Two Perspectives. One Conversation. Shared Growth.

Some of the most meaningful conversations don't end when the audience leaves the room. They begin with two people bringing different experiences, different questions, and different perspectives to the table.

At the Women of the Channel Leadership East event, a panel discussion about career journeys, setbacks, bold risks, and imposter syndrome sparked more than thoughtful dialogue it created an unexpected mentoring connection. One conversation. Two professionals. One with decades of leadership experience looking back on the lessons that shaped her career. The other, an accomplished leader looking ahead, asking thoughtful questions about influence, ownership, and what comes next.

What unfolded was a reminder that mentorship isn't a one-way exchange. It's a conversation where both people leave having learned something new.

Here's our story.

A magical time in December brought Women of the Channel to New York City, just as Rockefeller Center was glowing with holiday lights and the city was alive with the spirit of the season. The 2025 Women of the Channel Leadership East Event began with a Women in Tech roundtable sponsored by Blackhawk Data, centered on the theme “Lessons from the Climb – What I Wish I Knew Sooner.” Held at the Hilton Midtown Ballroom, the session featured panelists Kim Carlton, Alex Stanton, Wendy Welch, Pam Johansen, and moderator Maryann Pagano.

The conversation set the tone for the day: success in the channel rarely follows a straight line. Careers are shaped by moves, pauses, pivots, and unexpected turns that ultimately define growth. The panel explored the formative moments that shape leadership journeys proving that every win, misstep, and “what was I thinking?” moment becomes part of the climb. The dialogue centered on how careers are less like ladders and more like jungle gyms: nonlinear, unpredictable, and uniquely personal.

“Preparing for the Climb”

Leslie's Perspective 

Arriving Open to Possibility

Sometimes the opportunities that shape your career begin long before you realize it. 

I arrived at the 2025 CRN Women of the Channel Leadership East event excited to connect with a community that had already shaped my journey and to learn from leaders who had navigated their own paths.

As I reviewed the agenda, one session immediately caught my attention in an early pre-show panel discussion: "Lessons from the Climb – What I Wish I Knew Sooner." The title alone resonated with me. 

Careers rarely unfold according to plan, especially in technology. Every promotion, challenge, unexpected pivot, and difficult decision becomes part of the story.

I wasn't arriving in New York looking for a blueprint. I was looking for perspective from leaders who had already navigated many of the questions I was beginning to ask myself.

When I learned attendees could win a one-hour mentoring session with one of the panelists, I quietly hoped my name would be called.

 In The Room – Listening from the Audience

As introductions were made and the discussion unfolded, one voice continued to stand out. Pam Johansen spoke with a level of honesty that immediately drew me in. She didn't present a polished version of success. She spoke openly about uncertainty, setbacks, self-doubt, and the moments that ultimately shaped her career.

Her willingness to share both the victories and the difficult chapters made every lesson feel authentic. One idea stayed with me.

We often move so quickly toward the next goal that we forget to recognize everything we've already accomplished. Taking time to acknowledge the impact we've made is not about celebrating ourselves. It's about creating the confidence to believe we belong in the next opportunity.

That perspective shifted something for me. Like many professionals, I often focused on what was still ahead instead of recognizing how far I'd already come.

It wasn't just Pam's experience that resonated with me. It was the humility, vulnerability, and authenticity she brought to the conversation that made her leadership feel both relatable and inspiring

The opportunity Of mentorship with a drawing “The Drawing”

As the session came to a close and the mentoring drawing began, I found myself silently hoping for one outcome. When Pam pulled my name from the fishbowl, it felt like one of those unexpected moments that reminds you how quickly opportunity can arrive. 

Only moments before, I had been listening to a leader I admired from the audience. Now I was about to meet her. It was exciting, unexpected, and, if I'm honest, a little intimidating.

What I didn't realize then was that the drawing wasn't simply the start of a one-hour mentoring session. It was the beginning of a relationship.

