One of the first challenges in my career was simply being taken seriously. I was a young woman in a leadership role, and sometimes the reactions were… telling. I remember hearing things like, “What could you, a young girl, possibly tell me that I don’t already know?”. At industry expos it could get even stranger. I would walk into meetings where I was the decision-maker, but people would automatically start talking to my male colleague instead. Some would even turn their bodies toward him during the conversation, completely ignoring me.
It took a lot of effort not to let moments like that make me feel small or question myself.
It took a lot of effort not to let moments like that make me feel small or question myself.