For the last four decades, Lynn Child has been pioneering technological innovations with the fierce determination of any great entrepreneur. Today, she leads as president and co-founder of CentraComm, an industry-leading IT services provider, yet stops short of taking the credit for her company’s success. When asked to discuss significant moments in her professional career, she always points towards her incredible team and her personal mentors—invaluable assets, she says, who have empowered her to emerge in a male-dominated industry and stand out as a successful female technology entrepreneur.
Interviewer: How did you get your start?
Child: My career, like many others, began with a solid educational foundation. I earned degrees from both Tiffin University and Ohio Northern University. I then decided to spend some time in the workforce, discovered and married my best friend, and helped him run our family company. In the late ‘80s, I went back to school and earned my master’s degree from Bowling Green State University. Throughout the next decade, I taught at a small college and really began pushing forward with technology, introducing the concept of distance learning and several other technology-related initiatives. This was in the ‘80s and ‘90s, when no one was doing online learning yet. It was an exciting time that also led me to George Washington University, the final step before I ventured out and followed my entrepreneurial dreams.
Interviewer: Describe the culture you try to create at CentraComm.
Child: Our culture is one that everyone is important, everyone has a voice. I value that. I don’t care whether you’re a president, chairman of the board, administrator or janitor, we all function as a team and share common goals.
To me, it’s significant that people are heard. If they have ideas, I want to know about them. If we can act on them, we will. If they don’t fit or we can’t do it now, I let them know. If we’re going to move forward with as a company, our team members need to feel the freedom to speak up. We encourage this environment at CentraComm by awarding an Innovate Award, allowing team members to submit brilliant ideas that they feel will positively impact our company. Whether they’re involved in processing, customer service, accounting, engineering, or anywhere else, their ideas matter enough to us that once a quarter, we give away a $500 reward to the person who submits an idea we feel is most innovative.
I believe in giving back. It’s a core value of how I run my company and treat my team. You spend a large amount of your life at work, so choosing a career you love is imperative.
Interviewer: How does your team work together so well?
Child: Everyone understands they represent the CentraComm brand. Customer service is critical in our industry because our relationship with our clients keeps us in business and growing. We have a robust profit-sharing plan where our team members are rewarded for supporting each other and achieving company goals. Every quarter, we give our entire team a report on our financials. This propagates the understand that we all have a voice. We all pitch in. We all will succeed together.
Interviewer: Who has shaped you as a leader?
Child: First, my husband. He was always there to mentor me, to be a sounding board, and provide various perspectives when making business decisions. He was a profound influence on me and I miss him dearly.
Another mentor was Dr. Countryman, former president of Lima Technical College (now Rhodes State College). During the time I worked with him, he brought out an entrepreneurial spirit in me. He provided the ability for me to begin many new programs under the umbrella of the college, including distance education courses. We’d deliver courses into people’s homes via CD-ROM and eventually web-based, online courses. We were on the forefront of educational learning and his leadership style still impacts me today.
Interviewer: What’s it like being a woman in tech?
Child: It has it’s challenges. The number of female entrepreneurs is a very small number, and it’s even smaller if you look for entrepreneurs in technology. When I started my companies, I felt the world was a difficult place to be in. I constantly felt (and still feel) I had to prove myself. I was a well-educated, articulate woman, that was well-connected to the community, this helped me get my businesses off the ground.
Interviewer: What would you say to a young woman in tech?
Child: Young ladies in tech, be lifetime learners. Be persistent. Be tenacious. Learn how to think and speak logically so you can relay your amazing ideas in this world.
Interviewer: What needs to happen for women to advance in the tech world?
Child: First, more parity. This lack of equality comes from both sides. Women need to focus on giving support to one another because you can easily feel inadequate in this field. On the contrary, men need to be willing to come alongside as mentors rather than competitors to women. I also believe that our educational systems need to put more emphasis on STEM, especially with our young kids in school.