Last modified on March 29th, 2022
By Jessica Garcia
The influence of women at AppFolio is felt strongly across every level of our organization, and this month, we celebrate Women’s History Month, International Women’s Day, and the women who inspire us all year round.
To honor the impact and contributions of women at our company, we held a special Women of AppFolio panel discussion earlier this month. The panel featured women representing all aspects of our business sharing personal experiences, career insights, and actionable advice.
Here are a few excerpts from our inspiring Women of AppFolio panel.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is #BreakTheBias. Have you encountered any gender-specific challenges, stereotypes, or barriers that you’ve had to overcome in your career?
“When I first started at AppFolio, I was one of the first four women on the business development team, and I often struggled with imposter syndrome. I experienced a big turning point a few years ago when I found myself in a team meeting with male colleagues wearing a bright pink dress. At that moment, I really embraced my otherness, sat up straighter, and spoke my mind. I thought, ‘You know what, I’m paving the way by just existing here.”
—Erika Martinez Garcia, Manager, Business Development Team, AppFolio Property Manager
AppFolio was recently named a Fortune Best Workplace for Women. How have you been supported at AppFolio and what have you seen that backs up that recognition?
“What first attracted me to AppFolio still holds true today, and that’s the strong representation of women in senior leadership positions. However, the main reason why I joined AppFolio and stayed for six years is the sense of belonging I feel here. I’ve always felt supported in my professional goals as well as my personal goals. In my one-on-one’s with my leader, we would spend half our time talking about my ‘Mom KPIs.’ She encouraged me to block time on my calendar on Wednesday mornings to walk my daughter to school. To this day, I get to work a little bit later on Wednesdays, but it’s the best part of my week, and I love that I have the support I need to be my best at home and at work.”
—Brooke Everest, Senior Manager, Mid-Market Sales, AppFolio Property Manager
How can men be better allies to women in the workplace?
“I have a tactical piece of advice related to this question. Beyond the male/female designations, we have a real opportunity to create a more gender-inclusive environment through the sharing of our pronouns. Much like our individual names, pronouns can be tied to an important sense of our own identity. I highly encourage everyone to learn more about gender identity and expression, and if you feel comfortable, share your pronouns in Slack, Zoom, or email.”
—Sam Britney, Director of User Experience, AppFolio Property Manager
What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
“The best career advice I ever received was to ‘own my own destiny.’ I really believe we are the best advocates for ourselves, so I share this advice and urge everyone to do the same: own your journey and your own destiny. Start by figuring out where you want to be and what experiences you’re missing to get there. Then talk to your manager—share your goals and help them understand what you need to accomplish them.”
—Fay Sien Goon, Chief Financial Officer
We’ve tackled the right to vote, and we’re working on equal pay. What’s the next frontier?
“I hope more companies will follow AppFolio’s lead in acknowledging the different paths to parenthood for employees, and providing the support for new parents to be successful. This year, AppFolio introduced new fertility benefits as well as increased parental leave for both mothers and fathers. I’m proud that AppFolio is leading the way in this space to remove barriers and encourage women to continue to take those next steps in their careers.”
—Stephanie Mitchell, Director, Corporate Communications
Comments by Jessica Garcia