Special Guest Blog
By Diane McIlree, Long Island Chapter Chair
The Columbus Chapter of the WPO celebrates the first night of the conference at Eddie Deen’s Ranch
800 women business owners gathered at The Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, Texas for the annual conference of the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO), a non-profit membership organization for entrepreneurial women presidents with businesses that generate at least $2 million in gross annual revenue (or $1M for service-based businesses).
Marsha Firestone, Ph.D., President and Founder, kicked off the meeting by welcoming WPO members from 110 chapters and five continents and punctuated the theme of the conference, Fueling Economic Growth – Taking your Business to the Next Level. Setting the stage for three-day event, Firestone noted that 30% of U.S. businesses are women owned. She also shared that of the 1,600 WPO members, 25% comprise businesses generating $10 million or more in gross annual revenue; 25% have 50 or more employees; and 56% report that their businesses have grown since joining WPO.
The WPO conference, which was sponsored by a host of both corporate and member sponsors, featured four keynote speakers, including Lynda Applegate, Sarofim-Rock Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School; Barbara Barrett, President & CEO, Triple Creek Ranch; Marshall Goldsmith, Author and Leadership Thinker; and Dr. Johnetta Betsch Cole, Director, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art.
Lynda Applegate, the first of the keynotes, was introduced by Denise Evans, Vice President, Market Development, IBM Corporation on Wednesday, May 1. Applegate spoke about the characteristics of high growth companies and shared ideas for creating game-changing businesses through a combination of analytical thinking, gut instinct and a passion for tweaking and triangulating your business model.
The following day, Moira Forbes, President & Publisher, ForbesWoman, interviewed the next keynote speaker, Barbara Barrett. Barrett, who is President & CEO of Triple Creek Guest Ranch—and has also been U.S. Ambassador to Finland, Deputy Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, Interim President of Thunderbird School of Global Management, CEO of the American Management Association, President of the International Women’s Forum and the first woman to land an F18 fighter jet on an aircraft carrier—delivered a clear message to conference attendees: take calculated risks, turn mistakes into learning opportunities and surround yourself with a strong team.
Marshall Goldsmith spoke next. Recognized as the #1 leadership thinker by Harvard Business Review, Goldsmith reported that extensive studies reveal a high correlation between satisfaction scores at home and at work. He encouraged the audience to focus on finding meaning, being fully engaged, building positive relationships – and most importantly – setting clear goals.
Marsha Firestone, Ph.D., WPO President & Founder, poses with the Wildcat Wranglers
Excitement mounted as the conference moved closer to the awards night ceremony. Sponsored by American Express OPEN, the 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies in North America awards recognized 50 of the top women in business. The audience was jubilant on behalf of the winners and the celebration continued well into the evening. (Click here for a full list of the 2013 winners).
The final keynote, Dr. Johnetta Betsch Cole, Director, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, spoke during the industry breakfast. A fiercely animated speaker, Dr. Cole stressed the business case for diversity, and the importance of mentorship.
Of course, the conference would not have been complete without the Diamonds and Denim Event at Eddie Deen’s Ranch—complete with live entertainment by the Wildcat Wranglers! Mechanical bull riding, delicious ribs ‘n fixins’ and lots of networking made for a fun night, and it was the perfect touch for a memorable 2013 conference!
Diane McIlree is the Managing Director of Advisory on Call, a leading provider of coaching, training and writing services. McIlree is a business leader with significant experience working with early-stage through multi-billion dollar enterprises. McIlree formed her company with the express purpose of helping business owners and executives enhance their leadership and grow both professionally and personally. Diane’s record of accomplishment in leading people, developing winning strategies and growing both privately held and public sector companies has earned her a reputation for being a sought after trusted advisor. She is Chapter Chair of the Long Island chapter of the WPO. Connect with Diane at advisoryoncall.com.
