the WWLF Connection

Hard to believe that October is here already!  We’ve made it through three-fourths (3/4) of another year.  2022, so far, has seen several exciting WWLF happenings:  quarterly Book Club, Barb Teicher Education Series; Connect (X), and most recently MWC to name a few. 

October is the first full month of autumn and the beginning of the last season of the year, which brings change: the leaves change colors, days are shorter, and, for most, colder temperatures.  Change is something that we deal with all the time in our industry since it’s constantly changing and evolving with the new technology. 

I recently made a huge change in my personal life:  I moved from PA to AZ in September.  It’s been exciting and trying but I’m glad I did it.  It’s taken me out of my comfort zone and challenged me to try new things and reach higher.

My challenge to you:  make a personal/career change by getting more involved (if you’re not already) in WWLF.  Reach out to one of the Executive Leadership Team via our website (www.wwlf.org) to sign up for a committee, suggest an event or book you think would be interesting for the membership, etc. 

I know with your help, WWLF will continue to grow and change over the coming years.

Looking forward to seeing YOU help WWLF grow!

Michelle Salisbury,
WWLF Treasurer

WWLF Spotlight: Ashley DeCabia

Account Executive, EBI Consulting
WWLF Northeast Director of Events

How long have you been a City/Regional Rep for WWLF and what is your territory/region?  Northeast Director of Events since 2017,  I joined WWLF in 2010

How has being a part of WWLF impacted you personally or professionally?   
The WWLF community has always felt like my second family in the telecom industry.  Many of the women that are involved today as Executive Leaders, Directors, City Representatives & Members have been part of the community with me for the last 10+ years.  When I began my Sales role in ~2010 they opened their arms to me and no matter where I was traveling or what event I was attending I knew there would be a familiar face/name. 

Where did you get your start in the industry? What is your current role?   
I started my career in Telecom right out of college in 2005 working at an Engineering firm in upstate NY (my Ocean Engineering degree somehow landed me in a role with a team providing geotechnical and due diligence for wireless installations).  In 2007 I joined EBI Consulting as a Project Manager and transitioned into the Telecom Sales Team in 2010.  Fifteen years later I am still part of the EBI family as the Eastern Region Account Executive.

What is your favorite Quote? 
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but they will never forget the way you made them feel.”

What has been the best experience you’ve had with WWLF?  
I don’t even know where to start, there have been too many amazing experiences, events, conversations, meetings, webinars, etc.  Recently we launched the Richmond market and it was a remarkable experience bringing new and legacy members together.  To name a few; Ericka Lewis launched the market as City Representative, Kelsey Trundle (who has grown with me in the wireless industry since 2013) presented on “Knowing Your Worth” and Carolyn Hardwick, former WWLF President, traveled from Atlanta to be a part of the impactful launch event.  Truly represented the WWLF community and showed the amazing future of the organization.      

Read the full interview on the WWLF website

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Finding Your Energy

Written by Ashli Fuselier

Catching up with friends, coworkers and industry colleagues is something I enjoy doing. Seeing how they are doing, talking about how they are managing their workload, and recently there’s been a lot of concern ‘how can someone do it all?’. The joke was “you can’t have a clean house, healthy habits, and a growing career all at once, you can only pick two of those things and realistically succeed.” That was concerning for me and made me adjust my attitude at what success means for me.

Oftentimes, as women we wear many hats, both in our personal life and our professional life. Having the energy to wear all these hats, and be the best you can for each hat- isn’t always an easy task. You can look at some influencers, girl bosses, and public figures and ask “How do they have the time and energy to do it all?!” The answer is complicated, yet simple: Use your energy where it is needed. Complicated and simple. You can not be 100% for all things, at all times. So use your energy wisely.

Psychology Today lists 5 easy ways to ‘use your energy wisely’, and it breaks down to find what is important to you, what you like, and spend energy there. This advice can be applied to personal relationships, professional tasks, and with yourself as you mentally divide and conquer the day. Planning where NOT to invest your time is probably easier than finding where to invest your time. Is it Cleaning? Is it that weekly Ladies Happy Hour you dread? Is it deciding dinner every night? Find what you dislike and see if there's a way to navigate around or make those draining tasks easier on you.

Find ways you can save your energy for things that are important to you, such as dinner with the family – exercising – or that Sunday night bubble bath. I’ll never forget the conversation where I was complaining about how someone can do it all and have a clean house, because the answer was – they can’t. I actually like cleaning, it gives me peace of mind- but with two pets I am unable to keep up with it while I travel for work, so I passed it on and found a service that cleans my space while I’m traveling for work. It added years to my life, I swear.

So the answer is...

Read the full article on the WWLF website.

