The Power of Uncomfortable

It was another one of those mornings where I’d wished I could just sleep in a little longer. I’d been rolling out of bed around 05:45 every morning in order to make it to events and meetings all week in downtown DC. I shouldn’t complain, I have been given the opportunity to meet with folks that are putting in more hours than I can imagine in order to serve and protect our country. I knew that I wanted to attend this AFCEA WIN breakfast though, the first official civilian Chief Data Officer of the Air Force, Eileen Vidrine, was speaking and I’ve recently become fascinated with the initiative to expand this position throughout our government. In addition, Claire Cuccio was another guest speaker and current CEO at SNVC. As I was getting ready for the breakfast going through my morning routine I had to give myself a little pep talk to keep myself motivated and go in with a good attitude. I told myself that my drive and determination should not be coming from a perspective of outside competition, but internal championship. I thought to myself...what I do on a daily basis should be measured on how I performed the day before. I can always strive to do and be better in every aspect of life without having to compare myself to others.

As it happened, all three women including our moderator Meg Mitcham, came from an Army background making for a very unique and compelling affair. To add to the influential line up, for the first time, the event consisted of women and women only- the first ever all female audience at this AFCEA WIN chapter. With the sense of empowerment in the air we opened our ears and perked up in our chairs to hear what these women of such remarkable accomplishments had to tell us about the risks they’ve taken in their careers and where they are today.

Claire brought her 29 years of experience in the Army and told us her stories about fighting adversity, making her way through times of discouragement and hardships, but more importantly on how she paved her own path with innovation and confidence. During her time with the Army she co-created a group called Sisters In Arms, Kabul Chapter, forged towards mentoring and providing guidance to women that work in a male dominated field. It’s groups like these that inspire women to understand their value and how to properly communicate their worth. Some of her best pieces of advice were simple yet necessary reiterations as we often don’t hear this enough- speak up, educate yourself, trust your gut, and use your network. Most of all she told us that driving these accomplishments is a team effort, and asking those we trust for help is a sign of strength and not a weakness. This is a point of validation for those of us who understand there are others who help us contribute to the bigger picture, and we’re never alone in our times of struggles or achievements.

Throughout the speaking engagement our moderator Meg delivered not only a comedic and lightheaded avenue, but asked the tough questions we’re often afraid to face. The revealing guidance Eileen conveyed broke down the hard exterior of the queries, taking the sensitivity of the topic and providing hope through her experiences of working with the Army and different government organizations that have led her into a role that had never existed before. Although many factors contributed to her current position as the first civilian CDO within the Air Force, she told her story about her year of yes. During her year(ish) time as a White House Leadership Fellow Eileen spent her time doing whatever was asked of her, and emphasized her enjoyment of that window seat she’d longed for. However, this year of yes and a glorified window seat came at a cost. Eileen explained she struggled through an uncomfortable position with her manager at the time that almost kept her from taking advantage of this monumental opportunity. That in itself was the lesson, take on the uncomfortable, fight for yourself and understand that taking these risks in your career are what provide you with the chance to pursue the yes and the window seats in your contingencies.

To close... I want to expose that this blog in itself is a risk I am taking to further myself in my career. It is the third blog I’ve ever published, but one of the dozens I’ve written. It wasn’t until very recently that I decided to face my fears of vulnerability and trust my gut, trust in those who believe in my capabilities, and take the chance on feeling #uncomfortable. To my growing network out there- thank you for taking these steps in this ongoing journey with me, and I look forward to what lies ahead.