JDA TSG Perspectives: The Importance of Advocating for Women in Our Personal & Professional Lives
JDA TSG: A Woman-Owned Business
In 2011, Alex Mortman founded JDA TSG from a desk that wasn’t his own, nor was the office space he was sitting in. Instead, that desk, and that office, were his wife’s, Loren Mortman.
At the time, Alex had a goal to fill a clear gap in the outsourcing industry—to establish a dynamic organization dedicated to solving complex business challenges for Fortune 500 and 1000 clients as an integrated partner.
Yet, if it weren’t for the unwavering support of Loren in that NYC office space, Alex wouldn’t have been able to kickstart what is now an Inc. Magazine Power Partner award-winning business—and proudly woman-owned.
This origin story set a clear stage for JDA TSG’s culture: equity and opportunity. To Alex, who is also the father to two incredibly talented and ambitious daughters, it was a no-brainer: In a world where the women in his life set the highest of bars, why wouldn’t we create an environment to attract and celebrate the brightest of stars?
Since then, JDA TSG has made equitable practices imperative to its operations and culture. And by doing so, we have not only attracted the best-of-the-best hires, but the best-of-the-best people, who apply these values in and outside of the workplace.
In honor of this past Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, we took a moment to reflect on the women in our lives who have impacted us personally and professionally, what it means to be a woman with a career, and how we can better advocate for women in the workplace.
Alex Mortman, JDA TSG CEO
Alex openly acknowledges the profound influence of the women in his life. In an interview with Yitzi Weiner for Authority Magazine, Alex reflects on how his mother shaped his path towards entrepreneurship: “My father ran a small law practice, and my mother was an author. I see both of them as entrepreneurs, so you could say entrepreneurship runs in my family.”
But when asked who he credits as an inspiration, who has made a significant impact on his career, it’s Loren: “If I were to pick someone who played the most outsize role in my success, I would single out my wife, who I met during our college years. She had her act together, went to a better school, received an undergraduate business degree, and was keenly focused on a career with depth and meaning.
[Loren] encouraged me to take myself and my future seriously and taught me it was OK to be ambitious. She believed in me and reassured me of her support if I decided to take professional risks. That support has never wavered and has been pivotal to helping me reach where I am today.”
Excerpt taken from Yitzi Weiner’s 2022 article, Alex Mortman of JDA TSG: Five Things You Need to Be a Highly Effective Leader During Uncertain & Turbulent Times.
Liz Watkins , JDA TSG Operations Manager
Through her years serving on PTA boards and at local food pantries, something always stuck with our LegalZoom Operations Manager, Liz Watkins—or someone: The kids who were in clear need of personal hygiene items.
So, in 2019, Elizabeth founded Refresh Frisco, which provides quarterly, customized hygiene packs to children in need. By 2021, Refresh experienced its first expansion into additional school districts.
Today, Refresh provides quarterly hygiene packs to over 2,000 students in need across the Dallas metro area, and has even caught the attention of Kelly Clarkson, who featured Refresh (and Liz) on her show!
In a recent interview, Liz stated the following: “I have the unique privilege as a nonprofit leader to make a difference in the lives of children in our community. This work is so important to me. I am grateful on a daily basis that I have the opportunity to work with a group of like-minded women who sincerely care about others.”
Manny Medrano, TTL Tax Expert
Manny Medrano is a much-adored JDA TSG teammate and tax expert, providing our TurboTax Live customers with the invaluable support they need this tax season. Outside work, Manny dotes on his loving wife, Sofia, and the couple’s three children.
As our team honored International Women’s Day this month, Manny took the opportunity to speak openly about Sofia’s accomplishments—and the challenges she overcame: “Even though Sofia spoke limited English when she started her college career, she ended up being inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, Women Rising, and Excel. She made it on the dean’s list and graduated with honors.”
He is also very open about the fact that Sofia’s motivation and outlook on life have inspired Manny to better himself both personally and professionally: “When we met, I was a combat veteran. She has been my rock. She’s shown me that difficulties are temporary and that with enough dedication, you can accomplish anything.”
Wendi Jones, TTL Tax Expert
When Wendi Jones, another one of our incredible TTL tax experts, retired from the US Navy, she found herself carrying the heavy weight that is PTSD: “I could not find a way out for some time and it progressed into forms of anxiety that were debilitating… but on the other side is healing.” Through time and perseverance, Wendi overcame her illness and trauma to create a better life for herself and her daughter.
Today, Wendi holds a master’s degree in accounting. After finding a passion for tax law, she became an enrolled agent—all the while fighting through the mental swamp of PTSD: “I am not only proud of this accomplishment, but proud of myself for finding a way to overcome such a dark time in my life and turning it into something meaningful.”
In particular, Wendi wants to be a role model for her daughter, showing what is possible regardless of the hurdles, and abides by the belief that offering grace to our colleagues is the least we can do to show support.
Actions You Can Take to Support Women in the Workforce
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women working full-time or on salary made 84% of earnings compared to their male counterparts in 2023. And the disparities don’t end there, with Black and Hispanic women facing even greater wage disparity compared to their white and Asian colleagues.
The takeaway: There are still a lot of strides to be made to ensure women are offered equitable working conditions in America. The following list details actions leaders can take to advocate for their female colleagues and begin cultivating a more equitable working environment:
1. Maintain Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Programs: There are many benefits to creating, maintaining, and building upon DEI programs at your organization. Not only does it ensure that women are offered an equal playing field, but data suggests that diverse teams lead to higher revenue, are more likely to outperform competitors, and align with employee wants and needs, with a majority of workers believing that DEI in the workforce is a good thing.
2. Require Implicit Bias Training: Implicit bias training helps people recognize unconscious biases that can influence decision-making in the workplace. By requiring this training of managers in particular, organizations can better ensure a bias-free interview process and build equitable methods of identifying promotions. It can also mitigate conflict rooted in bias and reduce discriminatory behaviors.
3. Establish Policies that Benefit Working Moms: As also noted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 62% of moms with children under three years old are a part of the workforce—and this doesn’t account for the fact 59% of women report doing more domestic labor than their male partners. So, how can we properly support the burden women carry at work and at home?
Flexible Work Arrangements: Remote work, hybrid work, and jobs with flexible hours greatly benefit working mothers, allowing them ownership over how they manage parenting and working.
Paid New Parent Leave: It’s critical to ensure that both parents, regardless of gender, are properly given the time they need with their new infant, which not only carries life-long consequences but can be very difficult to maneuver on one’s own.
Subsidized Childcare: Organizations large enough to mitigate the expense should consider the subsidization of childcare for working parents, whether through on-site daycare or stipends.
Lactation Rooms: For any on-site/hybrid job, setting aside a dedicated lactation room ensures a comfortable environment for nursing mothers, making return-to-work less anxiety-inducing.
Together, we can shape a future where women no longer fight for equal pay, adequate maternity leave, or to be taken seriously in boardrooms. Together, we can create a future that’s equitable for women of every race, ability, and age.
As our SVP of People Operations, Ann Piccirillo, so wisely puts it: “Real change happens when we step up, support one another, and push forward together. That could mean advocating for a teammate, mentoring someone who’s just starting out, or simply taking a moment to acknowledge the impact of those around us.”