Yes, we soared… to giddy heights

It is a bit like a wedding really.  You work all year planning an event, and whoosh, in a few quick hours it is over.
I always need a few days to step back and reflect on the conference.

As I read through the evaluation forms, Sam Horn’s presentation was the highlight of the day by a long shot, followed of course by the firemen.

What an entrance my MC Liz Radzick made, complete with pink boa being carried in on a stretcher by four hunky firemen, followed by the dancing gals. I don’t know how she comes up with these ideas, and of course she never shares them with me. It’s always a surprise. So I have to say, I’m just a tad worried about what she will do next year.

Sam was so approachable, telling memorable stories to illustrate her points, so everyone came away with concrete tools.  She also hung around to work with people one-on-one after her talk was over. Everyone at the conference got a copy of her book and I highly recommend reading it.  If you want to know more, check out my book review for Actionable Books.

One of the challenges as an event planner is last-minute cancellation and we had our share for this conference, with three speakers having to cancel last minute – all for good reasons – but which left me scrambling.  Momentarily.  This is when the power of your network comes through, and I am most appreciative to the women who came to my rescue – Krista Wright, Michele Bailey and Jackie Dinsmore.  Ladies, I owe you one.

And the panel was amazing.  Each woman shared her story with real honesty and it was clear there is no magic formula to success as each took a different path to get there, but each showed the tenacity you require to stay the course.  Perhaps one of the great one-liners came from Julie Cole when she said when life hands you lemons, make a gin and tonic!

This year we added two awards to the event, which for me, was special.  I felt like a little kid bursting to share a secret. We had ten nominees for the Woman of Inspiration Award – each worthy of recognition – but it was Colleen Saunders who won over both the members and the judges with her courage in taking back her life after her husband committed suicide and her willingness to share that horrific time with other families and mental health workers so the pain was eased for them, as much as it could after such a tragic occurrence.

But we also wanted to honour a long time friend and member of Company of Women – Donna Messer – who had sadly died in April and so a special tribute was played in her memory and we presented an award to a woman who, like Donna, is constantly helping others and linking them to people they need to meet, and that was Linda Sztanko.

For me it was a long, full day and I suspect for the women attending it was too – with 24 speakers sharing their stories and expertise, two heart-touching award presentations and then let’s not forget… the firemen.   What more could a gal ask for? 

Yes, well that’s my challenge for the 10^th Journey 2 Success conference in 2016.  The good news is that I have a year to plot.   Thank you everyone for making this year’s event happen.

Take one bold step into your future

 “There’s no such thing as standing still. The real question in today’s economy is what direction we’re heading. We’re either pushing forward or drifting backward. I choose going forward. What about you?”

Michael Hyatt

And I ask you the same question.  Our conference this year has the theme of Think BIG. Shine. Soar. We want to help women entrepreneurs take their business to the next level.

Statistics show that while more and more women are starting their own business ventures, they are not growing as fast as their male counterparts.

So we want to give you the confidence, tools and connections to make that happen. 

√       Part of gaining the confidence, is having the clarity to know what you actually want to do.  Easier said than done as many of us struggle with our direction and where we want to take our business. Shannon Tobin will be explaining how clarity is power. 

√       Having role models who have paved the way and who will honestly share their trials and triumphs, gives us the confidence and faith that we can do it too. Hear from our panel of award winning entrepreneurs who will be sharing their stories.   

√       And then once we have convinced ourselves, how do we sell and intrigue others to buy into our offering. Tick. We have TEDx speaker and author Sam Horn with us to share the strategies she’s used in working with clients, and which are detailed in her new book – Got your Attention?  How to create intrigue and connect with anyone. It was a coup to get her.   

√       Gaining the business tools to grow is also part of the expansion plan, and with 18 experts sharing their expertise, you get the chance to learn first hand what you need to know on topics from social media, franchising, marketing to legal or HR advice.   

√       Last but not least, we will be celebrating our peers who have given back and made a difference in the lives of others, as well as networking and partying. A great way to end such a vital day.

