Navigating Change Together

Hi all,

Earlier this year, I reflected on how 2024 was expected to be a turning point in history. With the U.S. election decision this month, it’s clear that change is coming. With any changes in the future, one thing is for certain: NYWICI will continue to ensure that women are always seen, heard and recognized. Our mission maintains: To elevate the potential of every woman in communications and celebrate our collective power to shape the future of the industry.

1. We have a voice – NYWICI makes sure it’s heard.
2. We have a presence – NYWICI makes sure it’s seen.
3. We have a responsibility – NYWICI makes sure we have an impact.

We will continue to deliver on our promise in 2025 and beyond, and play an important role in an ever-changing world.

At our Annual Meeting last week, we spoke a lot about the power of our sisterhood, unity and purpose. Our keynote speaker, a past NYWICI President and past Matrix Honoree, Patrice Tanaka, spoke about the importance of finding your purpose and joy in life.

“Discovering and living our purpose is the single most powerful and efficient thing that we can do to unleash our leadership potential,” Tanaka said.

She shared how focusing on her life’s purpose has helped her through some challenging times in life. Your life purpose is about how you leverage your talent, expertise and passion in service of other people and our planet. Tanaka’s purpose in life is to choose joy in her every single day; to be mindful of that joy, and to share that joy with others. As we look ahead, I’d love to encourage us all to think about our own purpose and share your purpose statements tagging @NYWICI.

I mentioned earlier how NYWICI ensures women are recognized and seen, and a powerful example of that is our inaugural NYWICI Trailblazer Awards that we hosted in late October. Trailblazers was built as an opportunity for us to champion the next generation of women who are carving new paths and empowering the future of our industry.

This year we featured four powerful pairs of nominators with their nominees. This was a very special event where the speakers shared heartfelt stories of the individuals who they were recognizing… and lots of inspiration along with it.

One of our Trailblazer nominees, Laura Correnti, Founder and CEO of Deep Blue, said, “Belief in oneself, your purpose, your passion, the idea or thing you think about and go to sleep dreaming of… the fire in the pit of your stomach that burns so hot… you have to start a women-focused firm, because, why not? Linda (Boff) and Beth were my first two phone calls when building the blueprint for Deep Blue, and all I really needed to confirm that going for it was the only option.”

Speaking to nominator Carla Hassan, Trailblazer nominee Tracy-Ann Lim, Chief Media Officer, JPMorgan Chase, said, “To Carla, I’m especially grateful to receive this award from you. To me, you embody what it means to be a Trailblazer. Not just in terms of your accomplishments, but the emphatic and fearless way in which you do what you do. You create safe spaces where trust grows, and magic happens. It’s a privilege to get to experience that with you every day. And your belief in me has become a belief I have in myself, and I’m forever grateful.”

Going back to what I said earlier about the importance of unity and people who have your back, our Trailblazer pairings proved how important it is for women to be supported and mentored throughout their careers.

As we look to the year ahead, let’s continue to support one another. Be kind. Find ways to unite. Live our purpose. And try to find joy every day.

Best,
Laura Brusca
2024 NYWICI President