Event Highlights

• Focus: Celebrate Rising Stars and Women Leaders on International Women's Day
• Website: http://www.theexpatwoman.com/empowered/ | Facebook: @THEEXPATWOMAN | Instagram: theexpatwomanus, #LeadOnTEW
  
• Format: Keynote, Panels Discussions with Q&A
• Attendees:  Expat Women - Professional, Founders, and Entrepreneurs
• Topics:  Advice for Professionals and Entrepreneurs, Showcases of women-owned business, Financial empowered and education as well as Technological Innovation

 
My Objectives – why did I attend this event?

• Learn valuable lessons from female founders and business owners.
• Get tips to set up my business to be successful.
• Expand my view on investing money and personal finance
• Network and make new connections
• Getting to know “The Expat Woman” platform

 
Key Insights – what did I learn? 
Let me start by saying the day was packed full of great insights. I paired down my list to highlight my key lessons.
 
4 Pillars for professional success
Sejal Patel shared the four pillars that have brought her professional success as part of her Keynote address.

1. Grit - You get grit if you do not shy away from challenging experiences.
2. Mastery - Strive to be in a place where work intersects with your passion.
3. Emotional Quotient - How we treat people will determine how far we will go.
4. Relationships - To be successful you need genuine relationships. Have a tribe, mentors, and sponsors.

 
Keep learning - To win in your profession
Maira Benjamin shared great insights on the importance of continuous learning and staying current on developments in your field. To show how important learning is, Sima Patel said: "Gain knowledge to overcome your challenges" and shared her story on how she learned about an area to cross barriers she faced.
 
Power of building your network
Meral Arik presented three great points about Networks

1. Increases the effectiveness of what you do - multiply the impact.
2. Build strength – Benefit from the power above yourself.
3. Enhances your knowledge - share your perspective while you learn.

 
Women lift-up women
We need to change the narrative of women pulling down other women. The speakers had a theme they mentioned women who helped them on their journey. We were encouraged us to encourage women around us and share our knowledge to support other’s growth.
 
We need a support system
In various sessions throughout the day, the speakers inspired us to build a support system of your friends, mentors, and sponsors. You do not have to travel on your journey alone. You will win more with a great community.
A good support system will:

• Encourage you when you are down or afraid to take a step.
• Challenge your thoughts before you make a big mistake.
• Celebrate your successes.

 
My Next Steps - What am I going to do?

• Continue building my support system.
• Share insights on Financial success.
• Expand my learning plan.

 
Final Thoughts

• The most fabulous surprise for me at this event was the additional financial advice shared in "Investing in stocks" and "Planning your financial future" sessions. I will be writing detailed blog posts to expand on the great Insights shared.
• Attending events will open your mind. Hearing other women share opened my mind to many possibilities.
• Thanks to Nyna Pais Caputi and all the speakers for giving us so much.
• Have you registered for an event?

What a way to spend my Thursday evening learning from great women at the 'Femigrants of Silicon Valley'- Forum of Female Immigrant Leaders event in San Francisco on March 22, 2018
 
Event Highlights

• Focus: The event was celebrating the 1-year anniversary of the Femigrants platform.
• Website: http://www.femigrants.org/  | Facebook: @femigrants | Instagram: #FOSV18 , #Femigrants
• Format: Keynote, Panels Discussions with Q&A.
• Attendees: Female immigrant entrepreneurs and professionals from many countries living in the San Francisco Bay area.
• Topics: Be Your Own Boss, Own Your Career in Silicon Valley.

 
My Objectives – why did I attend this event?

• Getting to know what the Femigrants platform is and the value it provides.
• Networking and meeting other female immigrant entrepreneurs and leaders.
• Gathering insights on entrepreneurship and building a platform.

