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SN: AWS and CBS Interactive have well-developed diversity and inclusion programmes. KM: When I got to CBS Interactive, the culture I felt was very inclusive. I hadn’t seen that in the previous internships. Even as an intern, it stuck out to me.
needed and get a quick response – similar to working in the same room together. For example, if Krystal encountered an error, she would open a screen-sharing session where we could review her code together and discuss possible solutions. KM: Even today with the new team I’m on, everyone that works on delivery in the video technology group is based in San Francisco and the video processing team is in New York. A lot of what we do is in Zoom and Slack. That’s how we share and collaborate. What has been your experience as women working in the media and entertainment industry? SN: Krystal and I are in places of privilege where we feel included and recognised at our companies. We don’t differentiate or label ourselves, we are just part of a team and we happen to be women. It is important to create a diverse and inclusive environment in order to promote collaboration and generate the best outcomes. KM: I’ve been incredibly blessed at CBS Interactive, because of how many women there are in leadership positions. I don’t think too much about the gender roles. I really did just go in there and do my job. SN: In particular, Stephanie Lone from CBS Sports Digital and Liz Carrasco at CBS Interactive both took the time to acknowledge and recognise our work. They served as strong role models that motivated and inspired us to voice and share our ideas and opinions. KM: Those two have been a huge part of my success, too. They’ve been super supportive of my entire career and make me feel seen. WHEN I NEED HELP WITH ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF MY REALM OF EXPERTISE, SARAH IS MY FIRST PHONE CALL
my old team to my new team, I reached out to Sarah for advice. Having her in my corner has always been great. She pushes me, which is important. SN: It’s funny as I was going to say the same thing. Krystal is my friend, so I value our friendship first, but I also look to her to learn things. She’s always been there to teach me about coding, development cycles and other new technologies. Often, when I have ideas for a project design, I’ll use Krystal as a sounding board. She is able to see the things I’m not seeing – she has a different skill set. It helps to fill the gaps and make the solution complete. KM: That’s our relationship in a nutshell because, when I need any help with anything outside of my realm of expertise, Sarah is my first phone call. I feel like I developed so many great friendships out of that project. SN: The project team was quite large and we worked very collaboratively together. When things went wrong in the middle of the night or on the weekend, everybody was there to stay late and support one another to solve those issues. Projects are successful when three key elements are present: a team that checks its egos at the door, a team that is focused
What is the most important thing you’ve learned in your careers?
KM: For me, it is the importance of good mentors. If I look back at my first year, I remember feeling nervous, with a lot of imposter syndrome, thinking ‘I’m not good enough. Why are they giving me these projects? This is too much.’ But I’ve had so many wonderful people in my corner pushing me, trusting me, empowering me, telling me to speak up in meetings, telling me to take the lead. That has been the biggest change for me. SN: I learned you cannot do everything yourself. You need to identify each team member ’s talent and put them in a position to be successful. That’s how teams win. Finally, what does each of you value most about the other? KM: Again, it’s the importance of good mentors. Sarah has always felt like a mentor to me. She’ll always say, ‘No, we’re friends. We’re colleagues.’ She refuses to say she’s a mentor, but seeing Sarah speaking up in meetings is what got me to speak up. Every time I needed advice in my career, when I was trying to transition from
on achieving the same goal and a
team where everyone recognises that each individual brings their own expertise.
FRIENDS IN THE MAKING
Nagata and Mejia have grown from work colleagues to friends, pushing and supporting
each other throughout
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