Women in Leadership: Let’s Share Our Journeys on International Women’s Day
Authored By Julie Catalano
“Here’s to strong women, may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.” — Unknown
In honor of International Women’s Day (IWD), I wanted to take this opportunity to share some insights on my role as Chief People Officer at Bespoke Partners, my journey as a working mother, and the enormous passion I feel for supporting women in leadership everywhere.
As the youngest of seven children, I watched my mother break the glass ceiling and become one of the few female business leaders of her generation. The only daughter of an Italian immigrant, my mother understood the value of education and the importance of breaking through barriers and stereotypes associated with being a woman in business.
I am enormously proud of my mother’s persistence and determination, and how she has created a lasting legacy that will inspire future generations of women to follow in her footsteps.
I am keenly aware that my success is the direct result of the generous advocacy I’ve received from my parents, my mentors, and my leaders throughout my life. As a mother and a C-suite executive, I also understand my responsibility to pay it forward by bringing others along.
By empowering the next generation of female leaders, I hope to do my part in building a future where gender equality is the norm and where women can achieve success in any field they choose. It’s inspiring to see how the world is changing, and how my teenage daughter sees the world with endless possibilities. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing my mentees learn, grow and move on to roles of greater responsibility! 
On balance, I would not be 100% honest if I told you that it’s been easy to successfully navigate the challenges of balancing a career and motherhood. In fact, I don’t believe that work-life balance is a reasonable expectation; for me the secret has been understanding the art of work-life integration and giving myself some slack.
It’s important to recognize that being a working parent can be difficult, and it’s okay to have setbacks and challenges along the way. I found that having mentors and sponsors who believed in me and supported my goals made a huge difference in overcoming those challenges and achieving success. And today, as my children are now 15 and 18, I am well positioned to support and guide other working parents who face similar struggles.
Leadership development is a crucial aspect of any organization’s growth and success, and we recognize that having a diverse group of leaders can bring unique perspectives and ideas to the table.
At Bespoke, we have significant female representation in our senior leadership roles, and we also are committed to supporting our clients to do the same by ensuring their candidate pools are diverse; we have some dynamic role models in this space.
We were founded by working mother Kristie Nova, and our current CEO Eric Walczykowski is the son of a working mother.
Eric has shared his mother’s experiences as a female executive in the ‘80s and how they have had such a profound impact on his desire to mentor and advocate for women in leadership.
By having this dialogue, Eric acknowledges the challenges that women have faced historically in the workplace and demonstrates his active commitment and sponsorship around creating more equitable opportunities for women in leadership roles.
On IWD, it is an honor to support and celebrate the strength of women. At Bespoke Partners, we recognize and honor the strength, resilience, and accomplishments of women, and empower women to reach their full potential.
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