What happens when hundreds of Australia’s most brilliant women in media put their minds together? You get an outpouring of wisdom, honesty and vulnerability, and from that, the inspiration for a new initiative: The Superwomen Series.
Launching this week in partnership with Are Media, the Superwomen Series will run over the next nine weeks, with leaders from across the Power List and our Women in Media Awards winners responding directly to the questions you raised at the 2024 event. Each Thursday, we’ll publish a collection of their responses, grouped around the themes that emerged from your words: Confidence, Workplace, Gender Gap, Coaching, Empowerment and Balance.
So, where did it all begin? Jane Huxley tells all within.
If you had a collective of Super Women by your side, what help would you ask for? This was the question I asked more than 800 incredible attendees at the B&T Women in Media awards in September this year, and gosh did you respond!
In the lead-up to the event, sponsored by Are Media for the 11th year running, I reflected on what I could say during the opening speech that would be of value broadly in the room. It’s a rare opportunity to have so many extraordinary people in one place at one time. I knew that we would be a diverse bunch – not only those new to the industry and those more experienced, but also people from different backgrounds, perspectives, geography and roles.
So, I turned to the one thing that brings us all together: that is the shared experience of being WOMEN, particularly in this crazy world of media (having said that, I’d also like to send a nod to all the amazing men, the allies who joined us in more numbers than ever this year!).
At the beginning of the evening, I shared a personal story. It was a valuable lesson learned early on in my career, about the time I learned how to knock my own personal imposter on the head and to learn how to separate the personal from the professional. In the glare of the spotlight, telling my own story is a vulnerable position to be in, but at this stage of my career, ensuring that I leave the ladder out for the next generation of women is something I feel pretty strongly about.
And, in return, I asked you a question: “If you had a collective of Super Women by your side, what would you ask for help on?”. We did it the “old school” way, with paper and pen, and as I mentioned earlier, you responded magnificently”.
Reading the hundreds and hundreds of cards you wrote was equally heartbreaking and rewarding. Some of you were looking for practical tips, some shared stories, some were looking for guidance, and everything in between. We were able to sort the cards into six overarching themes: Confidence, Workplace, Gender Gap, Coaching, Empowerment, and Balance, and then further identify the patterns in those categories. Then came a meeting with the team at B&T on what to do next.
And so, in partnership with B&T, I’d like to introduce you to THE SUPERWOMEN SERIES.
Over the next nine weeks, our Super Women will be responding to the questions you asked. Although Super Women are everywhere, we’ll be drawing directly from the Power List, as well as our incredible winners of the night. It’s truly going to be amazing.
Let’s keep the spirit of Women in Media alive!
