eWomenNetwork conference in Dallas update

Oh my gosh, that was the best conference I’d ever been to!

Besides last years where I didn’t have a booth and had more time to listen to all the great speakers this was probably the BEST ever conference, expo and/or workshop I’ve ever attended – seriously!!

I totally recommend attending next years event especially if you:

• target women business owners and entrepreneurs
• have something to offer folks nationwide or can do teleseminars, sell online, etc.
• want some great inspiration, great nationwide contacts and friends and want to get help with your own business

Here’s a photo of most of the group of women that came from the Sacramento, Elk Grove and Rocklin chapters: There’s too many of us to name but I’ll bet you recognize a few women in here…Plus check out our cool Moo-Cow Ride!! Yes, we traveled in style (NOT!); no limos for us, only the best…a big school bus with painting to look like a big cow. It’s ok, it’s not about the transportation, it’s about the connections!

Sandra Yancey and her staff put on only the best in a conference from the food (all the time and it was included), the accomodations and pricing, the quality of speakers, entertainment, facilitation of networking, opportunities to give and share with others and overall experience like the great staging!!!

Here’s ME and Sandra (in the middle) and Liz Pabon, the branding maven (my gal pal from here in Sac). Sandra is such a kick and really down to earth for running a multi-million dollar business and foundation – I love her and everything she stands for!!

The Mainstage My Business includes winners of the drawing to come on stage throughout the conference and give their 60 second commercial to EVERYONE! There were about 2,500 women (and a few men) there I believe. All you have to do is BUY a chance to WIN. I bought 3 tickets for $100 for three chances to get on stage because I wanted this so bad and I somehow knew I would get picked and I did!

So, because I was on stage I got to mention that I was giving away all kinds of FREE MARKETING ADVICE AND RESOURCES PLUS my Business Card File Book (which I’d already been passing out and everyone wanted) – people flocked to my booth all weekend because of this!

Here’s a photo of my booth! I shipped everything, yes I did. And I had to ship a bunch of it back let me tell you it was easy but painful to pay for….

But I have to tell you my PAY IT FORWARD STORY too.

When I went up to buy my 3 tickets for $100, the gal behind the table said “you’re going to get so excited when I tell you this….but the woman that was here before you bought an extra ticket and said to leave it for the next woman who buys tickets”. So I actually got 4 tickets for the same price! I believe this is karma because I really do give so much to many people.

My first instinct was to leave the ticket there for the next person and keep it going but then I stopped for a second…. I thought of what my client and friend, Jane the Intuitive said to me the week before; “You give all the time but you have a hard time letting yourself ‘receive’”. So, I accepted the extra ticket with gratitude and decided I would find someone else to Pay it Forward to instead this weekend or sometime soon.

I’m sure this was my winning ticket. So, thanks to whoever did that.

During the weekend I was in what they call a Wisdom Circle with 7 other women and we were brainstorming on solutions to some of our biggest business challenges and one woman was totally in transition, not knowing which way to go with her business or her life and I had a copy of one of my books, Power and Soul, with me. I quickly got it out, autographed it and gave it to her and said, “This book is sure to give you some direction and inspriation, it has for me.”

Plus… there’s one other thing I offered to do for someone as kind of a Pay it Forward but also because her story was so moving to me (and probably to everyone there).

This is a photo of me and Julie Rems-Smario, she was the extraordinary winner of the ewn Femtor International Humanitarian of the Year Award.

On the evening of June 7, 2007, during the eWomenNetwork Foundation International Femtor Awards Gala, Julie Rems-Smario was honored for her work as Executive Director of DeafHope with a Humanitarian of the Year Award. Deaf Hope is a non-profit agency serving Deaf survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

So Julie is deaf and she brought about 8 of her staff and deaf friends. I thought “oh how will I communicate with them to really find out more about what they do” but with her great story and her awesome interpreters she literally had us all in awe that night as she delivered her speech to the entire group.

For over a half an hour Julie told us all about the issues and road blocks some abused deaf women go through, so much to the extent that when their husbands abuse them, instead of being the victim in the eyes of the authorities, they are often viewed as ‘women who are unable to care for their children’ and more so than not their kids are then in turn taken away from them in addition to them getting abused! It was appauling to me what goes on. I hope they put her speech on the ewn website to hear because you won’t believe it.

So in addition to winning the award, Sandra and ewn had all kinds of surprises that they arranged for Julie like a new van for transportation and all kinds of support in various areas that the organization would never have been able to afford or find themselves.

I was in the audience thinking…. “Boy, Deaf Hope could sure use some FREE PUBLICITY right now to get the word out about all of this”. So, when Julie stopped by my booth the third day, I stopped her and offered to help her with whatever I could in this regard since she is in Oakland (San Francisco Bay Area) and I could get more local press for her for sure.

She was of course so grateful and we are corresponding now to see what I can help with. If you are reading this and want to help somehow too, feel free to contact Julie at julie@deaf-hope.org or go to their website to find out what they’re doing http://www.deaf-hope.org/.

Paying it forward is such a powerful thing.

Ok, so on to the partying!! These are photos from the Evening of Chocolate Decadence where we all danced to a great 70′s band, ate lots of chocolate in varying forms and drank a ton of chocolate martinis!

Here’s my friend (and client from St. Louis, Missouri) Terri, ME, my friend Darlene (also from St. Louis), some big tall guy Terri knew with really hard, spiky hair (odd?) and of course gal pal Liz.

Terri by the way makes and sells FABULOUS HANDCRAFTED JEWELRY on her website http://www.silkandstonedesigns.com/ – I had to buy myself some great orange jewelry while I was there because she had a booth too (I love orange!).

Darlene sells travel with Ultimate Match Travel and in fact she hooked me into going on a cruise with her this October to the Grand Caymen, Jamaica and some other out of the way island – yeah!! Check out her site at http://www.ultimateprosperitydiva.com/!

And many of you might know Liz, she helps you create your ultimate brand by design! Her site is http://www.thebrandingmaven.com/ – she helped me recreate my new brand as well!!

Here’s ME and Liz again with our friend Beth Schneider (she does systems!) having a fabulous dinner at the big restaurant they had that turned in the sky; we were brainstorming on how to boost our business for sure over a few Lemon Drops!

Here’s ME and Karen Penfold, the managing director of the Elk Grove chapter – I love Karen! She is always there to connect people and do anything for anyone, she’s great!

And here’s my sister separated at birth!! I’m kidding, but really, this gal Darlene Willman is ME, we are one in the same! We think alike, talk alike, look alike, laugh alike – it’s utterly amazing! And, yes, we’re now going on a cruise this October – I can’t wait – I really need a (non-working) VACATION!!

Us again – we seemed to keep running into each other!

And that’s it for now unless someone else sends me some photos I can use.

All I can say is that it was such an emotional, enlightening, spiritual, moving and incredible 4 days with incredible women that I wish I could see once a month! I learned a lot, made a ton of connections, got a lot of business and now I have what I would call many “friends” across the country that I can call on in a heartbeat (or visit when I’m in their home town!).

Thank you to all ….

Katrina Out –

Other Posts You Might Like:

1. eWomenNetwork Conference 2009 update
2. What Happens in Dallas….
3. Are You Prepared for a Big Conference?
4. Oprah Update – Day 4 eWomen in Chicago!
5. West Side Women In Action 2009 Conference