1 00:00:20,030 --> 00:00:23,663 Welcome everyone, I'm Cara Duckworth, acting Chief 2 00:00:23,663 --> 00:00:28,334 Communications officer here at the United States Patent and 3 00:00:28,334 --> 00:00:30,410 Trademark Office or USPTO. 4 00:00:31,310 --> 00:00:35,570 I want to thank you for joining us today for the Women's 5 00:00:35,570 --> 00:00:39,120 Entrepreneurship Symposium. We are so excited to have you here 6 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:42,315 for the first of five discussions held every Wednesday 7 00:00:42,315 --> 00:00:43,735 in March celebrating Women's 8 00:00:43,735 --> 00:00:48,364 History Month. Starting with an important fireside chat with a 9 00:00:48,364 --> 00:00:52,522 key leader of the Department of Commerce to engaging panels on 10 00:00:52,522 --> 00:00:55,546 successful business strategies and creating a more inclusive 11 00:00:55,546 --> 00:00:58,948 environment for women to thrive. These programs will highlight 12 00:00:58,948 --> 00:01:01,972 women leaders, inventors, and entrepreneurs who will share 13 00:01:01,972 --> 00:01:05,752 their insights and experience with the goal of advancing the 14 00:01:05,752 --> 00:01:07,642 role of women in innovation. 15 00:01:08,470 --> 00:01:12,670 Before we start the program, a few housekeeping items, brief 16 00:01:12,670 --> 00:01:17,290 reminder that the agenda for today's program was even in the 17 00:01:17,290 --> 00:01:21,490 inbox of everyone who registered. But it could also be 18 00:01:21,490 --> 00:01:25,690 found at www.uspto.gov. During the panels we will be accepting 19 00:01:25,690 --> 00:01:30,310 questions by email at WES at uspto.gov. That's a lot of 20 00:01:30,310 --> 00:01:35,350 letters, so I'm going to repeat it. WES, at uspto.gov. We will 21 00:01:35,350 --> 00:01:38,710 do our best to get to all of 22 00:01:38,710 --> 00:01:42,550 your questions. At the end of each panel, if for any reason 23 00:01:42,550 --> 00:01:45,762 you get disconnected, you can log back into the program at 24 00:01:45,762 --> 00:01:49,266 anytime via the Webex link that brought you here. If you missed 25 00:01:49,266 --> 00:01:52,770 a portion of the program, don't worry, we will be posting the 26 00:01:52,770 --> 00:01:55,982 presentations online on our web page in the next few days. 27 00:01:56,780 --> 00:02:00,806 Now I would like to introduce Coke Stewart, who will be 28 00:02:00,806 --> 00:02:04,466 moderating our Fireside chat, advancing the role of women in 29 00:02:04,466 --> 00:02:07,394 the intellectual property ecosystem. But first, a little 30 00:02:07,394 --> 00:02:08,492 bit about Coke. 31 00:02:09,140 --> 00:02:13,240 Coke is currently performing the functions and duties of the 32 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,110 deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual 33 00:02:16,110 --> 00:02:20,620 Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO. As the number two 34 00:02:20,620 --> 00:02:25,540 person at the agency, she is involved in every aspect of our 35 00:02:25,540 --> 00:02:29,640 operations. A successful patent attorney Coke has served in many 36 00:02:29,640 --> 00:02:34,150 important roles at the USPTO. As senior policy advisor to the 37 00:02:34,150 --> 00:02:38,660 director as senior counsel for patent Law and litigation and as 38 00:02:38,660 --> 00:02:41,610 the acting. Deputy solicitor, among other impressive 39 00:02:41,610 --> 00:02:45,610 positions, Coke also does what many other successful women do. 40 00:02:45,610 --> 00:02:50,010 She gives back to the community. She volunteers with women in 41 00:02:50,010 --> 00:02:54,410 stem and she works with others within our organization to help 42 00:02:54,410 --> 00:02:58,410 them with their career progression and for all of us 43 00:02:58,410 --> 00:03:01,210 women. We understand and appreciate how important 44 00:03:01,210 --> 00:03:02,810 mentorship is in building 45 00:03:02,810 --> 00:03:07,380 confidence. She also happens to be a big Duke basketball fan, 46 00:03:07,380 --> 00:03:11,605 and for those of us who aren't, we won't hold that against her. 47 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:17,278 I am proud to introduce you to a very respected leader 48 00:03:17,278 --> 00:03:20,622 at our agency of 13,000 employees. Ladies and 49 00:03:20,622 --> 00:03:21,876 gentlemen. Coke Stewart. 50 00:03:25,190 --> 00:03:27,174 Yeah, it's a tough time to be a 51 00:03:27,174 --> 00:03:30,129 Duke basketball. 2 basketball fan. 52 00:03:31,670 --> 00:03:35,476 If anyone saw the game last night against Georgia Tech, it 53 00:03:35,476 --> 00:03:40,320 was not our best performance, but I am so happy to be here and 54 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:44,818 happy to be here with another ACC fan. And Wynn Coggins who I 55 00:03:44,818 --> 00:03:47,932 will introduce shortly just wanted to give some preliminary 56 00:03:47,932 --> 00:03:51,738 remarks. So excited to be joined today by so many inspiring 57 00:03:51,738 --> 00:03:54,506 colleagues, panelists and women entrepreneurs and from everyone 58 00:03:54,506 --> 00:03:59,004 at the USPTO I just want to extend a warm welcome to all of 59 00:03:59,004 --> 00:04:02,118 you. Our panel this afternoon. Officially launches are series 60 00:04:02,118 --> 00:04:05,924 of month long events. In honor of Women's History Month and 61 00:04:05,924 --> 00:04:09,680 women. Preneurs, And I encourage all of you to participate in as 62 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:13,740 many of them as possible and you can find out more about them on 63 00:04:13,740 --> 00:04:15,190 our social media pages among 64 00:04:15,190 --> 00:04:20,214 other places. 11 years ago the USPTO launched the first 65 00:04:20,214 --> 00:04:23,056 Women's Entrepreneurship Symposium and the event really 66 00:04:23,056 --> 00:04:26,304 signaled the agency's commitment to promoting women entrepreneurs 67 00:04:26,304 --> 00:04:29,552 and spearheading initiatives that are pivotal to expanding 68 00:04:29,552 --> 00:04:31,988 the presence of women in the 69 00:04:31,988 --> 00:04:36,350 innovation ecosystem. An it's an issue we've long been studying. 70 00:04:36,350 --> 00:04:40,255 As some of you may be aware, we've issued some reports 71 00:04:40,255 --> 00:04:44,160 recently on women, an invention on the most recent one was 72 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:47,355 called progress and potential 2020 update on women Inventor 73 00:04:47,355 --> 00:04:51,615 Path patentees and I thought you might be interested in some of 74 00:04:51,615 --> 00:04:55,520 the key findings. First of all, more women are entering the 75 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:59,425 patent system than ever before, so that's great patents for the 76 00:04:59,425 --> 00:05:02,975 least one woman inventor accounted for about 20% of the 77 00:05:02,975 --> 00:05:07,186 patents. About five years ago, and that percentage has been 78 00:05:07,186 --> 00:05:12,048 going up to closer to 22% these days, and the number of women 79 00:05:12,048 --> 00:05:16,162 among all US inventor patentees grew from about 12% five years 80 00:05:16,162 --> 00:05:18,780 ago. It took close to 13% today. 