Wisdom Unlocked 🔓✨ Career Lessons from Leading Women: A Conversation with Stefanie Nimick

November 7, 2024 / Kim Martin /

Could you start by introducing yourself—your name and what you do?
My name is Stefanie Nimick, and I lead distribution for Hallmark Media’s television networks. I work with all partners to secure the carriage of Hallmark products on all their platforms.

How did your career begin, and how did you get to where you are today?
My career began when I joined Rainbow Media’s regional sports network, SportsChannel Chicago, in 1989. I had recently graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Telecommunications Management and had a fantastic early experience putting all that learning into a real-world environment. Being at a regional sports network in the early ’90s was an immersive experience creating, developing, distributing, and managing television. It was fast-paced, exciting, and very entrepreneurial. I had amazing co-workers and leaders. I joined the Chicago Chapter of Women in Cable & Telecommunications and plugged into an amazing network, connecting with industry leaders at all levels. I loved working, learning, and connecting. The combination of my hard work, being in the right place with amazing people, and the networking connections from WICT were vital building blocks to where I am today.

How have you seen the workplace shift since you started your career? What are the most significant changes you’ve observed?
When I started my career in the early nineties, the workplace was more formal and not as flexible with personal commitments. We wore business suits, pantyhose, and high heels to work every day. We worked a solid 50+ hours a week in the office and had to earn any time off, even for salaried employees. Work/life balance was not a thing, and office life was very rigid and structured. Technology was also significantly different. We didn’t have the internet, email, or cell phones, and it took a long time to get things done. Microsoft was just coming to the market, and we used very basic “mainframe” computer technology. Once technology started changing, the ability to work remotely soon followed, and then the 2020 pandemic forced companies to adapt in very productive ways to work-from-home environments.

Conversely, what aspects of the workplace have remained constant in your experience?
People and relationships. The fundamentals of building and maintaining relationships have not changed. Building trust, delivering on your promises, following through, and finding ways to authentically connect with people both inside and outside your organization are vital characteristics of how we show up to work and are key to a successful, enjoyable career. These social behaviors have remained constant. Now that technology allows us to stay in front of our screens all day, it’s critical to find ways to connect in person.

Storytime! We’d love to hear about a pivotal moment or decision that shaped your career. It can be a success or a challenge—what stands out to you, and how have you changed because of it?
In 2004, there was quite a bit of change and consolidation happening at my company and in our industry. I was offered a job that required me to relocate from Chicago to NYC. I really admired and respected the person recruiting me and seriously considered making the change. After visiting NYC and thinking through the logistics of moving my family, I made the pivotal decision not to take the NYC role and decided to stay in Chicago. Raising my family in Chicago was one of my work-life boundaries, and I had to make that my priority. At that time, I thought I would have to pivot out of the television industry, but I was willing to make that sacrifice in order to protect the priority of my family. Twenty years later, I am still in Chicago and have been incredibly fortunate to continue working in the media and television industry. Since that pivotal decision, I have gained strong skills in leading, connecting, trusting, and giving back in both my work and personal life. That pivotal decision reinforced the importance of having boundaries and living your priorities.

Navigating work-life balance can be challenging and often more difficult for women. How have you managed this throughout your career?
First of all, you have to come to work with a mindset of “I’m in.” Build trust and reliability with your leadership team and colleagues. Show them that you’re a hard worker and willing to do what it takes to contribute. With that attitude established, the next thing is to know your personal boundaries and build a support system. I had a full-time career while raising three children and managing aging parents. I had a partner who supported and encouraged my career. He picked up the heavy load with household and family duties so I had more freedom to grow my responsibilities at work. At work and at home, one of the hardest things for me to learn in those very hectic and busy days was to let go and delegate responsibility. I truly believe letting go and delegating are key steps to moving into leadership roles because they allow you to focus on strategic thinking and becoming a catalyst and champion of other people’s work.

We encourage everyone, particularly women, to seek mentorship and guidance from leaders in their fields. Who has been your mentor along your journey, and how have they influenced your career?
I have had so many mentors during my work journey—prior bosses who later became advocates for me by connecting me to new opportunities, industry colleagues who share their experiences and give amazing feedback, and long-term coaching mentors with whom I have honest communication and receive amazing advice. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with strategic, kind, and thoughtful leaders who have significantly impacted my career and personal life.
What’s one piece of advice you would give your younger self when you were starting?
One piece of advice I would give my younger self is to get comfortable with the gray zone. Not everything is black and white or fits neatly into a checked box. The world is a myriad of complexities, filled with beautiful colors and unknown, unpredictable possibilities. Then I would say, trust your instincts. You have good insights into the world around you, and I’m super proud of all the personal and professional accomplishments you will achieve.

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