Once in a while, there’s always that someone who appears out of the clouds to make a pretty huge impact on society. Once in a while, that person changes a few lives and sets precedents for the future. And once in a while, that person literally transforms the rulebook to make a difference in people’s lives. That person is Holly Tattersall, CEO of Women in Digital.
Talk about a game changer! Holly is kicking goals one step at a time, and she’s moving quickly. My interview with Holly was awesome, and I have to say that I learned so much from her journey. You can just tell what kind of person she is throughout the interview; genuine, strong and adventurous. These are all traits Holly had as a child, and she’s definitely brought it into her adulthood. You’ll notice throughout the interview that Holly speaks about her accomplishments in a very nonchalant way, but she’s out there changing lives! That just goes to show how genuine she really is, and the image she’s trying to portray to the world.
What I enjoy about Holly’s journey is that she took nothing and made it into something. Travelling around Honduras, she noticed there was a gap in society. She noticed that women, in general, were not receiving the right respect when it came to the job hunt. She decided to start Women in Digital and Digital Talent, specifically made to empower women in the tech industry. But she’s doing much more than that. Holly and her team are giving women the confidence to ask for that equal amount of pay as their male counterpart, or even have the confidence to stand up and speak in front of hundreds. Holly’s teaching these women how to give themselves the permission and authority to be the best version of themselves…I absolutely LOVE that!
Here are some of the key takeaways from my interview with Holly:
- Don’t be afraid to grab a backpack and travel– “What you know is not the be all and end all.” Holly attests her success to the fact that she literally jumped out of her comfort zone to take any opportunity to travel, whether it was an opportunity for boarding school or starting a travel agency, every change was taken.Holly went from Papa New Guinea to Fiji to New Zealand to Australia to Columbia, and the list goes on. Meeting new people, imbursing in different cultures and having the confidence to develop relationships with people from different walks of life was what empowered her.
- If you want it, you’ll make it happen– The one thing I loved throughout the interview with Holly was how easy she made things sound. For instance, she talked about self-funding the business, but it didn’t take too much to start. She started up a website in a day, gathered stakeholders and created a community. Sounds tough, but the only thing Holly did that many other people don’t is that she prioritized. Excuses come in the way if things aren’t a priority.
- Passion equals persistence– I’ve been following Holly’s journey long before we’d even met. I heard great things about her, and what drew me to her was how persistent she was on making a difference. Holly has not only found her passion, but she’s found something worth fighting for that will make a HUGE impact on her personal growth, and the maturity of society. Find something that you’re passionate about, stay persistent, and success will be accomplished…take it from Holly!
I remember reading a few weeks back that Sweden is the first country to make it illegal for women to have less pay than a man for the same job. I was stoked because that’s the direction we need to go in, but I was also shocked that this hasn’t even happened yet. If we take a look at the holistic world, we are so far behind. It’s people like Holly that are really making a difference to make the world a better place.
If you’d like to get in contact with Holly, here’s how:
LinkedIn: Holly Tattersall
Facebook: Women in Digital
Shiv Rad, out!
