Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to attend BC’s Own It, a summit based upon encouraging women, especially undergraduates, to take the professional world by storm and to proudly work towards their goals and dreams.
The day began with keynote speaker Sophia Amoruso, founder of Nasty Gal and author of #GIRLBOSS. She shared with the audience that she didn’t have a college education, yet was inspired by a love of vintage clothing, leading her to establish the brand. Kindly, she answered the audience’s questions, discussing her ever-growing company, her belief in both men and women supporting women in their endeavors, and about the word success. She perfectly set the tone for the summit, leaving the attendees eager for the remainder of the day.
After Sophia’s presentation, I was able to listen in on the conversation between Andrea Lisher, the Head of North America, Global Funds for J.P. Morgan Asset Management and a BC graduate, and Mia Hall, a speaker, writer, and Sports and Career Strategist. Prompted by different questions, these two women discussed important topics like failure, work-life balance, and classes that they took in college that led them to their current professions. One of the best points that the women brought up dealt with the word perfection. Andrea spoke as to why she dislikes the word and the phrase “practice makes perfect,” and instead embraces failure, which was so thought provoking, especially in a world where we are all so focused upon becoming successful and avoiding failure.
Later on in the afternoon, I attended Elizabeth Piper’s workshop, which focused upon resilience. Elizabeth is a life coach and the founder of the Prettygirl Revolution, an incredible organization that promotes confidence and self-love for young women. She talked about her past, especially about her mother, whom she lost unexpectedly, and the difficulty she had in moving forward. Towards the end of the session, Elizabeth gave us a worksheet on fear, encouraging us to write down what we feared and what our lives would be like without that fear in it. It was amazing to hear about her philosophy, as well as to apply those ideas to our own lives.
Finally, I sat in on a conversation between Susan Bissell, UNICEF’s Director of Global Partnership-Ending Violence Against Children, and Sandra M. Moore, President of Urban Strategies. Immediately, the conversation between these women clicked, and they spent the next hour talking with one another and with us, sharing not only their backgrounds, but also about greater themes such as compassion and consideration for others.
At the end of the day, the Women’s Summit was an incredible experience, and I was so thankful to have been a part of it!
Photo Sources:
http://bcgavel.com/2016/04/11/the-original-girlboss-leads-the-way-at-own…
http://static2.refinery29.com/bin/entry/135/x,80/1160011/girl-boss.jpg
http://theprettygirlrevolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/prettygirl…