Tina Gravel, SVP Global Channels, Cyxtera
(Left) O'Neill, Gravel with DeAnne Connolly Graham, Pres., ROI Media Consultants
DES MOINES, Iowa - May 8, 2019 - PRLog -- When Cheryl O'Donoghue's latest book How to Be a Woman in Technology (while Focusing on What Matters Most) was released this past February, Tina Gravel was the first person to purchase it and she's made multiple purchases since. And not because she was featured it the book.
"There is just such good wisdom in this book with so many examples of how these resourceful women built their careers while raising families, and how they didn't stop when people told them "no" or that they couldn't contribute," says Gravel. "Nearly everywhere I go, I have copies on hand so I can share them with the people I meet. I know once they start reading it, something in the book will ignite a spark that may change their lives."
Case in point. A gentleman that Tina recently gave a book to shared it with his wife, Maria Fiore, who after reading a few chapters of the book, reached out to Tina to share her impressions. "I was hesitant about what I would find in the book (having been through the gamut of theoretical and self-help books lately), but I have found I cannot put it down and I just bought several copies for my friends!" says Maria. "What I recognize in me and my female 'family,' is this hesitancy to trust ourselves, recognize our value, and take a 'leap of faith.' The book's true stories of ladies who pushed through the muck and made something happen for themselves, their colleagues, and the tech industry was inspiring to me, and what I hope will help my friends in their quests as well."
Tina purchases the books on her own and makes a point to give the books to men and women at industry conferences and events, encouraging them to share their copies with girls and boys as well. At the recent CyxteraCon event hosted at eMerge Americas 2019 in Miami, Tina and her colleague, Jean O'Neill, who is also featured in the book, handed out and signed 100 books and could have easily handed out 100 more.
"Tina and I took a short break from talking with people in our booth and we were only gone for a handful of minutes, when I received an urgent phone call asking where we were," says O'Neill. "There were people waiting in a line to get the book and have us sign it!"
Tina has also purchased books for the women she works with at Cyxtera—a technology company that exists to create a truly secure hybrid IT environment with interconnected site colocation and data center services (Cyxtera.com). Additionally, The Women of Cyxtera are considering the book for their book club.
According to the book's author, Tina's purchases are also making an impact on her nonprofit Mission Sisters Who Work. "I knew someone was regularly and quietly purchasing the books in bulk quantities, but I didn't know who it was," says O'Donoghue. "When I learned it was Tina and she told me about her mission to get the book in as many hands as possible, I was so grateful."
All royalties from book purchases go to Mission Sisters Who Work, a nonprofit O'Donoghue co-founded early in 2018. The 501(c)3 organization is dedicated to closing gender, pay, and opportunity gaps in tech through providing self-empowerment books, assessments, and training to women and girls. Mission Sisters serves nonprofit, education, and community groups, with a special focus on those in underserved communities.
"And if anyone who reads the books has contact with minority women and girls who are considering careers in tech, please share this book with them," says Tina. "We have it tough as females, but females from minority races have it much worse and the book shows them exactly how they can thrive."
To learn more about Tina Gravel and her work, contact . To learn more about Mission Sisters Who Work (missionsisterswhowork.org), contact Cheryl O'Donoghue at .