Last weekend I participated in the March 2025 48in48 Women’s Build Event. You may remember my last post about 48in48 from earlier last month. This event was just as fun and challenging as the Global Build Event I did in the fall of last year. As I grow my skills as a project manager, these type of events and volunteer experiences will help me hone my craft and work through any challenges that may arise.
Read more: 48in48 Women’s Build March 2025The Nonprofit – Rooted In Our Purpose
The nonprofit that we worked with was called Rooted In Our Purpose. Rooted In Our Purpose was started by two young African American women who want to help other Black women heal and grow holistically with events that soothe the soul. Websites haven’t gone live yet, but I will try to remember to post the link when they do. Also, please support them by looking up their Facebook page or Instagram and donating to their nonprofit. If you are in the Tennessee area, check out their local events.
Strengths
I learned a lot of positive things about myself working this month’s event. The more I do these things, the more confident in my ability to be a project manager I become. I already know I have the skills. I have had to manage projects by myself and with a team officially and unofficially for years.
Now and then you still need a boost of confidence. I know what I’m doing. I can manage the team on Slack, get them organized by managing the Trello board, make sure we are communicating with the nonprofit, and making sure the website is finished with only two days of work done.
Challenges
They were two big challenges that I had to overcome during the event, and they had to do with communication. When technology is doing its thing, you just have to figure out a workaround. Zoom notifications were bouncing back, so our nonprofit lead missed some meetings. I had to email her directly. She also was able to call me because I may my number available to the team.
The other issue was a miscommunication between a team member and me. During event weekend, there are so many channels of communication used that it can be hard to keep up with. Or we in one of the many Slack channels? Maybe we are speaking to each other over the phone, or in an email or Google Doc? Maybe we are having a video chat in Zoom, Waahi, or Google Meet? Whichever the case, you have to manage each channel and try to get team members on the same page.
One team member wasn’t sure which channel we were in. By the second day, we had spoken with each other to try and get an understanding. Finally, on the last day, we were able to speak with each other again and figure things out. 48in48 is a fast-paced event. You really have to be on your toes.
If you are interested in attending the next 48in48 virtual event, sign up for their newsletter on their website. Slots go fast.