81 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:24,054 And women are staying engaged in patenting. So about half of 82 00:05:24,054 --> 00:05:27,240 women who did file patent applications filed again within 83 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:31,842 five years. So I know when you hear these numbers 12% and 20%, 84 00:05:31,842 --> 00:05:36,798 it doesn't sound as high as we would like them to be. But when 85 00:05:36,798 --> 00:05:39,984 you consider the hundreds and thousands of patent applications 86 00:05:39,984 --> 00:05:43,878 filed each year and the millions of patents and circulation, even 87 00:05:43,878 --> 00:05:47,418 small shifts in these numbers represent the work of thousands 88 00:05:47,418 --> 00:05:50,958 and thousands of new female inventors. So it is very 89 00:05:50,958 --> 00:05:55,660 exciting. Shifting gears, I'm pleased to note that the USPTO 90 00:05:55,660 --> 00:05:59,360 is an employer is also made great progress and supporting 91 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:03,060 women in STEM careers. For example, while women in the 92 00:06:03,060 --> 00:06:07,500 United States hold about 25% of staff jobs, women here at the 93 00:06:07,500 --> 00:06:11,570 USPTO hold about 32% of those jobs. And while nationally only 94 00:06:11,570 --> 00:06:15,270 about 25% of women, are senior executives in corporations in 95 00:06:15,270 --> 00:06:19,340 about 20% depending on the measure of women are partners in 96 00:06:19,340 --> 00:06:21,930 law firms at the USPTO women 97 00:06:21,930 --> 00:06:25,624 represent. 34% of our senior executives, an women, hold many 98 00:06:25,624 --> 00:06:29,540 of our most senior executive positions in the agency. Many of 99 00:06:29,540 --> 00:06:34,168 them are tuned in today, so I wanted to identify some of them 100 00:06:34,168 --> 00:06:38,084 for you because there are great resources for you within an 101 00:06:38,084 --> 00:06:39,152 outside, the agency. 102 00:06:40,150 --> 00:06:44,934 So some of them are DDS, Decker or acting Chief of Staff Mary 103 00:06:44,934 --> 00:06:46,406 Carthoris, our Chief Policy 104 00:06:46,406 --> 00:06:51,010 Officer. Turn faired or deputy Chief Policy Officer, Valencia 105 00:06:51,010 --> 00:06:55,105 Martin Wallace and Robin Evans, deputy commissioners from Alton, 106 00:06:55,105 --> 00:06:59,200 or deputy Director of Government Affairs Jackie Bonier, deputy 107 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:04,205 chief judge at the PTAB, Debbie Stevens, our Chief Information 108 00:07:04,205 --> 00:07:07,845 Officer, Ann Mendez, our Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Amy 109 00:07:07,845 --> 00:07:11,030 Cotton are acting Deputy Commissioner for Trademark 110 00:07:11,030 --> 00:07:15,580 examination policy and someone you just met. Our new corporate 111 00:07:15,580 --> 00:07:16,945 communications officer, Cara 112 00:07:16,945 --> 00:07:22,540 Duckworth. I also wanted to highlight that three of our five 113 00:07:22,540 --> 00:07:26,890 regional offices are led by women, Hope Shimabuku 114 00:07:26,890 --> 00:07:31,240 in Dallas, Molly Kocialski, in Denver and Elizabeth Dougherty 115 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:34,720 Eastern Regional outreach director here in Alexandria, and 116 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:36,460 you'll hear from both. 117 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:41,384 Elizabeth and Molly today. So I want to commend all these women 118 00:07:41,384 --> 00:07:45,608 who are part of our USPTO executive team in our building. 119 00:07:45,608 --> 00:07:47,720 It even stronger USPTO for the 120 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:52,350 future. And this is a perfect transition to our guest 121 00:07:52,350 --> 00:07:54,005 Wynn Coggins, who I'm delighted to 122 00:07:54,005 --> 00:07:58,299 introduce this afternoon. Wynn has over 30 years of federal 123 00:07:58,299 --> 00:08:03,200 service, most of it spent on our very own USPTO. As you know, 124 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:06,216 when was most recently our Deputy Chief Administrative 125 00:08:06,216 --> 00:08:09,986 Officer and work very closely with our former Deputy Director 126 00:08:09,986 --> 00:08:12,248 Laura Peter as Our Chief of 127 00:08:12,248 --> 00:08:16,938 staff. When recently left the USPTO to become the deputy 128 00:08:16,938 --> 00:08:19,914 Assistant Secretary for Administration or Dosa as it's 129 00:08:19,914 --> 00:08:24,006 called in the Department of Commerce and for those who may 130 00:08:24,006 --> 00:08:28,470 not know the DASA is the most senior executive in the entire 131 00:08:28,470 --> 00:08:33,110 Department. So during the transition, Wynn was a natural 132 00:08:33,110 --> 00:08:38,330 pick? Two dental person to be picked to serve to head the 133 00:08:38,330 --> 00:08:43,115 Department, and in that role she was overseeing €12.00, a budget 134 00:08:43,115 --> 00:08:45,725 of almost $9 billion, an almost 135 00:08:45,725 --> 00:08:50,824 50,000 employees. And as you may have heard this today, Governor 136 00:08:50,824 --> 00:08:53,596 Raimondo was sworn in as the new. 137 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:57,264 Permanent Secretary of the Department of Commerce. So I 138 00:08:57,264 --> 00:09:00,624 am sure she will be very grateful to everything when 139 00:09:00,624 --> 00:09:03,312 has done to lead the Department during this 140 00:09:03,312 --> 00:09:03,648 transition. 141 00:09:05,220 --> 00:09:08,265 Wynn is an accomplished executive an administrator 142 00:09:08,265 --> 00:09:12,180 and based on my odds observation, she's also a 143 00:09:12,180 --> 00:09:15,225 devoted mother, an interior designer, a landscape 144 00:09:15,225 --> 00:09:17,835 architect. And has many other skills. 145 00:09:19,270 --> 00:09:23,030 Which is just a testament to versatility in our numerous 146 00:09:23,030 --> 00:09:24,534 strengths, within and outside 147 00:09:24,534 --> 00:09:28,812 the workplace. So simply said,Wynn is the superstar, she's the 148 00:09:28,812 --> 00:09:32,092 perfect person to kick off today's events. So Wynn thank 149 00:09:32,092 --> 00:09:36,028 you for joining us today, I hope you're ready for some tough 150 00:09:36,028 --> 00:09:39,308 questions. Everyone wants to get some advice from you today. 151 00:09:40,870 --> 00:09:43,086 Glad that we're able to connect. Hi everybody. 