Lyte presents “Womxn at Lyte,” a series of conversations highlighting the voices of our womxn.
Q: As a child, what do you think you wanted to be? How do you think you came to that decision?
Cynthia Parsons: I did not have a career path figured out early on. I wanted to be a parent and have a family, as I grew up with great parents, whom I admired and respected very much. So, it took me a while to define that decision as to what I wanted to do in my work life. I did want to be a singer because I loved singing around the house - it always made me happy. But, I never pursued any singing lessons. Ironically, I ended up in the music business - just not as a singer.
Q: What would your younger self be most surprised about how you live, your life today?
Cynthia Parsons: Honestly, I feel that my younger self would not have anticipated that I’ve been working steadily for so many years. Started as a young adult working part-time and then moving into full-time positions in different industries. Most importantly, having the opportunities to work in positions that I have enjoyed immensely - in positions where I could do something that I loved to do every day. I feel fortunate that I am still able to feel this way after all these years.
Q: What do you think is the hardest part of what you do for a living?
Cynthia Parsons: In ticketing when handling concierge requests or any type of ticket requests, I take them all personally, I want each person to get the best seat and receive the best experience. I feel that the difficult part, on occasion, is trying to get answers to certain requests, as some requests do take longer than expected. I don't want the person/guest who is asking for the tickets to feel anxious. Yet, I also recognize that ticketing professionals are very busy people and have their own responsibilities and timely deadlines. I try to be patient and find that fine line between not pestering someone to get an answer according to my time frame and annoying them. However, I also understand the guests’ eagerness to secure the tickets they want to their favorite events.
Q: What do you love about working at Lyte?
Cynthia Parsons: I love watching the passion, the intensity, the creativity, and the support of one another. It's truly a very supportive environment here at Lyte. I believe that a huge part of making a company successful is when people support one another. There are not a lot of egos. It's all a common goal to make our jobs and the company as successful as possible together.
Q: What lesson took you the longest to unlearn?
Cynthia Parsons: I’m unlearning that problems are not all bad. I tend to dwell on problems. It's a work-in-progress trying to unlearn. I realize that anticipated problems are generally not all that problematic. The problems that do arise, I learn something from them, even though they are not pleasant to go through at the time. I feel this resonates in both my professional and personal life. Somehow when you look back on a problem, you see how it can make you a stronger person.
Q: What have you accomplished recently that would have shocked to a year ago?
Cynthia Parsons: I think the opportunity to come to Lyte and share my ticketing experience. Lyte had created all their innovative products that were already in place (and continue to do so). When I joined the company, it was about six days before the entire live event industry basically shut down due to the pandemic and there were no events taking place. For someone who was hired to help get people into events, it shocked me that I could still be part of the team. It was a time where so many of my colleagues helped me learn about Lyte. Now, I get to put those ticketing experiences into process.
Q: What are you more afraid of failure or success and why?
Cynthia Parsons: Oh, definitely failure. I tend to analyze everything a little too much and try to be the best I can be. Striving to be a perfectionist, when things are never perfect because I don't want to fail. But, if you try your best, then you're not failing because you've attempted to do everything you can to the best of your ability. Sometimes you lose sight of that when you are afraid of failure.
Q: What's a non-negotiable in your life?
Cynthia Parsons: Lack of kindness and respect for one another, whether it be in a business environment, home environment, or just out in public. That's non-negotiable for me. I feel people should be treated with kindness and respect. I know it's not easy to do that sometime and understand that everybody has their own life experiences and maybe going through their own issues/problems. It can then be hard to feel kind towards one another. But, try to have respect, be kind, and understand what people are going through - it usually always prevents a better outcome.
Q: What can womxn create together?
Cynthia Parsons: Support, strength, and determination to be the best in whatever profession that they choose. You see it so much more now, womxn are being appreciated in the workplace. More womxn than ever are in positions that they may not have been in years ago and joining forces together. It's empowering.
Q: What's the most exciting improvement for womxn in the industry or in general?
Cynthia Parsons: The recognition and value of womxn in the workplace - in the industry. More companies are taking the time to recognize womxn; for example, you have Womxn's History Month. Womxn are being much more respected in today's world than they ever were. But, there is still room for improvement for those womxn who want to climb the corporate ladder.
Q: What title would you get this chapter in your life?
Cynthia Parsons: I would say feeling blessed with my life's opportunities and accomplishments.
Womxn at Lyte featuring Cynthia Parsons, Director of Concierge Services at Lyte