Coffee With E
Welcome to Coffee with E—where great conversations meet inspiration! ☕✨
This podcast is for dreamers, go-getters, and those on a journey of self-growth. Whether you’re building a business, navigating relationships, or working on your mindset, you’ll find motivation, wisdom, and real-life stories to help you level up.
Each week, we dive into topics like self-worth, mental well-being, wealth-building, leadership, and entrepreneurship—always with a mix of honesty, luxury, and a little fun. If you love deep conversations, personal growth, and a good cup of coffee, this is the podcast for you!
Join me, Erica Rawls, and my guests as we keep it real, inspire action, and remind you that anything is possible if you’re willing to do the work. Subscribe now and let’s dream big together! ☕✨
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Coffee With E
Why Women in Leadership Struggle With Guilt, Pressure, and Confidence
In this episode of Coffee with E, Erica Rawls interviews Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams, President of Central Penn College, for a heartfelt and raw conversation on what it really takes to be a woman in leadership.
From club DJ and morning radio host to higher education leader, Dr. Fedrizzi-Williams breaks down how imposter syndrome, mom guilt, and societal pressure often hold women back.. not lack of qualifications. She shares her personal and professional story of rising in leadership while raising a family and pushing through doubt to find her voice and purpose.
This is for every woman who’s ever questioned her worth or wondered if she could lead without losing herself.
✨ Topics Include:
- Why women hesitate to apply for leadership roles
- The hidden cost of guilt and emotional labor
- What it means to be a present parent and ambitious leader
- Real stories, practical advice, and empowering truths
💡 “You don’t stop. You rest. But you don’t quit.”
📇 Guest Info:
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams
President, Central Penn College
📍Harrisburg, PA
#CoffeeWithE #WomenInLeadership #EricaRawls #LeadershipJourney #CentralPennCollege #LeadWithPurpose #RealTalkWithE #WomenEmpoweringWomen #DrLindaFedrizziWilliams #BreakTheGuiltCycle
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Welcome to another episode of Coffee with E. I have a great one for you all. I mean really, really good. If you are a mom in leadership, you need to stay tuned, because the jewels and the diamonds and just all of the great content that Dr Linda Rodriguez-Williams had dropped is so good. I promise you, I'm telling you you know what. After you watch it, tell me if I'm not right. Tell me if I'm not right, stay tuned. Thank you so much, dr Fredrizzi Williams, for being here.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:Delighted to be here, very excited.
Erica Rawls:Yes, I had the pleasure of getting connected with you through a mutual person. Yes, sydney, and she's just so dynamic. She's like Erica, you have to have her on your podcast. Oh, a mutual person yes, sydney, and she's just so dynamic. She's like Erica, you have to have her on your podcast.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:Oh, what a sweetheart. Yes, and I told you we know Sydney because she performs the national anthem at all of our major events. We rope her in. She's going to perform at our commencement. She sings at our baseball community night and senior night. Yeah, she's, she's incredible.
Erica Rawls:That is incredible.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:Yeah.
Erica Rawls:I was like wait, what am I finding out today? Today, I'm finding Michelle. Yeah, she is. We're so grateful to have her, that's awesome, yeah, in our circle. But I'm excited because I heard one of your passions was talking about women, empowerment and purpose and just all those things, and this is basically what this platform is about Excellent. So I wanted an opportunity to talk to everyone about that subject. First, I think it's important for people to know exactly who you are. Yes, and just give us a little glimpse behind the curtain of you know how you got to where you are as the president of Central Penn College. Thank you, yes, you're so welcome.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:So do share. So people always ask did you know you were going to be a college president or that you wanted to be a college president? And no, I had no idea. I loved sports and entertainment and when I was in middle school I had to give a presentation in front of the class and my teacher stopped me at the end and he said you need to be on television, you should be a television reporter, really. And I think I was 13 years old and thought, oh, I never really thought about that. I would love to be a sports reporter. I'm a New Yorker, I'm a New York Giants fan, new York Yankees fan and I thought what if I worked for the Mara family and reported for the New York Giants? And that would be the coolest job. So I knew I wanted to go into television and media and I was always fascinated with that world.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:So when I graduated high school I actually started at a community college. You know, first generation in this country, first generation to go to college. So my parents my dad was born in Italy. My mom was actually born in the United States, but her family was from Italy, so very supportive of going into higher ed, didn't know a lot about it, didn't have money saved to go. So I started at a community college, transferred to get my bachelor's at Marist College, which is in Poughkeepsie, new York, and that's where I was studying TV, radio and film.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:And when I graduated I got a call from the local radio station because our college used to send out resumes, and they said we got your resume from your school. We know you just graduated. I think I was out for a week. And they said we got your resume from your school. We know you just graduated. I think I was out for a week. Do you want to try out to be on the morning show? And I grew up listening to the station. It was top 40 station and I thought well, I didn't think about radio, but I'm going to be open to it.