Women Supporting Women @ WBENC

I’m at the WBENC conference in Denver Colorado this week.??

If you’re not familiar with WBENC, WBENC is the largest certifier of women-owned businesses in the United States and a leading advocate for women entrepreneurs. If you see the sticker “Woman Owned” on any product, that’s WBENC.? If you go on our website bethechangeHR.com you’ll see both WBENC (woman-owned) and NMSDC (minority-owned) certification logos.

It’s a pretty cool thing to be certified as. ;-)

So if you can imagine there are THOUSANDS of women entrepreneurs here, Fortune 50 corporate partners here to uplift these women-owned businesses and the folks that support them.? There are women of color, women in pride and women who support those women.

W O M E N!

Let’s go girls!?

^that was a Shania nod right there

But this isn’t why I am writing this blog.? It’s not for the conference itself but for this little piece of inspo…

Have you ever walked into a networking event FULL of people you don’t know?? That feeling of having to jump into a slightly (or very uncomfortable depending on how you are in crowds) new environment.? Who will you talk to?? How do you enter a convo? What do you say??

UGH! NOOOOO!

Well…that didn’t happen at my first event here at WBENC.??

I walked into the door and was immediately greeted with open arms as if I were an old friend.? All smiles, hugs, support and love.??

There was one woman in particular who was a PRO at this.? She was warm, and friendly, and when she saw a new person walking up, opened up our circle and waived them in.? So kind and so inclusive.??

Wouldn’t we all want this type of support and treatment as a business owner when you walk into an event?? The answer is, “YES!”

So next time you’re at a networking event and you see a new person walk into the door:

• Wave them over.
• Open up your circle.
• Greet them for the group.
• Make them feel welcomed

It will make a memorable impression on them as it did me -> Jahnavi Brenner, PCC, ELI-MP ?thank you for your inclusion yesterday and that great example of powerful leadership! You’re a gem!!

Buy women-owned, support women in business, and uplift women.? We need more of this in the world we live in right now.??

W O M E N!

-LeiLani

P.S. I can’t wait to see what the rest of this conference holds.??I'm also SUPER stoked to be joined by Genevieve Webster, SPHR and Karen Kalis, SPHR from our be the change HR, Inc. Squad!

And a shout out to the business that got us and kept us certified.? Certify My Company and this years WBENC West All Star, Heather Cox ??? . And I can't leave out Kristen Earnest for all the great work she does too!