St. Louis Forum Blog: Then and Now: Reflections on a 25-Year Career
Featuring: Dawn Gipson, Director, DEI Integration, Centene Corporation
Next month will mark my twenty-fifth year in the professional arena. It doesn’t seem that long ago that I walked into my first job at a small design agency in University City. The following year, I began a 19-year stint at a global PR agency. On some days, I think the time slipped through my fingers. On other days, I feel the full weight of those 25 years.
The person I was then is very much like the person I am now. I am still curious, detailed-oriented, and driven by a commitment to excellence. Time and perspective helped me harness those gifts. If I could rewind the clock, here’s what I would tell that young woman of 25 years ago:
Girl, you are an absolute bada**. Own it.
I'd remind her of her talent, education, and experience from internships at two of the top newspapers in the country. I would let her know that yes, she will be the only person of color in some corporate spaces. That journey will be difficult. Social, economic, and political pressures attempt to dictate where women, especially women of color, “belong.” Despite these challenges, I'd tell her to keep going. If she trusted her voice and used it wisely, she would grow beyond her imagination.
The year after my first daughter was born, I had the privilege to participate in the women's leadership program. We participated in small groups, where we discussed cohort session topics in greater detail. We spent a lot of time sharing our backgrounds. I told them about my grandmother and great-aunts, whom I admire greatly. These women, born at the turn of the century, were the grandchildren of enslaved Americans. They survived two world wars, segregation, and urban redlining. My aunt Ophelia owned a business, and my aunt Addie went back to school in her 30s. My mother and I lived with them in North St. Louis, in a home my grandparents owned, until I was 10. They embodied determination and grace every day. When I told my group about them, I couldn’t yet see the power of my own gifts. “I’m not strong enough,” I said with a lowered head and hushed tones.
Thank you to those four women who challenged me to see my strengths. They taught me the power of self-reflection, and they helped me see that the very thing I admired in my family was inherent in me. It just showed up differently. I’d tell my younger self that she was a quiet, phenomenal force, forged by the experiences of those women she loved so much.
Today, I can’t say that I don’t have moments of doubt. There are days when I look at my daughters and wonder if I have taught them well. I hesitate to raise my hand at work, fearful someone will misunderstand or, worse yet, dismiss my thoughts. I question if I should take on a leadership opportunity in a community organization. Most times, I take a deep breath, and I do it anyway. And, far more often than not, the outcome is nowhere near my worst fears.
My time at the St. Louis Forum is special to me. I value it in the same way that I cherish my experience with the women's leadership program. The Forum showcases our magnificently unique and numerous talents. I'm always energized after spending time with our members. We are the best of St. Louis, and I love seeing the transformative impact of our connections.
If you see me at the next event and we haven't met, please say hello. After all, we bada**es have to stick together.
Connect with Dawn via LinkedIn here.