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:So I went, I auditioned and next thing I knew I was a co-host, became the executive producer of a morning show. Did producer of a morning show. I did that for five years and it was so much fun. But I will tell you, I was making $20,000 a year and I was valedictorian of my college. I'm making $20,000 a year and thinking to myself wow, this is really not a lot of money to live on your own in New York not New York City, but just outside New York City and I would get up at 2.45 in the morning, I'd go to sleep at 6.30. And then on weekends I was a club DJ which very wide, unconventional route to be a college president. But that was the era of nightclubs. So DJs also worked Friday nights and Saturday nights from 10 pm to 2 am in the clubs and it was great when you're 21. And then I hit 25 and thought this is not sustainable. I need to go back to school and get my master's degree and maybe I'll teach TV, radio and film. And so that's what I ended up doing.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:The same community college where I had started, one of my mentors had gotten promoted and said do you want to be a full-time faculty member? So I got a phone call to come in. I started teaching TV, radio and film. I developed a new media program, met my husband the same year we got married. We had our first son, jake, got my master's degree and then it was a tough time. This was right in 2008. So the recession hit. My husband was a union iron worker, so he was unemployed a lot. And we said my husband was a union iron worker, so he was unemployed a lot. And we said, like, also not sustainable just to be a teacher and an iron worker.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:So I started working towards the administration route, went and enrolled in a doctorate program, had my second son, and I loved working at SUNY Orange. I was there for 12 years, but I decided to do my dissertation on women, specifically on mothers, and so my dissertation was Mothers as Leaders the Pathway to the College Presidency, and so I wanted to find out who are these women in these roles and how do they get to these roles? How do they get to these roles when they're balancing a family, and do they even exist? Because it was so.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:That was the most difficult time in my life working full time, being a full time mom, you're a spouse, you're running, and at this point I was now the AVP of liberal arts, which is like the dean of liberal arts, and so, conducting my dissertation, I came to Central PA. There were a few college presidents who were on the year and I had a chance to visit Central Penn's campus and I thought this place is very special. It's like the students that are at SUNY Orange. These are people that are putting themselves through school, that are working to change their lives and their families' lives, and I felt very drawn, and the day that I defended my dissertation, the position for vice president of academic affairs opened at Central Penn. Oh, wow, and I said to my husband OK, I'm going to apply for this.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:We both lived in New York our whole life and one of the things I learned is, as a mother, if you're going to move your children, if you could do it before they hit middle school, it's better for everybody, right? So I said, all right, let's do it. I got the position, we moved here and then a year later, the president left unexpectedly and I was appointed to interim and then a year later, I got the official appointment. So sparked my interest in studying for women and how women get to these roles and how they try to find balance for it, which is not easy. It is not easy.
Erica Rawls:I mean just in any industry. It's not easy being a woman and getting into leadership positions. It's always a challenge. And then pack that on with being a mother, it just makes it that much more challenging. It does, especially when you don't have support family support.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:That's the number one thing that led to divorces in my study were unsupportive spouses. So of the women that were divorced, all of them had kind of gotten to a point where they didn't have that support from a spouse. And the interesting thing about women getting to these roles women often hold themselves back. It's not always that they can't get there. They don't even apply in the first place. Really, yeah, it was a very interesting part of the study that a lot of women will get to a vice president level, but they're afraid to take the leap to the presidency.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:What do you think the fear is? What is that? Imposter syndrome is very real for women. So the fear is, if there's a list of 10 qualifications and a woman has seven, we often say to ourselves I'll apply when I can get the other three. We feel like you have to be perfect. Men are very different and this is not a negative for men. Men might have three of the qualifications and they'll say you know what? I'm going to figure out how to get those other seven. I know I can do it, so I'm ready for this job.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:And it's a confidence thing. It's really just your self-efficacy, it's your belief in your ability to do the role. So even when the president position opened at Central Penn, I started having doubts. Like I've only been a vice president for a year, I'm not, like I'm not ready yet. And then I thought, okay, this is what everyone tells themselves and we stop ourselves short. And then we're afraid too, if we take on these roles, that we're not going to be a good enough mother, these roles that we're not going to be a good enough mother, or we're not going to be there for our spouse, or we're not going to be a good enough friend and we're caretakers. So even if you don't have children, if you have parents that you help with, if you have friends that you're the rock for, you feel like you have to be everything to everyone, and so sometimes careers take a backseat.
Erica Rawls:So how do we overcome that feeling of we have to be the caretaker, we have to be all the things to all the people Like? How would you find in your studies so?
