Women in Payments: Stephanie Giunta

In the fintech industry, PaymentsSource estimates that women represent only 30% of the workforce. Global Payments Integrated wants to share the unique experiences of women in the payments industry, so we’re launching our Women in Payments interview series.

Our first interview is with Stephanie Giunta, a marketing manager here at Global Payments Integrated, as well as author of the new book Surviving My First Decade in Corporate America.

We spoke with Stephanie about her book, her career, and tips for young women entering the workforce. Read on for the insights she shared.

Mackenzie Miller:

Hi Stephanie, thanks for joining me for our first-ever Women in Payments series with Global Payments Integrated. So I know we both work together at the company, but we've yet to have the opportunity to meet in person due to COVID and all these travel restrictions that are set in place. But I'd love a chance to get to learn more about you and your career experience. So maybe tell me a little bit about yourself, about your background and where your career started off.

Stephanie Giunta:

Sure, Mackenzie, and thank you for having me. So my career started off at Canon USA. I was in the inkjet printer department and it actually dovetailed off of an internship that I had in college, which was really nice. So I had the job lined up for me post-graduation. I was involved with social media. I actually, my second day of work Canon launched their Facebook page, which seems a little unbelievable. You know, now in 2020, thinking back like 2012, this was happening, but, it was really fun to, and a great learning experience to be part of, you know, a huge corporate brand social media launch. Again, I was on the inkjet printer side of the house. So, it was very interesting for me from a social media marketing, PR and communications perspective to be able to work with, you know, agencies, vendors, video companies, and from there really my passion, in marketing and especially utilizing social media grew from those first experiences.

Mackenzie Miller:

Awesome. So I know that you have a book out and I was kind of wondering what made you want to start writing a book. And if there was a specific, maybe, event in your life that led you to this, or if it's something you've kind of always wanted to do. Tell me a little bit about that.

Stephanie Giunta:

Sure. So I have it right here. It was really fun and it was - writing has always been a passion of mine so years ago, I started blogging on a personal level, just, really as a hobby and just as like a nice outlet. And I wound up having a solid amount of readership on my social networks and it kind of just propelled me to keep going with it. So I wrote for a couple of companies like Elite Daily prior to them being monetized, they were in their infancy. I was dating a relationships columnist. So I've always really liked that kind of like real talk, but like snackable and relatable type content, you know, having your audience resonate with you.

As far as the book goes, I personally have always wanted to write one. I just, I never knew what it should be about, what it would be about, who would read it, who the target market was. So I always had in the back of my head for probably, I would say three to four years now, but just didn't really have a jumping-off point. So when TSYS was, uh, acquired by Global Payments in Q3 of 2019, I had never been through a merger and acquisition before in my career. And naturally I was very nervous. So I used writing as an outlet and it kind of like - detailing my experiences from a business perspective. And it kind of made me think like, you know, it's not just M&A, that is something that resonates with professionals, you know, across, you know, a variety of industries and business verticals. It's those other like real experiences that, you know, that are funny, that are kind of hard to read, but like you understand it on more of an emotional level. Everybody's been through, you know, such trials and tribulations and victories throughout their careers.

And I decided to write about my experiences as a twenty-something also because I turned 30 this year. So it was kind of, you know, somewhat of a milestone for me. And it was just like a nice recollection of my experiences in the workforce. And, you know, what I learned, how I failed, you know, when I succeeded and more of like, you know, an anecdotal guide where, you know, a memoir of sorts that others could relate to. So yeah, I've always wanted to do it, but, um, really last year I got the push to move forward.

Mackenzie Miller:

That's awesome. Congrats on that. With a book titled Surviving My First Decade in Corporate America, there had to have been some struggles along the way. What are some of your top, maybe two to three challenges that you've overcome during your career so far?

Stephanie Giunta:

I would say the first one is never make a career move or leave your happy home based on dollar signs alone. That was a decision I made once when I was 26, when I was looking to move from my first company and find a new opportunity and really instead of kind of surveying the lands, you know, so to speak everything that you have to look into, you know, the job description, your commute, the, how the office feels though, the organizational culture, your total compensation package. I mean, there's so many things that need to be taken into consideration when you're looking for a new position and somewhere that, you know, you see yourself, you know, at least there for three to five years, you know, whether that's short term or long term, um, I would say that was a really, really tough lesson for me to learn because about a month into the job, I knew it wasn't right for me.

