I will spend my entire life trying to connect with people, women in particularly, in an effort to better understand myself. I think that’s the beauty of shooting in a bubble. Time suspends. Humanity does not.
The Creative Confessional made its way to Ames, Iowa for the Women Who Create conference, held at Iowa State University’s Pappajohn Center For Entrepreneurship. I was invited by the ever-impressive Diana Wright, who has championed the idea of progressive entrepreneurial ideas as long as I’ve had the pleasure of knowing her. Thank you, Diana.
I sat with 36 women in the eight hours I made the transparent igloo my office, housed inside a conference room in the beautiful building found at the ISU Research Park. With only 15 minute sessions, the connections were brief but fruitful. Themes emerged that I anticipated and themes that I did not. While I never fully share the conversations that take place, I wanted to take a pause to express a few of my takeaways:
There is a unique movement when women gather in the name of progress — be it to progress an idea or to better themselves, their community or the world. In a world of sometimes backwards movement, these women are marching forward in all the right ways.
Success can be a number of things, but it’s nothing without happiness. And there is nothing selfish about being happy.
Family is always number one and women don’t forget where they came from. But it’s sometimes easy to lose sight of where you’re going when family is put first for 18+ years. Fight like hell to find yourself, ladies. You are worth fighting for.
I heard stories of wool socks and ice cream. Work out gear and welders. Vintage sales and small business diversity efforts. While we’re all capable of dreaming, we are all capable of doing. It’s time to stop dreaming and start doing, ladies. Start and don’t stop.
I am grateful for the opportunity to be witness to the power of women, not just during a sanctioned Women Who Create week, but each and every damn day of the year. Thank you to each individual that sat in that chair across from me. I believe in you.
