SheSays AMS presents: The Long Game – Building a Career That Lasts
Careers aren't linear. So why do we still pretend they are?
We were taught to expect steady progress. Upward trajectories. Clear next steps.
But the reality looks different.
Careers stall. Shift. Accelerate. Burn out. Restart. Change direction completely.
And yet, we rarely talk honestly about what it takes to stay-to keep going, evolving, and building something sustainable over time.
At The Long Game, we open up that conversation.
From early ambition to mid-career pivots. From burnout to reinvention. From visibility to staying relevant.
Because while the work we do is evolving, the structures around us often aren't. And the impact of that is felt at every stage of a career.
Once you've been working long enough, you realise: success isn't fixed-and neither is the path to it.
What to expect
. Honest conversations about career pressure, change and uncertainty . Real stories of burnout, reinvention and ambition . Different perspectives on what it means to "stay" · A more realistic view of long-term career growth
Who you'll hear from
A mix of voices across different career stages
Including Emily Firth, Co-Founder at TruthWorks, alongside Franca Cumbo, Christina Raht and Jerel Jarvis from the SheSays Amsterdan leadership team
Moderated by Nicolette Lazarus, Founder of Womanship
Exploring:
· Early career questions . Mid-career shifts · Long-term career sustainability
Why join
You'll leave with:
More clarity on your next steps · Less pressure to follow a "perfect" path . A more honest understanding of what building a career over time really looks like
Event details
Equals Amsterdam 18:00 (Doors Open 17:30) Wednesday, 20th May 2026
Spots are limited - reserve yours now
About SheSays AMS
SheSays is the first – and largest – global network for creative women and non-binary people, with 55+ chapters worldwide. It’s an award-winning non-profit organisation focused on engagement, education, and advancement. The Amsterdam chapter was formed in 2013. We lift as we climb.
Speakers:
Emily Firth
Emily Firth is the co-founder of TruthWorks. With a deep belief that organizations must move beyond surface-level promises to create workplaces that truly deliver on experience and results, Emily has made it her mission to bridge the gap between what companies say and what employees actually experience. A recognised expert in employer branding, culture transformation, and inclusion, Emily has spent her career challenging outdated workplace norms and helping businesses evolve their relationships with their people. Emily partners with organisations to confront their uncomfortable truths to build cultures that work. Her refreshingly candid approach has made her a sought-after voice in the industry, helping leaders move from good intentions to real, lasting impact.
Christiana Courtright
Christiana Courtright is Head of Digital EMEA at Edelman, shaping entertainment-first digital strategy that turns culture, creators, and communities into measurable brand growth. Formerly an output editor and video journalist, she transitioned into creative agencies, where she became an ex-Strategic Lead for TikTok EMEA and a senior brand and social media strategist, built over 10 years across agency- and client-side.
Nicolette Lazarus
Nicolette Lazarus is the Founder of Womanship, a connected holistic health community creating safe spaces - both online and in real life - for more honest conversations around women's lives, work, and wellbeing, while connecting them with trusted health and wellness professionals. With a background in advertising and communications for some of the world's leading brands, she brings a strategic and human lens to exploring what often goes unspoken - from career and confidence to health, identity, and life transitions. Share more. Worry less.
Franca Cumbo
Franca Cumbo is a fractional marketing partner, paid social specialist and the founder of Lionstar Social. She has 20+ years of digital marketing experience across global agencies in London, San Francisco and Amsterdam. She knows what reinvention looks like firsthand: she returned to digital marketing after an eight-year career gap, rebuilt her career and now runs her consultancy, partnering with smaller, values-driven brands as a true extension of their team, with hands-on attention, real passion for the work and an AI-first approach. Franca sits on the SheSays Amsterdam Leadership Committee and is currently building (RE)Launch, a programme to help women 40+ re-enter the workforce, work shaped directly by her own second chapter.
Jerel Jarvis
Jerel Jarvis, a Senior Freelance Global Operations & Project/Account Leader. With over a decade working across agencies and international teams, she often steps into high-pressure working environments during moments of major change, growth, or disruption. Her work focuses not just on delivery, but on what sits underneath it - bringing clarity to complexity, restructuring workflows, and reducing intensity so teams can operate more sustainably. Having built her career across shifting roles, countries, and ways of working, she brings a grounded perspective on how careers actually unfold over time. As part of the SheSays Amsterdam leadership team, she’s particularly interested in the human side of how we work - and in helping people recognise their own capacity to navigate pressure, stay regulated, and build ways of working that are both sustainable and empowering over the long term.