Why I’m Going Back to the Texas Conference for Women
Last year I attended the Texas Conference for Women for the first time. I attended alone, taking the plunge into the unknown, certain that I couldn’t go wrong in a convention center filled with 5,000+ other women.
I walked in the doors not sure what to expect. Based on the schedule and everything I had read online, I knew it was going to be a phenomenal day. Even my most optimistic expectations were exceeded by the learning, inspiration, and thought-provoking conversations I experienced throughout the day.
You can read a recap of my best takeaways from last year’s conference here. A number of these key ideas have become part of my daily thinking, and I’ve been intentional about seeking out other women who share these ideals.
I set a goal during last year’s conference, which I wrote down on my notepad.
Next year I will bring as many women as possible with me to this conference, creating a shared experience of empowerment and inspiration for a community of women who are important to me.
A few weeks after the conference, I sat down to review my notes and came across the goal. As I reflected on my experience at the conference, I decided to take the leap with an idea I had been pondering for quite some time. In that moment, Austin Leading Ladies was born!
Austin Leading Ladies is a group of dynamic, driven women who come together to network and empower each other to make a difference. Each month we gather for a high impact Leading Ladies Power Hour that focuses on inspiring and empowering women to lead in a way that is unique to them. The format for this monthly Power Hour is 30 minutes of motivation and discussion, followed by 30 minutes of purposeful relationship-building.
Austin Leading Ladies officially debuted in January 2013, and we formed a Facebook group to stay connected. In the last seven months, the group has grown to nearly 400 members.
This year I’m excited that I’ll be attending the Texas Conference for Women with a group of SOS Leadership’s Austin Leading Ladies, a community for women leaders! We will attend the conference together, and then meet up in the weeks following to debrief and share what we learned. In this way, we’ll take the learning to a higher level, creating deeper conversations (which will, in turn, build stronger relationships), and helping each other to think through how we will put what we learned into action.
Will we see YOU and the women leaders in your life on November 19th?
Guest post by Amber Fogarty, a Partner and Chief People Officer for SOS Leadership Institute, an organization committed to empowering and equipping leaders to make a difference. The focus of her work is women leaders, through the SOS Gr8 Women Leaders Program and Austin Leading Ladies. Amber is also an Adjunct Faculty Member at St. Edward’s University, a published author, and sought-after speaker about leadership, goal achievement, and time management. Follow Amber on Twitter at @afogarty2005 and check out the award-winning SOS Leadership Blog.