WITI Women Survey Questions and Responses:

1. What was your first job in technology?
My first real experience came in the form as a content provider for multiple web sites, including TheStreet.com, Worth.com, MedicinePlanet.com, IDVFitness.com, IDVSki.com, Followtherabbit.com and various others. The more sites I started writing for, the more I realized just how high the demand for quality content - on and off the web - really is, and this is what spurred me to launch my own custom content providing firm, TheWriteCrowd.com, this spring.

2. Who has been your most significant mentor? Why?
I have several. One is a woman named Mary Wagstaff, president of LA-based Wagstaff Worldwide, who inspired me to leave my solid, secure job as a senior editor at a travel industry magazine and break out on my own. Having recently left a high-paying job at a pr firm to start her own company, Mary had already proven that you are often rewarded for taking risks and if you are good at what you do and have a vision, you will have no problem making it work. She's offered me some great advice along the way and also served as a huge support system.

Another mentor was a professor of mine named John Keats, who taught most of my magazine journalism classes at Syracuse University. I credit him with launching my career as he gave me a copy of a magazine called Caribbean Travel and Life upon learning that I planned to move to DC after graduation and had no solid career plan (hardly anyone did given it was 1991 and the heart of the recession!). One of his former students was an editor there. He planted the seed in my head about how cool it might be to work for a travel magazine - something I'd never considered. Called the woman a few months later, started there immediately as an intern and a few years later left as an assistant editor en route to NYC to work for one of the largest travel trade magazines.

3. What has been your greatest challenge and what strategies did you use to overcome obstacles?
One of my biggest challenges has been making the transition from writer/editor to business owner/marketeer/sales person. For 10 years I worked with many people in the capacity as a journalist - writing about their companies and products - and now, I am targeting them from a new angle and trying to land their business. Fortunately, the relationships and trust I have developed with many of these people over the years is proving to be working to my advantage as I am not a typical sales/marketing person and I don't pretend to be. Rather, I take the approach that I really understand their company since I'd written about it for years and would love the opportunity to work with them to achieve some of their goals - via better web content, on/off-line newsletters, etc ...

Stacy H. Small answers these questions:
1. What was your first job in technology?
2. Who has been your most significant mentor? Why?
3. What has been your greatest challenge and what strategies did you use to overcome obstacles?
4. Who has been the most influential person in your life? Why?
5. What lessons have you learned that would be valuable to women beginning their careers in technology?
6. What new technology do you believe will have the most positive impact on the world in the next 20 years? The most negative impact?

On the lighter side:
1. If you could have dinner with any 2 people (living or not), who would they be?
2. What was the last book you read? What books do you love to recommend?
3. If you couldn't do what you are doing now, what profession would you choose?
4. What is your definition of success?