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Unapologetically Ambitious - by Shellye Archambeau

Book Review by Julie C. DeCuypere

This past August, WWLF held another dynamic virtual book discussion.  I was thrilled to co-lead the session along with WWLF Vice-President, Beth Martindale.  Our choice of book was the inspirational “Unapologetically Ambitious” by Shellye Archambeau. Shellye is the former CEO of MetricStream.  Ms. Archambeau has over 30 years of experience in technology leading organizations focused on business-to-business as well as business-to-consumer.

The book begins with her remarkable childhood beginnings and paints a vivid picture of her loving family and the values they instilled in her.  Like many parents, they sacrificed and saved to afford quality experiences and education for their children.  But Shellye remembers these “sacrifices” as “choices” and uses this notion as a framework for her story.

She divides her book into five distinct sections and offers advice and insights on how to navigate the various stages of professional and personal life.  Some of the Early Lessons in Part One are: “Create Your Own Luck” and “Beware of Imposter Syndrome”.  One of the chapters that really resonated with the WWLF members on the video call was “Find Your Cheerleaders” - “We all need cheerleaders in life:  People who, when things aren’t going well, will believe in you and tell you you’re a good person.”  For Archambeau, her family was her first cheerleaders.  Through WWLF, we have found cheerleaders who support each other.

In the chapter entitled “Set Your Goals”, the author writes about her “seemingly insatiable craving for recognition.”  With vivid honesty, she recounts her early realizations that being involved in organizations gave her a way to show leadership and make an impact, even as a high schooler.  A younger version of herself connected the dots that would lead her to set a goal of wanting to run a business someday.

Read the full review on the WWLF website.

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Upcoming Events

 

Join the WWLF at VAWA Annual Golf Tournament

 

Stop by the WWLF tent at the VAWA Annual Golf Tournament!

Thursday, October 13, 2022

7:00 AM - 2:00 PM (EDT)

Address: Kingsmill Resort
1010 Kingsmill Road
Williamsburg, VA

 
MORE INFO

 

WWLF Fall Networking Social

 

Join Chicago City Rep, Taylor Sierra, for a Fall Networking Social to connect with industry professionals to learn about WWLF and discuss diversity in the workplace.

We will have a special guest speaker from ExteNet, Haran Rashes, and from the WWLF, Lauren Glockner-Goff, National Director of Events.

October 13, 2022

5:30 PM - 8:30 PM 
Arrowhead Gold Club 26W151

Butterfield Rd Wheaton, IL 60189

 
REGISTER HERE

 

Monthly Networking Events!
WWLF Members Only

 

Please join WWLF for our Monthly Networking Event: Motivation and Mugs

The 1st Monday of every month.

Although times are getting somewhat back to normal, we are still not quite there yet.

So, let's come together and connect while enjoying our morning ritual of coffee, tea, lemon water or whatever your choice of drink!

During this Monday Motivation and Mugs, each attendee will have one minute to introduce themselves and talk about what they are looking for/needing during these times: job opportunities, connections, friendly support, etc..

November 7, 2022

10:00 AM - 10:45 AM (EDT)

Zoom link to be sent before the event

Registration closes the Friday before the event.

 
REGISTER HERE

 

Quarterly Event: Book Read! 

 
 

JOIN the WWLF for our Quarterly Event: Book Read!

This event will be an open discussion with an opportunity for everyone to share comments, questions, and insights!

As a result of the vibrant discussion, we will be re-reading "How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back from Your Next Raise, Promotion, or Job" by Marshall Goldsmith and Sally Helgesen.

“Ready to take the next step in your career . . . but not sure what's holding you back?

Leadership expert Sally Helgesen and bestselling leadership coach Marshall Goldsmith have trained thousands of high achievers -- men and women -- to reach even greater heights. Again and again, they see that women face specific and different roadblocks from men as they advance in the workplace. In fact, the very habits that helped women early in their careers can hinder them as they move up. Simply put, what got you here won't get you there . . . and you might not even realize your blind spots until it's too late.

Sally and Marshall identify the twelve habits that hold women back as they seek to advance, showing them why what worked for them in the past might actually be sabotaging their future success. Building on Marshall's classic bestseller What Got You Here Won't Get You There

Registration closes on November 28th.

November 30, 2022
7:00 PM - 8:30PM (EST)


REGISTER HERE

All events open to WWLF members

Become a new member of WWLF or renew your membership today!


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WWLF is committed to creating an inclusive environment where diverse voices are welcome in all aspects of our organization. WWLF values the knowledge and perspectives that our members bring to our organization from their diverse backgrounds. While all members are welcome to participate in both regional and national events, WWLF remains committed to the design and delivery of content to support the development of women in the wireless communications industry.