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Good morning, Fearless readers:
It’s a big couple of weeks for Fearless. This Friday, our annual Fearless edition in the Business Record publishes. In it you’ll find inspiring stories of Iowa women and special features in honor of 25 years of our Women of Influence awards — be sure to check it out. Plus, don’t forget to sign up to attend the Fearless Annual Celebration from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 30 at the Downtown Des Moines Marriott!
In this week’s Fearless e-newsletter, you will find:
- An essay from Macey Shofroth about her first writing mentor.
- This month's Leading Fearlessly column about digital overload from BPC past President and CEO Suzanna de Baca.
- In the headlines: Paralympic gold medalist and University of Northern Iowa senior Olivia Chambers will be the grand marshal for the 2024 UNI Homecoming parade.
- In case you missed it: The Business Record named Roxanne Conlin its first Women of Influence Alum of the Year.
- Lots more!
— Emily Barske Wood, Business Record special projects editor
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Essay: An ode to my first female writing mentor
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BY MACEY SHOFROTH, FEARLESS STAFF WRITER
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I grew up in a family whose business was, for decades, newspapers.
So it was only natural that as I developed a penchant for writing, people would constantly ask if I planned on taking over after my parents retired.
My answer was short and sweet: "Absolutely not."
But while owning the rural weekly newspaper, the Monticello Express, didn’t exactly fit into my plans, it did give me a great jumping-off point for a career in writing. My first publishing credits were short stories I wrote at age 6 that my dad put in his column. My grandpa, the previous publisher, taught me to back up my thoughts with both facts and conviction when he was the first person to disagree with something I wrote. (All with love, of course.)
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And I found my first female writing mentor in longtime Express editor Kim Brooks.
When Kim and I connected via FaceTime recently, she had just celebrated 15 years at the eastern Iowa paper.
"It feels crazy. I had only one other job before I came here," she told me.
It feels crazy to me, too. I was 12 years old when my parents hired Kim, but it feels like I’ve known her my entire life. She even had to give me the names of the editors before her, as they’d long faded from my memory.
That lapse is indicative of the impact Kim had on both me, and the town. From the moment she stepped into that old brick building, she was more than just the editor — she was a committed member of the community who wanted to see Monticello thrive.
"Your dad has said that they hadn’t had an editor that got involved in their community," Kim said.
That involvement includes 12 years on the board of directors for the Monticello Public Library, six years on the Monticello Chamber of Commerce board, six years on the executive board of Jones County Grade Level Reading and four years with the Jones County Young Professionals.
She has also joined the recent Jones County Migrant Inclusion Team, an organization founded to support immigrants in the area.
Even as a busy adolescent, I sensed that Kim’s involvement in our community was something special. I heard about her work as I bopped in and out of the Express to talk to my parents, or at home as we wondered: How does she have the time?
It’s just in her nature, both as a person and as a newspaper professional.
"I feel I need to know what’s going on in general. If I’m on a board with someone, they might be on a different board as well, and he can bring their ideas to me and I can share those in the newspapers," Kim said.
That network is important for any journalist, but it becomes vital for a newspaper like the Express. Kim is one of two editorial employees attempting to cover as much news as possible in Jones County, which has a population of 20,848. Their subscriber base has grown recently, as another local weekly newspaper changed ownership and readers have shifted.
This is even after the Express changed ownership itself. Kim and Pete, the Express associate editor, have maintained high-quality reporting to keep the town informed.
I didn’t always appreciate the importance of that kind of rural Iowa journalism as a kid — the type of reporting that often seems pretty "small potatoes" when you aren’t directly affected by the work. But for issues like an upcoming school bond issue, it’s imperative. The bond would fund a new elementary school to replace the current one, at which my mom attended kindergarten and still doesn’t have air conditioning.
Kim and the newspaper are keeping readers in the town abreast of how their money is being used, and how it could affect their children’s futures.
"If we’re not reporting on [the city council], people don’t know what’s going on in their town," Kim said. "One of our big headlines next week is about garbage rates going up. Probably in the grand scheme of things, that’s not big news. But in a small town, when people are watching their pennies, garbage rates increasing is a big deal. Would the community, other than the two people who were at that meeting, know about it if I hadn’t put it in the paper?"
At the beginning of her career, Kim thought she might head to a bigger city like Chicago after her tenure at the Express, maybe try working at a magazine. Fifteen years later, she’s glad she stayed in small-town journalism.
