The newest edition of The Advantage, a newsletter for and about CBIZ Women's Advantage has been released. This issue contains articles on defining success, CWA in our communities and much more.

1. the
Advantage W
Cathy Allin: Driven Towards
a Vision Beyond Today
A Message from
Nancy Mellard | pg. 2
Inside This Issue
Client Profile:
Cathy Allin, Decision Insight ...........1
Nancy Mellard:
The Definition of Success ..............2
The CWA Spotlight:
Wendra Johnson ...........................3
CWA Welcomes Gina France...........3
Out & About:
CWA in Our Communities ...............4
CWA Snaps ..................................4
Don’t Play Poker Without Your
Heels On ......................................5
DFS & CWA:
Teaming Up to Make an Impact.......6
Summer 2016
CBIZ Women Helping Women Succeed in Business
Cathy Allin
Cathy Allin, President and CEO,
Decision Insight
“Reward is equal to your comfort level of
risk,” a lesson Cathy Allin of Decision Insight
(DI), learned early. A self-proclaimed “serial
entrepreneur,” Cathy believes the consistent
driver to her success has been her ability to
identify and seize opportunities before they
are born. A long time client of Erika Cundiff
(FS, Kansas City), Cathy recently shared her
story and philosophy for success.
Before joining DI in 2002, Cathy co-founded
an internet software and web development
firm. Four years later, she and her business
partner sold the firm to Harte Hanks, which
has grown into a $100 million division called
Harte Hanks Interactive.
Cathy joined DI to help migrate the traditional
marketing research firm to an internet based
solution. DI quickly became one of the first
research companies to successfully launch
online studies for clients, and in 2003, they
pioneered their virtual shopping
platform, Simushop®,
providing the ability
to test “what if”
merchandising
scenarios in the
context of a specific
retail channel. The ability to conduct these
studies online was transformational to the
industry, cutting time and costs of traditional
studies by more than 50% and leading the
charge in measuring actual shopper behavior.
Today, DI is a global leader in the market
research industry, working with numerous
Fortune 500 companies, and is known for
providing clients actionable shopper insights.
Through her participation with the Ewing
Marion Kauffman Foundation’s Fast Trac,
the Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring
Program (HEMP), and her reputation in the
research industry, Cathy has established
a strong support system of women,
entrepreneurs and leaders in the field.
As an advocate for women
entrepreneurs, Cathy enjoys
See “Cathy Allin” on pg. 6

2. CBIZ Women’s Advantage:
The Definition of Success
the adv | Summer 2016
Nancy Mellard
I was invited by a company to be a member of an advisory board for the next two years to assist
in planning an annual women’s conference. One of the topics discussed at our first meeting
this week was who in the professional services industry has successful women’s programs.
Our board’s informal definition of “successful” went something like this ... “They can’t just talk
about the development and advancement of women and sponsor a program once or twice a year
that discusses these topics. They have to be taking action, creating sustainable programs and
advocating on behalf of these important issues within their companies and in the corporate world.”
As you can see from past issues of The Advantage, and certainly from this summer edition, CBIZ
Women’s Advantage is doing just that! We continue to profile the successes of strong women who
are CBIZ clients. We truly do not have enough pages in our newsletter to put a spotlight on our
many accomplished CBIZ women, and we try in every edition to share with you some of our many
successes in supporting our communities and actionable steps we take by sharing our talents with
women in our communities. And, most importantly, CBIZ translates our words into reality by electing
a second woman to our Board of Directors (note our profile of Gina France on page 3).
In my last Advantage letter, I took the opportunity to thank our retiring CEO,
Steve Gerard, for his many years of support of CBIZ Women’s Advantage.
I am now equally as excited to welcome our new CEO and President, Jerry
Grisko, and to thank him for all of his support for our goals and mission
of CBIZ Women’s Advantage. Actually, as I reflect on this last sentence, I
realize Jerry has been beside CBIZ Women’s Advantage for years as our
President, supporting us each step of the way as we have built this strong,
successful and action-filled Women’s Program.