 
Key Insights – what did I learn? 
Believe in yourself even when others do not believe in you
Beate Chelette, a fellow German immigrant, shared her life experience in the keynote. She shared stories of how people doubted her dating back to her years in middle school.
How many times have people doubted you and your skills? You will be successful if you persist and continue to believe in yourself even through difficult times, peoples doubt and even self-doubt. Personally, telling me, I cannot do something motivates me to do it and succeed. Don't let others discourage you and kill your dreams.
 
Be bold and take on opportunities
"Say hell yes to every opportunity that comes to you" was a phrase that Elena Krasnoperova shared that resonated with me.
After listening to Shonda Rhimes TED talk My year of saying yes, I challenged myself to say yes to more things and put myself out there. So, hearing Elena share her insights on saying yes was confirming the journey I am on. I am committed to put myself out there and say yes to things I will typically say no to because I am scared.
 
Trait to succeed - Be organized and visualize your plan
Kwanua Robinson's advice on the significant role being organized plays in being successful was very timely.
Being organized and having a plan has helped me progress in my own life. Having a plan should become the norm for everything you do in your personal, professional and business life. You will begin to see the outcomes you desire.
 
Entrepreneurs: Test your ideas first
Elena Krasnoperova shared great advice on testing your product with real users before you go all in.
In the process of developing your product, it is critical to test with real users. Before you make any significant investment in your product, you want to know that you have a user group.
 
General Advice:
The panelists and speakers shared some great advice that I would like to share with you.

• Be mentors and mentees - you can help someone out there.
• Strive for excellence in what you do and make sure everyone sees it - Market yourself.
• Don't underestimate the help you can get from a stranger.
• Prepare, have a plan before you go to speak to potential sponsors or investors.
• Always ask questions - get to know what has worked for others.

 
My Next Steps - What am I going to do?

• Continue saying yes to new opportunities this year.
• Test the product/service that I am currently creating.
• Make my mentorship program more official.

 
Final Thoughts

• As female immigrants, we have a unique opportunity - Let's use our skills and experiences.
• Women need to support other women - it starts with me.
• Women are winning as founders - You can do it too.
  

At recent events that I attended, the essential role sponsors play in our career advancement has been discussed and promoted. My motivation for writing on how to find sponsors increased following the feedback I received after I shared my insights from WIL Conference 2018 in a recent blog post. 
In this post, I will share some valuable information and tips I found during my research on who a sponsor is, benefits of having sponsors and effective ways to find sponsors. This post is very personal as I recently did not get a promotion I deserved and worked hard for because I did not have sponsors that supported me during the process. I am taking the opportunity to act and find my sponsors.
 
Starting point - We women need sponsors to be successful in our careers.
Let's start by looking at some facts:

• Women who have sponsors are more likely to negotiate a pay raise, request getting assigned to a high-visibility team or coveted project, stay employed full time as mothers and feel they are progressing through the ranks at a satisfactory pace (Source: Want The Support Of A Professional Sponsor? Earn It.)
• With a sponsor advising and cheering them on, women are more likely to ask for a pay raise and a stretch assignment. (Source: The Two Secret Weapons Women Need to Succeed)

 
Who is a sponsor?
There are many definitions of sponsors and the roles they play. These are some that resonated with me:

• “A sponsor is someone in a position of power who uses his or her influence to advocate on your behalf.” (Source: Want The Support Of A Professional Sponsor? Earn It.
• “Sponsors are people in positions of power who work on their protégé’s behalf to clear obstacles, foster connections, assign higher-profile work to ease the move up the ranks, and provide air-cover and support in case of stumbles.” (Source: Big Idea 2014: Find a Sponsor Who Believes In Your Potential)
• “A sponsor is someone who uses chips on his or her protégé’s behalf and advocates for his or her next promotion as well as doing at least two of the following: expanding the perception of what the protégé can do; making connections to senior leaders; promoting his or her visibility; opening up career opportunities; offering advice on appearance and executive presence; making connections outside the company; and giving advice” (source: The Real Benefit of Finding a Sponsor)
  

 
What is the difference between a mentor and a sponsor?
Sponsors and mentors are a very crucial part of our professional journey. It is key to understand that they serve different purposes. The following points outline some differences between mentors and sponsors:

• Mentors advise; sponsors act.
• Mentors proffer friendly advice. Sponsors pull you up to the next level.
• Whereas mentorship is about building relationships, sponsorship can be a true game-changer
• Mentors help individuals get better, while sponsors help individuals get ahead.

