There were many key takeaways listening to Simone & Barbara on “How to Show Up & Break Barriers” that stood out to me. Particularly how mentoring is not just about doing one thing for someone but rather it is about a wide range of people supporting you, believing in you and putting you forward for opportunities. 

The podcast reminded me a lot of how in the past year I have managed to overcome barriers myself by attending two PoWEr Up Networking events which were such great opportunities for me to connect and speak to lots of different mentors. From this I realised that networking is not as scary as people think. 

After having such a great experience at the two sessions, I sent Simone a message to thank her for allowing me to take part in these amazing events. A couple of days went by, and I received a message back from Simone asking me if I wanted to attend a face-to-face mentoring session. Having attended the virtual sessions which were amazing I, with no hesitation, said yes to this wonderful opportunity. 

The PoWEr Collective then invited me to attend and speak at the Convention of the North. As this was another great opportunity for me to listen to several leaders and businesspeople across the nations talking about the Levelling up Agenda within the North impacting myself and my fellow students, I was thrilled. 

In the podcast Barbara mentions barriers are easier to break down if you have got the right people around you and I couldn’t agree more. When she first received her MBE, Barbara mentions how family and friends were proud and happy for her and even people she didn’t know, and this also reminds me of the importance of visibility and how after attending the Convention of the North so many wonderful individuals have been super supportive towards me. 

Barbara says that the future is in hands of those that show up. When speaking to Simone months ago I recall her telling me to always say yes to opportunities as you never know where this might lead and attending the Convention was the proof of the power in saying yes. 

I had the pleasure of meeting some amazing people and building lasting relationships, and this all came about from me saying YES to an amazing opportunity. By attending the PoWEr Up Networking sessions and speaking at the Convention of the North, I overcame my fear of networking with individuals from different sectors and this has been crucial for my own personal and professional development. 

In conclusion, my key takeaways from this experience were definitely to trust my gut more, and as the podcast also says, show up and always say yes to opportunities as you never know where this might lead you! Public speaking and networking are probably one of the most demanding and rewarding skills in your career, and so far, I am beyond pleased with myself for overcoming these barriers.

And don’t forget to listen to Barbara’s episode here:

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3alToKv

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3ytbT7J

Buzzsprout: https://lnkd.in/ebiauhvZ