“I am proud to say,” Jerry says, “that CBIZ Women’s Advantage and the
programs it sponsors and supports each year have become indelibly
ingrained in our culture.”
In fact, Jerry notes that the mission of CBIZ Women’s Advantage touches on every one of CBIZ’s
core values:
• We do the right thing.
• Our people matter.
• We are dedicated to the success of our clients.
• We want to win.
• We are One CBIZ.
“I could not be more appreciative of the extraordinary value that CBIZ Women’s Advantage brings to
CBIZ, our team members, our clients and the communities in which we work and live,” Jerry says.
“And I’m honored to be associated with such a remarkable organization and accomplished group
of women.”
22
Jerry Grisko

3. the adv | Summer 2016
Wendra Johnson, Chief Business
Development Officer, CBIZ ESO,
Boca Raton, FL
How long have you been with CBIZ?
I joined CBIZ Payroll in February 2014.
Prior to joining CBIZ, I spent 10 years in
the Payroll/HR/Technology space with
a privately held company. My first role
at CBIZ was as the Eastern Regional
Sales Manager with CBIZ Payroll. I then
interviewed for the role of National
Vice President Sales & Marketing
for the Employee Benefits division in
October 2014, and officially started
in January 2015. That July we began
constructing the new CBIZ Employee
Services Organization (combining the
Employee Benefits and Payroll divisions).
In January 2016, I assumed the role
of Chief Business Development Officer
for CBIZ ESO, responsible for Sales/
Program Strategy and Marketing.
Have you encountered struggles
throughout your career and if so, how
did you overcome them?
The short answer is Yes!
Challenges (aka opportunities) are all a
part of any job, career or goal. Struggles
become as big or as small as we
choose to make them. Over my career
I’ve come to understand that it does
matter who you surround yourself with,
as they can influence your perspective.
Those closest to me and/or who I
seek out for advice, both professionally
and personally, are generally positive,
solution-oriented, self-motivated
individuals who also recognize that
challenges are meant to be solved.
Staying connected with people, having
those needed difficult conversations and
finding a win-win when possible, are skill
sets I’ve worked on over the years. It
has led me into professional coaching,
where I’m in the process of finalizing
my certification. I have learned how
coaching, when done properly, is really
about helping someone find their voice,
regain their power and/or learn to deal
with their specific struggles.
Are you involved in community or
nonprofit organizations outside of
work? How has this activity affected
your career?
Community work has absolutely had a
positive effect on my career. I’ve served
as a Junior Achievement mentor working
with a range of elementary- through
high school-aged children on budgets/
finances, interviewing skills and basic
life skills. That time was helpful in
refining my presentation and preparation
skills. Working with homeless shelters,
the YWCA and facilitating back-to-work
workshops for a women’s shelter all
keep me mindful that everyone has
something they’re dealing with … as
well as a skill or talent that, with the
right amount of encouragement and
empowerment, can help them to find
their path again. My years as a Rotarian
improved my networking and public
speaking skills. Most recently, as part
The CWA Spotlight
CWA is pleased to welcome Gina D. France
to CBIZ, Inc.’s Board of Directors. With the
resumé every young professional woman
seeks from a mentor, Gina knows that
“good role models are helpful, but great
mentors are priceless.” One of her guiding
lessons is a quote she keeps on her
office wall from Thomas Edison stating,
“Opportunity is missed by most people
because it is dressed in overalls and looks
like work.”
Gina is the
founder and
president
of France
Strategic
Partners,
providing
strategy and
transaction
advisory
services and
management
consulting
to public and private corporations. She
has over 30 years of strategy, investment
banking and corporate finance experience,
and is a 15-year Wall Street veteran. She
has served as a strategic advisor to over
250 companies throughout her career.
Previously, Gina was a partner with Ernst
& Young and led the firm’s Center for
Strategic Transactions®(CST) in Cleveland.
