Co-founders of Women's Business League joined WIN for an exclusive Confidence Workshop, leaving WIN members with lots of "gems"
What would you do if you weren’t afraid? What would it be like to live in full confidence of yourself? These are questions I consider often as a student at BC, an early career-starter trying to find my space in the world, and most simply, as a human. I spent a lot of time thinking that confidence was a quality that I lacked and feeling disadvantaged for that lack. More recently I realized that confidence was a skill that could be cultivated with practice and time.
Lucky for us, the skill of confidence is exactly what co-founders of the Women’s Business League, Amy Pocsik and Melissa Gilbo, taught us how to cultivate at the WBL Confidence Workshop hosted by WIN. The Wednesday night workshop covered the topics of owning your confidence, proactively networking, and negotiating to your strengths. The energy in the room was contagious! WIN members left instilled with the belief that confidence is key to success, and armed with some expert pieces of advice shared by Amy and Melissa on how to stay confident. Our WIN Executive Board shared some of their favorite takeaways (or “gems”, as Amy and Melissa like to call them!):
Confidence
Your energy is your responsibility
Be the thermostat, not the thermometer
Own your uniqueness and own your brand
The number one threat to your confidence is comparison -- know your field, but don’t waste energy comparing yourself to others in a negative light
Stop “should-ing” yourself!
Networking
Networking is just a fancy word for helping people
The more you give, the more you get
Surround yourself with people who will make you do better (and be better!)
Negotiation
Always negotiate from a position of strength
Own the results you drive (and keep track of them)
If you don’t know your value, you can’t be paid for your value!
Celebrate others as much as you celebrate yourself
Whereas culture often teaches women to be small, Amy and Melissa taught us to go big when it comes to confidence. When we remember what makes us strong, there’s no reason we can’t do hard things!
The Women's Business League (WBL) is national professional network of women in business founded by Amy Pocsik and Melissa Gilbo. The goal of their organization is to bring women together to share passions, opportunities, ideas, and to empower each other to be the best versions of themselves. The Boston College Women Innovators Network is so grateful to maintain a relationship with Amy and Melissa, and to have the gift of their energy and expertise be brought to the WIN community. Visit womensbusinessleague.com to learn more about their incredible work!