Getting Personal: Agency and Empowering Women
THE FACETS OF AGENCY: FINDING AND WIELDING IT WITH INTENTION
Meet Rachel Vandenberg, a hotel owner and leadership coach for women in travel and hospitality.
She founded Accelerate Women Leaders in Travel in 2019 to connect, inspire, and accelerate professional leadership growth among women leaders like herself.
As The Travel Leader, she helps travel leaders unlock their leadership potential by revealing untapped possibilities to achieve greater professional results and personal fulfillment.
“When you know your values and make deliberate choices in alignment with those values - that’s powerful.”
HOW DO I KNOW RACHEL?
I know Rachel via one of the most awesome women on the planet, Nancy Mendelson.
Thanks to Nancy, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Rachel to create an intentional Sparkling Tasting of gemstones, celebrating women at her yearly retreat, Accelerate.
The energy among these women was joyful, engaging, nourishing, supportive, and powerful. In front of around 50 accomplished women, I learned something invaluable from them: we all are capable, worthy, and deserving of exceeding our own expectations.
It’s essential for us to find our voice and intentionally exercise our agency today - and keep it fiercely alive for the future.
LET’S GET PERSONAL WITH RACHEL - AND THE POWER OF AGENCY
1. Before we go all in on agency, can we first define it as a concept and its significance for women leaders?
Agency is “taking intentional actions towards achieving a desired goal”, as defined by the Center for Creative Leadership.
It’s the idea that each of us has the power to make and carry through decisions, about our lives and how we want to show up professionally and personally.
2. From Cleopatra to Rosa Parks to Taylor Swift and Simone Biles, there is a rich historical tapestry of women asserting agency in their own ways. Can you share your personal journey in claiming agency - and how it influenced your inner power, voice, and life path?
In my 20’s I was 100% on a path of my own agency. I lived and traveled where I wanted. I applied for jobs that suited me. I chose my friends and partner etc.
In my 30’s things became a bit more complicated. I got married, had twin babies, took a 180 degree in my career, and returned to the United States to take over my family’s hotel.
In the early days with three children under 5 and building and growing a business, I honestly lost myself and the feeling that I had agency. There were a lot of constraints and other people depending upon me.
At the time it seemed like a mutually exclusive choice - for instance - my happiness and health vs. everything outside of me.
And then, I reached bottom and realized that it wasn’t one or the other. In fact, if I was going to be successful, re-gaining that sense of agency was the key.
3. The stakes feel higher for women than men when we exercise agency. How can we reframe our understanding of this dynamic to cultivate a more equitable environment for women to embrace their agency?
I think generally women are loyal and very much oriented towards care-giving and relationship building in all forms. With these characteristics in mind, I think women can equate loyalty and relationships with the idea that they are required to put other things, people or their jobs before themselves.
The reframe is that when we know who we are, what we want, and under what circumstances we can thrive, we find the places and people that complement that and at that point, we are virtually unstoppable.
4. As an accomplished coach for women leaders and a mother whose work has visibility, purpose, and impact, what is your approach to self-care and balancing your professional and personal well-being?
First, I’ve stopped organizing my life according to what other people think or some elusive societal expectation.
I make choices in line with my values.
I listen to what my body or mind needs.
I’m flexible with when, how, and where I work - and maintaining my physical and mental well-being are non-negotiables.
It took me some time and sacrifices to get here and I’m fully aware that my present career path has some built-in privileges and luxury that not everyone may be able to recreate. However, I do believe that anyone can make significant adjustments to work and live in alignment with their values. But you first have to gain awareness about what those are, remove barriers and limiting beliefs, and ask for what you want.
5. What piece in your jewelry collection brings you confidence when exercising agency in pivotal moments such as difficult conversations, public speaking, or networking - and why?
I love jewelry that holds some kind of meaning behind it.
I was lucky enough to be gifted a carnelian TalisWOMAN bracelet recently which symbolizes confidence and my friendship with the lovely friend who gave it to me.
I think jewelry can bring so much comfort and provide visual reminders of the good and important things in our lives.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO CONNECT WITH RACHEL?
Learn more about transforming your leadership skills with The Travel Leader and Accelerate.
Feel free to reach out to Rachel via email or LinkedIn to:
level up your leadership behaviors to become more effective and improve your personal well-being
explore participating in the leadership retreat, Accelerate Women Leaders in Travel
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