#BossWhoMadeMe: Nancy Raymond – A series of open letters to Women Bosses who shaped us

The average person has about 12 jobs during the span of their working life — with this number increasing for millennial workers. Assuming that you have one boss per job, that is at least 12 bosses who will have a direct impact on your career. Some positively and some otherwise. And whilst through the course of your career you might work with a number of great bosses, there is always one who you feel forever indebted to. Maybe they gave your first job, maybe they encouraged you to believe in yourself or maybe they supported you through a difficult time. In the spirit of all things love — I penned an open letter to the Woman #BossWhoMadeMe and invited members from our community to pen theirs too.

By Ony Anukem

#BossWhoMadeMe: Nancy Raymond [Submitted by Nathalie Punkkinen]

This letter is addressed to my current boss, Nancy Raymond, Director of Development at Collège Boréal in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.

Dear Nancy,

More than a year ago, you gave me an opportunity — an opportunity to work within your team, to do a job that I have come to love and that has helped me to grow as a professional. You also gave me an opportunity to regain my self-esteem, to find myself again; something that I had lost over time at a previous job.

Under your leadership, I’ve been able to accomplish so much and truly feel like I am making a difference in the work that I do. I feel appreciated, valued, and even empowered to take on ambitious projects and move our team forward.

You are self-assured and compassionate — you always want what is best for your team. You are ready to support us in any way necessary to ensure not only the team’s success but our individual success as well. You understand that family and health are important factors in that success, and you are there to remind us when we sometimes forget that fact.

Since I have joined your team, I’ve experienced many personal difficulties. Despite all of that, I feel like I have had some significant professional growth, and I have you to thank for that. You truly are the #BossWhoMadeMe. I have found in you the leader I have been seeking for so long, and the leader I hope to become. You are a real example of someone who became a leader, not for the title, but to truly make a difference.

Thank you for believing in me and for recognizing the potential that I had once forgotten I had. Thank you for having my back, for pushing me beyond my limits and for giving me the freedom to make decisions, whether they be good or bad, that will help me grow.

Sincerely yours,

Nathalie Punkkinen

READ: #BossWhoMadeMe: Joanna Track [Submitted by Stephania Varalli]

READ: #BossWhoMadeMe: Carolyn Lawrence [Submitted by Alicia Skalin]

Would you like to a share a #BossWhoMadeMe open letter to a woman boss who has had a positive impact on your career? Send us an email with your open letter and the best ones will be shared as part of our #BossWhoMadeMe series.