We had a fabulous time at the WPO Annual Conference in Baltimore, MD a few weeks ago. Through our Women’s Entrepreneurial Experience (WEE) program, we were able to sponsor three young women to attend the conference. The conference was filled with great content, connections, and bonding (the picture above shows a sing-along from the bar!). Featured here are guest blogs from the WEE women themselves:
Bobbi Hansen, College Student at North Central University: As a young aspiring entrepreneur, attending the WPO 2016 Annual Conference was life changing. I was incredibly excited to go and my expectations were high, but I was blown away. It was immensely better than I had thought. Three days of being surrounded by interesting and inspiring women, and listening to profound, insightful speakers. As a business student for the past three years, I was curious to find out what many of the speakers would choose to discuss among such a successful group of women. Between the workshops and the keynote speakers, I was enthralled by their insight and wisdom.
It was easy to feel intimidated coming alongside this powerful group of women. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how welcoming and genuinely caring all of the WPO women were. As I introduced myself all weekend long to women of amazing stature with incredible experiences and success stories, I was delighted by their encouraging words and friendly demeanor. All of the women that I had the pleasure to meet were authentic and showed me their passion for business. It deeply inspired me. I left the conference completely engaged, welcomed, and hoping to return. Truly a life changing experience
Junita Flowers Cathey, Owner at Favorable Treats: Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the national WPO Conference in Baltimore thanks to the generous sponsorship from WEE. This conference was a great professional development opportunity. As a small business owner, I often find myself getting stuck in the minor details while forgetting to remain focused on the future and overall growth potential. The WPO Conference was just what I needed to redirect my focus. It was very encouraging to be surrounded by so many successful women in business who have pushed through many road blocks and obstacles along their journey and still managed to build and sustain profitable and meaningful companies. I was very inspired by the keynote presenters as they shared their personal stories and research results. I have even found myself “power posing” on those days that I need to physically remind myself of the strength that I possess to seal the deal. The WPO Conference reminded me to think bigger, work harder, network smarter and celebrate every success. I am grateful for Sue Hawkes and her team and their investment in my personal and professional development. Compassionate leaders like Sue and conferences like WPO are games changers and both have impacted my view on my business growth potential.