One of the core tenants of who I am as a person is constantly trying to improve myself and a part of that improvement comes from continuously learning. I believe that continuous learning at all stages of one's life and career is incredibly important, for both personal and professional growth.

There are a number of ways that you can continue learning outside of going back to school. Below are some ideas based on what I have tried out over the years. I will be focusing on continuous learning for your professional life, though any of these ideas or suggestions can be applied to your personal life as well.

One of my favorite ways to learn is to buy a book on the subject I want to learn about and then read it (I know, that's super basic). I sometimes take notes on pertinent points that I want to remember, similar to learning back in school. A blank notebook is my best friend.

Once I got my first manager position, I purchased several books on management and leadership; I plan on reading and sharing these books here as I am able. Don't be afraid to ask for book suggestions from people/leaders that you admire; that's what I did. People were more than willing to share what books they had read to aid in their professional development.

I also have a collection of articles and videos that I am working through which have either been suggested to me or are something that I found on my own. The internet is a vast treasure trove of knowledge if you know how to use Google right.

Another way that I love to learn is by attending seminars and conferences. Conferences give you the opportunity to hear from and network with other professionals. You may have to pay to attend these, but some places of employment will cover the expenses- just ask your manager. The worst that they can say is no! At the very least, this will signal to them that you are interested in these kinds of opportunities and maybe your name will come up if a vendor or supplier provides free invites to a conference!

​Through a past job, I was introduced to Fred Pryor Seminars; I was fortunate enough to have a manager that purchased annual passes for my coworkers and I. Through this program, I was able to attend unlimited live seminars and view online seminars. There are other options for this sort of program, I am sure, but Fred Pryor is the only one that I have personally tried. I attended and recommend the following live seminars:

• Business Writing for Results
• How to Write Clear and Concise Policies and Procedures
• Project Management
• Managing Multiple Priorities, Projects, and Deadlines
• How to Deliver Exceptional Customer Service
• Dealing with Difficult People

Online classes are especially helpful for people in technical fields or those looking to break into the IT sphere. You can find these classes through colleges if you want, but there are other options available. One that I have personally tried is Codecademy. I took their beginning web design class (originally called Codecademy Ready) and really enjoyed the program; they have professionals who provide feedback on your three big projects and the lessons are interactive. Through it, I learned a lot about HTML and CSS and I also learned that website design was not something that I wanted to pursue.

One of the not so obvious benefits of continuous learning is that sometimes, you learn that you're not as interested in something as you thought you were, or maybe you're just not good at it (like me with web design). This is not failing; this is just more learning.

Unless you're a sole proprietor or the top dog in your company, chances are pretty high that there are people working above you in management or people in your company with more experience. Reach out to these people and ask if you can interview them. Compile a list of questions you want to ask them and take lots of notes!

When I was an intern in college, I created the "Learning About Leadership" project, where I reached out to every C-Suite level executive and VP in my company to interview them. You would be amazed at how many people were more than happy to answer my questions in email, over the phone, or even in person- and I was just an intern! People love to share what they know and I highly encourage you to reach out to your network.

There are many clubs and societies out there for a professional to join; you can find them by browsing online, asking colleagues, or even searching somewhere like Meetup.com or LinkedIn.

The organization that I have the most experience with is Toastmasters International. Per their website, "Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development." I was a member of this club back when I was in college and I loved it.

I was the youngest member of my club by decades and as such, I learned a lot. I was able to get feedback from and network with people who were much further along in their careers and in their development as public speakers/leaders than I was. This did more for me than any public speaking class in college ever did.

I enjoyed Toastmasters so much that I have recently rejoined the organization; I joined the "Once Upon a Time" club in Kent, WA. I highly recommend Toastmasters to anyone at any level in their career. They recently revamped their program and have instituted "Pathways," which allow you to hone in on what you want to work on. For example, I chose the Dynamic Leadership path: "This path helps you build your skills as a strategic leader and negotiator. You will work through projects that focus on understanding leadership and communication styles, the effect of conflict on a group and the skills needed to defuse and direct conflict. Each project also emphasizes the development of strategies to facilitate change in an organization or group, interpersonal communication and public speaking. The Dynamic Leadership path culminates in a project focused on applying your leadership skills."

The final suggestion that I have for your today is to write. One way in which writing contributes to continuous learning is through research. When you're writing a blog, for example, you may have to research for the content that you want to provide. When you write, you grow and you remember more of what you are working on than by just reading it.

Writing something like a blog can can also foster discussions on the subject matter, allowing you to hear other people's thoughts and opinions. Don't be afraid to share and discuss what you write!

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Overall, continuous learning is important inside and outside of the office and I hope that you will use some of my suggestions here to expand your base of knowledge.

What are some methods that you use to learn? Let me know in the comments!