And, um, I was again putting the pedal to the metal, looking for a new position after just having one. So that's definitely something I love sharing with people because it was a tough one for me, it was a really tough point in my life, but, you know, the struggles happen and you do make it out on the other side. And in addition to that, I would just say that one of the big challenges is, you know, work-life balance. It sounds nice, you know, but it doesn't really exist. I found, you know, you're always going to, especially in the technological age we're in, where everything is so accessible on our phones or devices, you know, I'll always be forevermore, you know, sitting and watching TV, whether it's, you know, eight, nine o'clock at night or beyond (probably sleeping beyond nine, honestly), I'm sifting through my email and just like taking a look at G chat, like reading things and subliminally, you really don't think, you know, you're working and you're kind of not, but you kind of have that, you know, always-on mentality in a sense. And it's the same thing, you know, while you're at work, you know, the hours that, you know, you're at the office, or if you're logged on, if you're remote now, you know, personal issues are going to come up, things are going to happen with your family. Like life milestones. Like there's always going to be that blur of personal and professional. And for me, as soon as I figured out how to, you know, really counterbalance the two, it led to a lot more happiness, I would say on both sides of the stick.

Mackenzie Miller:

Awesome. So it sounds like you have quite a bit of advice and tips to give people. So what would maybe your top three to five tips for young women navigating the first decade of their career be

Stephanie Giunta:

I would say always be accountable and that goes in line with everybody makes mistakes. It's just really important that you own it. I would say that, you know, I've made, I've made mistakes throughout my career. Some, some minor, some not as minor. But I think the important thing at the end of the day is like, you know, everybody, everybody messes up at some point, whether you’re a rookie, you know, just started your career. Or if you, you know, you're an executive, a veteran, it happens. We're all human. But I think that the most important thing that you can keep in the back of your head is as long as you own it. And you know, you apologize when it's warranted and you say, you know, this was my fault. Like what can I do to rectify it? I think that really speaks volumes, no matter how old you are and what type of position you're in.

Other than that, I would say that don't be afraid to be the young one. This was something when I was 21, I remember being an intern in a meeting and I actually, I spoke up and I was like really, really nervous to, because I was in a room of people that have been working like f5, 10, 15, 20 years. And you know, who is this college girl like offering her two cents? But age doesn't necessarily mean wisdom in the sense that you can't feel slighted and feel like you can't contribute or say something or bring something to the table, just because you lack, like, the years under your belt from a career perspective. I think everybody always has good advice and insight to offer. And that's the beauty of, you know, especially working at a global company where, you know, a melting pot of such individuals from so many different backgrounds and, you know, thought processes and whatnot. So never, never hold back, especially when you're in the infancy of your career. Actually, when you speak up, you know, and you have your voice heard, you put yourself in a better position and it leads to a greater sense of respect and self-confidence for yourself.

And lastly, I would say, be prepared to pivot and change like it's nobody's business because consistency is great. And I think it's short-lived no matter where you are. I think you have to be ready. You have to stay hungry because changes always happen, especially in the business world. And if you stay, you know, if you stay seated, if you stay complacent and you're just really, really content in your box with the way things are, it may be more difficult for you to, you know, become malleable and adapt to a major change. You need to definitely just always stay on your toes and never get to a point where you feel like you're too comfortable because you always have to expect that something's going to change whether it's M&A, whether it's, you know, your organization, your, your structure, whether it's, you know, your department's guidelines. There are always things that are going to happen, you know, no matter where you are in life and in your career. And you're just so much better prepared mentally when you kind of preempt those changes and condition yourself to think that way.

Mackenzie Miller:

Those are really good tips. Some that I can definitely use as well. So thank you. So what makes you feel inspired or like your best self? Are there any podcasts or books or anything that inspires you?

Stephanie Giunta:

Nothing, I can't call out one in particular. I am a big Instagram person and I do follow a lot of like positive outlook accounts and, you know, business professionals and like thought seekers and things like that. There's one account that I personally love, that you guys should all check out. It's @idillionaire, and she's actually an author. But I do love her posts because they're very much about the future and, you know, calling into, calling into existence, like what you see for yourself, what you want. It's really about like that kind of high level goal setting. And sometimes, I actually read one of her posts yesterday and it kinda got me excited, especially after this, you know, interesting year we've had about, you know, what is going to happen for you. Like it really, I think like stuff like that gives me the hope and faith that leads to greater levels of, you know, perseverance and like, you know, sometimes when I'm feeling down or a little less motivated, you know, something like that would really like help me kick it into high gear, not only with work, but you know, like with life in general.

Mackenzie Miller:

That's awesome. And what was the account called again? I want to go follow them.

Stephanie Giunta:

It is @idillionaire spelled like millionaire with a D.

