Noa Ries

29/07/2022

Kahilla is a mission- and impact-driven company. After joining, Kahilla members report job mobility and promotions increasing within six months. Their testimonials further reveal the immeasurable return on investment companies receive for empowering their female employees.

“I’m proud of my personal and professional development over the last 6 months — I’ve grown in so many ways, and climbed over hurdles I normally would have skirted around. I became my own voice in the room instead of having others talk about me. I’ve taken steps to be noticed and get noticed. I’ve broadened my network surrounded myself by so many talented women!”
— Donna

Learn how a Kahilla membership can help you advance your career at kahilla.com.

28/07/2022

When I stepped into my first leadership role I was intimidated and nervous; I felt as though I didn’t have the experience to be a leader. It felt like I was leading blindfolded.

What I hadn’t considered is that I had life experiences and the examples of the amazing leaders, mentors and managers I've had to help guide me. Take off the blindfold – just because your resume doesn’t have any leadership positions on it right now, doesn’t mean you don’t have leadership experience. PS. this is a pic from an exercise we did at our recent all-hands team retreat in Sun Valley Idaho (in case you're wondering what is going on in this image!)

27/07/2022

Its well document that exercise and spending time outside positively impact your physical health and benefit your work performance as well. Kim and I encourage our team, and ourselves, to spend more time outdoors, especially during the summer. For myself, I know that I’m more productive throughout my day. I have a greater sense of clarity and a heightened ability to connect the dots when I do.

What I’ve learned is that spending time outside actually impacts our brain’s health as well as the rest of our body. The article by Arianne Cohen for Fast Company dives into why neuroscientists encourage more outdoor walks and why they’re great for your brain. Check out the article here: https://bit.ly/3hPpwaq

22/07/2022

At Kahilla, we saw an opportunity to help companies retain and advance their critically underrepresented talent.

The impact Kahilla makes is truly why we do what we do. Hearing from our clients and our members is the most motivating feedback for us to continue our work.

“Kahilla is an affordable and therefore inclusive way to invest our female talent and build a community.”
— Kristen R., Senior Vice President

“Kahilla offers a wealth of external connections across communities, industries, and professions as well as streamlined access to experts and enhanced tech capabilities.”
— Shanell S., Vice President

Learn more about how a Kahilla membership can help advance your diverse talent within your company at kahilla.com.

21/07/2022

They tell you two important things when learning to surf.

1. Relax; you have to go with the flow.
2. When (not if) you fall down, just get back up.

These two lessons have helped me ride many waves; in the ocean, and throughout my life. Here’s your reminder to relax and let yourself enjoy the journey, and that you can always get up after being knocked down.

20/07/2022

I recently had a meeting with my co-founder, Kimberly Havens, and asked her for feedback on a project I was overseeing. I braced myself for the uncomfortable feeling that accompanies any kind of workplace performance conversation.

What I was pleasantly surprised by is that while she did bring up an area for me to work on improving, I left the conversation without any negative feelings following me around for the rest of the day. Being open to talking about areas for your own improvement and having a colleague who offers constructively critical, positive growth feedback is priceless.

The article by Forbes highlights 15 ways to provide constructive feedback. Check out the article here: https://bit.ly/3IPY7AV

14/07/2022

While it can be tempting to relinquish your power to those with more experience and look to others for answers, it is essential to remember that you have an internal data source (memories, experiences etc) with which you can filter decisions to choose your own path. Create your own path; you are in the driver's seat of your life. Natalia Villalobos of the New York Times News recently shared with Kahilla the important reminder that "we are the keeper of our own compass, and it is up to us to choose our own direction":

This is "Natalia Villalobos | Coffee Chat | Compass" by Kahilla on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

13/07/2022

One of the main reasons I have been able to remain resilient in times of stress or hardship when it comes to my professional life is all thanks to the team I have the privilege of working with. With work teams, professional relationships, and coworkers ranking among the top identifiers of workplace happiness, your team is arguably the most important facet of your job.

Here is your reminder to share your appreciation with your team. I couldn’t be more grateful for ours and Kimberly Havens and I try to express that every chance we get.

12/07/2022

Oftentimes it is hard to wrap my mind around the idea that taking a break from work will make my work better. My automatic response if I want my work to improve is to work harder. But, that usually just leads to burnout.

Instead, when I take a step away, I come back with renewed perspectives, ideas and refreshed energy. I end up producing better work, with more creative problem solving, after taking time for a change of scenery and ideally no wifi!

The article by Sarah Malcolm for Forbes shares that happiness is the secret to being more productive at work. Check out the article here: https://bit.ly/3z1PHmZ

07/07/2022

Learn to pay attention when your body tells you what it needs. For me that can be as simple as recognizing when I’m not in a good mood and pinpointing the culprit. Usually, it is an easy fix, like going for a run, taking time to sleep, or not working through my lunch.

For leaders it can be so hard to take a step away when you feel the pressure of supporting a team. But remember that you need support too. Beth Anstandig shared with us the importance of self care and tuning in to what your body needs. Check out the Fridays with Harriette conversation here:

This is "Beth Anstandig | Fridays w/ Harriette | Self-care" by Kahilla on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

06/07/2022

A question Kimberly Havens and I ask ourselves frequently is; what does an inclusive meeting design look like for a hybrid team? With hybrid and remote work bringing added challenges like time zones, technological capabilities (and errors), and competing work/personal priorities, it can be difficult to navigate.

In order to make the meeting feel as inclusive and equitable as possible, we ensure everyone is on camera on their own device even those who are in the same office together. We make sure to check in on remote participants and keep an eye on the chat window for questions or shared insights. Recently we also have decided to turn on live transcriptions to enhance the experience in real-time, and for those who couldn’t attend and are reviewing it later. Lastly we use a stop watch to try to ensure everyone is able to speak (this has the added benefit of forcing people to get more concise!)

05/07/2022

Being a leader in a remote world has honestly turned everything I thought I knew on its head. While remote work does have many advantages, like spending less time commuting, it can also put a strain on workplace dynamics and relationships. What I’ve noticed myself is that I I need to be super intentional in order to connect with and collaborate with my team.

Our team recently got together for a retreat to spend time together and connect (many for the first time!). I figured we would have a good time, and get to know one another better by being in-person. What I didn’t anticipate is that our work after the retreat would see such a positive benefit.

While remote work isn’t going away any time soon, hybrid work environments are on the rise. The article by Tracy Brower for Fast Company shares four benefits of hybrid work. Check out the article here: https://bit.ly/3J4w3co