“Excuse me, you don’t know me, but I wanted to thank you for saving my job.” I was looking through paint chips at Home Depot when another female customer tapped me on my shoulder.
It turns out Dee had relocated from Chicago for a high-level finance job here in Salt Lake City two years ago. I further learned that while she loved her job and the transfer was crucial to her career, she was personally miserable. Working 60-70 hours per week left her little time or bandwidth to get out and socialize. And let’s face it, Utah is not the single social capital of the world. She was lonely and unhappy - which was translating into her planning to quit her dream job and move home to Chicago.
Then she came to an Illuminate Summit. She spent 9 hours rotating through different discussion groups connecting and conversing in a group of 8-10 professional women in each group. Discussions that day ranged from “Why Women Are Designed to Lead,” “How To Live With Authenticity,” and “How Women Define Power.” The day also included a powerful keynote speech and time to comfortably network with other attendees.
“I left the event in tears and SO engaged,” she says. “I had met the kind of women that I had been missing, I could be both a Mentor and a Mentee, and most importantly, I had solid female business connections that I could now call on for advice and assistance.”
She further explained that in the 4 months since attending the Illuminate event, she has formed a circle of 2 or 3 close friends who meet regularly off-line.
“I can’t even explain to you what that day meant to me. It changed my entire outlook about wanting to be a part of the Utah business community. ….Gotta run – ‘bye now!”
This entire exchange lasted about 3 minutes. Her exuberance was overwhelming, her gratitude palpable.
‘Who was that?” my companion asked.
“I’m not entirely certain but I can tell you for sure that Illuminate is working!” I said.
Illuminate is the fastest-growing, most comprehensive networking and training organization for working women in Utah.
“Illuminate provides our business community with a powerful networking of women leaders and a unique collaborative structure to empower and foster emerging female talent to succeed.”
Tricia Schumann, CEO Beach Healthcare
“This event blew me away and far exceeded my expectations. I left encouraged, insightful, and recommitted to my personal success. The breakout groups allowed for engaging discussions that I've never got to have at other conferences. This is the most powerful networking I have ever done.”
Megan Fortenberry / VP Kimberly Clark Corporation
Illuminate is a proud Sponsor at Silicon Slopes Tech Summit 2018. Come and see us at our booth for more information or visit: www.illuminatewomenleaders.com or on Facebook at: Illuminatewomenleaders
Come and Illuminate with us and tap into our network and help accelerate your own professional goals!