The First Conversation - Preparing for the Conversation

Before we met, Pam asked me to share my background, my goals, and what I hoped to gain from our conversation. What seemed like simple preparation became an exercise in reflection.

As I wrote about my experiences, I found myself thinking less about titles and accomplishments and more about where I wanted my career to go next. What kind of leader did I want to become? Where did I want to create greater influence? What did I hope people would say about the impact I'd made years from now? I wasn't looking for a blueprint. I was looking for perspective. I wanted to become a stronger leader, make better decisions, expand my influence, and learn from someone who had successfully navigated the path ahead of me.

By the time we met, I realized the mentoring session had already begun.

The First Call - The One-on-One

Naturally, I was a little nervous. I arrived with a notebook full of thoughtful questions, personal experiences, and an open mind, hoping to make the most of our hour together. 

What followed felt less like mentoring and more like two professionals having an honest conversation about leadership, growth, and navigating a career that rarely follows a straight line.

Rather than just answering my questions, she guided me through my own thought processes and reflections on past and current challenges, allowing me to better understand those experiences while also gaining new perspectives.

The conversation became an open exchange where both of us were able to be honest about self-doubt and perceived shortcomings, ultimately reinforcing my confidence in knowing how I am more than capable of rising to impossible challenges.

She helped me recognize strengths I had overlooked and reminded me that the work we do every day often creates more impact than we give ourselves credit for.

By the end of the conversation, I hadn't been handed a roadmap. Instead, I left with greater confidence in my own ability to navigate whatever came next.

Ongoing Connection

What started as a one-hour conversation became something neither of us expected. We left the discussion knowing this was not a moment we wanted to leave behind, but a connection we wanted to continue.

A simple chance, becoming such a meaningful part of my journey. It reminded me that the most valuable moments in our careers are often the ones we cannot plan, the conversations that challenge us, and the people who show up at exactly the right time.

That may be one of the greatest gifts of the Women of the Channel community. It creates a space where unexpected connections become lasting relationships, and where we are reminded that while every career path is unique, none of us truly climb alone.

Pam's Perspective

Before the Microphone

While the city outside was coming alive with holiday energy, my morning began in quiet reflection. Although our panel had prepared together in advance, I found myself awake early, reviewing our topics over coffee and thinking through my own experiences.

As I prepared, imposter syndrome quietly surfaced. Despite years of leadership experience, I questioned whether my stories were meaningful enough to share. I thought about the other panelists and assumed their insights would naturally carry more weight than mine. It was a familiar internal dialogue one that many professionals know well.

Ironically, one of the topics we would be discussing was imposter syndrome itself.

As I reflected deeper, I realized the value wasn’t in having perfect answers, but in sharing authentic experiences. My career has not been a series of perfect decisions. Some choices led to growth and opportunity, while others led to setbacks, disappointment, and moments of real self-doubt. There were times when I questioned my direction and even whether I was on the right career path.

But those experiences shaped me far more than the smooth moments ever could. They taught resilience, adaptability, and perspective. Looking back, my career has never been a ladder it has been a jungle gym of lateral moves, unexpected turns, and moments that required courage before clarity.

In The Room

As the ballroom filled, I continued mentally rehearsing my thoughts while exchanging pre-event conversations with the other panelists and the audience. The energy in the room was building, along with my nerves.

One moment stayed with me. At the end of the session, each panelist would draw a name from a fishbowl to offer a one-hour mentoring conversation. Even that simple act triggered doubt Am I really in a position to offer value in a one-on-one conversation?

It was another reminder of how imposter syndrome can surface at any stage of a career.

One of the key messages I shared with the audience was that most professionals underestimate their own impact. We move quickly from milestone to milestone without pausing to recognize what we’ve accomplished.

I encouraged everyone to keep a simple but powerful running list:

●      What you accomplished

●      What roles you played

●      How you created impact

●      What changed because you were involved

When we document our contributions, we create visibility for ourselves. And visibility builds confidence, which in turn creates opportunity.

