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It’s #WisdomWednesday, which means it’s time for advice. Since our third panel of the Women’s Empowerment Series is only days away, we thought it would be better to hear some advice from the awesome women from our past panels.

Rejection and failure are difficult for everybody. In my business it’s very public when you get moved out of a situation or you get fired. I’ve been fired before, which I thought I would never recover from. But you find a way. Persevering through loss and disappointment builds character and often leads to better things.
– Stephanie Stahl

There were wonderful people in my life who lit a step right in front of me, so I took one step. And then somebody else lit another step right in front of me, and I took that. I have been the beneficiary of others who have said, “Keep walking.”
– JoAnne Epps
Don’t worry about what’s going to happen with your life. Seize every opportunity; move forward and it will be a great life.
– Sen. Diane Allen

My mom gave me the best advice ever. It was early on, and I was going to dealer meetings where it would be all men. I was so nervous, and she said, “You walk in there and you put your chin up, you put your shoulders back, and walk in like you own the place.” And I did that. Did I feel it inside? I did not. But then I went to another meeting and I did it again, and it was better. Then I did it again and again and again. Confidence is not something you earn; it is something you practice.
– Mindy Holman

I have a support system of friends from a group of state hospital execs across the country who I will call on both personally and professionally. I gravitate to the women, and I’ll call them and say, “Did you ever have this happen? What did you do?” Relationships in business are key.
– Elizabeth Ryan

Be yourself. Don’t try to be someone else. Be true to yourself. If you really believe in something, don’t change your beliefs because someone else has swayed it. But always be true to yourself.
– Linda Rohrer

I’ve worked with newscasters and reporters who are so preoccupied with “this one doing this story, this one has so many reads in the newscast, this one has so many public appearances – why don’t I have a public appearance?” They are not focused on the task at hand, and their careers have been seriously derailed. I always tell people, “Focus on yourself.” You can’t be worried about all that static. That can bring you down fast.
– Kathy Orr

I also have this little secret that I often remember: “If I make this decision, I can change my mind.” It’s very empowering to say, “This isn’t forever.” Knowing you have other options can give you the confidence to feel, “I belong at this table. And if I don’t, I can decide I belong elsewhere.”
– Lindsay Sacknoff

You need to know your employees and the people you work with. You really need to know what motivates them, what makes their heart go pitter-patter. You need to know them, and be strong as a woman in a leadership position, so you can have the right outcomes.
– Pamela Lampitt

If someone says to me, “My daughter is thinking of a career in medicine,” I’ll say, “Do you want her to come to the office?” We give her a little jacket, and she can come see if this is something she’ll like. That’s one of the best things you can do for a young girl, because a lot of them think, “Wow, I never really thought of becoming a doctor,” or “I never thought of becoming a nurse or an assistant.” They come to my office, and they see all the different jobs they could do.
– Wendy Martinez

What I see holding women back is their tendency to be self-critical. Women are very hard on them-selves. When there are opportunities to move forward and take on leadership roles, they don’t believe they’re ready for it. On the other hand, men tend to be really confident and clueless – if they’re getting negative feedback, they take it as a compliment. So however we can, we must invest in women and girls to build up their confidence so they can be goal-oriented and shine in their work and not rip everything they do to pieces.
– Jodina Hicks

I don’t like to use the word “soft” to describe women I work with; there are other words that have more meaning. Soft connotes some sort of weakness, and that’s not the same as someone who has understanding, who is empathetic. We have to use a vocabulary that is divorced from those gender kinds of thinking. Men are always characterized as strong and assertive. When we’re assertive, we’re characterized as that “b” word.
– Phoebe Haddon

You can be emotional, absolutely – if it’s appropriate. What you can’t be is dramatic. You can’t have the drama, and the other issue is you can’t gossip. You’ve got to be really careful about who is in your circle at work.
– Pat Ciarrocchi

Look at what you spend your time doing. There are probably two or three hours a week that you’re doing something you could say no to. Go choose to do something else, even if it’s just sitting by yourself.
– Adrienne Kirby

I would tell young women to work harder, be persistent and have strong determination. Don’t give up. Lead with your heart. Dream big, and then go reach your dream. Work on it until you reach it.
– Lita Abele

Every morning when I put on my makeup, I look myself in the mirror and say, “You got this girl.” I really do.
– Kristi Howell