Thriving As A Woman In a Male-Dominated Industry: Sara Faatz of Progress On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman In a Male-Dominated Industry

An Interview With Ming Zhao

Be Self-Aware — It’s easy for us to think of self-awareness as only being in touch with the negatives or areas for improvement. It is super important that you have self-awareness about your whole being. This includes the good. Be truly honest with yourself about what you are good at and what might need more work. If you can see your strengths and weaknesses, it’s easier to leverage them to build confidence.

In the United States in 2022, fields such as Aircraft piloting, Agriculture, Architecture, Construction, Finance, and Information technology, are still male-dominated industries. For a woman who is working in a male-dominated environment, what exactly does it take to thrive and succeed? In this interview series, we are talking to successful women who work in a Male-Dominated Industry who can share their stories and experiences about navigating work and life as strong women in a male-dominated industry. As a part of this series, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Sara Faatz.

Sara Faatz leads the developer relations team at Progress. With more than 20 years in the software development space, she has spent the majority of her career building community, producing events, forging partnerships, and creating content and marketing programs from the ground up. She is a mom, a wife, and a woman in tech who is a passionate advocate for equality and diversity.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?

My childhood backstory? Well, I grew up in a small town in California. My father was a history teacher, a coach, a local city councilman, and a community advocate; my mom was a teacher’s aide, a personal assistant, and a labor and delivery coach. I am the second oldest of four children and have a huge number of cousins, aunts, and uncles. Early on, my parents instilled a love of learning, exploring, reading, connecting with people, being a part of your community, and staying true to yourself.

I was always involved in clubs and enjoyed sports. I was the captain of my swim team, on the student council, and one of the first girls in the history of my high school to play varsity soccer (we did not have a girl’s team, so I played with the boys).

All of the experiences I gained through my youth and the intangible and soft skills I developed as a result of those experiences are what brought me to this point in my career today.

Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?

Like any story, mine has some unexpected twists and turns. The internet was in its very nascent stages when I graduated from university and the role I have today didn’t even exist, so it is only natural that the path was not direct, but rather a winding and eclectic trail of collected experiences. Right out of college, I worked in marketing and PR — initially for consumer-focused industries (airlines, higher education, race tracks, amusement parks, and financial institutions). Early into my career, the internet boom hit, and I found myself working for Alexander Ogilvy (AOPR), a technology PR firm. I hadn’t thought technology would be where I landed, but the opportunity AOPR afforded me and the technology it introduced me to started my love affair with the space. After AOPR, I went to a startup ASP.NET hosting company where I began to work very closely with Microsoft. Their partner ecosystem was a crucial part of the early success of .NET adoption. My love of interacting and connecting with people coupled with my passion for technology — and all of the experiences that helped me discover this about myself — led me to a role in Developer Relations.

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

OH, it’s hard to pick just one. I would say the most interesting story is about the most valuable lesson I have learned. When I worked for AOPR, everything was moving fast and there was a ton of innovation. My main focus was on the networking side of the house, working on terabit routers and releasing the first all-optical networks. It was super geeky and I loved it. I had found my passion. Yet when we met with the client, I would be silent in the meetings. I wouldn’t share my thoughts or provide feedback — I felt like I wasn’t experienced enough and I was afraid I was going to sound dumb. So, instead, I would save up all of my thoughts and ideas and share them later with my manager, Bridget. After a meeting one day, we were walking back to the office and I was sharing all of my thoughts with her. She stopped me and asked, “Why are you telling me? Why don’t you open your mouth in the meetings?” I was taken aback. I said to her, “What if I’m wrong?” To which she said I would simply be wrong, but if I didn’t open my mouth, I would never be right either. From that point on I started to talk. It stretched me– I was definitely out of my comfort zone– and I wasn’t always right, but I was certainly happy to have made the contributions. I also realize what a gift it was to have someone like Bridget. I have searched out similar mentors and tried to be the same for others.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Empathy & Kindness — A lot of organizations talk about the importance of their people and treating them well. I feel incredibly fortunate to work in a place where leaders are given the opportunity and celebrated for living out that value. People are complex. Responding to them, supporting them, and guiding them with kindness and empathy nets far greater results than anything else.

Honesty — I firmly believe if we don’t have honesty, we don’t have anything. Trust and respect are built on honesty. This means admitting when you are wrong and being vulnerable with your team. It means delivering difficult news or feedback but in a kind and empathetic way.

Work Ethic — I do my best to lead by example and I believe in servant leadership. I work for my team as much as they work for me. I believe in working hard and playing hard. I also believe that hard work can be fun, and I try to build an environment that encourages that.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Can you help articulate a few of the biggest obstacles or challenges you’ve had to overcome while working in a male-dominated industry?

People assume because you are a woman, you are not technical or couldn’t understand the technology. This has gotten better over the years; however, we still have work to do. When it does happen, I politely contribute to the conversation in a way that they understand my technical acumen.

Being different can be uncomfortable. Being the only woman in the room can single you out. But people can connect beyond gender. Finding commonalities or similarities typically makes the gender difference a non-issue. At the end of the day, I don’t want to be known as a woman in technology. I’d like to be perceived as a technologist. My gender does not dictate my ability to succeed in the space.

Can you share a few of the things you have done to gain acceptance among your male peers and the general work community? What did your female co-workers do? Can you share some stories or examples?

Finding common ground is a start. Building rapport with people lets them see the true you, and not view you solely based on your gender. This enables them to see other parts of your personality as well.

