Eileen Letson, seated with interviewer Barb Byers ’87, participated in the Women’s Engagement Council’s Blue Chair Chat series, a conversational program designed to create a comfortable space for women to share experiences.
Eileen Letson, vice president of finance at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, was the featured guest at the “Blue Chair Chat” discussion series presented by Penn State Behrend’s Women’s Engagement Council at McGarvey Commons on October 3, 2024.
Letson, a 1988 Behrend accounting graduate, talked about her career choice, shared her experience working for convention centers and arenas, offered plenty of sage advice, and dished on what it is like to work with some big performing artists (who shall remain nameless) with an audience of students, staff, faculty members, alumni, and community members who attended the free event.
The Blue Chair Chat series was designed by the Women’s Engagement Council to be a friendly conversation between women in a comfortable and cozy environment, so Letson was interviewed by her friend and former Behrend classmate, Barb Byers, a 1987 Communications graduate who is the director of content development for the University at Buffalo division of university advancement.
Letson talked about the financial side of arena operations, giving attendees a behind the curtain look at what happens to box office proceeds (it goes to the promoter), how the artist gets paid (that’s up to the promoter), how her office determines which events are successful (profit-and-loss statements), and the one thing arena staff hope no event promoter requests (confetti).
A few takeaways from Letson’s talk:
Believe in yourself. Imposter syndrome is real, especially for young women, but trust your education. You have something to offer and important talents to bring to the table.
Pick a mentor you connect with. Find someone you admire or wish to emulate. Age, gender and position in the company doesn’t matter, choose someone you connect with that can help you grow.
Don’t be afraid to ask why. Rather than just learn a set of steps or procedures, ask questions to determine the “why” behind it. Understanding why you need to something a certain way will help you do it properly.
Join clubs and/or volunteer. Letson said one of the most important things current college students can do to gain leadership and life experience is to serve in a club or do volunteer work. “Whatever they ask you to do, do it well, and don’t complain,” she said. “It’s all a learning experience and doing the things nobody else wants to will earn you respect.”
Admit your mistakes. If you make a mistake, own up to it, and fix it. Later, you can explore why it happened, what you learned from it, and how to prevent it from happening again.
For much more advice, insight, a few laughs, and a list of books Letson thinks you should read, watch the entire one-hour Blue Chair Chat.