Last week, I, along with 10,000 other women (and a few men!!), had the opportunity to attend the 2015 Massachusetts Conference for Women in the heart of Boston. Besides the conferences' massive size, it's known for having excellent panels and workshops led by experts in their respective fields, invaluable networking opportunities, and inspiring keynotes. Oh and did I mention the show floor full of companies who sponsor the event and small businesses ran by women? Yup, incredible.
I wanted to share with you 6 things I definitely will not forget from the Conference - just a few words of wisdom from the phenomenal line-up of panelists and keynotes the Conference had in store:
1. You can't "have it all" until you define what having it all means to you AND as you go through different stages in life, you will define it differently. - Dr. Kelly McGonigal, health psychologist and best-selling author "The Upside of Stress"
2. FOD: First, only, different. Plenty of people know the feeling of being first, only, or different. It means you're a trailblazer. - Shonda Rhimes, prolific writer and producer of ABC's #TGIT television shows
3. Success is being ready when opportunity comes. - Carolyn Muise, VP of Total Customer Experience at EMC
4. Find a passion, join a committee, and use time and talent for the greater good. Identify what motivates you and focus on how you make people feel at all times. - Connie Weaver, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer, TIAA-CREF
5. If you are only giving you can become depleted. You must find the balance between giving and receiving. - Steve Gross, chief playmaker and head at Life is Good
6. You have a finite amount of space, substance, and a limited amount of time in your life. Be intentional and calculated with your time. Plan your life like an algorithm (if this makes sense to you). Plan for the job you want next! - Isis Anchalee, creator of #iLookLikeAnEngineer and full stack engineer