We are Your Tribe: Encourage, Support and Celebrate One Another! (Holly Peck, Women’s Success Coach, Board President, USA)
We are Your Tribe: Encourage, Support and Celebrate One Another! (a personal message from our new President)
On the heels of “International Women’s Day”, I was reminded that we have unique challenges in life which men do not. In my own life, I’ve experienced sexual harassment at my first corporate job, a divorce from an alcoholic abuser, and becoming a young widow suddenly with two children to raise.
Not easy to overcome.
Somehow I figured out that the best protection any woman can have is courage…to find our strength and move forward, knowing that we can DO and RECOVER from anything in life!
Lucky for us, we also share a special and innate gift as women to encourage, support and celebrate one another. Why? Because we understand the challenges.
It’s as if we are connected by an invisible thread to every other woman – success and failure are both shared by us all. In my past, I was fortunate to have a tribe of women who helped me be strong after each roadblock. I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without those women, personally or professionally.
Fast forward to the present…I’m now in my mid-50’s, and with the encouragement and coaching from women kiters, I’ve become proficient at the extreme sport of kiteboarding! And, to be honest, I had to muster courage every step of the way to learn to kite; it didn’t come easy to me. I feel stronger and more empowered now than I ever have before! I’m sure many of you can relate to this feeling while learning to kite or advance your skills…I am woman, hear me roar! (Or, I am woman, watch me kite?)
For 25 years, my passion in business has been developing women leaders to break the glass ceiling in large corporations. Personally, I founded a non-profit to help young widows like me find their new normal. Then I realized all women need a little support in life, so I co-founded a women’s virtual coaching group that culminates in a retreat each year. But in the past several years, I found a new personal passion – kiteboarding.
I’ve now become an IKO certified Instructor and created with my spouse a couples kiting retreat in South Padre Island, TX. I’m thrilled I’m now able to combine my love of kiting with supporting women by joining this strong Board as your new President of Women’s Kiteboarding Collective.
As I carry the torch from Tanya Ezekiel, the amazing Board of Directors and I will continue the global movement of women kiters who encourage, support and celebrate each other’s independence, intelligence, courage, confidence, strengths, abilities, power, professionalism and grace… all through our mutual love of kiteboarding.
We have already begun Virtual Meet-Up events via Zoom every two months with women guest speakers to inspire you and allow connection with other women kiters, and we will continue to provide you updates on the latest gear and kiting techniques, hold contests with kite gear as prizes, and update our website search engine for ease of use.
A few things I’d like to resurrect from our past are to install local ambassadors for our organization to take things more local for you, plan retreats and camps at various locations, and to bring back “International Women’s Kiteboarding Week” where we come together from all over to connect!
Yes, we have unique challenges as women, but we also have special innate gifts! So, if the winds change and you ever find yourself in uncharted waters, know that you have a large network of women here to kite with, as well as support you and encourage you to find your own strength. Then, we will celebrate YOU! We are your tribe.
To good winds and great friends!
Holly St John Peck
Incoming Board President 2021-2023
Women’s Kiteboarding Collective
Our Board Bios (Frances, Gee Gee, Holly, Laurel, Margaret, Nicole)
REGISTER FOR OUR NEXT VIRTUAL MEET UP: https://linktr.ee/womenskiteboarding
More on Holly’s work:
www.pecktraining.com (company, training/coaching business leaders)
www.eepfoundation.org (non-profit helping widows)
www.relentlesslyyou.com | https://www.facebook.com/rureadytothrive (women’s coaching groups, annual retreats)
https://www.facebook.com/couplekiters/ (couples kiting retreats)