In fact, to make sure you take action on the takeaways from the conference, we have a second day planned with meditation, action plans, focus, so you leave and go home with all the key components in place to make it happen.

In his blog, Hyatt actually listed seven ways to stay current and relevant, and attending conferences and meeting new people were high on his list.

Sometimes we need to get out of our day-to-day routine to focus on our business, instead of always working in it.  Invest in yourself. Plan to attend Think BIG. Shine. Soar. on May 26 at the Oakville Conference Centre.   There’s even free child care.  So no excuse.

See you there.

  

Call me matchmaker or what...

Are you nervous? asked one woman.  She was enquiring about my conference which is fast approaching.  

I thought for a minute, and replied actually no.  It is always such a great day.  It’s like holding a party and having all my friends come.  

Lots of hugs, a few tears and a steady dose of laughter, what could be better for the soul? And yes, some learning too.

So no, not nervous.  Just trying to pace myself because it is a physically demanding event to put on.  All the detail, all the different elements to consider and preparing for what could go wrong.

I often joke that I must have been a wedding planner in another life because when it comes to the lunch part, I really try to put people with others that will either lead to business or potential partnerships or  support because they face similar challenges.

I remember last year one woman reported back that she’d actually landed a new client after meeting  over the lunch.  She sounded surprised.  I wasn’t.  That is part of what makes the conference so much fun for me.  It is connecting people whose paths may not have otherwise passed, but like a “connect fairy” you can make it happen.  What power.

So no – not nervous.  I've been weaving conferences for years. So bring it on.  Let the party begin.

Build relationships - it will keep your business alive

As someone originally from the non profit sector, I truly enjoyed and got what Jonathon Fields had to say at the recent The Art of Small Business event.

I am sure as others heard him talk about the social revolution, they questioned the relevance to small business, but you know what, if they didn’t get it, they were missing out.  Because when it comes down to it, what he was really talking about was building a tribe, and who doesn’t want more loyal customers, more followers, and people who believe in us.

Jonathon was giving us the tools, but perhaps it was a stretch for some.  In fact, without appearing too sexist, I suspect the men in the audience may have been more cynical, because what he was talking about was building a business based on relationships rather than transactions.

Much of it related to how groups could be united over a common concern or challenge, and as he spoke, I certainly identified with that bond that women entrepreneurs share as they strive to succeed in a world that still favours men.

What really resonated was when he talked about the common enemy.  Who is your dictator he asked?  My answer – networking groups that are transactional not relationship based, and taking it deeper – the old boys’ club which does not recognize the value and contribution of women entrepreneurs.

Next he talked about building your rally cry which he encouraged to be a strong story that united people.  One of the examples, he gave of where it can backfire was around the Occupy movement, where the end vision was not shared and in the end that divided those involved.

His advice was to build and craft a creed that would draw and bind you together, because when you have a shared language, you can become a tribe.  As for the leader, this needed to be someone who is driven to serve, was transparent and honest, and prepared to be both authentic and vulnerable.  Ihe individual leader and the crowd together should define the path and develop the key messages, he recommended.

In his closing remarks, he talked about the two key human needs he’d identified – people are looking for something to believe in and to belong to – something we foster at Company of Women, and in fact the theme for our 2014 Journey 2 Success Conference is Be bold. Be brave. Belong, so I felt validated in the direction I was taking our organization. Always good to know when you are on the right path.

This need to foster personal relationships actually dovetailed well with the comments made by the first speaker, Mitch Joel, who observed in this changing world, we all need to do business differently if we want to survive and thrive in today’s business environment.

Mitch emphasized the power of direct relationships.  All of us, he noted, need to build a direct relationship with our customer and how we do that has to be multi-faceted, or as he describes it, sex with data, where you relate on different levels and mediums such as social media, blogs and email.  Making it personal and relevant is important.  He highlighted  the example of Amazon, a company that is noted for its personal touch, such as the personalized emails about books you might like.

While each speaker approached their topic from a different perspective – one taking a technical/social media direction, and the other focusing on relationships and empowering people, each emphasized the need to connect with our customers, if we want to stay ahead.