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:you can't be right, you can't be everything to everyone, but you can be honest, you can ask for help. I think one of the biggest things that I learned was it's not that your significant others or your friends won't help you, it's that they don't know you need it. And especially when you're a woman who's confident and you are doing things, people don't feel like they have to offer it to you because you look like you're superwoman and you're going home at night exhausted and trying to figure out how am I going to get through another day? And the reality is you have to tell people what you need, so you have to ask your spouse to do something. They're not mind readers and I know we hear that all the time but they're not mind readers.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:Same thing like with your housework. Sometimes you got to let it go. Yeah Right, it's great if you have the means to bring someone in once every couple of weeks to help you clean, but if you can't, what's mission critical and what are you going to do to take care of yourself? Women have a very bad tendency of putting everyone before themselves, which sounds great. Servant leadership is great, but if there's nothing in your fuel, nothing fueling you and you're not taking care of yourself, you're no good to anybody. So self-care is really important, asking for help is really important, and recognizing what you want to do too, because if you love something and you want to keep doing it, it makes it easier too.
Erica Rawls:Okay, so where do you think that it actually stemmed from? Did you do research as to how far back in went and why this actually stemmed to where we are today? And we put ourselves last, and you know, it's almost like we have to put everyone on our back. We're the ultimate caretaker, even when we're married. Oh yeah, you know what I mean. Yeah, so it's hard enough when you're a single mother, right In that role, but I, as a married woman with children, I found myself putting myself last still.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:Oh, yeah, yeah. And here's the crazy thing. This will make your head explode. For women who work full time and have children, they do twice as much housework as women who stay home, and I remember hearing that and saying what. There is a statistic about the amount of emotional and family support that working women do. It's actually almost double that of a woman whose responsibility is being home with her family, and that's a hard job. I don't want to make it sound like we're just guiding her that, because that is incredible and it's powerful and it's important, but for women that work full time, we're like trying to do two full time jobs, because we want to make up for the time that we feel like we're losing.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:That's it. We're trying to fill in those gaps. There is a lesson I learned in my dissertation. The number one commonality among all the college presidents that I interviewed was that women feel guilt at a level that is substantially higher than men, and they feel it in all aspects. So they feel that they're missing out. So they feel guilty about that. They feel guilty if they can't make it to a child's event. They feel guilty if they're not giving their spouse enough attention. They feel guilty if they're with their kid on a field trip and not at work, right? So the guilt that we put on ourselves, it's really very self-inflicted. It is, and it is something that we all struggle with, and it's difficult because we always want to please everybody, right? So you're asking about how systemic is this? We're sort of raised to be accommodating and we're raised to have these certain responsibilities and, as a woman, you take care of the house, you take care of the home. Women are raised to cook.
Erica Rawls:Now I will say it's shifting the other year because I know I don't cook, I do not cook and I'm not ashamed to say it.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:All right, well, that's good and you know what? It's gotten very different. Men really do help out in the household in ways that maybe a lot of us didn't see with our own parents or grandparents. Right, they had very traditional roles. Today's, in every generation, it gets a little bit better. It's way more equal. I see a lot of young couples and it's balanced and the dads are helping with the moms take care of the kids and run them places, and some of the men cook and the women don't cook. But the guilt that sometimes we place on ourselves of not being enough, I think there's always this sentiment that I'm not enough or I'm not doing enough or I could be doing more, and we have to stop that.
Erica Rawls:We do have to stop that, because while you're talking and reflecting on my own life, I'm sure this resonates with a lot of people that are actually watching this or listening to it the times that my girls are now adults and my son he's an adult, right, my children, their adult children, and I'm just reflecting on those times when I actually felt as though I wish I would have been there, feeling guilty that I wasn't there. Because of that, I was a failure, yes, and it just like it just weighs so heavy on me. You know, even though my husband was there, you know, those moments when I could not be, I still felt like, oh man, I feel like such a failure as a mom because of that.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:But you feel that way, Right? Have your children ever expressed that to you?
Erica Rawls:No, I mean to this just two weekends ago, my daughter's like mom, you're like the best mom ever. I'm so glad that God chose you to be my mom. Like he got me all chapped up. I'm like, oh my gosh.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:And I thought I was sucking at this, Isn't that? So I have similar experience and I and I I talk about this a little bit with my students because a lot of our students at Central Penn 60% have kids right. So these are people that are putting themselves through school, that are living that life where they have children. And I remember when I was studying for my doctorate degree and working full time and there'd be nights I'd have to stay at the college and write papers. It was brutal. And when I graduated, my kids at that time were seven and five and we all flew to Chicago because my program was in Chicago and, even though it was an online program, I'd have residencies and have to go out there. But the whole family flew out and my son, Jake, was seven at the time and he was standing at like the fence after I went and I got my diploma and I was walking by and he was crying.
