Katie Culp, president of KSM Location Advisors, recently joined Tracy Betz, partner at Taft Law, and Marian Hodges, VP of operations at Data Realty, as a panelist at the IWL Foundation’s eighth annual Women’s Leadership Conference. Rafael Sanchez, president and CEO of Indianapolis Power & Light Company, moderated the panel.
The panel, titled, “Activating the Ripple Effect: Perspectives on Turning Inspiration to Impact,” encouraged women to leverage change in their lives to make a greater, long-term impact on their careers and community.
When asked what experiences initiated the “ripple effect” in her own life, Culp responded with one of her earliest professional epiphanies. “We live in a world where we all are so busy. Early in my career, a professional mentor of mine challenged me to consider whether I was simply being busy or if I was being truly productive with my life and career. This forced me to evaluate how I spent my days. Was I just filling it with busyness? The answer was often, ‘yes.’”
Culp also addressed finding balance between women owning their message and maintaining professionalism and creditability. “Women, you don’t have to be ‘one of the guys’ in order to be credible. You can be you. Be unique, and be proud of the value you bring to the table. But be open when vocalizing that value. Make room for diversity at the table – diversity of thought, that is. Openness works both ways.”
Additional advice from Culp on positively impacting self and others:
Harnessing life change into positive momentum often seems challenging and sometimes impossible. The panel closed by reminding women that change is on the horizon and to keep pressing forward. As Sheryl Sandberg aptly put it, “Someday there will be no female leaders but simply leaders.”