I had the pleasure of interviewing Mary Pagano, a longtime technology industry executive. In her two-decade career in the industry, Mary broke gender barriers to rise to be an executive in a heavily male-dominated field.

Mary left the technology industry, not due to a lack of success, but because she wanted to achieve greater fulfillment. Today, she is a board advisor and angel investor to several female-founded companies;   HERA, a building project for a smart green city for the future of humanity in honor of women, and FEM FOUNDRY, a new safe & secure social mobile platform for women around the world to unite on all subjects with a focus on female empowerment.

In this episode, we talk about Mary’s career, the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated field, the need for female leaders, and her newest project HERA. Mary’s life experiences and passion make her inspiring for both men and women. 

Chapter markers:

• 03:36 Mary Pagano answers how she accomplished what she accomplished
• 05:06 Mary’s early career 
• 06:05 The challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated industry
• 08:19 How did Mary respect her boundaries in the corporate world?
• 10:40 The power of saying no
• 11:38 I don’t need a man in my life
• 14:27 People want other people to be like them
• 16:17 Mary’s career transition from tech to investing
• 19:25 We need more female leaders
• 21:06 The development of Hera City - A city celebrating women
• 26:57 What Susan’s project Steel Rose is all about
• 27:35 How being trained in sales influences your worldview
• 32:47 Mary’s closing thoughts

Notable quotes:

• “If I had a family and kids [my career] would have all been dead; there wouldn’t have been anyone to take care of them” -Mary
• “When women mentor other women, and they help and support them, it’s actually a gift to themselves because you learn from the giving” -Mary
• “I never got fired for saying no” -Mary
• “It always comes back to haunt us when we don’t have integrity” -Susan
• “I’ve always been looking for adventure; I’ve always been that way” -Mary
• “You don’t need to be married if you don't want to be” -Susan
• “It’s human nature that whatever works for you or me, we want to try to make everyone else like that, but there’s no point in it” -Mary
• “Culture can kill a company overnight” -Mary
• “Women need to support each other to move forward” -Mary
• “Women can't say no without guilt” -Susan
• “Sales is problem-solving” -Mary
• “When you’re not heard [in a conversation] you cut off” -Mary
• “The cardinal rule in sales is know your audience” -Susan
• “If you give service [for others] the universe will open up for you” -Mary

Connect with Mary Pagano

HERA:  https://www.heracity.org

FEM FOUNDRY:  https://www.fem-foundry.com

Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/marypagano    

HOST:  Susan Hum, The LoveHacker

Instagram @thelovehacker 

Website:  www.steelrosemovement.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/steelrosemovement