Women of Influence: Advice for the Workplace
Screenshot courtesy of video footage taken by Wes Parnell
The House of Susan B. Anthony hosted the Women of Influence Panel last Tuesday, featuring presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, beauty pageant titleholder and author Luisa Diaz, and King’s very own Assistant Professor of Business Kimberly Reeve.
The hour-long Q&A began with each of the women talking about their backgrounds.
Bachmann, a mother of five biological and 23 adopted children, felt it her calling to go to law school and study tax law as well as politics. She currently works with ministry at the United Nations to bring the gospel and Biblical speakers to the UN.
Diaz won Miss Venezuela International in 1999. She received an MBA with a concentration in marketing from the University of Tennessee, having come to America from her native Venezuela to study without knowing any English. Later, moving to Los Angeles, Diaz worked as an actress with the likes of Jennifer Lawrence and David O. Russell. She also founded Mi Amor Gala, an organization that partners with nonprofits to raise money and awareness for issues like domestic violence and human trafficking. Her latest project is a book titled "Sexy Is Timeless," which discusses the essence of true beauty, besides physicality, that lies within every woman.
Reeve studied French in college, pivoting later to the nonprofit sector, working for a multi-million dollar international management consulting firm. Finally, she fell into consulting, as she loved listening to others and giving advice.
The women gave some advice on important qualities: self worth, persistence, and passion; being comfortable with being told “no;” the ability to use social media and build your brand; reading a lot; and networking.
Bachmann gave some striking closing remarks on living life according to the calling of the Lord. “Live your life with the end goal in mind,” she said. We are all given the choice of eternity, all we have to do is choose to believe that. Life won’t be perfect; at the end of the day, what counts is what you did with it.