She’s been able to connect deeply with the community she’s serving. The owners of a wine bar that opened in Monticello in 2013 became two of her best friends after she interviewed them. She interviewed a couple after tragedy struck their family, and the wife became her colleague at the library years later.
"People I talked to once to share their story have ended up being a part of my life in some way," she said.
There’s another layer to her work that turns Kim a bit bashful when I bring it up. Her mentorship as a female journalist and leader has touched many aspiring writers, including me. She guided me as I worked on the Express’s 150th edition as an intern, and the backend knowledge around how a publication comes together was invaluable.
Several others have benefited from Kim’s teaching, such as Wartburg graduate Riley Cole, who became the first female sports editor at Waverly Newspapers. All but two of Kim’s interns have been female.
She’s reluctant to claim her influence in the careers of young female journalists she’s mentored. But seeing firsthand her dedication to this rural Iowan town — my hometown — I have a better understanding of what it means to tell others’ stories with care.
Even when she had good reason to step away — after my family sold the paper recently, she wondered if it was a good time for her to try something new — she maintained her belief in the legacy, and future, of the Monticello Express.
"Like you said, a town can survive and revolve around the newspaper," Kim said. "I can’t see myself not working that and having it go downhill. I’ve been here for so long. I don’t know if I can step away."
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A column by Mark Spensley, Macey's dad, that included some of her early writing. Submitted photo.
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Leading Fearlessly: Women face digital overload at a higher rate than men
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BY SUZANNA DE BACA, PAST PRESIDENT AND CEO, BUSINESS PUBLICATIONS CORP.
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Have you ever stopped to count how many digital tasks you perform regularly? I conducted an inventory of my own digital usage recently and was a little stunned by the number of activities I perform on numerous devices — everything from managing work and personal schedules, documents, emails, texts and calls; handling personal finances; ordering groceries and household supplies; checking the weather; booking travel; tracking exercise; looking up recipes — and even renewing my husband’s fishing license.
Like most Americans, you may be in digital overdrive, but as a woman you may be shouldering an even bigger digital burden than you realize. A recent cross-national study published in the journal Community, Work & Family shows that women are facing digital overload at greater rates than men.
As if we are not already busy enough, it turns out that technology is adding to women's already full mental workloads. Because men tend to use technology primarily at work but women use technology to manage both work and home lives, women are especially affected — and it is worse for women with children.
"When it comes to using technology at home, women tend to do more of the day-to-day online work for the family, creating an extra digital burden," says a BBC article. Women, who also work from home more than men, tend to manage more of the family’s home needs and schedules, kids’ school assignments and activities, shopping and other tasks that involve online use.
"This work-family ‘digital double burden’ heightens the potential risk of digital overload and burnout for women," says an article in Phys.org.
The last thing women need is one more obstacle as we strive for success in work and life. So, what can we do to put boundaries around our digital use?
I turned to local leaders to ask how they’ve experienced and managed digital overload at home or work — and how employers or partners help prevent this overload.
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Erica Axiotis, president, UnityPoint Health Foundation
In our roles as working mothers, employees and leaders, we are constantly receiving messages that need to be dealt with, delegated or deleted. The effects of digital overload are akin to physical clutter. Clearing digital space is helpful in many ways and can lead to better mental health and also improved outcomes in all aspects of life.
Take an assessment of what is truly needed to stay up to date in your subscriptions as a starting point. Get rid of what is not needed; there’s an unsubscribe button for good reason. Enlist your team as a designee for specific communications to cascade those messages on further. Also, give yourself and others grace in terms of the speed that we respond.
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Abena Imhotep, CEO, Sankofa Literary and Empowerment Group
As a woman balancing work and home life, I know firsthand how overwhelming constant digital demands can be. That's why I've made it a priority to set clear boundaries around screen time, and I encourage others to do the same. I even include a note in my email signature reminding people to respect personal time and prioritize joy.
One of the most helpful things an employer or partner can do is support those boundaries. Respecting after-hours communication limits allows for a true mental break. Encouraging regular digital detoxes — whether it’s a day off or an hour away from screens — makes a huge difference in reducing stress. Flexibility in work schedules is also key. Having the freedom to manage both professional tasks and personal responsibilities without feeling constantly connected is empowering.
Making these shifts is a move toward protecting our mental health and embracing a more joyful, balanced life.
