Rooted to Rise: How Women Can Invest in Their Professional Growth

🌳 Rooted to Rise: How Women Can Invest in Their Professional Growth

At this year’s PWH Leadership Summit, we explored what it means to be Rooted—personally and professionally.

We were reminded that leadership growth starts beneath the surface. Our speakers challenged us to shift our thinking, invest in ourselves, and show up with intention.

• Erin Diehl helped us recognize and reframe limiting beliefs, showing how our thoughts shape our words—and ultimately our actions.
• Matt Bourne encouraged us to think big, cast a vision, and take meaningful steps toward it.
• Rachelle Ferrara reminded us that resilience isn’t avoiding the storm—it’s becoming calm within it. Self-awareness, adaptability, and courage are essential leadership roots.

Even if you couldn’t attend, these messages are for all of us. Because professional growth doesn’t begin with hustle—it begins with being rooted in who we are, what we need, and how we’re choosing to grow.

🌱 Rooted Growth: Five Ways to Invest in Your Professional Development

1. Water Your Roots with Intentional Time

Professional growth doesn’t happen in the margins. It requires space and care.

Whether it's attending a webinar, participating in a book club, or reflecting on a lesson learned, blocking time for learning sends a message to yourself—and to others—that your development matters. It can be as small as a 20-minute Friday ritual or as big as enrolling in a course.

PWH members have access to ready-made opportunities to invest this time wisely, through:

• Live and on-demand webinars
• Curated online courses
• Scheduled book club discussions

These offerings make it easier to turn “I should” into “I did.”

2. Protect Your Energy by Pruning What No Longer Serves You

In a world of nonstop input, energy is a precious resource.

Choosing to grow means choosing where not to grow. It means releasing commitments, mindsets, or roles that drain you, and shifting toward what aligns with your values and goals.

Professional development should energize, not exhaust. So ask yourself:

• Am I consuming content that lifts me up?
• Am I learning with intention or just reacting?

The PWH community helps you focus on what matters most.
Our Professional Development pillar is built around purposeful, high-impact learning.

3. Fertilize Your Growth with Strategic Investment

Your professional growth is worth the investment—yes, even the financial one.

Whether it’s a course, a conference, or a coaching session, these aren’t indulgences. They’re fertilizer. They expand your skills, confidence, and visibility.

If your organization offers a learning stipend, ask for what you need. If not, remember that your development is still your responsibility—and your power.

PWH provides accessible, member-focused learning opportunities, many at no additional cost, so you can keep growing without barriers.

4. Grow a Strong Root Network

No tree thrives in isolation. In nature, root systems are connected—sharing nutrients and signals beneath the surface.

Likewise, your professional growth depends on your network—mentors, sponsors, thought partners, and allies.

That’s why Mentoring is one of PWH’s three pillars. Through:

• 1-on-1 pairings
• Mentoring circles
• Situational mentoring

…you can both receive support and offer it. Growth isn’t just personal—it’s collective.

And let’s not forget the pillar of Networking—where relationships are cultivated, experiences are shared, and visibility expands. You never know what connection will plant the seed for your next opportunity.

5. Define the Bloom You’re Reaching Toward

Being rooted doesn’t mean staying still. It means having a strong foundation from which to grow upward, outward, and with purpose.

So ask yourself:

• What kind of leader do I want to become?
• What impact do I want to make?
• What support do I need to grow there?

Define your next milestone—then make space for the development that will get you there. Whether it’s learning a new skill, stepping into a new role, or mentoring someone else, it all counts as growth.

🌼 Your Growth is Already Underway

You don’t need to hustle harder to grow—you need to nourish your roots.

That means being intentional with your time, selective with your energy, bold with your investments, connected to your people, and clear about your purpose.

As our Summit speakers reminded us, growth happens when we:

• Shift our mindset – Erin Diehl showed us how to recognize limiting beliefs and rewrite them with compassion and courage. Investing in your growth starts with believing you’re worthy of it.
• Cast a bold vision – Matt Bourne encouraged us to think big and take aligned action. Growth doesn’t happen by accident—it requires clarity, courage, and follow-through.
• Practice resilient leadership – Rachelle Ferrara reminded us that we don’t avoid the chaos—we root ourselves in it. Self-awareness, adaptability, and empathy aren’t just leadership traits; they’re anchors for meaningful, sustainable development.

These aren’t abstract ideas. They’re invitations.

You’re already growing every time you choose to invest in yourself—by showing up to learn, reaching out to a mentor, creating space for reflection, or simply taking one step forward.

If you’re ready to go deeper, explore all the ways PWH is here to support your journey:

👉 Explore Professional Development (webinars, courses, book clubs)
👉 Get Involved in Mentoring (1-on-1, circles, situational)

Let’s stay rooted, so we can rise—together.