Having It All
A recent female empowerment event inspires success, balance and confidence for local New Orleanians.
November 3rd, 2015 by: Misty Miloto
In case you missed last month’s Inspiring Leaders: The Power of You event, hosted by Northwestern Mutual, here’s a quick summary of the professional, personal and financial inspiration provided by a team of globally renowned women leaders.
The event took place at the Pavilion of the Two Sisters at City Park, with a seated lunch and a panel of speakers. The panel, moderated by Kimberley Goode, vice president of communications at Northwestern Mutual, included Alexa von Tobel, founder and CEO of LearnVest and The New York Times best-selling author of Financially Fearless; Moira Forbes, executive vice president
of Forbes Media and publisher of ForbesWoman; and Beth Rodenhuis, senior vice president of field strategy and services for Northwestern Mutual.
Earlier this year, Northwestern Mutual teamed up with Forbes Insights on a study, Women and Finances: The Power of Empowerment, which revealed some key insights about women and finances. For example, the study found that a majority of women feel confident they can attain their life goals, but only 27 percent believe they will achieve their financial goals. The hourlong panel discussion focused on defining and creating success, financial empowerment, discovering an authentic leadership style and finding the elusive work-life balance — all in an effort to address the increasing role women are playing professionally, at home and in society.
Key insights from the panel discussion included embracing failures (because success often follows after multiple attempts); trusting in yourself that you can make your dreams a reality; taking risks (because all rewards come at a price); and fully developing and embracing your authentic self. And when it comes to that work-life balance we all hear so much about, von Tobel offered up several tips that are sure to help many working moms in the New Orleans community.
“I am extremely organized,” says the new mom in response to how she juggles home and family life. “I do a lot to take out the decision making. I have deliveries all on repeat; I auto-pay bills; I eat the same thing on the same days each week. I do my best to kill any decisions — there’s a term for it, and it’s called decision fatigue — so that I can store up my abilities to solve problems.”
Visit Northwestern Mutual’s Website for exclusive content, featuring career, lifestyle and financial topics important to women who want to make impact. northwesternmutual.com