Stephanie Smith, Chief Operating Officer at Eolian, shares what the inaugural EmpowHER event means to her:
When I started my career in energy in 2002, I often found myself to be the only woman in the room. As a young lawyer, I didn’t yet know how to use my voice, and I had constant imposter syndrome. My solution was to silently work harder and longer to prove my worth – a wholly unsustainable practice considering the lack of sleep if nothing else. In time, like many women first starting out, I eventually found my way and learned to use my voice, not only for myself, but also to help others along. So the imposter became the expert, and I was all set, right? Wrong!
10 years later, I decided to take the leap from practicing law to running a business and found myself back at square one, starting this cycle all over again. In fact, with every pivot, the cycle hits me again to some degree. Though I still struggle from time to time, I have largely been able to keep my apprehension and confidence challenges at bay by learning to lean on and engage my mentors, my coach, and most of all, my wonderful network of women in the industry. I’ve learned to ask for help when I am in doubt or need an outside perspective. I’ve been lucky to have a variety of advocates, both male and female, who have helped me be braver and use my voice – even getting me to a place where I now do some public speaking, which was once a source of sheer terror for me!
As I’ve now evolved into a leadership position, my network of female colleagues are usually the ones I turn to for advice, a confidence boost, or a supportive ear. Leadership is both a blessing and a responsibility, and having other women to lean on is essential. They understand what you’re facing in the office as well as the myriads of other things you’re juggling in your nonwork life. As every passing year brings more and more of everything, I’ve found it harder and yet ever more essential to maintain and build that network.
Events like EmpowHER give us the space to focus on deepening relationships like those that are the foundation of my success (and sanity!), and that is why I am so happy to serve as a co-chair this year with Kelly Speakes-Backman, one of those amazing women in my circle. I am excited to dig into issues that those of us in more senior roles are currently wrestling with daily as we struggle to be the best leaders we can be for our teams in a time of unprecedented uncertainty. I am also looking forward to meeting more of my peers and finding out how they are navigating many of the same challenges we are all experiencing right now.
I hope that you will join me at EmpowHER to build and grow your own essential network in new and important ways. Whether you are a current decision-maker or on track to become an executive of the future, the EmpowHER space is for you. We hope you’ll leave the conference empowered with new and deeper relationships and tools to help you be more resilient and better equipped as we forge ahead to face current obstacles. I would love to be one of the new members of your network and look forward to meeting you at the conference in August!
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