Women & Hi Tech’s Executive Women’s Forum: Putting Confidence and Self-Worth Into ACTION!

Event Description

Building confidence and removing our “limiting beliefs” are an important first step in the advancement of women – and our own personal career advancement. Yet, there are still obstacles we encounter every day in the workplace and our personal lives that limit us from achieving our goals. Where do we go from here? It’s not enough to just believe in yourself and work hard. We, as women, have to learn how to succeed in a business environment that is dominated by men – especially in upper-level leadership. We have to learn how to communicate, as women, in male dominated environments – and we have to learn how to advocate for ourselves.

Research tells us that women are raised to be collaborative – while men are raised to be competitive. Women are also less likely to talk openly about their achievements and negotiate for raises or more money – and when we do, we are perceived more negatively by our colleagues. We communicate more passively and react more emotionally than our male peers. As a result, we are more likely to receive feedback about our communication and less likely to receive constructive feedback on areas of growth and improvement. Overall, we’re more likely to be evaluated by our achievements, while our male peers are more often evaluated on their potential. The deck is stacked against us and after a while these constant obstacles can wear even the most confident woman down. This doesn’t mean that we have to "become more like the guys." Instead, it means we have to learn how to communicate and advocate for ourselves, as women, in a male-dominated environment, while also continuing to create space for more women, too.

Speaker: Jessica Gendron - President, The Center for Leadership Excellence

Jessica brings over 15 years of experience in leadership development and coaching, human resource consulting, and business leadership. In her former role as CEO of a young start-up, she had success growing the company, turning it into a thriving business; her core business focus was education and later expanded into an emerging technology business.

Jessica is sought out as a speaker, having addressed numerous organizations across the country. She has spent most of her career coaching women and individuals to grow and thrive professionally. In addition to her successful business and education experience, Jessica is an award-winning curriculum designer and was recently honored for her contributions to the industry she served in her last professional role.

Free for Women & Hi Tech Members; $25.00 for Non Members