The CST provided customized, facilitated
strategy sessions for CEO’s and their
top executive teams. She was a Senior
Vice President with Lehman Brothers in
New York and San Francisco, and the
International Cash Manager of Marathon
Oil Company, then a Fortune 30 Company,
3
CWA Welcomes
Gina France to
CBIZ Board
See “CWA Spotlight” on pg. 6 See “Gina France” on pg. 5

4. out & about: CWA in Our Communities
“Relay the Way” for KC’s Urban Youth Academy
by Alex Lanning, CBIZ ESO Kansas City
4
More than 2,500 fans, including a team
of over 30 CBIZ & CBIZ MHM Kansas City
associates, gathered with a goal to set
a new record … the longest first pitch in
baseball history ... and all for charity.
As part of the Kansas City Royals’ Opening
Day festivities, a baseball was tossed
hand-to-glove for four hours, over nine
miles through the streets of Kansas City.
This unique fundraiser, Relay the Way, was
designed as part of a larger project to raise
funds for the Kansas City MLB Urban Youth
Academy and raised over $130,000.
Carolyn Watley, CBIZ B&I Kansas City
Business Unit President and CBIZ Women’s
Advantage Executive Board Member,
serves as the fundraising chair for the
Urban Youth Academy. She was asked to
join the committee along with Kansas City
Mayor Sly James, Royals General Manager
Dayton Moore, Baseball Hall of Famer
George Brett, and various community
leaders. In support of this important
initiative, CBIZ KC hosted a fundraising
lunch to gain awareness for the Academy.
The rally lunch featured a silent auction,
pop-up t-shirt shop and ballpark style food
donated by a local vendor. All proceeds
benefitted the Urban Youth Academy.
The Academy will feature both indoor and
outdoor baseball facilities and training
centers, and will provide a safe haven for
young people to grow leadership skills, as
individuals and baseball players.
Urban Youth Academy
Fundraising Board Members
(shown left to right) KC
Mayor Sly James, Baseball
Hall of Famer George Brett,
Royals GM Dayton Moore,
CBIZ B&I KC President
Carolyn Watley
CWA Snaps
Shannon Ciesluk is a finalist for the
Emerging Leader Award from the AICPA
Florida, Women to Watch.
Karen Grasso has been selected as
one of the “Most Influential Women in
Benefit Advising” by Employee Benefit
Advisor magazine.
Lisa Stensgard has been named the
2016 Board President for the Dallas/
Ft. Worth chapter of the Turnaround
Management Association.
Carolyn Watley has been listed among
“Kansas City’s Power 100 of 2016” by
the Kansas City Business Journal.
Kim Alvarado has been nominated in
the Rising Star category for the Los
Angeles Business Journal, Women
Making a Difference.
Nancy Mellard has been named to
Insurance Business America’s (IBA)
list of Elite Women, compiled from a
reader survey seeking out women in
the industry with outstanding personal
and professional achievements.
Pictured in front (left to right): Sonia Chopra,
Rivkie Steinman, Cindy Rosenberg, Alla
Eydelman, Yan Wu, Fasika Sahlu, Diane
Paoletta, Donna Palumbo, Carol Alvarez, and
Rainie Cai. Pictured in back (left to right):
Dilara Yuldasheva, Katelynn Aubrey, Dora
Dvir, Sookyoung Lee, and Marci Ross.
Christie’s Event
Benefits DFS
Guests from CBIZ enjoyed a preview
of a collection of Joan Rivers personal
items at Christie’s Auction House in
NYC. The preview included jewelry
from the esteemed design houses
of Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels,
costumes by Bob Mackie and
decorative arts from Fabergé.
the adv | Summer 2016

5. Don’t Play Poker Without Your Heels On
by Claire Bissot, CBIZ Human Resource Services, Roanoke, VA
During my college years, I loved Texas Hold
’Em and looked for every opportunity to
play. It was always me and “the guys” at the
table. Usually being outnumbered, I felt an
internal pressure to be “one of the guys,”
but also a need to differentiate myself and
take pride in being a woman at the table.
