Women Leaders Absolutely Rock During Times of Crisis
Guest Blog: A Return to the Feminine: What I’ve Relearned During Covid-19
I think I always take for granted the fact that women have been the guiding light for me. Having gone to an all-girls high school, and with a really strong mother and older sister, it seems like I’ve always been surrounded by incredible women. But as Coloradans near our fifth month of living with COVID-19, I want to share what I’ve learned in this hazy, yet memorable time.
Women leaders absolutely rock during times of crisis
Myself and Meghann Conter, CEO of The Dames, decided to gather a group of female leaders of prominent women’s organizations in town. They have all given me such incredible advice and stories of how women lift one another up in times of hardship-especially now. On our first Friday of the lockdown this sprint, I started the day with all of them. I had a spring in my step afterwards. But then I ended my day with a group of male CEOs. It was a rough call. I could tell the men were really struggling. There were a few women on the call that began to lift the men back up. I began to understand that it was the feminine energy that was really going to get us through this very challenging time.
I wanted to share words of wisdom and advice I’ve received from these incredible and inspirational women who continue to lift me and so many other women in our community up.
Kami Guildner, Extraordinary Women Connect (and WFCO trustee):
“The women in my community have strengthened the circle of connection with support. ‘Feel the feels,’ was the only rule. Entrepreneurial moms balancing home schooling in the craziness of a household in chaos, women living alone feeling the quietness of their house bouncing off the walls. Each different. They shared tears, anger, fear, worry. In the moments of raw emotion, beauty emerged. They each stepped into the light of their gifts, spreading the love beyond our community into the world. For now is not a time to hide our gifts. Now is the time to step up and serve in our brightest light. Women’s wisdom is the medicine the world needs. Together we raise up. This is Women Rising.”
Krystal Covington, Women of Denver:
“I am proud to have witnessed so many women reaching out to each other to provide a listening ear, share resources and tools (or paper towel) during this challenging moment, and spend countless hours giving away their time to pick up the pieces of broken businesses and lives. I’ve personally spent hours helping other women in entrepreneurship sift through the details of their business to find the most obvious things they can turn into virtual revenue while the shutdowns take place and supporting women whose jobs are clearly just a few weeks from ending.”
Meghann Conter, The Dames:
“I myself have experienced faltering moments, to immediately have Dames right by my side (on Zoom of course) to hold me while I cried, helped me pick myself up, dust myself off, and go back to taking care of myself, my family, and the community. Our culture is built around our top values of fun, love, flexibility, fearless collaboration and connection and our community is “all in” on the belief that it is important to not only have a local community, but also a global one. It has been truly a blessing to witness the strength, knowledge, vibrance, wit, savvy, and problem solving of our members helping one another through this daily changing world where we are all facing similar challenges.”
Kerry Crandell, WoMAN:
“For me, I have been helping our members create optimism. When life gets difficult, it becomes even more important to create optimism. I have always been in alignment with the saying ‘this too shall pass.’ I believe that no matter what, we all have the power to choose how we see and react to every situation. So I am hitting the pause button on all the noise and strategizing on who I am going to be on the other side of this. There is no right or better way. Your way is perfect for you.
Kristen Blessman, president and CEO of the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce, is a change-agent leader who drives the mission and vision of values of CWCC — fostering an inclusive environment of supporting, empowering, and encouraging the advancement of women in business.
Photo: L to R: Kami Guildner, Kristen Blessman, Kerry Crandell, Meghann Conter, Krystal Covington.
Photo credit: Scott Colby, Colorado Biz Magazine.
The Women’s Foundation of Colorado is a nonpartisan organization. The opinions of guest bloggers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of The Foundation.
