As a "Nightline" producer, I traveled all over the world covering interesting stories, leaving unused theater tickets and broken dates behind. There was always tomorrow.

We often say to ourselves, "If I can only achieve 'X,' everything else will be amazing!" The challenge is great, but we need to be kind to ourselves in the process. It's not getting to the top of the mountain that's the win, it's the journey that is the win.

Keynote speaker Arianna Huffington told the amped-up crowd: "I do believe that this is our time. Not just to succeed in the male world, but to change it."

Fear is something we can't live without; it is a feeling we all experience at one time or another in our daily lives. I think as a society, we live with fear in the wrong way, and after many years, I'm ready to share the story of how I turned fear into a source of inner strength.

As I embark on this new journey -- as a business owner and mom-to-be -- I've become hyper-aware of the pressure to conform to societal norms.

Maybe women do need to lean in a little more, but they also need to stop leaning all over each other to get there. What women really need to do is lean together.

What do Slaughter and Sandberg know about an average woman's struggles? Not much. Between the two of them, they have more wealth and political power than most small towns. That's what we can learn from them.

What do 21-years-old women just entering the workforce want? Answer: a guarantee that they can have it all.

The making of women leaders is a collaborative process, where future leaders need to embrace the lessons learned by those who forged a path before them.

All my confusion had nothing to do with me. It was about other people. It was about what I thought other people would want me to do. And I realized I was missing Sandberg's and Callan's respective points completely.

It's noisy out there. Everyone wants to be noticed. Yet, so many people ignore this simple and easy tool that I guarantee will set you apart.

Lean In tells us to look within ourselves, to recognize mental habits that might be holding us back, and to keep moving forward.

My grandmother challenged me to be someone great and to serve others. We must fight to have the life we want, just like the women who came before us had to fight. Here are my strategies for success.

Serving in the military taught me a number of skills that have been essential to my success since I reentered the civilian world.

While we can look back with pride on the accomplishments of women before us, we must also look forward with determination to break down the remaining barriers that limit women's opportunities.

Does sexism still exist in the workplace? Are women living up to their professional potential? Can we really have it all? No one has yet to point out the obvious, which is this: The debates ignited by Sheryl Sandberg's book are doing nothing good for women.

When I was in college, I fell for an Englishman. We had one of those relationships where we didn't see each other much, but when we did, it was epic. Long dinners in London. Camping in the woods. It sounds wildly romantic, but there was a slight problem. His girlfriend.

The systemic gender inequality in America isn't just holding women back -- it's holding us all back from experiencing a more inclusive, prosperous and peaceful way of life.

So, how can women make the most of their career potential and enjoy their lives to the fullest? Perhaps it's time to redefine the expectations that women have for themselves and each other.