June 30, 2025 • 19 mins
In this episode of the MGMA Member Spotlight podcast, host Daniel Williams talks with the leaders behind MGMA’s Early Careerist Resource Group — a supportive space for emerging healthcare leaders to connect, grow, and navigate the challenges of stepping into their first leadership roles.
Guests Agnes Edukere, MHA (Melody Health), Melinda Mastel, MBA, MS, FHFMA, CMPE, PMP (Medical College of Wisconsin), and Tori Cordova, BS-HCM, CPPM, CPC, COC, CHONC (Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center) discuss how the group came together, the real-world topics they explore, and why peer-level support is so valuable.
You’ll hear practical insights for early-career professionals, including tips they wish they had known starting out, and how the group fosters leadership, networking, and confidence-building in a low-pressure environment.
The next Early Careerist Group meeting is Tuesday, July 8 at 3:00 PM EDT via Zoom.
Register at mgma.com/events.
Episode Timestamps:
- 00:50 – Introduction and Overview
- 02:06 – Meet the Panelists
- 05:01 – Understanding the Early Careerist Resource Group
- 07:58 – Challenges Faced by Early Career Professionals
- 09:58 – Meeting Format and Topics
- 13:23 – The Value of Joining the Group
- 14:37 – Advice to Our Younger Selves
- 17:25 – Conclusion and Upcoming Events
Additional Resources:
Email us at dwilliams@mgma.com if you would like to appear on an episode. If you have a question about your practice that you would like us to answer, send an email to advisor@mgma.com. Don't forget to subscribe to our network wherever you get your podcasts.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Daniel Williams (00:56):
Well, hi, everyone. I'm Daniel Williams,
host of the MGMA PodcastNetwork. And today we're doing a
member spotlight podcast, and weare spotlighting the early
careerist resource group here atMGMA. May going be going, what
is that? But we'll get to that.
We have, in the last year or so,we've launched several
(01:20):
leadership resource groups. Andbefore the end of this, I am
going to drop links to thoseresource groups in the episode
show notes. So you may see aresource group you identify with
or wanna be a part of, andthat's one of the things we
wanna do here. Last week, I hadthe opportunity to talk to
(01:42):
someone with the AAPI leadershipresource group, and that was a
lot of fun having thatconversation. So let's get back
to the early careerist group.
This is a space specifically formembers 35. It allows them an
opportunity to connect, getsupport, and navigate the real
world challenges of starting andgrowing a health care career.
(02:07):
Today, we have a panel. Theseare folks who are our group's
volunteer facilitators. First,we have Agnes Etiquari who has
her MHA.
We have Melinda Mastel who hasbeen on the MGMA podcast before.
Melinda has her MBA in CMPE. Andthen finally, Tori Cordova. She
(02:29):
has her CPPM, CPC, COC, CHONC.Wow.
You need a second line for allthese, Tory. That is impressive,
and I'm so glad to have allthree of you here today. So
let's just get started,everybody. What I wanna do
first, though, we're gonna talka lot about the Early Careerist
(02:52):
Resource Group, but let's kickit off just so our audience can
get to know each of you a littlebit better. I'm gonna start
where I can see y'all first.
So Agnes, if you wanna kick thisoff, just tell them a little bit
about your background in healthcare and where you are today and
what you're doing.
Tori Cordova (03:07):
Yeah, of course.
Agnes Edukere (03:08):
My name is Agnes Hidde Carey. I'm a Director of
Performance Improvement andProject Facilitation here at
PPOSBC Melody Health inCalifornia. I've done a wide
range of things between primarycare, specialty care, surgery
within FQHC's academic medicineand ambulatory surgery centers.
So I have a wide range ofpractice management, operations
(03:30):
and project management inhealthcare.
Daniel Williams (03:33):
Perfect. And I'll go with Melinda next. I
know you've been on the showbefore, but for our listeners,
give them a little bit aboutyour background.
Melinda Mastel (03:40):
Absolutely. Yes. My name is Melinda Mastel. I am
in the Southeastern Wisconsinarea. I work at an academic
medical center where I've beenfor going on nine years now,
time flies.
