>> the pennsylvania conference of women is right around the corner. how to get the most out of it and some early good advice. let's get the inside story. ♪ good morning. i'm tamala edwards. welcome to "inside story," and we've got a very special edition and a larger panel this morning. good morning, ladies. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> let's introduce you. we'll start with nancy hesse, the president and ceo at cancer treatment centers of america, eastern region. good morning. >> good morning. >> "inside story" panelist and communications executive nia meeks. >> good morning. >> good morning. carol lee mitchell, a senior vice president at mastercard. >> morning. >> now let's come to this side of the table. ande frazier, who is a vice president at penn mutual. >> good morning. >> ann powell judge from bristol-myers squibb, where she is the chief human resources officer. and another "inside story" panelist donna gentile o'donnell, who also moonlights, i guess you could say, as a senior vice president for jefferson health systems.

>> oh, my god. my boss is gonna kill me. [ laughter ] good morning, tamala. >> good morning. so, i love this time of year. i really look forward to the pennsylvania conference of women. it's incredibly well done, and they've been doing it for a while. this is the 14th year. and i feel like in the last few years, it has really picked up momentum, with more and more women saying, "i have to go." how would you describe to people why it's worth it, how it's changed, why it's so important? anybody jump in. >> let me just say the buzz is really incredible, and i wouldn't just say that because michelle obama's coming. i would say the buzz actually happened -- >> that would be reason enough. >> it would be, but the buzz actually started before that announcement came into play. i've heard more women talking about it of all ages, and even those to say, "i might not be able to afford it, but i heard there's some things on the web. i've heard there are other conversation points." the accessibility of it and the worth of the type of knowledge and advice that you get -- i think more people are starting to trickle that down, and you have more ambassadors. and so it's, like, a huge interest point all across the state. >> is there something that you ladies make a point to do to get

the most out of the conference? because there are 15 different things going in different directions -- how to pick sessions, who to talk to. how do you make sure you maximize your time? >> at mastercard, we've been sponsoring the conference for four years, and i actually use the platform with my clients and share that platform with my customers. we actually talk about it a week in advance. we have an internal session with clients talking about the issues that are real issues for all of us. we come together. we download the app. we study sort of the agenda, and really, we try to engage sort of with one another, as well as the topics that are on hand. the most important thing, i think, is to just sort of sit back and really kind of take in the content that's being delivered and to be able to share in the conversation and really be part of it, be 100% present for it. that would be my advice. >> it probably also means that you know who's going to a session you can't make it to, and you say, "let's compare notes later." >> divide and conquer, take lots of pictures, take lots of notes, and really talk about it. we use social media while we're at the conference to be able to share back with our colleagues

at the office, globally. i mean, honestly, we're a global company, so as we're participating in the dialogue, if something is inspiring us, we're absolutely empowered to share that information with our friends and family. i think it's part of the journey and part of the fun. >> i think word of mouth has passed through the years at cancer treatment centers of america. we have a waiting list of women who want to go to the conference. and it's one of these things where we choose, actually, women to go who are new leaders or are leader potentials, and we want to inspire them by being with women from across the world. >> is it better to pick a topic -- like, i'm really concerned about managing within the company. i'm really concerned about work-life balance -- and focus on those panels? or do you say people should pick an internal-external? vary it up. any advice on how to decide what is important? 'cause they've got so much good stuff. >> as bristol-myers squibb has proudly sponsored this conference for four consecutive years, and the conference gets bigger and it gets better and more rich every year. and so my advice, as my

colleagues have said here -- plan ahead, but take in the diversity of the many, many different topics that you might not even think about before you go to that website and look at just the diversity of topics that are there. there's certainly topics that you don't find at every other conference. and some of them are a little bit out there and odd. i find myself almost pulled to those topics. >> and a little bit of advice -- you guys are all executives. you are the ladies in the room that other people say, "gee, i wish i could meet her. i wish she could be my mentor." sheryl sandberg famously said, "walking up to somebody and saying, 'will you be my mentor?' doesn't work because you are a stranger to them." you've got to build a relationship. what would be the best way for somebody to get your attention and start that relationship? >> i think it's just about coming and asking great questions and being inquisitive. and i think that we're all very accessible. so if somebody comes and wants to talk with us, we want to be able to share our insights and share our gifts and talents and absolutely pull and push forward other women. >> you have to be invested in

