Be Direct and Unapologetic. Express Your Truth — Catherine Hamilton

She's Talking Back

Catherine Hamilton is the Vice President of Consumer Services and Strategic Planning at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont. Catherine is also a certified yoga instructor and prides herself on prioritizing her wellness first before serving others. In this episode, Catherine encourages women to not apologize for having good ideas. Be confident in the way you talk, and don’t second guess yourself. If you’ve ever wondered how a superwoman ‘can do it all,’ then you’re asking yourself the wrong question!

Key Takeaways

• How do you do it all?
• Catherine has never really been a perfectionist.
• We put so much pressure on ourselves to appear perfect. Why?
• So many women want to be strong and powerful leaders, but then they also want to be the good girl and not rock the boat.
• Why do smart women feel like they have to apologize for making a good point?
• Speak your truth and do not apologize.
• You have to train your inner voice to speak up and talk.
• As an overachiever, Catherine needs the support of her female friends to help her keep balance.
• Catherine gets asked, “How do you do it all?” But she doesn’t think that’s the best question to ask.
• Catherine creates time for herself and that helps her get more done.
• When Catherine was 40, she had twin boys. Her pretty stable life was thrown out of control and it took some time to adjust to.
• How was Catherine able to maintain and respect the boundaries she set for herself?
• It’s your responsibility to take care of yourself inside before you can show up as a leader.
• Catherine shares how she has adapted her self-care practice now that she is at home and working remotely.
• The more that Catherine gives, the more energized she feels.
• Everyone needs to be careful of their social media use and watching someone else’s perfect life.
• How can women better support other women?

Resources

Drsamcollins.com

Catherine on LinkedIn

Wonder Women: Sex, Power, and the Quest for Perfection, by Debora L. Spar

Quotes

Michelle’s quote: “I’m not going to let you off the hook. Going inside and taking care of you, establishing practices for wellness day in and day out creates that stable foundation that you need as a leader.”

“Although women and men both suffer from perfectionism, women tend to ruminate more and feel pressure to live up to the perfectionist standards they have to fill.”

“I make the mistake of trying to please everybody at work and not say anything that anyone objects to.”

“If we want to change the world and our organization for the better, we have to be willing to say things that not everyone will like.”