Sarah Stieby

I began my career as a designer at a small boutique agency in Cincinnati, OH, with Procter & Gamble as my primary account. This role involved crafting shopper marketing programs for their healthcare brands. My first packaging project was a redesign of Luvs packaging.

What truly ignites my passion for the industry is consumer insights and data. I absolutely love learning about what makes consumers tick, what frustrates them, and conceptualizing how we can help make their lives a little better. When it comes to packaging, I love determining how to effectively communicate those benefits in a way that connects with the audience and delivers a meaningful brand experience. Now that I have progressed into the supply chain and packaging manufacturing, helping brands understand the value of making great packaging choices for a total experience is a rewarding challenge.

One of the most fulfilling aspects of my career is when I can intertwine my personal experiences as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend with my professional deliverables. As the primary shopper and caregiver in my household, I get to bring my experience as a consumer to the table, helping add transparency and vulnerability to a B2B environment.

I went to school for design not truly thinking about how I would apply my skills after graduation. My career in packaging was a happy accident. For this reason, I think it is important to foster relationships with colleges and drive networking opportunities for young women. By connecting with these young women and sharing our experiences, we may help open doors they otherwise would never have known existed. The packaging industry has so many roles from marketing, engineering, design, sales, finance, and strategic planning, just to name a few. It is a lucrative industry with longevity and countless opportunities.

I think it depends on the role. I see many women in marketing, customer service, and procurement. I do not see as many women in engineering roles. As more companies work on their DE&I development, I believe we will see more balance in the future.

In all honesty, I am not sure I have faced any significant barriers. I have certainly faced my share of challenges, but I have been able to explore many different roles and path my journey on my own terms. I began as a designer but was more excited about meetings than doing hands-on creative work, so I switched over to account management. From there, I went into design management on the brand side, working for Kimberly-Clark, and have since transitioned again to strategy and marketing. Right now, I am working on my MBA with plans to graduate in February of 2024, so I’d say my only barrier is my own time and priorities.

Of course, you can go big and get involved in various networking groups on LinkedIn, seek seats on boards and packaging associations, explore formal mentor programs, and build relationships with schools. Yet you can also make meaningful impacts every day by encouraging, complimenting, and helping your female colleagues. It is the little things that make a lasting impression. Take the time to check in, ask how things are going, and offer some help, especially if they are newer in their career.

Don’t be shy; step out of your comfort zone and ask. Attend conferences, even virtually, and reach out to the speaker if you were inspired. If you have a boss, coworker, or even client who you look up to, talk to them about it. Being or finding a mentor doesn’t have to be super formal. Simply having someone with more experience who you feel comfortable asking advice of over coffee or a call is all it takes.

Be curious. Step outside your comfort zone. Be ready to pivot and approach each opportunity with an open mind.