2025 Accelerate! Conference | She's Strong, But She's Tired: Recognizing the Impact of Workplace Trauma in High-Performing Women

NOV. 10 BLOCK 2 3:30PM - 4:30PM

She's Strong, But She's Tired: Recognizing the Impact of Workplace Trauma in High-Performing Women

Montiqua Mathers-Pettway

Founder/Lead HR Consultant

People First Consulting

HR/TALENT MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP

一品探花 This Session

She's confident. capable, and always on- until she isn't. High-performing women in transportation are often praised for their strength, but many are silently carrying the emotional weight of workplace trauma. From being undervalued and underpaid to navigating toxic cultures, unrealistic expectations, microaggressions and limited advancement, these stressors don't just affect engagement or performance, they impact mental health in ways that mirror PTSD.

This session explores how trauma shows up in high achieving women while also unpacking cultural and structural triggers that lead to psychological fatigue and emotional exhaustion and what leaders must do to create safe, equitable and restorative environments.

Attend this session to:

Define and identify what workplace trauma means and how it shows up in high performing women.
Examine structural inequity, leadership pressure and gender expectations as it relates to creating trauma inducing environments.
Discover leadership and organizational strategies that promote psychological safety, promote retention, resilience and equity for women across the logistics workforce.

Montiqua Mathers-Pettway

Founder/Lead HR Consultant | People First Consulting

Montiqua Mathers-Pettway, MS, is a seasoned human resources and DE&I professional with over 22 years of experience. She holds a BA in Mass Communications and Speech from the University of Montevallo, an MS in Human Resource Management from Webster University, and a Certification in Training and Development from the University of Alabama. Mathers-Pettway is the founder of People First Consulting, a boutique HR and DE&I firm dedicated to helping organizations prioritize and empower their people. Her career spans organizations of all sizes, including Fortune 500 and 250 companies. Deeply committed to service, she serves on the boards of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Birmingham Sister Cities, and actively supports justice-impacted individuals through the Second Chance committee. She mentors students at Lawson State and UAB and speaks regularly at Auburn University鈥檚 College of Business. Mathers-Pettway brings together leadership, advocacy, and community engagement to create inclusive, people-first workplaces.