Erica Rawls:Oh.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:And I saw him afterwards and I said, baby, why are you crying? And like it's hard to even talk about, he said, mom, I'm so proud of you and I thought I've been spending the last four years beating myself up and I will tell you, I had colleagues, women, that questioned if I was being selfish, getting my degree.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:These were professors at a college that were saying your kids are so young, why are you doing this now? And I thought, how do you not understand? I'm doing this to change my family's life, because we don't want to struggle financially anymore. I'm doing this for them, right? But all of those voices and the criticism and I thought here I am feeling guilty that I've been putting myself through school, borrowing money to put myself through school, and the one thing my son was learning was how hard his mama worked and that you can do anything Right. So that guilt, and I still do it to myself too. My son has a lacrosse game tomorrow night that I can't make because I'm not an event and it's it's the first one I'm missing of his entire. Well, there you go, and I'm still beating myself up, right. So I don't think that goes away. No, but you have to understand. It's a small piece in a much larger picture and your kids are learning work ethic and they're learning what you're doing. That's exactly right.
Erica Rawls:Be open with them. Yeah, yeah, I agree with that. So why do you think we as women are so darn hard on each other?
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:Like why don't we?
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:I don't know it's such a pet peeve it's, it's. It's one of the hardest things, and I hear women talk about it, and women will say I'm a woman's woman. You have, then you, if you're at a power position, especially have to start changing some of your policies and some of your narrative to make it easier for women in these roles. Don't make them shoot more Like what do you? What would be some examples of? So? I mean, there's a few things. One for me the time of day and the amount of time people schedule meetings. If you want young women to be able to move up in your organization, stop scheduling 7.30 or 8 am meetings or meetings that start at 4.30 or 5. If they have kids that are putting on a bus, they can't leave their house by 7. They're feeding kids breakfast and they're trying to get them out the door, right? Same thing with the late time of day we have. One thing that came out of COVID is flexibility and time and work For most people.
Erica Rawls:I still see some industries and some, you know, yeah.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:Struggling, and I get that because we're back full time and we have been since June of 2020. Believe me, I was not a popular president having everybody come back. Okay, because there's still colleges that aren't back yet. Right, we were back right away because our students needed that. But we give flexibility when it's needed. So if you have an employee whose child plays a sport, and that sports once or twice a week 4 30 because they're on a jv team, right, let that employee leave it, for so they can go. They will flex that time and make it up at another time they will work hard.
Erica Rawls:They will work harder because they're loyal. Because they're loyal and I understand that you care, yes, they see that you care, yeah, and they're going to work harder that's right, you know people can't be unreasonable.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:It's not going to work harder for you, that's right, you know people can't be unreasonable. It's not going to be like a you can leave at three every day thing, but you know that your kid is in sports. Or you know, say you're you're a co-parent and your ex has the kid on these days and you have the kid on these days. Then maybe your boss can flex that right. So when you're in these roles you have to think about that and not make people choose, because that's when you start feeling guilty. So you're in positions to make some policy changes that are going to help your employees, especially like young parents. That's for males too.
Erica Rawls:Yeah, especially millennials and Gen Zs. They will quit a job in two days.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:Yeah, yeah, because that's all they want. They won't respect me. Right, oh yeah, that's even fun to navigate. That's been a fun trend.
Erica Rawls:I'm sure. I'm sure it has, I'm sure it has. Yeah, I just think it's like so great to hear, like, your perspective on these things, you know. So what are some other things that you think, besides the flexibility in their schedules, that we should be looking for?
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:So, in terms of supporting other women. There's a lot of women's groups, there's a lot of women's networking, and those are all great because I think that's where you first get in and you meet people. You have to talk about real topics. You have to talk about what's a struggle for being a woman. I think in some of these roles people feel like if they're vulnerable and they share what they're struggling with, that other women will judge them right.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:And that's really not the purpose. The purpose is not to get together in a group and then someone's having a bad day and then you leave and this group goes and talks about them. We have to have an outlet where we could talk about the challenges. We have to have a way to network and support each other. When you see an award right and let's say there's an award for an organization Nominate a woman who's outstanding Write a nomination for a woman in the community that you have had interactions with. Send a note.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:I recently was at an event and I saw the same woman. I don't know her very well, but I see her at every event. She always the same woman. I don't know her very well, but I see her at every event. She always greets me with a smile and she's one of these community leaders, and I saw that she had gotten an award for something and I sent her like a handwritten note and just said I want to tell you that you are killing it and every time I see you you radiate such sunlight and happiness and I'm happy that I've gotten to know you.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:We have to share these things, tell each other these things, because I don't think we might think it but we don't share it enough. And the thing with self-efficacy we were talking about how men always feel prepared and women don't. The more you hear things that validate what you're doing is right, the more confident you start feeling. The more you do things, the more confident you start feeling. If you don't know how to do something, be honest about it and educate yourself, because the more you educate yourself, the more you learn about it. You start feeling more confident. You start going for those bigger roles. So women have to nudge and support each other a little bit more.
Erica Rawls:Yeah, so can you share a time where you seen a woman that was struggling, you know with her, you know imposter syndrome or just maybe even a leadership flaw that they had with their staff? You know and you saw where they can actually improve in those areas? Like, how did you handle that? Like, you know what light were you able to shed? Was it well received?
