Blazing Trails in Engineering and Raising a Family with Krystina Pearson-Rampeearee

Charting uncharted skies with both a baby on her hip and a business in her grasp, Krystina Pearson-Rampeearee joins us to talk about juggling the high-flying world of aerospace engineering and the grounded realities of motherhood.  Krystina shares her experience on how to navigate a field where women are still pioneering their presence, all while nurturing new life and a burgeoning business, Aviate Her, that champions the often-unseen diversity within STEM.

Listen to learn:
🎙️The profound impact maternity leave has had on Krystina's personal development
🎙️The challenges of dispelling self-doubt in a male-dominated workplace
🎙️The power of networking
🎙️How Krystina harnesses her capabilities to advocate for herself and others

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Transcript

Simone Roche MBE: 0:38

The Northern Power Women podcast for your career and your life, no matter what business you're in. Hello and welcome to the Northern Power Women podcast. My name is Simone and we love every week to chat to some of the most brilliant role models who we talk to about their personal and professional stories and hopefully pass along some of the advice, tips, Side hacks know what it is? Super hacks whatever it is that may help you to navigate you on your way up through along your own special career path. And today I am Krystina Pearson Rampeearee, who is a multi-award winning, a chartered aerospace engineer, BAE assistant, owner of Small Business Aviate Her and currently joins us from maternity leave. Welcome, Krystina, welcome to the podcast. Hi, thanks for having me, Simone. Oh, always a delight to talk with you and the last time I saw you was only a few weeks ago when we were doing a power-up live for Liverpool John Moores, third year, final year business students, and you came with an added bonus of a it's probably eight week, nine week old Ava.

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 1:53

Yeah, she must have been around eight weeks. Wow, I've lost track now since Christmas.

Simone Roche MBE: 1:58

How was she with all the people?

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 2:02

She's good, she's good. Yeah, nice to get her first mentoring session under a belt already. It's like you know, you have those milestone cards kind of first smile, first laugh. This is like first mentoring session done.

Simone Roche MBE: 2:17

Absolutely, there you go. That's one for a 18th or 21st, isn't it? Where did you start mentoring? Well, I was about eight or nine weeks old and my mum took about, you know, take your kids to work day. One of the things that was really that jumped at me that day is one of the professors from the university came up to me after sort of the first or second session and just said you know, I've got a young woman who is a single parent, has come back into education to sort of reboot her knowledge.

Simone Roche MBE: 2:49

She really was wary about coming along to this mentoring event today, but she did, and absolutely having the conversations with amazing, you know, role models there and actually I don't think you actually spoke to her directly, but you just you've been there present with Ava made her believe she could. So, you know, you talk about role models and actually just being there you talk about. If you don't see the change, be it. You literally are the change, aren't you? When it comes to being a role model, Was that a hard thing to sort of take responsibility for, if you like?

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 3:22

Well, honestly, I guess in situations like that obviously I got in touch with her before is it okay to bring Ava, and because she's slacked through the whole thing, so she was fine, but it was nice to be able to get out and do something and also have over there. Obviously, I felt comfortable in the situation. If I needed to step aside or there or anything I could do, but for me it was just nice to be outside and talking to people, which is what I love doing anyway, and so it's good for my mental health as well and, you know, if someone else sees it, and it helps them as well then, even better and you talk.

Simone Roche MBE: 3:59

When we were chatting in advance of the podcast, I said what are the things that you're really passionate about right now, as we, as we start a new year? I'm not a massive fan of New Year's resolutions. I always think they're kind of broken by about day five or six or something like that. But but you talked about, at the moment you're loving, balancing and joining maternity leave, but still doing the things that you love, and that's that's that's you, isn't it? That's what makes you K.

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 4:26

Yeah, and I feel like if I couldn't do that then I wouldn't be being myself and obviously I wouldn't be as happy as I am now. And obviously me being happy also helps with Ava, because she and George because he's about five they'll see me being happy and I don't want them to see me not enjoying being off for a year because I'm obviously I'm a bit of a workaholic and I like doing things and I like being active and I've had to step aside from most of that being on leave, but there's still little bits that I can do that you know. You know running my small business or doing things like this. That that you know are things that I love doing. So it really helps me enjoy the time that I have with Ava, and most of the time we're just sitting on the couch watching TV.

