Empowering women to own their careers
"Figure out the issues that interest you and learn as much as possible. When you’re well informed, get your voice out into the world on those issues, we need your unique perspective! Write, speak, blog, tweet, whatever it takes to get your voice out into the world"
"Leadership means different things to different people. However, for me…Leadership isn’t a position, it’s a mindset. Leadership is about the people you serve – the culture they keep and embrace, it’s about empathy for your customers, clients, employees and the communities where you do business, being confident enough to take risks and responsible enough to think of those who your decisions and risks may affect"
"Do what you love, and go for it! If you have a business and you’re afraid that you will be judged, just dive right in. I promise you, it will be completely worth it, even if you slip. LPSCon has changed my life, and if I let my fear get to me about what others would think of me, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Everyone is super supportive of this event and my toy obsession! I promise you have more allies than you think. Don’t ever ever let fear get in the way of your dreams"
You can have any background and work in this field. Math, physics, computer science, social science, anthropology, history. In fact we are in dire need of people from different backgrounds and perspectives. I'm currently collaborating with a history student. Don't let people intimidate you. Try to see how you can apply your expertise to the field, or if you want to learn, start from some coursera classes, or some of the classes offered at e.g. Sanford (like CS231n) where all the material is online. fast.ai has a great program and resources. Try to work on a personal project and have a study group. And don't be afraid to start from scratch.
"Focusing on your why will lead you to breakthrough moments in your career. You can only impart through seemingly daunting barriers if you stay true to your purpose"
"Supporting women is everything to me. I love working with, partnering with and collaborating with other female owned businesses. When we support each other we are stronger. Everyday I’m inspired by the strong rural women in Northern Ghana who process all of the raw ingredients that R&R uses in product formulations. These beautiful women work from sunrise to sunset processing the raw ingredients by hand and stop at nothing to ensure that they can provide their children with an education and a good start in life which is something I can relate to"
"I think having to prove your value as a woman in a male dominated field can be difficult considering men are often valued off the bat .I have on many occasions said exactly the same thing as my male counterpart but it seemed to not be received until a man said it. It makes me laugh now but at the time it was frustrating to say the least. I have a “anything a man can do a woman can do better” mentality"
" So I encourage you, university - graduate / college diploma - holder / matriculant, create what you want, call yourself what you want others to call you. Be specific about the work you want to do and watch as it comes to you - because it will, if your intention is aligned with your desire"
"My biggest advice is stay motivated and stay creative with how you pursue your goals. It is so easy to get off track or get tired of what can seem like an endless battle uphill against so many factors that are out of our control. But if you have a dream, create a mantra so that you can repeat to yourself the reasons why you are pursuing your this dream, especially when you are close to walking away. More than anything, remember that the landscape is changing and if you have an idea and the work ethic to make things come in to fruition, you can create your own reality. My career is a direct testament to that"
“As an executive woman, a lot of young girls will look up to me and aspire to be like me so it is my duty and responsibility to mentor and empower young girls and work side-by-side with other women, not in rivalry or competition but in solidarity and support”
La Femme Exec 