 
How can sponsors support you?
Here are some ways sponsors can provide value and support you on your professional journey.
Increase your advancement opportunities
Advancement and progress in our careers keeps us motivated and happy. Good sponsors help you advance by speaking out for you when it matters the most. During my research, I found some statistics that support the point that women with sponsors are more likely to advance in their careers: (Source: Don’t Just Mentor Her, Sponsor Her).

• "CTI found that professionals in the US who have sponsors are more likely than those who lack them to be satisfied with their rates of advancement, be ambitious, stay at their companies longer, and ask for pay raises. Seventy percent of men and 68 percent of women say they are satisfied with their rate of advancement, versus 57 percent of men and women who do not have sponsors. 
• "…and it becomes even more dramatic when it comes to the careers of employees of color, who are 65 percent more likely than their unsponsored peers to say they are satisfied with their rates of advancement.

 
Assists you in navigating the complexity of your organization and industry
Our professional journey is very complex. Imagine how much further you can go if you have someone within your company that helps you navigate complexity. Especially as women of color, we should get all the support we need. Research from the Center for Talent Innovation shows that the vast majority of women (85 percent) and multicultural professionals (81 percent) need navigational help. (Source: Big Idea 2014: Find a Sponsor Who Believes In Your Potential). Get all the support you can get on your journey.
 
What do I need to do to find effective sponsors?
As with everything we desire, we need to act to get the outcomes we want. The tips below serve as a starting point to get you started on your journey.
 
Prepare yourself
To make yourself desirable for a sponsor there are some things you can start learning to do and practicing. It is essential for you to know what you bring to the table.

• Know your skills.
• Note the ways you add value.
• Acquire additional skills that set you apart.
• Actively step out and be an active contributor to the team.
• Talk about your achievements.
• Be clear on how your sponsor can support you.

 
Search for sponsors
When search for a sponsor it is essential for them to be a fit and can support you in the ways you need them to. There are many ways to begin your search for sponsors as outlined below:

• Look in your current network- You might already have a sponsor in your court and not even know. Seek out someone with real power to change your career.
• Reach out to some trusted leaders directly - get visibility and ask.
• Ask a mentor you have if they want to move away from an advisory role and be sponsors.
• Ask mentors and your manager if they have a recommendation.

Build your relationship with your sponsors
Building your relationship with your sponsors is essential. You would want to meet with your sponsors regularly. I would recommend at least every quarter. As with every relationship find the right frequency that works best for you and your sponsors.
 
Offer your sponsors something
Sponsors will need to invest some time with you, make it valuable for them. Think of ways you can give back to your sponsor for example:

• Make them look good by speaking on their behalf
• Share insights from the team that they might not be able to see

 
Final Thoughts

• Sylvia Ann Hewlett is a thought leader on the topic of Sponsors and author of many articles I referenced in this post. Follow her on Twitter (@SAHewlett‏) and LinkedIn to see her recent publications.
• Do you have a sponsor? If no, what are you going to do within the next six months?
• I am committed to finding a sponsor within the next six months - I will share my journey as I go through it.
• As we go through this journey, it is essential to share our experiences with one another and encourage one another through the journey.
• Give back: we can be sponsors for other women. Look out for my post on "How to be a sponsor."

Great resources
For your self-study, I am sharing links to all the articles referenced in this post:

• https://hbr.org/2013/09/the-right-way-to-find-a-career-sponsor
• Want The Support Of A Professional Sponsor? Earn It
• The Two Secret Weapons Women Need to Succeed
• The Right Way to Find a Career Sponsor
• Big Idea 2014: Find a Sponsor Who Believes In Your Potential
• The Real Benefit of Finding a Sponsor
• Don’t Just Mentor Her, Sponsor Her
• Deconstructing Executive Presence
• Assessment:  Are You Ready for a Sponsor?

