If you weren’t able to make it you’re in luck! I represented and have not only been refreshed but took some notes and picked out the ones that impacted me the most. Since I couldn’t be in more than one place, I had to pick and choose my workshops but came away with such Ah-Ha moments that I’m sure the others were just as great. My cliff notes:
While I have long been a believer that in a large way Perception is Reality, I was frozen by the statement “You cannot out-perform your own self-definition” by Marsha Petrie Sue (Pictured Left; described as the Muhammad Ali of personal development) the first speaker of the morning. So true. So challenging. Time to re-define ourselves?With that ringing in my head, I made my way to the Personal Branding session with Kathryn Lowell (Image Matters, Inc.). Never let others define you. Take control of your personal brand. Keep Evolving. Be Limitless. How often do we live by others definitions, branding, limitations?
“Great leaders are just as passionate about LIFE as they are about WORK.” So wait; if we redistribute our priorities to this healthy balance, we’ll actually be a BETTER leader at work? That sounds good, because while work gives back in certain ways, life’s rewards will win that race any day of the week! That wasn’t the only Ah-Ha moment during the leadership session by Gisel Ruiz (Pictured Left; Executive VP, Walmart People Division). “Don’t be afraid to be a woman... embrace the elegant... beautiful... powerful skills you have as a woman as a gift in the workplace.” This hits home for a lot of us. Especially if you are in a male-dominated industry, you can sometimes feel as though you have to be ‘one of the guys’ to be taken seriously or achieve success. Not true. Finally, the Emmy and Golden Globe award winning Helen Hunt took the stage and inspired us to “Treat every opportunity with all the respect you have...” even if it’s not the one you’re shooting for. You’ll get there. She encouraged us to do everyday things whether work or home “Aloha-Style” - enjoying simple tasks. A reminder we can’t hear enough. As the saying goes, we’ve gotta “take time to smell the roses...”
For more information about the event, sponsors, speakers and next year, visit http://www.nwabusinesswomensconference.com/.