152 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:49,052 So today the pretty exciting day over at the Department, Wynn it 153 00:09:49,052 --> 00:09:52,362 is, it's very exciting and you mentioned that yes, Governor 154 00:09:52,362 --> 00:09:56,003 Raimondo is now the Secretary of Commerce. I actually had the 155 00:09:56,003 --> 00:09:59,644 great honor of swearing her in just now, so just wow. 156 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:02,748 Incredible. Just really incredible. I I felt very. I 157 00:10:02,748 --> 00:10:05,960 felt very honored to have that opportunity an she is simply 158 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,880 amazing. Everyone on this call is going to really enjoy 159 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:11,800 getting to know her and see her in action. She's 160 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:12,092 fantastic. 161 00:10:13,610 --> 00:10:15,808 Yes, her biography is incredible. I encourage 162 00:10:15,808 --> 00:10:19,576 everyone to look her up and it it'll. It'll blow you right 163 00:10:19,576 --> 00:10:23,344 out of your chair when you read about her and we're so 164 00:10:23,344 --> 00:10:26,484 excited to have her and to have another strong female 165 00:10:26,484 --> 00:10:26,798 leader. 166 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:30,900 Department absolutely, 167 00:10:30,900 --> 00:10:35,288 absolutely. So Wynn let's jump right in. 168 00:10:37,460 --> 00:10:42,395 So one of the things I wanted to ask you about is when you were 169 00:10:42,395 --> 00:10:46,014 at the USPTO you were looking for ways to expand the 170 00:10:46,014 --> 00:10:48,646 participation of women in leadership roles. And you 171 00:10:48,646 --> 00:10:52,265 cofounded USPTO's network of executive women. So I wanted to 172 00:10:52,265 --> 00:10:56,542 ask you a little bit about that. Why you established it, and you 173 00:10:56,542 --> 00:10:58,187 know what, if anything, you 174 00:10:58,187 --> 00:11:01,593 learned about. Pulling this group together. Sure no, I'd 175 00:11:01,593 --> 00:11:05,919 love to talk about that. So this was in 2015 and Coke you 176 00:11:05,919 --> 00:11:09,936 know when I think many on this call know we were celebrating a 177 00:11:09,936 --> 00:11:13,026 very historic event. Michelle Lee had just become the first 178 00:11:13,026 --> 00:11:16,734 woman to be confirmed as the USPTOs director and an Under 179 00:11:16,734 --> 00:11:18,897 Secretary Commercial Property. So that was huge. 180 00:11:20,300 --> 00:11:23,919 And I was sitting. I remember sitting in a senior management 181 00:11:23,919 --> 00:11:27,538 meeting shortly thereafter and I kind of looked around and I 182 00:11:27,538 --> 00:11:31,486 realized to your earlier point just how many women that we at 183 00:11:31,486 --> 00:11:34,447 the USPTO had in leadership roles that were represented 184 00:11:34,447 --> 00:11:36,092 right there in that meeting 185 00:11:36,092 --> 00:11:40,710 around the table. And I kind of I left that meeting got involved 186 00:11:40,710 --> 00:11:44,675 in something else, but but went back later and I did a little 187 00:11:44,675 --> 00:11:48,640 digging an I found that at the time, looking at the data that 188 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:51,995 again to you earlier point women represented over 30% of our 189 00:11:51,995 --> 00:11:56,628 senior executives. And even though 30% may not seem like a 190 00:11:56,628 --> 00:11:57,744 very high number. 191 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:02,970 As we did kind of more investigation, we realized just 192 00:12:02,970 --> 00:12:07,350 how far ahead we were, even at that 30% number. When you 193 00:12:07,350 --> 00:12:10,270 compare that other industries you know, especially the 194 00:12:10,270 --> 00:12:14,650 technical industries and the law firms. So I think you know that 195 00:12:14,650 --> 00:12:19,030 was a lightning strike where we realize just how much the USPTO 196 00:12:19,030 --> 00:12:22,680 truly was blazing a trail for women in executive leadership 197 00:12:22,680 --> 00:12:27,505 positions. So I had a very good friend at the time and I still 198 00:12:27,505 --> 00:12:30,805 do. And admittedly she was my partner in crime. Alot of things 199 00:12:30,805 --> 00:12:35,205 and I think a lot of you on this call know her well. It was Sarah 200 00:12:35,205 --> 00:12:38,505 Harris. She was then General Counsel and Sarah and I were 201 00:12:38,505 --> 00:12:42,080 having lunch one day and I said hey we need to celebrate this 202 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:43,730 somehow. What do you think? What 203 00:12:43,730 --> 00:12:47,184 should we do? And Sarah, being Sarah, naturally said, let's 204 00:12:47,184 --> 00:12:50,720 have a party, and which is a great idea because I knew that 205 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:53,712 she was thinking about the value of networking, which is truly 206 00:12:53,712 --> 00:12:57,792 it's it's it's. It's a great tool to be able to, to to use in 207 00:12:57,792 --> 00:12:58,880 these kinds of situations. 208 00:12:59,700 --> 00:13:02,832 But the more I thought about it, the more I realize the 209 00:13:02,832 --> 00:13:04,920 importance of doing something formal and building something 210 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:06,225 that potentially could have a 211 00:13:06,225 --> 00:13:11,008 lasting impact. And I also knew that a lot of us and I think a 212 00:13:11,008 --> 00:13:14,596 lot of us on the on this call still in these executives jobs. 213 00:13:14,596 --> 00:13:17,080 We just don't have natural network. Sometimes at these 214 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:20,928 levels. And I know that we needed a place to kind of come 215 00:13:20,928 --> 00:13:23,502 together to share stories to connect to. You know, get some 216 00:13:23,502 --> 00:13:26,076 informal advice on things we're dealing with. And I also knew 217 00:13:26,076 --> 00:13:29,118 that we could do a better job bringing up those behind us and 218 00:13:29,118 --> 00:13:33,092 being mentors. So I said, hey, your party is a great idea, but 219 00:13:33,092 --> 00:13:34,604 what do you think about starting 220 00:13:34,604 --> 00:13:37,738 an affinity group? And that's what we did. And we also 221 00:13:37,738 --> 00:13:40,902 actually been had a party to kick it off, so we were able to 222 00:13:40,902 --> 00:13:43,840 do both. And I have to say we work with Bismarck Myrick and 223 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:46,100 his group and they were phenomenal and helping us sort 224 00:13:46,100 --> 00:13:48,812 of navigate the hoops we have to jump through to get the 225 00:13:48,812 --> 00:13:51,976 group started and it was it was it was, I think a success for 226 00:13:51,976 --> 00:13:55,140 what it was made for, what it was intended to be and I hope 227 00:13:55,140 --> 00:13:57,852 it's still thriving because that was. That was a lot of fun 228 00:13:57,852 --> 00:14:00,564 to do and in the intent was to have a lasting impact. 