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:I think that you have to be honest with people and when they have areas for improvement or even if they make a mistake, you really do need to be honest and share that and call them in kind of hold the mirror up sometimes, because I think that in an age where everyone is a little more sensitive, we tiptoe around ways to help people improve. So I had someone who wanted to be promoted, who was in the role I want to say for like a year Okay, okay, so maybe fairly new into their position and really felt like they were ready for the next position. Oh, wow and yes, and that happens a lot Really, yeah, and only because this person really felt like they were a leader or had the capacity to be a leader. So a little different than what you and I are talking about. So not so much a struggle, yes, but someone who maybe self-awareness wasn't quite there and I had.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:That's even better, yeah. And I think that sometimes you have to bring them in and say, well, let's talk about it. Why do you want this position? What is it about this position that's making you feel attracted to it? And it really came down to. The person really wanted the title but didn't understand everything that was involved in it, and so talking about the skills that she needed to develop, like I think that's a great goal, what do you need to learn? What skills do you think that you need to have? Because I think if people are really truly honest with themselves, sometimes they can see they're not quite ready. So I'm not afraid to have that hard conversation. I always lead with a place of kindness and education, like, hey, there's someone I think you could talk to where there's this non-credit course that I've taken that you might want, or this book that you can read. And what this person was lacking a little bit was a little bit of the empathy piece of it. So she wanted to be a director, but she didn't quite know how to manage people.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:But, that's fixable. That is fixable, that's learning management, that is understanding how to have interpersonal communication, and so I think it's mentoring. That's something that I love to do, so following up how is it going. And that person is a director now. So I will say she's there, she got there, but she needed to work at it a little bit. So I will say she's there, she got there, but she needed, she needed to work at it a little bit.
Erica Rawls:So, honest to be fair, so, as women, do you see, think a lot of times that we tie our identity to the titles, because you said that it was something that she was. What she really wanted was the title. Yeah, so you do that, do you see? Them most often than not.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:I think that's women and men.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:I don't want to admit, yeah, I think men do the same thing. I think and I think a lot of. When you're talking about some of the younger generations, I think they're so title fixated that they're not thinking about the work that goes into that title. Don't let that title be what you want just because it sounds really good. You have to understand and you have to understand the purpose of that role and what that role does, and you know what is the good you're trying to do and what is it that you're trying to accomplish, because you can get there a lot of different ways.
Erica Rawls:And.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:I think sometimes people are starstruck with titles and compensation and it's way more than that. So you don't want to, you want to reach for things, but there are steps to get there, like you can't just go from here to here. Yeah, you got to work your way.
Erica Rawls:I always like to think that I wish there was a world where we had companies or businesses, or even, you know, in the education field, where there were no titles. Right, right, because I think a lot of people would then just want to work for whatever job responsibility that they have right, work in a collaborative setting, that's right, understanding what the overall objective is. Because I do think a lot of people do tie their worth they do To those titles they do, and one of the things the main driving force behind the platform is, you know, you have to understand what your self-worth is Like. What are you worthy of? It's not because of your title that you should be feeling more worthy. It's because of who you are. That's right. And how you've grown as an individual.
Erica Rawls:Yeah, so if I had my way, we could start all over. Every job would not have a title, every industry would not have a title. I'll just be like OK, yeah, well, we need someone to take care of logistics, right? Why don't you be responsible of this? Right, right? And then you just come back to me and report back to how that works. You know, that's a really good point. I think that the world would be at a better place because they wouldn't have to feel one people wouldn't have to feel less than right.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:I know.
Erica Rawls:And another would have to feel like, okay, well, yeah, I'm up here. You know that doesn't serve entitlement.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:It doesn't serve. It doesn't serve anyone, but think about it. I mean, so you have three children. So, jesus, okay, so you have three children. I have two boys and my two boys are in high school. They're a freshman and a junior, and one of the first questions people ask them is what do you want to do after high school? What do you want to be? Where do you want to? So you're immediately asked, even when you're little, what do you want to be when you grow up? So you're so fixated on one position or one thing.
Erica Rawls:Yeah.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:And when I explain sort of my background to you, I was always open to what could happen.
Erica Rawls:It was all over you growing up. I just heard it all throughout your yes.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:The radio job was a phone call. Yeah, are you open to this? Well, I hadn't thought about it, so sure I'll try that right. Same thing with the teaching role. I was going to go back to school but I was still in radio. Are you interested in being a professor? Yes, I am, I didn't tell you. But same thing with the AVP role. So when I became a department chair, I wasn't applying for it, I was asked to to do it. So sometimes it is putting yourself in the situations it's being open, it's not being title obsessed working really hard, that people recognize your skills and want you to be on their team. Right, and I approach everything very much like a team atmosphere. So when you're talking about, it's not titles, you're absolutely right. Yeah, really not.
