WICT Greater Ohio "Inside Look" April Newsletter

WICT GREATER OHIO

INSIDE LOOK

Volume 2 | April 2020

Jeanette Richardson

President

WICT Greater Ohio

Words from the President

Sustaining during challenging times

At some point in our lives, most of us will face times that are very stressful and shake us to our core. At those times, having strong coping strategies can make a huge difference.

Many of us have coping mechanisms that help us navigate through difficult times, like exercise, focusing on your spiritual life, getting enough rest, family and other live your life well tools, which enhance our support systems.

Our lives have become consumed with the COVID-19 pandemic that is dominating the world news and spreading worry, anxiety, and instability throughout the world. As we embark on this new journey of the unknown, we must remain RESILIENT even in the face of adversity. Resiliency is one of the greatest attributes of successful people, enabling them to be positive, flexible and proactive in the face of change.

As we are faced with this new challenge that has changed our lives completely, I ask that you take this as an opportunity of self-discovery by taking a look back and identify a time that you were faced with a challenging situation. What did you do to get through it? What strengths did you rely on to get through and conquer that challenge?

I try to manage my mental thoughts to avoid jumping to conclusions during times of uncertainty. Otherwise, I find myself with, increased anxiety making it even more difficult to traverse the situation. Lean into and build on your personal relationships with family, friends, and co-workers. Social support can be a great buffer during challenging times. Most importantly, remember to take care of yourself and value your well-being enough to make those behaviors a priority, especially during times of change.

Lastly, I would ask that you remain optimistic – look for the positive in every aspect of the situation. Every change or challenge requires a personal transition, and those transitions can be challenging and uncomfortable – no matter how resilient you are. Be kind to yourself and those around you during times of change, and seek help if you need it.

During this uncertain time, many of us are facing new challenges such as working remotely or having to self-quarantine. Just like this Forbes article reminds us, while we cannot completely control what is happening during this pandemic, we can look for opportunities to engage our communities in positive ways.

To help you with this effort, for the next few weeks, WICT’s Online Learning Library is open to everyone. We encourage you to share the library with members and non-members in your community.

Click here to access WICT's Online Learning Library

Get to know your WICT GO Board Members

Renee West

Brand Ambassador

WICT Greater Ohio

Describe your role & what you love about it.

My job title is Residential Outbound Sales Facilitator, however my role is training and molding new hire talent into confident and successful sales experts.

I absolutely love the creative freedom that is attached to my role. Being creative allows me to tap into an uncharted part of my agents’ minds, they are able to think greater, communicate more effectively remove boundaries on what their potential is. The flexibility of this role allows me to wear multiple hats in an effort to assist my agents with many facets of their personal lives as well, which is why my training environment is considered a safe haven. My work is certainly a labor of love.

How have other women inspired you or helped shape your career?

Plenty of women have inspired me along the way, however I have 3 fierce women leaders as mentors, and they have all challenged me to see the best in myself. They've also challenged me to view my opportunities equally, which in return prompted me to identify my gifts and use them to benefit not just myself, but others as well. Understanding your opportunities and being honest about them has allowed me to dedicate my time and effort to improving myself so I can have a bigger impact than me and my immediate environment. When you are truly activated in your purpose, you move different and you invite even more people into that level of moral and spiritual freedom.

What is something that most people don’t know about you?

Most people don’t know that I am a Real Estate Investor (Residential) and a Certified Financial Coach. I was introduced to the finance industry at a very young age when my parents sat me down and taught me the inner workings of finance, investing and proper money management. I have my parents to thank for teaching me the value of a dollar and developing a healthy relationship with money, while promoting self-discipline. Because of them, I now own 5 properties which house 11 families total.

Why do you think WICT is important?

I don’t just think WICT is important, I’m certain that it is. Just like the saying “It takes a village to raise a child”, it takes WICT to develop a strong and effective female leader.” I officially joined WICT in April 2018, after witnessing the true magic of collaborative female leadership. The current board at the time had initially captured my attention and I never looked back nor regretted joining now 2 years later, I am proud to be serving as a Chapter Ambassador.

Where do you hope to see the WICT GO chapter accomplish this year?

Given our current COVID-19 circumstances, quite a few of our events have been placed on hold. I still wish to see a very successful WICT Greater Ohio Tech It Out event along with more informal mixers throughout our footprint to boost our active membership roster. Lastly, I hope the chapter can increase outreach efforts to bring in more aspiring women leaders. After all, the Future is Female!

Take A Break:

Listen this great discussion from Susan Colantuono.

“You’re doing everything right at work, taking all the right advice, but you’re just not moving up. Why? Susan Colantuono shares a simple, surprising piece of advice you might not have heard before quite so plainly.”

The career advice you probably didn't get | Susan Colantuono

Webinar Replay: Resilience: Your Superpower to THRIVE.

Replay Link

By: Stephanie Dalfonzo

She has incorporated current world events into the program, and offered tips to manage stress to help everyone cope more effectively.

#WICTactsofkindness

Stephanie Dalfonzo has her book "Goodbye Anxiety, " Hello Freedom: How to Build Resilience and Overcome Anxiety" available for a limited time free download on Kindle. (Click the book above)

To our WICT Greater Ohio Board Member-Director At Large Lori Maxwell. We are proud of you and wish you much success.

Information and Guidance

For information and guidance during this time please refer to information from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Quote For the Month:

"Be bold, be brave enough to be your true self."

– Queen Latifah

Bookmark the link below for our most up to date information on WICT Global and WICT Greater Ohio news and events!

Visit our Website

WICT Greater Ohio & WICT Global Calendar of events

Update: The WICT Greater Ohio Women's History Celebration is currently postponed until further notice. We will provide more information as soon as possible.