Remember the thrill of that "New Year, New Me" feeling? Well, at our recent "Reignite Your Professional Self in 2024" event, we experienced that feeling as a group!
We heard from our inspiring speakers, tapped into our superpowers, and got ready to conquer our professional goals!
Clockwise from top left: Dr. Tamara B. Smith & Candace Freedenberg; Laura Martinsen, Nancy Miller, Sarah Cody; Sarah Cody, Candace Freedenberg, Suzanne McColl; Sarah Cody.
What made this event EPIC?
Motivational powerhouses: Insights from Sarah Cody, anchor and mom, Dr. Tamara B. Smith, a leader in STEM, and psychotherapist Suzanne McColl.
Real-life return success stories: Laura Martinsen (Movia, Inc.) and Nancy Miller (TRIUMPH Group) shared their journeys to landing their dream jobs.
Superpower discovery: We uncovered unique strengths, inspired by Suzanne's exercise, that will help us to achieve 2024 goals.
Supportive community: It was so nice to connect in person with mentors and fellow returners during the Mentor Mingle portion.
Dr. Tamara B. Smith, was the perfect person to kick off our dynamic evening and inspire. Her dissertation research findings on the Status of Women in STEM Leadership Positions, highlight the importance of mentorship. Dr. Smith found that "having formal mentorship engagements serves to enrich personal development abilities and create opportunities by building professional relationships." Attending our mentor mingle is clearly good for your career AND is backed by research!
Suzanne McColl shared some very practical tips on getting around our limiting beliefs that can hold us back in our careers and returns. Guiding us in an exercise to consider what skill we've honed in the last 3 years that can be considered a superpower was eye-opening.
Sarah Cody proved the "mommy track" does not have to derail your ambition or professional contentment. She demonstrated how to forge your own path to career success, outside of what is expected. Instead of having it hold you back, she shared how to remain open to discover and craft roles to fit your strengths. Sarah's record of pivoting and trying new things that relied on her core strengths but better fit her particular life chapter, helped make it all work. She never stopped growing and learning, even when she wasn't working full-time.
What struck me about all our speakers became apparent when Laura Martinsen and Nancy Miller were interviewed by Sarah about their return journeys. The common thread in everyone's story was how they advocated for themselves, their strong skills, and how they logistically could deploy them most effectively. Each person talked about carving a unique role or unique circumstances that allowed them to participate in the paid workforce in a way that worked for THEM, while providing talent their employers needed.
Another common thread was how comfortable they all are in how their stories are ever-evolving and changing. They know that there is not ONE WAY to be a primary caregiver and not ONE MODEL for participating in the paid workforce. Each story, as we share them, starts to normalize the flexibility and openness all workers, and companies, could benefit from.
Much thanks to our generous supporters...
Goodwin University was a great venue for our event. We thank them for their amazing support!
All appreciated the delicious cupcakes supplied by our favorite baker and serial entrepreneur, Deanna Damen, proud owner and founder of The Cake Gypsy Bakery.
The cupcakes serve as a visual for sharing our Elevator Pitch during the Networking portion of our Mentor Mingle. Each are uniquely decorated which is similar to the unique personalities each of our returners bring to the workplace.
Are you ready to make this YOUR year?
To watch the full replay, Click the link below to access the insights and ignite your professional fire.
Click here to access the event replay and speaker presentations!
➡️ [link to event replay] Passcode: .nzr#d7S