229 00:14:01,930 --> 00:14:05,010 That's amazing, I mean, I just learned in this process that 230 00:14:05,010 --> 00:14:08,090 you would help start that. So thank you on behalf of 231 00:14:08,090 --> 00:14:11,170 everyone here at USPTO for getting that off the ground 232 00:14:11,170 --> 00:14:11,450 Wynn. 233 00:14:12,910 --> 00:14:17,754 The next thing I wanted to ask you about was just kind of an 234 00:14:17,754 --> 00:14:21,560 issue of mentoring. And of course we have a very strong 235 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:25,366 mentoring program at the USPTO, but I was interested in your 236 00:14:25,366 --> 00:14:29,172 telling us a little bit about mentors that you've had. Who 237 00:14:29,172 --> 00:14:32,632 helped shape your leadership style, and if there's any kind 238 00:14:32,632 --> 00:14:36,438 of lessons learned or maybe career advice that you can give 239 00:14:36,438 --> 00:14:38,514 from them. I mean, I can't. 240 00:14:39,100 --> 00:14:42,976 It's just so hard for folks to understand what your life must 241 00:14:42,976 --> 00:14:46,529 have been like over the past few months. Running this whole 242 00:14:46,529 --> 00:14:50,405 agency. Obviously you've got the same amount of time in the day 243 00:14:50,405 --> 00:14:54,604 as we all do, and just how you manage time and and what. 244 00:14:55,230 --> 00:14:59,403 All the advice of your career and how it may be impacted your 245 00:14:59,403 --> 00:15:01,008 roll over the past recent 246 00:15:01,008 --> 00:15:04,950 months. Absolute no happy happy to jump in and talk a little bit 247 00:15:04,950 --> 00:15:08,265 about that. So first I'm just so very grateful to the many, many 248 00:15:08,265 --> 00:15:11,070 mentors that I've had throughout my career and also my personal 249 00:15:11,070 --> 00:15:13,875 life. Because if you think about it, career often has that 250 00:15:13,875 --> 00:15:16,170 inflection point into personal life sometimes. And sometimes we 251 00:15:16,170 --> 00:15:19,230 give too much to career. Not enough personal life, and then I 252 00:15:19,230 --> 00:15:22,290 get that a balance. So we have to be really careful about 253 00:15:22,290 --> 00:15:25,095 making sure that that balances is constantly being kind of viewed 254 00:15:25,095 --> 00:15:28,155 corrected when we can. But let me share something Coke with you 255 00:15:28,155 --> 00:15:30,705 and something that might be surprising to the group. I've 256 00:15:30,705 --> 00:15:31,980 had a lot of mentors. 257 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:36,633 And we didn't always get along an we didn't always agree. 258 00:15:37,210 --> 00:15:41,461 So if you think about that for a minute and think about just 259 00:15:41,461 --> 00:15:45,058 how easy it is to naturally gravitate those that think and 260 00:15:45,058 --> 00:15:47,674 act like you do because it's so reaffirming. 261 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:51,758 That can be really tricky, right? 262 00:15:53,180 --> 00:15:57,604 The one thing that really shaped me as a leader and that I found 263 00:15:57,604 --> 00:16:01,396 to be just so instrumental into what I'm doing now really is 264 00:16:01,396 --> 00:16:04,556 just gravitating towards people and pushing myself outside that 265 00:16:04,556 --> 00:16:08,032 comfort zone to really find folks that were different than I 266 00:16:08,032 --> 00:16:11,824 am. So really, its diversity. I think that has really helped me 267 00:16:11,824 --> 00:16:15,616 and you know, really, having the ability to reach out beyond your 268 00:16:15,616 --> 00:16:18,776 comfort level and realize that there are other opinions outside 269 00:16:18,776 --> 00:16:22,884 your own area that there are other ways to look at and solve 270 00:16:22,884 --> 00:16:26,950 the problem. But there are other ways to react and make decisions 271 00:16:26,950 --> 00:16:30,934 that all really helped show me the value of being inclusive of 272 00:16:30,934 --> 00:16:33,922 being open to feedback. Honestly, feedback that you may 273 00:16:33,922 --> 00:16:38,238 not like or you may not agree with and really just being open 274 00:16:38,238 --> 00:16:41,558 to kind of new and just different ways of thinking. 275 00:16:42,380 --> 00:16:46,175 And all of this really helped me tremendously, and building not 276 00:16:46,175 --> 00:16:49,970 only a more holistic way of thinking, but also, you know, 277 00:16:49,970 --> 00:16:51,350 improve my self awareness. 278 00:16:51,900 --> 00:16:56,410 Which I think is the number one quality that most successful 279 00:16:56,410 --> 00:17:00,100 leaders have. Is that just finely tuned self awareness. 280 00:17:00,850 --> 00:17:04,503 And I can tell you this based on my experience. It's also the 281 00:17:04,503 --> 00:17:07,032 number one quality lacking in leaders that haven't been 282 00:17:07,032 --> 00:17:09,561 successful unfortunately. So when it comes to mentors, when 283 00:17:09,561 --> 00:17:13,495 it when it when it comes to this kind of thing. My advice is 284 00:17:13,495 --> 00:17:16,024 this. Surround yourself with mentors who frankly, don't think 285 00:17:16,024 --> 00:17:19,677 like you do. They don't react and don't act like you do that. 286 00:17:19,677 --> 00:17:22,206 Don't come from the same background that haven't had 287 00:17:22,206 --> 00:17:25,578 those same experiences and at work look at the world just a 288 00:17:25,578 --> 00:17:29,124 little bit differently. Because you know it well, it's not easy. 289 00:17:29,124 --> 00:17:32,153 It's going to push you and it's really going to help you grow. 290 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:37,686 So I wanted to ask a follow up practical question on that Wynn 291 00:17:37,686 --> 00:17:41,008 which is and I know I myself have struggled with it 292 00:17:41,008 --> 00:17:46,413 sometimes. How do you implement this? Yeah, I mean, if you're a 293 00:17:46,413 --> 00:17:51,522 mom and you've got kids now we're in a pandemic. Do you set 294 00:17:51,522 --> 00:17:55,845 up regular copies? Or how do you keep that mentoring networking 295 00:17:57,080 --> 00:18:00,320 cadence going with your with this group that you've 296 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:04,142 assembled. So the one thing I know Coke, did you know about 297 00:18:04,142 --> 00:18:07,166 me? And most probably others do too at this point is I'm 298 00:18:07,166 --> 00:18:09,686 not very shy so I don't struggle. I don't struggle 299 00:18:09,686 --> 00:18:12,206 with with reaching out to folks. What would I have 300 00:18:12,206 --> 00:18:14,978 struggled a little bit with is just making sure that I'm 301 00:18:14,978 --> 00:18:17,750 not putting people on the spot or that I'm not being 302 00:18:17,750 --> 00:18:20,270 too aggressive or then I'm being very mindful of what 303 00:18:20,270 --> 00:18:22,790 they're comfortable with, so you know that kind of goes 304 00:18:22,790 --> 00:18:23,798 back to self awareness. 305 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:28,800 The other thing I think people need to maybe re adjust their 306 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:32,100 thinking a little bit on what they think of as mentorship, 307 00:18:32,100 --> 00:18:35,100 because for mentorship it's not always you know, grabbing 308 00:18:35,100 --> 00:18:38,100 somebody for coffee, although that helps you know it's not 309 00:18:38,100 --> 00:18:40,800 always actively trying to get time on their calendar. 