Simmons Leadership Conference Recap
The 36th annual Simmons Leadership Conference, the “the premier women’s leadership conference in the world”, was held Thursday, April 2, at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston, Massachusetts.
A beautiful day in Boston for Simmons Leadership Conference! #SLC15 pic.twitter.com/XtWZzzG6fp
In just one day, this women’s professional development event featured 15 nationally-recognized female leaders who all shared candid stories about the challenges and successes they’ve experienced with the more than 3,000 female professionals in attendance. Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton inspired this year’s theme, “Dare to Compete,” when she offered this charge during her closing remarks at last year’s conference.
Representing @CityYear at Simmons Leadership Conference #SLC15 @SimmonsLeads @nfl #dawnhudson #ChristyHaubegger pic.twitter.com/YXoKqV9aLR
Simmons College’s sponsorship of this conference continues its tradition of encouraging innovation and initiative in order to positively impact lives. We hope that the following nuggets of wisdom we’ve compiled from the hashtag #SLC15 will inspire and motivate you as an emerging leader in social work.
Opening Keynote: Dawn Hudson, Chief Marketing Officer of the NFL
Changing the Culture of America’s Favorite Sport
A master of strategic brand development, Hudson has become one of the country’s leading marketers. As the previous president and CEO of PepsiCo she’d already established a relationship with the NFL and was an easy choice to take on the role as CMO of the League. Hudson shared how she’s working to address the issue of domestic violence and accommodate the growing female fanbase in order to rebuild the brand’s image.
“Be open to new opportunities and don’t fear challenges.” – Dawn Hudson @nfl #slc15 #womensleadership
Don’t burn bridges, you never know who is going to call you with your next opportunity.
“Right or wrong we’ve become a part of this conversation,” Dawn Hudson on the @nfl involvement in #domesticviolence #SLC2015
Cracking the Confidence Code — What Women Need to Know
Claire Shipman, Journalist and Bestselling Author
A Washington insider and regular contributor to Good Morning America, award-winning journalist Claire Shipman has covered politics and international affairs for more than 20 years. She tackled the topic of discrepancy between male and female advancement in the workplace and how women can overcome instinctual behaviors in order for them to lead more powerful, confident lives.
“Authenticity is a critical component of confidence” – @ClaireShipman #SLC15 pic.twitter.com/Ev2TG1feDH
We need to start seeing confidence as a skill.
@SimmonsMSW: “Confidence can be quiet. Confidence can be listening. We can’t put on someone else’s armor” @ClaireShipman #SLC15
The Five-Second Rule: Achieve Breakthrough Performance in Life and Work
Mel Robbins, Founder of inspire52.com
Starting out as a public defender in New York City, Mel Robbins moved to Washington, D.C., and served in management roles at several successful technology startups. She launched her own executive coaching firm and regularly appears on CNN and FOX News as a commentator and legal analyst. She is an award-winning syndicated talk radio host, the founder of Inspire52.com, and author of the best-seller Stop Saying You’re Fine. Robbins explained how life in the 21st century actually inhibits our abilities. She shared an entirely different outlook on what we are capable of achieving.
“Do or do not. There is no try.” Yoda via @melrobbins at #SLC15 #DaretoCompete pic.twitter.com/xybBiikQO7
Confidence is all about the action you take.
The other fear: fear of missing out. It’s a powerful tool to move forward. @melrobbins #SLC15 #askmel
Change nothing. Nothing changes.
Morning Keynote: Christy Haubegger, Founder of Latina magazine
Envisioning is the First Step to Becoming
Founder and former CEO of Latina magazine, Christy Haubegger created the business plan for the successful magazine before graduating from law school. Now, she’s an agent at the Creative Artists Agency and applied her media and marketing expertise to film as the associate producer of Chasing Papi and executive producer of Spanglish. Haubegger reviewed her successes and failures, reminding women of all backgrounds that the sky’s the limit.
We can’t be what we can’t imagine.
“Hold the door open for other women.” Christy Haubegger #SLC15
Don’t pull the ladder up when you get to the top. Now your job is to reach down and pull others up!