I also shared a perspective that has grounded me throughout my career in the channel: while the environment is fast-paced and often feels urgent (We are not doing brain surgery), most situations are not life or death. The channel is important work, but it is still work. That perspective creates space to take risks, learn, and grow without the pressure of perfection.

The conversation that followed was rich, honest, and engaging. The audience leaned in, the panelists shared openly, and the discussion reflected exactly why these moments mattered, we weren’t there to have all the answers, but to share experiences that help others navigate their own climb.

The Drawing

The session passed quickly, and before long we reached the closing drawing. The fishbowl moved across the panelists, and as it came my turn, I reached in and pulled a name: Leslie Grimm.

I immediately recognized her from the audience, seated earlier near Christina Szabados of The Channel Company. We connected right away, took a photo, and agreed to meet after the event for our one-hour mentoring conversation.

In that moment, I was struck by the irony of my earlier doubts. The opportunity to connect with someone in this way was exactly what the session was about.

The One-on-One

Before our scheduled mentoring session, I reached out to Leslie and asked her to share a bit about her background and the topics she wanted to explore so I could prepare.

What she sent back was thoughtful and impressive. Leslie shared her experience driving growth with strategic partners, leading go-to-market initiatives, enabling sales teams, and managing executive-level conversations around partnerships, pricing, contracts, and business growth. She clearly operated as a trusted leader with influence well beyond her title.

What stood out most, however, wasn’t her experience, it was her questions.

She wasn’t looking for tactical advice. She was thinking strategically about growth, influence, visibility, and long-term career direction. Her questions reflected the same challenges many high-performing professionals face: how to expand impact without formal authority, how to navigate organizational complexity, and how to make decisions today that shape opportunity years from now.

As I read her note, I smiled. I had questioned whether I had anything meaningful to offer. Yet here was someone asking exactly the kinds of questions that define leadership development.

It was a reminder that mentorship isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about sharing perspective and experience. What began as uncertainty shifted into a genuine exchange between two professionals at different stages of similar journeys

Ongoing Connection

A few weeks later, just before Christmas, Leslie and I connected for our mentoring session. Some of the earlier apprehension lingered at the start, but it quickly faded as the conversation unfolded.

Leslie shared her journey, current challenges, and opportunities ahead. As she spoke, I found myself reflecting on my own path. While our experiences were different, the themes were familiar growth, uncertainty, decision-making, and figuring out what comes next.

Rather than offering direct answers, I focused on asking questions to help her explore her situation from different angles. We discussed her current state, possible future directions, and the considerations that could help guide her next steps. The conversation became a true exchange, thoughtful, open, and balanced.

What became clear is that many of the challenges we face in our careers are universal. The circumstances may differ, but the underlying questions around confidence, growth, risk, and opportunity are shared across all stages of leadership. In many ways, I had simply experienced those challenges earlier in my career, which allowed me to offer perspective rather than prescriptions.

The hour passed quickly so quickly that we both could have easily continued. As the conversation came to a close, I felt a genuine sense of excitement for Leslie and what lay ahead for her. More importantly, I hoped she left with clarity and a few actionable insights to support her next steps.

The Gift of Perspective

Looking back, the greatest lesson from this experience is that mentoring is not about having all the answers or following a perfect career path it is about perspective. Every career includes setbacks, pivots, unexpected opportunities, and moments of uncertainty, and those experiences often become the most valuable lessons we can share.

What made this conversation meaningful was that it was a two-way exchange. Leslie brought thoughtful questions, fresh perspective, and a clear vision for where she wanted to grow. I brought the benefit of hindsight and lessons learned through experience. Together, the conversation reinforced something I believe even more strongly today: we often underestimate how much we have learned simply by navigating our own careers.

The real impact of mentoring comes from showing up authentically—being willing to listen, share, challenge, encourage, and learn from one another. Sometimes the most meaningful career moments are not the ones on stage, but the conversations that continue long after the event ends.