This past March, I had the honor to attend Forbes and Know Your Value’s 30/50 Summit, chaired by Mika Brzezinski — and the lessons I learned will stay with me for a lifetime.
As I boarded the plane to Abu Dhabi, I didn’t know what to expect. As a 26 year old about to be in the same room as some of my longtime role models and greatest influences – like Gloria Steinem, Billie Jean King and Hillary Clinton – I felt both exhilarated and uncertain about what the week would bring.
From the moment I arrived, the energy was electric. The combination of “Over 50” and “Under 30” Forbes and Know Your Value honorees created an intergenerational dialogue unlike anything I have ever experienced.
I found myself surrounded by hundreds of amazing women from over 50 countries. It’s rare to be in a space where there is no competitive air amongst successful and driven women who are leading in their industries. Mika kicked off the summit sharing a vision where women of all ages and stages in their career help each other grow with the goal of everyone reaching their full potential. That message cascaded throughout the summit as we networked and heard from an incredible lineup of speakers.
Last year, I launched a social media campaign called “Action for Access,” which aims to help bridge the disconnect between civic engagement and civic participation in young people and help center youth voices in policy. I went to the summit in hopes of learning how I could grow my campaign and help it make the biggest impact, in addition to hearing from those making waves in similar industries.
Upon meeting women at the summit and telling them what I do, I would repeatedly hear questions like, “How can I help you?,” “What can I do to help you grow?” and “What have you been struggling with that I could maybe help you figure out?”
The impact was immediate. I built meaningful connections that propelled my organization’s trajectory and nurtured my passion for advocacy. As a result of the summit and the women I met, I was booked as a keynote speaker for a student leadership summit for the 1000 Dreams Fund, I’m speaking on the future of advocacy at the Power Up Conference at UCLA led by “50 over 50” honoree Gloria Feldt, I got accepted into a six-month brand building and mentorship program, and have kicked off numerous joint action campaigns with the skills I learned.
I gained so much knowledge from the 30/50 summit. And in an effort to pay it forward, I wanted to share the three biggest lessons I learned from the event. They are lessons I know that I’ll continue to carry with me throughout my career:
- Trust your instincts
- Progress isn’t linear
- Honesty saves everyone time
Trust your Instincts:
So many impressive women from all different backgrounds, and all different fields shared that they struggled with imposter syndrome and self-doubt at some point during their careers. This continuity really stood out to me and was a discussion topic throughout the conference. A consistent thread was being uncertain if your position would add value or when it was worth taking on an argument, or fighting for an idea you had.
Actress Catherine O’Hara spoke about her career path and journey to success. I found it inspiring and surprising to learn she had in fact turned down acting opportunities throughout her life that didn’t feel right to her. She spoke about the importance of trusting your gut and choosing to really listen to it. There is a reason you are in the space you are in, and your voice and perspective matter. Your voice and ideas matter, and your gut instinct means something - so lean in.
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She even took the conversation one step further to share why she had turned down jobs in the past and why she’s pushed really hard for others she believed in. She shared her belief in taking it further than just trusting your gut, but nurturing and protecting your beliefs and gifts. That you have an obligation to yourself to do that.
This belief has stayed with me since leaving the conference. When self-doubt or insecurity sinks in, I think about what I owe myself and that I can only nurture and grow my gifts by believing in myself and trusting my instincts.
Progress isn’t linear.
One of my favorite quotes from the conference was from Aurora James, founder of The Fifteen Percent Pledge, who said two steps forward and one step backwards is still a step forward. Aurora would know. She shared her story of starting her foundation and journey to get retailers like Nordstrom and Sephora to pledge at least 15 percent of their shelf-space to Black-owned businesses. "Stumbling is evidence of momentum,” she said.
Mika also used the summit to continuously remind us that there is no set timeline for our success and to just keep moving and trying. Our career runways are long, Mika told us. And just hearing that was a welcome reminder that there is no need to rush.
Honesty saves everyone time.
Knowing your value means telling people what you want and need. People cannot read your mind- you have to say what you want aloud to make it happen. You can't be afraid to ask for that raise or opportunity you have been eyeing.
Mika shared this lesson, and it is one I have since incorporated into my professional life. For example, your network that you are building is there to help you, but you have to ask for help. When I met Gloria Feldt at the summit she mentioned her conference to me. And when I saw her posting about speaking opportunities — even though I was hesitant — I reached out to her to see if there was anywhere I could fit in. To my delight, she quickly replied and sent me a speaker application to run a discovery session at the conference. If I didn't ask, I would have never been given the chance. People may want to help you, but you have to tell them what you want.
As I boarded my plane to head back home to Seattle, I left knowing that I have so many women in my corner, in addition to new tools to help my business and career grow. I also left the summit feeling so empowered, in awe of all women do, and embracing my ever-increasing value.