“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll fall among the stars.”
- Unknown
Last night I arrived in Long Beach, CA to attend the 10th Annual Women's Conference, presented by the First Lady of California, Maria Shriver. The two-day event (Oct 25 & 26) will feature a host of dynamic speakers including Michelle Obama, Suze Orman, Tony Robbins, Dr. Oz, Laura Bush, Jillian Michaels, Rodney and Holly Robinson-Peete – my personal favorites Martha Beck, Mary J. Blige and Oprah Winfrey – and dozens more. The event’s theme, “It’s Time…” is a call for all women to identify and fulfill their passions in order to live life to its fullest. I’m so excited I can barely contain myself!
At LAX (airport), I was greeted by a huge sign that said, “Welcome to Los Angeles, where dreams are made.” I couldn’t help but smile, thinking of my personal passions and all that I hope to accomplish in my lifetime.
What are your dreams?
We’ve all been asked the question, “What would you do if you didn’t have to work?” But have you ever considered that you can turn your passions into your day job? I’ve had the pleasure of working with a few women who have done just that. Allow me to introduce them:
JoDee Curtis was the human resources director at my previous employer and recently launched her own human capital consulting firm, Purple Ink, LLC (www.PurpleInkLLC.com), which helps companies to find creative solutions to business issues by specializing in retention, recruiting, training, benefits and compensation, and speaking engagements.
Cindy Dunston-Quirk, a current colleague of mine, is passionate about her dogs, Scout and Zoe – so much so that she launched a business that produces and sells allergy-free, organic chews for dogs that are afflicted by the same conditions as hers. Scout&Zoe’s (www.ScoutAndZoes.com) has been featured in local media publications as well as PeoplePets.com (a subsidiary of People Magazine).
Katharine (Kate) Oberreich curates for and manages the daily operations of a program that invites those touched by cancer to express their emotions via art and narrative, which is in line with this young entrepreneur’s passions as she runs her own studio (www.KateOberreich.com), creating mixed media art which often reflects personal journeys.
It’s always inspiring to see women like JoDee, Cindy and Kate step out and pursue their passions. And I encourage you to do the same.
As for me, today I’m going to bask in the California sun, and prepare to be educated and inspired by the events of the next two days. If you are interested, you may view the Women’s Conference live on Monday 8:30am-2:30 pm PDT, and Tuesday 8am-7pm PDT, at www.WomensConference.org. The site contains agendas for the various sessions and speakers. Look out for me in the audience… I’ll be the one up front… taking it all in… as I continue this journey to live out my dreams.
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