The Confident Girl Handbook
Cat Kevern, founder and director of Electric Cat Productions and chair of The Network of Women in Events, provides her top tips for women in the sector to conquer confidence.
Confidence is the ultimate superpower. An ephemeral sense of surety, waving your own “go on, girl!” banner in the face of adversity, and being your own backing dancer.
Professionally, women have been robbed of their confidence – 54 per cent of women currently experience imposter syndrome at work, compared with 38 per cent of men, and this trend is worsening as younger generations ascend to the workplace. So, how do we empower women with the confidence they deserve?
Truthfully, as a founder and director leading a hugely talented team of women, a professional with a decade of freelance experience, and the chair of an organisation dedicated to the empowerment of women - the Network of Women in Events - I still don’t have all the answers. What I do know is that I am constantly learning from and inspired by the women in my orbit. Colleagues, mentors, friends and LinkedIn connections alike offer up valuable insights, and I have leant on their advice throughout my career. Here are four key pillars which I have gathered to help you build a rock-solid foundation and enter your confident corporate girl era.
Your North Star
To be successful in any area of life, you need to know your ‘why’. This is more than just a career or financial goal; it's the driving force behind everything you do. So, take a moment to reflect on what truly inspires you, what gets you out of bed in the morning with fire in your belly and keeps you up at night buzzing with ideas. Whether it's making a difference in your community, disrupting the status quo, or simply having the freedom to live life on your own terms.
Ask yourself these prompt questions: What drives you? What scares you? When do you feel most confident?
Let your 'why' be the fuel that propels you forward, even when challenges arise. When you align your actions with your purpose, you’ll find yourself more energised and determined than you could have imagined.
Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash
Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash
Finding your voice
As women, we often find ourselves navigating a delicate dance of assertiveness and likeability, and have been expected to sacrifice our authenticity in order to remain palatable. Which is, excusez mon français, a load of crap. It's time to shatter that outdated notion and uplift our voices. Creating my business’s brand with this idea in mind - using bright, neon colours and an unapologetically punchy tone - has solidified in my mind that boldness is revolutionary. Nothing is more powerful than your authentic voice, opinions and ideas. Make sure they are being heard, even if it feels uncomfortable.
“As more women ascend to senior roles, we have a unique opportunity to redefine what it means to be a leader.”
Be daring
Big rewards are often just on the other side of a big risk. Putting yourself out there means stepping outside of your comfort zone and embracing these unknowns. Daring to take those risks, even when failure seems inevitable. Ultimately, successes and failures will both steer you in the direction you’re supposed to be heading, however challenging they feel at the time. So, take that leap of faith, start that passion project, or pitch that crazy idea. You never know where it might lead.
Establishing yourself as a leader
Leadership isn't just about a job title; it's about the impact you make. Positions of leadership have historically been reserved for those who fit traditional, masculine ideas of leadership. As more and more women ascend to senior level roles, we have a unique opportunity to redefine what it means to be a leader—to lead with grace, empathy, and a community mindset.
Whether you're leading a team of two or two hundred, remember the potential you hold to change people’s attitudes about what ‘good leadership’ means. Ask yourself: when do you feel most able to take the lead? What situations, people and environments allow you to exercise that skill, even on a small scale? Push yourself to adopt leadership wherever possible and watch your confidence flourish.
When you begin to treat these elements - confidence, risk-taking, assertiveness, leadership - as skills to be honed, rather than traits which you either do or don’t have, your opportunities for success become limitless.
It is bound to feel uncomfortable at times, but you deserve to be confident. Don’t waste your potential worrying about other people’s judgement and opinions; wave that “go on, girl!” banner and conquer the world, loudly.
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