And I'm primarily in a financialmanagement role, but I really
touch a little bit ofeverything. So a little bit of
jack of all trades with HRoperations, communications,
(04:01):
strategic planning, a little bitof everything. And I love the
variety.
Daniel Williams (04:06):
Wonderful. And then finally, Tori, tell us a
little bit about yourself.
Tori Cordova (04:10):
Yeah, I'm Tori Cordova. I am currently a senior
manager of practiceadministration at a multi site
cancer clinic in Colorado. Ihave a lot of experience in
practice management, revenuecycle, and also operations. And
I've been in my current role forabout three years, but been
(04:31):
heavy on the revenue cycle sidefor a lot longer than that. So
Well, Tori.
Yeah.
Daniel Williams (04:38):
Tori, I just learned something. You're a
neighbor. You're also inColorado. Where are you located?
Tori Cordova (04:43):
I am in I live in Fort Collins, Colorado, so about
an hour north of Denver.
Daniel Williams (04:50):
Okay. Perfect. Yeah. I've got some friends
yeah. Some friends that are upthere at CSU.
So good to have you here aswell. Didn't realize you were in
the state. So good to see youthere. Alright. Well, let's
start with the basics, y'all.
As I mentioned earlier, we arereally spotlighting our resource
(05:10):
groups. We want people to knowabout them. We want those MGMA
members to know about them. Solet's talk about the early
careerist resource group.Melinda, let's start with you on
this one.
What's the vision behind it?Anything else you might wanna
share about that particulargroup?
Melinda Mastel (05:27):
Yeah, absolutely. So as you mentioned,
we were founded as one ofseveral different MGMA resource
groups. And the idea is reallyto invite collaborative peer led
discussions on topics that arerelevant, in our case, to those
earlier in their career. So asyou mentioned, it's roughly that
age 35 and below demographic. Sopeople who might be just
graduating from school or fromgraduate school who are starting
(05:49):
out their careers, maybetransitioning into their first
leadership role, that's a lot ofwho we kind of cover.
So we held our first discussionsessions at the twenty twenty
four MGMA Leaders Conferencelast fall, and we'll be at this
fall's MGMA Leaders Conferenceas well leading some sessions
there. So look out for us on theschedule. But we're also keeping
the discussions alive in betweenthe conferences with quarterly
(06:11):
Zoom sessions now. So we'redoing virtual discussions, and
really focusing on a specifictheme or topic each time. And
the idea is really to just shareinsights, practical tips, ideas,
our stories and experiences, andget some good conversation going
around those.
So we might share lessons thatwe've learned, what we're
experiencing in our own roles,and just encouraging learning
(06:32):
from one another. So there's noneed to be an expert or come
with all the answers. The ideais really that we each have
something to share andcontribute to this space. And
the goal or vision is really tohelp people feel connected, have
a welcoming space where they cancome share questions. Maybe you
want to bring something outsideof your organization for a
different perspective, differentview, a different take on it,
(06:56):
and just help people talk aboutupcoming trends and get some new
ideas that we can bring back toour workplaces.
Daniel Williams (07:02):
Let me follow-up then. So y'all had
something, as you mentioned, atthe past leaders conference.
Y'all also I think you werecombined with the late careers
group at the summit. Is thatcorrect? Okay.
Then as far as the sort of Zoommeetings that y'all have had,
how many of those have you had?
Melinda Mastel (07:23):
We've had two so far, and then our next one will
be coming up in July.
Daniel Williams (07:27):
Okay. Great. Yeah. So everybody, I'll bring
this up again, but the nextmeeting is gonna be July 8.
That's a Tuesday, and it'll beat 3PM eastern time.
You're gonna be able to registerat mgma.com/events. What we're
gonna do is we're gonna put adirect link to that event so you
(07:49):
can go right to it and registerfor that. And I'll put a
reminder in that again before wesign off today. So, Agnes, I'm
gonna direct the next questionto you. So all of you are
working closely with earlycareer professionals.
What are some of the biggestchallenges you see them facing
in today's health careenvironment? You might even want
(08:09):
to throw in what the challengesyou're personally having out
there. But tell us a little bitabout those challenges that
y'all are encountering.