310 00:18:41,420 --> 00:18:43,195 Mentorship is also watching and 311 00:18:43,195 --> 00:18:47,769 learning. So you know if you're in a meeting with someone and 312 00:18:47,769 --> 00:18:51,278 you're maybe they don't, they're not coming across on the issue 313 00:18:51,278 --> 00:18:54,787 that you might be more open to their viewpoint. Try to 314 00:18:54,787 --> 00:18:57,658 understand where they're coming from, because that sort of 315 00:18:57,658 --> 00:19:01,486 passive mentorship can really inform you if you let it on, 316 00:19:01,486 --> 00:19:04,676 then how you would might react and another similar situation. 317 00:19:04,676 --> 00:19:09,142 So it's not always those one on one Sit down. You know what I 318 00:19:09,142 --> 00:19:12,332 think many people think of his mentorship, and those feedback 319 00:19:12,332 --> 00:19:14,884 sessions. It's also about watching people work, watching 320 00:19:14,884 --> 00:19:17,606 people navigate. Watching people on their feet listening, 321 00:19:17,606 --> 00:19:20,360 you know, really finely tuned that listening skill because 322 00:19:20,360 --> 00:19:23,726 sometimes if someone is not reacting the way that you would 323 00:19:23,726 --> 00:19:27,398 not responding in a way that you would. You took you tune 324 00:19:27,398 --> 00:19:31,070 that out. You naturally just doing that out. So you want to 325 00:19:31,070 --> 00:19:34,742 keep your ears open to that because that's sort of a passes 326 00:19:34,742 --> 00:19:37,802 mentorship action that you can take really without, you know, 327 00:19:37,802 --> 00:19:39,944 putting any any time constraint. The other 328 00:19:39,944 --> 00:19:42,392 individual you just actively learning and you're actively. 329 00:19:42,392 --> 00:19:45,146 You're actually taking in information about how to do 330 00:19:45,146 --> 00:19:47,288 things may be a little bit differently. 331 00:19:49,710 --> 00:19:53,259 Having said that, there's one on ones are great if you can. You 332 00:19:53,259 --> 00:19:56,262 know, I have often approached somebody and and ask them to, 333 00:19:56,262 --> 00:19:59,811 you know, have coffee make time. Can I grab a few minutes in 334 00:19:59,811 --> 00:20:02,028 between? Meetings if something happens during a meeting. 335 00:20:02,028 --> 00:20:04,932 Sometimes I'll follow up with them and say, hey, that was 336 00:20:04,932 --> 00:20:07,836 interesting. Can you follow up and share with me your thought 337 00:20:07,836 --> 00:20:11,268 process there and you know most folks that are that are in this 338 00:20:11,268 --> 00:20:14,436 and in it for all the right reasons. You know they really 339 00:20:14,436 --> 00:20:17,604 want to, you know, pay that forward so you know they'll make 340 00:20:17,604 --> 00:20:20,772 time for you. Absolutely, you know they'll find a way to to 341 00:20:20,772 --> 00:20:24,204 bring you in, and I'll talk about that a little bit. But I 342 00:20:24,204 --> 00:20:27,372 see mentorship is a two way activity, right? It you are just 343 00:20:27,372 --> 00:20:30,276 as responsible for mentorship as the career as the employee 344 00:20:30,276 --> 00:20:31,332 trying to be mentored. 345 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:33,407 As the mentor who needs to give 346 00:20:33,407 --> 00:20:35,570 back. So yeah. 347 00:20:36,980 --> 00:20:37,350 Thanks. 348 00:20:38,940 --> 00:20:43,450 So shifting gears for a minute , Wynn you know with this 349 00:20:43,450 --> 00:20:46,730 entrepreneurship Summit and our National Council for expanding 350 00:20:46,730 --> 00:20:51,240 innovation, we're really trying to focus on how to get more 351 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:55,340 women and young girls into fields like stem where. There may 352 00:20:55,340 --> 00:20:58,210 be under represented and obviously leadership positions, 353 00:20:58,210 --> 00:21:03,540 so having spent time at USPTO now having spent time in the 354 00:21:03,540 --> 00:21:08,050 Department, what do you think we as government agencies, can do 355 00:21:08,050 --> 00:21:11,566 to encourage? More women and girls in these areas. 356 00:21:12,940 --> 00:21:15,748 So I think that there's more that we can do is agencies, but 357 00:21:15,748 --> 00:21:18,340 also more that we can do with individuals, right? So it's kind 358 00:21:18,340 --> 00:21:21,364 of like a little bit of a two part question, so I think number 359 00:21:21,364 --> 00:21:23,740 one you've got to generate that spark of interest early, and 360 00:21:23,740 --> 00:21:26,116 then you've got to keep it burning brightly so you know. 361 00:21:26,116 --> 00:21:27,628 And so how do you do that? 362 00:21:28,190 --> 00:21:31,526 So I think all of us on this call can collectively just 363 00:21:31,526 --> 00:21:34,306 simply start with being good role models and leaning in 364 00:21:34,306 --> 00:21:36,808 when we see opportunities be proactive. I would say 365 00:21:36,808 --> 00:21:39,588 individually we need to do a better job developing an 366 00:21:39,588 --> 00:21:42,368 encouraging those that are coming up behind us. You know 367 00:21:42,368 --> 00:21:45,148 that that goes to that, lifting each other up to 368 00:21:45,148 --> 00:21:45,982 pushing people forward. 369 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:49,376 Servant leadership saying. Take an active interest you 370 00:21:49,376 --> 00:21:53,044 know. Offer to be a mentor. If you see someone that could use a 371 00:21:53,044 --> 00:21:55,926 little help, you know. Create career details. If you have that 372 00:21:55,926 --> 00:21:58,808 ability to do that. But I think fundamentally it's just taking 373 00:21:58,808 --> 00:22:02,214 the time to spend it with others and just trying to help them. 374 00:22:02,810 --> 00:22:06,528 I would say that you know, open yourself up and invite others in 375 00:22:06,528 --> 00:22:09,960 that that that can be that can be a little daunting sometimes, 376 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:13,106 and while it might seem simple, the and I found this 377 00:22:13,106 --> 00:22:16,252 particularly in the past. You know two months or so, the 378 00:22:16,252 --> 00:22:20,256 busier we get simply, the harder it is to make the time. You know 379 00:22:20,256 --> 00:22:24,260 that's just that's just you just run out of time in the day that 380 00:22:24,260 --> 00:22:27,406 is my biggest challenge right now. Just you know, finding the 381 00:22:27,406 --> 00:22:30,552 time to meet regularly with my employees and then anyone else 382 00:22:30,552 --> 00:22:32,268 that might that might reach out 383 00:22:32,268 --> 00:22:36,730 and connect. But it's just so important and many of us truly 384 00:22:36,730 --> 00:22:40,594 don't recognize just how much of a positive influence we can have 385 00:22:40,594 --> 00:22:42,848 if we just simply make the time. 386 00:22:43,650 --> 00:22:47,394 Um, I think as an organization, if you can and have the 387 00:22:47,394 --> 00:22:50,514 opportunity you know, reach out, work with schools, work with 388 00:22:50,514 --> 00:22:53,322 educational institutions. There's a lot we can do to 389 00:22:53,322 --> 00:22:55,818 develop partnerships to design educational materials to design 390 00:22:55,818 --> 00:22:58,938 training materials, to offer internships and other USPTO It 391 00:22:58,938 --> 00:23:02,370 just has just done such a wonderful job in that space. 