Last week, we reached a milestone. As we gathered together with our new cohort of Impactful Leaders, we realised that we had hit nine thousand graduates!
That’s nine thousand women who have passed through Generation Women’s doors; levelling up their careers, boosting their confidence and fulfilling their unique potential. We’re so proud of the work we have done with these women and what they have gone on to achieve. Our ambition is to double…triple…quadruple that number, help more women to triumph and become the best version of themselves.
But what makes our program different? What makes what Sinead does special?
Well, the best people to ask are the people who’ve been there and done that. So, we sat down with five fabulous graduates to hear how Generation Women’s Impactful Leadership PQ Mastermind helped them and what they think makes it so unique. (I have embellished some of this, do you think that is okay?)
“Sinead is great at getting to the nucleus of who you are.”
Nuala was the marketing manager for a leading restaurant chain when she first met Sinead. “Me and a colleague went along to an event and Sinead was one of the speakers. She was talking about the importance of personal brand. I fell in love with her, but thought, well I know about branding, I can do this for myself. Turns out, that’s harder than you think! So, I arranged to meet Sinead for a coffee.” The rest, as they say, is history.
Nuala is not only a graduate of the Impactful Leaders program but also the Rise and Shine, kick starter program. “Post-pandemic, I took a role with the advertising agency, Mammoth, they were going through a period of transition and growing rapidly, and they need help with their process. People were still working from home and things were siloed. So, I went in and conducted one-to-ones with every member of staff. From the insights gathered, I presented a new way forward. After working with Sinead, I know the value I could bring to any company. After talking salary, I was told that the HR manager had said ‘I’ve never heard a woman negotiate harder.’ All thanks to you, Sinead!” When you know your value, and the impact you can have, great things happen.
“Sinead is great at getting to the nucleus of who you are.”
Nuala McMenamin has had an incredibly successful career in design and marketing, but her passion has always been fashion. “I’ve always had a strong sense of personal style and receive a lot of compliments on my outfit and accessory selections, no matter my size; I’ve been a yo-yo dieter most of my adult life, so my own shape has fluctuated over the years.” For Nuala, this felt like a barrier to entry, but, she says, Sinead saw something different: “She said women want someone they can relate to. This is your USP.” Nuala now runs Adorn, a bespoke styling service for women. “Sinead helped me see my value and the impact I could have.”
“Sinead asks the difficult questions, but doesn’t leave you to answer them alone.”
Sarah McKay, vice president of service delivery at Concentrix, has always been more comfortable being the person who pushes others forward. “I used to like being the person in the background. I didn’t like talking about the good stuff…I didn’t like tempting fate!” After a stressful two years during the pandemic, Sinead and Sarah connected. “Sinead crashed into my life and asked me the difficult questions.” This was around the same time Sarah was offered a promotion, “I wasn’t sure I could do it, but I had Sinead and the rest of the group behind me cheering me on. Sinead introduced me to a number of thought leaders who I connected with and who helped me define the new role. This helped me understand that as a woman in a leadership position, I could thrive in my own authentic way and support others as we go.”
“Emotional isn’t a criticism, it’s your strength, your passion.”
Amy O’Bryne spent her early career working as a journalist before moving into the world of marketing and communications. “I remember one of the first things I was asked to do was go through 12 lever arch files and call every number in there.” A relationship builder, Amy quickly got her down and started to carve out a notable career in communications. “But, I was blunt and upfront. A male colleague accused me of being emotional which hurt.” After spending time with Sinead and completing the Impactful Leaders Program, Amy feels she is returning to her real self. “I’m passionate and that’s one of my strengths – it helps me build relationships and do my job well.”
“This course helped me focus.”
Roisin is an HR leader with a passion for supporting talent and helping people become the best they can be. It was a combination of this passion and hard work that led Roisin to take a seat on the board of Circet. “When I was offered the role, I didn’t think it was for me. I had that perception of, If you can’t see it you can’t be it.” Roisin said the effect the Impactful Leadership program had on her was transformational. “Not long after starting my new role, I was asked to speak at a management conference and given 48 hours’ notice! I had to speak for 20 minutes and historically, I would have been terrified, but this course helped me focus.”
“To be in a group and work with like-minded people is fantastic. I found myself skipping my family and friends and going straight to my course-mates with news.”
Like many others, Siobhan Brosnan first met Sinead at an event. “I was enjoying my career. But, when Sinead was talking I had this simmering feeling that there was more in me.” A highly accomplished and dedicated accountant, Siobhan took a promotion but found herself working around the clock. “I was working every hour god sent but I wasn’t able to accomplish what I wanted.”
In working with Sinead and the other women on the Impactful Leadership program, Siobhan was able to identify what she wanted her life and career to look like. Siobhan not only interviewed with, but got offered jobs at some of the world’s leading brands including Google, Pepsi Co, Tesco. “I turned down some phenomenal jobs for a variety of reasons. I wanted more of a work/life balance.” Siobhan went on to become the first employee of SpaceEx outside of the US. “When I read the job spec, the whole world went quiet. I knew this was my job.”
For Siobhan, having a group of like-minded women around her helped her journey. “I felt I had nobody in my circle I could talk about my career with. One thing I have got from this course is that I am part of an amazing group of women. When I had questions or doubts I’d find myself skipping my family and friends and going straight to the group for advice.”
If you would like to chat to Sinead about how the Impactful Leader PQ Mastermind could help you, you can set book a call here.