Agnes Edukere (08:18):
Yeah, of course. So absolutely. Some things I've
heard from healthcareprofessionals, especially in our
ambulatory surgery centers, ourhealth centers and practices, is
the balancing act of healthcareas a business and healthcare as
a service. We all aspire as acareer in health care to make
impact, and the reality ishealth is still a business. So
many professionals are dealingwith trying to keep up with the
(08:40):
innovation that's happening inhealth care and really leading
their teams to that change andthe regulatory compliance along
with it.
Some are also dealing withnavigating their professional
role, whether it's trying tonavigate and how to show up in a
complex organisation orcomplexity in payers and
relations. Really trying tonavigate those fields, along
(09:01):
with managing the numerous tasksthat they have on them between
the administrative burden, theorganisational mission that's
driven that they have to workon. Some are also dealing with
being accountable andresponsible for things for the
first time in their new role. Sowe're really trying to be
multifaceted and trying to givethem the options and the support
with all the different topicsthat they're dealing with.
Daniel Williams (09:22):
Okay. Great. I'll just throw this out there
to Melinda and Tory. Anychallenges that y'all see out
there as well? If not, we canmove on to the next question.
Melinda Mastel (09:32):
I think it's just this eternal, especially
from the financial perspectiveof doing more with less and just
constant optimizing processimprovement and creative
thinking to try to innovate andbring new services to the
forefront while also having realconstraints that we're working
within. So that's a great reasonto kind of share best practices
(09:52):
and ideas with other people.
Daniel Williams (09:54):
Yeah. Love that. Alright. For our next
question, Tori, I'm gonna directthis one to you. Let's talk
about what a meeting looks likewhen y'all have met.
I think Melinda had mentionedy'all have had two in those Zoom
rooms. You had the live energyof leaders conference, had
people there physically in thatspace together, which is a
really neat kinda really feelthat difference in the energy
(10:16):
when you're there in persontogether. But, when someone
joins a meeting, what'ssomething they should expect,
Tori? And then can you walk usthrough the format and how those
conversations typically go?
Tori Cordova (10:29):
Yes. So when someone joins a meeting, we
usually have a presentationprepared ahead of time. The
topic is usually chosen basedoff of suggestions that the,
early careers submit when theyfill out the survey that's sent
to them, or we present ourtopics that, you know, we feel
(10:54):
strongly about, networking, AIusing AI is a huge topic
recently. So that's kind of sometopics we've talked about you
recently. We look for feedbackand open dialogue and discussion
from the group.
I think that sometimes it can bea little bit quiet at first, but
(11:16):
what we're here for is tosupport these other careers to
join our group. So feel free toask questions at any point
throughout the presentation.It's not super formal. It's just
there as a tool to help guidethe conversation.
Daniel Williams (11:32):
Oh, that's awesome. Alright. Thank you so
much for sharing that. So,Melinda, I'll direct this one to
you. Tori was mentioning AI as atheme and a topic that keeps
coming up.
What are some of the otherthemes, topics that just they
just keep surfacing? They arelike perennial questions that
are topic areas that people wantto talk about? Tell us about
(11:54):
that.
Melinda Mastel (11:55):
So we've really had a wide variety, I would say,
of questions come up. So we'vebeen all over the place. A
common one is discussing thetransition to leading people
from an individual contributorrole, establishing your
leadership presence also as ayounger leader in that space,
and then also navigating multigenerational workforces. We have
(12:16):
had questions about careerpaths, specific education
certifications, things likethat. So we've walked through
some of that since we all haveexperience in that realm, how to
stand out in the fields, how todifferentiate yourself early on,
and then also covering thingslike goal setting, really
practical topic there.
What does emotionallyintelligent leadership look
(12:36):
like? And then as you mentioned,AI is on everyone's mind right
now. So in our most recentpresentation, we went over how
to tie in goal setting andleadership with AI prompting and
went over some tips andstrategies for that. I think
Agnes might have some additionalthings to jump in with.
