Question: What is the one thing almost every woman does (especially mothers) to the detriment of herself? Answer: She gives and gives without including herself on the "To Do" list. Last week, I decided it was my turn to be added to the list. I attended the first Sacramento Women in Work conference at the downtown library galleria. I am so glad I decided to take advantage of this opportunity.
I was able to network with some amazing women and listen in on some awesome seminars. I really loved the tips that Stephanie Sherwood of eWomen Network gave on the power of networking. She emphasized how important it is to be genuine and present your authentic self when meeting new people. Plus, your goal should be to build real relationships and create that "lift as we climb" mentality. The values Stephanie focused on can be applied to all aspects of our lives.
Another speaker I thoroughly enjoyed was Natalie Conrad of Organized Habits. I originally met her at an IKEA event about getting organized. Once you have a vision of what it is that you want, you need to ask yourself four basic questions when deciding if an item stays: 1) Is it beautiful? 2) Is it useful? 3) Do I love it? and 4) What's the worst that will happen if it's gone? Don't attempt to justify why something should stay; just let it go! Outside clutter is a manifestation of the clutter and disorganization that is inside your head. Natalie suggests starting small (i.e. a countertop space or one area of a room) and taking the process one step at a time- but just start!
By far, though, Tory Johnson, Workplace Contributor for Good Morning America and Founder/CEO of Women for Hire was the highlight of the event. She started out holding a $100 bill and asked who could use it. Most of the women attending the luncheon raised their hands. She asked again and some women stood up waving their hands to attract her attention, while one woman ran up and stood next to her. She asked yet again and several women started to make a mad dash towards her, so the woman next to her grabbed the money and ran back to her seat. What was her point? Opportunities won't just happen to you; go after them and make them happen! Point taken, Tory.
For most of us, fear of failure holds us back. We don't take that class we've always wanted to take, we don't leave the job we despise or we don't ask for the raise that we deserve. In today's times, however, Tory admonishes that women need to be willing to negotiate for what they want. Men come across this process naturally so women cannot make it an option. Sometimes we even wait for permission to tell others about ourselves or our successes. We must turn that around and make people excited to get to know us. I'm sure there were a lot of light bulbs turning on when Tory said, "Don't wait for the moment to be 'just right'; you need to act when the time is 'good enough'."
At the luncheon I received Tory's book, Fired to Hired. It's full of so many ideas that are applicable to those in the workplace and even for those venturing out into their own small business. She's inspiring, motivational and gives practical advice that can be put to immediate use. I've already read a couple of chapters and look forward to completing her book.
I thought it couldn't get any better than what I had already experienced...but it did! There were four raffles held in between the free seminars and two at the end of the luncheon. Not only did I win a $50 Shell gas card, but I also took home a $100 VISA card. Thank you Sacramento Business Journal, Tri Counties Bank, News 10 and Sacramento MomsLikeMe! Including myself on "the list" proved rewarding in more ways than I could have ever imagined.
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