your own development. and oftentimes, i get the, "will you be my mentor?" it's not helpful. it's not a good way to start a relationship. you have to be invested and know exactly what you want out of that relationship, and then we can work together. we can do something with it. >> and something i talk a lot about with my team is sort of brave moments. it's really hard to approach somebody you do not know. use it as a brave moment for that week, for that day. go up to somebody, introduce yourself, tell them a little bit about yourself, and, absolutely, i think people like -- i love that engagement. i welcome it. and it may not be sort of an in-depth conversation at that moment, but let's exchange information, let's link-in, let's talk a lot about it afterwards, and i think it's a great opportunity for people to just kind of come together and talk. >> and a bit of advice -- follow-up. so many people say, "i'm gonna call you," and they never do. the person who does -- they get your attention. >> and it's also social media, as i've been mentioning, whether it's linkedin, whether it's twitter, facebook, or what have you. try to find those other opportunities where you can connect. i tell younger women all the time, particularly those that

are in school -- "listen, if you do not have certain resources, take advantage of those who do. someone will take you to coffee or to brunch. use this time and really think about your development, but do some research." i mean, it's always good to have a list -- like, your dream list, like, "who, if i can talk to someone, would i die to go talk to?" and then do some research on that person and put yourself in position so you can say, "hey, how are you? i really enjoyed your tweet about blah, blah, or the story you posted about this was really interesting, and i wanted to follow up." you have to have that engagement, as has been said. >> and people really do notice when you've done the work. >> yes! >> so read a couple of articles. a lot of women will talk about work-life balance. i've given up on it. i've got two kids. i've changed sheets four times this week. my life hack is to stencil in my kids' room, "you have a father, too." so when he gets up in the middle of the night, go find him. what hacks have you guys gotten out of the conference, or in general, that you think you tend to pass on the most? >> i think one of the things that matters a lot is how you

manage your own internal emotional constructs. so in the weeks where i am so harried that every day i just have a long list of things to do, and no matter how hard i work, i know i'm not gonna get them all done. and sometime early on in my life at jefferson, i came to the conclusion that if i worked 24 hours a day 7 days a week, i still wouldn't get it all done. so i take a little bit of emotional comfort in the idea that i'm not gonna get everything done every day. now, that being said, i love my work. i love my institution. so, we have 17 trustees. seven of them are women. we have four pillar leaders. two of them are women. we have 15 executive managers. seven of them are women. our general counsel is a woman -- cris cavalieri. meg magolger runs one of our hospitals. so i take comfort in the fact that we're led by an egalitarian leader -- steve klasko -- who

drives home the message that we are partners. >> so you figure out what you need to do, and you just let go of the rest. >> yes, absolutely. >> any other life hacks? >> i think one of the things that i'm maniacal about is time. so clarity around what i'm trying to accomplish and do, whether it's life, just personal life, or work. every morning i wake up, and i pick and choose the things that i'm not going to do -- not going to do. so i get out of two or three meetings a day. i don't need to be a part of every discussion. i delegate. i'm able to kind of -- "do i need to be" -- i ask the probing question -- "do i need to be here? do you need me involved?" and it's amazing 'cause it just allows me to kind of take a step back and say, "okay, when i'm present, it's purposeful presence, not because somebody made me or forced me or scheduled something on my calendar to be present." >> i've wasted my time by just sitting here for 45 minutes. >> absolutely. >> any other...? >> i think for me, you know, i try to be extremely mobile so that i can work from anywhere, whether it's the soccer field, starbucks, my office in horsham, my home on long island. and so having that mobility-leveraging technology is really important.

i spent five hours in the dmv a few weeks ago with my daughter getting her learner's permit, and i worked the entire time i was there. so really setting myself up to be able to work why-when -- i think that's really an important part. >> good advice. >> and self-care is important, as well. i mean, we've been talking about the workspace, but you also have to take care of yourself. you have to figure out, "what's my moment of laughter, my moment of levity?" you have to have it during the course of the day 'cause anything can come your way, whether it's from your home life or from your work life. if you don't take care of you -- you're the most important investment that you have. if you're not working, nothing else happens. so make sure that you do take those moments. >> as a friend of mine says, "but first, joy." [ laughter ] >> i've always said it's not about balance. it's about prioritization. and you have to make difficult decisions, and they're gonna be different decisions based on what stage of life you're at, as well. and they're trade-offs. they're trade-offs around time for you. they're trade-offs around how you spend your work, your family, and that's gonna be different depending on what stage of life you're in, but it's prioritization. i totally agree.

