Um I think we can get started. So, first of all, my name is Angela Robertson and I work for Palo Alto Networks. I'm part of the network security team where I'm um a senior customer success manager.And today I wanna be speaking about empowering more women and how do we empower each other. Um It's a, it's a topic that is very near and dear to my heart. Um And again, I'm very honored and grateful to, to have everybody attend today. Um I feel like we are, we are so fortunate to be surrounded by such a uh a group of powerful women and people that encourage one another. So I'm glad we can have this discussion here about uh this very good topic. I wanna start out with something and, you know, it's almost like a, it's almost like a, a um affirmation, but I wanna say a couple of words and that's that you are strong, you are capable. Again, I'm gonna say that you are strong, you are capable. I want you to take a moment just to reflect on those words and let them resonate with you for a moment. And I wanna share a short, a short story that's gonna align with those words, um, to kind of further paint the picture of the importance of the power of words.

There's a story, it's a story that I wanna share as of a little girl who had the dream to play baseball. And you may say, well, you know, baseball, you know, this was this, you know, there's many, many opportunities to play baseball, but this was at a time when there wasn't many opportunities and it was years ago and it just, you didn't have softball leagues and things like that.

So this little girl saw a small sign that said, um, when she was entering the local grocery store, it said all welcome baseball signups next weekend. So she saw that and she very quickly realized that that was her, her opportunity. Her heart was filled with excitement and she spent countless of hours, you know, working with her dad and her brothers and her uncles to, to kind of, you know, learn the basics of baseball. And, um, she was, she was very excited leading up to, to sign ups. Um, and during that time of her learning how to play baseball, she became very good. Um, so as her mom and dad drove her to, to the sign ups, she was very adamant that she wanted to get off and go sign the paper, sign, sign the sign up sheet herself. Um, and she wanted to, she wanted to be the first in the sign up sheet because she told her parents that if her name was first on the list that showed her desire and her commitment to be on the team. So for a moment, take yourself back in the mind of this young girl. Um she walks up to the table and with no hesitation, she announced that she came to sign up for the, for the baseball team.

And the words that would be said to her following, following her, telling them what she wanted to do were words that would stick with her for the rest of the, of her life. Um One of the men loudly proclaimed, girls don't play baseball. The second man further elaborated the reason why girls don't play baseball is because they're not strong enough. So as you can imagine, feeling dejected, her heart sunk at those words, they were very stinging words for her. She, she turned around, she slowly turned around, she walked back to the car with tears in her eyes and she met her father who had exited the car at this point to meet her halfway and she told him that there would be no baseball because girls don't play baseball. Her father hugged her and asked her to give him a moment, probably as many fathers would have done. Um And her father proceeded to talk with the two men for a few minutes. She really couldn't hear all of the I couldn't really hear, hear all of the conversation, but her father was able to convince the men to allow her to try out for the baseball team. Her father motioned her back to the table and to write her name on the page. So she boldly wrote her name and walked away from the table with her father. She had one week, one week to wait before she could show what she was able to do.

And when she arrived, a week later, all of the boys that were because this was a boys team. All the boys that were, there were very, um, they had played together. They were, they were a, they were a, a band, right? They had, were very familiar with each other. Um And so she was really the person that didn't fit in. She was the only girl. So she felt the eyes of the other boys, the parents as they looked at her dis dismissing. Um, but it was her turn, it's her turn to prove that she could hit the ball. So if you can picture this, I want you to take yourself back there for just a moment. She walked up to home plate, she put her hand on her hip, surveyed the outfield. She wa she at that moment she wanted all the boys to know she meant business. So she pulled out the chapstick out of her pocket as any baseball player would she put her chapstick on? She also, um she also put the um, black mark underneath her eyes because again, she wanted them to know how serious she was and there would be no doubt how serious she was going to take that moment. The coaches had their own kids playing baseball.

So the coach's son was actually pitching that day and um this team was uh probably from the ranges between nine and 12 and the coach's son was a little bit older. So again, I'm giving you a lot of details about this story because I want you to understand how this affects the, the topic of empowerment. Um So the first two pitches that came to this young girl, they were perfect strikes and she just couldn't hit the ball, the nervousness, the tension, it was just too much. Um The nerves were in her throat, the doubt, the doubt really caught her. Um And as the third pitch came, she focused hard and she turned the bat squarely on the ball and at that point, she knocked it over the fence. And so if you can imagine, again, put yourself in the position of that young girl, she was told that girls don't play baseball because they're not strong enough. And she could see the look in everybody in everybody's eyes, but especially the boy because, you know, he had, you know, a girl had hit the home run right. Um And that day, the coach saw something that surprised him. She was actually good.

