Founded earlier this year by Stacey Bean, Co-Founder of Silicon Beach Young Professionals, The Women, Wine and Wisdom series celebrated its launch in Santa Monica with a networking mixer and panel on May 11th, 2017 at Bloomingdale’s Santa Monica. The event was sponsored by Google and Bloomingdale’s, with wine from Graffiti Wine, appetizers and truffles from Canelé Gourmet Pantry, gift bags, a beauty lounge, and virtual reality games provided by Exit Reality.
Source: Women, Wine and Wisdom
The Women, Wine and Wisdom series was established to educate, support, encourage, and empower the female community. By bringing together top-level executives, successful female founders, and a community of women, they hope to encourage and create the next generation of female leaders.
The panel discussion, moderated by Stacey, focused on “The Ambitious Woman” and explored the art of being confident, fearless, tactful, and assertive. It featured five outstanding businesswomen: Justine Lassoff, Co-Founder of Love Goodly and Tuesdaynights; Tracie Maffei, Head of Industry at Google; Rachel Payne, CEO of Fem, Inc.; Jennifer Song, President of Tobi; and Maile Pacheco, Founder of beGlammed.
Source: Women, Wine and Wisdom
Here are some of the highlights from the evening:
How have you accommodated unequal treatment in the workplace?
Tracie: Know who you are dealing with, and figure out the message you want to send – can you express it differently, or with a different tone that will make it come across better?
Justine: Work for people who respect both genders equally. You will find that many investors out there support women.
Rachel: People would ask me, “Who really wrote your code?” You need to be proactive about knowing your worth, and you have to assert it, because no one will give it to you. It is also important to have investors who champion you.
Jennifer: Have mentors and advisers who believe in you, and who have the experience to guide you and lead the way.
Justine Lassoff
Tracei Maffei
Jennifer Song
What are the sacrifices you have had to make for your company?
Justine: The work-life balance is a myth – just do your best. Having a partner could also help lighten your burden.
Jennifer: I went back to work a week after my son was born; when my second son was born, I went back to work two weeks later.
Maile: I have had to miss a lot of family time and holidays, which have caused frustration in my family and health problems.
Tracie: You always have to make sacrifices – you just have to choose what matters to you the most.
Justine Lassoff
Rachel Payne
Maile Pacheco
What is the one advice you would like to give to the next generation of female leaders?
Maile: Modernize and monetize your business. Go for it – don’t be afraid of rejection.
Jennifer: Be kind to yourself. We as women are often too harsh on ourselves.
Rachel: Take risks early. When you are young, you can experiment and take risks without much burden. Sometimes you only find your passion by trying new things. Also, invest in your education.
Tracie: Don’t make decisions on something that hasn’t happened yet.
Justine: Network. You can’t do it alone – you will need support from the community.
Source: Women, Wine and Wisdom
Photo Credit: Tom Werges
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