work-life balance -- that's a myth. and i look at -- it's not a hobby that pulls you out of that stressful situation. i'm trained as a nurse, and when i'm having one of those days where things just aren't working well, i tend to get up, go out, and go make rounds in the hospital. and when reconnecting back with the patients and with the staff, you feel like, "this is why i do what i do." and it kind of re-balances me. and it's one of those things. it's not leaving work that balances me necessarily. it's sometimes doing the right thing at work that matters. >> remembering your purpose. for me, it's this. i keep one of these by my desk -- by my phone all the time. i write a list first thing in the morning. there's something about seeing it and focusing. 'cause otherwise, i look up and realize there are five things i forgot. and that could just be me. [ laughter ] going on, taking a look at the landscape that a lot of women are coming into. we used to hear a lot about wall street and how tough it was for women trying to break into the c-suite. now we're hearing about silicon valley, where everybody wants to go, but this year we've

heard google, uber -- women saying, "it has been really difficult to work here and to be acknowledged and to be respected." what do you think the message is to women who look at the places that are the pillars, and there's a lot of disturbing information coming in? >> i'm sorry. i think we're gonna see a new generation and style of women leadership in the millennial generation. i don't think they're gonna take any of that sitting down. and it's finding expression in the courts. it's finding expression in complaints that are filed within their organizations. i'm encouraged by the pushback that we're hearing about. >> women are speaking out and saying something. >> yes, because otherwise, it would just be a silent problem. i mean, all of us -- every woman sitting at this table -- has a woman friend who has been unfairly treated because she's a woman. all of us have those friends. all of us may be those people under some circumstances. and i think that the generation -- and that's, by the way, as the boomer -- it's my single biggest disappointment

that our generation didn't do enough. >> you'll often hear women say, "okay, fine. let's start our own companies." but those companies need money, and you'll hear women say over and over again when you go into the venture capital firm, when you go into the bank, it's usually men. they are funding the male companies. they're not funding the female-led companies. how do women get around that? how do women sitting in that conference room who are starting companies get around that issue? >> but it depends on the kind of company you're trying to start. i mean, if you step out of the corporate world and say, "okay, i want to create a rival corporate company just off the bat," maybe that's not as realistic. but you have to start to think entrepreneurship starts with you. it starts with your passion, and it starts with what you can accomplish. you don't have to have $5,000 to get started with a business. you have to have a plan, you have to have some dedicated investors, and you have to find some people who will be clients. you will grow. and you just have to dedicate

we are not teaching that, but this age of disruption, particular with millennials and others -- i mean, i will say this. it started with gen-xers, who were called "slackers," you know, 'cause you didn't want to wear the tie and do the 9-to-5 thing. it's found a -- excuse me, it's found purpose with millennials who say, "we can do it a different way. we can start other businesses." uber did not start out as a multimillion-dollar company. >> it started out with an idea. >> exactly. >> any quick bits of advice? >> and i think you're starting to see the effects of that -- sort of this whole notion of a gig economy, where this idea of a 9-to-5 job no longer exists with millennials. they're picking sort of gigs that make meaning for them. they have higher standards. it's personal. it's work. it's a combination thereof. and i think to your point around sort of female investors and entrepreneurship, i think more women need to invest and start and help. and it doesn't have to be that million-dollar investment, but rather a $5,000 investment. i tell my daughter all the time, "if i give you $5,000, what kind

of business would you start? tell me. show me." and i think those bits and pieces over time will develop, and as women leaders in the organization that we're in and the community that we live within, i think we need to take a more active role in investing in women businesses. >> and i love that you're saying that to a young girl -- as many young girls as you could say, "what would you start?" it's a good idea. >> absolutely. >> quickly, before we have to cut to break, a lot of women are gonna be sitting in that room saying, "i don't care what you say. i'm stuck. i don't know how to get a promotion. i don't know how to get out of a bad perception." what is your best advice for that woman? >> i would tell her to be courageous and to be okay with self-promoting yourself. it's not being braggadocios or, "i'm taking a step in a wrong direction." men are not afraid to do that for themselves. why not us, as women, also be able to speak up, talk about what we do. even when you look at applying for jobs, what you'll find is that men will apply for a job, even if they only have 80% of the qualifications. >> or less. >> or less. whereas a woman will wait till she's got 100% to apply for that same job. so i would say be bold, be

