The 10th Hall of Fame for Women Entrepreneurs Ceremony was nothing short of inspirational. From the goosebumps as Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei welcomed the inductees and their supporters into the room, to the visceral buzz of the celebration drinks afterward – I couldn’t help but think that those who didn’t attend were missing out. The reason for this recap!
What stands out about this ceremony for me each year is the sheer number of accomplished women in the room, as well as all that they have accomplished in their lives and their careers – when it’s spelled out for you, it’s quite powerful. The four criteria for admission into the Hall of Fame are worthy of admiration in silo, but it is the manner in which all four criteria dissolve into one that makes the magic of this event.
What stands out about this ceremony for me each year is the sheer number of accomplished women in the room
When we begin the selection process each year, it’s usually straightforward that nominees meet the requirements for (a) significant business success and (b) impact on industry, this tends to be why they have been nominated. But it’s noteworthy that the other two criteria follow just as naturally when it comes to women – it seems that once we reach a place of success and impact, we are wired to (c) support other females to succeed and to (d) give back or do good with our time and resources.
This year’s inductees made me feel immensely proud to be a woman in business; Dame Suzie Moncrieff, Theresa Gattung, Christine Sharma & Kiri Nathan. Click here to read more about their success – each of them has a remarkable story.
Resilience is something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately, and as each of the accomplished women shared their acceptance speech it struck me that their perspective was their greatest gift to the attendees. Theresa Gattung spoke about the smoke and mirrors of success often obscuring the reality that ‘we all have good times and bad times’, yet her clear understanding of her kaupapa (calling), to empower women, would not have emerged without the bumps in the road. Dame Suzie said that her wildest dreams for World Of Wearable Art have been realised, yet she put it down to hard work, belief in herself and being bold and persistent through some gut-wrenching hurdles. Christine encouraged humour ‘when the days are long and challenging’ and spurred the audience to ‘hold onto your belief in yourself and solve one problem at a time’ when you feel stuck. Kiri spoke of her reconnection journey with her Maori heritage and the windy road that led her home to her people.
Resilience is something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately, and as each of the accomplished women shared their acceptance speech it struck me that their perspective was their greatest gift to the attendees
I left the ceremony feeling inspired for sure, but primarily I felt lifted. The perspective shared by our four extraordinarily successful inductees had been reframed in terms that encouraged me to ‘zoom out’ when things feel hard and remember that the tough times are part of a bigger picture. Christine said it best when she said ‘no one ever queued for a flat roller coaster ride, right?’ So let’s make an effort to enjoy the journey, even when we don’t!