Yeah, he didn't have to make an excuse for not playing her or she, because she was actually better than most of the boys that day. That day. She prove that the talent, that talent is important to be successful, but also fueled by a deep desire, truly wonderful things can happen. And the power of those words, you are strong, you are capable. She heard that's what sparked something deep inside her that made her want to succeed to prove those naysayers wrong. Again. That was that, you know, and I, and I'm selling that story and you're probably asking yourself at this point, how does Angela know so many intimate details about this young girl? Well, that's because that young girl is me. And so I wanted to share that to start out our discussion about empowerment um because it's firsthand and many times we hear, you know, you're not strong, you're not, you, you know, you're not capable, right? And so that starts from a very young age and that's what we realize is that we have so much power to, to influence, to encourage and support. And so that's the, that's the goal of today's discussion. How do we empower more women, how do we do that?

And you know, the stat the statistics are sobering, right? We all know this, you know, when we look at it, the the percentage of female stem graduates is only at 19%. Uh recently, I I was asked to speak at a, at a local high school and um, some of the students that were there, um, were um students that were at risk. And we got to talking about careers in cybersecurity. We got to talking about just careers in tech in general. And I, I was so moved that so many of these young girls as we got to talking about the different careers that are available in technology for women, their eyes just lit up. It was, it was moving for me because I felt like a new world had opened up for them. And so what I realized there is that the sooner we can get exposure to careers in tech, that's how we continue to empower the next generation. Also, we know that, you know, again, I'm gonna talk a little bit about some statistics. Um and I do have, I can share um where I got some of these statistics as well um that women leave the tech field at a 45% higher rate than men. So how do we, how do we keep women in technology? How do we um I think the statistic I read recently too is that only 11 to 12% of women are engineers.

And when you go back and you look at how many um you know, how many stem graduates there are, which again, I think it's like about 19% that the numbers are, are the numbers are very, you know, we we want to see these numbers get better and as the next generation continues, we'll see those numbers improve.

But how do we help and how do we encourage and empower right now? I mean, they're very sobering, right? These these numbers because it highlights how unrepresented uh women are in the tech industry. So the real question remains is how do we empower women to seek out careers in the tech industry and create an atmosphere that enables women to stay grow and thrive at all levels. It's not just enough to, to bring more women into the industry that is as we know, is, is male dominated, but also to establish women at all levels of management. And one thing, one key thing to remember is that the path is different for everyone. The path is different for everyone and it's not linear. We're all walking on the same path and sometimes you may take a right hand, have to take a right hand turn and uh sometimes your colleague is gonna take a left hand turn, but you're all on the same path and you're all there to encourage and empower one another. And it's true. It's, it's some, there's some paths up the mountain that are tried and true, but not every path to the summit takes the most obvious route.

Every path is equal on this journey to the summit, regardless of how long it takes or its difficulty in getting there and it's ok that it's ok that somebody's journey is a little bit different than ours. We learn from each other, we learn from each other and that we support one another on our journeys. One of the very powerful ways that we can help to continue to empower women is um acting as a mentor or as a sounding board. That's one of the things that I have to say in my personal career journey. Um when I started in telecommunications years, I don't want to date myself either. Years and years ago that um when I started in telecommunications, I, I remember um you know, I'm first generation professional but speaking to my father, um you know, I told him, I, you know, I'm, I'm obviously, I'm starting with a tech company and how, how do I be better? How do I do better? And one of the uh pieces of advice my father gave me early on was he said, get to know everyone at, at a very uh at a deeper level, not just as um not, not like get to know people, what got them there, what motivates them, everybody has a motivation and that it's OK, whatever that motivation is, but understand what was their journey to get there.

And sometimes people may not be as open to share their stories and that's ok. We wanna respect that, but we can learn a lot from one another. Being, you know, being a mentor or being a um it, it can, it can really, it can help you to connect, it can help you to celebrate together, celebrate those wins no matter how small it may be. You know, we, we're very, we're very hard on ourselves. I think women in technology, I'm gonna say a very broad statement. We many of us are perfectionists and so we have very high expectations on ourselves. Celebrate challenge and coach, help each other. Also, um since I've been at Palo Alto Networks, um there is a, there is a, a amazing network of women at Palo Alto Networks, but it's not uncommon for us to, you know, set up 1520 minutes in each other's calendars just to check in with one another. Connect with one another run is a scenario past um someone, what would you do if you were in this situation or um as in my case, a, a quick example I can give you is that um mid career, I, I decided to make a change and it was a very difficult, it was a very difficult decision at the time.

But one of the things that I noticed when I came to Palo Alto is that we have many resources to help us. So we do have mentor programs. We have employee network groups, wonderful employee network groups that are doing amazing things to help, to help us feel like we belong. That was one of the things that I have to say that when I first came to Palo Alto Networks, um I was at orientation and, and they're going through some, they're going through the basics. And I remember that our CEO Ns Aurora came in and um it was like a friend talking to us for the first time being at many tech companies, I feel like I was home, felt like I was at home. And that's the way my journey has been at Palo Alto. There's an amazing network of women that um you know, no matter where you're at, you know, having a rough day, let's talk, let's let's talk and, and see how, how we can uplift each other. Um And I also think that by encouraging one another helps us to take stock, it helps us to capture the lessons and to figure out the takeaways and, and how and actions to, to move forward.