So, I made sure to “rock a power pump” for
every tournament. Each time I would walk
away as a top three winner, and proud to be
a woman. At the time I am not certain I had
connected the dots as to reasons for my
success in the game, but that all changed
one winter day when I decided to wear a
pair of flat boots. I was “out” after only a
few rounds. Some people might debate the
impact my choice in footwear had on the
outcome of the match, something I have
reflected on many times.
Poker is a game of strategy, luck, and skill.
Any good player can start with a bad hand,
but still end up winning or, conversely, have
the unfortunate experience of a good hand
gone bad. Much like business and our
personal careers, fortunes can change in
an instant and our emotions can either be
a powerful ally or perilous detriment to
our success.
For many women, our emotions might
present a challenge, and why the “poker
face” is something we can struggle to
acquire. Numerous studies focus on the
difference of men’s and women’s emotions
and responses. These studies often identify
a key difference being
that women have a
tendency to show
emotions more
naturally than
men.
Recognizing that all emotions aren’t
bad, many business cultures encourage
employees, regardless of gender, to show
the positive emotional traits at work –
passion, excitement and happiness.
However, the stresses of our world can
cultivate into more negatively perceived
emotions and are less-desirable in
a business environment like stress,
frustration and anxiety, which for many
women, results in tears. How many times
as a woman have you been coached not to
cry at work?
Due to our natural emotional responses,
some women may find the career ladder
a bit more difficult to climb. Often, we
work to keep our emotions in check and
not let anyone see them. Maybe you have
employed one of the many tactics to
address the emotional side like taking a
walk or counting to 10. However, when that
doesn’t work, we can often find ourselves
so frustrated and upset that we frantically
grasp for control, resulting in an emotional
snowball effect (aka tears).
Perhaps the secret to managing our
emotions and a steely “poker face” isn’t
suppressing or ignoring them. The right
answer just might be to employ the uniquely
designed female construct to our advantage
– Don’t Play Poker Without Your Heels On.
It’s not about hiding our female side to fit
in with “the guys” at the table. It’s about
being proud to be a woman sitting at the
table, and translating the deep and powerful
emotions into perspectives which can
shape our businesses in great new ways.
When we look at our emotional side from a
more positive perspective, we may find that
our emotions allow us to connect better
with our employees and be compassionate
leaders. Being a woman at an otherwise
male-dominated table can allow us the
opportunity to provide a critical alternative
perspective to our businesses. Our
emotions can provide necessary excitement
to an organization’s culture, it can make us
more aware of how changes can affect an
organization, and it can further enhance the
human side of our businesses.
When going to the poker table of business,
be proud of your femininity, stand
tall, embrace the value of the female
perspective and don’t forget to put your
heels on.
the adv | Summer 2016
5
where she was responsible for funding 26
international subsidiaries.
Reflecting on her accomplishments, Gina
gives a quick laugh and shares, “There’s
always a good life lesson to be learned
in every situation. The key is to learn it,
and move on.” She added, “You need to
take some risks in your career to advance
yourself. The solution is to take calculated
risks, rather than foolish ones.”
Gina also devotes significant time
and talent to the many not-for-profit
organizations she serves. She is a trustee
for Baldwin Wallace University, where she
chairs the Strategy Committee and serves
on the Executive Committee; is a founding
board member and treasurer of In Counsel
with Women, an executive women’s group
in Northeastern Ohio; and is trustee
and treasurer of DANCECleveland, one
of the nation’s oldest dance presenting
organizations.
Gina agrees with Sheryl Sandberg, author
of Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to
Lead, that one of the most important
career decisions you will make is your
choice of a life partner, because “without
their support, the road is much more
difficult.”
Welcome to CBIZ, Gina!
Gina France
continued from pg. 3

6. spending her time mentoring women in
business start-ups and contributes to
many local and international organizations
that support women in need.
