Amplify Yourself and the Women Around You: Ladies Get Paid Town Hall at R/GA

In lieu of writing about a handful of things that inspired me, I wanted to spotlight a truly inspiring evening. Another successful Ladies Get Paid event held this past week on November 8 at advertising agency R/GA. (Quick reminder: Ladies Get Paid is a group, founded by Claire Wasserman, that hosts events to help women advocate for themselves at work.)

This month’s town hall theme was “Amplify Yourself and the Women Around You.” Well, jeez, this could not have come at a more perfect time, am I right?

Much of the empowerment vibes from the first LGP PDX event carried over to the second. The panel was met was another sold-out crowd, with women filling every inch of the space, even huddling on the staircase.

From left to right, the panel speakers were:

Elizabeth Nye, Executive Director, Girls Inc. of the Pacific NW
Lindsey E. Murphy, Creator, Executive Producer, and Host of The Fab Lab With Crazy Aunt Lindsey
Tricia Choi, VP, Technology, US at R/GA
Tyesha Snow (and her adorable baby), Director of Stream PDX & Product/UX Design Consultant
Christina Melander, Associate Director of Brand Communications at Swift (Moderator)

The speakers all hail from the STEM industry, which has the notorious reputation of being a boys’ club. But guess what? As Lindsey Murphy educated us all, men didn’t actually pioneer computer programming — women did. “When it became lucrative, that’s when the men flocked and flooded the industry,” said Murphy.

Amplifying yourself doesn’t just feel good, it levels the playing field. But if you’re anything like me, and most of the women at the event, it’s easier talking up our friends and peers than promoting yourself.

Here is some of the (paraphrased) advice the panel gave:

A subtle form of amplifying yourself is choosing your mentors and the people you work with.
Figure out your best communications style so you’re comfortable and confident building relationships before presentations. When making a case, get people onboard beforehand. This is how you change how business happens.
“I just kept showing up…it was a process of believing in myself.” – Elizabeth Nye
Be strategic about where you can get wins.
“I was amplifying the wrong things. I was amplifying all the things others valued and wasn’t being my authentic self.” – Lindsey Murphy
Sometimes we amplify ourselves in the wrong way. Like being a people pleaser rather than just a people person.
Look at what systems are in place. If you’re not getting the leadership you’re looking for, change the process.
Share everything you know and make connections for everyone who asks.

And like a proud parent, I have to highlight one of the best quotes of the night that came from one of my best friends/life coaches, Amanda Grisham:

“We move from cheerleading to just leading when we amplify each other.”

Hells. Yes.