Mackenzie Miller:

So who’s been your biggest mentor in your career so far?

Stephanie Giunta:

From a career perspective, I would say that I had, I interned in the career center at Stony Brook University, my alma mater, back when I was nineteen. So I have been connected to a handful of a group of women, you know, one of which, who was my supervisor for eleven years now. And, you know, we're still in touch. I still talk to them every so often, but they really gave me the tools as a college student. I feel like, you know, it's an impressionable age, you know, you're really transitioning from, you know, college to career and, you know, you have the adult scaries and whatnot, and, you know, they've always been, you know, they, they were so good to me back then with giving me straight up and like realistic advice about the workforce, about, you know, anything you could think of as a college student, so on and so forth.

But they really, they came with me through my twenties as well. So it was really nice. And, you know, even now it was really nice to like have them, and they've, they've really been such a support system and very, you know, from a mentorship point of view, like women that I can really rely on and I can, you know, email them quickly, I can reach out to them on LinkedIn. I know they'll get back to me. So that's been really nice.

But aside from that, I think from a career perspective, I have to say my parents, to be honest, they, and that might be like the classic answer that everybody uses. But no matter which path I went down, I, and, you know, I mentioned that little career mishap I had earlier when I was 26 and made a decision that wasn't the greatest for me. I mean, they've always had my back. They've always supported me and given me the right advice about, you know, don't leave a job until you have a new one, you know, really they let me experience like some blunders, I guess you would say, but, you know, always to have that support and key learning experiences that they knew I needed, you know, to move forward. And I would say throughout all phases of my career and all these milestones I've hit, you know, they've always been there, you know, cheering me on. So it's been really nice.

Mackenzie Miller:

Good. What's one thing you wish you had known when you began your career?

Stephanie Giunta:

I would say it's okay to make mistakes. I was very, I remember one time I made a mistake in the infancy of my career and I thought I was going to get fired. And it was like something very, very simple. I think I put a lot of pressure on myself. Even now, honestly, I put a lot of pressure on myself to always, you know, have all my ducks in a row, everything aligned, everything, you know, perfect the way it should be. And, you know, it's inevitable that things are going to happen. And I think that also goes back to me, you know, the accountability standpoint. I think it's really hard when, you know, you're entering your career to think that way, you're kind of on your best behavior, that nobody knows you, you're establishing your reputation. So it’s very hard to not want to be anything other than a perfectionist in a lot of ways, but I would just say that, you know, it's okay. Like there are going to be times you fall along the way, and that's what you are, your mentors and your colleagues, and those that are more seasoned than you are going to help you out with. So then when you get into their position, you can help, you know, the next generation that are coming through.

Mackenzie Miller:

And lastly, what's your favorite thing about working in the payments industry?

Stephanie Giunta:

I've worked in a variety of industries. Payments is - when I started at TSYS it was my first for payments. And I have to say it's the most dynamic and challenging industry that I've ever worked in to date. And I think it's because it's something that, it could change on a dime. I mean, companies are acquiring each other, new technology is coming out. I mean, we have everything this year from a societal and an economic perspective that has shifted us to, you know, contactless and mobile payments, more so than ever. And I think that we're kind of at the forefront, you know, with that merge between payment processing and technology, where, you know, it's really impactful what we can do, you know, what our company can do for society as a whole, people as a whole. I mean, we really are, you know, people first. People use payments every day.

And I think that it's, it's something to me that when I first entered the industry, it was a little scary because it was complex in nature, more complex in nature than other industries that I've worked in that are a little bit more easy to understand. I think some aspects of the payment industry, you know, there's some articles that I really have to read like three times before I can, you know, fully understand and appreciate, you know, what is trying to be conveyed here. And that's the part that I love the most about it. I think it's exciting. I think that, you know, it makes me a better professional because I feel challenged and it makes me want to succeed that much more. So I think that it's also kind of like the industry itself is like a catalyst for, you know, working that much harder.

Mackenzie Miller:

Thanks so much for your time, Stephanie, it was great getting to chat about your career, and all these great tips that other, you know, young career women can take and live their life by. And hopefully after the pandemic we can get to meet up actually. And you know, maybe talk further and discuss your book. And maybe you'll write another one, who knows?

Stephanie Giunta:

Maybe. Yeah, I hope so too. Hopefully once all of this is behind us and we're clear to travel, love to meet you in person. And so many other people that, you know, I've only met virtually so far.

Mackenzie Miller:

Well, have a great rest of your day. And we'll chat soon. Thanks.

Stephanie Giunta:

Thanks Mackenzie.