Self Defined Living, Making Dreams Come True
In 2016 I attended the MA Conference for Women for the first time and heard Sara Blakely, the creator and founder of Spanx speak. She lit a fire in me that I did not know existed. As I exited the room, I made a pact with myself : I would no longer sit back and let life unfold in-front of me, I would play the leading role in creating the life that I wanted. Listening to her story gave me the confidence and courage to take big and bold actions that were deeply aligned with my values. Ever since that day I have wanted to create a similar experience for other women and in 2024 it’s happening. On International Women’s Day I will be co-hosting Self Defined Living | How to Step into Your Power, a full day women’s retreat.
Last year I had the honor be being a speaker at the HER Conference in Hampton, NH. I’ve been to the event two years in a row and each year I have felt deeply connected to the community and inspired by all of the brilliant women within it. I had the incredible fortune of meeting both Amy LaBelle and Dr. Robin Buckley at this event. Both of them inspired me to take the action I had been wanting to for years and host my own retreat (with their help of course). Thankfully, Amy agreed to be my co-host and offered up her gorgeous event space. While Dr. Buckley agreed to keynote. I pinch myself, because this is truly an 8 year in the making, dream come true.
Creating an event like this from the ground up is hard. There are so many little details and logistics that go into making it happen. One very important piece to both Amy and myself, is properly compensating everyone involved. It’s very common for women to volunteer their time, energy and wisdom at no cost. We did not want that to be the case at our event. We know how valuable a woman’s time is and we want to compensate her for it and fairly. This means our ticket prices need to reflect this. We understand $199 per person to attend our event might feel high and we understand that. This is why we want to help you by advocating that your employer cover the cost in one of two ways:
We’ve created a customizable template you can use to advocate for reimbursement for the ticket cost.
We want to encourage you to share sponsorship details with your HR team to see if they’d be willing to sponsor a group of your employees to go, while also receiving recognition from us before, during and after the event.
To help you with both, there are resources below:
Email Subject: Request for Reimbursement for Women's Retreat on International Women's Day
Dear [Employer's Name],
I am writing to request reimbursement for a ticket to attend the "Self-Defined Living: How to Step Into Your Power" women's retreat on International Women's Day, March 8, 2024, at LaBelle Winery in Amherst, NH. I believe that participating in this event will not only be personally enriching but will also contribute to my professional growth, making me a stronger and more committed member of our team.
The retreat promises to be a transformative experience. By investing in my attendance, you are investing in my holistic development as an individual and as an employee. The skills and insights gained from this event will undoubtedly contribute to my ability to navigate challenges, make sound decisions, and foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment.
Moreover, the opportunity to celebrate the strength, resilience, and potential of women from all walks of life will inspire a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to our shared goals.
I understand the importance of responsible use of company resources and assure you that I will make the most of this opportunity. I have attached the details of the conference for your reference. The total cost of the ticket is $199 and I kindly request that the company consider reimbursing this amount.
I look forward to discussing more in person and to your favorable response.
Sincerely,
(Your name)
My new dream is fill the room with as many women as possible so that there can be as many fires lit and new dreams born as possible. See you all there on March 8th!
