Fast Lane to Finding Yourself
In December 2018, I nervously pushed my ’08 Ninja zx6r motorcycle through tech inspection at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway. It was my first track day since a crash on the streets of Los Angeles that shook my confidence & Femmewalla, an all-women track day event, felt like the safest way back into a hobby I loved.
Felicia getting some last-minute words of wisdom from Caroline Olsen before heading out for her first session around Chuckwalla Valley Raceway (December 2018).
Photo Credit: Jacob Eldridge
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Fast forward to May 2025, & I found myself with the same nerves heading into another all-women event - but this time, it was the inaugural WAVE conference in Seattle for Women in Accounting/Finance (Visionaries & Entrepreneurs). I didn’t expect it to mirror my Femmewalla experience, but that’s exactly what happened.
B roll footage captured by the Behind Your Scenes team during the WAVE conference held in May 2025 at The Collective in downtown Seattle, Washington.
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Both moments - seven years apart - reminded me how powerful it is to step into a space that’s intentionally created to uplift, support, & empower. Both were also a test of confidence & both offered me something I didn’t know I needed - the chance to show up as my true, authentic self.
Group shot of both old & new friends after a day of riding track with these awesome ladies (Femmewalla 2018).
Photo Credit: KC Grim
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Leading Up to WAVE I honestly considered not going…
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Why? Well by the time WAVE rolled around, I was completely burned out. May had already been packed with travel, backlogged client work, & very little white space on my calendar. Add in a heavy dose of social anxiety (& some imposter syndrome - Clean Bee Consulting is still a young firm) - you-betcha I was second-guessing EVERYTHING!!
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What shifted? An email from Erin, the founder of the incredible WAVE event, in the days leading up that encouraged attendees to wear whatever made them feel most authentic. That simple reminder hit me hard. As someone who has been judged for not “dressing the part” in past jobs, I needed the nudge to wear jeans & a basic top. Honestly, that’s the same way I meet & mingle with 95% of my clients.
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For the first time at a professional event, I didn’t feel like I had to prove anything to anyone. I just had to be open.
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There’s something truly powerful about being in a room full of women who are all building, struggling, innovating, & leading in their own way. The sessions at WAVE were top-notch - I laughed, I cried, I empathized, & I resonated greatly with a lot of the topics discussed but some of the key takeaways I had were:
Community matters. Even if you’re building something solo, you don’t have to do it alone.
Build a Resilience Resume. Don’t wait for burnout or a career crisis to applaud yourself. Start listing all those accomplishments now in a centralized place so you can revisit how BAD ASS you are when times get tough.
Create a personal board of directors. You don’t necessarily need 1 tool that does all the jobs. Sometimes you need multiple tools for the job - specialized tools for specific jobs. The same goes for your personal life - create your community.
Stay on your unique path. What we’re building at Clean Bee Consulting - & especially through Full Throttle Finance™ - matters. Bridging financial literacy with motorsports is niche on purpose.
Felicia (Clean Bee Consulting) got to meet Aneisha (Yellow Sky Business Services) in real life at WAVE! Aneisha was one of Felicia’s first networking connections she met during the early months of entrepreneurship. Remote friends got to spend the day together in Downtown Seattle!
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At Femmewalla, I got on track surrounded by other women who knew what it felt like to start over, to rebuild confidence, & to ride their own ride. At WAVE, I walked into the room with the same feelings & left with the same clarity. Two very different events but the same feelings.
Felicia being followed by friend Kate, who is observing her track riding to provide feedback post session.
Photo Credit: KC Grim
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Both events were intentional about the environment to reduce fear & create space for growth. Both were filled with women who lifted each other up & in both cases, I walked in doubting myself… but walked out trusting myself & my process just a little bit more.
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Whether it’s on the track or in the boardroom, the goal is always the same: keep showing up - even when it’s uncomfortable. Actually, ESPECIALLY when it’s uncomfortable. Double-down.
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Because confidence isn’t built overnight. It’s built by putting yourself in rooms, on tracks, in conversations, & in careers that stretch you. If you’re building something that doesn’t look like what everyone else is doing - then you’re probably on the right track TBH.
Femmewalla 2018 - Chuckwalla Valley Raceway
Photo Credit: KC Grim
