Unlocking Confidence and Success at the Recent Stifel WIN Luncheon

In September, Stifel's Women's Initiative Network (WIN) hosted an exciting luncheon, Promote Yourself With Confidence, at the Home Office.? With all 160 RSVP slots snapped up within just an hour of the invitation being sent, the event clearly struck a chord with our WIN community.

Featuring guest speaker Aimee Dunne from The Coras Group, an operations consultant known for guiding teams through complex growth and efficiency challenges, the event focused on the power of self-confidence in advancing careers.? Aimee shared practical tips on how women can confidently showcase their skills and speak up about their value at work – key moves for any professional.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take the next big step, I hope these takeaways from the luncheon will inspire you to pursue your own goals with confidence.

Confidence: A Personal Journey

Aimee kicked us off by addressing a challenge many women face: imposter syndrome.? She mentioned that even someone as accomplished as Julie Andrews has stated feeling like she might be “found out” at times.?

“One of my favorite actresses, Julie Andrews, who we all know from Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, has spoken about her fear of being ‘found out.’? Despite all her success, she’s often afraid that people will discover she isn’t as talented as they think she is,” Aimee shared.? Her point?? “Even the most accomplished among us can struggle with confidence.”

She then invited the audience to reflect on their own experiences with confidence.?

“Who’s feeling confident right now, or maybe felt confident at some point this morning?” A few hands went up.? “We all have that little bit of imposter syndrome,” she continued.? “Even I’m standing up here thinking, ‘Who am I to talk about confidence?’? But it’s not about feeling confident all the time.? It’s about understanding what confidence feels like to us and how we can build more of it in our jobs, our lives, and our roles.”

The presentation then turned to what confidence really means.?

“Confidence is not arrogance.? It is not intelligence, it is not innate talent, it is not your position or your role within the company. It is not always looking on the bright side.? It's not even having good judgment,” Aimee shared.? “It's sometimes a combination of these things.”

Confidence Cousins: Misconceptions About Confidence

Aimee then debunked some common misconceptions, clarifying that self-esteem, optimism, efficacy, and self-compassion, while important, aren’t the same as confidence.

“These are what I like to call ‘confidence cousins,’” she explained.? “You can feel great about yourself and not necessarily be confident in your work.? You can be a happy person and not necessarily feel confident in what you’re doing.? You can be good at what you do, but maybe you’re quiet or tend to take a seat at the back of the room.? You might be very, very skilled but not feel the confidence that you’d like to feel."

She went on to describe how these “confidence cousins” can sometimes get in the way.?

“We tend to overthink, aim for perfection, or avoid conflict, and these habits can hold us back.”

Aimee urged the audience to push past the things that keep us quiet in meetings or prevent us from stepping up.?

“As women, we often want to keep the peace, we’re quick to overthink, and sometimes we don’t speak up because we’re afraid of stepping on toes.? But that only holds us back.? If we don’t advocate for ourselves, no one else will.”

Data Speaks: Women and Self-Doubt

As we know, numbers don’t lie.? And Aimee came with some eye-opening data to back up her statements.

“There was a study done by the Institute of Leadership and Management in the U.K., and they found that half of women reported some level of self-doubt, compared to only a third of men,” she shared. “Women tend to doubt themselves more.”

She continued with another powerful statistic.?

“At Carnegie Mellon, a study found that men negotiate their salaries four times as often as women, and when women do negotiate, they ask for 30% less than what men ask for.? That’s significant.? This isn’t just about confidence.? It’s about how we value ourselves and the impact that has on our careers.”

Aimee emphasized that these findings are more than just numbers – they reflect real-world consequences.?

“This data shows that confidence directly impacts not only how we feel but also our earning potential and career satisfaction,” she said. “If we want to earn more and be seen for our true value, we need to feel confident enough to speak up and advocate for ourselves.”?

Leveling Up the Confidence Game

Throughout the session, Aimee shared practical tips for boosting confidence, focusing on five key barriers: overthinking, people-pleasing, perfectionism, internal attribution, and personalizing setbacks.? Here are some of her top tips.

Take Credit for Your Achievements

“Start by keeping a ‘win list’ of your successes,” she encouraged. “Big or small, celebrate them. I have one of these in the front of my notebook. It can be anything from going to the gym to speaking in front of a room full of amazing women.”?

She acknowledged that we’re often our own worst critics, so it’s important to counteract that inner dialogue by consciously acknowledging and celebrating our achievements.?

“Stake your claim when you've done something well,” she advised.? “If you had an idea that worked, take credit for it. Don’t demure.”

Speak Up

Aimee highlighted the importance of contributing your voice and ideas, even when it feels intimidating.?

“If you have something to say, say it. Your perspective is valuable,” she shared.? “Practice speaking up like any muscle – it gets stronger with use.? If you’re in a meeting and have an idea, add it to the conversation.? Sometimes, it’s hard, especially if you’re quieter by nature, but your voice matters.? You deserve to be heard just as much as anyone else.”

Embrace Mistakes

“Mistakes are part of the process.? Learn from them and move forward,” Aimee said.??

She then shared a personal story about learning to knit to highlight the value of perseverance despite initial failures.? “I signed up for three classes just to learn how to knit because I’m a perfectionist and thought it would help me relax.? I was so stressed about getting it right, but I kept going, even though I wasn’t good at it.? Now, I just knit rows while I watch TV or listen to a podcast.? It doesn’t have to be perfect – it’s about trying and enjoying the journey.”

Don’t Opt Out

“If there’s an opportunity, take it.? Don’t put yourself out before you even try,” she said.? “Women often feel they need to meet every requirement before applying for a role, while men will apply with just 60% of the qualifications.? We need to change that mindset.? One of my favorite quotes is from Richard Branson:? ‘If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later.’”

Pursue Mastery

“Adopt a growth mindset.? Keep developing your skills, and confidence will follow,” Aimee advised.??

She emphasized the importance of embracing challenges and learning from failures as part of the path to mastery.?

“Think about a time when you weren’t good at something right away but kept going.? That’s where confidence comes from – failing, learning, and then trying again.? It’s a cycle, and it’s okay to stumble.? Every time you do, you’re building that muscle.”

Supporting Women at Stifel

As we wrapped up the session, it was clear that Aimee’s insights and practical advice resonated deeply with everyone in the room.? This shared enthusiasm highlights why Stifel’s WIN program is so important.? It’s all about giving our female associates the resources and support to thrive.

With events like this, we’re creating a space where women can connect, mentor, and uplift each other to succeed – confidently and authentically.? I’m proud of our efforts to create these support systems for our female associates across the firm, and the enthusiastic response to this luncheon shows just how dedicated we all are to empowering each other to reach our full potential.