Made of Her
The women who truly shaped how I lead didn't have titles.
They had history with me. Two since elementary school. One since high school. Two since college. The ones who knew me before I had a title and loved me anyway.
There's something about being truly known by someone that teaches you how to truly see others. And seeing others, really seeing them, is the whole job.
One boss understood that. She took a chance on me and in doing so changed everything.
This Women's History Month I asked all six of them one question: who changed the trajectory of your life — and what did she give you?
Their answers stopped me.
Scroll below to see what they said.
Jennifer Baggett Brennan
Twenty years ago, I took a giant leap of faith with my two friends, Amanda and Holly, as we decided to quit our jobs in NYC, sell most of our belongings and spend a year traveling around the world on $30/day. While the trip itself changed my life in ways I never could have dreamed of, it was the fierce bond and sisterhood with Amanda and Holly that’s had the most lasting impact on me. Spending 365 days on the road together—living out of backpacks in hostels, huts and even a camper van—these women taught me just how strong and resilient I could be. They’ve inspired me to take more risks and to rely on my own intuition and grit, which has truly impacted every area of my life for the best. After that trip, we made a pact to travel together once a year for the rest of our lives, which we’ve miraculously stuck to throughout dating, marriages, moves, kids, career changes…a global pandemic. And anytime I feel stuck or adrift, Amanda and Holly are the ones who pull me up and encourage me to live as big, and as adventurous, of a life as I possibly can. And thankfully, it's with these two extraordinary women always at my side, along the way.
Aimee Sheriff Stafford
I was asked to name the one woman who changed the trajectory of my life, but I realized I couldn't—because my life is a puzzle put together by a whole Village of women. From my mom and sisters to friends I’ve held close for forty years, and the college, work, and 'mom friends' I’ve met along the way, I have been blessed by a collective strength. Each one has stepped in to help straighten my crown or offer unique guidance, and it is their combined inspiration that truly made me who I am today.
Stephany Foster Spahr
The woman who changed the trajectory of my career is Elizabeth Tallett, a member of our QIAGEN Supervisory Board. She consistently encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone, and with her support I made the leap from the finance side into HR — a shift that completely reshaped my path and ultimately led me to my current role as Head of HR.
Nathalie Agenor
There are people who pass through your life… and then there are the ones who quietly reshape it.
For me, that woman is Misty Jones.
For more than nine years I had the privilege of working under her leadership, but what she gave me went far beyond a job. Misty showed me what leadership looks like when it is rooted in integrity, clarity, and humanity.
She never needed to raise her voice to command respect. She led with vision. With calm. With an unwavering standard of excellence. Watching her taught me that true leaders don’t just manage people, they create environments where others discover their own strength.
From her I learned that leadership is not about control, it’s about trust.
Not about ego, but about service.
Not about being the loudest voice in the room, but about being the steady one everyone can rely on.
Misty believed in me before I fully believed in myself. And when someone with that kind of clarity sees potential in you, it changes the trajectory of your life.
She taught me to think bigger. To move with intention.
To lead with both strength and grace.
Today she is not only someone I once worked for, she is someone I deeply respect and proudly call a friend.
If part of my leadership today carries calm in chaos, clarity in complexity, and the courage to stand tall for others… it is because I once had the privilege of learning from a woman who embodied those qualities every single day.
Thank you, Misty, for the example you set and the leader you helped me become. Some mentors teach you skills. The rare ones help you discover who you are meant to be.
Karen Krause Honsinger
I have been blessed with many amazing women in my life—my mother, grandmother, mother-in-law, and friends who have become family.
When I think about the women who have inspired me, they are a wonderfully diverse group. Some are quiet and steady, while others can turn a wrong number into a new friendship. Their politics, faiths, and life stories differ. Yet each of them holds family as a central pillar in their lives. Whether the family they were born into or the one they created through friendships. Their dedication to those they love has shaped how I value family in my own life.
Andrea Hecht Jolly
In 1969, when I was 22 years old, I took a job as a public child welfare worker working with abused and neglected children. My supervisor, Betty Lourie, was in her forties but seemed old to me then. She was about the same age as my mother. I had grown up in a very traditional family. Expectations were clear: go to college, get married, work for two years, have a baby and never work again. Betty had a very different life. She was the first "liberated" woman I ever met. She had a husband and five children and worked full-time not because she "had" to but because she wanted to. She was a marvelous role model for me and influenced how I lived my life.