Agnes Edukere (12:55):
Yeah. I mean, I think along with everything you
mentioned, Melinda, a lot of ourparticipants are really
requesting relationship buildingand networking. I think that's
something that we're reallyfocusing on for our next
session, along with how toworkshop even some of the real
time issues that they're dealingwith in their respective roles
because they really want that qand a and that feedback and
(13:15):
brainstorming from theircolleagues. A couple more topics
that we're adding.
Daniel Williams (13:20):
Yeah. Agnes, I want to stay with you for the
next question. So for anyonewho's listening who hasn't
joined yet, maybe they're unsureit's for them or for whatever
reason, what would you say aboutthe value of showing up and
being part of this group? What'sthe selling point for this Early
Careers group?
Agnes Edukere (13:38):
Yeah. I mean, being a part of this group gives
you that small group dialoguethat you can foster connections
and growth with otherprofessionals in your field and
industry. Because I knowsometimes you may feel a little
uneasy talking to others or so.So having that small group
discussion with others in thatsame group as you is really
helpful, And I think you'd enjoythat. They'd enjoy that.
Daniel Williams (13:58):
Yeah, love that. Either Melinda or Tori,
anybody have any other thingsthey want to add about the value
of the group?
Melinda Mastel (14:07):
I would say just come and try a session. Give us
your feedback. Let us know ifthere's something you'd like to
cover or learn more about,because we're happy to help
facilitate a discussion aroundthat. We're really here to make
this valuable and impactful foryou. And just like Agnes said,
it's low pressure and we arereally focused on fostering
those real connections andrelationships that people can
(14:27):
take away and hopefully continueoutside of this resource group
as well.
Daniel Williams (14:31):
Yeah. And those are the main questions I have,
but I wanna have a little funwith this y'all. So I'm a bit of
a sci fi fan, so we're justgonna imagine we have time
machines or if we could somehowteleport and have a conversation
with our younger selves. So thisis our bonus question. So if
(14:53):
y'all could go back and giveyour early career self one piece
of advice, what would it be?
Tori, let's start with you.
Tori Cordova (15:03):
What a great question. I would tell myself
not to rush the process. I havealways been one who has big
goals and big dreams and ideas,and there's no correct way to
always do things. And I thinkthat was a difficult lesson to
learn. And if I had just knownthat from the start, I might
have saved myself a lot ofheadache, but just, you know,
(15:28):
trust the process.
And you don't need to haveeverything figured out right
away. And just always be willingto learn. I think that's a key
thing as not only a leader, butjust navigating life in general.
Daniel Williams (15:42):
Yeah. I I love that. And it's one of those
questions where it's fun tothink about it, and then we can
just, like, beat ourselves up.Like, why didn't I tell my why
didn't I know to do this? Whydidn't I know to do that?
But I love that answer, Tori. Sothank you for that. So let's
hear from Melinda next. Whatwould you tell that younger self
(16:03):
about your early career, youknow, that advice you'd want to
give that younger self?
Melinda Mastel (16:08):
Yeah, it was really fun to reflect on this
one. I have a couple of things.Would say first, like define
success for yourself because itlooks different for everyone. So
don't be afraid to create yourown path. It's okay for your
journey to look differently thanyou might have at first thought
or different than someoneelse's.
I would also say really identifyand follow trusted leaders and
(16:29):
learn from them. I think I didthat well, but I would
definitely go back and encouragemyself to really prioritize
that. And then just be yourself,like own your strengths, find
them and just own them and howthat makes you your own leader
and gives you unique value. Ithink that's a big confidence
builder.
Daniel Williams (16:47):
I love it. All right, Agnes, you get the final
word.
Agnes Edukere (16:51):
Yeah. I mean, I think I would tell my younger
self that failure is necessaryfor success. I think early on,
I'm used to just doing thingsright correctly the first time.
So I struggled when I didn't getthat buy in from my team or a
process that I put into placedidn't work. But honestly, you
have to fail forward.
So I think telling my youngerself that just fail forward,
(17:14):
learn, adapt, be agile, it'llhelp you become a better leader.
Daniel Williams (17:18):
That is so cool. Well, Agnes, Melinda,
Tori, thank you so much forhanging out with us today on the
MGMA podcast.
Agnes Edukere (17:25):
Thank you so much. Thank you.
