“The truth is the same internal fire and ‘command of self’ that I needed to heal my life, is exactly what has given me success professionally.”

Keynote Speaker Allison Massari

“Rise Above any Obstacle” was the inspirational theme at The Channel Company’s Women of the Channel Leadership Summit West in Palm Springs, CA.

Recognizing the importance of fostering leadership skills and cultivating a supportive work environment, NWN took the initiative to send a delegation of female leaders to the WOTC symposium. This thoughtfully organized event was facilitated by a panel of accomplished women professionals who aimed to delve into the significance of contemporary leadership practices.

“When we can learn how to stop resisting our challenges and instead learn to embrace them something is born in us that is so much better, so much for powerful and stronger than we ever thought possible,” said Allison Massari.

Today’s Biggest Obstacles & Triumphs

While change often originates from upper management within an organization, it is crucial to acknowledge that providing support for oneself, as well as to colleagues and peers at the same level can also spark positive change.

“We learned how to navigate with the terrain and change with it,” said Cheryl Fraser, Account Executive, NWN.

The NWN team identified the following breakout sessions as particularly valuable: 

• Focusing on a Positive Mindset
• Learning to Gain Executive Presence
• The Art of Self-Promotion
• The Value of Silence

“I found the presentation on ‘Learning How to have an Adaptive Mindset’ helpful. We need to preserve our mental clarity. It will help us with being resilient to stress. This does not apply to only women in the workplace but also men,” said Jill DelCid, Account Executive

One analogy that Nicole Villa, Sr Manager of Customer Experience, found most impactful was: “Learning to change your environment can be important. One analogy they used was a bottle of water at Disney World is $4.99, you can go to Walmart and the same bottle only costs 99 cents. The difference is only the environment. If you’re feeling like 99 cents, put the work in to rise up and get to that spot that makes you feel like $4.99.”

Rachel Santillan, a Project Manager at NWN, found a particular point during the symposium that deeply resonated with her: “Shed those things that are holding you back in order to grow.” It’s a theme that was repeated throughout the many workshops of the day. See a full lineup of seminars found here.

Our Commitment to an Inclusive Workforce

Andrea Morrison, NWN’s Chief People Officer, aims to elevate hiring practices by transitioning from a 30% female workforce to a more equitable 50%. 

Andrea’s continued aspirations to promote an Inclusive and Diverse workforce are reflected in the company’s professional development programs including the Women of the Channel Leadership Summits East and West, as well as participation at the Society for Women Engineers’ WE23 conference, the world’s largest conference for women in engineering and technology.

“By bringing together women in the technology field at these events in a supportive and uplifting atmosphere will facilitate impactful and motivational discussions. My aspiration is for attendees to return with these valuable insights and share them with their colleagues, spreading the positive influence further,” said Andrea Morrison.

The WOTC Leadership event exemplified the power of collaboration, as well as the empowerment of self-awareness. As we say goodbye to this extraordinary occasion, we eagerly anticipate maintaining the momentum, promoting constructive transformations, and standing by each other in our professional endeavors!