03 Oct Powering Your Career: How to Define Your Impact and Unlock Your Potential
At a recent POWERful Women breakfast session, hosted by Women to Work co-founders Jenny Pollock and Emma Shute, participants were asked a simple but life-shaping question:
“What impact do you want to have in your career?”
This session was all about creating space to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what matters most – – because when women define their impact and own their strengths, they unlock the power to shape their future.
Connecting with Purpose
Too often, we move through our careers on autopilot. Deadlines, projects, and expectations dominate, leaving little space to step back and ask ourselves, ‘Why we do what we do?’.
Jenny invited participants to consider Jack Canfield’s words:
“If you can tune into your purpose and really align with it, setting goals so that your vision is an expression of that purpose, then life flows much more easily.”
Defining your impact is about more than job titles or promotions –– it’s about aligning with your purpose. Whether you aspire to lead teams, shift industry culture, or mentor future generations, knowing your why anchors every career decision.
Me at My Best: Recognising Strengths
Emma guided the group through self-coaching tools to help uncover personal strengths. One exercise encouraged participants to map out five proud achievements –– personal or professional – – and then reflect on the qualities that made them possible.
Resilience. Determination. Creativity. Empathy.
When we recognise and celebrate our strengths, we find the confidence to use them as career fuel.
Societal barriers often make it harder for women to voice their achievements. This exercise showed that recognising our capabilities isn’t arrogance – it’s empowerment.
Powering Career Options
The next step? Looking ahead.
Participants were encouraged to consider:
- What roles or organisations align with my values?
- What opportunities excite me?
- Who can support me as I grow?
As Pablo Picasso once said:
“Our goals can only be reached through the vehicle of a plan in which we must fervently believe and upon which we must vigorously act.”
Consider the small steps you might be able to take to pave the way for bigger opportunities such as reaching out to a mentor, exploring an inspiring role or learning a new skill. Breaking down actions into small manageable steps can soon lead to big changes as you move closer to your overall goals.
The Power of Community
For many, the most reassuring moment of the workshop was realising they weren’t alone.
“The things that worried me were the same things on everyone else’s mind,” one participant shared.
From Reflection to Action
The session closed with action planning, where Jenny and Emma encouraged everyone to commit to one to three specific goals — each with clear next steps and review dates.
Lasting change doesn’t come from waiting for the “right moment” or taking one giant leap. It’s built in the everyday – through steady, intentional progress that gathers pace and creates momentum.
By breaking ambition into manageable actions, we give ourselves the best chance of success. Step by step, we turn reflection into reality.
Final Thoughts
This POWERful Women breakfast was a reminder that powering your career is not just about climbing the ladder. It’s about defining the impact you want to have, celebrating your strengths, and finding community on the journey.
At Women to Work, Jenny and Emma create spaces for women to pause, reflect, and thrive – – both personally and professionally.
Ready to explore your own impact and unlock your potential? Visit Women to Work to discover their workshops, coaching, and resources.
Small steps lead to big changes.