Earlier this month, I hosted my first At The Style Table event! This exciting two-day workshop, Monetize Your Message, was led by successful author and business coach Tam Luc. Women from all walks of life (Baby Boomers, Gen X’ers and Millennials alike) all came together to learn the power of their stories. It. Was. AWESOME! Tam's workshop was informative, empowering, honest and fun. Each day, the room was filled with positive energy, honest conversation, and open minds. It was a networking social with a much larger purpose. As a group, we discovered that we have much more to offer the world than what we might have originally thought.
Tam jumped right into the first day with a strong introduction to understanding the power of your story (and yes, we all have a meaningful story to tell)! Later that evening, the group enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and wine because no DC event is complete without a happy hour! The room was filled with laughter and genuine connection. By the end of the first day, we were all pumped up for the next day’s workshop.
Let me tell you, Day Two did not disappoint! We started off with a fabulous brunch and then immediately got right to work. We learned we laughed, we cried. We had "aha" moments about life and business, and supported one another every step of the way. It was an empowering and emotion-filled workshop. Some of us were business owners and others were just deciding to take the plunge, but we were all brought together by the hope and belief that we could do more.
As a businesswoman who has only recently decided to pursue her passion, I have to be honest about this process for a minute. Starting a business is terrifying, especially after 40! There are so many doubts, fears, and questions that can creep into your mind and crush your dream even before it begins. We get comfortable being comfortable and to shake things up is a leap of faith we're not all ready (or willing) to take. I'm constantly working with women and friends who hide and get stuck in that "what do I do now" phase. They hide behind spouses, they hide behind their children, they hide behind their clothes… They just hide.
Well, the beauty of being in a space of supportive and encouraging women is that it can be hard to hide behind anything. One moment that I found most moving during this weekend workshop was when a good friend, one who has hidden and been roaming around the “what do I do now” phase for a while, described herself as mostly "just a stay-at-home mom." When she finished listing off all the reasons keeping her in the "what do I do now" phase, her best friend and her daughter jumped to her defense. Her daughter shared that she has never seen "just a stay-at-home mom", but rather she saw a woman who put her family before everything else. A woman who was strong and independent, and who raised her children to be the same. A woman who made sacrifice after sacrifice for the people she loved. To her daughter, she was a superwoman and her role model. Talk about an "aha" moment for my friend!
Often, we women lose ourselves while taking care of everything and everyone else first. We are operating on autopilot and making the impossible happen, like finding the Clorox wipes that were right there in the front of the cabinet yet no one else could find them (it’s a mystery how only we can see these things). We are so busy that we aren’t aware that our children, spouses, friends, or even colleagues notice us. But you know what, we are superwomen! We have a story to tell and lessons to teach, and we can do it stylishly. I would like to thank Tam Luc and the superwomen who came to this At The Style Table event. Thank you for creating positive and happy memories that I will never forget.