Chicks Rule

I had the rare opportunity to go to two very special women-oriented events in the last two weeks. And overall, I am amazed at how many smart, sassy, creative women exist in this world - and how over the past few months, I have been blessed to have them in my world.

First up: Make Mine a Million $ Business - Seattle event

This organization out of NY has a nationwide network and events in many cities where they bring speakers and content to women entrepreneurs. But the piece de resistance is the contest they run in each city where 16 women business owners must deliver an elevator pitch on why they deserve to win the Make Mine a Million $ Business 2008 Award, which offers them mentors, free advice, technical and other support by big sponsors like Dell, Cisco and Amex and overall a huge wealth of resources to help them grow to a million in revenue.

Sixteen local women took the stage to pitch their business and why they should win in only 3 minutes. The businesses ranged from marketing agencies to affirmation blankets to promotional items to a school for animal massage. Not sure when they entered the contest, but it was prior to the event and so they had received coaching on presentation skills and content prior to the big day. It was electric to be in an audience of 400 supportive, proud, successful women and want to root for them, and not be pitted against then as women often are in life.

We heard from WA state governor Christine Gregoire; Anne Levinson, one of the 4 women who now own the Seattle Storm WNBA Basketball team; Valerie Morris, an award winning journalist from CNN who moderated a lot of the events; and we even had an emcee known as a "journey agent" named Isasara Bay who used to be the VP of Corp Affairs of Sony Music and is now a consultant. Other highlights included past award winners; a consultant named Simon Sinek who did a wonderful presentation on being a "Why?" organization and not a "What?" organization to better create customer loyalty and be a cause rather than a company (a la Apple); and Nely Galan, Latina media dynamo, founder of Galavision, and recent contestant on Celebrity Apprentice. This chick is full of spicy advice for how to be innovative, jump on opportunity and get ahead in life.

Overall, I was left empowered by what women can do when we put our minds to things. The sky really is the limit.

Second, my client The Broader View held their inaugural workshop for women at the top who are looking for what's next.

Over 40 of Seattle's top women - CEOs, philanthropists, business owners, etc gathered in the beautiful Columbia Club high atop Seattle with a view to die for and heard inspiration and thought-provoking soul food. We heard from Catherine Meeks, an electric, strong, African American professor, scholar, author and motivational speaker talk about celebrating how far we've come and acknowledging our own inner voice as we move forward into whatever is next in our lives. She used Maya Angelou's poem "Still I Rise" as the foundation of her talk. Some of her gems:

• Your mind gets in the way. Listen to your heart.
• Negative voices – we all have them, but we need to make choices about what to do with them
• We live in a world where no one knows what women are all about so they put us in our place and if we “forget” our place they jump on us
• Rheumatoid Arthritis (what Catherine has at age 62 and has had for 20 years) could have defined me, or made me a “cripple”. Instead, I choose to see it as my best teacher. It taught me to say “no” to things that would drain my energy and to take care of myself, to treasure taking care of ME before I could do anything for others
• People don’t really want to listen to what’s in their heart – especially if they are successful. They think they have no right to this, that they are being selfish. When really everyone just has a fractured person inside of them looking for a warm blanket. No amount of success or blessings shields us from those feelings sometimes. Material things do not speak to the hunger of the heart, so no one is immune. We need to be sisters to each other so we have a place to fall apart
• It's okay to have nervous breakdowns on the weekends. I find I’m in a much better place on Monday if I let myself cry in a ball sometimes!
• Carl Jung talked about “individuation” – which is the process of separating the particular from the general. We are not “everywoman” but our own woman. We need to know where others stop and we begin.
• We put on a persona of ourselves to the world, but behind that is a “shadow” – these are things we haven’t encountered yet (our unconscious). But there is untapped wealth there if we pay attention and do not ignore it or try to hide it. Fragmented people are those who are indecisive and don’t know who they are – they try to ignore or bury their Shadows. If you do this, you’ll live as half of a person, you won’t allow new things to come up.
• You must let things die in order to give birth to new things. This is the cycle of change and growth. All change is a death in a way. Before you allow rebirth, you have to make space for it. So let things die. New things will be born.
• What message do I need to get from the people in my life that I think I don’t want there? What is in my energy system that attracts these people and thoughts?
• Listen to your inner voice and respond to the repetitive messages – they are trying to tell you something!
• “Energy vampires” they take without you knowing (not necessarily bad people). So be careful who you tell your dreams to. Tell them to people who get it, and choose not to discuss with people who don’t – doesn’t mean you have to cut them out of your life if you don’t want to.
• Figure out how to replenish. Where is your energy going? What is the clutter in your soul weighing you down? What is the baggage holding you down?
• Journal, journal, journal and reflect
• We live in a culture that doesn’t want us to pay attention, to be still, to reflect. We must ignore that pressure and take the time we need.
• What does your heart require? What brings you joy and peace? YOU DECIDE, not the culture, not your parents, not your co-workers, but YOU.
• Gratitude and generosity creates space and open up energy.

Then, Carrie & Danielle, who I've blogged about before, talked about Style Statement and living your authentic life. Defining who you are on your own terms and not letting all the noise or other distraction prevent you from being who you really are. They asked some very thought-provoking questions that are often the key to understanding who we are and what makes us happy - and that leads to us knowing how to best give back to the world in which we live.

I met some amazing women in the last two weeks that I hope to help and who I hope will help me on my next journey. The possibilities are endless when you open yourself up to them and quiet the voices in your head enough to listen to their call.