Last week, I had the honor of opening the doors of Hughes Marino’s downtown headquarters to the Lawyers Club of San Diego for a sold-out event on the topic of ‘Negotiating Your Career.’ Organized by the club’s Professional Advancement Committee, the program was headlined by Anne Marie Houghtailing, a writer, speaker, and advocate for women’s empowerment in the workplace, who addressed the crowd of more than 50 attendees.

Houghtailing’s talk was stimulating and energizing to say the least. Focusing on salary negotiations, ways to ask for additional opportunities within your position, negotiating flexible hours, and tips for ensuring that you’re getting the credit deserved for your work, she provided creative and motivating tips that resonated with all in attendance.

My favorite message from the event was the importance of having confidence in yourself – confidence in your ability to deliver excellent results; confidence of your value within a company; and confidence to stand up for what you believe in.

Events like this remind me how incredibly fortunate I am to be a member of the Lawyers Club of San Diego’s Professional Advancement Committee. I am afforded a terrific opportunity to network with an unbelievably ambitious, intelligent, and interesting group of women, as we together work towards leveling the professional playing field for all women.

From attending a dinner where the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, Sandra Day O’Connor, served as the keynote speaker, to participating in eye-opening events such as the Lawyers Club’s Equal Pay Day Leadership Luncheon, I feel fortunate to have this group as a sounding board and support system. It was an honor for me to host this event at the Hughes Marino office, and give back to an organization that has provided me so much support and inspiration.