Inbound Marketing Insights

Having recently completed my junior year and my spring internship with Prism Global Marketing, I want to finish both with a blog piece that is both inspirational and useful. I believe that as you find your path in life, you are continually being shaped by those you meet and those you look up to. Therefore, I decided to interview two incredibly powerful women at the University of Arizona, both of whom have accomplishments. I’ve decided to separate both interviews and turn this is a two-piece blog post. Subscribe to our blog to receive the next article!

The first person I interviewed was Dr. Lisa D. Ordóñez (pictured above). Dr. Ordóñez is currently a tenured faculty member at the University of Arizona who received her undergraduate degree, masters, and PhD at UC Berkley. Her areas of expertise include: judgment and decision making, management and consumer behavior, emotions and decision-making and ethical decision-making. She has published over 15 academic articles and received several highly prestigious awards such as the UA Center for Leadership Ethics Faculty Research Award in both 2012 and 2013.

Dr. Ordóñez was one of my professors this past semester and I can genuinely say that I always looked forward to attending class. I learned so much from the way she taught, as well as the course content. She was always eager to teach, and appreciated our input and ideas as a class. During the interview, it was no surprise that the answers were meaningful, thoughtful, impressive, and inspirational. 

I invite you to read the interview below.

I’m focusing on women in high-level positions (particularly at UA) who have been successful in their careers, and you were definitely someone who stood out to me this semester. What advice would you give to women who are seeking high-level positions in their career?

Dr. Ordóñez: I wish I had known my strength and power at an earlier age. I doubted myself and felt that I wasn’t good enough to take on many roles.  Women work hard and are smart, but often we sell ourselves short by thinking that we need to wait to lead and take more time to develop better skills. We need to raise our hands and “lean in” more before we think we are ready—because we are more than ready, we just don’t know it yet.  Believe in yourself and take on tasks that will help you grow.  Be brave.  People expect us to whimper and shrink when things get tough—but any group of people who can juggle home and work with such grace are not weak. We are the definition of strength.

What do you feel has been your greatest accomplishment while at the University of Arizona and why? What do you hope to accomplish in the next 10 years?

Dr. Ordóñez: Receiving tenure was the proudest day of my life.  It was the signal from academia and the college that I had arrived and that I was part of the club.  I knew that I belonged and that they couldn’t change their mind (since tenure meant that I had a job for life!)  In the next 10 years I hope to mentor more students to find their passion like I have found mine.

In your career, have you ever had to deal with any issues that were focused around you being a woman? How did you deal with these issues and do you believe that women today have to face these issues often?  

Dr. Ordóñez: Lucky for me, I had four brothers.  So, I was used to dealing with competition and ribbing which helps me get along with my male colleagues.  Frankly, most of the time I forget about gender differences in my work but then I realize that often I am the only tenured female professor in the room.  So, it is hard to look around and see a large number of our qualified population not being represented. Unfortunately, I do think this is still very prevalent but it is changing. Little by little, the differences are shrinking and I hope to see the day where there are an equal number of men and women at the table.

What motivates you on a daily basis to succeed both in your personal and academic life? How do you motivate others as a leader?

Dr. Ordóñez: I seek perfection in everything that I do.  I wish that I didn’t—I could get more done that way. I also like helping people—students, colleagues and, friends.  I like making a difference in the lives of others.  I get a rush when I can help someone by connecting them to someone else or helping them grow in some way. 

Learn more about Dr. Lisa Ordóñez's background and her incredible accomplishments.

Stay tuned to our next blog to hear from Teri Lucie Thompson, Senior Vice President for University Relations and Chief Marketing Officer at the University of Arizona.