Sure, there's the Oscar's, the Emmy's and the Grammy's, but here in St. Louis we roll out our red carpet for our Annual CREW-St. Louis Networking Awards celebration dinner. And what an exceptional event.
Thank you to our Awards Committee members Dawn Humphreys, Ellen Mannion, Nanci Napoli and Tim Sitek, and our Co-Chairs, Nancy Petersen and Stacey Kamps, for their leadership and dedication to making the evening so tremendously special for all of us.
The awards showcase our mission in action, and I'm happy to report our members have been very active in demonstrating our industry leadership. In fact, we had nearly 40 nominations for our Awards this year, a record for our Chapter! The increase in nominations speaks volumes on how far we have come as professionals in the industry and the award-worthy advancements that are making a real difference. We certainly had some difficult yet rewarding decisions in selecting this year's award recipients.
I couldn't be prouder of our members' accomplishments. Whether you have been promoted to partner or a new role within your company, spoke at a conference or wrote an industry article, we want to know about your advancements. We want to offer our encouragement and celebrate with you when you reach the summit.
Your story matters so please send me a note or reach out to any CREW board member to tell us about your journey. We want the opportunity to acknowledge you for your achievements.
We have traveled far in acknowledging our successes but the journey never ends. A study found that women will not apply for a job or a promotion unless they feel they have met 100% of the criteria. Why is this holding us back? Well, our male counterparts apply when they meet only 60% of the criteria. We're simply missing out.
That often leaves us absent from the conversation and void from a seat at the table.
Let's increase our at-bats, take on that new opportunity at work you've been avoiding, and test your confidence out on the skinny branch. After all, that's where you will find the best fruit. And it tastes even better when you find that seat at the table. It also feels good to hit one out of the park.
Let me end my message with one of my favorite quotes that dovetails nicely with our season of awards celebration: She believed she could, and so she did.
Believe. Make An Impact!
Best Regards,
Angie Earlywine
2017 CREW-St. Louis President
Principal & Director of Workplace Strategy and Design
Forum Studio
P.S. Look forward to meeting our new faces at the New Members Breakfast on March 30!