This month, our dear registrar Federica shares with us her experience of being the new Women in Power Registrar…
A funny fact about me: great things tend to land on my lap as if by magic. I tend to worry about what I want, who I am, where I am going in life… and then the moment I relax into being me, something great simply drops out of nowhere. Joining the WIP Registrar team was one of those things.
I had the idea I wanted to support WIP in some form for some time, even had the idea to ask to join the Registrar team…. but U.P. (that’s Unhealthy Predator) was like: ‘Ah ah, not you. Definitely not you. Who do you think you are?’ A classic U.P. intervention, insidious and disempowering.
So, I just pushed the idea down, and ignored the part of me saying ‘Hang on a minute, we had a really good thought there, hey, good ideas don’t come around often, wait!’
Fast forward to February 2018 and there I was, getting ready for registration day. I love those moments, when I can blow a raspberry in the face of U.P. Who’s laughing now? And another raspberry!
I love the Registrar role and I get so much out of being in touch with the women who contact us. This is the first contact women have with WIP. They hear about the programme, their friends tell them how they absolutely have to do WIP, they go on the website and then they email Registration. There is so much in those first emails… so many emotions between those lines. Do you remember the time you first enquired about WIP? The feelings, so many! Fear, excitement, anger, joy, curiosity and anxiety, and many more!
It is such an honour to hold these women, from the moment they send that first email to the moment they get to Unstone. They are loving, strong women ready to do their work and help the collective heal and rise. They move me and inspire me with their stories, courage and determination. There is so much beauty and integrity in these women, and a deep hunger for this work! Every year registration fills very quickly, and as quickly the waiting list fills up. It is amazing to see the thirst for the transformative work we hold. They are hungry, they are thirsty, they want more! And so, for the third year in a row, we are running two initiations. And two registrations!
Registration for May 2018 filled on Registration day in just 19 minutes. And a month later the waiting list was full at 30 women. Last year WIP launched the new UK website and we had the first online registration ever. We were dealing with a new system and quite nervous about it all but had amazing support from Aisha on the web team and it all ran smoothly. It was a great experience and quite an adrenaline rush, over surprisingly fast.
So, I was really looking forward to repeating the experience on Registration day in February this year. I actually couldn’t wait for it, I was like a child on Christmas Eve, impatient to go downstairs in the morning to see what Santa/Universe has brought us this time. These women are gifts and for me, Registration day is just like Christmas again!
Registration for September 2018 broke all records, we were full in just 5 minutes! And that, I wasn’t expecting. It was all over in such a short time, I was left feeling dizzy…. I couldn’t believe the speed, sitting there at the desk, watching the applications coming in fast. I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing happening right there on the screen, it was surreal.
This year was my first ‘solo’ registration as our amazing Edie Campbell has stepped down. I knew I was going to miss the fun and excitement of sharing registration day with Edie. There was also a part of me feeling nervous and anxious about doing it on my own, worrying about everything that I could get wrong. And so, that day last February I found myself sitting at my desk, dumbfounded but happy, knowing deep in my bones that the pack was right there with me.
Because the process of preparing for Registration day has brought a great gift. I have learnt to lean on the support that is available in this wonderful community – where I believe we get to experience first class feminine leadership. I’ve had so much help, encouragement and ‘hands at my back’ from Edie, the directors and the web team. They have been there for me, offering help when I wasn’t aware that I needed it, showing me that I don’t have to do it all alone. Not anymore, not in this community, not anywhere!
In gratitude, Federica – Courageous White Dove
