August 16, 2024 • 33 mins
How do you leave a cushy corporate job to blaze your own trail in the world of STEM education? Meet Stephanie Espy, a visionary who turned her passion for math and science into a mission to empower young girls through her coaching business, Math SP. Stephanie's remarkable story begins in a family of female engineers and has led her to tackle the gender gap head-on. Listen as she recounts the challenges and triumphs of moving from a high-paying role at BP to creating a platform that inspires young minds, especially girls, to pursue careers in STEM.
Stephanie opens up about the fears and sacrifices that come with entrepreneurship, from working around the clock to making significant financial adjustments. She also introduces "STEM Gems," her groundbreaking book that showcases 44 women in various STEM fields, reinforcing the idea that visibility is crucial for inspiration. This episode sheds light on the importance of early exposure to STEM careers and how to keep girls interested in these fields through middle school.
Join us as we explore the joy Stephanie feels when her former students succeed, particularly in roles where women of color are underrepresented. Discover how she balances her many roles and emphasizes self-care to stay motivated and positive. With plans to expand her impact through collaborations with schools, families, and corporate partners, Stephanie's journey is a testament to the transformative power of passion and dedication in education. Don't miss this inspiring conversation on closing the gender gap in STEM.
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Episode Transcript
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Voiceover (00:07):
This is the Female Founder Show with host and
entrepreneur Bridget Fitzpatrick, exclusively on ASBN.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (00:18):
Welcome everyone to the Female Founder
Show.
Today's guest is a trailblazerwho is making a difference in
the field that has historicallybeen dominated by men.
As we all know, women have beenunderrepresented in STEM
careers, which stands forscience, technology, engineering
and mathematics, but our guest,stephanie Espy, is changing
that narrative.
She has founded a coachingbusiness that empowers young
(00:39):
people to excel in academics andgain entrance into college and
graduate school programs.
Stephanie is also the author ofSTEM Gems how 44 Women Shine in
Science, technology,engineering and Mathematics and
how you Can Too.
Her work is truly inspiring andwe are so happy to have her on
the show today.
Stephanie, thank you so muchfor joining us.
Stephanie Epsy (00:59):
I'm so excited.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (01:00):
Thanks for having me today.
I would love to start with yourjourney and how you what the
inspiration was behind startingMath SP.
Stephanie Epsy (01:08):
Really it was because I was not seeing enough
girls and women in my STEMclasses growing up, both in high
school and college.
But really it was when I gotinto the workplace and I was the
only engineer female engineerin a lot of my different work
environments, I started askingmyself like, why are there so
(01:29):
few in the different rooms I wasin the labs I was in, and you
know that was something that wascreeping inside of me, you know
, starting in college, in mydifferent classes, and so.
But it blew my mind when Iactually got my first internship
and you know was the onlyfemale engineer and I was just
(01:51):
an intern, yeah, so I was likeyou know where's everyone else?
And that stayed with me foryears.
I had never thought aboutstarting a business at that time
.
It was definitely not somethingI was thinking about, um, but
as time went on and as I gotmore and more experience and
more just thoughts around, likejust questions around, why, then
(02:13):
I would ask myself, well, whatcan I do about it?
Like how can I bring more womeninto the career that I chose
and that I love so much?
And so that is essentially, youknow, a very brief response as
to how I ended up starting MathSP.
It was really, you know, Iremember having conversations
with my family and both myparents are engineers.
So my dad in particular.
(02:34):
He always has emphasized mathand how important math is.
Math is the backbone of reallyall STEM careers.
And so he said you know, if youcan get more girls interested
in math, then perhaps they'll beinterested in engineering and
other STEM areas.
And so I started with like okay,I'm going to make everyone love
math.
I love it or I'm going to helpthem understand math better,
(02:57):
make it more simple and helpthem have a connection to the
real world, something they careabout.
If I can do that, maybe I canconvince them that you know, see
the math, see the world inwhich way I see the world, and
inspire some girls to go intoSTEM.
Yes, and so that's really howMath SP started.
But I also grew up watching mymother, who's an engineer, tutor
(03:19):
math, like on the weekends tolike a lot of kids in the
neighborhood.
So you know she just has apassion for math.
She actually has a degree inmath and engineering, and so
watching her do that growing upit was just something that was a
part of me.
Even when I was in college, Ialways tutored, always helped
kids in math and science, and sothen I was like, if I can do
(03:41):
more of this more intentionally,then I can, you know, be more
focused about helping to bringmore girls into engineering and
STEM.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (03:50):
That's great.
Now, it was probably really allyou knew and you probably, when
you, like you said, when yougot into your internship, you
were probably shocked becauseyou were from a household that
was women engineers, exactly,and my aunt.
Stephanie Epsy (04:04):
I have aunts who are in engineering.
I have cousins my sister, youknow.
So a lot of us are.
And in my high school, you knowthe girls we were, we ran the
world you know, we ran we werethe ones in the classroom that
thrived and shined in math.
So, you know, it was definitelycollege and more specifically,
internships while I was incollege that really, you know,
(04:27):
opened up my mind to the biggender gap in STEM and, you know
, just feeling like I feel likethe only one, I've never felt
that only experience until, likeyou know, until that first
internship and it was just everyopportunity I've ever had from
that point was almost the samein that sense of where's
(04:50):
everyone?
Why aren't there more?
There were women around me, butthey were in administration,
they were in HR, they were inother parts of the business, but
they were not in my role, theywere not in my immediate
workspace.
So I just, you know, wanted,just always wondered why.
And then fast forward, yearslater I was like okay.
(05:11):
I think part of the problem isjust, it starts early, early
exposure, and it starts withhaving a solid foundation in
math and science subjects.
And so I can you know, dosomething at the early phase,
then maybe I can you know canhelp close this gender gap.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (05:26):
Yeah, and you are.
It's great work, thank you.
Now you worked for some verylarge companies, bp being one of
them.
What was the transition like,going from working in such a
huge corporate world to startingyour own business?
Stephanie Epsy (05:41):
It was.
You know it was big.
You know, like you said, I'veworked for a couple of large
companies and, you know, Ialways saw myself in a smaller
company, even if it was like astartup type of company, just
because I always felt like I had, you know so much, I was just
so ambitious, I was ready to,like you know, make big changes,
(06:03):
to, like you know, make bigchanges.
Um, so, but I'm, and I'vealways been, that person that
stepped up and um ran for classpresident and, you know, just
wanted to um, impact others inthe biggest way I could.
And so when I first started mybusiness, it was scary, Sure,
(06:28):
but it was also exciting becauseI felt like I had a lot more
room to make a bigger impactthan I did in a larger company,
where you're so big that you'rejust one of many people that are
trying to get to a certainlevel, one of many people that
are trying to get to a certainlevel.
So here I'm, like I'm startingout, you know, at the top in
(06:53):
terms of starting somethingbrand new, and I have the
ability to make a lot of impactif I, you know, if I set it up
correctly and, you know, makethe correct make, the make, the
introductions and therelationships that I need.
So, um, it was scary, but itwas also very exciting because I
knew that it was.
It was sort of a training.
Having gone through all theleadership roles I had up until
that point, All of that trainingallowed me to feel very
(07:16):
confident in starting a businessand giving it a try and I
always felt like, if it doesn'twork out, then you know you have
something to fall back on.
Yeah, All right, I can get ajob, I can go back to corporate
America, I just go back.
