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:

1. Don’t be afraid to make an ask — people are always willing to help in any way they can.
2. Just because it’s business doesn’t mean you can’t be your real self. When we lower the “work shield” a bit, we create more genuine connections.
3. No one goes very far without community. The power’s in your people.
4. Don’t skimp on your brand values. Let the world know what they are.

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!)
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