AdClub Women's Leadership Forum: Journey to the Top Panel

I had the privilege of listening in on a powerful panel of women at The Ad Club Boston’s Women’s Leadership Forum, each of them sharing the twists, pivots, and lessons from their “journey to the top.” Their stories were raw, honest, and refreshingly real—messy, non-linear, and full of moments where they weren’t sure they were on the right track, only to discover that they were exactly where they needed to be.

I could relate. Deeply.

Because even now, even as a CEO, I don’t feel like I’m at the “top.” I’m still very much on my journey. In fact, the more I grow, the more I move my own goal post. The mountain keeps getting taller, the summit harder to define. Some days I wonder: Will I ever feel like I’ve made it?

But hearing these women—accomplished, creative, influential—share how they, too, are constantly evolving and redefining success? That was a gift. It reminded me that “the top” is not a place. It’s a mindset. And sometimes, it’s a moving target we create for ourselves.

One woman talked about falling into her role almost by accident, saying yes to one opportunity after another, and building a career by being open and curious. Another shared how becoming a mother during COVID taught her the importance of managing her energy—not just her time. (That hit home.) And another reflected on how leadership isn’t about having all the answers, but about being willing to make decisions, to steady the ship even when you’re unsure of the horizon.

I saw myself in their stories. The pressure to “have it all figured out.” The relentlessness of ambition. The mental pivot from “what’s next?” to “what now?” And the quiet grace in accepting that maybe this journey doesn’t end at the top—it just keeps going, upward and onward, in whatever direction we choose next.

So no, I don’t feel like I’ve made it. But I do feel grounded in the journey, grateful for the lessons, and wide open to whatever comes next.

Because maybe the top isn’t something you reach.

Maybe it’s something you redefine—every day, in your own way.

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