Propel Group at Google: Q&A with the Leaders

We are so excited to introduce Propel Groups to you! AND we are going to chat with two incredible women who are leading a Propel Group at one of the biggest corporations in Silicon Valley, Google.

What is a Propel Group exactly?

Great question! Propel Groups are for those intentional gatherings of women who want to experience and walk through the Propel Conversation Series together. We want to provide a comfortable environment where participants experience authentic community and spiritual growth.

Maybe it's your co-workers, direct sales team, or the ladies from your Tuesday night book club. A Propel Group can gather anywhere you choose— at the office, over lunch at your favorite restaurant, in a local coffee shop, or a group leader’s home.

Meet Karen and Elizabeth! These ladies work for Google in Mountain View, California. The women participating in their Propel Group work in Google offices across the country from California, New York City, and Atlanta. We sat down with them recently to ask a few questions about leading a Propel Group. Enjoy their interview!

***

Propel: Karen, what made you decide to start a Propel Group in your workplace?

Karen: Well, to be honest I did not really intend to start a group. God sort of dropped it in my lap. In May of 2015, I started to wrestle with what it meant for me to be a mom, a wife, and a successful program manager in the tech industry all while trying to love and follow Jesus. I discovered the Propel website and was so encouraged to see all the topics I was wrestling with being discussed. I instantly knew that I needed to connect with women that were thinking about these same things so I sent an email to the Christians email alias at Google asking if anyone knew about Propel and was interested in having coffee. I anticipated 1-2 people responding and 6 months later there are 10-12 of us from across the country meeting over lunch to share and learn about God’s intentions for us as women.  

Elizabeth: One of the best parts about our Google Propel Group is that it happened so organically. We started as women of different backgrounds, different roles, different ages, and different geographic locations meeting weekly to discuss an article, encourage, and pray for each other. Suddenly, the group began to maintain a solid 8-10 women each week and there was a desire for a bit more structure. The Propel Conversation Series was a natural progression.

Propel: Wow, that is awesome to hear! Share with us some wins of starting this group with fellow peers and employees.

Elizabeth: Being from the same workplace, there’s an easy understanding of Google culture that allows us to support each other in unique ways. One of my favorite parts that continues to surprise me about our group is the level of authenticity we bring to discussions and conversations. We’ve seen it all over the last few months; workplace frustrations, fears about work-life balance, even traumatic experiences. The more experienced Googlers have been able to point those in need to some of the wonderful work place resources they never knew existed. Women in the group will often follow up asking how that situation that needed prayed over last week is going, or putting time on your calendar to listen more than what you briefly shared during the meeting. The women in this group are outstanding.

Karen: I agree! For me, personally, all of this has translated into better integration of my work life and my faith life.     

Propel: What are you most looking forward to with your group?

Karen: I am really excited to see the women in this group continue to form relationships and grow in their leadership. I’m also eager to see how God will grow/shape the group.  

Elizabeth: What we learn here is played out in countless meetings and conversations with co-workers, managers, and our broader teams. It doesn’t just stay right here with us. It’s exciting to think about the impact.

Propel: Anything else you want us to know?

Karen: The more I spend time in the Propel material the more I feel like it is the church’s response to the Lean in Movement. There is a tremendous amount of conversation happening both inside and outside of Google about supporting women in the workplace and in leadership. I love that Propel has entered that conversation while being rooted in the truths of scripture.  

***

It’s awesome to have a glimpse into what a Propel Group can look like, and the impact it could have in the workplace setting!

Interested in starting a Propel Group? Maybe you already have and you didn't even know it. We want to make sure we know who you are and how best to resource you!

Fill out this form to register as an official Propel Group. There's also a private Facebook group waiting for you to connect with other Propel Group leaders like Karen and Elizabeth!