How To Stand Out Among 5,000 Women-Texas Conference For Women

So you all have seen me tweet, update on Facebook, etc over the last couple of months about the Texas Conference for Women. Yes, I was so excited. It was in Houston last year but I didn’t hear about it until 3 days before. I was unable to attend. Then they moved the conference back to Austin. So just my luck I had to plan a trip. Which worked out great since I had to be there to accept my award from PeopleFund the day after.

Well I signed up to join the Texas Conference for Women social media street team. If nothing else, I wanted to connect with some amazing women at least online. I did that and then some.

I also signed up to volunteer the day before the conference. It was so much fun stuffing those bags {insert sarcastic tone, lol}. It really wasn’t that fun. But the fun part was getting to know the ladies at the table I was working at. That made the day go by really fast. We had a great conversation. I was surprised how many entrepreneurs like myself volunteer every year for the conference. The fact that some of these ladies attend repeatedly only let me know that the Texas Conference for Women is a must attend event. And it was.

What happened at the conference?

Well of course I get lost leaving my friends house to catch the train at 6 something in the morning. I arrive to the train station the same time as the train. So I took off running in my heels. Not too fun. On the train I met more attendees of the conference. We chatted all the way downtown and even walked to the taco truck together for breakfast. We eventually parted ways after that. But it made for a comfortable morning considering I went alone to a conference with 5,000 other women.

I wore my yellow dress that I love and yellow heels with my bright, shiny red purse. So of course, you could see me a mile away. {unfortunately I didn’t get a full pic of myself } That worked out great. Many ladies came up to me to compliment my outfit. I definitely stood out in a sea of black, brown and red suits. When attending a huge conference there is no way to pass out your cards or “work the room.” I hate that phase anyway. The best thing you can do is find a way to stand out and be memorable. That I did.

First thing, I stopped by the bloggers lounge hosted by TX MILK. I knew most of what they were speaking of but glad to see bloggers playing a big role at a major conference. I am excited to see where they go with their blog, though.

The morning keynotes was good. Didn’t know the ladies though.

But the first session I sat in on was Lena West owner of Influence Expansion. I’ve followed her online for awhile. SN: I sent her a quick email to thank her for the golden nuggets I received and she emailed me back in an hour. Makes me like her even more. Even if it could have been a staff member. That showed me at least she cares enough to respond.

Anyway, back to her presentation. She spoke about being an influencer. The one takeaway I want to share with you is to grow as an entrepreneur. She mentioned joining a mastermind group, getting a mentor or coach. I’ve heard this for months now. And started following some of the best coaches to see whose style I like. But I need to make a decision soon. I want my business to grow.

Victoria Pynchon was my next session. She runs She Negotiates. So I had to be in this session. I feel like I leave money on the table more than I should. I probably do. As well as you. She used Alice from Alice in Wonderland as the protagonist in her presentation. Quite creative. Here is my one takeaway, the person who puts the first number down on the table dictates the negotiation. But it has to be aggressive. My quandary is what number to put down and how aggressive is too aggressive. More time negotiating will help, I guess.

The lunch keynotes were great. Brene Brown walked us through how being vulnerable was okay. Besides I think it shows transparency and people connect with transparency. The next speaker was Cathy Black. I really liked her. Didn’t know her before but something about her message resonated with me. She stated that results are the most important thing when networking. I concur.

Patti DeNucci was my last session of the day. I really wanted to hear her most of all. At one of my Fusions, the speaker told me I needed to follow her. That Patti is one of the most well connected women in Texas. Well I took her advice. And glad I did. She really took us through how important networking and connecting is in business and how to go about it. Here is my one takeaway. As a person who loves to help others, I often find myself tired and my energy depleted. Patti suggests that we recognize when it’s time for others to give to us. And lately others have graciously given to WAGC because of how much I have helped them. I am learning to accept help because I can’t do everything on my own. Reality check.

I even bought her book and she signed it. You all know how I feel about getting my books signed. I haven’t zoomed through her book. I’m digesting the great amount of knowledge she is sharing. Also I had many aha moments and reflections on if I’m making either a good or bad impression on people. Time to make some changes.

I really enjoyed every speaker. They all have inspired me to take Women Are Gamechangers to the next dimension. I’m thinking bigger than before. But most importantly, I’m acting. I am making changes to stay in my lane and fulfill my mission.

Due to the overwhelming options they had, I only sat in on 4 sessions for the day. But each one provided me with golden nuggets I needed to keep moving forward. My day was fantastic. I truly enjoyed myself. And yes, I will be back next year. November 14 they said. I’ll see Austin again. Hopefully sooner than that.