Linda Washington is a businesswoman, a mother, a volunteer and a former federal employee.

“A while ago a friend of mine said to me, ‘Busy women get things done.'” Washington said. “She’s right. … Obviously, you have to manage your time well and you have to prioritize things. Family, obviously, comes first also. Even when you called me and asked me if I would do this interview, I thought, ‘I will make time because there are some things I do want to share with women.'”

Washington, president and CEO at The Washington Consulting Team and former senior policy advisor for Community Initiatives and assistant secretary for Administration for the Department of Transportation, said giving back is part of her nature.

She’s also a big fan of inclusivity.

“Organizations that are not inclusive are missing out on the value that other folks can bring to an environment — creative ideas, other ways of doing things,” Washington told Federal News Radio’s Women of Washington radio show. “That’s what growth and development is all about, and certainly that’s what it was about in Transportation.”

Washington also discussed how the federal government can be a more inclusive place for women and minorities.

“I’ve learned that you come up with a better idea when you have a group of people honing in on that and giving their ideas. Sometimes, it helps if you have an open mind,” Washington told hosts Gigi Schumm and Aileen Black. “And whenever you’re open to anything, the possibilities are great.”

During the show, Washington also shared the best advice she’s ever received from a mentor.

“I think the best advice I got was to relax,” she said. “Not everything is a big deal. Be in the moment, but don’t take on the stress from the moment.”

Also on the show: how 9/11 changed Washington’s work at Transportation, why she found working with the Combined Federal Campaign so rewarding and how she found herself going from majoring in elementary education to being a senior official in the federal government.

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