A Great Way to Celebrate Women’s History Month
We are pleased to announce that Monica C. Smith, CEO and founder of Marketsmith, was named to ROI-NJ’s first-ever Top 50 List of Influencers: Women in Business 2021. The list features 50 influential female leaders from around the state, ranging from founders of billion-dollar companies to CEOs of innovative startups to community activists. Many of them fall into several categories!
As the perfect way to round out Women’s History Month, we wanted to call attention to Monica and all of the accomplished, innovative women on the list who inspire us every day. Leaders and operators like Kathleen Coviello, Adenah Bayou, Sue Henderson, Liz Thomas, Kim Guadagno, Tammy Murphy, Michele Siekerka, Aisha Glover, Amy Mansue, Sally Glick, Judith Persichilli, and so many more inspire us every day to drive change and action among our communities and organizations. These women are true influencers in their professions and in their personal lives, people who lead by action and positivity.
When talking about why this list was created this year, Tom Bergeron of ROI-NJ stated, “[t]he great accomplishments of women have been recognized by too few for too long…Women understand the importance of being role models to the next generation.” But what truly is influence? The term “Influencer” is often tied to follower size or sponsored posts, but what really makes someone influential?
Being influential refers to the ability to affect someone or something in order to gain buy-in and empower action – something these women have done over and over again in their professional and personal lives. From company founders to organization leaders, these real-life changemakers have consistently showcased their influence by positively impacting the people around them time and time again. On a daily basis, Monica empowers her employees to lead with guts, be unapologetically themselves, and stay ahead of the curve in terms of trends and technology in the space – all things that have contributed to attracting top talent from across the country and establishing one of the largest media buying powers in the state.
Marketsmith is better because of Monica (it also exists because of Monica), so we turned to the people who work with her every day to reflect upon the ways Monica has been influential in their careers:
Carina Pologruto, Chief Innovation Officer: “Monica has been an amazing leader, a dedicated mentor, and a true friend. I can say with complete confidence that I would not be where I am without her. She is a woman who lifts the people around her, constantly inspiring and challenging each team member to reach his or her potential and navigate through complex landscapes to deliver for our clients. In fifteen years of working together, there has not been a day in which she has not made me smarter. It’s truly an honor to work beside her and continue to see her brilliance, tenacity, and heart make our community, state, and teams better than they were the day before.”
Rachel Schulties, Chief Operation Officer: “When I came to Marketsmith, I had a “do-it all-approach” to my career path. I was confident in what I was good at and terrified that someone would notice where I had weaknesses. Monica has taught me to embrace those weaknesses, use it as an opportunity to support others and empower them to rise. She has done that repeatedly throughout her career, most recently when hiring me, and I intend to follow that model as I continue to learn and grow professionally.”
