How Your Upbringing Powers Your Empowerment: Webinar Highlights With Theresa Watts
Our resilience guides us through each chapter of our lives. We rise higher from our shortcomings and celebrate with people who run the race alongside us—and empower others through our learned wisdom.
Our March webinar guest, Theresa Watts, Ph.D., is the Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion of True Religion Jeans. Innovative leader, passionate advocate, and inspirational mentor, Watts led a session that highlighted the importance of collective support and how our upbringings play a pivotal role in our success.
Here are her top webinar highlights for navigating your career with confidence and community.
1. Your upbringing lays a foundation for future thriving.
“My mom was my biggest supporter. I’m always Diane Watts’ daughter, whatever room I enter. She knew my difficulties with being in poverty, and no one wanted to hang out with me. No one wanted to be friends,” noted Watts. ”She said, ‘Theresa, you have to create your own path.’ If they don’t want to be your friends, be your own friend. Discover your own strength, and people will see that and be drawn to it.”
Watts detailed the hardships that painted her childhood while highlighting the women who fueled her career journey. Their constant stream of compassion and generosity planted seeds in her heart, driving her to become a similar source of inspiration for future generations.
“I think of the neighbor who always kept their house clean, or raised her kids so perfectly, or cooked the best meal, or my mom, who was the best cook and baker,” reflected Watts. “And they didn’t find that as important. But now, you have women who are taking that skill of cooking and building businesses out of it. Think of all the businesses that could have been born in my neighborhood.”
2. Empowerment is an internal and external commitment.
Women’s empowerment is not just a tool to raise awareness of our obstacles and formulate solutions, although that’s a critical part of our efforts. We choose to elevate others because of our first-hand experience with empowerment and how it lifted us from the depths, making us known. When we have a taste of good fruit, it’s only natural that we want to share it.
“I want to give people the opportunity to live where they want to live, go where they want to go on vacation, do what they want to do, and be proud to talk about it,” shared Watts. “I was told everything about me was wrong: the way I looked, my skin color, the way I spoke, everything. So, I had to code switch a lot—and when you code switch, it’s a deadly path that you fall down.”
It becomes a disservice when we, as successful women, choose not to guide others through their career journey. Watts emphasized how we must commit to both internal and external empowerment so that it doesn’t remain stagnant, but permeates throughout our community, transforming one woman at a time.
“Are you talking about another woman’s body? Are you talking about her lack of education? Are you talking about where she lives?” challenged Watts. “Come on. Or, maybe you don’t want to be friends with somebody because they haven’t dined at the same restaurants you have, or been to the White House like you have. Why don’t you create opportunities for them instead?”
3. You need a community that empowers you through honesty.
Without community, we can fail to notice our blind spots and slow our growth. By design, we seek social belonging—and having reliable mentors, colleagues, and friends to direct us can make all the difference.
“Every woman in my tribe is someone I can go home to. I can pick up the phone and say, ‘Hey, listen! I got this bottle of wine. Let’s drink it, and let me tell you about my day,’ and they’re going to tell me what I did wrong.” said Watts. “I need women who are honest. All my friends are painfully honest, not just about me, but about themselves, too. When you make a mistake, you have to be in the moment and feel those feelings, because that’s how you’re going to get over it. It’s how you’re going to be like, ‘Man, I messed up. I messed this up for her and my team, and I got to figure out how to get back.’ It’s not easy, but I think a way to bounce back is with that tribe.”
Want to experience our CCWomen webinar highlights live?
Community is the beating pulse of CCWomen, a membership platform for women and allies. We work to make a difference within our spheres of influence through various resources, including resourceful content, networking opportunities, and program-packed events.
Our mission is simple: move the business world toward a more diverse and equitable future where the glass ceiling doesn’t limit women’s potential, and the broken rung doesn’t stop us from climbing our way to the top.
Don’t miss out on another webinar. Upgrade your CCWomen membership today!
Catch up on our other sessions:
