#WorkMomSays you must be present to win. In this episode, Lori Jo Vest shares why “showing up” in your career and your life isn’t just a cliché. It’s the foundation of success. From overcoming career challenges to building life-changing networks, Lori illustrates how being present, getting uncomfortable, and stepping into new spaces will open doors and forge the relationships and confidence that accelerate your professional journey.

Time-stamped inflection points from the show

00:44 – Lessons from a breast cancer survivor: show up, dress up, and speak up

02:06 – The value of getting comfortable being uncomfortable, from jobs to meetings

03:57 – Lori’s experience joining an intimidating accountability group that transformed her confidence

06:13 – Why networking, industry events, and association involvement matter—even if you feel like an outsider

07:22 – The power of industry communities, volunteering, and creating connections outside your company

09:51 – Why young professionals stand out simply by showing up in real-world spaces

10:17 – Practical tips for “tag-team” networking and showing up, even if you’re nervous

03:23 – “If you don’t show up in those places where there are other successful people, you will not become one of them.”

05:32 – “Even when that little voice in your head is telling you, ‘Oh, you don’t belong here’ … say thank you for sharing and let it go.”

06:37 – “You will be able to push yourself out of your comfort zone, make some solid connections, because that’s another way you grow your career.”

10:50 – “If you are willing to be present, it’s inevitable that you will win.”

00:12
Hello. I’m Lori Jo Vest, also known as Work Mom and I so appreciate you joining me for another episode of Work Mom Says: Don’t Be An Idiot! Today, we’re going to talk about “you must be present to win.” I heard that phrase the other day, and it just really stuck with me that if you want to be successful in your career and in your life, you have to show up. And showing up means a lot of different things. So we’re going to start with a couple of stories.

00:44
I have a dear friend that I’ve known for years that she got breast cancer. And she got breast cancer when she was transitioning from one job to another. She was unable to work the new job during treatment, she lost her job, she lost her insurance, it was a really difficult time. Fast forward 10 or 15 years, and her charitable organization that she formed to help women financially during treatment and men, they also help men, but to help people during breast cancer treatment is national, and when she talks to groups, I mean, I’ve nominated her for some different awards. I’ve seen her speak at different events, and what she always says is, you need to show up, dress up, and speak up. And if you can do all three of those things, it might be in a different order—it might be dress up, show up and speak up, I think maybe that’s it—but those are the things that are really important, and that’s what has led her to the success she has today. She has a national organization that helps hundreds of women every year get through breast cancer treatment by paying their mortgages, their bills, their car payments. It’s just amazing.

02:06
So part of what I notice with some of the young people that are in my sphere is that it can feel difficult to show up with your full self in new situations, like at the office, for example, going to a new job. Oh my God, I don’t want to start a new job because I don’t know what to expect, and there’ll be a lot of anticipation around that when you’re a young professional. Well, the reality is, everybody feels that way. If you get a new CEO for a global corporation, he’s never been CEO for that corporation before, trust me, he has anxiety. We all get it. It can be tough. But one of the things that you should remind yourself of repeatedly, and it’s a phrase I’ve used since—oh my gosh, I first heard it probably 20 years ago—is if you want success in your life, get comfortable being uncomfortable. If you’re not comfortable showing up with your full self at the office, do it anyway, because the best way to get comfortable is by doing something over and over again until it’s no big deal, and that includes speaking up in meetings.

03:23
You have to speak up in meetings if you want to be seen as a thought leader in the office, as someone who contributes and who should be promoted. If you are not someone who feels comfortable networking, guess what? Networking requires you dressing up, showing up, and speaking up. If you don’t show up in those places where there are other successful people, other high achievers, you will not become one of them. So even if you feel like you don’t fit,

03:57
I’ll tell you a quick little story. I joined an accountability group back—I think it was a year after the pandemic started, so I think it was early 2021—and the group had been formed during the pandemic to help people that were no longer going into the office for work, so they were staying home. Everybody was depressed. We were all worried about what was going to happen. People were dying left and right. It was a really difficult time. So a dear friend, a woman who’s a dear friend of mine, now that I didn’t know then, her name is Jan Griffith, started a group called the Accountability Lab, and at one point she had two sessions. I was in the 7:07 group, and she did something on LinkedIn. She did an event on LinkedIn talking about it, and I immediately joined, because some of the people that I really like were in this group and on this call promoting participation. So I immediately went and joined. But when I first joined, I was so intimidated, because these were some serious movers and shakers. I mean, these people had podcasts, they had all kinds of, you know, high level business positions, they were entrepreneurs that were really successful, lots of really great people on the call.

05:16
And it was a little antsy about it, like, oh, do I belong here? Am I good enough? Am I smart enough? Am I smart enough? Are they going to think I’m goofy because I’m a little goofy? And here it is, four years later, and I’m still on that call every single morning, Monday through Friday, unless it’s a holiday. And what I learned in a lot of new situations like that is, even when it doesn’t feel great, even when that little voice in your head is telling you, “Oh, you don’t belong here,” or “they’re going to think you’re dumb,” or “they’re going to think you’re too sensitive,” say thank you for sharing and let it go, because that voice in your head will always hold you back. That’s your brain trying to keep you safe. New experiences can be or feel unsafe, and so your brain is just warning you, oh wait. What if they this? What if this happens? What if that happens to prepare you? But the reality is, you don’t need to be prepared.