Daniel Williams (17:28):
Alright. Well, everybody, that is gonna do it
for this episode of the MGMAmember spotlight podcast where
we get to tell the stories ofMGMA members. In this
particular, episode, we'relooking at the, early careerist
resource group. And so be on thelookout for all of our resource
group episodes that are gonna becoming out this year. We're
(17:50):
gonna have a lot of fun withthose and bring a lot of
awareness to just a greatopportunity to network with
people you see as peers.
Until then, just be on thelookout in the episode show
notes. We're gonna connect notonly to how you how you can
register for, the next event,and let's bring that date up
(18:12):
again. It's Tuesday, July 8 at3PM eastern time. Again, you can
go to mgma.com/events andnavigate to the registration for
it, and I'll make it super easyand put it in the episode show
notes as well. So until then,thank you for being MGMA podcast
listeners.
Well, hi, everyone. I'm Daniel Williams,
host of the MGMA PodcastNetwork. And today we're doing a
member spotlight podcast, and weare spotlighting the early
careerist resource group here atMGMA. May going be going, what
is that? But we'll get to that.
We have, in the last year or so,we've launched several
(01:20):
leadership resource groups. Andbefore the end of this, I am
going to drop links to thoseresource groups in the episode
show notes. So you may see aresource group you identify with
or wanna be a part of, andthat's one of the things we
wanna do here. Last week, I hadthe opportunity to talk to
(01:42):
someone with the AAPI leadershipresource group, and that was a
lot of fun having thatconversation. So let's get back
to the early careerist group.
This is a space specifically formembers 35. It allows them an
opportunity to connect, getsupport, and navigate the real
world challenges of starting andgrowing a health care career.
(02:07):
Today, we have a panel. Theseare folks who are our group's
volunteer facilitators. First,we have Agnes Etiquari who has
her MHA.
We have Melinda Mastel who hasbeen on the MGMA podcast before.
Melinda has her MBA in CMPE. Andthen finally, Tori Cordova. She
(02:29):
has her CPPM, CPC, COC, CHONC.Wow.
You need a second line for allthese, Tory. That is impressive,
and I'm so glad to have allthree of you here today. So
let's just get started,everybody. What I wanna do
first, though, we're gonna talka lot about the Early Careerist
(02:52):
Resource Group, but let's kickit off just so our audience can
get to know each of you a littlebit better. I'm gonna start
where I can see y'all first.
So Agnes, if you wanna kick thisoff, just tell them a little bit
about your background in healthcare and where you are today and
what you're doing.
Tori Cordova (03:07):
Yeah, of course.
Agnes Edukere (03:08):
My name is Agnes Hidde Carey. I'm a Director of
Performance Improvement andProject Facilitation here at
PPOSBC Melody Health inCalifornia. I've done a wide
range of things between primarycare, specialty care, surgery
within FQHC's academic medicineand ambulatory surgery centers.
So I have a wide range ofpractice management, operations
(03:30):
and project management inhealthcare.
Daniel Williams (03:33):
Perfect. And I'll go with Melinda next. I
know you've been on the showbefore, but for our listeners,
give them a little bit aboutyour background.
Melinda Mastel (03:40):
Absolutely. Yes. My name is Melinda Mastel. I am
in the Southeastern Wisconsinarea. I work at an academic
medical center where I've beenfor going on nine years now,
time flies.
And I'm primarily in a financialmanagement role, but I really
touch a little bit ofeverything. So a little bit of
jack of all trades with HRoperations, communications,
(04:01):
strategic planning, a little bitof everything. And I love the
variety.
Daniel Williams (04:06):
Wonderful. And then finally, Tori, tell us a
little bit about yourself.
Tori Cordova (04:10):
Yeah, I'm Tori Cordova. I am currently a senior
manager of practiceadministration at a multi site
cancer clinic in Colorado. Ihave a lot of experience in
practice management, revenuecycle, and also operations. And
I've been in my current role forabout three years, but been
(04:31):
heavy on the revenue cycle sidefor a lot longer than that. So
Well, Tori.
Yeah.
Daniel Williams (04:38):
Tori, I just learned something. You're a
neighbor. You're also inColorado. Where are you located?