But if I don't try, then I wantto wonder and I don't want that
you know what if, or you knowif I would have just tried
(07:38):
something new or different, youknow what would have happened?
So it was, it was somethingthat wouldn't leave me, yeah.
So I knew I had to just give ita shot.
And even if I tried, it didn'twork out or I was like this is
not for me.
Then I knew, you know, therewere other options out there.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (07:53):
Now you have degrees from MIT,
university of California,berkeley and Emory, and you
fully prepared to start your ownbusiness, as you thought.
But then you still said thatyou were scared.
You might've asked what you do.
You remember what you werescared about?
Stephanie Epsy (08:08):
Yeah, because I left a very high paying job to
start a business.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (08:13):
You know people always.
What am I doing you?
Stephanie Epsy (08:16):
know like, yes, I walked away from something
that was very lucrative, whereyou know it, yeah, stable,
steady income, regular income tostart a business.
So, yeah, that's scary rightnow.
The good part was that I was.
I felt like what's the worstthat can happen?
(08:38):
I only, at this point, I'llhave to take care of myself,
right, you know, it wasn't nokids at the time, so it was like
worst case scenario of I'll goback and live with my parents.
I'll make it work right or I'llget a job, you know but at this
point it's just me I'm takingcare of, so I can take care of
myself and I can, you know, workwithin the limits, right,
(08:58):
boundaries that I have.
So it was scary.
At the same time, I knew I wasable to cut out, yeah, things.
If I need to cut them out andand manage my lifestyle until it
got to the point where, youknow it's I'm doing okay, yeah,
um, so for a while, I wasworking full time and I was
working on my business.
So it wasn't just like a clean,like a business, without having
(09:22):
that, you know, that comfort,right, so I was balancing like
the two, yeah, and I had a lot,of, a lot of flexibility on my
full-time job and so it allowedme space to, you know, just
build and I was maximizing everyminute of the day.
You know, I was just fitting in.
I was young and, just, you know, I was motivated and inspired
(09:43):
and excited.
So I was just, you know, doubletime, right, right, and so
that's what I did for threeyears.
And then, at the point where Ifelt, um, you know, ready and my
income from business was in aplace where I felt like, okay,
yes, I can pay my bills, yeah.
Right, you know it's on it's onit's up from this point, Um, and
(10:06):
also my job was moving me to adifferent city, and so I knew
that I wasn't going to make thatmove.
I was going to stay and againwork on the business.
So, um, that was a time thatsaid, okay, the time is now you
know and um.
But yeah, it was initiallyreally scary because I the
comfort, you know, of having youknow, knowing that you're going
(10:31):
to make those payments everymonth or what have you, is what
makes it a little bit scary inthe beginning.
Voiceover (10:46):
But I think that's why you have people that go in
business with other peopleco-founders or you have grants.
Stephanie Epsy (10:48):
you know you apply for grants or funding just
so that you know that you havea little while, a little time,
you know, before you have toreally fully make it work.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (10:52):
Yeah, so I knew if I fell I would be fine
at that point in time and youknew that if you had to make
sacrifices, that you were readyto do that.
I think that's huge when you'restarting a business, that there
are, no matter what, there aregoing to be some circumstances
where you're going to have tosacrifice a little bit, whether
it be your time or your money.
Stephanie Epsy (11:11):
Absolutely, I was sacrificing a lot.
You know, like I said, I wasworking around the clock and I
was fine with that.
I wasn't traveling as much forfun.
I was fine with that.
Yeah, I wasn't shopping, Iwasn't doing a lot of things
that you know you do when you'rekind of like just in a steady
state.
I was trying something, I wasbuilding something, so all of my
(11:34):
energy and effort and resourceswent into the building, yeah,
and that meant not hanging outas much or just splurging on
different things.
So, you know, and that was fine, because I was so focused and
so passionate about startingthis business that everything,
nothing else, was seemedimportant at the time.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (11:50):
Absolutely Now.
You're the author of thisinspiring book STEM Gems how 44
Women Shine in Science,technology, engineering and
Mathematics, and how you Can Too.
Can you share some highlightsfrom the book and what you want
your readers to take away?
Stephanie Epsy (12:05):
Yeah, so I wrote that book because I felt that
women in STEM are not visibleenough, especially in mainstream
.
When you turn on the television, when you watch a movie, it's
not prominent enough.
And these are careers and womenin careers that are just lesser
known careers.
(12:26):
They're behind the scenes, youknow, and so behind the camera,
so they go hidden a lot, and soI want to shine the light, I
want to bring to the forefrontsome amazing careers, some
amazing women in these careersthat are just doing phenomenal
work but, again, are just not asrecognized as they should be,
(12:46):
right?
So, um?
So I think when, when you readthis book, you're going to be
open to a world of opportunitiesthat you may not have ever
known existed, you know, becauseyou can't be what you can't see
, right?
I think I really firmly believethat you know until something is
introduced or exposed to you,then you don't know what you
(13:10):
don't know.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (13:11):
Right, you don't know what you don't know.
Stephanie Epsy (13:12):
Exactly, and so for a lot of people, when they
read this book, this is theirfirst time learning about a lot
of these careers, and so notonly they learn about different
careers in STEM, they're alsomeeting different women in these
different careers, so they havean opportunity to walk away
with a new set of role modelsthat they didn't know existed
prior to reading this book.
So it was important tohighlight a wide range of
(13:37):
careers 44 of them.
I wish I could have highlightedmore, but I want the book to be
too big.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (13:42):
Right, you got a lot in 44.
I could have kept going Right,but I was like you know what.
Stephanie Epsy (13:48):
This is enough for now, book one.
But yeah, I wanted to highlighta range in every STEM area.
So, within science, you know,people think about scientists
but they don't think about thedifferent types of scientists
and different things you can dounder that science umbrella.
Same thing with technology andengineering, math.
There's so many differentcareers that fall into those
(14:10):
buckets and that overlap severalof those areas that you know.
Again, it's not, they're not,as heard of, as you know, widely
known, right, um, so I want toshine the light.
I wanted to just expose thesecareers early to parents, to
educators to students, so theycan think about them and they
can decide is this for me?
You know you.
You know you don't want to.
(14:30):
You know the worst thing isthat you go into your adult life
and you're like man, I neverheard about that.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (14:36):
I didn't know it existed.
I would have been totallyinterested in that career had I
known.
I didn't know about several ofthe jobs in here.
You know things that are reallycool, like the woman that
worked for Disney and did theshading technology on the um.
Stephanie Epsy (14:48):
Yeah, so that's the thing we watch all of these
movies, but we don't alwaysthink about how they're created,
how they're made, thetechnology that's used to make
this, these animations come tolife, and so there's people you
know behind the scenes that aremaking your favorite movies, and
that's technology.
Um so yeah, and for me, havingloved math all of my life, I'd
(15:10):
never heard of an actuary everuntil, probably, I was an adult,
and that's a career that Iwould have considered had I
known it existed, right, youknow.
So I think that shining thelight on these careers, at least
now they're mainstream, peopleknow they exist, and then you
can make an informed decisionabout you know where you want
(15:31):
your life to go, your career togo with you know, with more
information, yeah, so do youthink they're not highlighting
these careers enough in highschool or even earlier?
Bridget Fitzpatrick (15:40):
Where should it start?
Stephanie Epsy (15:41):
It really starts early.
You know, I I promote this bookto elementary, middle high.
