AWL Alumni Spotlight

Describe the six months you spent in the Bloombase experience for Advanced Women Leaders.
It was the right amount of time to do some deep investigation in terms of my own leadership style, how others perceived me, areas of strength, and areas where I could improve. It allowed sufficient time to build deep connections with the other members of my cohort who become an important and integrated part of the learning. We focused on ourselves as leaders, but also as humans, even going back to life events and how those influenced our experience and our styles.

Describe the benefits of being a part of the post AWL community.
I think the interesting thing about the different cohorts of the AWL community is that the community allows all of us to grow post-experience.  And with that we all get the benefit of more diverse experiences, backgrounds, and points of view. To me, this is a big benefit because it challenges my status quo, and helps me think more broadly as a leader. Bloombase is really deliberate about providing opportunities to grow our network through the post AWL community, to learn more about ourselves, about other female leaders, and our community.

What did you get out of the Executive Coaching sessions?
Having gone through a number of programs that included an element of formal coaching, what’s really valuable with the AWL experience is being seen and valued as you are.  That was unique.  I didn’t need fixed, I wasn’t broken… I had a strong foundation to grow from and that was the focus.  They met me where I was and moved forward without judgment. We all have areas to grow and that is important, but at the same time, understanding that what you’re doing is valued by the people that you’re working with is really motivating.

What would you say to someone else considering this experience?
I’d say, go for it and don’t be afraid to bring your whole self to the experience. That’s it! 

What was it about AWL that made you feel you had an ROI from the experience?
The biggest ROI for me is the relationships that I have built with not only members of my cohort, but also with Bloombase and other members of the AWL community. Through a fellow alumna, I became a Founding Board Member for a local nonprofit. Through that experience, I worked through leadership challenges and built my network even further, building deep relationships, particularly with the executive committee.

I feel like I am fulfilling my purpose when I am… showing up for others in a way to support them becoming their best selves.

My favorite way to spend an afternoon by myself is... reading in the sunshine or getting a massage.

The kind of work I’m most passionate about is… problem solving and solution optimization because there is challenge in determining the best path forward to solve a problem.  Often there is no one right answer and there’s tension in balancing data and emotion driven outcomes.

What gets you out of bed in the morning? Learning and the opportunity for new experiences.

The legacy that I want to leave is… that of someone who is authentic and can always be counted on to show up.

Something that makes my life ridiculously fun is... my two crazy kids, Grayson and Avery.

The values/behaviors that are most important to me are… authenticity, dependability, and connection.