Alliance workshop attendee profile:
 Karen Broadhurst
Earlier this year Karen Broadhurst attended the Melbourne Women’s Leadership Alliance Workshop series. So inspired by the experience, she sought out key facilitator Di Pierce with the aim of getting support to become a facilitator herself..
What path has your career taken to date?
I’ve had a varied industry background both in Australia and overseas, I have been involved in very different businesses ranging from a commercial catering operation in London to establishing a yacht chartering business in the South of France. I recently left a marketing position to follow a new career path as a trainer/facilitator.
Where do you find inspiration? Who have been your role models?
I find inspiration everywhere. There have been times where I have not had to look to far afield - people who trust themselves enough to take chances, people who acknowledge their ‘feet of clay’, people who readily give and share their knowledge – the list is endless.
What experiences are you really proud of? Highlights, achievements, celebrations?
My family is the biggest highlight in my life. Everything I choose and have achieved is because of their support.
What has been your biggest challenge? What have you had to struggle with in your professional life?
Working in an all male environment was a very interesting experience. I took aspects of this and made it work to my benefit; one of which was creating an element of resilience within me. From my experience women and men work on different emotive levels within the work environment and it’s this arena that made it an unequal playing field.
What advice would you offer other women who are struggling to reach positions of leadership?
For me, there are three elements that I stick to: Firstly, Don’t lose sight of your goals. Secondly, trust yourself and lastly have faith in how strong you can be. Putting all three together can make quite a powerful dosage in getting what you want.
What has been your experience of the Women’s Leadership Alliance Workshop series?
The Alliance workshop was a notion that lead to a complete 180° turn-around in my career in a matter of months. Who would have thought?!
When I heard about The Australian Women and Leadership Forum I knew it was an area that would start me thinking laterally, and so I decided to make time to attend the Women’s Leadership Alliance Workshop. This was the start of a great emotional and professional journey for me.
How did you come about contacting the Alliance workshop facilitator?
Attending the workshop was beneficial on so many levels, but the most important one was the ‘networking’ that came about. This was the key word that lead me through this journey of exploration and discovery.
For this reason, I contacted Di Pierce as I had an idea for a complete change in my career path – I wanted to facilitate. This was new, challenging but also exhilarating and I knew that Di was there to support and encourage me through this transition. Having a complete new mindset, allowing myself to depend on others and knowing that there is an abundance of knowledge to be shared by networking; I have grown. I have also discovered the true meaning of support and what a powerful tool this is. I am proud to say that I have attained my goal of becoming a facilitator.
The Women’s Leadership Alliance Workshop was the start of steps that I created and achieved in a matter of months. The networking is endless and the resources to develop in my new career are infinite. I am grateful to Di for the inspiration and assurance she has shown me as I can now take this and hopefully be in a position to do the same for someone else.
 Have you ever been mentored?
Not until recently. Attending the Women’s Leadership Alliance Workshop gave me the opportunity to contact Di Pierce. Di has been a source of constant support and guidance as I worked through my new career change and has continued to be a part of this continuously evolving position. Women take up the mantle of mentoring as a natural process and I know that I will be a part of this mechanism to share and gain knowledge.
What hurdles do you think women face today?
I believe women can achieve whatever they set their minds to and more. Hurdles were meant to be jumped over and we can certainly do that with perseverance in realising our full potential.
How do you think women can support each other in their ambitions?
I’ve recently come to realise how powerful a tool networking can be. I always knew it was there to be used – however, going out and actively pursuing it is entirely different. Women are naturally great communicators so why not use this to our advantage and support each other.
What challenges are on the horizon for you?
I challenged myself when changing careers. My next step is to put the training/facilitating into practice. At this stage in my life I do not look at having challenges but rather going through different stages of development that just increases my growth. What is important to me right now is keeping my sense of balance between personal life and work.
Is there a quote you stand by or rules of thumb you live by?
Even though I do not have a particular quote that I stand by, I do follow the creed of ‘your word is your bond’. I’ve always believed that this is an aspect of one’s character that you can’t hide and put simply ‘gives you a backbone’.
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Upcoming Women’s Leadership Alliance workshops:
For more on the Alliance workshop series, click here
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