You know, I think as long asyou can read, yeah, um, then
this never too early to beexposed to different
opportunities.
Um, so, you know, even fourth,fifth grade reading level can
pick up this book and read itand voila, you know now you're
(16:03):
thinking about different careersin STEM.
In elementary school they'recertainly doing hands-on STEM
activities.
You know, they're learningabout science and they're doing
different things in theclassroom.
So connecting those things to acareer.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (16:16):
You know, yeah, why are we doing?
This Is what a lot of kids areprobably thinking.
Why do I need to dissect a frog?
Why do I?
Yeah?
Stephanie Epsy (16:23):
exactly.
So it's making it very linear.
It's like, okay, here's anactivity and we can do a fun
experiment, we can buildsomething, but how do you apply
this to real life?
So you know something you careabout what career can I go into?
I really love this activity.
So I think that's the part thatyou know it's easily, um, can
easily be done, because there'speople in the room are doing
(16:44):
these things, you know, and soit's just connecting, you know,
activity to career, a career toa real person, a woman who is,
you know, in the, in working inthat area and making a
difference in the world.
And so I think that's started asearly as you know.
Definitely elementary school,but specifically, you know, I
think middle school is my sweetspot, because girls tend to shy
(17:06):
away from math as it gets morechallenging in middle school,
and so, you know, we have tokeep them, we have to keep them
engaged, we have to help themunderstand how, again, what
they're doing in the classroomapplies to real life.
And so that's the age groupwhere you start taking more
tests.
You go through puberty, there'sall these other challenges that
are coming into play, and soyou really have to be more
(17:27):
intentional about keeping theirinterests in STEM and making
sure they have the right rolemodels, mentors.
All of that is criticallyimportant in middle school and
beyond, so yeah, definitely.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (17:42):
So now for those women watching that might
be thinking about starting abusiness, what advice would you
have for them?
Stephanie Epsy (17:48):
At least for me.
I felt more like I can go forthis because I was at an age
where if I fall, there's otherthings.
I think when you are in yourthirties and forties and fifties
and you know starting abusiness, it's a little bit more
scary because you probably havea family or you have, you know
bills and all these things.
So I think finding communitythere's community out there of
(18:10):
women who are just like you, youknow just like them, who are
just now thinking aboutswitching careers or starting a
business, and um having thatcommunity around you just makes
it way more um reasonable,doable, manageable, cause you
have people alone who you'redoing it alongside, I think,
(18:31):
when you're doing it in a silo.
People are like you're crazy.
Voiceover (18:35):
What are?
Stephanie Epsy (18:35):
you thinking You're too this, you're too that
, you're too old, you're toowhatever you know.
But there's examples of womenwho have, you know, single,
single moms, you know, with manykids just starting businesses.
I mean there's so many examples.
I think, following people likethat on social media, having
that community around you ofother women that are also now
(18:58):
starting a business, that makesall the difference, I think, for
me, when I was at, when Istarted again, I was young but I
also had a community.
I was just finishing my MBA atEmory and so I had that
community of like-mindedentrepreneurial people around me
that you know no no boundaries.
You're just like I'm going forthis, and I had people around me
(19:21):
like, yeah, of course you'regoing for this.
Yes, no questions, you know,yeah, you're doing this, and so
that that made a huge difference.
So you have to have support.
You really do If it's not inyour family or your close
friends find it.
Find it and that will.
I think that will empower youto take that leap, um, and go
(19:42):
for it.
And then, if you have to dowhat I did and keep that
full-time job, that income goingwhile you're starting a
business, there's nothing wrongwith that either.
You know, if you're able tomanage both, um, then you know,
maybe that's the way to go, soyou're not just completely, you
know, leaving a full time jobbehind and a steady paycheck to
(20:03):
just, you know, try your luck.
I mean, you may decide, let'sjust keep, let me try this while
I'm still in my full time job,yeah.
Or give yourself a couple ofyears before you go full time,
you know.
So there's ways to do it beforeyou go full time.
So there's ways to do it.
So I just encourage women to gofor it Because, again, for me,
the worst thing I could havedone is say I wish I would have
(20:28):
done this when I had the chance.
Living life with that regret.
If that's something that youcannot live with, then you kind
of have to do it Like it's justgoing to eat at you.
You know you have to give it ashot.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (20:39):
And it's easy to listen to those, the
people that might say what areyou crazy?
What are you thinking about?
Why are you going to leave thisgreat job and go do?
Or?
You've never done anything likethat, you can't do that, or you
don't have the right skills, orwhatever.
It's so easy to listen to thatand believe it.
So what you said about thesupport group is so important, I
think, great advice, becauseyou do need the encouragement
and the inspiration to be aroundlike-minded people and the
(21:01):
people that want to cheer you onevery day For sure.
Stephanie Epsy (21:04):
And just find that one role model, that
someone who's done it, who's inyour same boat, whether it be
multiple kids, single mom, youknow, older in career, whatever
it is, Find someone who's doneit and then let that person like
be your motivation.
Um, there's a podcast I lovecalled how I built this.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (21:22):
Oh, I listen to it all the time.
Stephanie Epsy (21:23):
It's amazing, and that podcast you just hear
so many stories and you finddifferent nuggets that just like
sit with you Right.
Right, and it gives you thatextra thing you need to like.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (21:35):
okay, I'm going for it.
It also gives you ideas.
We listen, I listen with myhusband all the time and we'll
we'll finish listening and we'llsay, oh my gosh, what a great
idea.
We could do that in this on ourbusiness, and do it this way,
or maybe a little bit different,but so.
Stephanie Epsy (21:48):
so in such inspiring stories and
encouraging so I think that ishow you get inspiration to
actually take that leap.
You know, by finding peoplewho've done it and having them
to motivate you to take the leapand do it as well, and some of
the stories that you hear, youcan't believe some of the things
that they've overcomeAbsolutely.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (22:07):
You know, you think, oh wow, I thought I
had it bad.
These people, you know Exactly,didn't know it Exactly, yeah,
exactly.
Stephanie Epsy (22:13):
And I think, after you hear those stories,
you see that they've been ableto be successful.
Then you know again, then youtell yourself, if they can do it
, why can't I?
You know, at least try Right,Right.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (22:23):
Exactly so.
Let's go back to MathSP for asecond.
Can you share a success story,maybe from one of the young
women that you've coached?
Stephanie Epsy (22:33):
Yeah, so MathSP is building foundation in math
and science subjects, and so Imean I started MathSP in 2009.
So it's been over a decade ofjust success stories which is
awesome, right it's helpingstudents.
It's helping the light bulbs togo off.
It's helping them to makeconnections.
I've had students who were withme in middle school and high
(22:55):
school and now coming back, youknow, thinking about going to
business school, and so now theyneed support with, like, their
GMAT, you know math and otherthings, or just sharing you know
things that they've done.
So I had one young lady who Iprobably worked with early on in
Math SP so maybe two or threeyears in um who recently sent me
(23:18):
a message on LinkedIn and toldme that she's now a computer
scientist and man.
I tell you, I screenshotted thatmessage and I just like look at
it from time to time.
I mean it's just, sometimes youdon't even know how you impact
people, you don't know it rightaway.
It doesn't come the next day,the next week, like that came
years later and I was like youhave just made my day.
(23:42):
You just made my day Like wow,that's why you're doing it.
Yeah, I mean, I appreciate herreaching out, letting me know
you know, cause, again, it's notinstant ratification all the
time, right, um, and so you justtake it when it comes.