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 5:16

So it's nice to keep my brain active as well, because I feel like the first year, the first time that I did maternity leave with George, I wasn't doing kind of things like this. So all I did was kind of play on the Xbox for months and I felt a bit isolated really because I wasn't really keeping in touch with work for the whole time. So I took a whole year. So when I came back I felt it was more of a struggle getting back into work, whereas this time I've set kind of how I want it to be, where I check in every month with my line manager. We have a chat. Obviously I'm managing team now, so it's a bit different to when I was with George, but I like to know that they're doing OK. So having those chats monthly checking on how the team are doing, check my emails, keep on top of things a bit more, so I feel more connected than I did the first time, which is nicer as well.

Simone Roche MBE: 6:05

So you talk about your small business. Can you summarize? Ava it here.

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 6:09

Yes, so Ava it here. I started off basically after being told throughout my career that I don't look like an engineer, so it's basically a business that I started to smash the stereotypes that are in STEM and for people to showcase themselves in different careers in STEM and showcase the diversity that there is in those careers that we don't often see in society.

Simone Roche MBE: 6:32

Oh, we love it. And you have so many badges, don't you? You have so many. This is what an engineer looks like. This is what a scientist look like. They are absolutely amazing and we can. They're all on your feed or your website, yeah, on.

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 6:44

Etsy, so through any of the social media pages I have. There's, like some, my Etsy page and they're through there.

Simone Roche MBE: 6:49

Fabulous. We will put the details of that in our show notes. And I've got, you know, a really sort of high power job. You've got a team. Now you know you've changed sort of roles as well, yet you still sort of grow the growth of business, your small business, your Ava hair. What advice would you give for anyone else out there who has got that busy job and has got responsibilities? But I've got this idea. What advice would you give to them who go?

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 7:14

Yeah, it can be hard balancing things. I'm not gonna lie. I think, being an engineer, one of my skills is that I'm very organized and that has helped me through everything. Basically, every day is kind of organized and what I need to do. I've got a planner, google Calendar, everything. If I wasn't organized I think it would all fall apart.

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 7:38

But yeah, and I think it's as well, just keeping in mind that it's okay to step back as well if things are getting too much. But just, you know, when I start the small business, I got a business advisor for free from the women's organization in Liverpool, so they really helped. And just, if there is someone out there who's got an idea, reach out to people, get advice, get help as you can, it's okay to ask for help and it's there and it will help you as well With starting a business. For me it was something completely new. I had no education in business and it was something that I hadn't imagined that I would be doing.

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 8:18

So to get that advice and to help me through it. And, yeah, it really helped with it and I'm always, you know, someone who, throughout my career, has been receptive to advice. And when I decided, you know, am I ready for the next step, to become a manager of a team? Am I? I don't know? I reached out to a lot of people to hear about their career journeys and get advice from them, so that really helped me as well. So, yeah, don't be afraid to reach out to people and get that help and advice when you need it.

Simone Roche MBE: 8:50

Yeah, I couldn't agree more. We've just started on our. We have a digital hub, our power platform, and we're asking role models like yourself you provided one of the videos. We're calling them our you know our power profiles role models on demand, because sometimes you might not have the confidence to come to one of those live events or come to our virtual events, but actually just hearing those stories and then it may, just, may just give you that motivation to reach out, because fundamentally, I think people wanna help and people do wanna give back and pay it forward, don't they?

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 9:17

They do. You'll be surprised, I guess, at the amount that people are willing to help. I, you know, I've reached out to people in my company who are way senior that I wouldn't imagine kind of having the time to respond to me in the first place, but you know, they've responded. I've sat up a half hour call with them and it's been great. And likewise I've received messages from LinkedIn of people you know. Can I have 15 minutes just with you to speak about your career? I'm interested in aerospace engineering. Can I speak? And you know people are really receptive to these things, so don't be afraid to reach out.

