We were ecstatic to be part of our first panel in October, hosted by Slalom Consulting WLN (Women’s Leadership Network). Feeling extra inspired, we thought we’d share a quick recap of what we talked about and learned from our badass peers!
At Slalom Consulting WLN, their mission is to build an equitable place for women to work, where they are supported to grow personally and professionally through connection, career development, and community. So when we were asked to be a part of their panel, we jumped at the opportunity. ‘Cause that’s what we’re all about here at Prio Golf! Not only do we strive to design women’s golf apparel that isn’t fugly and to make golf more accessible for women, our dream is to also expand Prio so that we can hire more incredible individuals to join our team and cultivate a healthy, equitable workplace together.
Let’s get into it! Key Takeaways:
Make Authentic Connections
We spoke about the importance of real connections. No matter what you’re selling or what your business is, if you can find a way to authentically connect with people, your business and its growth will follow. At Prio we want to create a community that people can trust and want to support us because of what we stand for and the relationships we cultivate. We know it’s crucial to listen to our audience - and then sell to them based on what they really need!
Not only do we want to connect with our customers authentically, but also with partners who have the same goals and values in mind. Lol, as Annie Kay with Sweeties Dough said during the discussion, “Don’t involve yourself with duddy people, because duddy people will take you to duddy places!” So hey, if you aren’t a duddy person and/or business and you want to work with us, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re always looking for kickass partners 🙂
Resist the Imposter Voice
Oof, Imposter Syndrome is something any entrepreneur faces, and a lot of people who aren’t necessarily entrepreneurs, too! It’s easy to start doubting our skillset or ability to complete a new task - especially since we are always doing something new at our young biz. As entrepreneurs, we have often had the feeling that 1) we have to do everything ourselves, and 2) that we have to be experts at it. We’ve learned that we need to keep it real with ourselves and be comfortable with letting certain tasks go. Outsourcing help is sooo necessary sometimes… we can’t do everything ourselves!
The reality is that no one really knows what they’re doing half the time (or at least that’s what we tell ourselves, hehe). What we, and our fellow panelists, have found, is that the “Imposter Voice” has no power unless you let it lead! It’s okay to be “writing checks” that you feel like you can’t cash - meaning that you might have to commit to something you aren’t fully able to face the outcome for yet. That is the next sign that you’re outside of your comfort zone, which is exciting! Trust your gut, and take the leap even if you aren’t “ready”. And we’re not saying that you have to start a whole frickin’ business right now - whether it’s a new hobby, a passion product, or a side hustle… taking that initial risk is often the hardest step but can grow into something HUGE.
How to Find Balance
During our discussion, we were asked how we find the balance between being a boss lady entrepreneur, and keeping up with our personal lives. Let’s be real - It can be hard AF! Juggling relationships with friends and family, taking care of our homes, and keeping up with our own health and happiness alongside running a business is next level tricky. We agreed that the concept of a work-life-balance is expected in this day and age, but truly who is setting that expectation? Sometimes it’s hard to tell if it’s an expectation that we’ve put on ourselves, or if it's societal pressures we’re conforming to.
Although we don’t have kids, some of our fellow panelists do, so we appreciated hearing their perspectives. Our relationships are extremely important to us to maintain, but having kids in the mix adds a whole different aspect to work-life-balance and the pressure to be the best mom out there. Something we’ll take with us into the future is that being a mom doesn’t have to mean that we are doing everything and doing it all perfectly. Back to outsourcing… Children are more competent than parents often give them credit for. It’s OK to let go of the expectation to be Super Mom! We’ve all seen the movie Bad Moms with Mila Kunis, right? Easier said than done to let things go of course, so to all the Mama’s out there, please don’t @ us.
Just Show Up
Running a small business is a rollercoaster to say the least. Up, down, up, down. That’s why when we do have a win, we make sure to celebrate it - from smol to big. Each W is a time to pause and appreciate that moment, so that when things get hard, we have the courage to continue showing up for ourselves and for our Prio community. Even if we don’t have a burning passion for our work every single day (um, that would be impossible?!), showing up and keeping things as positive as possible keeps us going. We chatted about the fact that the harder you work, the luckier you seemingly get. We’re manifesting success into 2023, ladies!!
We hope you learned a little something and enjoyed reading about how our panel discussion with Slalom Consulting WLN went. If you have some extra time, we encourage you to show our fellow panelists some lurv:
Nicole Barbera - Denver Director at The Nudge
Anne Kay - Founder of Sweeties Dough (Instagram)
Laura Esmond - Founder of Reese & Co (Instagram)
Lilly Iacino - Founder of Bellissima Beauty Bar (Instagram)
Xo,
Prio Golf Co-Founders Sammy Berger & Tara Collins