Inspiring Women+ Leadership: Carolyn

The month of March is Gender Equality Month and Women’s History Month, so, there’s no better time to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of the women in our lives. In this Q&A series, we're shining a light on some of the inspiring Women+ leadership figures working at TextNow. Be sure to catch the full series on our blog to read about the lessons they’ve learned throughout their journey to where they are today.

‍

Carolyn MacDonald (She/Her) Senior Director, Brand Marketing & Communications

As Sr. Director of Brand Marketing and & Communications, Carolyn leads the Brand Marketing team and Public Relations at TextNow.  

What advice would you give to your younger self?

My advice to my younger self would be to have more confidence in your abilities and stop second guessing yourself.  When I first started out in my career, I was my own biggest obstacle. Imposter syndrome was at an all-time high and I would often give everyone else credit for my accomplishments. When positive things happened in my career, I would chalk it up to timing or circumstance, but when negative things happened, I was sure to place that blame directly on myself. It took a long time for me to recognize my own worth and what I was capable of.

What is your motivational mantra?

We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. (I read a lot of Kurt Vonnegut as a teenager).

For me, this is even more relevant in the world we live in today, where social media platforms allow people to pretend to be anything they want.  I always strive to be my authentic self and this quote reminds me to think about how my messages are being received.

What do you do to make yourself feel strong and empowered?

I remind myself to reset each day. I work on not dwelling on things I cannot control but focus my energy on those things I do have control over. Channeling my energy towards things I know I can change and setting goals and making progress towards those goals, helps me feel empowered.    

---

As women, we face a lot of obstacles in our daily lives, many that we cannot directly control. So, a big thanks to Carolyn for sharing her experiences with us and reminding us to clear the path of our own insecurities as obstacles. Don’t miss the rest of our leadership spotlight series ✨

‍