Erica Rawls:So you actually went out there. You reaped what you sowed pretty much. You put in the effort, you put in the work, you studied, you knew what you wanted to do. You weren't going. You didn't have any hidden agendas, it was all about evolving it to the person that you wanted. Yeah, exactly Exactly, and the doors opened.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:That's it. Yeah, willing to do what other people didn't want to do. Who wants to come in on a Saturday? I'll come in.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:When I interned, I was very lucky because the school that I went to was only it was about an hour and a half from New York City. So my internships in college were all in New York City and I got to work at NBC News. You know, like Tom Brokaw is walking down the hallways and I got to see like Maurice Bernard, who's now on CBS, but he was on NBC at that time. So I got to see all these people and they needed people for the Macy's Day, thanksgiving Day Parade. These are interns. Right, we were interns. They needed someone for the Columbus Day Parade and I'd always be like I'll come in on a Saturday.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:I'll do this because they and this is any employer anywhere they want people who are willing to take on more. So you have to show that you're hungry and not hungry in a way where you're trying to climb. You just want to be helpful. Yeah, someone needs help. You offer to help and then they think of you when a position opens. So you really have to put yourself out there and be available to what others need.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:Yeah, that was a big part of how I got in on almost all of my roles honestly.
Erica Rawls:Wow, yeah, and you know what that is just to be commended Like, seriously. Oh thanks, yeah, you get out of life what you put into it. You really do. A lot of people think that you're supposed to be handed something. You're, you know, through entitlement. So not at all. I applaud you for that. So then, as your position, what's the legacy that you want to leave?
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:Oh, that's such a good question. I want students, when they remember me or remember the college, to remember that their lives were transformed. I know what the power of education did for me and my husband. I mean, we talk about it. Our big goal was always we want to have a pool one day. That'll show us that we made it right, love it. We want a pool one day Like that. That'll that'll show us that we made it right. We want a pool.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:This is when we're you know he's not working. I'm at this time I'm finally a professor, but I'm only making 40,000 a year, right, so we are struggling. We have an infant, I'm trying to go to college, we're like one day we're going to have a pool, and so I think it was maybe one or two summers ago. We now have a pool and we're sitting there and I was like do you remember? Like 15 years ago we never thought that this would happen to us. We both worked really hard to get there, and so I know that education is absolutely transformative, and I know there's a lot out there right now about do you need an education or not. It doesn't matter what it's in or what level it's in. It's that it's something that's helping you further your purpose. So I want to help people find their purpose. I want their legacy my legacy to be that they went to Central Penn and they found out their why. They know what their purpose is in life and we helped them get there.
Erica Rawls:Man, I mean I don't need a degree, but I'm coming. We helped them get there. Man, I mean I don't need a degree but I'm coming, I'm going to figure something.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:I'm going to have you come talk to our students because they would love you. Thank you so much, but oh man, yeah, I'm pretty passionate about it.
Erica Rawls:That's awesome. That is so awesome. So do you find that young women are gravitating to you?
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:I do. I think that they are surprised to hear my journey. I think that they are surprised to hear my journey. I think it's what you said before. Well, I think people assume you're in these roles, you've always been in these roles or you haven't had struggles. And I love to meet with new students because I think they're surprised at how similar our paths were. Right that my family didn't have money, so I had to start at a community college and I put myself through school and I took out student loans and I worked and then I was a mom going to school, right? So the moms identify with that. So I think when they hear that, oh, our stories are kind of similar, they gravitate. Isn't that the best? It's the greatest. And we are a small enough institution. I get to know them. I know our students, I see them in the hallway, I know their names, I know what they're coming here for. It's very different. It's a special college.
Erica Rawls:That's awesome. That is so awesome. So then, do you see yourself doing something like outside of Central Penn? Do you see yourself doing something else with women? Do you have any hair rising?
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:there. I would love to. I would love to get more involved. I mean, I've done things like junior achievement before and met with students. I would love to do something where I'm able to mentor in more of a capacity. I'm on the Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce. I was part of Leadership Harrisburg area and there we had a lot of mentoring. I do a lot of public speaking, so I get to present and connect in that way. But that's got to be. My next step is to figure out how I could do that more on a community level for sure.
Erica Rawls:Yeah. So then, to the woman that is now starting, that is that 20-year-old, yeah, and may feel like you know, struggle with imposter syndrome or what, their big why is you know? What would you say to them, starting out, that's going to help them.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:I would say you don't have to have it all figured out today, you don't need to know your why and your purpose, you don't need to worry about what's coming three years from now, but you have to keep going. You know, if you never walk forward, you're always going to be in the same place and it's going to get hard. There's a reason that not everyone has a degree. Right, it's hard, and so people would say, like, how did you do it? I didn't feel like I had a choice For me. That was my ticket to freedom, for my family, and I was not going to stop. And I certainly wasn't going to borrow all this money my parents worked to get to this country. I wasn't going to take on this debt and not graduate. I wasn't going to do it.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:So you just have to keep going and when you get stuck or you get lost, you don't stop. You rest, you don't quit. You rest and you ask for help. Rest, you don't quit, you rest and you ask for help. That could be your professors, that could be your academic advisors or your faculty advisors, that could be your spouse or your parents. But don't stop. You have to keep moving forward. It's going to get hard and you just know that this is temporary, right, everyone says it's not a race, it's a marathon. The stress is temporary, the hardships are temporary. You're going to get to the other side of it and be open to possibilities, because your why might change, your career might change and a lot of us have different careers. I think the average person has seven careers, not seven jobs seven careers in their life. So you might switch industries altogether, but be open to it.