But that, in particular, justresonated with me because it was
out the blue, unexpected, youknow, and it just really warmed
(24:02):
my heart.
So when I can not only helpthem with you know their
schoolwork and just have bettergrades, better understanding,
starting a foundation, but thenthey also go on to study a STEM
subject and then they go on to aSTEM career, I know that's.
That's just again that made myday.
I was like I'm done for the day.
Voiceover (24:23):
I felt so good, you know so that was that was just.
Stephanie Epsy (24:28):
That's just one person, you know, so I don't
always know the long-term impact.
You know I know more shorter.
But the longer term impact isthat she's thriving in a career
right now in computer science,an area where women are
definitely underrepresented,especially women of color, and
so to have been a part of hertrajectory, it's just beautiful.
(24:53):
Yeah, that's great.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (24:53):
There's probably so many more like her.
They just don't always think tosend a message, so it's really
great that she did that.
Stephanie Epsy (24:58):
Yeah, I mean, there's some, definitely, that I
have kept in touch withthroughout the years and I
definitely know their story.
There are some people I've justcome in contact with in just
sporadically, in different ways,or have sat on a panel
somewhere or, you know, spoke atan event somewhere and then,
you know, have become in contactwith people and have helped
(25:18):
them in different ways.
So there's different, you know,there's different stories,
different things, but and thenpeople who've read the book have
gone through the program,because I do have programs in
different schools that are, youknow, around the country, as
well as summer camps and summitsthat I do.
So there's a lot of differentways that I'm able to touch
(25:39):
girls and, and you know, andI've gotten so many emails and
and feedback and messages justfrom parents, girls just letting
me know that how, how much theyappreciate it and have been
inspired by, you know, by it so.
I just yeah, it just makes mefeel really good yeah.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (25:59):
That's great.
Now how do you maintain yourvery positive person?
I love that, it's contagious.
How do you maintain thepositivity even on the
challenging days?
Do you have any kind ofroutines or anything that you do
to kind of stay in the righthead space?
Stephanie Epsy (26:14):
Oh, meditation, good, yes, I try to start it in
my day with meditation.
So, um, especially on achallenging day I have, if I
have to walk away from mycomputer and just do a 15 minute
meditation and I'm not verygood at meditating either, by
the way.
Like it, you know, I'm one ofthose people that my mind is
still going a million miles anhour, while I'm meditating.
(26:35):
I want to say that very loosely,but I meditate but, I try to
meditate, yeah right, butsomehow just listening to the
voice and just trying tomeditate does help to refocus
and to calm down.
And to you know, okay, let mego back at it.
(26:56):
So I'm good for stopping in themiddle of an email or whatever,
after a call and say, okay, Ineed 10 minutes to do a peace
meditation or kindnessmeditation or courage meditation
you know there's so manydifferent types and so that
really helps.
Um, I'm also, I exercise, youknow, at least four days a week
and I think that also helps.
(27:16):
You know, it's, it's one ofthose things that I feel, if I
feel good, um, that I'm able tocome across and do better with
work, right, even those again,those things I have to do that I
don't necessarily want to do orlike to do, or have those
difficult conversations.
I can do that better after anexercise.
(27:37):
Or, you know, cycling, I liketo cycle or meditating, so that
helps Um and then just you knowcelebrating little things, you
know try to.
You know, oh, I got a grant, I'mgoing to celebrate.
Or oh, you know, I got likethat day when I got that message
from her.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (27:54):
This is great.
Stephanie Epsy (27:54):
I'm celebrating the little things.
Um, that helps too, becausethat you know those things are
what's there to remind you thatyou're on the right path.
Yeah, and so, when you havethose detours and when you have
those moments where it's like,oh, it's too much, you know, I
wish I had this, I wish I hadthat, I wish, wish.
Yes, you know I'm tired, I'm.
You know, all those thoselittle things are there to
(28:16):
remind you you're on the rightpath.
Keep going.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (28:19):
Yeah, I'm so glad that you brought up the
self wellness, because so manyof us females mothers, your
mother, you've got a book, abusiness, all of these things
going on that so often we forgetabout taking care of ourselves,
and that's so important.
Stephanie Epsy (28:34):
It's so important and I think, honestly,
at a certain point it was it'smore critical.
You know, I think back in theback in my twenties, thirties, I
could not.
I could, I wouldn't even thinkabout it, I would just keep
going.
Yeah, you know, now I'mdefinitely more intentional
about, like, taking a break, youknow, working out, going out
(28:57):
for dinner, meeting a friend fora drink those things are
crucial.
So it's almost importantgetting the work done in my mind
.
So having the balance is really, really important, right, right
.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (29:09):
Now, where do you see yourself and Math SP
in the next five to 10 years?
Stephanie Epsy (29:16):
It's a really good question and I've thought
about this and it.
You know it changes a lot.
I am in a point now so I had aMathSP, which is a for-profit,
and I also have STEM Gems, whichis a nonprofit, so I've sort of
two businesses two things I'mkind of spending my time between
the two.
(29:36):
Mathsp has kind of been on thecruise control for a while and
so I'm ready.
I'm ready to re-energize andtake it to another level.
So that's really.
That means expansion.
With COVID has come a fewopportunities, because before
COVID we were doing mostlyin-person workshops and sessions
(29:57):
with students and meetings withparents.
Everything was in person.
And so with COVID of courseeverything went virtual.
So now I'm in a whole newvirtual space which now is a
hybrid.
It's both in-person and virtual.
So that's actually been reallynice at expanding and reaching
students and families exactlyoutside of the Atlanta area.
So I'm looking to take that evenfurther and expand to other
(30:22):
regions and reach more students,and so I've always had this
growth model and I've put it onpause because I was starting to
put a lot more time, energy,into the nonprofit STEM gyms and
build a programs around STEMgyms.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (30:35):
finish the books.
It takes a lot to start a newyeah.
Stephanie Epsy (30:38):
So just kind of cruise control with Math SP and
then really building with STEMgyms, and so now it's still
finding the right balancebetween the two.
But Math SP has a lot ofopportunity to reach students.
You know really everywherebecause of you know, we can be
virtual, we can work with astudent in the middle of you
know, um, georgia, you know notanywhere close we can you know
(31:03):
we can have.
We can hire coaches all over andmatch them with students who
don't live within 20 miles ofthem.
Like before, we're only workingwith students within a certain
mile radius, you know so thatthat was very limiting.
Yeah for sure.
Now we don't have those limitsper se.
So there's a lot of things, alot of growth opportunities that
(31:23):
I really want to focus on.
And really, just again, themission is still the same.
The mission is to help studentshave a better foundation in
math and science and connectedto the real world.
All of our coaches are STEMdegrees or STEM professionals or
students or professionals, sowe're all very passionate about
STEM.
So you're working with someonewho is not just going to help
(31:43):
you you know, ace your next testbut it's going to help you see
how important what you're doingis in the real world and how you
can have a career doing justlike we do, and so I think
that's really the beauty ofworking with one of our coaches.
So you're going to get someonewho's super passionate about
STEM and then also helping youto make those connections, and
so, again, there's so muchopportunity to do that with.
(32:07):
I mean, there's only so manypeople we've actually touched
yeah.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (32:09):
The sky's the limit.
You've reached the limit, yeah.
Stephanie Epsy (32:11):
There's.
