The South Bay Women’s Conference sponsored by the South Bay Business Women’s Association was held on Friday May 9th in Torrance CA with the theme Live, Laugh, Learn. All proceeds raised from the event will be used for scholarships for women attending college majoring in business. Women’s Business Coach Joy Chudacoff was the MC and did a great job. Caterina Rando was the first keynote and talked about speaking to make a difference in our communities and the world. She is always so inspiring and full of energy. Next was Lulu Powers who talked about her experiences as a personal chef and how her business began in LA. She had literally just moved to Los Angeles when she was called for an interview with Vogue magazine and the interviewer requested that she take him to her favorite eateries in the area. She didn’t know of any great places in the area and decided to take him to Thrifty for “the best ice cream in LA” and a local cheese shop. When the shop owner heard Vogue was doing a story, caviar, wine, cheese and more was served and her career took off after the story was published. There was then a discussion on the topic of women working in a predominantly male field with panelists in the fields of construction, finance and sports reporting. The final keynote speaker was Marianne Williamson who spoke about making a difference in our communities and the world in areas such as feeding the hungry and making education more affordable.
There were also breakout sessions before and after lunch on various topics such as discovering your gifts, branding yourself and business, writing a book, and more. There was so much great information to be shared, but the time limit only allowed an overview. But in the sessions I attended, there was enough given to finish the learning on our own (or the option to attend a longer workshop was offered). There was also some time to say hello to many of the business associates I’ve come to know over the years. I enjoyed the chance to catch up, say hello, and talk about what is going on in our businesses. I can’t wait for next year.
The South Bay Business Women’s Association meets the first Wednesday of each month at the Depot Restaurant in Torrance. To learn more about this organization, visit http://sbbwa.com/. Perhaps I’ll see you at an upcoming meeting!
