Lessons learned and embracing ikigai in your work life

Morgan and I had the pleasure of attending the MTLC Professional Women’s Meeting, Career Path Planning event. We heard from a panel of super smart, friendly, successful women. It was moderated by Shardé Marchewski, Globe Head of Purpose and Inclusion at Wayfair, and included Dr. Patti Fletcher, Chief Strategy and Practice Officer, TalentLign Inc., Michelle Micone, Chief Marketing and Strategic Initiatives Officer, Boston Globe Media, and Julie Harvey, Global Head of Executive Search, SharkNinja. 

Throughout the discussion, the panel was asked some heavy career questions, ranging from “How did you get to where you are today?” to “When did you know you were ready to make a career change?” Each woman had walked a different path and shared sage advice with the crowd. Our key takeaways from the session were that women are relational thinkers, that confidence and flexibility are essential, and that you can always reframe your skills. We also learned about ikigai, a new concept that resonated with both of us. Let’s dive into these a bit further. 

Tap into the power of relational thinking

Women are often described as relational thinkers, meaning we naturally look at the people and context behind a problem—not just the facts on the surface. While men are often engineered to focus on the what, women tend to pay more attention to the why and who.

Instead of zeroing in only on someone’s opinion, we’re more likely to ask what’s influencing it and how it might affect others. 

• What’s their motivation? 
• What’s going on around them? 
• How might a decision impact the people involved?

This doesn’t replace analytical thinking; it expands it. By incorporating the human side into problem-solving, women often arrive at solutions that feel more thoughtful, balanced, and enduring. And in many situations, that relational perspective helps teams work better together and achieve outcomes that truly benefit everyone.

Be confident, agile, and flexible

Day-to-day, women often find themselves battling imposter syndrome—whether it’s being the only woman at the table, stepping into a leadership role, or managing an all-male team. 

Unfortunately, this isn’t a challenge that can be solved overnight.

But there are ways to take control and remind yourself why you deserve to be where you are. While you can’t own everything, staying confident and flexible is key to career growth. You never know who you’ll meet or what new skill might add value to your journey.

Don’t fear risks—they’re essential for growth. One motto shared by the panel really stuck with us: Be confident in your competence. No matter what new opportunity or challenge comes your way, trust your ability to learn, adapt, and rise to the occasion.

Reframe your skills and mindset

Especially in a challenging job market, it’s important to reframe your skills and experience in a positive, relatable way. If you’re considering a career change or new role, start by mapping out your skills and expertise—find where they overlap, and identify any gaps compared to the position you’re applying for.

Those “gaps” aren’t setbacks; they’re opportunities to learn and grow. It all comes down to having confidence in your ability to develop new skills and reframe how you describe your experience, as well as how you can apply your unique experience and skill sets to different roles.

Going back to the question, “When did you know it was time to make a career change?”—the simplest answer was, “Time told me.” 

It was a reminder that you can’t predict everything, and you certainly can’t control every twist in your path. Many of the panelists didn’t set out looking for a new direction; instead, opportunities, challenges, or unexpected circumstances showed up and nudged them forward. They didn’t plan for it—but they recognized the moment and took the leap.

Ikigai

Ikigai is a Japanese concept that refers to the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. This is a helpful framework to set long-term goals and work backwards from there, looking ahead 30 days at a time to achieve smaller ones. 

It can also help if you’re trying to grow your skills or looking for a career change. As someone who tells her team to “always be learning”, it’s important to find what you like to do and continue to learn more about it, whether you’re taking online courses, attending conferences, reading, or networking with peers in the same space. If you’re continuously learning and evolving your skills, the possibilities are endless. 

It’s up to women

These ideas were a welcome addition to everything we’ve learned over the past few years attending Women in Technology events. We’ve discussed advocating for ourselves, finding mentors and sponsors, collaborating, and building strong professional networks. However, this session reinforced something even more important: ultimately, it’s up to us to recognize our own value. 

It’s on us to keep growing, stay curious, and take up space. And when we push ourselves (even a little), new opportunities tend to follow. You never really know where you might end up, and that’s what makes the journey so exciting!

Imarc is an inclusive workplace with groups like Women in the Workplace to support and elevate all kinds of innovative professionals. We encourage you to bookmark our website for future career opportunities if you’re interested in joining a team like ours.