Nevada Women's Fund had the honor of collaborating with TEDxReno to organize a truly remarkable event last week: a TEDxReno Salon titled "Ask for More: Empowering Women to Negotiate Anything." If you're not familiar with TEDx Salons, they offer guests the chance to listen to a TEDx-like talk and then engage in an informal discussion about the topic, fostering community engagement and sparking meaningful conversations. What made this event particularly special? It was tailored specifically for women. Our guest speaker, Professor Alexandra Carter, holds esteemed positions as a Clinical Professor of Law at Columbia Law School and the Director of the University’s Mediation Clinic. She is renowned globally as a negotiation trainer, and her groundbreaking book "Ask for More: 10 Questions to Negotiate Anything" not only became an instant Wall Street Journal Business bestseller but also made history as the first negotiation book solely authored by a woman to achieve that accolade. In short, she's amazing! Alex, as I will refer to her because we are now fast friends (she may or may not know this) shared fascinating insights during her talk. As the mother of two college students, I was intrigued at the idea that her law students get to collaborate with diplomats at the United Nations, providing the opportunity to enhance their negotiation skills—now that’s a cool fieldwork assignment! Beyond that however, she talked about our responsibility as women to recognize and celebrate the value of those around us. She emphasized the importance of shining a light on the achievements and contributions of colleagues, friends, teammates and opponents. In doing this, you are fortifying a team of advocates that will ban together for the greater good. At Nevada Women’s Fund, we continuously emphasize the importance of Empowering Women, which we've done by working to dismantle barriers to education and career advancement for more than 40 years, and since that time, we've witnessed a significant shift: women now enroll in and graduate from college at higher rates than their male counterparts—a historic milestone. However, upon entering the workforce, they earn only 80% of what their male peers do. There are myriad reasons for this disparity, but one poignant takeaway from Alex’s talk was the inherent challenge women face in recognizing and advocating for their value, and in Asking for More. From this experience, I had two significant takeaways, one related to the subject matter and the other observed as a participant in the event. Takeaway #1: "Don’t Request, Recruit." In my role as a fundraiser in the non-profit sector, I've always prioritized relationships without labeling it as "recruiting." The concept of recruiting involves showcasing the value we offer others and the benefits of being part of our team. Recently, I was asked if we can use the term "return on investment” (ROI) in the non-profit space, and my response was yes! If there's no positive return on investment in terms of time, resources, funding, etc., why would someone want to join our team? I now aim to apply this mindset to my personal life as well—look out kids Mom’s recruiting! Takeaway #2: The TEDxReno Salon was a sold-out event, with over 260 women coming together to be empowered, inspired, mentored, and challenged in their thinking. Our community of strong, capable, well-educated, and professional women craves opportunities like this to enhance themselves, shape their futures, and improve the lives of their families. To all the women present last week, "I heard you. Nevada Women’s Fund heard you. You're Asking for More, and we'll be providing more opportunities for you in the very near future."
Comments