06:13
If you want to go networking at an event, Chamber of Commerce or trade association event, or some big awards dinner that’s happening and you feel like you want to go, or you know that attending it would be really beneficial, do it, even if you do it all by yourself. Go. You will find people to talk to. You will find things to do. You will be able to push yourself out of your comfort zone, make some solid connections, because that’s another way you grow your career. If you go to extracurricular activities like award shows, and, you know, economic club events, and, you know, all those kinds of special industry gatherings, I guess you could say, if you go to those, you’re going to meet people in your industry, and one of the best ways to keep that career going strong is to have a lot of strong, connected friendships in your industry. And that doesn’t mean just in the company that you’re working for. You want to expand outside of that company, and one of the great ways to do that is to join associations.

07:22
So I’ll give you an example. In Michigan, we have a pretty strong defense industry. We are, you know, the arsenal of democracy is what they used to call us during the first few World Wars. And because of that, because of our manufacturing expertise in automotive, that manufacturing expertise also applies to defense. And what’s wonderful about defense is it’s a really tight-knit community. There’s the National Defense Industry Association, there’s Women in Defense, there’s a lot of places and things you can do to involve yourself in that community, if you want a career in defense, or if you already have a career in defense, and you’re looking to grow and to maybe get a higher level position, knowing people in that industry outside of your current job situation is what will help you get there. You won’t get there by sending in a resume to your competitor. You’ll get there because you’ve met people and they know who you are, matter of fact, volunteer, get on committees. Volunteer to do things you’ve never done before, on trade association volunteer boards, or whatever it is that that organization allows, as far as involvement, jump in there and get involved, because if you don’t show up in those environments, you will not develop that really strong network that will help you grow your career.

05:51
Another thing I’ll mention is, I’ve said it before, but I think it does warrant another conversation. Your current employer knows your strengths. They know exactly what you do, what you’re good at, but they also know your weaknesses, and some of those weaknesses can hold you back. So while I’m not trying to tell you, you should just be stepping over people and hopping from job to job, no matter what position you’re in, you should make sure that you’re known in your industry. And as a young person, if you’re under—you know, if you’re under 30, you’re in your 20s, and you show up at these organizations as a volunteer, or run for the board, or just go to all the meetings and get to know everybody, you will stand out. It’s not common that young professionals really get involved. And with this new generation graduating from college, you guys have had a lot of social media in your faces. You have had a lot of screen time that is probably much more comfortable than in-person situations where you’re meeting new people. The only way to do it is to do it. What I’ll say is, you learn more French in Paris than you do in French class. If you want to learn to network, you’ve just got to jump in with both feet and start doing it.

10:17
Bring somebody with you, partner up with, you know, a friend, so that you have someone to talk to if there’s not somebody right there that you, you know, feel comfortable engaging with. When there’s two of you, you can talk about each other. There’s a lot you can do, tag team networking. Don’t hesitate to do it. Show up. Show up in your office. Show up in your boss’s office, ask questions, express what you want out of your career, and show up at networking and industry events. If you are willing to be present, it’s inevitable that you will win.

10:55
So that’s what I’ve got for you today, short and sweet. Again, Lori Jo Vest, Work Mom Says. I have a book on Amazon called Work Mom Says: Don’t Be an Idiot! 38 Lessons You Don’t Want to Learn the Hard Way. I learned them so you don’t have to. You can benefit from my experience and save yourself some problems. That’s the only reason I do this work is I’ve made every mistake there is to make, and I just hope I can share the things I’ve learned with you, so that you can maybe move a little faster than I did in your career.

11:27
So there’s a website at workmomsays.com, please go there and contact us if you have a suggestion for a guest, or you would like to be a guest, or you have a question you’d like me to address. I’m also an open networker on LinkedIn. I’d love to hear from you there. Just mention that you listened to the Work Mom Says podcast in your connection request, and I will see you soon with another episode of Work Mom Says: Don’t Be An Idiot!

This podcast is for young professionals who want to learn to play the emotional context sport of business and experience less drama and more success.

How can you be more logical and less emotional? Be strategic, and Work Mom Says can help you.

“I tell people to back up, put down the magnifying glass, and look at the big picture when you’re responding to something,” said Lori Jo Vest, Work Mom. “In doing this, you will understand that what’s really upsetting you right now will be something you don’t even remember next week.”

Listening to Work Mom Says can help you grow your mood management skills, grow your ability to reframe situations, and look at things from a strategic point of view. This makes it easier to go into a work situation and get the most positive results.

On Work Mom Says, we also offer tips and tricks for creating connected positive relationships that last over time. People will want you on the team if you can create connected positive relationships and work environments. You become an asset, and you will be more successful when you’re an asset.

“I also like to talk about developing traits like optimism, persistence, tenacity, stick-to-itiveness, sticking with things, and approaching every project with a curious mind instead of a fearful mind,” said Lori Jo Vest, Work Mom

I do this because I naturally fell into the Work Mom role when I worked in the ad agency business and had so much fun with it. I also realized I had made just about every mistake there was to make. I don’t hold myself as a stellar example of truth and how you should be. I hold myself out there as someone who has been bruised, battered, and beaten up and learned some important lessons. I’d love to share these lessons with young people, so they don’t have to make those same mistakes or be the idiot I was.

I also want to help young professionals realize that many things our culture prioritizes aren’t really important. We talk a lot about what should be important and how to present your best face at the office so that you can succeed.

I’ve learned so much throughout my career, and it’s gratifying to share that with young professionals and help them avoid some of those mistakes and get to that success sooner.

Connect with me on LinkedIn. Order my book!

The post Episode 53 – You Must Be Present to Win appeared first on Work Mom Says®.