Brave the Future: How to embrace the beauty of change in your life and career
Melanie Luu
Have you ever been caught standing at a crossroads at some point in your life?…Whether it was in personal or professional life, fact is, we’ve ALL been there!…
Brandi LaFontaine is an experienced business strategy and analytics professional with extensive expertise in the field of revenue management and data analytics. Throughout the years, she has built an impressive resume, including stints at WestJet and Enmax, to name a few. After spending 13 years working her way up to the role of Senior Manager, Revenue at WestJet, Brandi was ready to take a leap into the next chapter of her career.
After returning from a trip to Thailand, Brandi studied International Relations, which found herself taking more economics courses. Nearing the end of her studies, she caught herself pondering her next career move. Thanks to a piece of advice from her professor at the time, Brandi decided to gain some life experience after finishing her degree. This decision became an open door leading her journey to WestJet.
Despite enjoying her role as a Flight Attendant, Brandi wanted to excel within the company, putting her math skills into play. What started as awkward conversations with people in the business, Brandi wound up meeting a former Westjet Flight Attendant at a career fair, who was already working in the Revenue Management department.
Through networking and knocking on multiple doors, Brandi was determined to put her skills to work — literally!
ML: So you originally came from an economics background. What inspired you to get into analytics and computer science?
BL: “It’s funny, because …I spent my time in computer programming, so I spent 2 years doing the hardcore, like, javascript and compiler — the really grindy base level programming code. When I got through my first two years, I got my first job at a startup. I programmed their databases and did some HTML coding for websites and so… I spent quite a lot of time during summer in that space, sitting in a basement somewhere just coding!…At the end of the summer, I was like, what am I doing?! — I hate this! …I was just so overwhelmed with the manusha… it didn’t feel I got a lot of self satisfaction out of it… I didn’t feel like it was challenging for me, so then, I took some time off and I travelled.
ML: When you were working as a flight attendant, you initiated meetings with executives at Westjet working in the department you hoped to join. How did you feel doing this?
BL: …it was scary!… Going to talk to people you don’t know and the fear of rejection, it’s hard! “ It feels like this pit in your stomach, but once I did it a few times, I realized I didn’t care anymore!
ML: …So, did it become natural to you?
BL: It was NOT natural to me! — It was uncomfortable for the longest time and then all of a sudden, one day, it wasn’t scary anymore, because I have done it so many times that just going up there it was like — hey, I’m here again!
ML: How long did it take you before you finally got an interview?
BL: It was probably like… 3 months. I went for all the coffee talks and then I went for an interview the first time, in the same department and I didn’t get the job. I bombed it, haha! I don’t know what happened, but it was a good learning experience.
…I walked out of there knowing that, nah, it didn’t work -but, I’m going to try — AGAIN!
…the next time I was super prepared…I approached it like a paper — a research paper. I had it all dialed in and I had a million scenarios in my head, but when I got into that interview, I was like, oh, just let me flip to that page of my book; I got this!
ML: It wasn’t always smooth sailing during the first year in your new role; how did you overcome your self doubt?
…I spent a year feeling like I didn’t belong; I felt like I was out of my element, stressed and nervous.” “…but I guess that’s what had pushed me further…that fear of failure is terrifying and horrible, but at the same time it really drove me to figure something out!
ML: A lot of people if they were to bomb their interview, especially if it was their dream job, they would feel discouraged. How did you feel after your first interview with Westjet for the Revenue position?
BL: “Oh I cried, haha!… It was devastating and I was embarrassed. As I even look back at it now, I still feel embarrassed…it’s all about picking yourself up and I relied on the support of my family. My family kept saying it’s not the end of the world, it’s just a job interview…BUT!…it was something I really wanted…I just waited for the opportunity to come again and when that opportunity came up, I knew I had to be ready!
ML: What are your thoughts on support for women in STEM? — Any advice you can give women in the industry?”
BL: It’s tricky because I have been fortunate to have both bosses and colleagues that were really supportive.
… I have also been on the other side, where you are just a small female and there’s a natural bias. And I can be a little bubbly and I goof around, so there’s a perception that goes with that. You have to work that much harder to be noticed… you have to really prove it.
… I had a colleague that was roughly the same age, but male and we started at the same time. Everybody’s perception was he was going to be the next boss, because that was the nature perception. But this new individual came in and evaluated us both based on our merit. And after his 3 months of evaluation of us, he promoted us both, because, he was able to see meanwhile I was being overshadowed by this individual because of their natural presence, I was given the same opportunity and we both rose together through the team. We were able to build and create a team together. We had very very different skills. I am a little more technical, which not a lot of people would have thought; he was more on the other side of business, so all of the things we have been doing as a team that were technical, everybody had ascribed that to him, because naturally they would have assumed that he would be the one doing it.
You have to really push for those opportunities to speak to people. — NEVER say NO to meeting! Doesn’t matter if you have to work those hours, you have to work late. Do not let other people speak to your materials, even if you’re terrified. That would be the biggest piece of advice I would give to anyone. ”
ML: Do you think there’s a stereotype around women in tech?
