Finding Freedom in Authenticity:
Reflections from My Keynote at Women in Development Greater Boston
​By: Meghan Rothschild
 
On November 7th, I had the honor of serving as the keynote speaker at the Women in Development Greater Boston (WIDGB) Annual Breakfast, an inspiring gathering of brilliant, mission-driven professionals who are shaping the future of philanthropy and nonprofit leadership. Standing in that room, surrounded by so many dedicated women and allies, was both energizing and deeply humbling.
 
My keynote centered on a theme that has guided both my personal and professional journey: living authentically. It’s a phrase we hear often, but in practice, choosing authenticity can be uncomfortable, vulnerable, and even risky. Yet it’s also where our leadership becomes the most powerful. I spoke about what it means to bring our full selves into our work, our stories, our values, our identities, our imperfect humanity, and how authenticity strengthens not only our own sense of purpose, but also the relationships we build and the impact we make.

​Throughout my career, I’ve learned that authenticity isn’t something you “arrive at.” It’s a practice. It’s a series of daily choices; choosing honesty over ease, choosing alignment over approval, choosing presence over performance. When we let ourselves be seen, we give others permission to do the same.
 
At the WIDGB breakfast, I invited attendees to think about the moments when they’ve dimmed their own light in order to fit in, and what might be possible if they allowed themselves to lead with more truth and less fear.
What stood out to me most that morning was the palpable sense of community in the room. Women supporting women. Leaders uplifting leaders. Strangers who instantly felt like collaborators. This is the kind of community where authenticity can thrive; one that celebrates difference, encourages vulnerability, and makes space for growth.
 
I’m deeply grateful to WID Greater Boston for inviting me, and to everyone who joined me in exploring the theme of living authentically. My hope is that each person walked away with something, an insight, a reframe, a spark, that will support them in showing up more fully in their own lives and leadership.
 
Authenticity is not about perfection. It’s about alignment. It’s about the everyday courage to live and lead from who we truly are. And if November 7th taught me anything, it’s that we’re all walking this journey together.

Hi Chik friends,
 
Meghan here (a.k.a. President & Chief Bad Ass of Chikmedia). This may seem like it’s coming early but every year I get lots of questions about why we do an annual Holiday Shutdown. Predicting this year will not be different, I thought I’d take this early opportunity to share why I have chosen to do this for over the past ten years since beginning Chikmedia.
 
Why we pause
 
Every year around Christmas we shut down for approximately 10 days (the days between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day). This is our intentional pause. It is a full team unplug, a chance to reset, recharge, and hit the next year ready to rock.
 
Here’s the deal: in the always-on, digital world of content, marketing and creative work, it is all too easy to stay plugged in, keeping up with client demands, algorithms, pings, social edits, brand launches and more. Rooted in wellness, our Shutdown is designed to push back against that pace.
 
We want each Chik to spend quality time with friends and family, reflect, unplug, maybe binge-read or hike or cook, and let their minds wander away from the day-to-day hustle. This isn’t just vacation, it’s strategic. I believe when you give creatives space to breathe they come back more alive, more inspired and more ready to innovate.

​A real need for rest
 
Creative teams and marketing professionals are under real strain, but don’t take my word for it, here’s what the data says:

• 70% of professionals across media, marketing and creative sectors reported experiencing burnout in the past 12 months according to a 2024 study.
• 76% of creative leaders say they and their teams felt burned out by workload over the past year.

 
This info tells us something important: we’re in a field driven by ideas, fast-moving platforms, evolving client expectations; and if we don’t build in the rest, creativity falters, morale dips and innovation suffers. So our shutdown is preventative. We don’t want to wait until someone hits the wall. We’d rather skip the crash and revive the engine before we need it.
 
Why clients should care
 
You might ask: “Does a shutdown mean our projects stall?” Not at all. In fact, it means the opposite. Creating this space allows us to serve you at our best – not just delivering but over-exceeding. We plan far ahead, schedule accordingly, and let every client know our rhythm. And we come back with sharper vision, deeper clarity and the kind of creativity that only full replenishment allows.
 
We believe creativity thrives when each Chik is properly fueled. So yes, we shut down our offices for a bit. Because in a world that expects continuous output, we choose sustainable excellence instead. Who is ready to join us in giving yourself and your team permission to rest, reflect and return in 206 with intention?
 
Hears to a restful holiday season and a kickass new year!

~ Meghan
President & Chief Bad Ass
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