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Portia Mount is a marketer who advocates for, writes, and speaks on career and lifestyle issues for working women. Portia is the Vice President of Marketing for Trane Technologies, a global climate technology company. One of her side passions is hosting a podcast for aspiring women: The Manifista Podcast. Portia is also a co-author of several best-selling career advice books: "Kick Some Glass: Ten Ways Women Succeed at Work on Their Own Terms”, “Beating the Impostor Syndrome,” and “Leadership Brand.”

What helps Portia progress in her career is learning from experiences and from different people. Portia sees building relationships as a two-way process that happens over time and consists of genuine interest, curiosity, and a willingness to connect. Networking is something we should all do consistently and intentionally, especially in a time when people crave authentic connections.

She describes balancing her work as an executive, author, and mom as being possible because all of these activities involve the theme of working women. Portiaadvises that we should do things that give us energy, tap into our core passions, and feed other activities. Blocking time for priorities, automating certain tasks, and outsourcing non-value-added items is crucial to managing stress and investing in the right people and activities.

Portia shares how to overcome the “imposter syndrome” – when people feel they are not good enough in their job. None of us are immune to making mistakes but these can be teachable moments. It’s important to accept that we can be wrong, step up quickly, and forgive ourselves. We should ask for help and not ruminate. 

What drives and fuels Portia is her love for connecting with people and customers, as well as solving organizational problems. Her creative energy comes from sources outside of her daily job, such as reading and journaling. When she is stuck on a problem, Portia reaches out to her network for help and to gain an outside perspective. Leadership to Portia is established around setting a direction, getting a commitment to that direction, building a network, and creating an impact with a mission. 

Join us to hear Portia’s advice on balancing executive career, side passions, motherhood, and nurturing relationships!