The Library

A book. A community. The sense of belonging.

301 words by Daniela Felletti

Why do I feel often judged or guilty? How should I behave to be respected? Why can’t they see my added values?
If you are a woman or part of any underrepresented group, I have a feeling you will connect to this constant self-questioning…
For 31 years of my life, I found myself living these conflicts and barriers that I couldn’t understand why they existed.
I was living in Madrid when I suffered a mobbing from a company for the first time in my life and I think that was the moment of my lowest self-esteem. At this point, I was desperate to find inspiration … continue

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Don’t underestimate space and body language

301 words by Corinna-Rosa Falkenberg

I still remember how, during my time in investment banking, I understood that negotiations are conducted differently by men and women, in particular on an unconscious level. That was my first job after graduation and I was the only woman among many men in our meeting room. Some of the “biggest” floor traders were in the room. Definitely a lot of testosterone.
I noticed how the men clarified their ranking shortly after entering. This was done through gestures, facial expressions and literally taking a lot of physical and mental room.

I was flabbergasted and had to think how I once witnessed a cockfight in Java … continue

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Wishes Are Redundant

301 words by Simin Hashemi-Tehrani

Since I was as a little child, I dreamed of traveling across this planet. I wanted to see as much as possible to understand our world better. In 2018, life gave me the opportunity for such a journey, which I finished recently after 20 months.
Has life given me this chance because I wished for it or because it was part of my life plan?
After several months in Southeast Asia, Australia and South Pacific, I decided to walk the Camino Santiago in North Spain. The route I had chosen was 900 km long. Mostly I started before sunrise and hiked as long as my … continue

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RESERVE ME-TIME. STAY BALANCED.

301 words by Valerie Speth

It’s Monday 2pm, May 11th, 2020.
Blood all over me. My son’s blood. I hurry into the elevator while ordering Grab, the Uber of Singapore.
Destination: next hospital. I haven’t showered yet. The “community stay home order” allows you to focus on work, not beauty.
My two-year-old has fallen on the chin. I can literally see the bone and I am more than confident he’ll need stitches. In the cab, my phone rings. I decline. It’s my next business call to discuss urgent office
topics. My son stares at me, “aua”.
“Sweety, don’t worry. All will be fine.”
Emergency room check-in requires four COVID registration … continue

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HOW I BECAME MY OWN VERSION OF POWERFUL

301 words by Aleks Sztemberg

I always thought that to be powerful meant to be tough “like a man.” Speak with dominant language, a loud voice, and get openly angry when I don’t agree with something. 

When I realized that I am not advancing upwards in my career – only sideways – I looked into the experiences of my male colleagues along the way. I wondered how one becomes a C-level executive with less experience or knowledge than I have had?

In my last role, I started acting and communicating “like a man.” I was direct and not afraid to speak my mind. I was very open about my professional … continue

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Embracing my new Self

301 words by Garance Moulin

I was on track. After a business school diploma, I started my professional life as a financial controller. As I juggled my career and my family, I worked my way up to financial director. I wanted responsibilities and to enjoy my work.
I was the Program Director of a big IT project. More than 100 people. Millions of euros. I was dedicated and not sparing my efforts to make it work. My team was strongly relying on me to lead the way, make decisions, and give them motivation. I was working with the company employees, turning reluctancy into enthusiasm. And at home, I was raising … continue

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AM I GOOD ENOUGH?

301 words by Scarlett Fajardo

I’m passionate about making a positive impact and enjoy the professional success I’ve achieved so far. Nevertheless, I have often asked myself “Am I good enough?“.
After every promotion, I worried that I might fail and felt the need to prove that I deserved it.
When I talk with friends about this, I realize that many others – especially women – experience the same self-doubt. Why is it that even successful women – women I admire – feel this nagging doubt?
Maybe it is the perceived assumption that we were chosen to fulfill a quota. I often feel that society expects more of women. This … continue

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DAY ONE

301 words by Maria-Christina Tsitsopoulos

May 22nd 2019, the first day in my new job. My dream job. A job I wished for since I was a young girl. A job I had no idea how it would really be. Would it fulfil my expectations? Was I going to be any good at it? A job I couldn’t quite believe I had landed in the moment that I did. Now those first days blur into one. The feelings of excitement and adrenaline that come with every new beginning. The feeling of anxiety; was I doing things right, was my employer going to like me. I still couldn’t believe the journey … continue

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3 – 0

301 words by Marie Demont

“Are you f*** out of your mind!?”. I paused. I thought. I responded “Ok! Let’s go”, to my now-husband when he suggested we travel to Mexico instead of me accepting the internship I had just received from Coca-Cola in Madrid. On the scoreboard: Guts 1 – Brain: 0. It became an enriching experience working for the UN, while exploring Latin America for the first time, learning Kick-boxing, and making lifelong friends.

Years later, after having my first child, I was ready to go back to work. A safe job where I had proven myself, in an industry I had worked in for 8 years and … continue

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TAKE OFF YOUR ARMOR AND THRIVE

301 words by Katarina Stoltz

As a teenager my strongest belief was “life is a struggle” and I was miserable. I hustled for worthiness by getting good looking guys to like me. I toughened up on the outside, grew weaker on the inside and exaggerated my alcohol consumption. By my late 20s I had armored up so badly that I lost touch with the happy girl I used to be.

Then, I got hired as a photographer by one of the world’s biggest news agencies. My ego was thrilled! A few years later, I was at the top of my career when I suddenly found myself on the bathroom floor in … continue

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A CRISIS OR AN OPPORTUNITY?

301 words by Ping Ping Wen

Does this sound familiar to you: I wake at 6:00am to prepare breakfast and
lunch for my two elementary-age kids, then sit at my desk from 8:30am to
6:00pm. The busy life is suddenly on pause since Toronto is in
confinement due to concerns surrounding the spread of COVID-19. A
different level of stress has hit me, as it has many other working women.
Stress of exploring new technologies; setting up my home office; becoming
a part-time teacher and supervising kids’ study while also working;
worrying about parents, and the pandemic’s financial impact.
Many challenges have suddenly appeared in our lives; life has certainly… continue

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THE TRUE POWER OF BEING FEMALE

301 words by Susie Kahlich

In 2000, I was living in Los Angeles, working on becoming a screenwriter. I
love storytelling, and I’ve always wanted to tell stories to the world. But one
night in July, I became the victim of a violent crime. It lasted only a few
minutes, but it changed the course of my life. As part of my recovery, I
started training in a martial art called Ninjutsu – the art of the Ninja. It
started out with a desire to learn to defend myself better, but as my training
continued, I found that I had a pretty natural capacity for a lot of the stuff … continue

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