Women in management

Hi everybody! Happy Thursday!

Yesterday was a really good day. I met with 9 kick-ass women to talk about finding meaning in our careers, and it was awesome. For those of you who are new around here, let me take a quick step back. I studied engineering in undergrad, escaped the prospect of five years in lab pursuing a PhD by diving head first into consulting, and am now recovering from my consulting days as a full time MBA student. I’m roughly 6 months into the 2 year experience, and it’s been a whirlwind to say the least. There was an opportunity to go on a day trip yesterday into San Francisco to meet with a number of women in different roles and industries (with a heavy dash of tech since it is the Bay Area, after all), and I jumped at it. It. Was. Awesome.

I think what I found most energizing about the day was how refreshingly genuine these women were. They were all in management roles, from CEOs to board members to partners at firms (and a few mere mortals sprinkled in), and they were all total girlbosses. They had all also approached their careers from very different perspectives. A few of them had picked a path and pushed straight ahead, while most of them had tried one thing, pivoted, and tried the next. What was consistent, however, was the fulfillment they had all been able to find in balancing their careers with building a family. It was downright inspirational.

In the spirit of sharing, I wanted to pass along some of the gems of advice these boss ladies shared.

1. No career decision has to be permanent. Make the decision that is needed for that point in time, and give yourself permission to reevaluate as circumstances change.
2. Be intentional about finding mentors above you. This doesn’t have to be forced – if you don’t connect then that’s ok – but it’s always worth it to reach out to people who impress and inspire you.
3. Don’t be afraid to raise your hand and step into a challenge. You don’t always have to be the best qualified candidate to be the best candidate for the job.
4. Be aware of your strengths and surround yourself with people who are better than you at all of the other things. This will make your team stronger and you better.
5. Build a relationship with your CFO. They’re the key to the money, honey.
6. Be aware of the settings in which you thrive. What size company is your best fit? What type of people do you work well with? Don’t be afraid to also recognize when its time to move on for something that suits you better.
7. Have conviction in your contributions. Don’t underplay how awesome your accomplishments are; you can bet that none of the men are doing that.
8. Most importantly – be your authentic self. You won’t find meaning in a role where you aren’t being true to you.

How about that? Pretty amazing right? I don’t know about you but I’m feeling super energized and ready to tackle the rest of the week. Let’s do this.

Outfit:

Top: Chelsea28
Bottom: Club Monaco (old, similar cut here and here, similar pattern here)
Jacket: Cole Haan (also here in more sizes but less on sale :/)
Shoes: Nine West (old, similar beautiful option here)
Bag: BP (similar)
Accessories: LOFT earrings (similar), Berkshire tights c/o

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