Women’s Leadership and the Art of Self-Care

Attending the 2024 Women’s Leadership Forum will help you grow both personally and professionally.

BEING SUCCESSFUL IN A FAST-PACED INDUSTRY like equipment finance requires a balance of business acumen, talent, persistence and grit. To reach and sustain being at the top of your game also requires self-care—especially if you’re a woman challenging existing industry norms and pushing boundaries.

These are the issues being addressed at the 2024 ELFA Women’s Leadership Forum. The theme of the fourth annual event, taking place Feb. 8-9 in Nashville, is “Breaking Barriers & Shaping the Future.” Building on the success of previous Women’s Leadership Forum events, this year’s gathering is expected to be bigger than ever, attracting both women and men, ranging from entry-level professionals to top leaders in the industry.  

“This conference is different from other ELFA events because of the focus on personal development and care as well as business,” says Catherine Roddick, Chair of the ELFA Women’s Council and Lead Relationship Manager for CoBank/Farm Credit Leasing, a cooperative bank that focuses on supporting rural communities and agricultural clients. “It’s an opportunity to really focus and work on yourself. You can go to so many different conferences on so many different topics that are business-focused, networking-focused and sales-focused, but we don’t take enough time to turn that focus inward and work on ourselves.”

At the same time, Roddick says the Women’s Leadership Forum also has important professional development and networking opportunities. Combining those with a purposeful focus on caring for the whole self helps attendees up their game professionally while getting the support that can help them advance their careers.

Two days of insight and wisdom

Indeed, women professionals often bear the brunt of home life responsibilities in addition to their work at the office. The Pew Research Center found that, among heterosexual married couples where the husband and wife earn similar incomes, men typically spend more time on leisure activities while women pick up more of the caregiving and household responsibilities. These additional demands on women can create challenging stressors.

In a new addition to the 2024 Women’s Leadership Forum, the mental health subcommittee of the Women’s Council will present a breakout session focused on these stressors and overcoming them. Led by award-winning speaker, author and event producer Erika Gilchrist, the session will use Gilchrist’s own story of resilience to help inspire attendees—both men and women—to focus on their mental health care.

In addition, keynote speaker Marie Garvey will bring awareness to the unique challenges women face in the workplace and the skills they need to overcome those challenges. Entitled “Winning as Women,” Garvey’s session will share her mission of “meeting women where they are” and sharing tools to help them be comfortable with their own power and advance their careers.

The focus on sharing tools sets the Forum apart. “Too often, we hear inspiring speeches that promote optimism but do not provide actionable steps that can lead to becoming more effective leaders,” says Aimee Jackson, a member of ELFA Women’s Council and Account Management Supervisor at Great American Insurance Group based in Cincinnati.

The selection of topics for this year’s Forum was purposeful, says Jerilyn Nicholsen, a member of the ELFA Women’s Council as well as Managing Director of Business Development for the Commercial Finance business line at Pathward®, N.A, a U.S.-based financial empowerment company. Nicholsen says that one of the most popular panels from last year’s Women’s Leadership Forum was on work-life balance. “In part, this is a continuation,” she says. “Mental health seems to be a growing topic—in our adult lives with the high pressure and speed at which everything is done, but also with family members who are dealing with mental health challenges. We all know somebody today who struggles, whether it’s with depression, anxiety, an eating disorder or some other challenge.”

Forming friendships and communities

One of the highlights of the event, according to several previous attendees, is the camaraderie and networking that takes place. Based on previous attendee feedback, the planning committee has allotted more time during breaks to facilitate networking and informal conversations. Some luncheon tables are organized by professional role or interests, so colleagues can find others who have similar roles or other aspects in common. 

In addition, this year will see the return of other popular features, including a fun walk and small dining experiences called “dine-arounds.” The fun walk will take place on Thursday, Feb. 8 for roughly an hour before registration. The exact time will be published in the final schedule and no pre-registration is necessary. Just join the group in the lobby about 15 minutes before the scheduled time. And don’t worry if you’re not a hard-core athlete: the walks are leisurely and meant to allow attendees to get to know each other, says organizer Lauren Baingo, a member of the ELFA Women’s Council and Program Manager for finance company DLL, based in Wayne, Pennsylvania. “We get a chance to connect, be a little active and get outside before the day begins,” she says.

