This week, I had the honor to speak at the Boston Girls In Tech event “How to Rise Above the Noise & Attract Investors and Partners.” Here’s why it was epic.
First off, I had the pleasure of speaking on a panel with some pretty amazing women. The fashionable and fabulous Christine Perkett, founder of PerkettPR and great friend, along with Bettina Hein, successful entrepreneur and founder of Pixability and Bobbie Carlton, co-founder of Innovation Nights and founder of Carlton PR & Marketing. It was so fun to share my stories with the crowd and to learn from these other amazing women.
The word of the night was…epic and was kicked off by the inspirational and just damn-cool Shelli Johnson, who was the keynote speaker all the way from the wide open spaces of Wyoming. Shelli is a life coach and founder of Yellowstone Journal/Yellowstone International and NationalParkTrips.com, and is a serial entrepreneur. She uses the word epic. A lot. When you meet Shelli, you can’t help but kind of be mesmerized by her warm smile and inviting personality. It felt almost as if we had known each other for years as we talked about everything from guys to cowboy boots to hikes and her passion for life. Her talk was pure inspiration. She shared her life with all of us through a variety of pictures – like her RV mobile office, her hikes through the peaks and valleys of the West and the many wonderful people she’s come to know and love along the way. She shared her inspiration for staying positive and motivated – even in the toughest of times. A few quotes from Shelli really resonated with me:
“Movement isn’t progress if you’re going in the wrong direction.” Amen.
“Sometimes you need to pause and acknowledge your successes and your failures before you move on.” Great advice.
“We are more than our skills. You have one life. Make it epic.” Rock on.
As I listened to about 20 entrepreneurs then come up to the front of the room and pitch their start-up ideas in 60 seconds or less, I thought about how lucky I am to be part of the Boston start-up scene. A night with successful female entrepreneurs sharing their stories to inspire others to greatness. Super-talented people who came to hear our stories and share their ideas and learn new ones. An opportunity to network and meet people who I can help or who can maybe help me. Thanks, Girls In Tech, for the opportunity and to Marsh Sutherland for including me. I try to live my life each day according to carpe diem – seizing the moment. I am now going to take some of Shelli’s inspiration and be epic. Care to join me?