New York – March Member of the Month: Monica Song, Business Operations Manager, Townhouse

1. Hometown? Toledo, Ohio

2. Current job title and company? Business Operations Manager @ Townhouse

3. Describe your career journey. I moved to New York as soon as I graduated from college and was hired at Grey New York as a production coordinator. I was not confident in myself or my abilities, but I saw aspects of the organization that could be improved and a way to make things work a little better. So I did (and still do) everything I could to improve production operations. With support from my managers, I took on every opportunity that crossed my path, and turned insecurity into confidence. Ultimately I helped build a production studio and then a production agency from the ground up. I currently manage finance and operations for production and I’m pursuing my MBA part-time at NYU Stern School of Business.

4. What is the most exciting aspect of your job? The most exciting part of my job is helping and coaching my teammates to reach their career goals. It is so rewarding to train and mentor your staff, and watch them succeed.

5. What committees/programs/events are you involved in with She Runs It? I currently produce as much video content as I can for She Runs It award shows. I am also a mentor in the annual Mentorship program.

6. Describe the feeling of finding out that you had been awarded one of She Runs It’s 10K education loan relief awards?
I am so thankful for this scholarship because tuition payments and student loans are an enormous burden; to say that this loan relief has given me peace of mind is an understatement! We pay an exorbitant amount of money for top universities and high levels of education to remain competitive in the workforce. But then there are organizations such as She Runs It that provide scholarships or loan relief for students. Not only do you help women with their education, you also show us how important it is to give back to our networks and communities. She Runs It sets a great example and inspiration for other organizations and women.

7. What advice would you give fellow or prospective members to be a top contender for the award? When it comes to networking, education and scholarships, you get back what you put in, so it is important to work hard and help others as much as possible. Change happens in small, everyday ways, and the aggregate of these daily actions is what will make our industry better or worse. I recommend that you volunteer your unique skills and capabilities to She Runs It and/or other organizations, work hard to make a difference at your job and get strong letters of recommendation, and spend time on you application.

8. Complete the following statement…. If I were not in the advertising industry, I would be a(n) artist and writer/illustrator of children’s books. But there is plenty of time to do what you love, so why wait? I am currently writing and illustrating a fairytale book for children. Classic fairytales are no longer applicable to the world we live in; my new project is to re-write and re-illustrate a contemporary collection that celebrates the magic of diversity and empowers both girls and boys to be ambitious, educated, brave, and loving.