Cecilia Maldonado

I know it’s been a couple of weeks since #LocWorld48 but for international travelers like me, getting back to normal takes longer. International travelers also need to make the most out of every single trip so I am happy to have been able to combine this conference in Silicon Valley with Women in Localization’s first in-person strategy session since the pandemic and some client visits.

The #LocWorld48 week started as early as Monday with the newbie welcome and ended on Thursday with a #loclunch event. I am super grateful for the support of LocWorld, one of Women in Localization (W.L.) partners, who gave us the opportunity to address the entire audience right before the keynote speaker to share information about the organization and what we do for our members and volunteers.
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The keynote for this event was Brian Solis and I’ve been following him on social media since his first appearance at LocWorld. He talked about #TikTokBrains and how people connect with companies, their services and content since the acceleration of digital adoption. I even got a copy of his new book, Life Scale, that I can’t wait to start reading.

There were so many interesting sessions! Couldn’t see them all but from the ones I attended, I enjoyed the following:

Mimi Hills talking about how to deal with diverse and dispersed teams and how streamlining communication amongst all stakeholders can have a positive impact in hybrid localization teams. This has been a challenge for most companies (even ours) since the pandemic, especially with the scarcity of talent, the change of work dynamics and trying to go back to “normal”.

Change leadership, a panel moderated by Eva Klaudinyova, where they shared their experiences and some tips to have less resistance and be more successful when attempting to drive change, either internally or externally, for vendors or buyers. The importance of partnership with your vendor was stressed many times as the key to success.

I enjoyed the concept of microtalks and unconferences. I especially liked the microtalk by Karen Tkaczyk (real-life stories) on her career path and how this industry offers so many possibilities for change and growth.

For me, events are about the experience:
1. Strengthening relationships and building trust
2. Having conversations that enlighten
3. Listening to people that inspire and drive change on so many different levels

Here’s my recap in pictures. From casual meetups, to motivating women in our organization to go for what they want, spending quality time with old-time friends that make it all worth it, working hard to put together a great 2023 for Women in Localization, and just being present.