Happy Monday!

We are thrilled to be back with you through our new virtual events! Huge thanks to Hope Kahan for sharing her expertise these past two weeks. Watch this space as we roll out more great content including virtual C-Suite dinners and our State of the Markets. More information on the events may be found here. Please note that we will be charging a nominal fee to attend and as always our profits go to the Young Women’s Preparatory Network to support the life-changing work they do across Texas. The schools were featured in a recent Washington Post article that can be found here.

To begin, kudos to our Advisory Board member, Cheryl Alston on her feature in D Magazine that can be foundhere. The article interviews three amazing black women at the helm of Dallas Assembly, the Texas Women’s Foundation, and the Junior League of Dallas. I have known Cheryl personally for over a decade and the Dallas Employees’ Retirement System has been better off for being under her watch. Anything she does, she does well, so this position is well deserved!

As you all are keenly aware, we are living through extraordinary times. How well we do in any stressful situation is dependent on our level of resiliency. Studies have shown that how loved one felt as a child is a predictor of how resilient one will be, but resiliency can also be learned. To quote from the article, “tools common to resilient people are optimism (that is also realistic), a moral compass, religious or spiritual beliefs, cognitive and emotional flexibility, and social connectedness.” The full article can be found here.

On the subject of social connectedness, for the first time many black executives are sharing their experiences of racism. While black people make up 12.4% of the population, only 3.2% of senior executive positions are held by black people. If we want to effect real change, it is incumbent on us all to listen. The full article can be foundhere. 

And finally, a lot has been written about work/life balance, and the advent of work from home during covid may finally have exposed it once and for all as the problem that cannot be solved, and perhaps should not be! The author in the next article postulates that we should rather see it as a conflict between two competing goods. “In our careers, we are independent beings, honing our talents and earning financial rewards; as members of a family, we prioritize our connection to those we love. Women tend to be more prone to guilt and self-doubt about their choices. After all, “impostor syndrome” originated as a diagnosis for high-achieving women. The full article can be found here.

I would ask each of you to consider corporate sponsorship of TXWSW. Benefits include attendance at our flagship events and recognition for your firm.  And most importantly, you help us support the life-changing work of the Young Women’s Preparatory Network. To learn more about YWPN, you can find a short video here.To learn more and sponsorship, you may find our sponsor information here. Additionally, we would be happy to create a custom sponsorship for you. Please contact Bianca King at developmentdirector@txwsw.com 

All my best to you and yours.

Kind regards

Christine