Being self-aware, honest, and vulnerable with your colleagues. This doesn’t mean you have to wear your heart on your sleeve and show every emotion you have. It speaks more to the idea that you can share your shortcomings and admit when you are wrong but celebrate your successes. Women are generally not as good at self-promotion. This is a valuable skill that, when not overdone, goes a long way.

What do you think male-oriented organizations can do to enhance their recruiting efforts to attract more women?

If your organization has a genuine Inclusion & Diversity program, I would highlight that. Progress, as an example, has made International Women’s Day a company holiday. Each of the 2,100+ employees in some 16 countries gets the day off to celebrate women. Additionally, we have an employee resource group called Progress for Her. The goal of the group is to support and empower women while providing leadership and networking opportunities. All employees, regardless of gender, are welcome to join. A lot of companies talk about inclusion and diversity, but showing that it is a core value makes your organization so much more approachable.

Ok thank you for all of that. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your opinion and experience, what are the “Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman In a Male-Dominated Industry?” (Please share a story or example for each.)

This is a really interesting question. While I think there are many things we as an industry can continue to do to make the overall environment better and encourage more women to be part of it, in order to succeed and thrive, I think you need to focus on what you can control.

1. Find Common Ground — Humans are complex and interesting. We all have different interests, hobbies, and passions. Finding those commonalities forms a bond. When we connect with people, we are less focused on what they are (male, female, trans, etc.) and begin to see them for who they are. I will often ask people about themselves — what kind of music they like, what sports they like, and what they watch on TV. Or I’ll bring up my family — my husband, my daughter, my dog. Many people are more private, so you do need to make sure you don’t make them uncomfortable, but by getting to know each other, even a little, you will all have other things to focus on besides gender.
2. Combat Impostor Syndrome — Seventy percent of all people suffer from impostor syndrome at some point in their lives. Women tend to be more susceptible. Clare Jose, author of the book “Ditching the Impostor Syndrome,” found that 45% of women have avoided applying for a promotion or pay raise they knew they deserved; 30% avoided opportunities to shine for the same reason. And some 61% said they routinely do not speak up with their best ideas, for fear of being found out as a fraud. If you start to feel this way — if you start to believe you are a fraud — take steps to combat that. Practice positive affirmations. Celebrate your successes, no matter how small.
3. Land in an Inclusive Workplace — Find a place where your values align with that of the company, where you feel you are seen for who you are and what you contribute, not by your gender. I feel incredibly fortunate to work in a place that has fostered a culture of inclusivity that doesn’t have room for gender discrimination. Women are celebrated. Their allies are celebrated. People are seen as technologists and contributors before their gender. Companies like Progress are leading the way, in my opinion, and helping to affect change.
4. Be Self-Aware — It’s easy for us to think of self-awareness as only being in touch with the negatives or areas for improvement. It is super important that you have self-awareness about your whole being. This includes the good. Be truly honest with yourself about what you are good at and what might need more work. If you can see your strengths and weaknesses, it’s easier to leverage them to build confidence.
5. Find Your Tribe — Find your people. My friend, Dee Dee, lovingly refers to this group as her posse. No matter what you call it, it’s the group of people you can be vulnerable with. It’s the group of people who will always be honest with you. They are your sounding board. Your support. Your tribe does not have to be all the same people or even know one another — they simply need to know you. Find allies within your organization — both men and women. Having support is crucial in all phases of life and work.

If you had a close woman friend who came to you with a choice of entering a field that is male-dominated or female-dominated, what would you advise her? Would you advise a woman friend to start a career in a field or industry that’s traditionally been mostly men? Can you explain what you mean?

I would tell my friend if she has found an area in the industry that she is excited about, has a passion for, and brings her joy, she should take it. There may be times when she is the only woman in the room; however, she should embrace that. Our differences are what make us stronger. In fact, research done by the University of North Carolina shows that teams that are gender diverse and inclusive tend to outperform those that are gender-homogenous — sometimes by as much as 50%.

I would tell her, as she is finding her passion, she should find your people. Build her network of men and women, as both can serve as strong allies, within the organization. Find a mentor or multiple mentors. All of this will help build mutual trust and respect.

I would remind her that she deserves to be there. Women in male-dominated industries tend to experience impostor syndrome at a higher rate than men. If you feel that creep in, find ways to push it out. Lean on her network — both internal and external — to combat those feelings.

And I would tell her to remain true to herself. Stay authentically and genuinely who she is. Her journey in life brought her to this point in her career. She should see where it takes her next.

Have you seen things change for women working in male-dominated industries, over the past ten years? How do you anticipate that it might improve in the future? Can you please explain what you mean?

I absolutely have, and it gives me so much hope. I think the biggest change is that the younger generation is more inclusive across the board. Things that my generation maybe just accepted as status quo have been challenged by the younger generations. I think it has been eye-opening for both men and women and has created positive change.

Additionally, the rise of women in technology groups has not only addressed uncomfortable issues head-on but has also helped us to celebrate the success of women and find allies in men.

Personally, I am surrounded by men who see the person and his/her abilities/skills/knowledge first and gender second. This gives me hope that we will continue this positive trend.

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment 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.

There are quite a few, but I would probably start with Cammi Granato, Assistant GM for the Vancouver Canucks. A former American ice hockey player (a Gold and Silver Olympic medalist), she is one of the first women to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and one of the first women to hold an Assistant GM position in the NHL. She has been breaking barriers in a male-dominated sport for decades. She has paved the way for growth in girls’ hockey and is an inspiration to women in and out of the sport.

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