2015 Women in Business Conference {Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce}

The Ritchie family (and myself) are huge fans of the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce. Patrick, Ali, Paige and Danielle have been a huge part of our grand opening and our success so far! Needless to say, when we get the opportunity to “study” with them, we jump at it! They hosted their annual Women in Business  Conference & Appreciation Event last Friday. I attended the conference portion and was truly inspired by Denise Ryan, their keynote speaker, and the Women in Business panel that followed.

Denise Ryan is a “motivational pyromaniac with infectious energy and enthusiasm that will set a room ablaze” according to her bio provided by the Chamber. Boy, were they right?! Her advice on being a powerful woman and paying attention to body language and how we present ourselves was something every female in today’s world should hear! INCREDIBLE! My favorite quote of her session: “Carry yourself like a leader and you’ll be treated like a leader!”

Then the Women in Business panel discussion lead by Cyndie Mynatt, President of Ben Mynatt Family of Dealerships began. The panelists consisted of Diane Honeycutt of Allen Tate Realtors and Cabarrus County Commissioner, Patricia Horton – Regional President of Uwharrie Bank, Veleria Levy – Senior Account Executive for MedExpress/AVITA Drugs, and Dianne Synder, DHA – Chancellor of Cabarrus College of Health Sciences. Wow, what a group of powerful women!

Here are my favorite quotes from their discussion.

Fear of Public Speaking:  “If you don’t speak, someone else will. You need to be heard.” –Pat Horton

Hiring & Networking with Women: “Know your worth.” –Veleria Levy

Memorable Failures: “The time I failed was when I didn’t trust my gut feeling.” –Pat Horton

Dressing for Power:  “You only get one time for a first impression!” –Diane Honeycutt

Work/Life Balance: “Women want to be all things to all people. You just can’t. Prioritizing is huge but hard.” –Pat Horton

Your one “do-over:” “I put things on hold or missed time with my children. You can’t do that over. Family comes first.” –Dianne Snyder

If you ever get the opportunity to be mentored by any of these ladies, jump at the opportunity!

After the panel discussion and a delicious lunch catered by Doughgirls Catering, there was an exhibitor show, where Ritchie Hill served cheese straws and collected names for one lucky lady to win a business luncheon at Ritchie Hill, catered with boxed lunches by Queen City Catering!

We’re happy to announce that Timbs Fulghum of Carolinas Medical Center NorthEast won the luncheon. Congrats Timbs! And thank you to the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce for allowing us to be a part of their annual Women in Business Conference. As you call tell, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Also, a quick thank you to Chelish Moore Flowers for providing our beautiful tablecloth; Ritchie Hill Bakery for the yummy cheese straws and Irresistible Portraits for the gorgeous print from our Grand Opening.

XOXO

Jessica

50 Shades of Overwhelmed

You’re engaged! (Congrats!) You thought attending the area bridal shows would be the perfect solution to help kick start your wedding planning. You and your groom (or if your groom was lucky enough to get a pass, then your maid of honor…) geared up to hit the big show in our area and you set out to find the PERFECT wedding vendors.

You attended the show with almost 200 vendors, where I’m assuming you had a blast! You tasted caterers’ food, bakers’ cakes, watched a runway show with fabulous dresses, and got some great design ideas. You arrived home with a 10 pound (cute) bag from the show, stuffed with business cards, handouts and goodies. You sat on the floor, dumped the bag.., and the anxiety set in. You pulled out the goodies, including our Ritchie Hill koozie with delicious Ritchie Hill Bakery cheese straws (wink), and then realize there is a massive amount of information lying on your floor.

What do you do now? How are you going to organize all this info? Should you end the anxiety by just throwing it all away? No. There is hope. Below are just a few tips to help you organize your bridal show material… 

1 – Get sticky notes, a pen and a trash can.

2 – Write a sticky note for each category of vendors: photographers, cakes, caterer, DJ, venue, dress, etc.

3 – Sift through the pile and stack them according to the categories.

4 – If you’ve already decided on a vendor for any of the categories, throw that pile away.

5 – Go through a pile, one category at a time and mark any card of vendors you remember talking to. (If you recall a conversation, amongst the hundreds you probably had, then you may have “clicked” with that vendor, which is a huge part of the planning process.)

6 – Check out the websites of each card in that pile and their reviews on WeddingWire. Only keep 1-3 of your favorites. This will give you options in case one is already booked on your date. Throw away the rest.

 Now that you have smaller piles, you can start your planning! I hope this helps.

 Happy (less stressful) planning!

Jessica