Strategic Habits for High-Performing Women: Chicago Heels & Habits Event Recap
On November 19th, the Chicago Chapter of Heels & Handshakes hosted the Heels & Habits Presented by Fullerton at Mae District, bringing together a full room of women leaders, founders, executives, and emerging professionals. The evening focused on actionable habits, intentional career development, and confidence strategies that drive sustained success.
The event featured a structured panel discussion moderated by CEO of Fullerton, Kelly Lazuka with Tarmim Khan, Michelle Thames, and Elena Soboleva — three accomplished voices representing holistic therapy, marketing influence, and entrepreneurial brand building.
Each panelist shared the defining turning points that accelerated their career trajectories — from transitioning out of corporate structures, to leveraging unexpected job loss into business ownership, to rebuilding a professional platform after losing an entire digital audience during the pandemic. Their insights emphasized resilience, adaptability, and the ability to reassess direction when circumstances shift.
A key portion of the conversation addressed moving from ideas to execution. Michelle walked attendees through her organizational frameworks, including calendar-driven workflows and time-blocking to maximize productivity. Tareen outlined emotionally intelligent leadership approaches for navigating difficult clients and high-pressure environments. Elena discussed alignment-based decision-making and reinforcing boundaries as a business growth mechanism.
Networking, mentorship, and professional community were highlighted as critical components of advancement. The panel reinforced that visibility, relationship-building, and consistent engagement remain differentiators in a competitive marketplace.
The discussion also addressed imposter syndrome from a grounded, analytical viewpoint — identifying measurable progress, reframing self-comparison, and leveraging internal identity cues to stay confident in high-performing environments.
To close the evening, each panelist shared a daily grounding practice that enhances clarity and efficiency — breathwork for regulation, heavy lifting for discipline, and Kundalini practices for energetic focus.
The event delivered practical takeaways, relatable leadership narratives, and a strong reminder that professional growth accelerates when women have access to the right community, conversations, and support.
The Chicago Chapter continues this momentum with upcoming development-focused opportunities, including a Vision Board Workshop in January and an “Up Your Game” Virtual Workshop in February.
A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who showed up and to our event partners who helped make Heels & Habits event seamless and memorable experience:
Mae District for hosting us at their beautiful venue for this progressive event
Food for Thought for light bites and beverage service, including mocktail options
AFR Rentals for the Arcadia sectional for our panel
Lush Flower Bar for creating the beautiful floral bar with words of affirmations
Makeup by Aliza for on-site beauty touch-ups
Yazz Events for curating the music and sound throughout the evening
The Clique Photobooth for providing an engaging photo experience for our guests
And Posh Party Decor and Rentals for providing the stunning LED marquee letters, adding sparkle and a memorable focal point to our evening.
What’s Next for Heels and Handshakes Chicago
If you were unable to attend this sold-out meeting, we would love to invite you to join the Chicago Chapter next month for their Annual Holiday Party. To find out more about this celebration, click here.