The view of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway from my room on the 24th floor of the Sheraton Downtown Philadelphia got my creative juices flowing as I prepped for my small biz roundtable at the PA Conference for Women last week. We got the party started the night before at a VIP event for speakers, where I felt grateful to connect with authors and experts who were sharing their wisdom at the sold-out event of 8,000 attendees. Trailblazing main stage speakers including Robin Roberts, Tory Johnson, Candy Chang, Jane Pauley, Jill Abramson, Linda Cliatt-Wayman and Diane Keaton inspired us with powerful stories of strength, courage, vision, perseverance and determination. Here are some of the highlights of the day:
Morning View of the Ben Franklin Parkway
10 Remarkable Quotes From The PA Conference for Women:
Diane Keaton stole the show with what I thought was the best advice of the day. When asked, “What does it take to be a strong, independent woman?” Keaton replied with one word, “Balls.”
“All we need to do is care.” – Linda Cliatt-Wyman, sharing how her one woman crusade turned around Strawberry Mansion High School, which was one of the most dangerous schools in our country before she took over.
“Brilliant women have a billion ideas, and they can all circle around the core of you.” – Cindy Ratzlaff, brand evangelist, answering the question, “How do we create a consistent brand message when we are more than just one thing?”
“Women are damn resilient.” – Jill Abramson, glass-ceiling breaking journalist, as she rocked out to her favorite theme song, David Bowie’s Under Pressure.
“The courage to try something new makes me proud.” – Jane Pauley, who is starting a new job at the age of 64, talked about the failure of her daytime talk show which opened the same week as Oprah’s now-famous “You’re getting a car!” episode.
“Everything matters. What does your resting face look like? That’s who you are.” – Heseung Song, founder of The Mighty Engine, sharing how we communicate our vision.
“Yes, you can reinvent your brand, but it takes time. Use social media to amplify your message.” – Nancy Phelan, Bristol-Myers Squibb VP, sharing what we can learn from great brands.
“Reimagine a way communities can be rebuilt.” – Candy Chang, talking about creating the Before I Die ______ wall on the side of an abandoned home in New Orleans after losing someone she loved. Candy was one of my favorite speakers.
Gratitude Wall at the PA Conference for Women
“We all cast a shadow.” – Beth Rubino, VP of Human Resources at QVC, who talked about getting in touch with your super power.
“I was brought up with the 3 Ds: Determination, Discipline and Da Lord.” – Robin Roberts
And, here’s what my response was when I was asked how to get over a fear of being perceived as pushy or salesy: “Stop selling, and start serving.” – Lynn Bardowski
Keep the inspiration, networking and biz growth going! Join me at my last live event of 2014 on Friday, November 7 at the Mansion, Voorhees, NJ. Click here to learn more
Read more PA Conference for Women highlights via Storify.
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