As Rose Caiola reported, the first night of Emerging Women Live 2014 was amazing—and as the event continued, it kept getting better and better. The energy of the hundreds of confident, savvy women gathered for the conference turned the Sheraton Times Square into a hub of female power. This convocation of women who are redefining success sends a clear message—the business world needs the collaboration and compassion that women bring to the table. We were blown away by the support, innovation, and unity that were conveyed through the words of the influential speakers.
Here are some of the Rewire Me team’s favorite moments from the weekend’s keynotes, workshops, and panels:
Dominique Christina
Soul Fire: Writing from the Inside
Dominique Christina has the rare talent of filling a room with her presence in a commanding way. She attributes this gift to her family, whom she calls “really mighty people.” Coming from a woman who held two national titles for slam poetry at one time and who won the Women of the World Poetry Championship twice, that’s saying something. She credits her unapologetic nature to her grandfather, a baseball Hall of Famer in the Negro Leagues, and her aunt, one of the Little Rock Nine, students chosen to desegregate schools in Little Rock, Arkansas.
“Mediocrity was never available to me.”
Annette Richardson
Our Collective Future
Annette Richardson, Senior Advisor at the United Nations Office for Partnerships, didn’t always have such a long job title—she was once a 23-year-old French emigrant hoping to start a career as a translator. At 24, she married an American politician, and soon became a mother. What she hoped would be a life of domestic bliss turned into an abusive relationship, and eventually Richardson was left a young widow with a two-year-old daughter.
“Trust the journey as women. Feel your intuition. Believe. Do not overthink. You’ll go places, for sure.”
Amanda Steinberg
Demystifying the Money: How women as investors, and investing in women, can positively impact our changing economic landscape
Amanda Steinberg was inspired to create a personal finance resource for women by her single mother, who taught her at a young age never to rely on a man for money. As CEO of DailyWorth.com, a site that serves nearly one million women with its daily newsletters, it’s clear that Steinberg has taken her mother’s advice to heart and then some!
“If someone tells me there’s a gender bias or that as a mother I shouldn’t raise capital, it makes me want to do it more.”
Kris Carr
A Pathway to Resilience: Developing Strength for Challenging Times & Everyday Stressors
We already love Kris Carr here at Rewire Me—we had the honor of seeing (and meeting!) the wellness guru at Hay House’s I Can Do It! conference, so we were delighted to have a chance to hear her speak again. Carr’s story is indeed a remarkable one—she was diagnosed with terminal cancer at age 31, and with no treatment options, she began to use self-care as a primary tool in her cancer-fighting arsenal.
“You gotta love the broken parts of yourself as well…it’s all teaching you something.”
Wokie Nwabueze
The Art of Being Heard: Reclaim Your Voice, Reclaim Your Power
Wokie Nwabueze, a first-generation daughter of West African immigrants, was brought up in a culture where children were taught to work hard, mind their manners, and be humble. As a child, Nwabueze believed that speaking up and asking for help was a sign of weakness; that demanding to be heard was impolite.
“Communication is a pathway between your soul and the world. Your voice is your power…Being heard is claiming your right to be.”
Arianna Huffington
Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder
Arianna Huffington is a woman who needs no introduction—the media mogul, author, and speaker is a bona fide celebrity in her own right. Her newest book, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder (Harmony Books), is an extension of her popular Third Metric conferences, which encourage professionals to consider health and well-being as a component of their career success.
“There is nothing more powerful than a group of amazing women who give each other permission to change the world.”
Agapi Stassinopoulos
Coming Into the Presence of Your Heart
Agapi Stassinopoulos, actress, best-selling author, and speaker, led a guided meditation, and wow, did we need it! She gave us a place to process and embody all that we’d been experiencing. She was introduced by her sister, Arianna Huffington, who called her “my spiritual guide.”
“We are all breathed by the same spirit, the same energy, the same love.”
Danielle LaPorte
You Are Worthy of Your Desires: Turning Your Ambitions Inside Out To Create Goals With Soul
Danielle LaPorte has built a following by being totally honest—she has 87,000 followers on Twitter who stay tuned for her daily “#TruthBombs.” LaPorte’s TruthBombs range from messages like “Dear Advertisers, you can’t fool me,” to precepts like “Turn your longing into a calling.”
“Reframe obligation into choice and the stress of the situation will reframe itself.”
Tami Simon
Leading through Service and Serving through Leadership
At the age of 22, most people are just beginning the search for their passions in life, but Tami Simon was founding Sounds True, a media publishing company dedicated to disseminating spiritual wisdom. The company has published more than 800 audio, video, music, and book titles, and is a pioneer in providing tools for personal transformation.
“Somehow I want to use the gifts the universe gave me, whatever they are…to serve the entirety of creation. That’s what lives in the very center of my heart.”
Gabrielle Bernstein
Miracles Now: How to Practice the Power of Your Presence
Best-selling author and speaker Gabrielle Bernstein seems to be everywhere these days—even Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra are fans. Her newest book, Miracles Now: 108 Life-Changing Tools for Less Stress, More Flow, and Finding Your True Purpose (Hay House), is a guide to meditation and mindfulness practices in the form of easy-to-digest tools and techniques.
“Our presence is our power. It’s not what we say or do, it’s how we be.”
Eve Ensler
Eve’s Revolution
Eve Ensler is no stranger to empowerment—she embodies it in everything she does. The Tony Award-winning playwright, performer, and activist is the creator of V-Day, a global movement to stop violence against women. Her fierce dedication to women’s rights has inspired campaigns from college campuses to the Congo.
“It was amazing to me that I put out an invitation to the whole world to dance and people got up and danced!”
Emerging Women Live concluded on a high note as conference founder Chantal Pierrat shared the fifth point in her “Feminista Manifista”: “So much is unknown. It’s an unwritten story.” After this amazing get-together of revolutionary women sharing their wisdom, I know many of the attendees will be inspired to write their own unwritten stories. To use Chantal’s cheeky term, Emerging Women Live was definitely “badassery” personified.
Click here to see Rose’s tips for healthy and happy relationships
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