Garden City, NY (PRWEB) May 23, 2012
National Association of Professional Women (NAPW) hosted their annual National Networking Conference at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers on Friday, May 18, 2012, bringing together powerful businesswomen from across the country, including CEO’s and CMO’s from some of the world’s leading companies. Over 1,000 members attended and experienced a full day of inspiring speeches, networking sessions, exhibitions and much more. The conference was hosted by NAPW National Spokeswoman Star Jones, an acclaimed lawyer, journalist, television personality and best-selling author, and featured a highly anticipated keynote speech by Sara Blakely, Founder and Owner of Spanx, and the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire. The conference was also supported by generous sponsors including Lenovo, FTD.com, American Airlines, ZICO Water, Pearl Vodka, GEICO and Cleveland Golf.
Star Jones opened the conference to a standing ovation, introducing the ten dynamic panelists who would all join her in speaking to NAPW members throughout the day and within the theme of the conference, “Transitions: Take Control of Your Future.”
“I was thrilled to get the opportunity to host the conference and speak alongside such a vibrant group of women,” comments Star Jones. “NAPW is an amazing organization that offers women an incredible opportunity to make professional connections and advance their careers.”
Matthew Proman, Founder and President of NAPW adds, “We were so fortunate that Star was able to host our event and lead each panel discussion of admired panelists. Her words, along with speeches from women like Sara Blakely and Randi Zuckerberg touched every NAPW member in the room. It was truly a rare opportunity that embodies what our organization is all about.”
Each panelist gave a personal and empowering talk, relaying powerful messages about women in the workplace. NAPW is pleased to share key sound bites from this exclusive, membership-only event, which was free to NAPW members:
Star Jones, National NAPW Spokeswoman:
“Sometimes life throws us curve balls, sometimes it’s evolving just as we planned – either way – the choices are ours and if we are clear in our vision of what we want, what we stand for, and define a path to accomplish it, we can do anything we set our minds to.”
“Believing in myself and what I could bring to the table is what led me to leave the active practice of law and pursue a career in broadcasting. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, network, let your sister know you are revamping your plan and are open to her suggestions. That’s what NAPW is about.”
Sara Blakely, Founder and Owner of Spanx:
“I think failure, [as well as] your attitude and the way that you embrace the fear of failure, is a big part of where you end up in your life. My father used to ask us at the dining room table what we failed at… he used to encourage us to fail. I got the benefit of this different way of thinking, and for me it redefined failure. Failure was no longer for me the outcome, but failure was not trying.”
“On my journey of getting Spanx made it dawned on me very quickly I was talking to [mostly] men. I kept thinking to myself ‘where are the women?’ And then it dawned on me, maybe this is why our pantyhose and our shapers have been so uncomfortable for so long. At Spanx we put our products on women – my mother, my grandmother, and all of my friends. We’re testing it on real women.”
Randi Zuckerberg, Former Head of Marketing at Facebook and Founder/CEO of R to Z Studios:
“I believe in luck, but I also believe that the majority of the time you create your own luck. [Have] your eyes open all the time for opportunity – I think so many people are fixated on fear or doubt. There are great opportunities that are out there for everyone and [everyone] just misses them. Once you get that little inkling that you should change, just do it. I think that people second guess themselves and when you want to make a change you should do it before you change your mind.”
“Facebook was in my DNA – I bled blue Facebook and came to a point in my life where I didn’t know who I [was] other than Facebook. It’s really important right now in my life to do my own thing.”
Denise Incandela, EVP/CMO of Saks Inc:
“I’ve always thought of women and men as completely equal and have been quite controversial because of that. From my point of view whether it’s working at McKinsey or Saks Fifth Avenue I don’t see a glass ceiling. I see it as ‘I can do whatever I choose to do and it’s up to me to make that happen.’”
Rebecca Foy, Client Partner, Facebook Global Marketing Solutions:
“At Facebook we have a list of core values…core to every decision made from Mark Zuckerberg down to anybody across any discipline. One is focus on impact. We are still a relatively small organization and there are 900 million people we are trying to build products for and allow to connect. The other one is move fast and be bold, and I’ve never seen a company move faster. The fact that we’re moving at the speed we are is what has allowed companies across the tech world to be innovative.”
Janet Rollé, CMO of CNN Worldwide:
“I think that the ability to be true to yourself and to live the deepest of your personal values is always a pivotal moment. It’s in those moments that you discover what your values really are because they’ve been put to the test, and that really allows you to move forward.”
“There is a big difference between failing and being a failure…I think that’s something that we often forget.”
Christie Hefner, former CEO of Playboy and Executive Chairwoman of Canyon Ranch Enterprises:
“Don’t depend on finding a mentor. Depend on what you can control, which is building a network. What women sometimes do is have few deep relationships, but I would urge [women] to go wide and deep because [they] will meet different people at different places in [their] lives. The ability to cultivate those relationships was enormously useful to me.”
Kathleen Rice, Nassau County District Attorney:
“This is why NAPW is so important – it [gives] women the advice and the inspiration and the actual practical advancement to help qualify for the jobs that we all want and deserve. Always be prepared, always be ready because we are always going to be held to a higher standard – sorry ladies but that’s the truth! And I believe that organizations like NAPW play such a big role in getting us prepared and getting us ready.”
Judy Smith, Founder and CEO of Smith & Co:
“When you have a problem or crisis it’s hard to tell somebody that [you] made a mistake. Magnify that twenty times where you are President of a country, or you are a Senator or CEO and you have to tell a complete stranger that you screwed up, that’s a hard thing to do.”
Christina Norman, Media Strategist and Editor for the Huffington Post:
“Ask for help, because people will help you if you ask for it. A lot of times you feel like you need to do everything and project this great image of ‘I got it’ and it’s okay to ask for help.”
Liza Huber, Founder of Sage Bears LLC:
“Life is certainly a surprise…I listened to my gut and my instinct, [which] I think is important.”
“There are so many different [occupations] now, and there are so many great opportunities. It’s a gift to jump into something you love.”
Beth Ann Kaminkow, CEO of TracyLocke:
“What is the best version of yourself? We own the best versions of ourselves and that doesn’t mean having to be inauthentic to achieve that. It just means having to think about ‘how do I bring out the best in myself? How do I surround myself with people who bring out the best in me?’ If you can get intentional, deliberate and thoughtful about what that is and let that guide you, it can do remarkable things for you.”
Paige Mackenzie, Professional LPGA Golfer and NAPW Athletic Spokeswoman:
“As my career has evolved I’m able to really position myself and my brand the way that I want to. Its taken time to evaluate who I am as a person. I have to create depth in my own personal brand that shows people I’m more than a professional golfer. I have four pillar adjectives that I consider my brand: professional, approachable, creative and playful. I think in [our] own lives [we] have to create a personal brand that is willing and able to grow as [we] develop new skill sets.”
In a world where digital technology is often the dominant form of communication, NAPW is thrilled to provide a unique opportunity for its members to meet in-person, develop relationships, gain exposure, and ultimately establish and advance their careers. To learn more about NAPW please visit http://www.napw.com.
About National Association of Professional Women (NAPW)
National Association of Professional Women (NAPW) is the most rapidly growing and recognized association for professional women in the United States. It is an exclusive network where almost 400,000 accomplished, professional women come together to interact, exchange ideas, educate and empower. Through the wide reaching network of nearly 300 local NAPW chapters across the country, like-minded members meet in-person on a regular basis to share their professional endeavors, experiences, develop relationships, gain exposure and establish and advance their careers. In addition NAPW members have access to online bulletin boards, message centers, mentorship programs and other resources and services, which help them achieve growth and development.
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