Simone Roche MBE: 9:53

It's valuing that. That's probably one of the most precious commodities, isn't it? It's time, it's time, and gift in that time. So take us back to I think you were attending a careers fair. What made you want to pursue the career adventure that you've had?

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 10:09

I didn't actually know that I wanted to do aerospace engineering until I went to an air show and but I knew I wanted to do engineering because I always enjoyed science and maths and solving problems. So I knew I wanted to do engineering but didn't realize how many different sectors there were in engineering until I started doing my own research because I guess when I was at school it wasn't really something that was spoken about, apprenticeships weren't really discussed as an option and so it's a lot different. Probably would have taken a different career path now if I was redoing things, but obviously I did what I did at the time it was a given that you'd go to university straight after school. So after going to an air show I started looking up kind of careers in aviation and aerospace engineering was something that appealed to me and it went from there really and did you face many challenges?

Simone Roche MBE: 11:03

You say there were so many different opportunities that you didn't know actually existed within engineering. But did you find any challenges along the way as a woman trying to get in into the industry and work your way through?

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 11:15

I think the main challenge that I faced was my own confidence, and this was like something that I'd always had because I was always shy.

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 11:23

When I was younger, when I was at university, I didn't really do any networking or join any societies, I didn't apply for a year in industry or any work experience, and it was only when I really came out of university and I didn't really.

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 11:38

I had my degree but I didn't really have any real world experience to show for it and started struggling kind of looking for jobs afterwards that I realised that maybe I should have done things a bit differently. And then, after the paternity leave, the first time, that was when it really hit home that I needed to kind of do a bit more and work on my confidence, and that was when I started volunteering and doing things like, which led to the sudden kind of spike in my career. That's happened since and it is because of just putting myself out there and I think that was the challenge that I faced really. It was my own confidence and my own nervousness to kind of move out of the bubble that I was in and kind of put myself out there. And things have really changed since I started doing that.

Simone Roche MBE: 12:31

And how did you sort of suppress the? We talk about imposter syndrome, we talk about the chimp paradox. How did you suppress the sort of that chimp on your shoulder, or whatever that was, that was stopping you from going? You know what I'm just gonna lean into this, don't you?

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 12:46

Yeah, so I think it was. Obviously I gained a lot of confidence on maternity leave after my first child. I was like I've done this, he's okay, he's healthy, he seems to be thriving. I can do hard things and maternity leave the first time was a bit different because to now, because my husband was away most of the time, obviously every day, working far away, so this time's a bit different when he's home a lot, but yeah, I was mostly on my own.

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 13:14

So I gained a lot of confidence from being able to do that on my own and then starting volunteering. It was starting small and then suddenly increasing in the scope of the things that I was doing. So starting from not being on my own talking to maybe 30 school children to stepping in front of 200 people on my own kind of speaking to people. So it was gradual and that's how that really helped. I think, rather than putting myself in a situation where I was completely uncomfortable and maybe freezing up, it was building up being I can do this, maybe I can do the next step and then the next step and then it grew into okay, I've gained confidence from that and moving forward and I know I can do these things now because I've worked up to it. So, yeah, that really helped.

Simone Roche MBE: 14:03

And you talk about the spike. So you spike in your career, but equally the spike. Then that started to happen with winning stuff, right, and that recognition factor. So I think it was 2020 in our future list, and then many, many other awards and then, even at the back end of 23, you were finalist in Young Engineer as well, of the year. You know it's young winner. I mean this is amazing, right. You know, how do you feel about that? I spoke to an amazing woman only, probably a few weeks ago, and she was saying oh, have someone not been nominated for quite a few things, but I'm really struggling with how to embrace it and not feel like I don't deserve it. What would you say to her?

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 14:52

Yeah, I mean there is a lot of imposter syndrome with it, especially when you see other finalists and you think, oh my gosh, how amazing are they. Like how am I kind of alongside these other people? And it is tough. But I think sometimes you have to push for yourself and advocate for yourself as well, because if you're not gonna do it, you know who else will sometimes and that's something that has led to I mentioned kind of the spike in my career Doing suddenly kind of progressing through my career is kind of advocating for myself and showcasing what I am doing and speaking up about those things.

