Women in Business Retreat 2018: A Visitor’s Recap

On March 8th and 9th, I attended the Women in Business Retreat hosted by the Indy Chamber.

For a young and growing business, it’s not easy to take 2 days away. Time is all we have- and all we don’t. Where we choose to dedicate our energy is vital- it determines whether or not we hit our goals. That said, professional development is an important element in our culture. Unfortunately, the cost of quality programming is on the rise and can be a burden for a company with a limited budget. While we are in our growth stages, we give what we’re able (largely services in kind), but I can’t help but thank the sponsors that the Indy Chamber was able to secure to help create such a quality event for Indianapolis women in business.

For those of you who have heard of the event, but have been hesitant to commit your time or dollars- make the leap next year. There are nuggets of wisdom to be found for everyone, at all stages. Doing what we do, I always focus on the brand message. Am I receiving what I thought I’d get? 1000% yes. The intent of this conference is so pure, and most importantly each speaker upheld the message of the retreat. The energy is palpable. The barriers of a facade, titles, and status were non-existent. The theme of the event for me was unapologetic honesty and vulnerability. Attendees who committed to this mindset opened themselves up for positive change.

While I wasn’t able to attend every single session, (there were breakout sessions where you could choose your own path) here were my major takeaways from some of the 2018 speakers.

Takeaways:

Joanna Taft from The Harrison Center challenges Indy to 'pre-enact'.

Gentrification is real and has happened in so many areas already. Be a conscious consumer and business owner if you’re residing in these “developing” areas. As an aside, the students at Herron High School blow my mind and I’m so excited to hear about the opening of their sister school Riverside High School.

Watch The Empowerment Project, a film by Sarah Moshman and Dana Cook.

These female producers left reality tv in their rearview mirrors and set out to create content worth viewing. With an all-female crew, they documented their road trip around the country interviewing women of excellence in male-dominated fields. Watch the trailer here.

Body language is powerful.

Women have to be more intentional at commanding their physical presence. Tonality is equally as important. Watching Linda Clemons of Sisterpreneur Inc., coach a young professional to quite literally speak in her best voice in front of a room of 250 was the impromptu highlight of the conference.

Quotables:

"Your thoughts are your ceiling. Make a list of 'I AMs' for the days that you feel like 'you aren’t'."
— Dawn Rosemond, Barnes & Thornburg

“Likeability is secondary to respect in the workplace.”
— Kelley Gay, OneAmerica

“Climb the ladder, but leave a rung down to pull up the person behind you.”
— Debby Routt, OneAmerica

“Life is messy. It’s meant to be that way. It’s all one big lesson.”
— Cassie Stockamp, Athenaeum Foundation

Until next year,