Award-Winning Keynote Speaker and Author Erica Dhawan joined Internal Communications Manager Lalita Llerena, Distribution Design and Engineering Manager Lori Wilson and Vice President of Customer Experience Karen Sparkman for a panel discussion at the Women’s Conference of Florida.
On Sept. 8, about two dozen women leaders from Tampa Electric added a thinking cap on top of the multiple hats they wear on a daily basis. They knew from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. that day, they were going to hear from some of the nation’s most respected female thought leaders about the most important issues facing women.
Tampa Electric was proud to serve as a presenting sponsor of the annual Women’s Conference of Florida for professional women and college students at the Tampa Convention Center. Aside from networking, workshops and panel discussions, the conference featured a long list of high-profile female speakers, including Kendra Scott, iconic jewelry designer, founder and philanthropist; Lauren Simmons, producer, writer and former stock trader, dubbed the “Wolfette of Wall Street;” and Katty Kay, U.S. special correspondent for BBC Studios, award-winning journalist and bestselling author.
From entrepreneurship and leadership to mental health and personal branding, our team members heard each other's stories and discussed innovative and impactful ways to positively influence the world.
Many of those inspirational stories belonged to Karen Sparkman, Vice President of Customer Experience for Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas. She moderated a panel discussion with Lalita Llerena, Internal Communications Manager and Lori Wilson, Distribution Design and Engineering Manager. Together with Award-Winning Keynote Speaker and Author Erica Dhawan, the ladies shared how they have harnessed their talents, skills, and passions to create a new paradigm for success. By exploring their stories, strategies and insights, attendees gained a deeper understanding of how to adapt to changing workspaces, succeed in male-dominated industries and support other women while doing it.
“Where I sit today in my role today, it’s not about me at all. It’s about bringing the next generation of women leaders up to the forefront,” shared Karen to the 2,000 audience members. “I find such excitement in that. I have the opportunity to bring others along and I never thought I would be the one to have that opportunity. I encourage you all to think about your role as a leader or a mentor. Who are you bringing along on your journey?”
TECO proudly sponsored the engaging panel discussion where Lori shared how a woman’s ability to multitask and be flexible can be an asset in their careers. “Multiple hats are in our DNA. You’re usually the first to wake up and the last to go to bed at home. You get your kids, yourself and husband out the door. Then, you come to work and you change hats,” said Lori. “The ability to wear multiple hats also creates flexibility. You understand not just the hats that you wear; you understand the hats others, that you work alongside, have to wear. While I do have my ‘boss hat’ on, somebody next to me needs to wear the ‘mom hat’ and I can sympathize with that because I also wear that hat. As long as we understand that one of those hats has to be a crown.”
Lalita shared how women can strike a balance between showing vulnerability at work, which can foster connection, and projecting strength in leadership roles. “The leaders I have admired throughout my career have always been the ones who have taken down those walls and showed their vulnerabilities with me because it humanizes them, and it makes me want to work harder for them because I know they’ve struggled with something similar and that they can relate to me.”
While noting it’s important to support women at all levels, Karen ended with profound closing thoughts: “Put yourself first. Think about your mental health. Think about your obligations outside of work. Work is a small part of what we do but it probably consumes about 90 percent of what we think and how we think. Take a minute to pause and reflect and reprioritize.”
In the spirit of authentic leadership, Erica led the crowd of inspired attendees through a Bali dance with the reminder to… “Be ourselves. Share who we are. Bring our uniqueness to the table - that is our competitive advantage in the business world.”
Tampa Electric is grateful for the opportunity to help empower all women because their energy can inspire all of us to do better and be better. And for the TECO team members and thousands of other women who came looking for inspiration and connection? Mission accomplished.
About two dozen women leaders from TECO attended the Women’s Conference of Florida on Sept. 8.
Karen moderated a “Thriving in Multifaceted Careers & Changing Workscapes” panel discussion.
Iconic Jewelry Designer, Founder and Philanthropist Kendra Scott got to see Lori donning one of her signature necklaces before showtime.
Lori Wilson, Lalita Llerena, Tiffany Bornfleth and Stacy Hallman having fun before filling their brains with inspiration.
To close the discussion, Erica led the panelists and crowd through a Bali dance.