There's a lot more people thatwe haven't reached, and so we're
working with more schools now,reaching more families, more
partnerships, more corporatepartnerships as well, yeah.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (32:24):
Well, I would love to have you back
before five years, hopefully,and we can recap and see where
you are and see how things aregoing and we can talk more about
this.
But thank you so much forcoming on the show with me today
.
It's been.
It's been great.
Stephanie Epsy (32:36):
It's been my pleasure.
Thanks for having me.
Voiceover (32:39):
This is the female founder show with host and
entrepreneur Bridget Fitzpatrick, exclusively on ASBN.
If you're a female founder andwould like to help other female
founders with your inspiringstory, we would love to hear
from you.
This is the Female Founder Show with host and
entrepreneur Bridget Fitzpatrick, exclusively on ASBN.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (00:18):
Welcome everyone to the Female Founder
Show.
Today's guest is a trailblazerwho is making a difference in
the field that has historicallybeen dominated by men.
As we all know, women have beenunderrepresented in STEM
careers, which stands forscience, technology, engineering
and mathematics, but our guest,stephanie Espy, is changing
that narrative.
She has founded a coachingbusiness that empowers young
(00:39):
people to excel in academics andgain entrance into college and
graduate school programs.
Stephanie is also the author ofSTEM Gems how 44 Women Shine in
Science, technology,engineering and Mathematics and
how you Can Too.
Her work is truly inspiring andwe are so happy to have her on
the show today.
Stephanie, thank you so muchfor joining us.
Stephanie Epsy (00:59):
I'm so excited.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (01:00):
Thanks for having me today.
I would love to start with yourjourney and how you what the
inspiration was behind startingMath SP.
Stephanie Epsy (01:08):
Really it was because I was not seeing enough
girls and women in my STEMclasses growing up, both in high
school and college.
But really it was when I gotinto the workplace and I was the
only engineer female engineerin a lot of my different work
environments, I started askingmyself like, why are there so
(01:29):
few in the different rooms I wasin the labs I was in, and you
know that was something that wascreeping inside of me, you know
, starting in college, in mydifferent classes, and so.
But it blew my mind when Iactually got my first internship
and you know was the onlyfemale engineer and I was just
(01:51):
an intern, yeah, so I was likeyou know where's everyone else?
And that stayed with me foryears.
I had never thought aboutstarting a business at that time
.
It was definitely not somethingI was thinking about, um, but
as time went on and as I gotmore and more experience and
more just thoughts around, likejust questions around, why, then
(02:13):
I would ask myself, well, whatcan I do about it?
Like how can I bring more womeninto the career that I chose
and that I love so much?
And so that is essentially, youknow, a very brief response as
to how I ended up starting MathSP.
It was really, you know, Iremember having conversations
with my family and both myparents are engineers.
So my dad in particular.
(02:34):
He always has emphasized mathand how important math is.
Math is the backbone of reallyall STEM careers.
And so he said you know, if youcan get more girls interested
in math, then perhaps they'll beinterested in engineering and
other STEM areas.
And so I started with like okay,I'm going to make everyone love
math.
I love it or I'm going to helpthem understand math better,
(02:57):
make it more simple and helpthem have a connection to the
real world, something they careabout.
If I can do that, maybe I canconvince them that you know, see
the math, see the world inwhich way I see the world, and
inspire some girls to go intoSTEM.
Yes, and so that's really howMath SP started.
But I also grew up watching mymother, who's an engineer, tutor
(03:19):
math, like on the weekends tolike a lot of kids in the
neighborhood.
So you know she just has apassion for math.
She actually has a degree inmath and engineering, and so
watching her do that growing upit was just something that was a
part of me.
Even when I was in college, Ialways tutored, always helped
kids in math and science, and sothen I was like, if I can do
(03:41):
more of this more intentionally,then I can, you know, be more
focused about helping to bringmore girls into engineering and
STEM.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (03:50):
That's great.
Now, it was probably really allyou knew and you probably, when
you, like you said, when yougot into your internship, you
were probably shocked becauseyou were from a household that
was women engineers, exactly,and my aunt.
Stephanie Epsy (04:04):
I have aunts who are in engineering.
I have cousins my sister, youknow.
So a lot of us are.
And in my high school, you knowthe girls we were, we ran the
world you know, we ran we werethe ones in the classroom that
thrived and shined in math.
So, you know, it was definitelycollege and more specifically,
internships while I was incollege that really, you know,
(04:27):
opened up my mind to the biggender gap in STEM and, you know
, just feeling like I feel likethe only one, I've never felt
that only experience until, likeyou know, until that first
internship and it was just everyopportunity I've ever had from
that point was almost the samein that sense of where's
(04:50):
everyone?
Why aren't there more?
There were women around me, butthey were in administration,
they were in HR, they were inother parts of the business, but
they were not in my role, theywere not in my immediate
workspace.
So I just, you know, wanted,just always wondered why.
And then fast forward, yearslater I was like okay.
(05:11):
I think part of the problem isjust, it starts early, early
exposure, and it starts withhaving a solid foundation in
math and science subjects.
And so I can you know, dosomething at the early phase,
then maybe I can you know canhelp close this gender gap.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (05:26):
Yeah, and you are.
It's great work, thank you.
Now you worked for some verylarge companies, bp being one of
them.
What was the transition like,going from working in such a
huge corporate world to startingyour own business?
Stephanie Epsy (05:41):
It was.
You know it was big.
You know, like you said, I'veworked for a couple of large
companies and, you know, Ialways saw myself in a smaller
company, even if it was like astartup type of company, just
because I always felt like I had, you know so much, I was just
so ambitious, I was ready to,like you know, make big changes,
(06:03):
to, like you know, make bigchanges.
Um, so, but I'm, and I'vealways been, that person that
stepped up and um ran for classpresident and, you know, just
wanted to um, impact others inthe biggest way I could.
And so when I first started mybusiness, it was scary, Sure,
(06:28):
but it was also exciting becauseI felt like I had a lot more
room to make a bigger impactthan I did in a larger company,
where you're so big that you'rejust one of many people that are
trying to get to a certainlevel, one of many people that
are trying to get to a certainlevel.
So here I'm, like I'm startingout, you know, at the top in
(06:53):
terms of starting somethingbrand new, and I have the
ability to make a lot of impactif I, you know, if I set it up
correctly and, you know, makethe correct make, the make, the
introductions and therelationships that I need.
So, um, it was scary, but itwas also very exciting because I
knew that it was.
It was sort of a training.
Having gone through all theleadership roles I had up until
that point, All of that trainingallowed me to feel very
(07:16):
confident in starting a businessand giving it a try and I
always felt like, if it doesn'twork out, then you know you have
something to fall back on.
Yeah, All right, I can get ajob, I can go back to corporate
America, I just go back.
But if I don't try, then I wantto wonder and I don't want that
you know what if, or you knowif I would have just tried
(07:38):
something new or different, youknow what would have happened?
So it was, it was somethingthat wouldn't leave me, yeah.
So I knew I had to just give ita shot.
And even if I tried, it didn'twork out or I was like this is
not for me.
Then I knew, you know, therewere other options out there.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (07:53):
Now you have degrees from MIT,
university of California,berkeley and Emory, and you
fully prepared to start your ownbusiness, as you thought.
But then you still said thatyou were scared.
You might've asked what you do.
You remember what you werescared about?
Stephanie Epsy (08:08):
Yeah, because I left a very high paying job to
start a business.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (08:13):
You know people always.