I am very excited to kick-off my "Event Summary" series. As part of this series of blog posts, I will review events, conferences, round tables that I attend. This year, I decided to follow my advice and attend more events and grow my network.  Additionally, to increase the value, I get from visiting these events I will document and share my lessons and key insights from the events as well as my next steps I am committed to taking. Please join me on this great adventure.
 
Event Highlights
On Saturday, March 17th I attended the Women in Leadership (WIL) conference hosted by the Haas School of Business, Berkeley.

• The theme of the conference was Evolve: Develop, Progress, Advance
• Speakers were women from different levels of leadership and diverse fields such as Tech, Social Impact Entrepreneurship, Consulting, Legal, Finance, Academia, Leadership development.
• Event Website: https://www.wilconference.org/ Twitter: #HaasWIL , Instagram: #haaswil
• Session Formats: Keynotes, Panels, Workshops

 
My Objectives – why did I attend this event?
Going to the conference I had three objectives for attending this event were:

1. Networking: Getting out there and meeting other women in leadership
2. Awareness: Gaining insights on what other women like me are going through and talking about
3. Practical Tips: Getting tips and learning from other successful women's experiences

 
Key Insights – what did I learn?
I took so many notes during the sessions and captured great insights. In my quest to focus, I will be sharing the top five lessons that stuck with me.
 
Value the skills you have
In her Progress keynote, Larissa Roesch shared a lot of great insights. The largest one that stuck with me was this question: "What else can I do with the skills I already have?"
In recent conversations with a lady close to me, we were discussing how much skills we have gathered and don't value. I believe that the value I bring today is a combination of the skills I have. We need to change our perspective on the skills we have and stop feeling like we are not enough. Start telling yourself - "I can do a lot with skills that I have."
 
We need "sponsors" in our professional life
"People with sponsors are 23% more like to move up in their career than those without, yet women and far less likely to have Sponsors". Source: WIL 2018 Handout
Over the course of the day, various speakers emphasized the importance and value of having a Sponsor for our professional advancement. I learned the great difference between having a "sponsor" vs. "mentor."  I did some research and found this definition - “A sponsor is someone in a position of power who uses his or her influence to advocate on your behalf” – Source: Forbes Article. I looked at my own professional life and noticed that I do not have a sponsor that speaks up for me at places that matter like promotion conversations.
 
There a massive gap for Women of color in leadership - We have a lot to do
"Women of color are underrepresented in the cooperate pipeline. 8%- Senior Manager/Director, 6% - Vice President, 4% - Senior Vice President, 3% in the C-Suite" (Source: McKinsey Women in the Workplace 2017 ). At the event Chloe Johnson, a McKinsey consultant shared the latest findings from the Women in the Workplace 2017 Study.
Only 3% - this is not acceptable.  The conversation is mostly around what other's around women in leadership positions can do to raise this number. We (Women of color in leadership positions) have a significant role in increasing the 3%. I am personally committed to identifying the steps I can personally take to be part of the group that raises that number.
I am hopeful because the study also says, "And yet: despite facing more pitfalls to advancement, women of color have higher ambitions to be a top executive than white women." (Source: McKinsey Women in the Workplace 2017)
 
On being and becoming a woman in leadership
Eve Chaurand shared the following key points on our role and responsibilities as women in leadership:

1. Share your knowledge and promote learning within your teams
2. Take on responsibility for the growth of others
3. Continue to view themselves as leaders - it is a continuous process
4. Create and belong to a leadership support group

 
Connecting dots build our life story
Over the course of the day, the Steve Jobs quote “You cannot connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” was mentioned a lot.
Larissa Roesch drove this point home for me when she told her story with the help of some key "dots" in her life that formed who she is today.
This one spoke to me personally. I have always struggled with telling my story because it felt a little disjointed and complex. From the way Larissa told her story I started identifying key experiences or dots in my life that make me the woman I am today. I did not always understand how they all fit together while I was going through them and some still don't make sense. However, now looking back I am beginning to connect some of my dots. Watch this space for MC's story: Connecting some dots.
 