courageous, take that leap, and go forward. >> how can you decide stay or go? sometimes it's best to just leave and start over? >> so i say ask for it, fight for it, and if you can't get it, leave it. and it's really as simple as that. and women, i think, are so -- in many cases, so loyal and committed that they overstay, maybe, their welcome. and if you've asked for it a couple times, you fought for it, you're still not getting it, i think you need to go. go somewhere else. >> show your own value. that right there. >> i would add one thing to that. >> and you got 15 seconds. >> if you say, "i need this, i need this," and the answer's no, then you have to be ready to go. don't threaten that you're gonna go. be ready to leave. >> good advice, all. we're gonna take a short break and come back to more good advice on this special edition of "inside story." >> "inside story" is presented by temple university. remarkable change isn't easy, but for those who take charge, it comes naturally. explore temple's impact. visit temple.edu/impact.

♪ >> welcome back. i'm tamala edwards. this is our special show around the pennsylvania conference for women, and we're talking about a number of topics. and i wanted to turn to this one. we're told from the time we are little kids that you're gonna have some ups and some downs. some rain is going to fall. you might get fired. your marriage may not work out. the job may not be the way you want it to. you might get sick. but when it happens to you, it's almost like it's still a shock. and women have a hard time figuring out, "what do i do?"

what is your best advice on resiliency -- when the ups and the downs happen? >> i think for me, it's really about owning where i am in the moment and taking full responsibility for what i'm going to do next. instead of blaming other people or looking at the outside circumstances, i can bring myself up. i can lift myself up in really owning that. that gives me power. that gives me control. that gives me the ability to move on. >> i look to my personal tribe. and we hear a lot about your tribe, your village, your personal board. for me, sometimes it's just okay to say, "oh, my god, this sucks." [ laughter ] and what's even better is when you have your friends and family there saying, "it's gonna be okay." and there are times where i can pull myself out of it. there are times i need people to help me get out of that rut. and so i'd sort of advise that if you're going through a hard situation, open up, be transparent, share, and let all of that warmth and positive support help you kind of get to

the next level. >> i think the other thing that's really important is when you go through a rough period professionally and things just don't seem to be breaking your way, there's a tendency to want to sort of hunker down. and "hunker down" for lots of people means, "i'm gonna eat junk. i'm gonna watch a lot of crappy tv. i'm not gonna work out." >> wait, is that bad? [ laughter ] >> yeah, it's actually bad. so i think the most important thing is to remind yourself you're in a desert right now. you're in a bad spot. but you need to prepare for the day it's gonna change, and that means don't hunker down. go to the gym. do what motivates you to stay healthy. be out there and wait for your next moment. be prepared for your next moment. >> and building on that, sometimes you need an accountability coach. from your tribe -- maybe it's not five people. maybe it's one person -- one trusted person -- someone you know has your back, someone you know loves you, and will kick you in the booty when you're not doing what you need to do. it's like, "okay, you had your

self-pity time. now you got to get back to it." and you trust them and you know that they have your best interest at heart because it is hard sometimes. i mean, whether it's a death in your family, it could be a divorce -- you could spin and reel and just spin all the way out, but you need someone to be your anchor. and whoever that person is, have them identified and know that they are the person that you're gonna turn to when times get rough. >> very quickly, when i was a kid, my mom would say, "and you did it to yourself." [ laughter ] what do you do whenever you're in, "you did it to yourself"? >> that's the worst. >> just own it. >> just you have to own it and move forward. i think -- you know, brené brown's gonna be speaking at the conference, and she really talks about the power of vulnerability and knowing who you can trust and knowing when you need to be sharing that vulnerability. but part of owning it is being able to be vulnerable and say, "i messed up. i screwed up, and i can do a reset and start over." >> being honest with yourself is important because you don't want to keep doing the same old thing and papering over it. and sometimes writing it down or audio journals or something so that you can go back to it. >> and saying "i'm sorry," beginning with yourself. >> apologizing and forgiving