BL: Yes — there certainly are stereotypes and I think that we place them upon ourselves. It can be incredibly tricky in my perspective to tease out our own perception biases of how we think people are perceiving versus how they are really perceiving and to not second guess your gut.
…overall I think businesses are getting better , but because tech is so male dominated, it can be quite, quite challenging.
…I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had somebody stop a meeting to explain something to me, because I am the only girl in the room!
ML: “That has happened to you?”
BL: [Nods] That has happened on more than one occasion!
ML: Can you walk me through a particular scenario?
BL: Yeah, so were were talking about databases and data virtualization, a few other aspects associated with it and this gentleman who had been with the company for a very long time and was very well respected — a kind person who came with the best of intention; I know he did. He stopped the entire meeting and looked at me and said “Brandi, do you know what data virtualization is?” — I was mortified…and livid!… I took a moment and I laughed.
Fortunately, another man in the room, another colleague, because it was all men in the room and was able to shut it down. They were like, “nope, we’ve been talking with Brandi about this; she’s maybe one of the people who more than understands it best, so while we appreciate your concerns…don’t do that again!”
ML: What kind of advice would you give someone, especially someone who is new to the corporate world who is going through the same situation?
BL: Don’t be afraid to ask questions! …I’m noticing that we’re so afraid to not know and to be found out for not knowing. Well men in that world, in that space can be the same age, same experience although they would probably recognize that they don’t know, but they are ok with that because they “belong” , meanwhile, we have to pretend that we belong.
If I were to talk to my young self, I’d be like “you’re already here — make the best of it! Learn as much as you can, talk to as many people as you can and don’t be afraid that people are going to find out that you don’t know, because you were hired and people already know [chuckles] when you showed up at the interview.
We feel this need to overcome and I think that is one of our biggest impediments.
ML: So, at the upcoming Geeky Summit event our theme this year is “Brave the Ask”…When would you say was your “aha” moment where you have to overcome your fear and be brave?
BL: Great segway! — So for me I had questions working with data. So I took a very sneaky method to not have to talk to other people about it. I figured how to ask the data questions and that’s how I got all my answers. So I got super curious in a way that was safe for me and I just found a billion ways to ask the same question. I would manipulate and change and adjust and then tweak. The data set I was working with and the information I had access to, I built a foundation where I then feel comfortable to ask. Finding a way for you that is safe to ask questions, that I think is the key piece!
ML: There was a time where you felt like you were struggling and needed a change. How did you overcome that stage in your life?
BL: …When you’re learning, you’re trying to get to the next level. When you feel like you’ve hit a plateau, you feel like you’ve hit that ceiling, I guess you would say for lack of a better word….like, you have learned a lot and now to weed through the next level, that’s probably the biggest challenge. Like, how do you get there? What do you have to do to make that leap?…So that for me, the biggest struggle was deciding whether or not to leave Westjet.
I found I wasn’t really happy with anything and as much as I loved my team, I was just….not there? …I had to figure out why and it was because there was something missing. I needed a new challenge, I needed to get out to see something different in order to gain a new perspective on what I had. So sitting down and thinking why I wasn’t feeling happy and not accepting being ok with “meh”. It’s just allowing yourself that luxury of “I want more!”
ML: What advice can you give someone who may be pondering their next career move, but are unsure of the idea?
BL: Just go get it! Haha! But, just think outside the box….So, I left a senior manager position for a complete shift into a different industry in a specialist role. Most people would say you are crazy! But for me, I needed a change. I met the people that I was going to be working with and the leadership there and the project that I was going to be specifically working on, like, it made sense. It balanced with enough things that I wanted, that I was able to let go of the leadership. Knowing in my heart and my head that I was going to get back into mentorship and leadership again and trusting that I was gonna be able to do that in another company.
ML: Now one last question before we wrap up. What are your future goals? Is there something you would like to accomplish now or in the near future?
BL: [Pauses] So it’s funny because at Westjet I got to do a lot of leadership coaching with various coaches within that organization. They had me meditate — 30 minutes- they had me do this guided meditation, where they ask where I was going to be in 5 years. It was the worst 30 minutes of my life!
ML: [Laughs]
BL: Like, there was nothing! It was only this big empty white room with a blowing cloth and that’s all I can imagine …I’ve just been working so hard to get to the next…I hadn’t sat down to think about the next, which was like 4 years ago, which was when I started the MBA program.
… I would like to be leading people again, so I like to continue to move into that because I love having a team, that we learn and grow and foster an environment that is supportive and there’s the safety to fail, try and learn. Maybe I’ll start a business. I don’t know… so it’s either helping a business grow a new branch and create a new opportunity within that business to move data and analytics, or I’ll use my skills in data and analytics to create and foster a company. Right now, I’m kind of in a place where I’m trying to figure it out. What does that look like?…I don’t know…
Since the interview, Brandi has joined the Chic Geek tribe as an Executive Coach. She will be moving to Vancouver in the upcoming weeks to further pursue a career in revenue management.