My Next Steps: What am I going to do?
To increase the value of this event for me, I have identified the following action items:

• Get a "Sponsor" at work and with my business.
• BE a sponsor for another woman in my professional life.
• Connect with the top leaders in my company.
• Create/join a professional women's support group.
• Value and market my skills.
• Write my story - connecting the dots.

 
Final Thoughts

• Big thanks to the planning team and all speakers for a Saturday well spent. I look forward to attending the WIL 2019.
• There is a lot we can do as women in leadership positions.
• Don't be discouraged - we are not alone on this journey, and we can support each other.

 
Call to Action

• Attend a conference or event over the next three months and share your tips with us.

How much have you achieved in 2018 so far? How are you tracking towards your goals?
If you feel like you haven't achieved a lot - What are you going to do differently to achieve your goals in the next nine months of 2018?
Typically, we discuss our goals for the year only at the beginning of the year or at the end retrospectively. I am intentionally writing about this topic in March as a reminder that we need to constantly define and track our goals not only at the start or end of the year but throughout the year. 
In this post I will be outlining the benefits of a plan, sharing some practical tips keeping your plan alive as well as achieving your goals.  
 
Why you need a plan
We all need a plan. I talk to a lot of women who feel stuck in their lives and don’t know what they achieved in the last year. I did some soul searching to see what I do today when I feel stuck. My clear answer is that I look at my plan. I have found that when I feel stuck it is mostly because I'm not taking steps towards achieving my goals.
As a project manager I might be a little biased – I like plans and I know their benefits. In my private life I have had great success with planning and have had plans in some shape or form since I was sixteen.
I have a plan for the following reasons:

• Visible: I have a plan, so my goals are visible. I can always look at my plan.
• Orientation: It serves as an orientation for me, I know where I'm heading always.
• Progress: I can see the progress I am making and all I have done.
• Gauge: I can always measure how much time and resources I invest in my own development and growth.

 
5-year, 3-year, 1-year, Quarterly plans
There are many opinions out there on the type of plan you should have. My simple advice will be to use whatever plans support you in achieving your goal. The least I will propose is an orientation plan for a year with quarterly components.
Personally, I have a multi-year plan that is high-level and serves as orientation for me. I then break down my activities towards my goals into quarters (three months) to help me focus. The benefits of this short-term view are that you get to see progress faster, you can adapt and change goals, you get into the routine of reviews and tracking your progress.
 
Create an orientation Plan
It is quite simple to create a plan. I follow the following four steps to create my plan:

1. Build categories for me like personal, finances, work, business, training and learning.
2. Add three to five points under each category. Keep it short and focused.
3. Identify your priorities and adjust your list accordingly.
4. Visualize your plan. Your orientation plan should be visual. You achieve more when you have a plan you can look at.

MC's Tip:

• Content: Don't over think it, just write it down. On my 2018 orientation plan under "Training and learning" category I have the following things I want to learn - improve my writing, coaching classes, starting a business, marketing my business, content creation, graphic design
• Format: I start with a list of my goals and activities in a simple format. As a next step, I visualize my plan in a tool of my choice. My tools of choice are Google Keep for creating my initial list and Microsoft Excel for yearly view.

 
Track your progress and achievements
It is key to track and check your progress towards your goals and achievements regularly. Getting into this practice is very important for you to be successful and stick to your plan.

1. Have a constant time when you review your goals monthly.
2. Write down your achievements. I have found that tracking and reviewing my achievements regularly is a source of motivation

MC's Tip: My Saturday mornings are the best time for me to look at my plan, track progress, add my achievements towards my goals
 
Adapting and Changing your plan
One thing is certain - Your plan will have to change. It is perfectly ok. For me personally some of the reasons my plans change include - learning more about a route I wanted to take and then seeing it's not right for me, life changes like moving to a new country, my assumptions being wrong.
MC's Tip: Get comfortable with a "living" plan. Plan to make changes that need to be made to your plan.
 
