I am celebrating our success

My friends and family will tell you that just before the Journey 2 Success conference I can be heard muttering under my breath “never again, this is the LAST one.”  

And certainly this year was no different, in fact I had decided it really was the last one.  

Equating my decision that it was better, like a TV show, to quit while you were ahead.  Plus “10^th conference” had a good ring to it.

Fast forward two days after the conference and what have I just done?  Booked the space for next year – May 9^th ladies, mark your calendar.   

What made me change my mind?  Apart from being on a high from the day,  I just love, love seeing women connect and support one another.  I spend hours plotting out the table plans and to see it working is reward in itself.  The energy in the room was palpable and it wasn’t just at the start, it lasted all day.

Second – I have come to realize that we are offering something special and unique to women and I want more women to benefit from that experience.  Part of my growth is learning to delegate and so heads up team, get ready as I plan to rope you all in.

Lastly, where else do I get told by 200 + women that I am looking good?J

As I sat in on the Make it Happen session the day after the conference, I was struck by some common themes that came up. 

The sense of community that Company of Women has created.  Not just at the conference, but across the organization. We had women there from all nine chapters, including Manitoba, and it became really clear to me that we are attracting like-minded women, who want to support not compete with one another.

My second observation was that we can all learn from one another, no matter what stage you are at in the your business or how successful you are, there is always something new to learn.

There was much conversation at the conference about success and as one person pointed out, it is an inside job.  It starts with how you feel about yourself and your level of self-awareness.   The speakers frequently talked about trust – in yourself and your gut instincts and in others.  Being authentic was also key. 

Our keynote speaker Amy McLaren spoke with such humility and honesty about the life-changing charity she started at 26, downplaying her achievements while encouraging us all to step up and make a difference.  And we did.  Together we raised $5,085 for Amy’s charity – World Teacher Aid.

As I listened to the women in the Make it Happen session it was interesting that many of their main takeaways came from someone who ran a charity, not a for-profit-business, which speaks to the fact that it really doesn’t matter what type of business you are running, striving to do and be your best is what matters.

As for Liz Radzick.  What can I say?  She’s always amazing but when she just took over the opening session without a blink… that’s masterful.  That’s truly role modelling how to go with the flow.

That leads me to our ending - the clever, entertaining but thought-provoking documentary – One Red Lipstick – produced by Spenser Chapple, a young woman with insights beyond her years, who was looking for role models, and found them.

It was a day of laughter, tears and wisdom, in a community of women who care.

See you next year.

It is all about you

I used to joke when I led parenting classes, that when they pushed the baby and placenta out, they pushed the guilt in.

Motherhood and guilt, they just go hand in hand.  Even when our children are grown and gone, we can find ourselves feeling selfish because we want to do something just for ourselves.

We almost have to justify it to ourselves first before we can market and sell it to the rest of the family.  But why?  We are grown adult women, hopefully with some confidence and vested interest in being successful in life.  Now the definition of success will vary, but the point is to achieve what you want and gain success on your terms.

But it is very hard to get women to invest in themselves.  However, if you don’t believe you are worth it, how can you convince others of your value.  The children or young members of your family have gone back to school or university, now it is your turn to learn more… and the topic is of real interest, I promise you… it’s all about you.

When we first came up with the idea of a retreat it was because we kept hearing from women who attended our Journey 2 Success conference that hearing the speakers was life-changing.  But we all know that making change doesn’t happen overnight and sometimes we need someone outside of our inner circle to help guide us and make sure we are actually headed in the right direction.

So we pulled together some of the speakers from the conference who’ve been there and want to help others find themselves and what they are next to be.  I heard a great quote the other day from management guru John Maxwell in which he said “people will grow into the conversations around them.”

How true.  When you are surrounded by like-minded women who are invested in themselves and in you, how can you not grow?  There is something stimulating and contagious about being in feisty, fierce and thought-provoking conversations with women who care.

As women we tend to be pleasers, but maybe it is time to please yourself first.  Give yourself permission to escape from the day-to-day routine and to indulge in some me-time.  We have a couple of spaces left, I am confident one of them has your name on it.  Check it out.  You are worth it.