AWL Alumni Spotlight

Meet Meagan Rater

We asked Meagan some questions to help us all get to know her better. Here’s what she had to say...

My favorite way to spend an afternoon by myself is:
Getting in a great workout or reading!

To me, leadership is:
A journey, not an end state.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Coffee. And the fact that I’m a morning person. I love the quiet time I get after a good night’s sleep and before anyone else is up to set my intention for the day and tackle any “high focus” tasks. 

The values/behaviors that are most important to me are:
Learning, growth, health, family and respect.

Something that makes my life ridiculously fun is:
We have worked really hard to build a lake house and now get to enjoy weekends there with the kids doing all the outdoor things - skiing, wakeboarding, paddle boarding, kayaking, hiking, etc. I am solar powered and love being active, so the time outside is much needed to refresh and recharge!

Describe the six months you spent in the Bloombase experience for Advanced Women Leaders (AWL)?

It’s hard to remember life before AWL! I enrolled in the experience with an open mind, but with a degree of reservation from carrying countless experiences of training classes that didn’t “stick.” Having always worked in a male dominated industry, it has also been against my grain to go out of my way to target something that is gender specific as I am always am trying to minimize consideration for gender. I knew before lunch on the first day that this was the experience I didn’t know I needed, but was going to help develop me in many more ways than I had expected. The cohort learning environment made up of women from diverse industries, backgrounds, and experiences enriched the content by providing perspectives I wouldn’t have come across if I had done a course specific to just my company. The content is designed to fit all types of learning styles- whether you learn from personal reflection, from discussing a subject 1-1, or in a group. The energy I would get from each session would carry me through to the next- knowing how rewarding and worthwhile it was to do the work between sessions. 

Describe the benefits of the AWL experience? 

In my time since AWL I have grown more than I could have anticipated. The AWL experience was what I needed to push myself to put more focus back on my career after shifting to working part time after my son was born. The cohort holds each other accountable for the action plans. AWL is an example where you get out what you’re willing to put in from multiple dimensions- honesty, vulnerability, self-reflection, awareness, etc.

Describe the benefits of being a part of the post AWL community? 

The AWL experience formed the foundation for increased self-awareness that I still use and continue to work on 5+ years later.  Development isn’t a one-time check in the box, it’s a lifelong journey and the content and my cohort from the AWL experience for me has continued to be applicable and remains a great resource as I’ve moved through different phases.  

Describe your experience working with the Bloombase team?

Sheri and the team have incredible gifts and talents that when combined with each other and their passion for helping women develop creates a contagious energy. In today’s world of “access”– there’s no shortage of recommendations out there on someone’s personal development. Their experience in industry and education enables them to integrate real world application of the data validated concepts. The small cohort size enables them to create a 1-1 connection with everyone in the class to meet each woman wherever they are and help her move through her journey.  They live by example in the concepts that they teach. They create such a genuine and open environment that allows for the honest coaching conversations that form the foundation for growth.