Women's Leadership Institute Visits TechSmith for Skill Building Workshop

February 12, 2026 - Emily Jodway Patyna

Photos by Jacqueline Hawthorne.

The MSU Women’s Leadership Institute Student Cohort convened at the TechSmith building in East Lansing on February 6 for a skill building workshop led by WLI Executive Board member Michelle Massey. Massey is TechSmith’s Vice President of Community Outreach and Customer Operations and a graduate of Michigan State. TechSmith is a software company specializing in screen capture and recording technology with its headquarters in East Lansing. 

“We had the privilege of spending time at TechSmith, where Michelle Massey hosted a powerful session on purpose, leadership, and intentional living,” said WLI Director Amanda Guinot Talbot. “Michelle is a gifted and generous leader who shared wisdom that truly resonated with our students. I am grateful for leaders who invest in the next generation, and for partners like TechSmith who make these moments possible.”

Massey’s workshop session focused on finding and understanding one’s purpose. She presented this question to the cohort: “Who do you want to serve, where do you want to reside in this world, and how do you get there?” She noted that not everyone’s paths will be linear; what’s most important is to focus on making the most of every opportunity, and that a meaningful impact can be made anywhere.

Massey brought up her own career path as an example of this. One of her first jobs was assisting customers at a call center for General Motors, but it was still an important experience along her journey to where she is now. “It’s not about how you start, but where you finish,” she said. 

Included in Massey’s workshop were her three mantras for women in leadership. The first mantra, “Think twice, but speak once,” encouraged the women of the Student Cohort to learn to listen, listen to learn, and be intentional with speech. With her second mantra, “Carry your sunshine inside of you,” Massey stressed the importance of finding joy even in bad days, and documenting the happy times, as they can often feel more fleeting than bad times. Massey’s final mantra is to “Bloom where you are planted,” and focuses on making the most of every opportunity, building meaningful connections and always making space for other women to join the conversation.

Massey’s parting wisdom was to always be authentic and pure of heart. The group ended the afternoon with a tour of the TechSmith campus.

For more information on the WLI and ways to support, click here.