E02: Hope McGarry on Self-Belief, Bias & Balance

It’s seldom simple to dissect the complex journey that women embark upon to achieve personal and professional success.

For many, balance is at the centre of a juggling act that continually bounces between home and work – rarely in equilibrium and scarcely in order.

Of the many identities that women hold in their lives, Hope McGarry is primarily a mother and a leader.

As Director of Advanced Solutions Group, Specialty and Commercial at Ingram Micro, Hope offers an unfiltered assessment on career highs and career lows – honest in evaluation and unwavering in observation.

Hope tackles never discussed industry issues… imposter syndrome, gender bias and the myth of balance.

Moving beyond imposter syndrome

After entering the industry with a blank canvas of experience and expectations, Hope recalled initial feelings of “imposter syndrome” during the early stages of her career. Attempting to rise through the ranks within a male-dominated market naturally created challenges and the belief that she was already an outsider.

“Very early on in my career, I really struggled with feeling a little bit like an imposter,” Hope acknowledged. “I really had to come in and forge my career path on my own.

“I didn’t grow up in Sydney. I didn’t attend a private school in Sydney. I didn’t have connections and relationships, and I really knew nothing about the IT industry.”

But despite such initial roadblocks, Hope was quick to demonstrate a “sense of gratitude” towards the industry. It’s this early experience – fuelled by unwavering determination internally – that has shaped the Hope of today.

Overcoming bias

On the surface, the Hope of today is on an upwards trajectory spearheaded by continued growth, achievement and accolades.

But beneath the veneer of a successful career so far, Hope referenced the emotional struggles that come with building a “purposeful career”. Having a seat at the table is no easy task when no such seat exists – endlessly fighting for opportunities and continuously proving your worth is as exhausting as it is demoralising.

“There were many times that I felt like I was overlooked,” she recalled. “There were times that I didn’t feel as though people saw my potential, irrespective of the fact that I was putting in the effort and delivering really, really strong results. I had to learn that sometimes the work doesn’t speak for itself.”

Through pure grit, supportive mentors and a willingness to embrace internal fears head-on, Hope waded through the corporate swamp armed with strength and strategy. An industry-wide reputation based on high levels of achievement, hard work and advocacy soon followed.

“Along the way, I had to become a lot more deliberate about my career and I learned that whilst you will have mentors and people around you that will advocate for you, support you and hope to see you be successful, ultimately no one can care more about your career than you,” she advised.

As a leading female within the Australian market, Hope stressed the importance of women becoming their own advocate first and foremost. Be your biggest champion and build your own muscle.

“Some of the narratives that we as women have – and maybe men have it too – is that we are constantly questioning whether or not we’re good enough and whether we’re worthy of the seat that we hold,” she explained.

“If we don’t believe in ourselves we can’t expect others to. We need to constantly challenge ourselves around that internal narrative or dialogue that we have that makes us feel like we don’t deserve the seat at the table.”

Beyond that, Hope recognises that the battle to overcome bias is far from over. Eliminating unconscious bias, dispelling false measures of one’s worth and increasing representation to empower other women are now industry-wide issues.

Myth of balance

On the reality of managing personal and professional demands, Hope accepted that on occasions, women are placed between a rock and a hard place. But catering to competing demands on a constant basis “runs the risk of burnout”.

“People talk a lot about work-life balance and I shudder and cringe,” Hope shared.

“I think that balance is a myth and it’s a societal construct. What we need as women in the industry is support from our families when we have to lean in harder at work, and vice versa.”

Drawing on her own experience as a mother of three, Hope has first-hand experience of the challenges associated with maintaining her role as a leader in the industry with raising young children. It’s common to process feelings of guilt when assessing what to prioritise.

“Guilt is something that I think women carry very heavily and I learned a long time ago that this is a wasted emotion and it doesn’t change the outcome of anything,” she guided.

Instead, Hope advocates for letting go of the guilt and stepping into whatever the challenges are that lie ahead.

“That has really helped me accelerate and be at peace with the decisions that I make around work or home life,” she concluded.

B2B Tech Talk shares authentic and original insights from the most influential leaders in Australia, advancing the ecosystem across the key editorial pillars of People, Business and Market.