Stepping out of the comfort zone

Tonight, I’m speaking in the real public for a group of college students. The group I’m speaking to is for Women in Engineering. The engagement is on behalf of my full time job where I work for an engineering company. I work in the technology area, but I support some business processes that are critical to designing and producing products in a manner that make the company’s product safe for the consumers.

I’m speaking with four other very talented and successful businesswomen, and it’s exciting to say the least. Having spent many years in the corporate world, I’m accustomed to speaking in professional settings. However, speaking to a group outside of that and on a topic that is so up-and-coming is something new. I’m humbled to have been asked; I’m excited to meet some of the next generation entering the workforce with an interest in engineering and technology; and despite feeling confident in my career, I must admit that I’m a bit nervous.

The engagement is called a SPARK Talk. Spark meaning…

• Short
• Provocative
• Action-oriented
• Realistic
• Knowledgeable

It’s so wonderful to be a part of these young womens‘ college experiences and their exploration of what they want to spend the next thirty or forty years of their lives doing. I do hope that what I can share about the corporate world, the experience of women in Corporate America, and my view on what it takes to be successful in business will add value to their journeys. I am certain that learning about these young adults who are hungry for those next steps in their lives will be one of the more rewarding events that I will have experienced in a long time.

It has potential to be wildly inspiring and help me grow in other areas. I may just come back here to write about how fabulous the experience really was…