Utilizing LinkedIn, extending conversations outside a company for honest feedback and asking questions to get answers are tools women need to implement growth in the energy space, including convenience stores.
That’s according to panelists Dawn Vaubel (pictured left), president of Kankakee, Illinois-based Baron-Huot Oil Co. and treasurer on the board of the Illinois Fuel & Retail Association, Hailie Newman (pictured right), channel account manager of Tempe, Arizona-based ABB E-mobility, and Nikki Earp (second from left), CFO of Winamac, Indiana-based Good Oil Co. in the education session Women in Energy Panel: Real Life Leadership in the Energy and C-Store Space at M-Pact, which took place Wednesday in Indianapolis.
Moderated by Deena Doyle (second from right), executive director of Women in Energy, an organization whose goal is to create a community for energy professionals focused on education, mentorship and growth, as well as advancement tools for women currently working in the energy industry, panelists offered practical guidelines for women in the energy space to succeed in the workplace.
“If you ask the questions, you will get the answers,” Vaubel told the audience members when asked what steps are needed to succeed in the industry.
With an industry that includes such a spectrum of experiences, the panelists told audience members to find conferences, education tools, webinars and other tools that provide the most value.
“My field is very specific, so I know the conferences that I need to go to, but Women in Energy can guide you to figure which conferences to attend and who to talk to,” Newman said.
Mentorship is another key driver for success for women in energy, the panelists said.
"I’ve had great managers and I’ve had terrible managers but I’ve learned from both of them,” Newman said. “This helps you learn what you want and what you don’t want.”
When the company is a family business, it can be challenging when it comes to feedback, Earp said. She started in the family business as a cashier and painting curbs, and moved on to managing stores and various accounting positions.
“Being in a family business can sometimes be challenging when it comes to feedback as no one wants to tell the owner’s kid they are doing something wrong, but feedback is important,” she said.
Earp is now transitioning into becoming a third-generation CEO of her family’s business. Good Oil Co. operates 17 retail locations and supply over 100 dealer locations, according to the company’s website.
“I had a mentor that I owe a lot of my success to,” she said. “He would sit me down and give me honest feedback.”
When it comes to self-improvement, it is important to find those partners that you can have those tough conversations in a respectful way to advance, Earp said.
When it comes to valuable mentorship, Vaubel credited a former co-worker’s mentality of being open to how tasks were completed.
“She showed me how she did it, but said ‘feel free to change how I’m doing it,’” Vaubel said. “It was nice to know that you had that freedom.”
The panelists also discussed authenticity in the workplace and offered tips how to bring this every day to work.
“My co-workers are my family, so this is very easy,” Earp said. “It’s different to be your authentic self when you are able to connect with people on that level.”
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