Baingo is also organizing the event’s dine-arounds, which are small groups that dine at different restaurants around the city. Groups usually include five or six people and require registration in advance. (Note: Dietary restrictions and preferences can often be accommodated if the organizers are made aware of them in advance.)

The networking opportunities that this event provides are invaluable, according to Kim Riggs-Mounger, ELFA Women’s Council member and Vice President of Business Development at commercial loan and lease servicer Orion First Financial, LLC, based in Gig Harbor, Washington. “The people you meet, when you’re sitting down at dinner with eight people you’ve never met before, become lifelong friends and contacts. I still run into the accomplished women I met at a dine-around years ago,” she says. “I would never have known them otherwise.”

“These opportunities are a reason why men should attend the event, too,” Roddick says. And she’s hearing a great deal of interest from men who are thinking about attending. “Most men work with women, side-by-side on the same team, are managed by women, or have women on the teams they manage. There’s a lot of value for them to hear what we’ll be discussing,” she says. “And many of these issues are universal. Men face burnout. Men need to learn how to self-promote without overdoing it. Men need to find colleagues who can help them in their careers.”

Jackson says the event is an opportunity to acknowledge the unique barriers women face, challenge existing norms and push boundaries to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce and future. “Through our dynamic speakers, engaging breakout sessions and top-notch networking opportunities, we hope to provide attendees with the practical advice and tools they need to thrive in their careers. Women and men will gain a better understanding of how to promote women’s advancement, create pathways for success and shape a future where diversity is celebrated, barriers are shattered and opportunities are abundant for all.”

Get the Most Out of the Women’s Leadership Forum

Whether you’re a first-time attendee or are a veteran who has attended each of the five previous Women’s Leadership Forums, the organizers have some tips that can help you get the most out of the event.

Do some prep beforehand.

“Review the sessions and think about what you want to learn from them,” Roddick suggests. It’s also a good idea to review the list of attendees in advance or at least take note of colleagues who might be there. Perhaps post on LinkedIn about the Forum and make plans to meet up, even if it’s just for a brief networking chat, Nicholsen adds. “If you can find a name you recognize or someone who you plan to get to know, that can be a powerful way to feel more comfortable,” Nicholsen says.

Clear your calendar and dive in.

Once you’re at the Forum, focus on it, Jackson says. “Take steps before the event to create space to be fully present at the Forum. Clear your calendar for the week—ask coworkers to provide out-of-office coverage and inform internal and external teams of your travel plans,” she says. Then, when you’re at the conference, introduce yourself to strangers and get to know the speakers, who are typically very accessible. And capture what you’ve learned in the moment. “Take notes, write down the names of the people you encounter, and plan for how you will apply or share your newly acquired knowledge upon your return to the office,” she suggests.

Put yourself out there.

The culture of the conference is very supportive and collaborative, Baingo says. “These are like-minded people who are coming because they want to see women succeed within this industry,” she says. So, put your hand out and introduce yourself or speak up during a session to ask or answer questions, she says. Roddick agrees. “Come with the understanding that this is such an incredibly supportive environment. Be ready to be open. Be ready to be vulnerable. Be ready to take in all the information but also share. There are definitely going to be opportunities to talk amongst the groups about the different topics,” she says. “The more open we can all be, the better it is for everybody.”

Stay open to everyone.

The conference is very organized, and you’ll likely be in situations where you’re among strangers who have different roles than you, Riggs-Mounger says. If you walk into lunch and you’re assigned a table where you don’t know anyone, that’s the time to get curious. Most people at conferences are there to make connections and grow their businesses. At the Women’s Leadership Forum, everyone is coming together to support each other, she says. “Because it’s women’s leadership, you have your accountants, you have your collectors, you have your IT people. So, there’s a lot of people there that aren’t just people like me in business development,” she says. “We’re really good about pulling women in and not letting them feel left out.”

Do the follow-up.

Once the conference is over, you can still get more out of it, Jackson says. “Block out your schedule so you can read up on and post in the Women4Inclusion LinkedIn group, follow up with speakers, share learnings or stay in touch with the people you connected with,” she says. That continues building on the foundation you started at the Forum.