Level Up with Connection: The Transformative Power of Community

Have you ever wondered what separates those who soar in their careers from those who stay stuck? Spoiler alert: It’s not just talent or hard work—it’s the power of community.

In this episode, I dive into why success isn’t meant to be solo and how the right network can completely transform your career. Drawing from my experiences in two incredible communities—CHIEF, a network for executive women, and Impact 11, a high-level group for speakers and thought leaders—I’ll share:

• Why your network is your net worth and how connections create opportunities you can’t predict.
• The transformative benefits of community, including mentorship, accountability, and support.
• How being in the right group accelerates growth and inspires bold action.
• My personal stories of career breakthroughs fueled by powerful connections.
• A hint at something BIG I’m creating for ambitious women looking to grow, thrive, and succeed.

Whether you’re looking to build a network or maximize the one you already have, this episode will give you practical insights and inspiration to take your career to the next level.

✨ Tune in and start building the connections that will change your career forever!

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Transcript

0:00

I'm going to say something that is. Totally self promotional and it feels a little icky to do so, but I think that it is important for you to hear. So here we go. I have had pretty massive amounts of success in my career and pretty quickly. Told you that felt kind of sick, but bear with me. I have always focused on growth and abundance and yes, that helps me tremendously. I'm always wanting to take action and move the ball forward. Even when I am scared, even when I don't want to do it. And that has also helped me tremendously. And sometimes if I'm honest, it's about being in the right place at the right time. But what I want to talk about today is the single thing that has helped me accelerate my career growth and my success. And my business in record time. And that thing is community. Now I'm coming off the heels of a masterclass with one of my favorite communities. And. I'm flying a bit high right now. I'm literally buzzing, buzzing, buzzing, buzzing with excitement. Even though I am physically exhausted. If you're watching this on YouTube, you can see, I am still in the hotel room, but I wanted to jump in and share with you. What community can do for your career? The transformative benefits that come along when you were in the right community and why success is not a solo act. Welcome to the glass ceiling and sticky floor podcast. The show that's here to empower you to break free from limiting beliefs, ditch toxic behaviors, and unlock the infinite possibilities that are waiting for you. This is your time to live your best life unapologetically. I'm Eric. Tony, your host Ana biggest cheerleader on a mission to get more women into positions of power and keep them there where they belong. If you're ready to shatter ceilings, crush self-doubt and build a career and life overflowing with growth and abundance. You're in the right place. Here's the deal. We talk about the real stuff. Imposter syndrome, perfectionism, fear, burnout. You name it. It's real. It's raw. It's honest. And it's exactly what you need to level up. So grab a seat. Pub in those ear buds and let's dive in. All right. So for those of you who don't know, I am in two incredible, incredible, incredible communities. The first one is chief, which is a network for executive women. And the second one is impact 11, which is a speaker community designed to elevate your craft and your thought leadership so that you can make the biggest impact possible. Now, let me start off by saying that. I am very privileged to be in these two communities. They are not cheap. Uh, but to me they're worth the investment and here's why. When you are a part of a community like chief, or like impact 11, you are surrounded by people who inspire you to think bigger. They challenge your ideas. They offer guidance and they opened doors that you did not even know existed. Now my fellow women and chief yall, they have helped me launch my podcast. Get the word out about my podcast, right reviews. They did it all for my book too. And without fail, they show up in full support every single time. Now they've also been there for the really bad days for the days where I wanted to throw in the towel for the days where I was mansplained to the days I was told I was intimidating. And the days that I just wanted to just give it all up. And there's something so powerful about that because. It allowed me to show up and connect with women who have the same kind of challenges that I do. And then they can also give me advice and share strategies. Like I live in an amazing neighborhood with amazing women, but none of them have the same life that I have where I was a chief people officer in tech, flying across the world for half of a month at a time. Nor do I have anyone else in my close proximity that was doing speaking events? Like I was, so I didn't have anyone to navigate, like how do I run this business? And so that's what these two communities bring them, right? Like, I asked them for career advice for kid advice, business advice, and you know what they always show up. I mean, y'all we talk about having a board of directors, right? Like your own group of people who can give you insight and wisdom and advice, just like a business would. And this is super important, but imagine having a community that brings together literally the smartest, most talented, the most incredible people who want to do big things. All in one space. Y'all that's chief. But here's the real deal. I've said it once. I'm gonna say it again. Network, network, network network, because networking is key. Your network is not just about who, you know, It's about all of the insights, the opportunities and the confidence that comes from those connections. So, let me ask you this. Did you know that statistics show that over 80% of jobs are filled through networking? Not job postings. Y'all. So these relationships that you're building are literally your career's most powerful currency. And I'll save it through my two communities. I have. Been presented with more opportunities than I ever could have imagined that would not have happened. Had I not been in these communities? Now my speaker, community impact 11. Y'all they are just, so-so so incredible. If I've said it once, I'll say it a million times. I have never been surrounded by a group of people who number one. They just always want to grow and be better and improve. And number two, give as generously as they do. But this community helps me show up every single day as my best speaker self. And y'all, they challenged me to think bigger about what I'm doing, uh, to go deeper and, you know, to be me just Erica Rooney, which if you've read my book or listened to my podcasts, You know, I talk about one of my sticky floors. Being that I was always chameleon blending into where I fit in. Right. But the true power is when I stand in my own