yourself. not just saying, "i'm sorry." forgiving yourself for messing up. >> very quickly, before we have to take another break -- what would you tell your younger self -- i love those books "letters to my younger self." we'll start here and work our way around. >> i think the younger self -- there's days i wish i came back as a millennial because i think there's so much to learn from them. i love their work-life balance. i love how the job is in between their two weekends, and you offer them time off. they'd rather that than a promotion at times. and i think the millennials have done a beautiful job. >> smart way to live, yeah. >> reinvention is an asset. it's not a detriment. so think about that with yourself and don't be so rigid in whatever it is that you're doing. learn about fluidity and flexibility and how it can work for you. >> great. i'd advise figure out early on what you love to do and what you're really good at doing, and i mean really good -- you'd beat anybody in the room. and figuring out what you can do to kind of maximize those things i think is advice i would have loved to have as a young person. >> ande. >> i would say just to be

present in the moment and have fun. i think, for me, i was very aggressive and a hard worker. i have a strong work ethic. and so for me, i would go back and say have a little fun and be in the present moment and just enjoy every second of it. >> you are my twin. ann. >> have the confidence to ask for the help and support along the way. as i reflect back on my very positive career, it would have been better if i didn't feel like i had to do it alone. >> and we'll end with you, donna. >> i think when i look back, i think of who i was when i was young, and i laugh because i knew everything then. and now i realize how much i didn't know. i would have been more thoughtful and more aggressive about finding mentors that would have directed me. i would have been more confident in my own ability to be a disrupter. it's fashionable now. i have finally lived into my moment. [ laughter ] >> and a reminder, when people think about mentors, it's not just the people in the structure ahead of you. it can be somebody in a different company. it can be somebody younger than

you are. think widely about it. we got to take another break, and then we'll come back for our third section. ♪ after 8 years of chris christie, is kim guadagno the change

new jersey really needs? guadagno is christie's hand-picked successor. says she's "proud to be part of the christie administration." guadagno was chris christie's right hand as our schools came under attack, critical services were underfunded, and our credit rating was downgraded...11 times. from the bridge to the beach, we've seen it all, and we've had enough. kim guadagno isn't the change we need.

>> "inside story" is presented by temple university. remarkable change isn't easy, but for those who take charge, it comes naturally. explore temple's impact. visit temple.edu/impact. >> and a reminder we have a lot of resources for you at 6abc.com/paconferenceforwomen. we've got our inspiring women digital series we've been doing, extra conversations and interviews with people. you can also see this show. if there's something you heard and you want to hear it again, go to 6abc.com/paconferenceforwomen. and we're going to wrap things up today with a bit of inspiration. sometimes you're so hard-charging. how do you keep up the mojo? how do you stay inspired? >> that's kind of an easy question for me because every day i'm out making rounds around the hospital, and sitting with patients and their families, hearing their stories and their

brave journey battling cancer, there's rarely a day that i'm not inspired to continue doing what i do. >> nia. >> mentoring young women, mentoring high-school students, college students, junior high-school students. i love it. every time i look in their faces, hear their questions, i know i have more work to do. >> carol. >> i'm inspired by friendships and family -- really, other women, other people in my life who have amazing stories to share. >> ande. >> i love being able to be of service to somebody and making a difference for them, making an impact in somebody else's life. that's really what inspires me and keeps me going. >> ann. >> it's bringing innovative medicines to patients. that's what gets me out of bed and motivated every day. >> and we'll end with you, donna. >> my 10-year-old grandson ciarán -- he shocks me with his innovative approach to life, and he makes me hopeful about that generation. and also, and i have said, the kids that we mentor. i've mentored dozens and dozens and am actively mentoring both women and men. i hope that they see me as someone who can add value to

their futuristic thinking, and i see in them the prospect of change for the future. and it inspires and comforts me. >> and for me, it's gratitude. i think back on the lives that my grandmothers lived. neither one of them could drive, and they spent their lives in the house. and the life i live -- they couldn't have imagined it. so i think, "how am i going to honor them every day?" and i appreciate the people out there who reach out and say, "you are a great part of my day." so thank you to all of you. you're part of my inspiration. that's it for "inside st >> i'm nydia han along with gray hall. >> eagles get ready to take on their long time rival, the giants in the season's home opener. >> but it comes as a feud escalates it went president and pro athletes. a south philadelphia warehouse is gutted by early-morning fire. those stories and more next on "action news." pauline notice.

paullism no.

pauline notice. >> afternoon it is sunday, september 24. >> here's a look at the stories we're following on "action news." the feud escalates between the president and pro athletes about kneeling during the national anthem. >> the hunt continues for two men who