AWL Alumni Spotlight

Describe the six months you spent in the Bloombase experience for Advanced Women Leaders.
My 6 months in AWL allowed me to declare myself a priority. Simply signing up and committing to the experience made “myself” a part of the non-negotiable to-do list. Even when things got extremely busy, with AWL I was able to put some focus on me and my perspective. Also, knowing that I had a cohort of wonderful women in this with me, was fantastically encouraging. They gave support and feedback and it made me want to do more for them in return. We were there to lift each other up, so I couldn’t let them or myself fall... and it felt good.

Describe the benefits of the AWL experience.
AWL really challenged me to look at who I am, how I am perceived, and how I can impact others. It gave me renewed confidence to set goals, speak up, and show up as the person I want to be. I find myself more able to speak up to express myself, make decisions, or get support, in all aspects of my life, more than I have before. I’m taking chances, going after what makes me happy, and I’m letting go of what doesn’t, even if someone else disagrees. I can’t say I succeed at this all the time, but I sure have come a long way and continue on my journey.

What did you get out of the Executive Coaching sessions?
My coach asked questions, rather than giving answers, which helped me realize I could find creative ways forward and I didn’t have to settle for how things were. For example, I had the power to try to influence my boss in a male-dominated industry, who strongly adhered to what I thought were outdated working practices, to open his mind to other perspectives and even other ways of getting the job done.

What would you say to someone else considering this experience?
This course is 100% you get out of it what you put into it, and it doesn’t stop there. If you are ready to take a look at yourself, improve your self-awareness and set goals for the leader you want to be, then this is absolutely the experience for you. And the community you become a part of and the materials you learn about, will continue to help you grow and improve as long as you choose to be a part of it.

What is the greatest ROI for this investment you made in yourself?
The ability to be honest with myself and those around me has made what feels like a million dollar difference in my mental health. The opportunity to decide what matters most to me and give myself the permission to “say no to the bigger yes” has been very freeing. I also have improved my self-awareness and emotional intelligence to have the hard conversations that come with saying no or asking for help or helping others help themselves.

My favorite way to spend an afternoon by myself is… being outside and appreciating the world. I truly enjoy the feeling of being a part of and connected to something much larger than me. So on the rare occasion that I would have an afternoon to myself, I would be taking a hike, reading a book outside, or simply finding a way to feel the sun on my face. Unless of course there is a killer sale somewhere, because retail therapy is a very real thing for me, too! Finding something fantastic for the deal of the century is almost as good as walking on the beach.

I feel like I am fulfilling my purpose when I am… making a difference. It can be teaching my kids a life lesson or being a role model for their future. It can be supporting my family by fulfilling a need. It can be facilitating to make a decision and move forward on something important at work. It can be relaying information in a clear way to grow a customers confidence on our way to win future business. I feel like my purpose is to make a positive difference wherever I find myself.

Something that makes my life ridiculously fun is… my family. We laugh and goof, and generally, try not to take ourselves too seriously. We do a good job supporting each other to come up with goals or challenges for ourselves, and watching each other accomplish our goals, gives me so much joy.