392 00:23:03,390 --> 00:23:06,811 So in my mind it really starts with early engagement, right? 393 00:23:06,811 --> 00:23:09,921 To generate that interest and then the constant care and 394 00:23:09,921 --> 00:23:12,720 feeding to grow and develop that interest, which would 395 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:15,519 hopefully lead to increased numbers of women and girls 396 00:23:15,519 --> 00:23:17,074 getting into these underrepresented areas. 397 00:23:19,130 --> 00:23:23,121 Yeah, I know a great thing that we see a government to when 398 00:23:23,121 --> 00:23:27,112 it's just that we can put on programs like this and they are 399 00:23:27,112 --> 00:23:30,796 free. You know it's part of our mission and I've attended so 400 00:23:30,796 --> 00:23:32,945 many great programs on women, entrepreneurship and 401 00:23:32,945 --> 00:23:36,629 leadership, but a lot of them are very expensive and I just 402 00:23:36,629 --> 00:23:40,313 think it's great that we're in a position to put on these. 403 00:23:40,313 --> 00:23:43,997 And, you know, in a virtual environment we can have so many 404 00:23:43,997 --> 00:23:46,146 people come in and watch and listen. 405 00:23:48,050 --> 00:23:51,902 So another thing I wanted to ask you turns back a little 406 00:23:51,902 --> 00:23:53,507 bit to your background Wynn. 407 00:23:55,120 --> 00:23:58,970 You've had over 30 years an federal government. You've had 408 00:23:58,970 --> 00:24:01,665 oversight for human resources, information technology, talent 409 00:24:01,665 --> 00:24:05,515 acquisition. What advice can you give to women entrepreneurs in 410 00:24:05,515 --> 00:24:09,365 the audience today about federal resources available to them and 411 00:24:09,365 --> 00:24:13,600 what have you learned that would be informative and valuable for 412 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:17,835 them as women Entrepreneurs ? well Coke, first I want to thank 413 00:24:17,835 --> 00:24:23,225 you so very much for reminding me of just how old I am. So 414 00:24:23,225 --> 00:24:24,765 thank you for that. 415 00:24:25,790 --> 00:24:29,050 Well, because you started when you were 18 righ? exactly 416 00:24:29,050 --> 00:24:32,310 right. Yeah, child prodigy. Absolutely so let me start by 417 00:24:32,310 --> 00:24:35,570 separating out the federal resources. Sort of part of the 418 00:24:35,570 --> 00:24:39,156 equation from the what I have learned, part of the equation 419 00:24:39,156 --> 00:24:43,720 because I think that the what I have learnt part might be just a 420 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:46,654 little more valuable for this audience. But certainly I'll 421 00:24:46,654 --> 00:24:50,566 just. I'll just dive in on the federal resources part. So my 422 00:24:50,566 --> 00:24:53,174 advice when it comes to understanding our federal 423 00:24:53,174 --> 00:24:56,108 resources is to 1st understand truly how government works. 424 00:24:56,530 --> 00:25:00,732 That's important. You need to understand the rules of the laws 425 00:25:00,732 --> 00:25:03,036 and the regulations around innovation. You know whether 426 00:25:03,036 --> 00:25:06,780 that innovation is a new product or a new business idea. You need 427 00:25:06,780 --> 00:25:08,220 to first really understand the 428 00:25:08,220 --> 00:25:11,430 constraints. So that you can understand the opportunities 429 00:25:11,430 --> 00:25:15,030 right and getting a patent is a great example. It's a 430 00:25:15,030 --> 00:25:18,030 complicated process, but if you do your homework and you 431 00:25:18,030 --> 00:25:20,730 understand the process, it really makes so much easier. 432 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:25,252 So I think second is an entrepreneur. You really need to 433 00:25:25,252 --> 00:25:26,712 understand the space that you're 434 00:25:26,712 --> 00:25:31,505 working on. Not only do you need to be the subject matter expert 435 00:25:31,505 --> 00:25:34,860 on whatever it is you're innovating, but you also need to 436 00:25:34,860 --> 00:25:38,508 understand your competition. And you need to know that 437 00:25:38,508 --> 00:25:41,100 entrepreneurial community and that's, I think with the federal 438 00:25:41,100 --> 00:25:43,980 resources. Come in, there were just so many wonderful federal 439 00:25:43,980 --> 00:25:46,572 small business resources that are available to grant programs 440 00:25:46,572 --> 00:25:48,588 through training through counseling and coaching through 441 00:25:48,588 --> 00:25:51,468 loans that are geared to giving entrepreneurs a boost. There's 442 00:25:51,468 --> 00:25:55,500 so much out there, but you need to know where to find him, and 443 00:25:55,500 --> 00:25:57,516 that can be a little bit tricky. 444 00:25:58,170 --> 00:26:00,950 So certainly the Department of Commerce is a great resource. 445 00:26:00,950 --> 00:26:02,896 The Small Business Administration is a great 446 00:26:02,896 --> 00:26:05,676 resource. the US Chamber of Commerce. Those are all just 447 00:26:05,676 --> 00:26:07,900 examples of organizations that have these federal programs 448 00:26:07,900 --> 00:26:10,680 available to entrepreneurs. But you need to know how to 449 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:14,016 get there. So my advice is scuse me first to do your 450 00:26:14,016 --> 00:26:16,518 homework and to network. That's this is very, very 451 00:26:16,518 --> 00:26:19,020 important. Fine folks that have been there before. You 452 00:26:19,020 --> 00:26:22,356 have been find out what worked for them and what didn't work 453 00:26:22,356 --> 00:26:25,136 for them. You know you gotta put yourself out there. 454 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:32,520 So you also asked what did I learn? So as I think about the 455 00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:34,320 the what I've learned, part of 456 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:38,410 the question. I think to do truly let's let's let's kind of 457 00:26:38,410 --> 00:26:40,706 separate out the entrepreneurship part of it and 458 00:26:40,706 --> 00:26:43,576 just think about anything that we're trying to achieve as 459 00:26:43,576 --> 00:26:47,308 women. And I think to be successful really in anything 460 00:26:47,308 --> 00:26:49,846 that we chase after. I think that fundamentally in 461 00:26:49,846 --> 00:26:52,384 foundationally that we as women we really need to 462 00:26:52,384 --> 00:26:55,204 believe in ourselves and our values and truly know what 463 00:26:55,204 --> 00:26:58,306 we're bringing to the table and be confident in that, you 464 00:26:58,306 --> 00:27:00,844 know, be passionate about whatever it is that you're 465 00:27:00,844 --> 00:27:04,228 pursuing. And don't be afraid to ask for help. You know, I 466 00:27:04,228 --> 00:27:07,330 find this to be something is interesting to me, and I've 467 00:27:07,330 --> 00:27:10,714 studied this alot. You know, sort of in my 30 years in 468 00:27:10,714 --> 00:27:10,996 government. 