Share your plan
I am currently learning the beauty of articulating what your plan is and sharing it with your trusted friends and family. It is easy to keep your plan and goals to yourself and kill it with self-doubt. I have experienced great support and encouragement from people around me to achieve the goals I have shared with them.
MC's Tip: Build a trusted group of people you share your plan and progress with.
 
Final thoughts

• Write your goals down - they become real when you can see them.
• Your plan should serve as orientation and a guide - not box you in.
• Your plan will change - And that's perfectly fine
• Do something different this year – Create your plan now!
• “Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.” ― Fitzhugh Dodson, author

 
Great resources:

• Podcast: Why You Need a Life Plan Now - Michael Hyatt
• Article: Big Plans Are Achieved By Small Steps, When You Make Each One Count

Relocating, living and thriving in a new country is not an easy journey but it is worth it. This post continues the "Her Relocation" series which I started with my blog post My relocation journey: 10 things I wish I knew before I relocated to the US a few weeks ago.  I know I am not alone on this journey.
A few months ago, I asked immigrant women mostly in Germany, UK, US and Nigeria: "What are the top three challenges you have faced in your new home country". In this post I will be sharing some experiences and learnings from other women who live in a new home country and are thriving. We will take a deep dive into some of the challenges the women shared and some advice you can apply. A major realization for me through the process, was that our experiences are very similar, and we have a great opportunity to learn from one another.
 
Challenge 1: Feeling lonely
Her Experience: "I was completely alone without friends or my family", "There was no one to help specially with my kids", "I struggled with meeting people", "I missed my family and friends"
Her Advice:

• Join a new community or group
• Attend events or meet-ups
• Start a social circle if there's none around you

 
Challenge 2: Lack of local Food
Her Experience: "I could not find food she I accustomed to", "There were no African food stores in my little town"
Her Advice:

• Learn to cook alternatives
• Find a restaurant that serves your local meals
• Adapt to your new local cuisine

 
Challenge 3: Different culture and language
Her Experience: "Culture shock"," I didn't speak the language", " People had a different accent, personality, slangs"
Her Advice:

• Get to know locals and learn from them
• Learn the language - Speaking and written
• Avoid only spending time with people from your country

 
Challenge 4: Professional/Career challenges
Her Experience: " I struggled to find a job", "I had to start from the beginning professionally", "My university degree was not recognized"
Her Advice:

• Use free resources available such as free resume reviews at your local library
• Join a professional network
• Attend Go to professional events
• Be open to a possible career transition. Many women around me have transitioned to a new career and found happiness
• Hire a career coach

 
Challenge 5: Financial hardship
Her Experience: "I was always broke", "Money went away very quickly", "This was the first time I had to deal with all my bills without my parents"
Her Advice:

• Get to know your financial status
• Create a budget
• Take advantage of free resources and learn
• Start Financial planning

 
Challenge 6: Legal and immigration issues
Her Experience: " I didn't know where to go with my immigration questions", " I was afraid of my appointments at the Immigration Office"
Her Advice:

• Educate yourself on immigration requirements
• Access free resources available
• Attend events held by companies affiliated with the Immigration agency

 
Challenge 7: Settling into new life
Her Experience: Settling In: finding accommodation, understanding daily specificities, opening a bank account -
Her Advice:

• Get to know other women that relocated to your country or city - they always want to share experiences
• Do your research and create a relocation plan
• Take advantage of free resources
• Hire a relocation coach

 
Challenge 8: Relationship/Marital problems
Her Experience: "My husband and I grew apart as were so busy trying to settle down here", "I was in a distance relationship for years and almost broke things off"
Her Advice:

• Seek professional help
• Make time for each other
• Be honest with yourself and your partner

