Meet Andrea and Gladys! These two budding leaders traveled from Honduras and El Salvador, respectively, as part of the Institute for Training and Development Professional Fellows Program. For the past two and a half weeks, they’ve been working alongside Hazel and me on Drio and Monument Women’s Creative Alliance. To sum it up… It’s been so much fun! In case you haven’t heard of it, the program gives professionals from other countries opportunities to strengthen their skills and network in the US. We’ve covered plenty of ground so far, from networking at the Triple Crown horse race to attending an inspiring summit about women in the transportation industry (some things are relevant no matter what industry you’re in). Thanks to Andrea and Gladys’s fresh perspectives, we’ve also uncovered new ways to promote our services and reflected on our processes. But there are a few takeaways in particular Hazel and I hope they embrace and take home with them:
For all those reasons above, I connected Gladys with my friends at Ignition 72. Four of their team members graciously offered to sit down with Gladys one-on-one to share their experiences with entrepreneurship since she’s building her own business. Managing Partner, Stefan told her something like, “If someone says they built their business alone, it’s BS.” It’s so true. No matter what type of business you have, you need people who will root for you on the sidelines, pass a baton, or toss you an energy bar when you need it. Thank you to our Baltimore ecosystem for offering free tickets to networking events, letting us work from your workspaces, clearing your schedule to take a phone call, hosting events honoring our fellows, and more. You’ve helped make this experience with Gladys and Andrea particularly special. Run the run with the right people, Rachel The Left Brain P.S. If you have questions about our experience with the Fellows Program, let me know. I’d love to share more. (A big thank you to Megan Lynch who originally told us about this opportunity!) |
Hi Reader, As soon as Rachel and I walked into the WordCamp conference in Basel, Switzerland, we spotted familiar faces from last year's event. We greeted each other with warm hugs even though it had been a year since we’d seen each other. When you think “website platform,” you might not think “cup-filling connections,” but it’s actually one of the things we’ve always loved about being a part of the WordPress world. WordPress is all about community, and it survives and thrives because of it....
Hi Reader, At the end of last month, I graduated from not one, but two programs: The Nancy Grasmick Leadership Institute’s Professional Leadership Program for Women and the CCBC Elite 10 Accelerator. It’s kind of felt like being back in college, with extracurricular activities and professional development piled on top of regular assignments. Mondays, I’d go from work to CCBC until 9 pm. Tuesdays, I’d be at Nancy Grasmick from 9-2. Meanwhile, regular business kept ticking along (not to mention...
Hi Reader, May was full of momentum at Drio—packed with launches, leadership milestones, and local impact we’re proud to share. From building websites and sponsoring women-led events to graduating from leadership programs and preparing for international conferences, this month reminded us just how powerful purpose-driven work can be. Here’s a peek at what we’ve been up to! 🌐 Websites Launched This month, Drio brought fresh new brands to the web, each designed to reflect the unique identity...