Why you need to attend the 2020 Women's Leadership Conference

By Brenda Busch, attendee of the 2019 Women’s Leadership Conference

Let’s be honest, conferences can be great networking opportunities, but oftentimes they leave you wanting more; more connections with people, more life and fun, just more.

That is not the case with the Women’s Leadership Conference. I knew from the moment I arrived at this conference in 2019 that it was going to be different. I mean what conference do you go to where the organizer of the event greets you at the door and loud music is pumping to get you energized as soon as you arrive.

This conference was brand new in 2019 and I signed up because part of my job in my position at St. Norbert College is to network with other people in the community. I am deeply connected within the Green Bay and De Pere areas, but I saw this as an opportunity to build more connections in the Fox Cities. I had no idea what to expect because it was the first year for the event, and I thought it would be informative but similar to many of the other conferences I had attended - it was not.

Not only was I greeted in an amazing way, but every detail of the event was thought out. From the scented candles on each of our tables, to the goody bags we received, to the amazing stories and experiences the speakers shared, the entire event was built around helping attendees connect.

All the women were there to lift each other up and help each other grow and succeed

The networking opportunities were endless and so much deeper than the typical, “Hi, where do you work and what do you do,” you would expect at a normal networking event. We talked about our lives and what was going on and the beautiful thing was that all the women were there to lift each other up and help each other grow and succeed. It was amazing to meet other people who were going through many of the things I was or who had already gone through those struggles. I left with much deeper connections and I still keep in contact with some of the women I met that first year.

I’m looking forward to attending this year’s conference in-person. I know there is a virtual option and I have no doubt that the organizers have taken every care to make it just as special. I’m excited to get some human interaction and I know the conference will provide a safe environment to do that. The Women’s Leadership Conference is a good experience not just professionally, but personally and mentally as well.

You can’t be the best version of you if your tank is half full.

As a busy, working professional, finding time to take a break for yourself can be difficult, especially in the midst of a pandemic, but if you don’t take time for yourself, everything else suffers. You can’t be the best version of you if your tank is half full. I encourage everyone to find time to attend this event. It will recharge your batteries and leave you feeling better than when you entered. That is the magic of the Women’s Leadership Conference and it is worth investing in you because if you don’t, who will?