Building a strong network takes time, but perhaps more importantly, it relies on being in the right room with the right people. In May 2024, Houlihan Lokey, Cresset, and Alliant joined forces with Mindr to host a Networking Salon for women in private equity to build connections across the industry. It was an impactful evening filled with powerful insights and advice from panelists Chrissy Lamont Svejnar (Partner at Ares Management), Chelsea Celistan (Principal at Avante Capital Partners), and Jeanette DiMola (SVP at Houlihan Lokey).

Attendees engaged in dynamic activities while making meaningful connections, reflecting on cultivating community, and strategizing for success. Here are some of the takeaways from the night:

• Foster a supportive community: There is a strong desire to build a supportive community that lifts each other up and helps underrepresented groups thrive. Find colleagues and leaders who look like you, as well as allies, and exchange strategies, tips, and lessons learned.
• Learn from obstacles and strive to eliminate them: Every experience holds a powerful lesson, whether it is a stretch assignment, reminding yourself that you belong in the room, or encountering a leadership style you don’t want to model. Find opportunities within challenges and strive to remove the obstacles you overcame for those that follow.
• Seek mentors and sponsors (and become them, too!): Whether it is a mentor advising you on overcoming a difficult situation or a sponsor elevating your name in a closed-door meeting, these relationships play pivotal roles in our careers. However, it goes beyond what you can get. Think about paying it forward and becoming the role model you wish you had.
• Position yourself strategically and become your own advocate: Work hard, take on challenges, contribute in meetings, and model the behavior of the role you want to reach. Build your brand and embrace confidence until it becomes natural. Share your successes and expertise and advocate for yourself because opportunities don't often come knocking.
• Identify your North Star and celebrate small wins to stay motivated: Find your “North Star,” that long-term goal that will guide and sustain you through difficult times, but always make a point to celebrate the small wins along the way, both for yourself and others. This will help maintain your momentum during long hours and tough days.

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Find more resources on building belonging at work here, and check out the first enterprise SaaS ecosystem for cultivating leaders and building belonging at work, Mindr Connect.