Three ways we can all move women forward.

I decided to become a lawyer when I was seven. To be clear: I knew nothing about being a lawyer. The details felt somehow irrelevant at the time. That said, from the moment I entered law school right through to now, I have always known that this was the profession for me.

Getting here has been a journey. As only the second person — and first woman — in my family to go to university, mine was a relatively uncharted path. Mentorship has played a huge role in my progress along the way. I’ve encountered brilliant women and men willing to share a listening ear, a bit of advice or an encouraging cheer to keep me moving forward. When one particularly instrumental mentor reached out about the new position I’m diving into now, I felt the full impact of what it means to channel mentorship into sponsorship.

That’s the kind of lawyer, professional and person I seek to be every day, too. I am inspired by the blank canvas ahead, and the opportunities I will have to learn from others and share my knowledge in ways that compel progress for us all.

What will I bring to those conversations? The belief that our collective success comes down to our individual ability to do — and support in others — three key things:

• Take meaningful risks. Courage is a muscle. We build it up by taking measured risks and small chances. We exercise that muscle by trusting ourselves and following our own intuition. After all, to be a trusted advisor to others, you have to trust your own instincts. That means making decisions and expanding your appetite for risk over time.
  
  A summer internship exposed me to litigation. Listening to my gut, I risked the bird in the hand and moved to a firm more focused on that space — and never looked back. An offer to join the pre-eminent litigation firm in the country coming out my first mat leave, even before I knew what it might mean to be a working lawyer and a parent, spoke to me and I went for it. That role ended up presenting career-defining opportunities that didn’t just transform me; they enabled me to play a transformative role in precedent-setting corporate litigation.
  
  When the Chief Legal Counsel and Executive Committee member role at EY came up, I recognized an incredible chance to pour my litigation experience and passionate advocacy for diversity, equity and inclusiveness (DE&I) into a new challenge. It was scary, wonderful and the middle of a pandemic. But I did it, and I’m so glad I did.
  
  Each risk we take emboldens us to embrace the next one that comes along. This is how we grow and, in turn, make change for those around us.

• Try things you're not good at. Perfectionism can be paralyzing. Without a willingness to try new things, test ourselves and learn, we cannot reach our full potential. 
  
  At 16, I was not a natural athlete. Regardless, I tried out for rowing and uncovered a resilience and inner fortitude I never knew I had. That team required a lot of work. It came with no guarantees. But I am so much better for having pushed myself for those seven years I rowed competitively. I have applied that same spirit to my professional life, and have always been amazed by the outcomes born of trying something that feels hard. 

• Ask for what you want. Nobody reads minds. Real progress requires us to put what we’re after out into the world. A role, a responsibility, a seat at the table. Whether seeking to graduate from law school with honours or looking to build a greater internal network for DE&I in an organization, I have put my hand up again and again and again. I have asked for what I need, what I want and what I think will drive real change. Without that asking, there can be no progress. I promise, you won’t regret it. 

I am a mother to three children (surprise! it’s twins). I am a professional, a leader, a wife, a friend, a daughter, a sister. I am a listener and a speaker and a passionate advocate for greater inclusion everywhere, full stop. I could not be or do any of these things without committing first to taking risks, trying things and asking boldly for what I want.

More than anything: I must do these things while empowering other women to do the same. Because moving forward together allows us to accomplish so much more than we ever could standing apart.