During March, the Salt Lake Chamber is highlighting influential women in Utah. By sharing their stories and advice, we hope to bring awareness to the importance of Women’s History Month.
What does success mean to you?
To me, success means failing over and over and over again and still refusing to give up. It’s using failure as a learning tool for greatness. When I think about women in history, it’s often their struggles and hardships that pushed them to be great!
Another important aspect is being willing to share your successes freely. Women tend to be shy about that sometimes. Maybe we feel like we’re being egotistical or bragging, but we tend to not talk about our own accomplishments. It makes me wonder how many women in history we’ve missed out on because they didn’t get the chance to tell their stories.
Who is a woman in history who inspires you and why?
On my desk, I have a framed picture of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and one of her most famous quotes: “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.” What that saying means to me is that we can’t conform to passiveness; we have to have the confidence to have our voices heard. It’s people like Ginsburg who pave the way for us to do our civic duty now. I am a woman, and other women have made that possible.
Even though the fight for equality isn’t done, it’s important to learn these historical womens’ stories and take inspiration from them for the future. That’s one reason I’m especially excited to hear from Dr. Susan R. Madsen on March 15 at our Business Women’s Forum. She has learned from the past and applied it to her work today. I love her white paper talking about women’s equality in Utah and why we’re ranked last in the country. It’s people like her that propel us to the future.
What are some of your accomplishments that you’re proud of?
I am incredibly proud of my time on the BWF Steering Committee. Just being able to observe the other incredibly talented and skilled businesswomen is so cool. I see how they are carrying themselves and interacting with others, and I definitely try to emulate them. Because I see that they are being themselves, I feel like I can be myself. The sisterhood that has formed is so important to me.
Another accomplishment happened in my professional life. At Northwestern Mutual, we are highly male dominated. I noticed that the women of the company had a hard time connecting with each other. I wanted to create a sense of camaraderie, so I started a group called Women of NWM Utah. It’s been a huge success since we started in August 2021, and I’m really excited for the future of that group.
*Stay updated on more stories, events and information on Women’s History Month by visiting the Salt Lake Chamber’s Women’s History Month website and Challenge Calendar.
