Leading like a girl

FOUNDER of Play Like a Girl Australia, Holly Bailey, is set to be a guest speaker at the next Golden Plains Shire’s business networking lunch.

Ms Bailey is a former VFLW player and a Harvard graduate, who is dedicated to empowering women and girls through sport.

“I founded Play Like a Girl in 2016 because I wished I had something like this sooner,” said Ms Bailey

“Netball was my first love and growing up with my dad and my brother it was a very competitive world.

“Keeping my cards close to my chest like they taught me only got me so far in a team sport and it was a mental shift that needed to happen more than anything.”

Play Like a Girl aims to reduce barriers which prevent women and girls being involved in sports and to provide them with resources to be successful.

“I didn’t want any other girl to be limited by themselves or by anything really so I went about trying to learn as much as I could about being a better leader and I identified I’d never really been taught that,” said Ms Bailey.

Her talk will focus on how to create the next generation of female leaders and how to reduce barriers for women in business.

“I think we aren’t really setting our leaders up for success as we often give someone a title, but we don’t teach them what that means and how to get the most out of themselves,” said Ms Bailey.

Accompanying her will be a group of girls who have completed the Play Like a Girl program who will speak about their experiences and share their leadership skills.

Ms Bailey is looking for any interested businesses to partner with Play Like a Girl to provide scholarships.

“I hope people learn what an unbelievable community of girls we are creating at Play Like a Girl and that there are girls with an appetite to lead,” she said.

The business networking lunch is set for Clyde Park Vineyard and Bistro in Bannockburn from 11.45am on Thursday, 22 June. Tickets can be purchased at goldenplains.vic.gov.au/events.