“Any woman trying to balance a family life and a professional career has moments where they think, ‘Why am I doing this?'” says Professor Sarah Derrington. We’ve all been in the same boat at one point or another. You know, those dark moments where you think ‘ I wonder what would happen if I just threw in the towel and ran away to a tropical island?’
As a company full of busy women, we agree that the key to success is most definitely support. Support comes in many forms, partners, family friends (and of course wine!), but is it the ability to ask for help and support that really enables women to drive their success and forge their way in business.
Ahead of International Women’s Day on the 8th of March, Telstra Business Women’s Awards conducted an alumni survey. Participants were asked, “behind every successful business woman is?”
The most common answers were:
- Supportive family and friends
- A great team
- Determination and drive
- Self-belief
- Hard work and passion
- Having a mentor.
We truly believe that all of these factors are incredibly relevant and important, but ‘supportive family and friends’ has topped the list for a reason. A support network is crucial to the success of every business woman. If you are fortunate enough to have friends and family close by who can provide additional support then you are one of the lucky ones. If not, you can create your own network.
Having a great team around you, such as relatives, nannies, a personal concierge, can be a great support in relieving the pressures of everyday life, and women should not be looked down upon for needing this help.
Derrington is familiar with raising children while forging her career in law. She relied on support from her mother and help from nannies when her children were young. She says “From my perspective, I gave my children 24-hour attention when they really needed it, but otherwise I think they’ve got a role model in both their parents.”
So how do our women in business gain access to vital support when they are removed from their network of family and friends? Women need to draw on another great business attribute and that is Courage! Courage to ask beyond the safety of family and friends for external support. Courage to acknowledge that in order to continue with their passion they need to ask for help.
“The message I want to get across, particularly to the younger generation, is that the choices might be hard, but you’ll make rational choices based on what’s best for you at the time, and you shouldn’t be weighed down by the guilt that very often women feel in making different choices at different time of their lives.” Derrington says.
And we definitely agree. In business, we only regret the chances we didn’t take, and if this means you have to ask for favours from friends, colleagues and relatives to stay sane while also achieving your dreams, then go for it!
Happy International Women’s Day! #makeithappen
Sarah Derrington was a speaker at this years AIM IWD Debate at the Convention Centre.