469 00:27:12,060 --> 00:27:14,403 Some really see this is a weakness, but I actually see 470 00:27:14,403 --> 00:27:17,172 asking for help is a strength 'cause it takes a lot of courage 471 00:27:17,172 --> 00:27:19,728 to do that, and it's not natural for a lot of us. 472 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:23,796 The failure, I think, and I've seen this is actually when we 473 00:27:23,796 --> 00:27:26,253 try to push through on something, knowing that we 474 00:27:26,253 --> 00:27:29,256 either don't have all the information or we think we can 475 00:27:29,256 --> 00:27:32,805 just do it on our own and it falls apart. You know, we 476 00:27:32,805 --> 00:27:34,989 failed, the program fails, the project fails, missed 477 00:27:34,989 --> 00:27:40,032 deadline. I can tell you this, I am rarely the smartest person in 478 00:27:40,032 --> 00:27:41,356 the room on anything. 479 00:27:42,190 --> 00:27:45,479 But maybe one or two things, but seriously, rarely on anything. 480 00:27:45,479 --> 00:27:48,768 But I have learned overtime. The value of getting the right 481 00:27:48,768 --> 00:27:52,356 people that are in the right jobs that are the right subject 482 00:27:52,356 --> 00:27:55,944 matter experts together on an issue. So there be there can be 483 00:27:55,944 --> 00:27:58,336 a collective collaborative and this is important informed 484 00:27:58,336 --> 00:28:01,326 discussion because that's when the best decisions are made. And 485 00:28:01,326 --> 00:28:04,914 I think that that maybe brings me to the most important piece 486 00:28:04,914 --> 00:28:09,100 of advice that I have on this. It's don't be afraid to take a 487 00:28:09,100 --> 00:28:13,000 risk. And don't be afraid to fail, because honestly, it's the 488 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:17,336 best way for all of us to learn and take it from me. I have had 489 00:28:17,336 --> 00:28:21,430 some failures. But we are really not truly pushing ourselves if 490 00:28:21,430 --> 00:28:25,460 we're not finding ways to try new things. And when you try new 491 00:28:25,460 --> 00:28:28,870 things when you work outside your comfort zone, there is just 492 00:28:28,870 --> 00:28:32,280 an inherent inherent risk of failure. You know you just can't 493 00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:33,520 get away from that. 494 00:28:34,380 --> 00:28:38,594 So my my thoughts and advice on this or don't play it safe. You 495 00:28:38,594 --> 00:28:39,798 know. Instead, embrace taking 496 00:28:39,798 --> 00:28:43,530 smart risks. And use it as an opportunity to learn and 497 00:28:43,530 --> 00:28:46,230 grow, but also be accountable when things don't go as 498 00:28:46,230 --> 00:28:48,930 planned because that will happen. You need to own the 499 00:28:48,930 --> 00:28:51,630 mistakes when you make them and then be responsible for 500 00:28:51,630 --> 00:28:52,440 fixing those mistakes. 501 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:57,232 And do take that risk. I think that's the most important thing. 502 00:28:57,232 --> 00:29:00,378 And also as managers and leaders. If you think about it, 503 00:29:00,378 --> 00:29:04,096 you know we need to also take that advice and allow our own 504 00:29:04,096 --> 00:29:07,242 employees to take calculated risks and and to fail to some 505 00:29:07,242 --> 00:29:10,102 degree, because we're not truly growing. Our employees were not 506 00:29:10,102 --> 00:29:12,962 truly positioning them to be great leaders if they haven't 507 00:29:12,962 --> 00:29:16,394 taken a risk and had some some some form of failure throughout 508 00:29:16,394 --> 00:29:19,826 their careers because that truly is in my opinion, the only way 509 00:29:19,826 --> 00:29:22,686 that you learn. And that's that's how I really honestly 510 00:29:22,686 --> 00:29:24,402 think the best leaders are made. 511 00:29:26,330 --> 00:29:29,640 So I'm going to exercise some moderators prerogative and ask 512 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:33,943 you a question another question because we got a little bit of a 513 00:29:33,943 --> 00:29:37,584 late start. You said earlier that there been times in your 514 00:29:37,584 --> 00:29:42,218 career or maybe you've done too much on the job side and you or 515 00:29:42,218 --> 00:29:46,521 too little. I don't know. You didn't say that, but I mean I 516 00:29:46,521 --> 00:29:51,155 just wanted to ask you because I can tell you when I hear from 517 00:29:51,155 --> 00:29:52,479 women leaders like you. 518 00:29:53,370 --> 00:29:58,364 The balance, whether it's you know your life outside of work, 519 00:29:58,364 --> 00:30:00,180 whether it's caregiving to 520 00:30:01,010 --> 00:30:05,355 You know a family member or children or your. You know 521 00:30:05,355 --> 00:30:06,540 your interpersonal life. 522 00:30:07,910 --> 00:30:11,786 However, we want to achieve. We want to get these Heights and 523 00:30:11,786 --> 00:30:15,662 you certainly I mean to get to lead the Department of Commerce 524 00:30:15,662 --> 00:30:19,538 at the Cabinet level agency is just phenomenal, but also to be 525 00:30:19,538 --> 00:30:21,153 a working mother, a wife 526 00:30:21,810 --> 00:30:25,014 And all the other interests and talents you have Wynn can you 527 00:30:25,014 --> 00:30:27,951 give some advice to the group about how you've achieved? You 528 00:30:27,951 --> 00:30:30,354 know these successes and also balance these other interests 529 00:30:30,354 --> 00:30:33,825 and priorities in your life. I can tell you what I tried and 530 00:30:33,825 --> 00:30:37,563 again I have some of this is not worked well for me. Has not 531 00:30:37,563 --> 00:30:41,034 worked well for my husband, but we've been able to sort of pivot 532 00:30:41,034 --> 00:30:44,772 and ANAN, right size it a little bit so so I've always tried to 533 00:30:44,772 --> 00:30:47,976 look at career and personal life as as kind of balance, right? 534 00:30:47,976 --> 00:30:51,447 And sometimes you could add a balance, you know you read a lot 535 00:30:51,447 --> 00:30:55,452 about having it all and you know can we all have it all? I think 536 00:30:55,452 --> 00:30:59,010 we can. But I think there has to be an understanding that 537 00:30:59,010 --> 00:31:02,118 sometimes be having it all gets out of wack. So sometimes you 538 00:31:02,118 --> 00:31:04,708 put too much into the personal life monitor into careers 539 00:31:04,708 --> 00:31:07,557 sometimes too much into career and not much into the personal life. 540 00:31:07,557 --> 00:31:10,924 And I think there can be moments in time when it does get out of 541 00:31:10,924 --> 00:31:14,291 balance. You just have to be aware of that and be able to 542 00:31:14,291 --> 00:31:17,658 kind of pull back a little bit and just make sure you're making 543 00:31:17,658 --> 00:31:19,989 those deposits on whatever whatever side is not getting 544 00:31:19,989 --> 00:31:21,025 enough getting enough attention. 