It would be easy to be cynical about a women's conference. Haven't we moved past "I am Woman Here me Roar"? Why do we even need a women's conference in 2006? We don't burn our bras, we don't march on Washington (although we should), we don't throw out the word "empowerment" at every turn, we sure don't wear our shoulder-padded power suits to work anymore, so why a women's conference?
Well, the more than 12,000 cheering women who showed up at The California Governor and First Lady's Conference on Women would tell you because we still face gender specific issues and challenges, we like to spend time with other women, and we feel that supporting one another professionally and personally is our version of the Old Boys Club. At least that's why we go. We've been to quite a few now--in Texas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Arizona specifically.
The organizers invited us to join Elle McPherson (yes, the Supermodel) on a panel about starting a business. After getting over the fact that we would look like trolls sitting on a panel next to Elle (not a short process), we were thrilled to have a backstage peek at this powerhouse of a conference. As the authors of The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business and The Girl's Guide to Being a Boss: Without Being a Bitch, we have actually done a few Governor's Conferences but this one had star power that we hadn't seen before, thanks to First Lady Maria Shriver.
The personal notes that came with the gift bags (thoughtfully FedExed to speakers a few days before the event so they wouldn't be confiscated by airport security), the warm and welcoming dessert reception the evening before the event (where all the A-list showed . . . when does that happen?), the box of chocolates that greeted us upon arrival, all arranged to make speakers feel appreciated. And her charm, clout, dedication, passion, smarts, and contacts made all the difference as the roster of speakers included the likes of the Dalai Lama, Suze Orman, Maureen Dowd, and Tim Russert.
The speakers on the schedule at the California conference may have been stratospheric, but the conference was rooted in the united goals of all of these events for women: Every address, every panel, every tip sheet handed out was chosen to make sure that each attendee walked away with a few solid pieces of advice or a few contacts that could make an impact in their day-to-day life. Like other conferences, the spiritual leaders, celebrities, and experts were instructed to share stories that would inspire the attendees to become active participants in their own lives.
It is easy to muddle through life. It is easy to remain passive about your career and life goals. It's much easier to do nothing than to do something. And that's really why women go to these conferences -- because somewhere on the schedule there will be a speaker that will inspire them to do something. If they want to start a business then there is a panel, if their lives are crazy busy then there is someone to speak to them about how to simplify, if they want to know how a 30-year-old waitress became a millionaire motivational speaker, Suze will tell them. And if they want to meet women who share their challenges and celebrate their differences, then there are thousands of them in the house.
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