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Emily Schultz, managing director, BrokerTech Ventures
Digital overload affects both men and women, but in my experience as a woman, I believe organizations can reduce its effects by promoting an overall culture of well-being and treating employees as whole professionals. This means offering flexibility during the workday, allowing women, parents and all employees to manage personal needs and take necessary breaks, while being trusted to manage their schedule and complete their work. It also means prioritizing mental health and well-being. When autonomy and flexibility are prioritized, I believe the negative effects of our digital culture are significantly reduced, while at the same time, ownership and pride in our output increases. In addition, I believe in promoting the ability to truly unplug outside of work in order to reset and rebalance.
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"STAND FOR SOMETHING OR YOU WILL FALL FOR ANYTHING. TODAY’S MIGHTY OAK IS YESTERDAY’S NUT THAT HELD ITS GROUND."
ROSA PARKS
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Olivia Chambers, Paralympic gold medalist and University of Northern Iowa senior. Courtesy photo.
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Olivia Chambers named 2024 UNI Homecoming parade grand marshal: Paralympic gold medalist and University of Northern Iowa senior Olivia Chambers will be the grand marshal for the 2024 UNI Homecoming parade. Chambers is the school’s first swimmer in school history to be named to the United States team for the Paralympic Games, winning a gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle. She is a biology major originally from Little Rock, Ark. Find more details on UNI’s homecoming here.
Iowa Center names Katie Byers director of Women’s Business Center: The Iowa Center for Economic Success named Katie Byers the new director of its Women’s Business Center. Byers is an attorney, entrepreneur, and a fiber and mixed media artist. She’ll provide training and individual counseling to Iowa women looking to launch or grow their businesses.
New Central Iowa water utility hires Tami Madsen as first executive director: The newly-formed Central Iowa Water Works has named Tami Madsen its first executive director, according to this story from the Des Moines Register. Madsen holds a master’s degree in hydrology from the University of Oklahoma and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas in Tyler. The regional water system is expected to provide drinking water for around 600,000 residents in Central Iowa when it becomes operational in 2025.
2025 Women Impacting ISU calendar honorees announced: Iowa State University has announced the 12 women who will be honored on the 2025 Women Impacting ISU calendar. The honorees, who are a mix of students, faculty and staff, are chosen based on their impacts in service, teaching, research, administration, scholarship and involvement in campus activities, depending on each nominee’s role on campus. The 2025 calendar will be unveiled at a reception on Jan. 22 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union. The event is free and open to the public. Learn more about the calendar and see the list of honorees here.
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Ruth Chepngetich shatters women’s world record at Chicago Marathon (New York Times). OB-GYN students opt for residency programs in states without abortion bans (Daily Iowan). Fair-wage advocate Lilly Ledbetter dies at 86 (Wall Street Journal). Italy passes anti-surrogacy law that effectively bars gay couples from becoming parents (Washington Post). They were sued over grants for Black entrepreneurs. Now, these CEOs are raising millions to fund small businesses (Fortune). How specific words on women’s résumés may be holding them back, according to research (Forbes).
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Roxanne Conlin named first Women of Influence Alum of the Year
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The Business Record has named Roxanne Conlin the first Women of Influence Alum of the Year, a new annual award launched to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Women of Influence.
Conlin was honored in 2000, the first year of the awards. Business Publications Corp. Chair Connie Wimer launched the program to recognize women who were making a difference in the community but were seldom recognized. All those who’ve received the award in the past were invited to nominate fellow alumni who’ve continued making an impact since being honored by the Business Record.
Conlin has championed several civil rights causes in her law practice and has sued institutions for various forms of discrimination, particularly advocating for women. She’s won cases giving more rights to pregnant workers, survivors of rape and women who have been sexually harassed in the workplace.
At 80, she’s still practicing law full time.
A feature on Conlin will appear in the Oct. 25 Business Record and she will be in attendance at the Fearless Annual Celebration on Oct. 30.
Fearless Annual Celebration details:
Oct. 30 | 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. program and discussion | 12:30 – 1 p.m. lunch
Downtown Des Moines Marriott | REGISTER
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At its core, Fearless exists to help empower Iowa women to succeed in work and life. We believe that everyone has a story to share and that we cannot progress as a society unless we know about one another. We share stories through featuring women in our reporting, featuring guest contributions and speakers at our events.
We are always looking for new stories to share and people to feature. Get in touch with us!
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