Women in Sports Symposium

I spent the day at the Women in Sports and Events Symposium in New York City. The theme centered around professional development, which is certainly helpful in this stage of my life and career. Two sessions which were most impactful were sessions on “Speaking Up” as well as a session with a panel of four accomplished women in the sports and entertainment industries. The session on speaking up was exceptional for many reasons. The speaker did a great job illustrating the evaluation process that should take place when deciding when and how to speak up about something important. Making a calculation with regard to the situation, including the seriousness of the situation. For example, a co-pilot who sees a dangerous situation should be more forceful speaking up to his captain than someone seeking to win a project or promotion. The presentation was also important in the setting it was given. As women in general, there is often timidity in speaking up for many reasons. Especially in a male dominated industry. Being able to discuss this issue in a room full of professional and accomplished women is empowering. The other discussion that was most impressive was hearing from the four women recognized by WISE for their accomplishments in their industry. Their work experiences, career trajectory, and life experiences were so varied. They all spoke very candidly about their struggles, setbacks, hurdles, tragedies, and difficult moments and were encouraging to all in the audience not only to pursue dreams, but to persist when we inevitably fail. I most related to the panelist who stopped working for ten years while she stayed home with her children and is now on a “second career”