The power of notes to self - guest blog by Stacy Cassio

This is the first in a series of guest blogs about the power of positive affirmation. 

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Four years ago, I was the head of engineering at a manufacturing company. Both the industry and company were male-dominated. I was in desperate need of a strong female mentor to remind me how powerful my authentic voice was in places where I was “the only”.

Since mentorship was not available inside the organization, I started to look for it outside and quickly realized that it was hard to get on a busy woman’s calendar beyond a conversation over coffee. I decided to create the community I craved by inviting the most successful women I could find to share their unfiltered mentorship on the challenges I was facing in a monthly mentor dinner.

Only one problem...I was terrified of public speaking!

About then, I came across the “notes to self” socks while perusing a hospital gift shop. The “I am confident” socks were calling my name.

I not only started to wear them as I planned the events, I also adopted a new persona with them on. In the socks, Stacy Cassio became “Connie Cann”.  Anytime Stacy Cassio doubted her ability to pull the event together or take the stage to lead the conversation, “Connie Cann” emerged confident to make it happen!

Our first event was April 24, 2017. The topic was “Finding Your Voice”.

(The photo on the left was our first mentorship event, the one on the right is me more recently. The pink & the voice got louder as I got more confident!)

The events continued, and eventually I developed a loyal following. Soon, the community turned into my full-time job. To learn more about the network I’ve created, a new model of mentorship called Pop-Up Mentor™ and how I’ve solved the problem of how traditional mentorship programs are broken, click here!

“Connie Cann” will make female mentorship accessible to any individual or organization in need, Stacy Cassio is confident of that!

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I may not have realized it at the time but what I was actually doing by wearing the “note to self” socks was planting confidence into my routine. The socks were a breadcrumb to remind me I am wildly capable & remarkably qualified to do this work every day.

It’s important to have these reminders anytime we're entering new territory, stepping out of our comfort zones, or confronting the unknown. Confidence is an acquired attribute that only comes from experience. We must flex new muscles to develop it or borrow it until we find it within ourselves.

NOTE TO SELF: MENTORSHIP ON FINDING CONFIDENCE

Here’s an exercise for self-empowerment: describe your most confident self.

What are you doing? Who are you with? Where are you at? How can we plant reminders of that self into every day?

Here are four examples I still use to this day:

• VISUAL: Post a photo on your vanity mirror, in your closet or pantry, or in your car---or anywhere you frequent. Soak it in regularly.
• AUDIBLE: Make a "note to self" the next time you're at your best. Play it back as needed. Listen to your empowered voice.
• EMOTIONAL: Start a "Legacy" folder or favorite screenshots of positive feedback you've received. Capture your ripple effect.
• WEARABLE: Wear a reminder of your confident self---perhaps it's a token, color, or empowering accessory. Here's mine.

Go now. You have confidence to plant and socks to buy. The world is waiting for your most confident self to greet us.

“Legacy is the lives we impact, not the lives we create.” - Stacy Cassio