8 c-suite executives walk in to a bar….
Actually not a joke. This will be good. Promise.
A culmination of years of work came to a head on Sea Island Georgia last week. I had been slowly building a list of individuals that I’d met, first online, and then in real life. Conversations started as direct messages on Instagram - simple observations, curious questions (that’s not redundant - some questions are intentionally not curious), and ultimately robust discourse. It was only when the conversations got really great that I’d jump over to their profile. Who was I talking to that was making me think, not in an algebraic way, but in a way that’s really exciting me? Who was this making me feel like there is really intelligent life out there??
The cast for the 4 day getaway: the CIO of one of the world’s largest investment firms, a Partner of a big 8 accounting firm, a Global Chief Creative Officer of one of the world’s largest ad agencies, a Wildly Successful technology entrepreneur whose built and sold and runs her companies, General Counsel of one of the world’s largest publishing companies, EVP of one of the worlds most successful entertainment companies, and the President of one of the worlds most innovative fashion design companies.
Four years of answering DM’s, and now hosting this special event, here are some things I learned or confirmed over the weekend from being with these these women:
You get what you give. Turns out understanding who you are, having principles and knowledge, coupled with real life -not just read or scrolled- experience, and the conviction to explain yourself matters. It will attract like minded individuals - it’s a bat signal that way.
You have to work hard for what you have, working hard does not guarantee you’ll get what you want, not working hard guarantees you will not rise to the top of your game. Either way you slice it, hard work is part of the equation. Every woman at this event fully leans in to it, no one was bitter about it, it was a fact of life. They also fondly looked back to their early career days that involved 3am work nights bonding with team mates huddled around a copier, eating cold pizza, prepping for a presentation. There are too many nuanced exceptions you can be thinking while reading this…..but since the current message is so counter to this, it is important to put it out there. At a minimum, know that if you thrive on this, it’s ok.
Everyone was (balanced? Moderated?). They got up at 5:30 or 6:30 - but not 4:30. They exercised but they didn’t run 15 miles and bring in their own trainer. They ate chips, they drank, and they watched Seinfeld reruns. No one sent in a rider requesting special milks, they didn’t squirt lengthy worded concoctions in to their coffees, and they didn’t demand to have a passport document on where the shrimp came from - but all loved that it was local and not frozen. None of this means this stuff isn’t important or that they don’t have quirks, but the overriding sense of ease they possessed was palpable. What makes this EXCEPTIONAL is the prevailing perception that to be a super high achiever you must be quite extreme in your behaviors and views.
You listen more when surrounded by people outside of your inner circle. By “inner circle” I mean those in your industry, your zipcode, your kids friend group, your personal friend group. At this event, only one of us overlapped on industry. When conversations were happening, I found myself not trying to prove or disprove what the other was saying. No one peacocked - one person’s “big shit deal” at one company could hardly be threatening/one upping to someone in an entirely different industry. The conversations around block chains, crypto, creativity, were poked at, listened to. People were so visibly interested in what others were saying. It was very pure and was one of the most exciting things for us all of to experience.
Everyone felt personal style was important. Not frivolous. They use it as a form of communication - often to no one but themselves - and as a mechanism in which to understand others better.
Now, I have to find a way to memorialize this. It was too good to not share with other. I’m thinking…….
Really enjoyed this! Amy, your voice is a breath of fresh air.
What a dream. Thanks for sharing what an elevated group of women together feels like. Love that there was not an iota of what anyone looks like. ❤️