After nearly a decade devoting her time and energy raising four children, Malvern resident Shannon Doran wanted to get back into the workforce — but she was worried how the dreaded gap on her resume would look to employers. Former college peers were climbing to director roles, leaving Doran to wonder if the skills she developed as a stay-at-home parent would be undervalued because of where she gained them.
“You need to be an expert at multitasking and time management when you have four different schedules to worry about,” Doran said when talking about valuable skills that wouldn’t be easily provable on a typical job application.
Doran is the exact type of employee Cate Heaman strives to bring on board at Prelude Solutions. Founding the Philadelphia-based, women owned telecommunications company in 2016, Heaman knew sourcing employees with skillsets derived from diverse life experiences would help the company achieve the exponential growth it has since inception.
“You can’t teach drive,” said Heaman of the number one characteristic she looks for when hiring. She considers not just the employee but the holistic person.
Heaman was recently recognized as a 2024 Women’s Business Enterprise Star by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nation’s largest certifier of women-owned businesses. Heaman was one of 14 women in the nation to receive the honor after Prelude has held certification for six years.
Prelude specializes in helping businesses save an average of 33% on technology spend by connecting them with its ecosystem of over 400 partnered vendors, according to CFO Susan Widen, who has seen the company’s growth firsthand since 2017.
Being a health advocate for her mom equipped this woman for her next leadership position
Widen had nearly two decades of experience as COO in retail marketing before joining Prelude following a pause in her career to take care of her sick mother in Florida. After an intense year and a half “in and out of the ER,” Widen saw her mother regain much of her health and looked to rejoin the workforce — now equipped with skills she could only gain from such a life experience.
“I shared my story with pretty much everyone,” Widen said. “It is so important to have a health advocate. At work, I’m much more compassionate now.”
Heaman recently hired a head of people empowerment to foster culture and promote employee health and well-being in a remote-first workplace. Employees receive perks like having a paid day off with a $100 bonus to spend on their birthdays.
Volunteering prepared this woman for her next role
Johnna Healey saw herself as a “professional volunteer” before joining Prelude as an operations enablement associate in 2022. Raising her kids as a stay-at-home parent, she participated in school activities like being on the PTA and helping run fundraisers. While Healey described them as “mom jobs,” she said she was surprised how much those skills translated to the workforce once she started at Prelude.
“When you volunteer to run something, you take on the most responsibility,” she said. Healey would plan, organize and run events on a yearly basis while coordinating schedules for herself and three kids, which she said helped her transition into the workforce.
Teaching experience opened the door for this woman to make a career shift
Heaman also seeks out employees from other industries to bring new skills to the table. After 20 years as a middle and high school teacher, Kristen Riley wanted to make a career shift and joined Prelude as one of the first team members in 2017, as corporate relations manager, seeking to build new partnerships and develop the business.
The transition was drastic, from the setting to the role: “In the classroom you’re your own boss,” Riley said. Now being part of a team, Riley and Heaman, the only people in sales at the time, communicated openly about adjusting the role to best suit her strengths. Years later, early investments are paying off. Riley recalled one of her proudest moments when they finally closed an account she had been pursuing and building relationships with for five years.
“I felt validated from all the work that I had done,” Riley said. “Helping to grow the company motivates me to do a good job.”
Heaman was honored as the STAR in March at the WBENC National Conference in Denver, Colorado, which is an opportunity to network and build potential partnerships. Hired as a sales enablement associate just a few months ago, Kim Campbell was excited to represent Prelude at the National WBENC conference and a little surprised they’d bring the “new girl” along for the ride.
Campbell had been out of the traditional office for a decade to raise her family and work as a nanny, so attending this conference so soon into her return felt affirming.
“When interviewing for the role, I remember saying ‘I’m just this or I’m just that,’ and they said, you don’t realize the skills you’re bringing. You’re not ‘just’, you’ve got talent.’”
Learn more about Prelude Solutions at preludesolutions.com or by contacting us at info@preludesolutions.com.
Prelude Solutions, a leading women-owned technology consulting firm, offers expert guidance to elevate communication platforms. Our thorough analysis drives technology cost reduction, delivering clients an average savings of 33%. What sets us apart is our unique perspective, seamlessly integrating with clients' teams. We propel clients toward their tech goals with a comprehensive inventory, market analyses, and access to 400+ partners. With Prelude, organizations optimize communication efficiency with confidence.
Logan Krum is a freelance writer for the Philadelphia Business Journal.