Congresswoman Jackie Speier has led a remarkable career, one that was marked in part by a tragedy that altered its path. In 1978, as an aide to Congressman Leo Ryan, Speier was violently attacked during a trip to Guyana to investigate cult leader Reverend Jim Jones and his “Jonestown” community. Congressman Ryan, among several others, did not survive the ambush attack; Speier miraculously did with five gunshot wounds. 

Once back in the States and on her feet, Speier propelled herself into service work, driven by the unthinkable experience she endured. She ran for Congressman Ryan’s vacant seat but did not win. Later, she won seats in the California State Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, from where she retired in 2023. And as recently as this month, Speier will also celebrate 35 years of the Professional BusinessWomen of California Conference. 

As PBWC’s Founder, Speier has dedicated as much of her career to public service as she has to uplifting women’s ambition, bravery, and success. And she works alongside a roster of incredible speakers for the annual conference, too. In 2024, that includes Kara Swisher, Martha Stewart, and Chip Conley.

Speier’s drive is unmatched in her pursuit to help all women reach their professional and personal goals, often in a national political climate that can work against them. Ahead of this year’s PBWC Conference, we spoke briefly with the remarkable former Congresswoman and Founder about overcoming fear, loss, and tragedy, and finding success and purpose despite it all.

“As tragic and painful as that was, on reflection, I had survived and it taught me such an important lesson about life: We're not promised tomorrow. To the extent that we have the opportunity to do good, we should. 

“When I returned from Guyana—after I was in Washington, DC for two months and after 10 surgeries—I came home and I realized that I did not want to spend the rest of my life being a victim of the Guyana massacre. So, I decided to jump right in. On the very last day to take out papers to run for Congress, I did. It was a fluke that I came home on a Friday and that the deadline was Monday. There is a plan for each of us. Sometimes we are not privy to it on the outset but in the rear-view mirror we realize why certain things happened in our lives.”

“I love to tell people that I'm a three-time [election] loser. Every time I lost it set me up for a lot of opportunity. We all have to grab the brass ring knowing full well that we may not catch it, but the process of going for it shapes us in ways that are very positive. 

“This paperweight I keep on my desk reads: ‘What would you do if you knew you could not fail?’ And it's a good message for all of us. We get paralyzed by the fear of failure and fear is toxic. I think losing is part of winning. It prepares you, teaches you lessons, and then you're able to take all of that knowledge and experience and use it to your advantage afterward.”

“Being authentic is really important. People see through phoniness. So be authentic, be true to yourself, be willing to step out of your comfort zone. It took me a while to appreciate that I had the ability and power to persuade. I didn’t know I had what it took to be elected to office.

“When I was in Congress, early on, I spoke out about an abortion that I had. I was sitting on the floor and this Republican on the other side of the aisle was talking about sawing off limbs of fetuses that were 17 and 18 weeks. I had had an abortion years before at 17 weeks and it wasn’t anything like the gruesome references my colleague had recounted. It was a great lesson to me that I had a powerful megaphone to use on the house floor. And so I continued to use it over and over again in many different settings to elevate issues that I thought were important.”

“I created PBWC long before I was in Congress. I created it in 1989 when I was in the State Assembly. It really evolved from a program called Women's Day, in which women were transitioning from having had a college education, getting married, having children, and coming back into the workforce. We gave them the skills and motivation to pursue employment. It resonated with women in various roles, and I thought: If it resonates here, it's certainly going to resonate for women in more professional roles, too. Why not create a means by which they can network and be inspired to pursue dreams and develop more skills so they're going to be in a position to be elevated within their businesses, companies, and professional careers? That's where the PBWC conference came from.”

“The interesting part of all of this is that women, as successful and competent and capable as they are, suffer from imposter syndrome—men never do. Hewlett Packard did a study, where they advertised a position in the company and what the qualifications were, and then analyzed the applicants. Women only applied if they had all of the qualifications, men applied if they had 60% of the qualifications. We carry a lot of self-doubt that is really misplaced. I mean, the president of the United States has self-doubt, but he or she moves on with the task at hand. We all do. At some point, to feel that you are less than or not capable is a bad prescription for success.”

“I think women really learn the most from stories, by coming together, and talking with each other. It's best done in a setting they see as a safe place. They're inspired by what they learned and become more confident to say, ‘So-and-so has the same concerns I do, and look what she's been able to do.’”

“There's a sense of uncertainty in the economy and layoffs that have taken place. What we will instill is a sense that you've got all it takes to be successful. One of the thrills for all of us who have been putting on these conferences all these years is to have women come up to us during the conference and say things like, ‘This conference has changed my life.’ That's pretty powerful! We've had people who've attended the conference and then go on to great success and come back and speak at the conference. One example is one of our 2023 keynote speakers, Cynt Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks.”

“You've got to take that anger and turn it into action. ‘We don't agonize, we organize.’ That's a line that Speaker Nancy Pelosi always used, and it's a very important one. What happened in the Dobbs decision is repugnant. The Supreme Court has never taken away the rights of Americans, and yet they did. Since then, women, in particular, and men who support them, have risen up. And so I'm hopeful that will continue through this election cycle. But there's so much at stake.

“Everything is political. And I think the importance of PBWC is that it shows women the power they already have that they may not be using, whether it's professionally or electorally.”

Want to attend this year’s PBCW Conference? Register here.

Illustrations by Bijou Karman