What am I doing you?
Stephanie Epsy (08:16):
know like, yes, I walked away from something
that was very lucrative, whereyou know it, yeah, stable,
steady income, regular income tostart a business.
So, yeah, that's scary rightnow.
The good part was that I was.
I felt like what's the worstthat can happen?
(08:38):
I only, at this point, I'llhave to take care of myself,
right, you know, it wasn't nokids at the time, so it was like
worst case scenario of I'll goback and live with my parents.
I'll make it work right or I'llget a job, you know but at this
point it's just me I'm takingcare of, so I can take care of
myself and I can, you know, workwithin the limits, right,
(08:58):
boundaries that I have.
So it was scary.
At the same time, I knew I wasable to cut out, yeah, things.
If I need to cut them out andand manage my lifestyle until it
got to the point where, youknow it's I'm doing okay, yeah,
um, so for a while, I wasworking full time and I was
working on my business.
So it wasn't just like a clean,like a business, without having
(09:22):
that, you know, that comfort,right, so I was balancing like
the two, yeah, and I had a lot,of, a lot of flexibility on my
full-time job and so it allowedme space to, you know, just
build and I was maximizing everyminute of the day.
You know, I was just fitting in.
I was young and, just, you know, I was motivated and inspired
(09:43):
and excited.
So I was just, you know, doubletime, right, right, and so
that's what I did for threeyears.
And then, at the point where Ifelt, um, you know, ready and my
income from business was in aplace where I felt like, okay,
yes, I can pay my bills, yeah.
Right, you know it's on it's onit's up from this point, Um, and
(10:06):
also my job was moving me to adifferent city, and so I knew
that I wasn't going to make thatmove.
I was going to stay and againwork on the business.
So, um, that was a time thatsaid, okay, the time is now you
know and um.
But yeah, it was initiallyreally scary because I the
comfort, you know, of having youknow, knowing that you're going
(10:31):
to make those payments everymonth or what have you, is what
makes it a little bit scary inthe beginning.
Voiceover (10:46):
But I think that's why you have people that go in
business with other peopleco-founders or you have grants.
Stephanie Epsy (10:48):
you know you apply for grants or funding just
so that you know that you havea little while, a little time,
you know, before you have toreally fully make it work.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (10:52):
Yeah, so I knew if I fell I would be fine
at that point in time and youknew that if you had to make
sacrifices, that you were readyto do that.
I think that's huge when you'restarting a business, that there
are, no matter what, there aregoing to be some circumstances
where you're going to have tosacrifice a little bit, whether
it be your time or your money.
Stephanie Epsy (11:11):
Absolutely, I was sacrificing a lot.
You know, like I said, I wasworking around the clock and I
was fine with that.
I wasn't traveling as much forfun.
I was fine with that.
Yeah, I wasn't shopping, Iwasn't doing a lot of things
that you know you do when you'rekind of like just in a steady
state.
I was trying something, I wasbuilding something, so all of my
(11:34):
energy and effort and resourceswent into the building, yeah,
and that meant not hanging outas much or just splurging on
different things.
So, you know, and that was fine, because I was so focused and
so passionate about startingthis business that everything,
nothing else, was seemedimportant at the time.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (11:50):
Absolutely Now.
You're the author of thisinspiring book STEM Gems how 44
Women Shine in Science,technology, engineering and
Mathematics, and how you Can Too.
Can you share some highlightsfrom the book and what you want
your readers to take away?
Stephanie Epsy (12:05):
Yeah, so I wrote that book because I felt that
women in STEM are not visibleenough, especially in mainstream
.
When you turn on the television, when you watch a movie, it's
not prominent enough.
And these are careers and womenin careers that are just lesser
known careers.
(12:26):
They're behind the scenes, youknow, and so behind the camera,
so they go hidden a lot, and soI want to shine the light, I
want to bring to the forefrontsome amazing careers, some
amazing women in these careersthat are just doing phenomenal
work but, again, are just not asrecognized as they should be,
(12:46):
right?
So, um?
So I think when, when you readthis book, you're going to be
open to a world of opportunitiesthat you may not have ever
known existed, you know, becauseyou can't be what you can't see
, right?
I think I really firmly believethat you know until something is
introduced or exposed to you,then you don't know what you
(13:10):
don't know.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (13:11):
Right, you don't know what you don't know.
Stephanie Epsy (13:12):
Exactly, and so for a lot of people, when they
read this book, this is theirfirst time learning about a lot
of these careers, and so notonly they learn about different
careers in STEM, they're alsomeeting different women in these
different careers, so they havean opportunity to walk away
with a new set of role modelsthat they didn't know existed
prior to reading this book.
So it was important tohighlight a wide range of
(13:37):
careers 44 of them.
I wish I could have highlightedmore, but I want the book to be
too big.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (13:42):
Right, you got a lot in 44.
I could have kept going Right,but I was like you know what.
Stephanie Epsy (13:48):
This is enough for now, book one.
But yeah, I wanted to highlighta range in every STEM area.
So, within science, you know,people think about scientists
but they don't think about thedifferent types of scientists
and different things you can dounder that science umbrella.
Same thing with technology andengineering, math.
There's so many differentcareers that fall into those
(14:10):
buckets and that overlap severalof those areas that you know.
Again, it's not, they're not,as heard of, as you know, widely
known, right, um, so I want toshine the light.
I wanted to just expose thesecareers early to parents, to
educators to students, so theycan think about them and they
can decide is this for me?
You know you.
You know you don't want to.
(14:30):
You know the worst thing isthat you go into your adult life
and you're like man, I neverheard about that.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (14:36):
I didn't know it existed.
I would have been totallyinterested in that career had I
known.
I didn't know about several ofthe jobs in here.
You know things that are reallycool, like the woman that
worked for Disney and did theshading technology on the um.
Stephanie Epsy (14:48):
Yeah, so that's the thing we watch all of these
movies, but we don't alwaysthink about how they're created,
how they're made, thetechnology that's used to make
this, these animations come tolife, and so there's people you
know behind the scenes that aremaking your favorite movies, and
that's technology.
Um so yeah, and for me, havingloved math all of my life, I'd
(15:10):
never heard of an actuary everuntil, probably, I was an adult,
and that's a career that Iwould have considered had I
known it existed, right, youknow.
So I think that shining thelight on these careers, at least
now they're mainstream, peopleknow they exist, and then you
can make an informed decisionabout you know where you want
(15:31):
your life to go, your career togo with you know, with more
information, yeah, so do youthink they're not highlighting
these careers enough in highschool or even earlier?
Bridget Fitzpatrick (15:40):
Where should it start?
Stephanie Epsy (15:41):
It really starts early.
You know, I I promote this bookto elementary, middle high.
You know, I think as long asyou can read, yeah, um, then
this never too early to beexposed to different
opportunities.
Um, so, you know, even fourth,fifth grade reading level can
pick up this book and read itand voila, you know now you're
(16:03):
thinking about different careersin STEM.
In elementary school they'recertainly doing hands-on STEM
activities.
You know, they're learningabout science and they're doing
different things in theclassroom.
So connecting those things to acareer.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (16:16):
You know, yeah, why are we doing?
This Is what a lot of kids areprobably thinking.
Why do I need to dissect a frog?
Why do I?
Yeah?
Stephanie Epsy (16:23):
exactly.
So it's making it very linear.