545 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:25,220 To me it comes down to communication. I've got a 546 00:31:25,220 --> 00:31:28,084 wonderful husband, great kids we're constantly talking. We're 547 00:31:28,084 --> 00:31:32,022 constantly communicating, you know, do we get upset? Do we get 548 00:31:32,022 --> 00:31:36,318 mad? Do I miss volleyball game sometimes? Yeah, but I think you 549 00:31:36,318 --> 00:31:40,614 know we all understand what we're trying to do. And often I 550 00:31:40,614 --> 00:31:45,626 asked for help. So that comes back to asking for help. I got a 551 00:31:45,626 --> 00:31:49,206 great network, friends, parents, my kids, my husband they, all 552 00:31:49,206 --> 00:31:52,786 my network and then obviously all of my wonderful colleagues 553 00:31:52,786 --> 00:31:53,860 at the Department. 554 00:31:54,410 --> 00:31:57,650 And it's just. It's just so important communication 555 00:31:57,650 --> 00:32:01,700 piece. I cannot overemphasize it. But the other piece that 556 00:32:01,700 --> 00:32:05,750 that I have found to be enormously successful in both 557 00:32:05,750 --> 00:32:08,990 life and career is is the authentic apology. 558 00:32:10,310 --> 00:32:13,500 Something goes wrong, you missed something. You make a mistake. 559 00:32:13,500 --> 00:32:15,095 You miss a doctors appointment. 560 00:32:16,540 --> 00:32:20,167 Maybe you might flub up on a presentation. The I'm so sorry I 561 00:32:20,167 --> 00:32:23,794 gotta tell you when it's real and authentic it will take you a 562 00:32:23,794 --> 00:32:26,863 long way because we're not perfect and we are going to 563 00:32:26,863 --> 00:32:30,211 stumble. And the key is just being able to pivot from that. 564 00:32:30,211 --> 00:32:33,559 Pick yourself up, ask for help desk yourself off and keep on 565 00:32:33,559 --> 00:32:36,628 going. I don't. I don't like looking in the rearview mirror 566 00:32:36,628 --> 00:32:40,534 'cause things happen. I try not to dwell on that. I try to learn 567 00:32:40,534 --> 00:32:43,603 from it and keep moving forward, and I think that's important 568 00:32:43,603 --> 00:32:46,672 too, especially at home. You know 'cause things do go wrong 569 00:32:46,672 --> 00:32:49,754 sometimes and. I think it's great to admit mistakes, you 570 00:32:49,754 --> 00:32:52,734 know, own accountability, but don't dwell on maybe what what 571 00:32:52,734 --> 00:32:56,310 happened and didn't go right. I'm a glass is half full person 572 00:32:56,310 --> 00:33:00,780 so I try to dwell on how can I improve for the future. How can 573 00:33:00,780 --> 00:33:04,654 I make that better the next time? How can I avoid that not 574 00:33:04,654 --> 00:33:07,634 happening the next time and just you know, celebrating little 575 00:33:07,634 --> 00:33:10,614 things you know with your spouse. You know with your 576 00:33:10,614 --> 00:33:14,190 partner with your kids so that when you are there your present 577 00:33:14,190 --> 00:33:16,872 and just being president not distracted is so important. 578 00:33:17,380 --> 00:33:20,584 So if I've got some family time, family moments at home, I'm 579 00:33:20,584 --> 00:33:23,788 trying to put away the phone. You know, I'm trying to be 580 00:33:23,788 --> 00:33:26,725 there. I'm trying to be president. Sometimes I go from a 581 00:33:26,725 --> 00:33:30,463 from a crazy day when I've been at it since 7:00 o'clock in the 582 00:33:30,463 --> 00:33:33,667 morning until about 6:30 7 o'clock at night. And then I find myself 583 00:33:33,667 --> 00:33:36,604 sitting at the kitchen table with my son doing 8th grade 584 00:33:36,604 --> 00:33:39,274 science. And, you know, trying and trying to remember, you 585 00:33:39,274 --> 00:33:42,211 know, cell structure and biology, but he needs me, so I 586 00:33:42,211 --> 00:33:45,148 need to be present in that moment. And while I'm madly 587 00:33:45,148 --> 00:33:48,619 Googling, you know what? What do these things mean and how can I 588 00:33:48,619 --> 00:33:51,308 help him learn? And sometimes the date isn't until about 589 00:33:51,308 --> 00:33:54,090 11:30 twelve o'clock. But you know I had to be there had to 590 00:33:54,090 --> 00:33:57,086 be present to be there for him, but they also had to get done. 591 00:33:57,086 --> 00:34:00,082 But I needed to get done during that day too. So you know that 592 00:34:00,082 --> 00:34:02,436 being present part when you checked in. Try not to check 593 00:34:02,436 --> 00:34:03,720 out this hard to do sometimes. 594 00:34:05,060 --> 00:34:06,200 Just a couple of personal 595 00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:11,414 thoughts. I love it. Thank you so much Wynn an I mean your 596 00:34:11,414 --> 00:34:15,176 schedule is unbelievable and today of all days with the new 597 00:34:15,176 --> 00:34:19,622 Secretary of Commerce coming in to make time to talk to all of 598 00:34:19,622 --> 00:34:23,726 us and our employees and all the women participating, I heard we 599 00:34:23,726 --> 00:34:28,172 have. We may have as many as 1000 or more people who have 600 00:34:28,172 --> 00:34:32,276 registered for our program and I know not everyone can stay for 601 00:34:32,276 --> 00:34:37,406 the full time. But Wynn for you to give us this time, it's we as 602 00:34:37,406 --> 00:34:39,458 an agency and we as women 603 00:34:39,458 --> 00:34:42,118 leaders so. Much appreciate your contribution and everything 604 00:34:42,118 --> 00:34:46,122 you're doing is a role model, so just thank you so much for 605 00:34:46,122 --> 00:34:50,756 joining us today. And for having this talk and. 606 00:34:51,730 --> 00:34:54,490 If you if you don't have anything else, I think it's time 607 00:34:54,490 --> 00:34:56,330 to turn it back to Sean to set 608 00:34:56,330 --> 00:35:00,370 up the next panel. Coke thank you And and thank you to you and 609 00:35:00,370 --> 00:35:03,581 to the team for inviting me. I'm humbled to have been apart of 610 00:35:03,581 --> 00:35:07,039 this. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. I miss my USPTO, 611 00:35:07,039 --> 00:35:09,509 friends and colleagues and I couldn't thank you enough for 612 00:35:09,509 --> 00:35:10,744 including me today's program. So 613 00:35:10,744 --> 00:35:13,278 thank you. Thank you Wynn. 614 00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:17,730 Well, thank you Coke for moderating that session and 615 00:35:17,730 --> 00:35:20,050 thank you Wynn for your participation today and 616 00:35:20,356 --> 00:35:22,820 congratulations on your continued success. We here at 617 00:35:22,820 --> 00:35:25,592 USPTO rooting for you because you're still our 618 00:35:25,592 --> 00:35:27,132 family and we appreciate you.