person. And I am my own authentic self. So their support in that journey, their guidance has been game changing. It's been life changing. But when I stop and I really think about the transformative benefits of community. I think about the access to mentors. And I hear all the time about how hard it can be for people to find the right mentor or someone who genuinely wants to mentor you, but in community, Absolutely. Totally different. Everyone is there to be a mentor. Right. So when you were in the right community, everyone steps up and they fill those shoes. So, yes. One of the biggest advantages to being in a strong community is access to those mentors. Those people who have already walked the path that you are wanting to walk and they can give you the guidance that accelerates that growth. But it's literally like gasoline thrown on a fire. It is this wild accelerant. That's going to just jumpstart your career. In no time. And then in chief, my women's group, the mentors and the guides there, they have helped me shape my business. They helped me imagine what could be possible for my business. And they walked with me holding my hand through the process of stepping away from corporate and finding my true calling. And y'all they got in the trenches with me and that is so. Incredibly valuable. But they also provide a hell of a lot of accountability and motivation and y'all. I have one speaker accountability group. That's we are a part of impact 11, but we're like this little pod and we check in every month with each other, like, how are we doing? What support do you need? Do you have any questions? Like maybe I can offer my advice and my insights, or maybe I've been through that similar situation. And just the ideas that are flowing are so incredibly amazing. And like nobody is in there to cut you down. Nobody is in there thrown shade, like it is genuinely the most amazing community that supports an up lifts. But here's the real deal. When you are surrounded by ambitious people who always want to grow and level up. It's hard not to level up yourself. So being in a group being community like impact 11, it means that you are constantly inspired to push your boundaries, to set bigger goals and to stay accountable to those goals. Which trust me, when I tell you they will not let you fail. But here is one of the biggest takeaways from being in these impactful communities. And that is. Opportunities that you cannot predict. So networking. I don't want you to think about networking as just career advancement. It's about serendipity. And my, my friend, Jenny wood, who wrote the book wild courage. He says that serendipity doesn't happen. It's made. And the more you connect, the more opportunities seem to just magically appear. Right? But that magic is the result of intentional connections. So, let me tell you this wild story happened to me the other day. But I was talking with my friend, Jenny that I just told you about. And she she's an ex Googler. She's the author and incredible leader. And she said that I just had to meet this one woman. And her woman, friend, her name was Brittany Hodak and Brittany Hodak is the author of superfans. So I had to head to Nashville for this community event. And I'm emailing away with this woman, Brittany, that Jenny wanted me to connect with. And I, I get to my hotel room in Nashville where I'm at this community event. I emailed Brittany, Brittany emails me back. She says, I've downloaded your podcast. I'm going to listen to it on my way home. I'm at this event, that's local for me. So I'll holler at you later in the day. And I reply back, like sounds great. And I send it off. And as soon as I hit send, I looked in her email signature and I noticed that she lives very close to Nashville. So, of course my brain went. Is she at the same event that I'm at? So I emailed her back really quickly. And I said, um, are you at this event? And she was like, yes, I am. So y'all serendipity. It is not something that just happens. It is something that you make. And so I actually got to connect with Brittany in person in real life. When before it was just going to be a zoom. So. To wrap it up. These types of serendipitous moments y'all they don't just happen. They are made, but I could not have made them without the power of community. So let's talk about success and y'all, this is my big thing here. Success is not so low. There is this myth that many entrepreneurs, many women climbing the ladder are all about grinding it out alone. But the truth is that the most successful people have the best and the strongest support systems. They have communities that help them accelerate their success. They have communities that help them accelerate their growth. Because they amplify your efforts. So communities like. Chief and impact 11. They're unique. Yes, but they thrive on trust. They create spaces where you can show up and you can be your authentic self. You can be vulnerable, you can ask questions and you can share your struggles and your pain points. Without fear or judgment. And y'all vac. Is where the real growth happens. But here's the thing. And I understand this, not everyone has access to spaces like chief or impact 11. They are very expensive. They cost a lot of money and it's a privilege. It is a privilege to be a part of those communities. But I believe that every ambitious woman deserves a community that supports her. That challenges her and helps her grow. And let's just say, y'all, I've been working on something that will fill that gap. So I want you to stay tuned. But here's what I want you to remember. The right community. It's not just about a career boost. It is an accelerator. It's where you find guidance, opportunity and connection that takes you further than you could ever go alone. And if you're not already a part of a supportive ambitious group, I encourage you go find one sequin out. And if you're wondering how to find one of those, what. I might just have something for you soon. So for now, though, I just want you to imagine being surrounded by women who believe in you, who challenge you and who want to see you win. That is the power of community. And it's something I am so excited to bring to more women very, very soon. So keep an eye out for what is coming next. But until then, I want you to think about the people you surround yourself with. Who inspires you, who challenges you? And most importantly, who do you want to invite on this journey? Of 2025. Who do you want to bring with you into the next year? All right. Y'all thanks for listening to the glass ceiling and sticky floor podcast. If this episode lit a fire under you, go ahead, hit that five star review button. It's how we get this message into the hands of the woman that needs to hear it the most. But I don't want you to stop here. Connect with me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Tik TOK, and all of the socials where I drop daily inspiration. I've got a lot of great free resources out there and the tools that you need to keep smashing those ceilings. But until next time, remember this, the only. Limits you set are the ones you place over yourself. So let's smash them together.