Erica Rawls:Wow. So then to the single mother or to the new divorcee that has to start over and you have these children and they don't have anything. What would be your suggestion for them?
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:So there are so many opportunities. If we're talking education and even just changing your life right, start with something small. So the way that when I got to Central Penn we had associates and bachelor's degrees and one master's program. There's a lot of value in certificates. You don't need a bachelor's degree right off the bat right.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:If you're a single mom or you know, or a single dad and you're thinking about going back to school, start with a certificate. Start with something that's 18 credits right, that's six classes. You could do six classes. You can get that done in a year and now you have a credential that's going to help you earn more. Make sure that wherever you go like if you're coming to Central Penn that certificate's going to transfer into an associate's degree. Okay, now you're part of the way there. You get your associate's, you're halfway to a bachelor's degree. You can do it in steps.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:I know we are in a culture that's immediate and we want immediate gratification. We want everything tomorrow. Yes, it's a long-term process, but if you build on your education or build on your career, same thing with a career Start where you are. You're not going to go in and be a vice president, right? You're going to start at a different level. You're not going to go in and be a vice president, right, you're going to start at a different level. But start at that level. Demonstrate your value as an employee, work really hard and in terms of like your kids in your life, a lot of people feel like my kids are totally separate than my job and, yes, you're not going to bring your child to an office right Like. Sit there for the day there are people that do that.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:Tell them you can't bring your kid here when they're sick. Stay home, but integrate them into your world. When you have an event, bring your son or daughter as your date, right? You don't, they don't. Your worlds don't have to be separate. Start where you are, work your way up, work hard, volunteer, raise your hand, network. So get to know people, and it doesn't have to be pin a network. Yeah, work, people know how to do that. Yeah, we, we need to talk about we do that is, I didn't realize, not everyone's like us and just likes to talk to people. No, so for us it's like yeah, I love networking. You get to find out how people are doing. Yes, it's not natural for a lot of people. No, but put yourself out there, meet as many people as you can, because all those jobs that I got, they were relational, they were from forming connections, getting to know people, demonstrating. I wanted to be there, so they thought about me when they had a position. Yes, get to know other people that can help position you moving forward.
Erica Rawls:That's worth saying again.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:Yeah.
Erica Rawls:You got into positions because you made sure you put yourself in rooms, right, that were that had people in it. That's right. That you knew was going to be able to assist you with getting where you wanted to go, that's right. And you had no shame in it. No, you were like hey, I want to build a relationship with you, yeah, and this is what we're going to do. They remembered you, right, and now you're here, right. A lot of people don't know how to do that.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:They don't. And when I was young, I don't think I realized I was doing it. I think, well, that's the thing.
Erica Rawls:I think I liked my professors, right?
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:So when they were, they were having a lecture. I showed up because I genuinely liked them. I didn't realize, every time I was volunteering or offering to do something or I was doing extra credit, that I was helping them remember me, right? So, yes, with the networking piece of it, you have to be in the room for people to remember you. If you send a resume cold and they've never met you, they don't know who you are. Yes, they can look at your LinkedIn page and you might have really great objectives on paper, but if no one's ever seen you, had a conversation with you, you're not going to be at the top of the list, no matter how qualified you are, and you might be the best person. That's exactly right.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:Got to put yourself in the room.
Erica Rawls:Yeah, yeah. And it's the most rewarding feeling, too, when you do it, because, in order for someone to network, the key is understanding that everyone's human Right. Everyone has 24 hours in a day. Yeah, everyone has challenges. Right, everyone has 24 hours in a day. Yeah, Everyone has challenges, you know. Everyone wakes up in the morning Right, that's it. You have to brush your teeth. So, right, everyone is the same, and I think because of these titles that we were talking about.
