Role Models:
Sue Holly-Rodway

I’ve been in the Technology and Tech consulting world since I finished my business degree in 1986, and very quickly decided to go into a selling role, mostly because lots of the guys (it was nearly all guys selling tech back then) told me I probably wouldn’t or couldn’t make it in sales, because of my gender (it’s really upsetting being rejected, apparently)! Over the years, I have often been regarded as being a bit of an outlier, in that I was always the main breadwinner and economic partner in my (long and happy) marriage, my husband being the father at home, which enabled me to focus my time and energy on not only surviving but sometimes thriving in my chosen career. As I became for comfortable with the role-reversal in my marriage and became more confident in my career, I started to embrace my ‘super-powers’ of tenacity, curiosity and sometime courage in the face of many challenges. However, I often noticed that many others (and particularly women, and particularly women who ‘didn’t fit’) felt uncomfortable and ill at ease in the corporate systems that they worked within. So I started to offer support, guidance, wisdom and often just a non-judgmental ear. And I also used my hard-won coaching skills (I’m a trained coach) to offer a developmental perspective for people who needed that extra bit of self-belief. In 2011, I created a workshop called ‘Be Heard’, which focuses on overcoming the inner-saboteur, looks into that sense of imposter syndrome, and offers up some practical coaching tools to support reflection and more positive ‘self-speak’. Since 2011, many hundreds of people (mostly females) have enjoyed engaging in the workshop, and I often hear back from participants for whom it was a positive boost and catalyst to positive self-belief. So, I guess I’ve been someone who really leans-into supporting others, sharing my many lessons and learnings, from a long time being a little bit different!