It should come as no surprise that Cathy’s
recognition list is lengthy; including Ernst
& Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist,
Techweek 100 Kansas City, and recognized
among the Kansas City Business Journal
Champions of Business and Women Who
Mean Business.
“You need to have the vision to see beyond
today, to understand and anticipate the
world of tomorrow. As a leader, you have
to be willing to fail, correct quickly, and try
again,” commented Cathy.
the adv | Summer 2016
The Advantage
A publication of
CBIZ Women’s Advantage
Editorial & Creative Staff
Alex Elliott, FS Kansas City
Joellen Messerli, B&I Kansas City
Andria Mitra, B&I Kansas City
Pattie Stahm, RPS Phoenix
Contributing Writers:
Alex Lanning, B&I Kansas City
Alex Elliott, FS Kansas City
Claire Bissot, ESO Roanoke
Ellen Wisbar, CBIZ Corporate
To submit material or request additional
copies, please contact Andria Mitra at
amitra@cbiz.com
©Copyright2016.CBIZ,Inc.NYSEListed:CBZ.Allrightsreserved.CBIZ-171
6
Cathy Allin
continued from pg. 1
of CBIZ’s national partnership with Dress
for Success, I’ve had the opportunity to be
a guest facilitator on career-focused topics
and conduct mock interviews for young
women trying to secure employment. These
activities have served as a reminder that I
am blessed and fortunate to be invited into
these individuals’ lives, to hopefully serve
as a connection or resource in a way that
is meaningful to them.
Do you have any advice for young women
just starting out in their career?
Purposefully choose your circle of influence.
Write out your goals and vision for yourself,
what steps you need to take and check
back every 3-6 months. Choose a wardrobe
carefully, and make sure it speaks to how
you want to be perceived – it doesn’t have
to be expensive, but it does matter!
Do you have a favorite quote?
“Our deepest fear is not that we are
inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we
are powerful beyond measure. It is our
light, not our darkness that most frightens
us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be
brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’
Actually, who are you not to be? You are
a child of God. Your playing small does
not serve the world. There is nothing
enlightened about shrinking so that other
people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as
children do. We were born to
make manifest the glory of God
that is within us. It’s not just in
some of us; it’s in everyone. And
as we let our own light shine, we
unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same. As
we are liberated from our own
fear, our presence automatically
liberates others.” Marianne
Williamson, American spiritual
teacher, lecturer and New York
Times bestselling author.
What are you reading right now?
“Relentless” by Tim S. Grover.
He has worked with athletes to really up
their game, and describes what it has
taken for each to get to their personal
next level.
CBIZ Spotlight
continued from pg. 3 DFS and CWA: Teaming
Up to Make an Impact
Dress for Success (DFS) is a non-profit
organization that provides professional
attire for job interviewing to thousands of
disadvantaged women each
year. Career/life counseling,
technology training and
mentoring support are
also provided to clients
of DFS. Partnering with
DFS since 2008, CBIZ and
CBIZ Women’s Advantage
have collected thousands
of clothing and accessory
items, and have donated
over $400,000 to DFS. CBIZ
will continue support of
the not-for-profit with a new
program designed to help the
interviewing process go even
smoother for DFS clients.
CWA is now collecting personal hygiene
items from their offices across the
country, and assembling them into bags
for distribution to DFS clients along with
their interview suit. Included in the bag
are sample-size shampoo, shower gel,
toothbrush and toothpaste and similar
hygiene items that have been donated
by hotels, hair salons, yoga studios, and
health care providers. The goal is to put
1,000 hygiene bags in the hands of DFS
clients nationwide in 2016.
“When you hear how important these
items are to someone who really needs
them … your perspective is undoubtedly
going to change,” said Ellen Wisbar,
CBIZ Director of Independence and CWA
Executive Board member. “The impact
these bags have on the lives of DFS
clients is amazing.”
If you or your organization is interested
in participating in this program, please
contact Ellen Wisbar at ewisbar@cbiz.
com for more information.