On Thursday, June 14th, I had the privilege of attending the Women of the Channel - On the Road conference in Bellevue, WA sponsored by Oracle and Microsoft (I was there as a guest of Oracle- thanks, Oracle!).

This conference was an amazing experience; I learned a lot and was inspired by all the women that I met there. Their words and guidance are what motivated me to start this blog. I am a first time manager and I want to share what I am discovering so that others might learn from it. I think it's only fitting that my first blog be about what I learned while attending the conference that so inspired me.

There were several speakers there: Lisa MacKenzie with the Channel Company, JJ DiGeronimo, the president of Tech Savvy Women, Tara Palmieri with Oracle, and Gavriella Schuster with Microsoft. Each woman taught me something different and I was able to speak with most of them one on one during the networking event. They encouraged me and gave me some really great advice. Below, I will highlight the things that were most impactful for me.

What Do You Want Your Impact to Be?

I had never been asked or asked myself this question before. I have been asked what I want to be when I grow up, what I want to do with my life, and what I want my five year plan to be, but no one has ever asked me what I want my impact to be. How do I want to impact my company? How do I want to impact the world?

I wish I had a full answer for this question already, but I am working on it. It's a heavy thing to decide what you want to do to make an impact, but thinking it over has given me insight into myself that I didn't have before and I believe that answering this question fully will really make a difference in my career and at my current company.

Position Yourself for Future Impact

This was the title of JJ DiGeronimo's speech, and when you stop and think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Are the tasks that you're committing to positioning you to make the impact that you want to make? She had us make a list of our commitments to determine if they were worth the time/energy we were spending on them and if they were aligned with our goals. You can read more about that in her book, which I just ordered on Amazon- Accelerate Your Impact: Action-Based Strategies to Pave Your Professional Path.

It can be hard to say no when someone asks you to do something at work, but you should take a moment to determine if the commitment you're making is helping position you for where you want to create impact and if it's a good use of your time and energy. Do not be afraid to say no or to propose less strenuous alternatives.

Almost Everyone Suffers from "Impostor Syndrome" at Some Point

According to the Harvard Business Review, "Impostor syndrome can be defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success. 'Impostors' suffer from chronic self-doubt and a sense of intellectual fraudulence that override any feelings of success or external proof of their competence." 

Not everyone feels this way all the time, but it's completely normal to sometimes feel like you don't belong in the position you are in. For example, I said above that I am a first time manager. Sometimes, I feel like I don't have what it takes to be a manager, despite some very smart people telling me otherwise and my own evidence to the contrary. The women addressing us, women who I view as having "made it" and as being incredibly successful, all agreed that they felt this way sometimes and if they can feel this way and still be successful, so can I and so can you. We are not impostors and I wouldn't be where I am now if my management didn't believe in me.

Take Up Space!

Do not be afraid to take up space! Women are generally conditioned to take up as little space as possible, whereas men are conditioned to do just the opposite; ever see someone "man-spreading?" TAKE. UP. SPACE! Be noticed! You deserve your seat at the table just as much as anyone else and you have value or else you wouldn't be there. Spread out your notes and get comfortable.

Network Up

In general, women do not network above their station whereas men don't seem to have a problem rubbing elbows with the big wigs. Don't be afraid to get to know the people at the top of the food chain. They can teach you a lot and help you achieve your goals. It's hard to rise in the ranks if no one knows who you are.

Speaking of Goals...

Have goals! This has probably been said a thousand times in a million different ways, but it bears repeating; have goals! Give yourself achievable yet ambitious goals. You can't create impact without goals.

Take Risks and Make Mistakes!

This point resonated with me just as much as the "BE BOLD" section above; do not be afraid to make mistakes. It's been said a hundred times or more, but hearing it in this context helped me a lot. Taking risks is very important in business and in life. Don't be afraid to take risks and own and learn from your mistakes. Mistakes are human and we shouldn't be afraid to make them. I realized that I had become scared of making mistakes in my new role, but that's just silly; making mistakes is how we learn. 

Feed Yourself a Highlight Reel

Do you ever find yourself reflecting on your day, thinking about everything that you did wrong or that stressed you out? It will take some time to train yourself, but stop that! Instead, feed yourself a "highlight reel." What went right? What did you accomplish? Did you learn anything? Focus on the positive more than the negative.This will probably help banish that impostor syndrome I talked about above.

And Finally, Highlight Your Accomplishments

This is very important! Men tend to be judged for new positions by their potential, whereas women are judged by what they have accomplished. Of course, this isn't true in every scenario, but it's important to note. Make a list of your accomplishments (regardless of your gender) and the results that they achieved. Use metrics as often as possible.

"Bundle your value." What value do you provide today? What do you plan to do next to drive results? What is your current impact and what are your future aspirations? I wrote up a list of all that I have accomplished in my current position and the results that my team and company experienced because of them. List it out, big or small! This was really helpful in showing me that I DO have a positive impact on my company and that I do have what it takes to be in management.