Tori Cordova (04:43):
I am in I live in Fort Collins, Colorado, so about
an hour north of Denver.
Daniel Williams (04:50):
Okay. Perfect. Yeah. I've got some friends
yeah. Some friends that are upthere at CSU.
So good to have you here aswell. Didn't realize you were in
the state. So good to see youthere. Alright. Well, let's
start with the basics, y'all.
As I mentioned earlier, we arereally spotlighting our resource
(05:10):
groups. We want people to knowabout them. We want those MGMA
members to know about them. Solet's talk about the early
careerist resource group.Melinda, let's start with you on
this one.
What's the vision behind it?Anything else you might wanna
share about that particulargroup?
Melinda Mastel (05:27):
Yeah, absolutely. So as you mentioned,
we were founded as one ofseveral different MGMA resource
groups. And the idea is reallyto invite collaborative peer led
discussions on topics that arerelevant, in our case, to those
earlier in their career. So asyou mentioned, it's roughly that
age 35 and below demographic. Sopeople who might be just
graduating from school or fromgraduate school who are starting
(05:49):
out their careers, maybetransitioning into their first
leadership role, that's a lot ofwho we kind of cover.
So we held our first discussionsessions at the twenty twenty
four MGMA Leaders Conferencelast fall, and we'll be at this
fall's MGMA Leaders Conferenceas well leading some sessions
there. So look out for us on theschedule. But we're also keeping
the discussions alive in betweenthe conferences with quarterly
(06:11):
Zoom sessions now. So we'redoing virtual discussions, and
really focusing on a specifictheme or topic each time. And
the idea is really to just shareinsights, practical tips, ideas,
our stories and experiences, andget some good conversation going
around those.
So we might share lessons thatwe've learned, what we're
experiencing in our own roles,and just encouraging learning
(06:32):
from one another. So there's noneed to be an expert or come
with all the answers. The ideais really that we each have
something to share andcontribute to this space. And
the goal or vision is really tohelp people feel connected, have
a welcoming space where they cancome share questions. Maybe you
want to bring something outsideof your organization for a
different perspective, differentview, a different take on it,
(06:56):
and just help people talk aboutupcoming trends and get some new
ideas that we can bring back toour workplaces.
Daniel Williams (07:02):
Let me follow-up then. So y'all had
something, as you mentioned, atthe past leaders conference.
Y'all also I think you werecombined with the late careers
group at the summit. Is thatcorrect? Okay.
Then as far as the sort of Zoommeetings that y'all have had,
how many of those have you had?
Melinda Mastel (07:23):
We've had two so far, and then our next one will
be coming up in July.
Daniel Williams (07:27):
Okay. Great. Yeah. So everybody, I'll bring
this up again, but the nextmeeting is gonna be July 8.
That's a Tuesday, and it'll beat 3PM eastern time.
You're gonna be able to registerat mgma.com/events. What we're
gonna do is we're gonna put adirect link to that event so you
(07:49):
can go right to it and registerfor that. And I'll put a
reminder in that again before wesign off today. So, Agnes, I'm
gonna direct the next questionto you. So all of you are
working closely with earlycareer professionals.
What are some of the biggestchallenges you see them facing
in today's health careenvironment? You might even want
(08:09):
to throw in what the challengesyou're personally having out
there. But tell us a little bitabout those challenges that
y'all are encountering.
Agnes Edukere (08:18):
Yeah, of course. So absolutely. Some things I've
heard from healthcareprofessionals, especially in our
ambulatory surgery centers, ourhealth centers and practices, is
the balancing act of healthcareas a business and healthcare as
a service. We all aspire as acareer in health care to make
impact, and the reality ishealth is still a business. So
many professionals are dealingwith trying to keep up with the
(08:40):
innovation that's happening inhealth care and really leading
their teams to that change andthe regulatory compliance along
with it.
Some are also dealing withnavigating their professional
role, whether it's trying tonavigate and how to show up in a
complex organisation orcomplexity in payers and
relations. Really trying tonavigate those fields, along
(09:01):
with managing the numerous tasksthat they have on them between
the administrative burden, theorganisational mission that's
driven that they have to workon. Some are also dealing with
being accountable andresponsible for things for the
first time in their new role. Sowe're really trying to be
multifaceted and trying to givethem the options and the support
with all the different topicsthat they're dealing with.