It's like, okay, here's anactivity and we can do a fun
experiment, we can buildsomething, but how do you apply
this to real life?
So you know something you careabout what career can I go into?
I really love this activity.
So I think that's the part thatyou know it's easily, um, can
easily be done, because there'speople in the room are doing
(16:44):
these things, you know, and soit's just connecting, you know,
activity to career, a career toa real person, a woman who is,
you know, in the, in working inthat area and making a
difference in the world.
And so I think that's started asearly as you know.
Definitely elementary school,but specifically, you know, I
think middle school is my sweetspot, because girls tend to shy
(17:06):
away from math as it gets morechallenging in middle school,
and so, you know, we have tokeep them, we have to keep them
engaged, we have to help themunderstand how, again, what
they're doing in the classroomapplies to real life.
And so that's the age groupwhere you start taking more
tests.
You go through puberty, there'sall these other challenges that
are coming into play, and soyou really have to be more
(17:27):
intentional about keeping theirinterests in STEM and making
sure they have the right rolemodels, mentors.
All of that is criticallyimportant in middle school and
beyond, so yeah, definitely.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (17:42):
So now for those women watching that might
be thinking about starting abusiness, what advice would you
have for them?
Stephanie Epsy (17:48):
At least for me.
I felt more like I can go forthis because I was at an age
where if I fall, there's otherthings.
I think when you are in yourthirties and forties and fifties
and you know starting abusiness, it's a little bit more
scary because you probably havea family or you have, you know
bills and all these things.
So I think finding communitythere's community out there of
(18:10):
women who are just like you, youknow just like them, who are
just now thinking aboutswitching careers or starting a
business, and um having thatcommunity around you just makes
it way more um reasonable,doable, manageable, cause you
have people alone who you'redoing it alongside, I think,
(18:31):
when you're doing it in a silo.
People are like you're crazy.
Voiceover (18:35):
What are?
Stephanie Epsy (18:35):
you thinking You're too this, you're too that
, you're too old, you're toowhatever you know.
But there's examples of womenwho have, you know, single,
single moms, you know, with manykids just starting businesses.
I mean there's so many examples.
I think, following people likethat on social media, having
that community around you ofother women that are also now
(18:58):
starting a business, that makesall the difference, I think, for
me, when I was at, when Istarted again, I was young but I
also had a community.
I was just finishing my MBA atEmory and so I had that
community of like-mindedentrepreneurial people around me
that you know no no boundaries.
You're just like I'm going forthis, and I had people around me
(19:21):
like, yeah, of course you'regoing for this.
Yes, no questions, you know,yeah, you're doing this, and so
that that made a huge difference.
So you have to have support.
You really do If it's not inyour family or your close
friends find it.
Find it and that will.
I think that will empower youto take that leap, um, and go
(19:42):
for it.
And then, if you have to dowhat I did and keep that
full-time job, that income goingwhile you're starting a
business, there's nothing wrongwith that either.
You know, if you're able tomanage both, um, then you know,
maybe that's the way to go, soyou're not just completely, you
know, leaving a full time jobbehind and a steady paycheck to
(20:03):
just, you know, try your luck.
I mean, you may decide, let'sjust keep, let me try this while
I'm still in my full time job,yeah.
Or give yourself a couple ofyears before you go full time,
you know.
So there's ways to do it beforeyou go full time.
So there's ways to do it.
So I just encourage women to gofor it Because, again, for me,
the worst thing I could havedone is say I wish I would have
(20:28):
done this when I had the chance.
Living life with that regret.
If that's something that youcannot live with, then you kind
of have to do it Like it's justgoing to eat at you.
You know you have to give it ashot.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (20:39):
And it's easy to listen to those, the
people that might say what areyou crazy?
What are you thinking about?
Why are you going to leave thisgreat job and go do?
Or?
You've never done anything likethat, you can't do that, or you
don't have the right skills, orwhatever.
It's so easy to listen to thatand believe it.
So what you said about thesupport group is so important, I
think, great advice, becauseyou do need the encouragement
and the inspiration to be aroundlike-minded people and the
(21:01):
people that want to cheer you onevery day For sure.
Stephanie Epsy (21:04):
And just find that one role model, that
someone who's done it, who's inyour same boat, whether it be
multiple kids, single mom, youknow, older in career, whatever
it is, Find someone who's doneit and then let that person like
be your motivation.
Um, there's a podcast I lovecalled how I built this.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (21:22):
Oh, I listen to it all the time.
Stephanie Epsy (21:23):
It's amazing, and that podcast you just hear
so many stories and you finddifferent nuggets that just like
sit with you Right.
Right, and it gives you thatextra thing you need to like.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (21:35):
okay, I'm going for it.
It also gives you ideas.
We listen, I listen with myhusband all the time and we'll
we'll finish listening and we'llsay, oh my gosh, what a great
idea.
We could do that in this on ourbusiness, and do it this way,
or maybe a little bit different,but so.
Stephanie Epsy (21:48):
so in such inspiring stories and
encouraging so I think that ishow you get inspiration to
actually take that leap.
You know, by finding peoplewho've done it and having them
to motivate you to take the leapand do it as well, and some of
the stories that you hear, youcan't believe some of the things
that they've overcomeAbsolutely.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (22:07):
You know, you think, oh wow, I thought I
had it bad.
These people, you know Exactly,didn't know it Exactly, yeah,
exactly.
Stephanie Epsy (22:13):
And I think, after you hear those stories,
you see that they've been ableto be successful.
Then you know again, then youtell yourself, if they can do it
, why can't I?
You know, at least try Right,Right.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (22:23):
Exactly so.
Let's go back to MathSP for asecond.
Can you share a success story,maybe from one of the young
women that you've coached?
Stephanie Epsy (22:33):
Yeah, so MathSP is building foundation in math
and science subjects, and so Imean I started MathSP in 2009.
So it's been over a decade ofjust success stories which is
awesome, right it's helpingstudents.
It's helping the light bulbs togo off.
It's helping them to makeconnections.
I've had students who were withme in middle school and high
(22:55):
school and now coming back, youknow, thinking about going to
business school, and so now theyneed support with, like, their
GMAT, you know math and otherthings, or just sharing you know
things that they've done.
So I had one young lady who Iprobably worked with early on in
Math SP so maybe two or threeyears in um who recently sent me
(23:18):
a message on LinkedIn and toldme that she's now a computer
scientist and man.
I tell you, I screenshotted thatmessage and I just like look at
it from time to time.
I mean it's just, sometimes youdon't even know how you impact
people, you don't know it rightaway.
It doesn't come the next day,the next week, like that came
years later and I was like youhave just made my day.
(23:42):
You just made my day Like wow,that's why you're doing it.
Yeah, I mean, I appreciate herreaching out, letting me know
you know, cause, again, it's notinstant ratification all the
time, right, um, and so you justtake it when it comes.
But that, in particular, justresonated with me because it was
out the blue, unexpected, youknow, and it just really warmed
(24:02):
my heart.
So when I can not only helpthem with you know their
schoolwork and just have bettergrades, better understanding,
starting a foundation, but thenthey also go on to study a STEM
subject and then they go on to aSTEM career, I know that's.
That's just again that made myday.
I was like I'm done for the day.
Voiceover (24:23):
I felt so good, you know so that was that was just.
Stephanie Epsy (24:28):
That's just one person, you know, so I don't
always know the long-term impact.
You know I know more shorter.
