A couple of months ago a good friend and colleague invited me to be a “brand ambassador” for an upcoming women’s leadership conference. We are both members of Atlanta Social Media Women (ASMW), a group whose members are comprised of very seasoned and successful women in the top of the social media and marketing fields. Toby Bloomberg (@TobyDiva) is the president of Bloomberg Marketing, founder of Diva Foodies, and fearless leader of ASMW.   They “allow” me in because I do social media law and every once in a while (although more frequently now) a legal concern comes up in the group’s discussions. Before I sad yes, Toby had to explain what a “brand ambassador” was and what I was supposed to do as one. Simply put it was to tweet and post on my social media accounts about the conference and its speakers before and during the event. Of course we were to disclose that our tweets and posts were sponsored because we received complimentary admission to the event in exchange for our brand ambassadorship. I used the “SPONSORED” and “SPNSRD” for my disclaimers. There were seven of us in total (http://www.windenterprises.com/2016-conference-dare-to-win/social-media-ambassadors/).

The conference was held as a half-day event on May 10, 2016 with “two wonderful keynotes, interactive C-suite panelists, exciting networking opportunities and informative exhibits” (excerpted from their program). You can look back at the tweets and social media postings by searching out #PossibleWoman (http://www.windenterprises.com/2016-conference-dare-to-win/). I wasn’t sure what to expect but ended up enjoying the conference on different levels – one getting to meet new exceptional women, getting to better know amazing women that I already knew, and learning a few golden tidbits to help my own path to success. One of the messages emphasized is the need for us, as successful leaders to share what we learn with others so below I have listed a few of the things that I made me reflect, rang true, or were surprising.

“Keys for success: confidence and competence.” Hala Moddelmog, President, MAC

“Phrasing the problem to solve changes the perspective: curing breast cancer vs. decreasing the mortality of breast cancer.” Hala Moddelmog

“You must be intentional.” Hala Moddelmog

“Stand by your beliefs. Keep an open mind but it is OK to walk a different path.” Tracy Garner, AT&T

“Diversity needs to change from how we look around the table to getting the best of each of us.” Patricia Falotico, Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership

“Who you are as a leader is different depending on who needs you at a particular time.” Tracy Garner

“Be selfish with your time. Outsource what you don’t bring value to (Like cleaning the house).” Lee Pressley, IBM

“There is no work-life balance – it is about life choices – integration of the two.” Paraphrased from various speakers.

“We have an obligation to be great.” Celeste Johnson, Transformation Coach

“Who’s watching you? Who are you inspiring?” Celeste Johnson

Affirmation by Celeste:

“I’m open to possibilities;  I’m committed to action; I dare to succeed.”

“Success does have a cost: time, money, attention.” Celeste Johnson

DARE by Celeste Johnson:

D = Discipline yourself

A = Act with clarity and focus

R = Raise the bar on endurance, excellence and expectations

E = Engage with people, purpose and passion

Did you attend? What tidbits would you share? If you did not attend what leadership lessons would you share with others?