If I could best describe my first experience at this year’s Black Eenterprise Women of Power Summit, it would compare to the perfect trifle that you don’t want to stop eating. Layers of knowledge, incredible networking, the nations most powerful businesswomen, dynamic speakers and panels were all wrapped into 72 hours of deliciousness.
I’m honored to have been invited by General Motors and the Chevrolet family to take part. Chevy celebrated women entrepreneurs and media mavens while debuting their new 2015 Chevrolet Malibu, giving patrons a chance to experience it up close and personal. Chevy also got social throughout the event using their handle #Malibumoments to capture the moments. Much like Oprah’s “Live your best life” tour last year, this conference really delivered on giving me clear takeaways that I will take with me for a lifetime in both my career and personally. It’s hard to bottle up all the emotion and all of the excitement into one piece as there’s so much to learn and so much to share.
What I know for sure is that this event was all about empowerment. It was about connection to something bigger than myself. A unique sisterhood of trailblazers from all walks of lives that hasn’t necessarily ever met, but are extremely connected. From Star Jones’ panel on being ok with carving out and owning your own lane, to Mellody Hobson’s powerful luncheon on being ok with being uncomfortable on your road to success, I craved more. If I could share a few true nuggets of wisdom with you they would be as follows:
- “Being our authentic selves is really the ultimate key to success”. So often we waste valuable time trying to confirm to what we “think” will get us ahead only to find out that we wasted valuable time and effort and didn’t get as far as we would have, had we been ourselves. We are enough!
- “Having our own superheroes and cheerleaders in our corner no matter their age or background is the secret sauce that can make the difference in our careers”. Who are they? Those women that you lean on and can count on for honest feedback. The women cheer for us even when we don’t for ourselves? Who are they? Find them, seek them out, gravitate towards them, and hold on tight!
- “How we see ourselves as women is much more important than how others see us”. Mellody Hobson said it best when she said that although in a corporate room full of suits, she knew she was smart, dynamic and different and had something special to offer! She thrived on being different because it made her voice more powerful.
- Take the time understand your brand, what you have to offer and what you want to get out of your experiences and partnerships.
- Create a sisterhood of success in your own community to lift fellow women up.You truly are only as good as your team, circle and community.
I’m truly grateful for this experience. I encourage you to attend next year if you have the opportunity. Black Enterprise really pulls out all of the stops and brings the knowledge to the table for you, the consumer to apply to your own brand. Cheers to many more #MalibuMoments along the way that spark new connection, creativity and authenticity.
Disclaimer: I was a guest of General Motors for the #BEWPS. All opinions are my own.