candid. Speak clearly. Do what you say. And do not deviate. I believe teams of all kinds thrive on clarity and stability. The larger the team, the more important this is.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I stand on the shoulders of countless people who helped me along. But a man named Craig always comes to the front of my mind. I grew up in poverty and used student loans and grants for my entire college education. I also worked my a*s off. When I was accepted to law school, I was elated. But a few weeks before law school started, I learned I needed a private loan to cover the remaining costs of my education. No one in my family could co-sign on that loan for me. And, I was to be a full-time first-year law student without a job. Not a great credit candidate. A friend of mine’s dad, Craig, said he started life similarly situated. And he said he would co-sign on my law school loans. That act changed the entire course of my life. Craig co-signed for me and told me to pass it on one day when I was able to someone else who needed the help. Craig died a few years ago, but he left behind a powerful legacy in my life.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

Every day my goal is to add to the uplift of the people around me. I look for ways to do that every single day. Some of the opportunities I get to be generous are formal charities and volunteer experiences- which I love. But what really makes me happy are all the things I can do quietly to make a difference in a person’s life. And- the best part- is that I get to pass this spirit to my company. At my company, all employees are encouraged to pull out a company credit card and cover someone’s last few groceries that they would otherwise have to put back. We buy diapers for single moms. We pay for the basketball shoes of a kid who wants to be on the team but can’t afford the shoes. We pay utility bills for neighbors we know need help. I give employees time off to go be of service whenever they have a chance. And this becomes contagious.

As a person, I try to encourage the people who work for me, to remind them of their gifts. I try to meet everyone I encounter exactly where they are and remind them that they are here for a reason. Being intentional about this means that I delight in the results those words and actions have in people’s lives. And it is the very best feeling ever.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I would tell every single business owner to let their employees do random acts of kindness with the company credit card. Don’t put parameters around it. Just watch what they do. You would be absolutely amazed. And inspired.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

My grandfather always told me to “Measure Twice, Cut Once.” It’s so simple, but it really does capture the essence of what I need to do as a leader. It’s my job to be more prepared, and more earnest, than everyone else. And then it is my job to be decisive and stand by it.

We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them :-)

Condoleeza Rice, Michelle Obama, Christine Lagarde, Thasunda Brown Duckett, and any of the women CEOs of our time. I believe everyone has a story I am interested in. I would love to listen to theirs.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.