Hi! I am writing to you from my hotel room in Chicago where we just wrapped up our 2nd annual Women on Fire Retreat…and oh, was it wonderful!
You know what I’m talking about if you attended. And, if you didn’t, did you follow Woman on Fire Melissa McClain‘s social media reports on Facebook and Twitter? Even if you couldn’t be there in person, we still wanted you to be with us and receive nuggets of inspiration!
Here we all are in Chicago so very happy, happy, happy and inspired!
The two days were packed with inspiration, strategies and support. And, in the coming weeks I’ll share some of the provocative thoughts and ideas from the Retreat. Keynote speakers Stedman Graham and Janette Barber really wowed us all with their powerful messages.
“When I think of Women on Fire, I think of owners!” ~ Stedman Graham
Also during the Retreat, moderators — Janette Barber, Carolyn Ellis and Regina Weichert — brought out some incredibly inspiring stories from expert panelists who spoke on three subjects: finding your passion, making it through a transition, and taking great care of yourself.
As a special treat, my long-time friend and supporter Stedman Graham joined us for a private breakfast with 12 of the co-authors of Women on Fire: 20 Inspiring Women Share Their Secrets (and Save You Years of Struggle!) and several guests.
I am so proud of the success of our book about women’s stories of their struggles through to their triumphs. Pictured above are the co-authors at breakfast on Friday with Stedman.
Front row: Vicki Irvin, Regina Weichert, me, Stedman, Shannon McCaffery, Janette Barber. Back row: Andrea Dowding, Holly Getty, Lori Phillips-Gagnon, Laurie Forster, Kacy Cook, Ginny Barney, M.E. Jones. (Photos by Heather Stone Media)
OK, time to pack and head home tomorrow to Naples. I’ll return next week with a more complete Spark!
In the meantime, I hope to get to see you soon at a Women on Fire tea party. I’ll be hosting the next one in Boston on May 21 and in New York City on June 4. Then, I’ll travel to Columbus, Ohio for the tea party there on June 9 hosted by Andrea Dowding and Jerry Browning. Will I get to see you? Tea parties are a wonderful way to give yourself a great pick-me-up and to connect with other fabulous women.
And, finally…
To start your week, here is a little inspiration for you from Stedman: “Do not live out of your history; live out of your imagination.”
