69. Network in Harmony With Your Culture with Isabel Ching, Executive Director, Hamilton Madison House

How can we network while staying true to ourselves?

For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Isabel Ching, Executive Director of Hamilton Madison House. Born in South America, Isabel moved to Brooklyn, New York where she grew up. In school, she was bullied for being Asian American and put in an ESL class even though she spoke English fluently. 

Even with these challenges, Isabel shares how she stayed to her identity. As the leader of her organization, she continues to lead, speak at events, and fundraise in harmony with her culture.

Isabel shares how to network and present authentically:

• Get help – If networking and presenting are not a natural skill of yours, seek external help. A good consultant can help you build your executive presence.

• Decide on what advice to accept – Don’t blindly follow all advice given to you. Ground yourself in your values and who you are. For Isabel, sometimes she’s giggly, jokes around, and uses her hands alot – that’s ok! 

• Take the pressure off – Sometimes Isabel feels like she needs to say something profound and unique, but that brings unnecessary stress. It’s ok not to be the smartest or most eloquent. Know who you are and speak from that place. You don’t need to prove anything. 

• It’s ok to fail – Isabel admits that she has had some misses, including a presentation that went terribly because she was up all night with her sick son. Give yourself compassion and grace.

• Let go of control – There’s only so much you can control. You can’t control what people think about you. If one person is not interested, move on. Keep doing this and you’ll get to the right person who will give you a chance.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://analizawolf.com/ep-69-network-in-harmony-with-your-culture-with-isabel-ching-executive-director-hamilton-madison-house