Daniel Williams (09:22):
Okay. Great. I'll just throw this out there
to Melinda and Tory. Anychallenges that y'all see out
there as well? If not, we canmove on to the next question.
Melinda Mastel (09:32):
I think it's just this eternal, especially
from the financial perspectiveof doing more with less and just
constant optimizing processimprovement and creative
thinking to try to innovate andbring new services to the
forefront while also having realconstraints that we're working
within. So that's a great reasonto kind of share best practices
(09:52):
and ideas with other people.
Daniel Williams (09:54):
Yeah. Love that. Alright. For our next
question, Tori, I'm gonna directthis one to you. Let's talk
about what a meeting looks likewhen y'all have met.
I think Melinda had mentionedy'all have had two in those Zoom
rooms. You had the live energyof leaders conference, had
people there physically in thatspace together, which is a
really neat kinda really feelthat difference in the energy
(10:16):
when you're there in persontogether. But, when someone
joins a meeting, what'ssomething they should expect,
Tori? And then can you walk usthrough the format and how those
conversations typically go?
Tori Cordova (10:29):
Yes. So when someone joins a meeting, we
usually have a presentationprepared ahead of time. The
topic is usually chosen basedoff of suggestions that the,
early careers submit when theyfill out the survey that's sent
to them, or we present ourtopics that, you know, we feel
(10:54):
strongly about, networking, AIusing AI is a huge topic
recently. So that's kind of sometopics we've talked about you
recently. We look for feedbackand open dialogue and discussion
from the group.
I think that sometimes it can bea little bit quiet at first, but
(11:16):
what we're here for is tosupport these other careers to
join our group. So feel free toask questions at any point
throughout the presentation.It's not super formal. It's just
there as a tool to help guidethe conversation.
Daniel Williams (11:32):
Oh, that's awesome. Alright. Thank you so
much for sharing that. So,Melinda, I'll direct this one to
you. Tori was mentioning AI as atheme and a topic that keeps
coming up.
What are some of the otherthemes, topics that just they
just keep surfacing? They arelike perennial questions that
are topic areas that people wantto talk about? Tell us about
(11:54):
that.
Melinda Mastel (11:55):
So we've really had a wide variety, I would say,
of questions come up. So we'vebeen all over the place. A
common one is discussing thetransition to leading people
from an individual contributorrole, establishing your
leadership presence also as ayounger leader in that space,
and then also navigating multigenerational workforces. We have
(12:16):
had questions about careerpaths, specific education
certifications, things likethat. So we've walked through
some of that since we all haveexperience in that realm, how to
stand out in the fields, how todifferentiate yourself early on,
and then also covering thingslike goal setting, really
practical topic there.
What does emotionallyintelligent leadership look
(12:36):
like? And then as you mentioned,AI is on everyone's mind right
now. So in our most recentpresentation, we went over how
to tie in goal setting andleadership with AI prompting and
went over some tips andstrategies for that. I think
Agnes might have some additionalthings to jump in with.
Agnes Edukere (12:55):
Yeah. I mean, I think along with everything you
mentioned, Melinda, a lot of ourparticipants are really
requesting relationship buildingand networking. I think that's
something that we're reallyfocusing on for our next
session, along with how toworkshop even some of the real
time issues that they're dealingwith in their respective roles
because they really want that qand a and that feedback and
(13:15):
brainstorming from theircolleagues. A couple more topics
that we're adding.
Daniel Williams (13:20):
Yeah. Agnes, I want to stay with you for the
next question. So for anyonewho's listening who hasn't
joined yet, maybe they're unsureit's for them or for whatever
reason, what would you say aboutthe value of showing up and
being part of this group? What'sthe selling point for this Early
Careers group?
Agnes Edukere (13:38):
Yeah. I mean, being a part of this group gives
you that small group dialoguethat you can foster connections
and growth with otherprofessionals in your field and
industry. Because I knowsometimes you may feel a little
uneasy talking to others or so.So having that small group
discussion with others in thatsame group as you is really
helpful, And I think you'd enjoythat. They'd enjoy that.
