While I still like shopping at the market with my scribbled grocery list, my kids’ generation is paperless (they would’ve put Dunder Mifflin out of business). Millennials are digital multitaskers on steroids, ordering anything and everything online, expecting delivery five minutes ago. When the pandemic hit, she and her peers instantly pivoted to virtual — there was no learning curve; it was intuitive. My daughter, Niki, was my on-call tech expert. She made sure I knew where the mute button was on Zoom and that I was comfortable while looking chic and put together.
My daughter is 26 years old and has helped grow the company I built, integrating ecommerce into our portfolio and ensuring we reach multiple touchpoints across a digital landscape. In our mother-daughter duo, I’m the offline girl and she’s the online girl. We converge because you have to be both. I work for passion, she works for purpose.
On the move for The Female Quotient.
Niki Fleshner
As Mom-in-Chief, I may think I have all the answers, but reverse mentorship is alive and thriving. Here are ten business insights I’ve learned from working side-by-side with my millennial daughter:
- Get to the point. Send efficient, concise email responses and have quick calls. It’s not rude, it’s about making things happen faster.
- Share what you know. Give advice about things you’ve actually done, everything else is ‘just talk’.
- Choose partners that care. Build relationships with companies that invest not only in their employees, but in sustainability, diversity and equality.
- Create multi-channel content. Single channel marketing no longer exists. When your idea buds, think about how to integrate messaging across all platforms.
- Give back. Promote purpose in the marketplace. We support female-founded brands by donating a portion of our ecommerce sales to help them grow.
- Use social media with purpose. These platforms have the reach to make social change happen faster, and a post has the power to spark a movement. Make it count.
- Virtual appearances are important, too. Place the camera at eye level and sit back. (No one should be able to see your pores!)
- Don’t over-engineer things. Sometimes, you just need to push the button.
- Our differences are our added value. Surround yourself with people who don’t think like you do — and then create a space where everyone can thrive.
- Be real. Live your life for who you are and what you believe in.
Partners in business and life.
Niki Fleshner
The silver lining of the pandemic has been the quality time I’ve had to spend with both my own mother and daughter. As we pass the wisdom baton back and forth, I encourage you to tap into the collective genius in your own family. Happy Mother’s Day to all the women who nurture each other—our sisters, aunts, grandmothers, friends and colleagues.