Afternoon Keynote: Arianna Huffington, Chair, President, and Editor-in-Chief of the Huffington Post Media Group
Redefining Success: The Third Metric that Benefits the Bottom Line
In 2005, Arianna Huffington co-founded the Pulitzer Prize-winning news and blog site The Huffington Post. She’s since been named one of Time magazine’s world’s 100 most influential people and has been on Forbes’ list of the world’s 100 most powerful women. Huffington’s latest book, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder, debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list last year. She offered a new perspective on success that is based on focusing on our own well-being and balancing both our careers and personal lives. Her advice was that “leaning back” will make us wiser and better able to lead the lives we want.
On my way to @SimmonsLeads #SLC15 where I’m discussing the third women’s revolution and making our lives & work more sustainable
We need a third women’s revolution: where we change the world.
@ariannahuff “There is no trade off between taking care of ourselves and what we do” #SLC15 #thrivetribe pic.twitter.com/fNZuKpsD4C
Life is shaped from the inside out. Go live your life with creativity, joy, sleep…Go!
The truth is that creativity comes from the intuition & wisdom within us @ariannahuff #SLC15 pic.twitter.com/vzMJuFfKYQ
Woman Warrior: You’re Built to Compete … You Just Didn’t Know It
Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, FACP
Dr. Pamela Peeke is a health and fitness guru, a lifestyle expert for WebMD, and is chief medical correspondent for Discovery Health TV. She’s the founder and CEO of the Peeke Performance Center for Healthy Living and has written several best-selling books about the science behind food and addiction. Peeke explained how women are innate competitors and are extraordinarily skilled at focusing on goals and creating solutions. She also revealed how to maximize those physical and mental capabilities.
“Don’t fake it ’til you make it, fake it ’til you become it” – @PamPeekeMD #SLC15 pic.twitter.com/Mgt7xbjZqe
Dont cheat the mind. Don’t cheat the body. You can do it!
We’ve come a long way as warrior women! Great footage @PamPeekeMD #wonderwoman #SLC15 pic.twitter.com/rzX9XH2sKU
You are a packaged deal. Mind and body… it’s a yin and yang thing.
Winning with Women — Straight Talk About Where We Are Today
Panelists: Cathy Graham, Chief Financial Officer, 2U Inc.; Erin McSweeney, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, EMC; Shari Slate, Chief Inclusion & Collaboration Officer, Cisco
These strategic experts representing some of the nation’s top companies discussed how they are paving the way for women in their organizations and examined the initiatives necessary for success. Topics included creating leadership strategies, how to measure achievements, and working with male leaders and sponsors. President of YWomen Jeffrey Tobias Halter moderated the panel.
“We need to know, what it means to be good. How do we know what success looks like? Erin McSweeny #SLC15 @EMCcorp pic.twitter.com/roeXMtu0t8
“White women & Women of Color are having very different experiences in the workplace, & it’s not talked about enough.”-Jeffery Halter #SLC15
“Diversity is a business imperative” – Erin McSweeney
Closing Keynote: Sally Field, Award-winning Actress, Activist
A Conversation with Sally Field
In addition to being a winner of multiple Academy, Golden Globe, and Emmy Awards for best actress, Sally Field has also had success behind the scenes as a writer, director, and producer for film and television. Having served on the board for Vital Voices Global Partnership for several years, Field is a longstanding women’s rights activist and recently received the Human Rights Campaign’s Ally for Equality Award for her advocacy for gay rights. She discussed with Emmy Award-winning journalist and Simmons alumna, Joyce Kulhawik, her work helping to identify and nurture women leaders in developing nations and reflected on 50 years experience in the entertainment industry. Moderated by Emmy Award-winning journalist and Simmons alumna, Joyce Kulhawik.
“Deep down in side. When push comes to shove. I knew I had to fight for it” – Sally Field for role in Lincoln #SLC15 pic.twitter.com/yNyQdRbFrG
If you’re not reaching for something you are dying.
“If you’re not reaching for something, you’re dying” – Sally Field #SLC15
“It’s the challenge within yourself to reinvent who you are.” -Sally Field #SLC15 pic.twitter.com/DQ2Ui8IVCd
Don’t just be good at something. Be excellent at something.