Daniel Williams (13:58):
Yeah, love that. Either Melinda or Tori,
anybody have any other thingsthey want to add about the value
of the group?
Melinda Mastel (14:07):
I would say just come and try a session. Give us
your feedback. Let us know ifthere's something you'd like to
cover or learn more about,because we're happy to help
facilitate a discussion aroundthat. We're really here to make
this valuable and impactful foryou. And just like Agnes said,
it's low pressure and we arereally focused on fostering
those real connections andrelationships that people can
(14:27):
take away and hopefully continueoutside of this resource group
as well.
Daniel Williams (14:31):
Yeah. And those are the main questions I have,
but I wanna have a little funwith this y'all. So I'm a bit of
a sci fi fan, so we're justgonna imagine we have time
machines or if we could somehowteleport and have a conversation
with our younger selves. So thisis our bonus question. So if
(14:53):
y'all could go back and giveyour early career self one piece
of advice, what would it be?
Tori, let's start with you.
Tori Cordova (15:03):
What a great question. I would tell myself
not to rush the process. I havealways been one who has big
goals and big dreams and ideas,and there's no correct way to
always do things. And I thinkthat was a difficult lesson to
learn. And if I had just knownthat from the start, I might
have saved myself a lot ofheadache, but just, you know,
(15:28):
trust the process.
And you don't need to haveeverything figured out right
away. And just always be willingto learn. I think that's a key
thing as not only a leader, butjust navigating life in general.
Daniel Williams (15:42):
Yeah. I I love that. And it's one of those
questions where it's fun tothink about it, and then we can
just, like, beat ourselves up.Like, why didn't I tell my why
didn't I know to do this? Whydidn't I know to do that?
But I love that answer, Tori. Sothank you for that. So let's
hear from Melinda next. Whatwould you tell that younger self
(16:03):
about your early career, youknow, that advice you'd want to
give that younger self?
Melinda Mastel (16:08):
Yeah, it was really fun to reflect on this
one. I have a couple of things.Would say first, like define
success for yourself because itlooks different for everyone. So
don't be afraid to create yourown path. It's okay for your
journey to look differently thanyou might have at first thought
or different than someoneelse's.
I would also say really identifyand follow trusted leaders and
(16:29):
learn from them. I think I didthat well, but I would
definitely go back and encouragemyself to really prioritize
that. And then just be yourself,like own your strengths, find
them and just own them and howthat makes you your own leader
and gives you unique value. Ithink that's a big confidence
builder.
Daniel Williams (16:47):
I love it. All right, Agnes, you get the final
word.
Agnes Edukere (16:51):
Yeah. I mean, I think I would tell my younger
self that failure is necessaryfor success. I think early on,
I'm used to just doing thingsright correctly the first time.
So I struggled when I didn't getthat buy in from my team or a
process that I put into placedidn't work. But honestly, you
have to fail forward.
So I think telling my youngerself that just fail forward,
(17:14):
learn, adapt, be agile, it'llhelp you become a better leader.
Daniel Williams (17:18):
That is so cool. Well, Agnes, Melinda,
Tori, thank you so much forhanging out with us today on the
MGMA podcast.
Agnes Edukere (17:25):
Thank you so much. Thank you.
Daniel Williams (17:28):
Alright. Well, everybody, that is gonna do it
for this episode of the MGMAmember spotlight podcast where
we get to tell the stories ofMGMA members. In this
particular, episode, we'relooking at the, early careerist
resource group. And so be on thelookout for all of our resource
group episodes that are gonna becoming out this year. We're
(17:50):
gonna have a lot of fun withthose and bring a lot of
awareness to just a greatopportunity to network with
people you see as peers.
Until then, just be on thelookout in the episode show
notes. We're gonna connect notonly to how you how you can
register for, the next event,and let's bring that date up
(18:12):
again. It's Tuesday, July 8 at3PM eastern time. Again, you can
go to mgma.com/events andnavigate to the registration for
it, and I'll make it super easyand put it in the episode show
notes as well. So until then,thank you for being MGMA podcast
listeners.
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