 
Challenge 9: Inferiority Complex
Her Experience: " I felt like I was not good enough and everyone in my new country knew more than I did", "They treated me as if I was a 2nd class citizen"
Her Advice:

• Believe that you are great and equal to everyone around
• Take on stretch roles, show what you know
• Know your strengths
• Know your worth and talk about it (see my blog post Know your worth)

 
Challenge 10: Personal Growth and Self-development Challenges
Her Experience: " While I was growing up, I was taught not to challenge what I was told, when I moved I suddenly was expected to", " There were a lot of things I didn't know about life', " I had to grow up very quickly"
Her Advice:

• Embrace the change - especially if this is your first move. It is hard!
• Surround yourself with good people who you can learn from
• Get an official mentor or coach

Final Thoughts:
Thanks to all the ladies who contributed to this post. I appreciate you sharing your painful experiences so other ladies can learn from you and thrive on their relocation journey.
In upcoming "Her Relocation" series blog posts, we will be delving deeper into more practical steps, sharing helpful resources and sharing in-depth stories from to immigrant women who are thriving.
 
Call to action:
Please share any additional challenges you faced or are currently facing in the comments section below. Let's share and learn from one another!

On this International Women's day - I would like to say two things to women living, studying and working in a new home country.

1. Congratulations! You are doing a great job. I know it's not always easy.
2. Think big, act and close the gap: I strongly believe that we can live and thrive in our new home countries. As we strive to thrive and be successful in our new home countries, we need to have aspirational goals and work towards them.
   

In this post I outline five aspirational goals, what we will do to achieve them as well as the statistics of where we are today. Come along with me on the journey of changing the statistics.
 
We will be in Managerial Positions
What will we do?

• We will take on stretch roles and trust ourselves more.
• We will grow our leadership and managerial skills.
• We will get training and learn required skills.

What are the statistics? Immigrant women overall are less likely than U.S.-born women to work in managerial or professional occupations (32.7 percent compared with 41.1 percent). (Source: Status of women in the states). Native-born workers were more likely than foreign-born workers to be employed in management, professional, and related occupations (40.7 percent versus 32.2 percent) and in sales and office occupations (23.4 percent versus 15.9 percent). (Source: Foreign-Born Workers: Labor Force Characteristics—2017)
 
We will increase our earnings
What will we do? 

• We will know out worth and ask for it.
• We will put ourselves out there and believe we deserve to earn more for our work.
• We will learn negotiation skills and put them to practice.

What are the statistics? In 2016, the median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers ($715) were 83.1 percent of the earnings of their native-born counterparts ($860). Among men, median weekly earnings for the foreign born ($751) were 79.0 percent of the earnings of the native born ($951). Median earnings for foreign-born women ($655) were 86.0 percent of the earnings of their native-born counterparts ($762). (Source: Foreign-Born Workers: Labor Force Characteristics—2017)
 
We will start new businesses
What will we do? 

• We will start those businesses we have wanted to start.
• We will grow our current businesses.

What are the statistics? Indeed, 13% of all female-owned companies are run by women who were born outside of the U.S. (Source: Why Immigrant Women Make Great Entrepreneurs)
 
We will make social connections
What will we do? 

• We will invest time in making and forming connections to family, friends and acquaintances
• We will support others in building new connections.

What are the statistics?  Immigrant women have fewer local social connections than their Canadian-born counterparts. (Source: Women in Canada: A Gender-based Statistical Report)

We will take advance of opportunities and resources available to us
What will we do?

• We will educate ourselves on free or low-cost resources available to boost your economic and social situations.
• We will get mentorship by others successful women in our fields.

What are the statistics? Female migrant workers are less likely than men to make the most of the economic and social opportunities of mobility (Source: Women on the move)
 
Final Thoughts

• We have a lot of great opportunities and gaps to fill!
• You can do it - you can be the first!
• What are your aspirational goals? Personally, I am working on starting my own business, coaching skilled immigrant women and employing women in different countries.

