Donโt Go It Alone
May 23, 2025
You Are Not Meant to be Alone
Ladies, I’m going to be real with you - making friends has never been difficult for me (if you haven’t noticed, I’m a bit of an extrovert). I look forward to a good networking event, but I realize that is not the case for many of you.
Some of you identify as introverts, may not have time to invest in cultivating new friendships, or may not have found yourselves the “right” community of friends.
We juggle work, family, and personal responsibilities every day. Many of us feeling like we have to do it all alone. Then, when the weight of it all starts to become too much, we slip into overwhelm and feel completely isolated.
Community and Friendship are a MUST for Women in Medicine
Being part of a supportive community of women is a MUST. When we share the load and have people to go to for advice and support, overwhelm has a much harder time getting its claws into us.
I don’t have to tell you how difficult life can be as a woman physician (you are living it as much as I am). We face a unique set of challenges that only other women in medicine or medical professions can understand. This is why it’s so important to surround yourself with not only wonderful women, but women who GET IT!
Friendships and community offer us a place to fit in, a safe space to regulate our emotions and care for our mental well-being, a sounding board, a source of experience and wisdom, and a safeguard from the dangers of isolation.
I know, I know... You are busy, life is crazy, and making friends can be a lot of work. But let me encourage you that it is WORTH IT to do the work of building a community of friends. Think of it as an investment in your future self (YOU are worth the work, and future you will thank you).
Tips for Finding the Right Friendships and Community
Identify your interests and join groups related to them:
When searching for new, meaningful friendships, it helps to have a common foundation. If you have trouble relating to other people or initiating casual conversation, try starting with your hobbies. What do you LOVE to do? What are you good at? What are you hoping to one day be good at? What are some skills that you’d like to strengthen?
Maybe you don’t have time to join that women’s gym or activity-based club, but with so many online professional platforms to connect with others (virtually), from Facebook groups to LinkedIn (and of course, The Table!), you can still find your people. Forging a friendship based on similarity allows the friendship to develop organically.
The Melting Pot
When adding friends to your community, prioritize diversity. What can you learn, and how can you grow, if everyone in the circle has similar life experiences, and individuality is scarce?
Prioritizing diversity amongst your inner circle and being open to diversity when forging new friendships is invaluable!
You’ll have friends who can provide multiple perspectives. You’ll have a community filled with people who will help stimulate your thinking, encourage you to look through a different lens, and help propel you forward as you push them, too.
There is power in a diverse community.
Set the narrative
Be the type of friend that you want for yourself.
Do you wish you had more consistency in your friendships, but you seem to fall off of Earth for months at a time, or have rescheduled spa day twice now? Do you want friends with whom you can feel comfortable sharing personal struggles? Do you check in on your friends and promote a space for constructive criticism and vulnerability?
We have to ensure that as we expand our circles, we know the types of friends we need and want, and we ARE that type of friend in return.
Something Special Happens When Women Come Together to Support One Another
That’s why one of the main focuses of the Brave Enough 2025 Women’s CME Conference is connecting each and every woman who attends with a community of other women who GET HER. With networking events, free coaching, small group sessions, and a mastermind session format, we provide as many opportunities to connect as possible (even for our beautiful introverts).
When you come to BE Conference, our goal is to show you that you are seen, valued, understood, and wanted. Come join the sisterhood!
“I went to the conference alone, meaning I didn’t know anyone else going that year. I certainly didn’t leave alone! I was overwhelmed with the energy at the conference, the true desire of the women there to help each other learn important skills, to be open to meeting each other, and to encourage each other in whatever way was needed. I still keep in touch with women from that conference” - BE Conference Attendee
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