Voices from the PPWLN Executive Council: Lisa Barrieau

Lisa Barrieau
‍Banding Sales Manager - Food, Felins

What led you to pursue a career in this industry?

I transitioned from ballet to fine dining to customer service at Felins and found that I loved the world of manufacturing and decided to pursue a career in sales within the company.

What is an example a professional challenge you faced, and how did you overcome it?

I think in general, a major challenge I have been faced with is in educating customers on our product/solution --- we are so unique and our solutions had been unknown to the food industry, making it challenging to gain trust of new customers.

What is some advice you’d offer a woman entering this industry?

I think that I would tell women entering the industry that being a female in a male-dominated industry is actually like having a super power! If you know your stuff and “hold your own”, you are remembered because you stand out apart from all of the other men.

What do you enjoy most about your career?

I am a HUGE relationship person and feel like I get to talk to family and friends throughout the country! My job doesn’t feel like work because I get to know these individuals throughout the course of the development of the projects and then I get to see them benefit from our solutions.

What do you wish more women knew about opportunities in our industry?

I think, honestly, that women don’t believe there to be many women in the industry, but I actually find there to be a lot more than it seems!

How important do you think networking and/or mentorship is for women in our industry?

Networking is very important! I have learned so much from others in the industry and have found that getting to understand other solutions/companies, has helped me be more of an expert in the industry because I can recommend other companies to my customers and understand upstream and downstream solutions more.

How do you balance work/life?

I always tell my customers that I have a work/life blend rather than balance! I am ALWAYS available, even when on vacation, but on days that I am working, if I need to take a two-hour lunch with my grandma for instance, I can! Since I love my job and my customers, my job doesn’t feel like “work”, and I truly feel lucky that I can work and experience life in a blended way so I don’t feel stressed or overwhelmed by work --- basically my job is part of my life and who I am.

What qualities that tend to come naturally to women do you think translate well into leadership qualities?

100% empathy! I think that women tend to be more empathetic, which is incredibly helpful when dealing with all sorts of personalities and situations.

What do you find most rewarding about this industry?

Packaging will always exist in our world and it is ever changing and evolving, making it one of the most exciting industries --- I love seeing the benefits of our solutions for our customers --- I love that our customers will actually thank me/us for helping them save money, stand out on the shelf and/or grow!