Confidence is not built in isolation. It grows when someone backs you, opens a door, and says you belong here.
International Women’s Day isn’t just about celebrating how far women have come it’s about deciding what kind of systems we are building next. And with this year’s theme being Give to Gain it encourages a mindset of collaboration and togetherness. Because individual success is impressive, but collective progress is unstoppable.
The legal profession is outcome driven. We measure success in judgments, reforms and results. But the outcomes that truly last, the ones that strengthen institutions and communities, are created together. They come from shared opportunity, influence and momentum.
Here’s the truth: When women are supported, confidence multiplies. When opportunity is shared, leadership accelerates. When success is hoarded, systems stall. Give to Gain isn’t soft. It’s strategic.
At Travis Schultz & Partners we are fortunate to have a strong group of female leaders across our four offices, still something of a rarity in the legal world. Many of them balance family life with demanding roles in personal injury law, bringing real commitment and perspective to their work. I’m genuinely proud to work alongside colleagues who handle so much with such steadiness and care, shaping the people‑focused approach our clients rely on. Their expertise and contribution to the wider legal community continue to raise the bar for all of us.
Mentorship, sponsorship and inclusion don’t lower standards, they raise the ceiling. They build stronger leadership pipelines, sharper decision-making and institutions that actually reflect the communities they serve.
And this responsibility doesn’t sit only with those with formal titles. Power grows when it’s used. Confidence spreads when it’s given. Every time knowledge is shared, a voice is backed, space is made at the table or another woman’s win is celebrated, the whole profession moves forward.
This matters both in the office and outside it, but let’s be honest about what that actually looks like. Speaking personally, I don’t have it all together. Most days I give 110%, but that doesn’t mean everything gets 110% at once. Some days it’s 100% at work and 10% at home. Other days it’s 80% to my family and 30% to work. And some days, I give 90% to myself and that means work and family are both getting very little. That’s not failure. That’s honesty. That’s reality.
But I also know this: there are days when I can give 100% at home, 100% at work, and still have something left for myself. Those are the days I feel supported. The days I’ve both given and gained from the people around me. The days when confidence, capacity and energy multiply and this is not because I did it alone, but because I didn’t have to.
Yes, that might add up to 200%. No, it’s not magic. That extra energy is borrowed – from support, encouragement and people who have your back. It’s fuel. And it’s exactly what allows us to do things we simply cannot do in isolation.
Balance isn’t a perfect equation. It’s a constant recalibration. And the days that feel the hardest are the days when support is missing, when you’re carrying everything solo.
Quite simply put – I don’t do it all, I do it with support. Support from my husband, my kids, my extended family, and my many wonderful colleagues.
As a mother this sentiment of giving to gain, matters deeply to me. I want my children to grow up seeing that confidence isn’t something you wait for, it’s something you build together. That leadership isn’t just about getting ahead, but about lifting others as you rise.
This lens has shaped my leadership and continues to guide my work. Inclusive systems don’t weaken excellence, they scale it. When experience is shared generously and opportunity is extended deliberately, collective confidence follows.
The future of leadership is collaborative, confident and generous.
This International Women’s Day, Give to Gain is a call to action: back women, build confidence, open doors and invest in those beside you. Because when confidence is given freely, we all gain as individuals, as a profession, and as a community.