Erica Rawls:It freaks people out. It freaks people out, but if you look at them as okay, you know, if you're younger, you'll be like, oh, this is my mom or my dad, you know, or whoever you have a great relationship with. Just think of them as that person, that's right. And then go up to them hey, you know what I'm, such and such, I'm, yeah, so we're looking forward to meeting you. Exactly, I saw you from across the room. I remember seeing you, you know, in the central penn business journal. That's right. I love the article about you, about leadership, and there you go. We're like, oh, you did your research. I don't want to be flatter, because one I wouldn't be like, oh my gosh. They read about me Like, yeah, that's just the type of person like, oh my gosh, I need to talk to this person.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:That they remember, or he made an impression. Yes, yeah, that is such good advice. Yeah, I think in networking situations, people feel like they have to be a salespeople or salesperson or give their elevator pitch, or this is what I do, and this is who I know is. Hi, how are you? I find and I told you I love sports that's like a universal language. Oh right, and I am often in my role one of the only, if not the only, woman in the room. I, I have a board. I have a board who's phenomenal. I have phenomenal board members. There's 10,. There's 10 people eight are men and two are women and I almost always open with golf or football or what's happening in baseball, and it disarms everybody. They're like, yes, and they start talking about their teams, right, and everyone is like, okay, that's a commonality, it is a commonality. If you don't know anything about sports, don't do that.
Erica Rawls:Right, you're not someone who is into sports. Don't do that. Yeah, they will be like what in the world.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:Right. But if you're into a certain type of entertainment or like a new show that's out, people just want to have conversations and be relaxed. It doesn't always have to be. Hi, I'm Linda Fajrizi and this is what I do. It's Central Penn, it like. It's such a nice, it's a pleasure to meet you and you're right, if you've seen them somewhere, seen them present, read something about them or their organization that they did. Hey, I heard about your, your business and what you guys are doing for the local community and I was blown away by it yeah, just be genuine.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:That's the other thing. You have to be genuine people.
Erica Rawls:People can see through fake people and it's not attractive and no one wants anyone to vomit on them either with all their credentials and so forth. Yes, not at all Not at all, oh gosh, okay, yeah, because remember, we're human. That's it. Yeah, we're human. Yeah, like so and to be not entertained, but we want to find out what we're related, you know what's relatable about each other.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:That's right, genuine people. People just want to get to know you. For you, you could talk about what you do if you're asked about it, but just take a genuine interest and have a conversation with someone.
Erica Rawls:There you go. I love this, okay. So then, to end it off, you are in a leadership position and a lot of people that are going to be watching this are emerging leaders, or also leaders themselves. Watching this are emerging leaders or also leaders themselves, and you did say something that triggered this question you were the only female most times in a row. How do women who are ambitious go-getters, who are in leadership positions, how do you navigate that playing field?
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:Yeah, I used to be so nervous about it. Again, I was in my own head about it and I think that was one of the things that I had to learn they don't care that you're the only woman here, you care that you're the only woman here, right? And I would often be very quiet or kind of sit and listen. And then I realized I have things to offer and say you don't need to overpower the conversation. You need to treat it as if you were in a room very similar to what you just said with your equals, with people that you're getting to know. I'm often I shouldn't say often, that's the wrong word I've been treated like you know the little lady in the room like, oh, you know, that's Linda, she's so sweet, she's so kind, and but I'm and I'm, I smile and it's okay, I don't get offended, you don't want to come in there guns blazing like you're looking for something to get offended by.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:Sometimes I'll laugh and I'll be like yeah, you know, I actually do know a little something about this. I'll laugh with them and I'll joke with them. But I think you have to be confident. You have to believe in your ability. If you don't know the answer to something, just say that I'm not really familiar with that. I'll find out about that. If you don't know the answer to something, just say that I'm not really familiar with that. I'll find out about that. And keep your shoulders back and your head up. And I used to being a tall person. I wouldn't always wear heels. Now I like wearing heels because I'm eye to eye with the men in the room. I'm actually quite a bit taller than most of my board members as I'm sure you probably are in similar situations.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:So be confident, come prepared. That's the other thing I would say, I think, something that gives me comfort in any of my situations. I don't walk into them blind. I know who I'm meeting with, who's going to be there. If it's on a specific topic, we have an agenda. I have my notes prepared and not that I need to read from them, but it's my security blanket. I won't go into a situation not knowing what I'm going to be asked or what I'm going to do. Right, you want to be as prepared as possible, so you feel confident. Yeah, and don't let that be a barrier just because you might be the only female. You walk in, you say hi, you shake hands, ask how? What do you think of the masters? Yeah, it's McElroy. Finally got his whatever. It's not a trifecta, but I know we won all four right. Yeah, finally got his whatever. It's not a trifecta, but I know we want all four right. You want to put yourself in a situation where you can show that you can hang with the guys too.
Erica Rawls:I love this. You know what? This has been such a great conversation. I've enjoyed it too, yes, and I know that. Yes, the community we're building they're going to enjoy it, and if anyone has any questions, I will be sure to give them your email address yes, I don't mind any specific questions that they have in the comments. I'll be sure to make sure I'm like hey.
Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams:Linda, I love it, I love it. I love talking to people, connecting with people, so please, please reach out.
Erica Rawls:I love it. Thank you so much and you know what everyone Thank you so much for listening and to watching, and I look forward to.