Great Resources

• TED Talks: Immigrants who founded amazing companies
  
• TED Talk Taiye Selasi: Don't ask where I'm from, ask where I'm a local

Thinking back to growing up in Nigeria, I was surrounded by a lot of strong women who worked hard to provide for their families. I learned the importance of working hard and not limiting yourself. However, a key lesson I didn't learn from them was knowing my worth, growing my worth and communicating my worth. It was never considered a good thing to talk about your strengths or about your worth. It was perceived as being boastful or prideful. As I have advanced in my life journey, I have learned that if you don't know your worth, you limit what you can achieve in life.

Let's look at some definitions of worth and value:
Worth: "The level at which someone or something deserves to be valued or rated." (Source: Oxford dictionary) or “the importance or usefulness of something or someone" (Source: Cambridge dictionary)
Value: "that quality of a thing according to which it is thought of as being more or less desirable, useful, estimable, important, etc.; worth or the degree of worth" or "that which is desirable or worthy of esteem for its own sake; thing or quality having intrinsic worth" (Source: Collin's dictionary).
I personally prefer the German word "Wert" as it covers both worth and value.
Wert: einer Sache innewohnende Qualität, aufgrund deren sie in einem gewissen Maße begehrenswert ist (Source: Duden) The direct translation will be: " A thing of internal quality, that makes it measurably desirable"

Value, worth implies intrinsic excellence or desirability
It's key to understand that your value comes from within. It's something you alone have control over. Don't allow or wait for any external forces to define your worth. Growing up, people had a lot to say about me and who they thought I was. I had to learn to search internally and be in tune with myself. I started believing that everything I had contributed to my worth. My ability to talk to strangers was seen by most of the people around me as me being a talkative/disturbing child. Today I know that I have a gift of communication which is a large part of who I am.

Know who you are - know your worth
You are on this earth for a purpose and have a lot to contribute. You are unique, and you are the only one who can fulfil your purpose. Your feeling of worth needs to come from within. Don't wait for people on the outside to tell you your worth. Soul search and document what you bring to the table. Remember that no one knows you as much as you know yourself.

Be vocal about your worth/value
In the last five years, I have been on a journey of being more vocal about my value. Especially in my professional life, I found it very hard to articulate my worth or even ask for what I know I'm worth.  A while ago I watched a TEDx Talk titled "Know your worth, and then ask for it" by Casey Brown which helped improve in this area. It's ok to know your worth and tell people about it. Seriously if I could give my younger self some advice, I would say "Talk about your value. No one else will do it for you". Start practicing - Speak of your worth 

There is a $ tag on your value/worth
I understand that sometimes it's hard to put a monetary value to your worth. In a professional setting your worth typically has a monetary value. How much are people willing to pay you to add value to the company. Every time I hear conversations around equal pay, I feel that the conversation we should be having is around knowing what you're worth and requesting it. I'm on the discovery journey myself.

You are not defined by your relationship marital status or being a mother
This is a topic I am very passionate about. There are many ladies out there who see their worth only in being someone's wife or a mother. See yourself as a woman with a lot of worth outside her marital status. It saddens me to see young women who don't think they are worth a lot because they are not married or have kids. I would like to say to you- You are worth a lot as YOU. All others status changes are beautiful additions but not your core worth.

Increase your value
On your journey, you want to ensure that you grow your value bank. It will take work and you investing in yourself. Think about growing your portfolio - it is an intentional and active exercise. I increase my value bank by honing my craft, learning new skills, taking courses, learning and practicing new things.

Final thoughts

• People react to you differently when you know your worth - Confidence comes from knowing your worth
• You are on this earth for a reason - You have a lot to contribute.
• Your value will increase or decrease depending on what you do - Take steps to increase your value
  

 
Great Resources:

• TEDx Talk: Casey Brown: Know your worth, and then ask for it
• Quotes About Knowing Your Worth As A Woman
• Know your value
• Unlocking 'The Woman Code': 4 tips to know your value