This letter from Kathleen Booth is part of Pavilion’s International Women’s Day 2025 collection, where the women of Pavilion share heartfelt letters to their younger selves. Through these reflections, they explore the lessons, challenges, and defining moments that have shaped their careers. Read more inspiring stories here.
Dear Kathleen,
I know you feel small sometimes, like you’re not quite enough. I see the way you hesitate before speaking up, the way you second-guess your instincts, the way you shrink yourself so others don’t feel uncomfortable. I wish I could sit beside you and tell you what I know now: you are already enough. The power you seek—the confidence, the courage, the ability to walk into a room and take up space—it’s already inside of you. You just have to believe it.
I know it’s hard when people take advantage of your kindness or when their words make you feel small. But I want you to understand something: their words only have power if you let them. The moment you truly believe in yourself is the moment their opinions no longer matter. And when that happens? You become unstoppable.
Your shyness might feel like a weakness now, but one day, it will become your superpower. It will teach you how to observe, how to listen, how to read between the lines. It will shape your empathy, and that empathy will drive you to do meaningful work—first in international development, then in leadership, in marketing, in building communities that lift others up. You will dedicate your life to making things better, and that is a gift.
You won’t have a perfect plan for your career, and that’s okay. What you study won’t be what you do forever, and every pivot—every risk you take—will lead to something greater. You will move across the world, start and sell businesses, reinvent yourself more than once. Each time, it will feel terrifying, and each time, it will be exactly what you needed to grow. The biggest opportunities will always be hidden inside the scariest changes.
And yes, you will fail. You will make mistakes, say the wrong thing, lose things you thought you couldn’t live without. But failure won’t define you—how you rise after will. Failure will teach you resilience, humility, and grace. It will show you that your worth isn’t in being perfect; it’s in how you learn, adapt, and keep going.
One of the best decisions you’ll make is choosing to live a life that aligns with what matters most to you. You will leave behind places and people that don’t fulfill you, and in doing so, you will find home—both in a physical place and within yourself. You will meet a partner who sees and values your strength, build a family, and surround yourself with people who uplift and inspire you. You will learn that success isn’t about status or titles, but about joy, fulfillment, and purpose.
So here’s my advice: be kind—to others and to yourself. Treat yourself with the same grace and patience you offer everyone else. Trust that you are exactly where you need to be, even when it doesn’t feel that way. Keep learning, keep growing, and most of all, keep believing in yourself. Because one day, you will step into the world with confidence, not just for yourself, but for the women who are watching you and learning to do the same.
With love and certainty,
Kathleen
The Women of Pavilion Community is a dynamic subcommunity of Pavilion dedicated to fostering belonging, knowledge-sharing, and professional growth for women in go-to-market. Led by Anne Pao, Founder and CEO of Ignite Consulting, and Lindsay Tjepkema, Founder and CEO of Human Brands Win, this group empowers members to break barriers, advocate for themselves authentically, and advance both personally and professionally through curated content, exclusive events, and a supportive network.
Curious to learn more? Explore Pavilion membership.
