We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Erica Fini-marten Jen Marcott-bong a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Erica Fini-Marten, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Erica: It’s no secret that snowmobiling has been a sport historically dominated by males. Despite being a mostly male hobby, plenty of women love to ride, us included!
In 2019, Jen and I were able to get back into snowmobiling after each having taken a hiatus from riding as kids. Right away we noticed that there were plenty of social communities with a snowmobile focus but not many were geared towards women. It didn’t go without notice that having local female-focused resources were missing, too. During a chat session in Jen’s kitchen, we discussed the sport of snowmobiling and all that goes into it. We discussed the machines themselves, riding gear, parts, trails, and acknowledged that we stood to learn more ourselves, especially getting back into it. One point led to another and we found ourselves landing on the idea of creating a social community of our own, just for women in the Midwest, with the goal of educating others and welcoming advice and feedback from all ages and all riding abilities. Through education and knowledge sharing, we hoped to help others build their confidence as riders. These things together very organically showed us our purpose versus having to find it. Our purpose was to bring women together, lift each other up, and provide a noise-free space to learn and grow.
Jen: I have been snowmobiling since I was 4 yrs old with my family and have always loved the sport. I lost touch with the sport when I headed to college, and it was not until I met my now husband (who is obsessed with the sport) that I remembered how much I did love the sport and it was something we could do together. After a few years of Erica and I listening to our husbands talk about snowmobiling all the time, but never talking about the the things we wanted to talk about or getting looks from them when we asked a very “girl” question, we stood in my kitchen over some beverages and decided that we needed to create a space for all women in the sport that we love to talk about what we wanted and to be able to ask the “girl” questions without the look. Erica and I were eager to learn from women as much as we wanted to share the knowledge that we had on the sport. I love the fact that this community has been able to support women to get out and participate where there are very few of us and empower us to get out of our comfort zones.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Jen and I are the creators of Wisco Sled Divas, a social community on Facebook made by women, for women, who are members of the snowmobile community in the Midwest. We started our group in November 2019 and have had a natural, steady growth in membership since then and we’re up to 1535+ members while continuing to add more each day! With Wisco Sled Divas, we’ve been able to create fundraising apparel campaigns that allow us to donate all profits to the Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs as a way to give back to the clubs that keep Wisconsin’s vast trail system operational. We also love the feeling of belonging to something…a cause, a group. Through apparel, we’re providing that belonging and it’s awesome to wear it under our snowmobile gear and use it as a means to recognize other divas when we’re out and about!
Each day we model the “Diva Way” by providing a judgment-free space where women can share questions, experience, expertise, and guidance. By having this space, we’ve grown in recognition and were invited to interview for the Wisconsin DNR’s podcast, Wild Wisconsin, in an episode titled, “She Sleds.” We’ve also been lucky enough to participate at family events at local dealerships. In the future, we hope to have more opportunities to connect with riders in person! The success of Wisco Sled Divas has led to us creating more Diva groups: Wisco Dirt Divas and Wisco Lake Divas. With these newer communities, we can connect with even more women who love to ride ATVs/UTVs and boating.
Our days are also busy, as we’re both full-time HR professionals. Erica is an Outreach & Sourcing Specialist at University of Wisconsin-Madison. She’s also an Ambassador for SkiDoo Outlet, a division of Centre PowerSports. Jen is a Director of HR and Global Learning and Development at Phillips-Medisize. Even with careers, there’s a balance to everything and you have to find what works for you. Jen and I have split responsibilities for our Wisco Diva groups. I love doing creative work and Jen is great at behind-the-scenes things. Knowing how we each operate and utilizing our strengths helps us keep the wheels turning!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Erica: We took our idea and immediately put it into action because there was no reason to lose any momentum we had. While we knew there were obvious areas of knowledge required, like how to snowmobile, we learned everything else as we went along. I think one of the most important things about having a community like ours is to approach everything with humility and look at everything through a lens of learning. Jen and I know a lot but we don’t know everything. It’s so important to be open to listening to others regardless of what our role is in the group, similar to leaving a job title at the door in the workplace. Before joining, each member must acknowledge some ground rules that we expect of each diva: Be kind. No hate speech or bullying. And every contribution and question is worthwhile.
One of the things that helps make our group so successful is allowing members to have input on everything from topics we cover to how our logo looks each season. Every year we rebrand as a way to keep engagement up and let the divas wear and promote the logos they help us create. At the same time, we know that the group wouldn’t exist without our members, and that is in the back of our minds each day. It truly guides how we operate.
Another bit of advice would be to actively engage. It can be time-consuming because we’re each balancing full-time jobs outside of Wisco Sled Divas, but we’re posting at least once daily and if someone comments or asks a question, we’re diligent about responding. No one likes to feel unseen or unheard and we do our best to avoid those situations.
Jen: Do not doubt yourself. If you have an idea or passion, run with it. No matter how crazy of an idea it is, you never know where it will take you. I would have never guessed that the random idea we had standing in my kitchen would amount to what we are today. We did not have all of the answers, and we still don’t, but we would try something and if it was not successful, we make adjustments. When you are starting out, figure out what your strengths are. Erica and I make a great team as we both have strengths that the other does not have and we leverage that in the different responsibilities.
I completely agree with Erica regarding listening to our audience. It doesn’t matter what your passion or business is, you need to listen to the people that you are doing this for. What is their feedback, how are you keeping them engaged, are you creating an environment where people feel that voice their ideas? Making sure that your “customer” is included is part of any successful endeavor.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
Erica: In the last 12 months we’ve started to branch out a bit in the ways we engage with our members. We’ve expanded our groups from 1 to 3 so we can have a further reach in educating and encouraging women who participate in outdoor sports across the Midwestern seasons. Looking back, it’s been exciting for us to see how far we’ve come and then look ahead to where we can go. The best part is, it’s up to us to write our story and our journey.
Jen: I agree. The addition of the Wisco Dirt Divas and Wisco Lake Divas has helped us reach more women who are looking to spend more time outdoors and support these sports. Through all three groups, we have seen a huge increase in women reaching out to each other for meet-ups, and recommendations, empowering others to do things on their own, and overall support on how to make the most out of the sports we all love.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiscosleddivas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wiscosleddivas
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wisodirtdivas
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wiscolakedivas
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
