When I was first approached by Coni Myers about the WomanUP!® event, I wasn’t sure it was a good fit for several reasons:
1) The biggest reason being that I’m from outside the industry. I’m not a Realtor. I’ve never been in real estate. About as close as I’ve gotten to it is going through the process of buying and selling several homes and condos (domestically and internationally), and being involved in several corporate buildouts way back in a “previous life”.
2) I grew up a tomboy. I moved a lot as a kid (that’s a whole story unto itself). Because of all the moves and that whole fitting in thing, I was always “one of the guys”. I’ve never been a “girly girl”. It’s only been in the last decade or so that I’ve really developed any real female friends. (Yes…I’m counting all of these as one point.)
3) I believe in the strength and beauty of the masculine and feminine energies. I believe one isn’t better than the other. I believe both are needed, and they need to work together to resolve some seriously big issues.
There were more reasons, but I’ll stop with those three…
So, this idea of a whole event for women? Not just women, but 500+ women all coming together and it being a “thing” I could get behind? I was somewhat skeptical.
Then she introduced me to Debra Trappen via a Zoom call. What a breath of fresh air! The more I learned about Debra and WomanUP!®’s mission and vision, the more I believed in it and wanted to be a part of it.
Once at the live event, I was not disappointed!
It was wonderful meeting the women as they came in – smiles, laughter, welcoming, excitement. A few who, like me, had never attended and didn’t know what to expect, but who came with an open heart and a willingness to lean into the experience. (Plus, having fabulous wine from Dry Farm Wines to give away made everyone smile even more!)
To have the opportunity to share the stage with so many powerful and vulnerable souls, it was truly my honor.
The speakers, the stories, the lessons, the venue, the views, the food, the music, the emcees, our fellow sponsors, the women attendees (and the few brave men!), and of course, Debra, Sara, Leslie, and the whole WomanUP!® and C.A.R. support team… What a beautiful mixture to further the WomanUP!® movement of identifying, developing, and connecting women for leadership roles in the real estate industry.
Out of all of this, my biggest takeaway was the beauty in women coming together for a common cause and openly supporting each other…all while believing in the strength of the masculine/feminine combination and the power in having open and sometimes difficult conversations of what it all looks and feels like as we go through it.
So, who are you? Me? I am WomanUP!® and we are better together!
Angela W. Stillwell is a business advisor, coach, speaker, and founder of Untapped Strengths, where she helps businesses, organizations, and professionals create deeper connections with their audiences that impact their bottom lines and overall success. She is the creator of Vulnerability Warrior, and The Abundant Warrior Tribe - for those seeking ways to achieve higher levels of personal success. She is a workshop leader, keynote speaker, and has been a guest on several podcasts and online summits. She lives in Georgia with her Great Dane and Arabian horse, and can frequently be found on the tennis court, trying new foods, or traveling.