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 15:32

I was given that advice once that you know I'm looking like I am working a level above the level that I am now, but I need to be showing off about what I'm doing to show people that actually, yeah, I'm deserving of moving up to the next level. And that has really kind of stuck with me since then, because then it's like, okay, yeah, I really need to show you know I am doing these things, but kind of put my head down. Thinking that you know I am do isn't going to progress me. I need to be, you know, such, you know telling people that I'm doing this, these things, um, so that they're aware of it and you know, they're aware that I want to move up to the next level and progress and that I think that that advice has really kind of helped my career, since I think it's really important.

Simone Roche MBE: 16:15

You know, we created the awards back gosh, we're all we know eight years ago and it was all about, um, you know, fundamentally they were about encouraging people to high five their achievements. Don't, you know, hide that light, you know, in a, in a, put in the in the back of the cupboard to really sort of you know sort of celebrate, celebrate those achievements. And so do you think part of this is is do you think we're getting better at promoting sort of that diversity across the?

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 16:39

industry? I think so, and I think it's what the industry needs, because the industry needs those role models. Um, and by promoting ourselves and the work that we're doing, we are being those role models, but for the younger generation to see. Well, look what these like women are doing and and I want to get involved in this and I want to, you know, do something like this. So, yeah, I think we're doing better and we are seeing progress as a result of it as well.

Simone Roche MBE: 17:05

So what is your most proud achievement from 2023? I can't even believe you could pick one, to be honest.

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 17:12

Oof, oh, it's a struggle.

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 17:16

I mean, obviously, um, having a child is my kind of highlight of 2023, but I guess, um I'm really proud of I started this new role in January 2023, managing a team for the first time, um, I know I was also found out um a kind of a month after starting that I was pregnant.

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 17:39

So managing to kind of, yeah, learn a lot as as moving into a new career, um in a new sector as well, which is new to me. So I'd been in aerospace and moved more into, kind of maritime. So kind of learning on the job, a lot balancing being pregnant and, um, the small business and the things that I managed to do. I'm quite proud that I managed to, you know, survive that and also, um found out at the end of the year that um I had, um speaking to my line manager, gave me a kind of high performance rating, so to to manage to do that and to, you know, turn the team around as well from um where they'd been, uh, and be able to be that support to the team as well, um, something I'm really proud of, um as well as my little girl.

Simone Roche MBE: 18:30

But thank goodness for those lists, say thank goodness for all that lists and all that planning. And as soon as we, as we dive and start running through 2024, what's your goals for, for both personally and professionally?

Krystina Pearson Rampeearee: 18:41

Yeah, so, um, goals for 24, um, haven't really set goals in stone yet, but, um, along the lines of enjoying maternity leave because, um, you know, this is probably the last time that I'll have um as on maternity leave. So, enjoying that and making the most of it as well as um, taking the time to um, maybe do the things that I didn't get a chance to do last year. Well, I've got some, some downtime when she's napping and things, um and um. Yeah, keep the, keep the small business going, um, and do some personal development as well. Um, whilst I've got the year off from work, um, but, yeah, just enjoy maternity leave mainly and then do the little things that I can do. Um, in the time, but don't put too much pressure on myself to do things. But, yeah, do the things that enjoy doing as well.

Simone Roche MBE: 19:34

Oh, Krystina, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast. I can't believe. I can't believe you've not been on here before. I couldn't believe it when we were scheduling it. Krystina, thank you so much. You are a phenomenal role model. You're a brilliant wife. You're a brilliant ambassador and advocate for everything you do. So thank you so much for giving us the time. I can hear Ava in the background as well. She's cheering. She's your number one cheerleader. In the back as well, we're along with Nick and George. But thank you so much for joining me today. Thank you for having me. Oh, thank you all so much for listening. We really appreciate your feedback. So please stay connected with us and all our socials at North Power Women on Twitter and Northern Power Women on all the others, and we'd love you to do an old school review. We'd love that and keep connected with everything we're doing on our digital hub WeA reP ower. net. Thank you so much for joining us. This podcast is a weekly. This is the Northern Power Women podcast a what goes on media production.