Kristie Weinert’s career path would be impressive for anyone. What made her journey unique are her four children who came into her life in the midst of the career. Find out how she balances raising four children, what motivates her, and advice she would give to future businesswomen.
Her Campus Siena: Tell me a little bit about yourself!
Kristie Weinert: Personally, I am 100% Italian. I am the youngest of five children, and I never thought I would have any of my own. However, I have four children, two cats, and a very nice husband. I am a registered pharmacist in the state of New York, and I also have a masters in business.
HCS: What benefits does a master of business have in the pharmacutical field?
KW: Great question. So I started my career as a retail pharmacist, something that most people are farmiliar with – at your local drug store. Then in 1998, I accepted a job at Express-Scripts. My primary role was to lead teams through front end pharmacy processes of home delivery [of perscriptions]. After doing that for about ten years, I was looking for ther opportunities, and one of my peers shared with me that the company was offering a professinal MBA program in St. Louis for 25 employees. At that time I was 40 years old, had a dog, and four children… but decided I would take on this challenge to travel to St. Louis for classes once a month. It was a journey that led me to my next career move.
HC: How has having children affected your professional life?
KW: [Laughs] Lets see… it has allowed me to show empathy towards others and have a better understanding of challenges familes face, [such as] having to balance children and work.
HC: How do you personally balance work life, home life, and time for yourself?
KW: The most important thing that you can do to be successful is to take care of yourslef first, and then priortize what is important to you. For me, family was always first. If I knew everyone was safe and well cared for, that gave me the ability to be successful while I was at work. Staying organized has [also] been key to my success.
HC: Do you think your career path would have been different if you did not have four children, two cats, and a nice husband?
KW: Absolutely. My family motivates me to be the best person I can be, both personally and professionally. Without them, I may not have been able to accomplish all of the things that I have done.
HC: Being that you are a successful women in business, what advice do you have for college-aged women entering the work force?
KW: I would say that you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Network as much as possible, have a clear understanding of the job expectations and make sure you are not afraid to speak up.
We can all learn a little from her!