Creating the Opportunities We’re Waiting For
From Multiple Identities to Claiming Your Seat at the Table
I’m an engineer, a leader, a mom, a writer, an investor, and a champion for women. That list keeps changing and growing.
Women aren’t a single story. We’re made up of many experiences, skills and many identities, some we step into early, others much later.
I see that sometimes, we try to fit into one box because we feel it is safer.
The reality is, we have far more power and agency than we let ourselves believe, whether we’re just starting out, pushing to grow and level up, or already leading at the highest levels.
One of the clearest places I see this is in meetings. Too often, women sit on the edges, physically and figuratively, away from where discussions are going on and decisions are being made.
That needs to change. We need to sit at the table. And when there isn’t a seat for us, we need to pull up a chair or build a whole new table and place it right in the middle.
We don’t need permission, we need to create our own opportunities. That doesn’t mean being reckless or loud. Sometimes it’s small but intentional. Raising your hand for the project that stretches you, speaking up even when you are unsure if it’s your place, or pursuing something that genuinely interests you even if it doesn’t neatly fit your current role.
A lot of women wait until they feel “ready.” I’ve learned that ready usually comes after you take the step, not before.
Fear is almost always part of the equation, fear of judgment, fear of failure, fear of being seen trying and getting it wrong. Fear fades when you move forward anyway, and that’s how you grow.
When women grow, when we build our skills and our ability to influence decisions, we don’t just move our own careers forward. We impact business outcomes. We change how teams operate. We help steer organizations in better directions.
That is important because when you do it, someone else like you sees it’s possible. When you succeed, you show there’s a path forward. You don’t just open doors for yourself, you open them for others who are still finding their voice.
We’ve all benefited from women who came before us, women who took risks, challenged norms, and made room where there wasn’t any. It is our responsibility to do the same for the next generation.
So take the seat. Create the opportunity and grow. And when you do, reach back and bring someone with you.