But also being a mentor helps to, helps to build a community of women in all different stages of their careers because we're all in different places and we all wanna make an impact and we all want to help, help to encourage change. It's important to share success stories. It's important to hear journeys of women who have found success navigating the tech world. This also allows me to learn more about hearing the struggles and the triumphs of others, other women who are walking, who have walked a similar path as mine. Um Last fall, we had a session at um Palo Alto Networks where we got to get to know a few of our colleagues. And one of the things that I was really impressed with was hearing their journeys and these were probably women that I wouldn't normally that were, I don't, I'm not within the circle of people that, you know, I work with, but I got to know these women at a different level and it helped because I realized that, you know, they had great journeys, they were challenges and they were struggles, but they did it.

And it wasn't about the title. It was about their love of technology, their love of being in an industry that is changing the way we live. So think about that, think about whether it's a mentor program, whether it's an employee network group, any of those opportunities you might have, even within, even within linkedin, even within your network, your networks are very powerful, get to know people on a more personal level.

Also, there's the next point I wanna make is, is about embracing empathy. You've heard about empathy and leadership. I was reading a uh an article from her name is Mimi Nicklin. She's a creative CEO at Agency freedom. And she said this quote and I think she said it best. Um She said that our mutual understanding as women is our superpower. And if we can leverage this ability and encourage each other to take the promotion step into the room and speak up more often. Well, that's the game changer. We now have the power to change the world there. That, that I think is amazing because there is so much power in numbers. There's so mu so much power and encouraging one another and in uplifting one another. Yes, I like that step into the room and even though the table might be full, we can make, there's always room, there's always room or we get we make a new table, right? So um yes, and I will just add the quote to the chat as well. Um Mimi Nichol also has a book that uh is associated with empathy. She very much focuses on empathy and um leadership, empathy, I think is what she calls it. So support women's work, whether it's a new initiative, whether it's a new product line, a new business or whatever, always look to support the women around you in whatever way is possible that is so important to support one another.

And I also like to talk about compassion, courage and wisdom and those are, I kind of lump them all together. Um Many of us many times we lack and I'm gonna speak for myself. We lack the confidence and we don't really truly understand how good we are. So it is OK for us to it is OK for us to feel nervous or to, to not feel sure. But it's, we also want to remind each other that we're doing a great job and take those compliments. Every one of you is amazing. You are, you are the reason that young women are so motivated today, young women are interested in stem because of the work that you are doing. Young women are interested in technology, because of the work that you are doing women today were under a lot of heavy pressure, right? Um To adhere to totally impossible standards of beauty and behavior. So whenever possible, let's remind each other that we're doing a great job, you're doing a great job all of you. And let's continue to encourage one another to do a great job. And, and as you know, when we started, you know, we said words are strong and they resonate deep within us, right? Um And words are wonderful.

They have the power to galvanize our thoughts into actions, not only are words powerful for personal motivation, but the right words spoken to others at the right time can give hope and purpose. I think I said that recently to a colleague who had just reached out to me and I told her, I said your words are exactly what I needed to hear today. And so you never know what your words may mean to another woman. It may, it may be exactly what she needs to hear and we should give freely of ourselves to others to provide guidance, counseling, support. It could be, it's a, it's a higher calling, right? It's a higher calling. You never know when your words will impact someone positively.

Many of us probably have been mentors without even knowing it. Your words, your example, you were a mentor and you didn't even, you didn't even know it. And we want to lean into our experiences and seek opportunities to share whenever you can share your opportunity. Every single one of you has a very unique story and a very unique journey. And that's what makes you amazing, your challenges, your, whatever your position is, that's what makes you amazing. And, and don't be afraid to share that story again, it can re you never know who it's gonna resonate with in the action of sharing. We too are given the opportunity to learn from others, the interplay of sharing and learning. It's what builds us to even greater things. Um And I'm always humbled, I'm always, every time I hear somebody's story, I'm always amazed at what I learn about what people have accomplished to get to where they're at today. So in the end, remember that we're all in this journey together. We truly are all on this journey together. We're all hikers on the great path to the summit. Some of us thrive in that solo climb and that's great. I know quite a few people like that. Others of us require a team of fellow hikers to bring out the best in us and achieve our goals. Then there's others that require a guide or Sherpa to help them to help them achieve their goals.

But at the end of the day, all paths lead to the same final destination and should be celebrated. Thank you. Thank you for your time today. I really appreciate everybody joining. Um I'll pass my, pass my linkedin um profile and, and again, thank you so much for your time today. Um Please feel free to reach out to me. Um And we can also um if you're interested in any opportunities with Palo Alto networks, we can definitely share those as well. And if you have any questions, please feel to, to reach out as well. And I know we're, we're right at time. So, um again, thank you so much for your time and I look forward to connecting with everybody and I think I can still stay on because I can see everybody in the chat. So thank you so much, Ilana. Thank you. Thank you everybody. Thank you so much. Yes. Um Yeah, we are. I'm gonna go back to that. We may even have been mentors and didn't even know it. Yes, please feel free to. I'll actually put in my um my linkedin bio so I can uh you guys can, we can connect on linkedin as well, send that over and I'll put that in the, the chat.