But the longer term impact isthat she's thriving in a career
right now in computer science,an area where women are
definitely underrepresented,especially women of color, and
so to have been a part of hertrajectory, it's just beautiful.
(24:53):
Yeah, that's great.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (24:53):
There's probably so many more like her.
They just don't always think tosend a message, so it's really
great that she did that.
Stephanie Epsy (24:58):
Yeah, I mean, there's some, definitely, that I
have kept in touch withthroughout the years and I
definitely know their story.
There are some people I've justcome in contact with in just
sporadically, in different ways,or have sat on a panel
somewhere or, you know, spoke atan event somewhere and then,
you know, have become in contactwith people and have helped
(25:18):
them in different ways.
So there's different, you know,there's different stories,
different things, but and thenpeople who've read the book have
gone through the program,because I do have programs in
different schools that are, youknow, around the country, as
well as summer camps and summitsthat I do.
So there's a lot of differentways that I'm able to touch
(25:39):
girls and, and you know, andI've gotten so many emails and
and feedback and messages justfrom parents, girls just letting
me know that how, how much theyappreciate it and have been
inspired by, you know, by it so.
I just yeah, it just makes mefeel really good yeah.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (25:59):
That's great.
Now how do you maintain yourvery positive person?
I love that, it's contagious.
How do you maintain thepositivity even on the
challenging days?
Do you have any kind ofroutines or anything that you do
to kind of stay in the righthead space?
Stephanie Epsy (26:14):
Oh, meditation, good, yes, I try to start it in
my day with meditation.
So, um, especially on achallenging day I have, if I
have to walk away from mycomputer and just do a 15 minute
meditation and I'm not verygood at meditating either, by
the way.
Like it, you know, I'm one ofthose people that my mind is
still going a million miles anhour, while I'm meditating.
(26:35):
I want to say that very loosely,but I meditate but, I try to
meditate, yeah right, butsomehow just listening to the
voice and just trying tomeditate does help to refocus
and to calm down.
And to you know, okay, let mego back at it.
(26:56):
So I'm good for stopping in themiddle of an email or whatever,
after a call and say, okay, Ineed 10 minutes to do a peace
meditation or kindnessmeditation or courage meditation
you know there's so manydifferent types and so that
really helps.
Um, I'm also, I exercise, youknow, at least four days a week
and I think that also helps.
(27:16):
You know, it's, it's one ofthose things that I feel, if I
feel good, um, that I'm able tocome across and do better with
work, right, even those again,those things I have to do that I
don't necessarily want to do orlike to do, or have those
difficult conversations.
I can do that better after anexercise.
(27:37):
Or, you know, cycling, I liketo cycle or meditating, so that
helps Um and then just you knowcelebrating little things, you
know try to.
You know, oh, I got a grant, I'mgoing to celebrate.
Or oh, you know, I got likethat day when I got that message
from her.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (27:54):
This is great.
Stephanie Epsy (27:54):
I'm celebrating the little things.
Um, that helps too, becausethat you know those things are
what's there to remind you thatyou're on the right path.
Yeah, and so, when you havethose detours and when you have
those moments where it's like,oh, it's too much, you know, I
wish I had this, I wish I hadthat, I wish, wish.
Yes, you know I'm tired, I'm.
You know, all those thoselittle things are there to
(28:16):
remind you you're on the rightpath.
Keep going.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (28:19):
Yeah, I'm so glad that you brought up the
self wellness, because so manyof us females mothers, your
mother, you've got a book, abusiness, all of these things
going on that so often we forgetabout taking care of ourselves,
and that's so important.
Stephanie Epsy (28:34):
It's so important and I think, honestly,
at a certain point it was it'smore critical.
You know, I think back in theback in my twenties, thirties, I
could not.
I could, I wouldn't even thinkabout it, I would just keep
going.
Yeah, you know, now I'mdefinitely more intentional
about, like, taking a break, youknow, working out, going out
(28:57):
for dinner, meeting a friend fora drink those things are
crucial.
So it's almost importantgetting the work done in my mind
.
So having the balance is really, really important, right, right
.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (29:09):
Now, where do you see yourself and Math SP
in the next five to 10 years?
Stephanie Epsy (29:16):
It's a really good question and I've thought
about this and it.
You know it changes a lot.
I am in a point now so I had aMathSP, which is a for-profit,
and I also have STEM Gems, whichis a nonprofit, so I've sort of
two businesses two things I'mkind of spending my time between
the two.
(29:36):
Mathsp has kind of been on thecruise control for a while and
so I'm ready.
I'm ready to re-energize andtake it to another level.
So that's really.
That means expansion.
With COVID has come a fewopportunities, because before
COVID we were doing mostlyin-person workshops and sessions
(29:57):
with students and meetings withparents.
Everything was in person.
And so with COVID of courseeverything went virtual.
So now I'm in a whole newvirtual space which now is a
hybrid.
It's both in-person and virtual.
So that's actually been reallynice at expanding and reaching
students and families exactlyoutside of the Atlanta area.
So I'm looking to take that evenfurther and expand to other
(30:22):
regions and reach more students,and so I've always had this
growth model and I've put it onpause because I was starting to
put a lot more time, energy,into the nonprofit STEM gyms and
build a programs around STEMgyms.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (30:35):
finish the books.
It takes a lot to start a newyeah.
Stephanie Epsy (30:38):
So just kind of cruise control with Math SP and
then really building with STEMgyms, and so now it's still
finding the right balancebetween the two.
But Math SP has a lot ofopportunity to reach students.
You know really everywherebecause of you know, we can be
virtual, we can work with astudent in the middle of you
know, um, georgia, you know notanywhere close we can you know
(31:03):
we can have.
We can hire coaches all over andmatch them with students who
don't live within 20 miles ofthem.
Like before, we're only workingwith students within a certain
mile radius, you know so thatthat was very limiting.
Yeah for sure.
Now we don't have those limitsper se.
So there's a lot of things, alot of growth opportunities that
(31:23):
I really want to focus on.
And really, just again, themission is still the same.
The mission is to help studentshave a better foundation in
math and science and connectedto the real world.
All of our coaches are STEMdegrees or STEM professionals or
students or professionals, sowe're all very passionate about
STEM.
So you're working with someonewho is not just going to help
(31:43):
you you know, ace your next testbut it's going to help you see
how important what you're doingis in the real world and how you
can have a career doing justlike we do, and so I think
that's really the beauty ofworking with one of our coaches.
So you're going to get someonewho's super passionate about
STEM and then also helping youto make those connections, and
so, again, there's so muchopportunity to do that with.
(32:07):
I mean, there's only so manypeople we've actually touched
yeah.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (32:09):
The sky's the limit.
You've reached the limit, yeah.
Stephanie Epsy (32:11):
There's.
There's a lot more people thatwe haven't reached, and so we're
working with more schools now,reaching more families, more
partnerships, more corporatepartnerships as well, yeah.
Bridget Fitzpatrick (32:24):
Well, I would love to have you back
before five years, hopefully,and we can recap and see where
you are and see how things aregoing and we can talk more about
this.
But thank you so much forcoming on the show with me today
.
It's been.
It's been great.
Stephanie Epsy (32:36):
It's been my pleasure.
Thanks for having me.
Voiceover (32:39):
This is the female founder show with host and
entrepreneur Bridget Fitzpatrick, exclusively on ASBN.
If you're a female founder andwould like to help other female
founders with your inspiringstory, we would love to hear
from you.
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