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Three Cheers for International Women’s Day

Alishya Weiland , , , , , , ,

The Delta Hotel and Conference Center hosted over 150 women on International Women’s Day for a Women Leadership Luncheon.

Meant to bring women leader’s together the afternoon started with an hour of networking. Women lead vendors set up next to a bar offering mimosas for the occasion.

The vendors included Rock Paper Scissors which is a locally owned craft space that provides supplies for metal working, scrapbooking and knitting. They give you the option to attend one of their many workshops or explore the studio yourself to create whatever your heart desires.

The Rock Paper Scissors booth featured samples of work and tools available at the studio (Alishya Weiland/STU).

          The owner of October may designs was also in attendance. Using pressed flowers owner Julianna Hallett creates keepsakes such as jewelry and picture frames.

Hallett brought samples of work to the luncheon that were also available for purchase (Alishya Weiland/STU).

“The most common order I get is for pressing wedding flowers into a frame. It is something not many people think about but once they hear they idea they’re in love with it,” said Hallett.

Pressed flowers are the center of Hallett’s work (Alishya Weiland/STU).

Author Samantha Sutherland set up her booth with books available to be signed. Her book F*ck the Scale is a true story featuring the honest account of Sutherland’s battle with anxiety, depression and an eating disorder. She says she hopes this book makes people talk more openly about the mental health issues women face.

“I decided to write a book so other people could realize exactly what mental illness is because I think we all suffer in different ways. But this gives the raw realities of attempted suicide and everything else,” said Sutherland.

F*ck the Scale features journal entries straight from Sutherland’s diary (Alishya Weiland/STU).

Soon the empty ballroom filled and before introducing the panelists the women were told to cheer for one another– literally.

Employees spent all morning decorating the ballroom for this special occasion (Alishya Weiland/STU).

The people at front of the ballroom were instructed to empower the women at the back of the ballroom with a series of cheers and then roles were reversed.

The purpose of the cheering was to show support for one another and let go of the timidness before lunch (Alishya Weiland/STU).

 

Seating was not assigned causing attendees to mingle and make new friends (Alishya Weiland/STU).

Soon, six panelists took the stage to discuss keeping a work-life balance, how they lead in male-dominated fields and the fight for equal pay.

The speakers included speaker and author Dr. Roxanne Reeves, lawyer Jennifer Donovan, engineer Candace Boone, UNB’s Elder-In-Residence Imelda Perley, realtor Jessie Yerxa and entrepreneur Teri Donald.
The luncheon lasted over an hour with personal stories of self-doubt and self-love being the center of everyone’s attention for the whole afternoon.

Jessie Yerxa described how she prioritizes family time and work: it’s all about the schedule (Alishya Weiland/STU).

“You know what you want, you know why you want it. Go do it. Don’t let doubt creep in. Don’t let people sidetrack you who don’t have your best interests at heart,” said Donovan.