Cole Power

Heeled yacht sailing in the sea during the storm, a view from the cockpit. Dark waves, water splashes. Long exposure, motion. Rough weather, cyclone, danger, epic seascape. Regatta, racing, sport

During March, Women’s History Month there are standouts, including 29-year-old sailor Cole Brauer. She recently became the first American woman to race solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world. Brauer finished second in a field of male sailors. (Only half who started the race finished it.) Brauer sailed for 130 days and covered 30,000 miles of open ocean.

Brauer lobbied sponsors for cameras to record her voyage. She had the foresight and skill to leverage the power of social media with 400k Instagram followers. When posting, instead of portraying herself as heroic, she watched Netflix in her jammies and danced in a dress on New Year's Eve. Brauer was fully herself, doing what she loves. And she included her team and followers as equals.

Today, being genuine and unguarded is perceived as strength, not weakness. Everyone who presents should take this to heart. Leave the “suit” behind, in wardrobe and demeanor. Display your humanity and what you value. In a storm, like Brauer you may be pitched against the hull and break a rib. Recover and be triumphant.

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