Editorial - March 30, 2020

StockX x Women's History Month | Stephanie Connaughton

Kevin Kosanovich

Kevin holds a Ph.D. in American studies and is an expert in American cultural history and hip-hop. He is the Senior Content Manager at StockX.

In honor of Women’s History Month, we talked with StockX team members about the women who have influenced them, ways to support women in our communities, and more.

For this installment, we talked with operations specialist, team leader, Stephanie about being present, treating people with empathy, and the importance of putting 100% into everything you do.

This interview has been lightly edited.

 Who are the women who have influenced you?

My mother was absolutely the biggest influence in my life. She immigrated to the US when she was young and grew up with modest beginnings and strict Hungarian parents who raised her to be hard-working, self-reliant, and kind. She graduated cum laude and earned a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering, and was one of the only female engineers at Hewlett Packard. She had to work extra hard to earn respect in a male-dominated workplace by letting her work ethic and intelligence prove herself. I’ve always had the utmost respect for her diligence, selflessness, and humility, all while having a goofy sense of humor. She’s the one who taught me integrity, and that the most important principles to live by are to be genuine, thoughtful, and empathetic, and to earn your keep by putting 100% into everything.

What is the most overrated and underrated thing at the moment?

Overrated: Chipotle, Mickey Mouse jeans, ice-cold water.

Underrated: Puns, milk, clothes that don’t match, breakfast for dinner.

If you could give advice to your younger self, what would you say?

Don’t worry about what you can’t control, and be appreciative of the present moment.

What is something we can all do, regardless of gender, to lift the voices of women in our communities?

Treat others with empathy, and come from a perspective of trying to understand that everyone has unspoken hardships that only the individual (and women in general) may understand first hand.

What’s next for you?

Continue to develop and improve the operations at StockX Moonachie, and across the network. It’s incredible to see how much has changed over just one year. Also, I will be working on my drip for the foreseeable future.