WICT Leadership Conference

On March 5-6, I had the opportunity to attend the WICT Leadership Conference in NYC.  This year’s theme was “Leadership Excellence in Changing Times.”  Since I have about 20 pages of notes, I’m just going to discuss some of the highlights!

Wednesday morning started out with a brief opening from Benita Fitzgerald Mosley and then a mesmerizing keynote by Dr. Maya Angelou!  She read poetry and told stories of her life experiences.  One of her main messages to us was that teaching others is very important because it can help influence generations (leadership and legacy). 

 The rest of the day was filled with breakout sessions and more keynote addresses.  We covered topics such as retaining valuable employees, career planning, surviving change and following your passions.  That afternoon, I also had the opportunity to attend a technology session that broke down some of the confusing acronyms and filled us in on what is new in our ever-changing industry.  Another highlight of the day was the Mentoring Lunch, where there was one cable exec at each table.  I had lunch with Brooke Johnson, President of the Food Network.  She shared her personal story of how she got to her current position.  Additionally, we all had the opportunity to ask questions and share our stories.  Since this was such a large conference, it was really nice to have that level of personal interaction with other attendees.

Thursday consisted of three general sessions - ”Communication Across Generations”, “A State of the Industry” and “Guys Do it All the Time”.   The session on Generations was very interesting.   The panel discussed realities and perceptions about the different generations in the workplace.  Knowing this sort of information can help with appropriate communication.  The State of the Industry panel was also very informative.  We learned what Wall Street values from our companies and how the economic slowdown and digital transition may affect us.  The final general session, titled ”Guys Do it All the Time” was about negotiation skills for women.  Personally, I’ve read books and attended sessions on this, but what made this conversation different was that the panel consisted of two men and two women who are all senior level executives.  Hearing their personal experiences and advice in this area added relevance and awareness to the topic.

The WICT Leadership Conference definitely exceeded my expectations!  Thank you to WICT Atlanta for the opportunity to attend!

WICT EDS Experience

After being rewarded the scholarship to WICT EDS at Chateau Elan in Atlanta, WICT asked me to blog about the experience.  It’s taken me a while to fully digest my feelings about and accurately describe the amazing 2 1/2 days I spent at this seminar.  I’ve given it my best shot, but truly believe EDS is one of those things you must participate in yourself to truly grasp the hugeness of it.

As women, many of us are guilty of prioritizing everything before ourselves. We throw 110% of ourselves into work, family, friends and other obligations with little or no regard for ourselves.  We work extremely hard in the office and often are extremely self critical of that work and often don’t take the time to celebrate our successes in life.  This seminar makes you STOP and focus on your needs, wants and desires that have long ago taken a back seat to all of hustle and bustle of life.  

The extremely talented and entertaining Cherie Buckner-Webb got our entire group to delve deep into ourselves and listen to what it really is that we want out of our careers and our personal lives.  We took a very deep look at all of the things we are trying to balance in our lives to re-ground us in what is and what is not important to us and what makes us truly happy.  The most amazing part is that we didn’t stop with just understanding and evaluating our desires, but Cherie helped us put an action plan together to turn those desires into tangible goals.

Throughout the entire journey, I was surrounded by a group of smart, magnificent, supportive, successful women.  Connecting with this amazing group of women is definitely the best part of the experience.  Immediately following the seminar we were all so energized and excited about our goals and plans that attendees set up an online community for us to share successes, ask questions and support each other through the ups and downs as we put our action plans into place.

I highly recommend this seminar to all WICT members.  You will truly emerge from the experience with a new found energy and vigor for what you truly want to accomplish out of life.  Best of all, you’ll emerge with an amazing group of friends and mentors.  I have to thank WICT for this wonderful opportunity.

Holly Wasson

Turner Entertainment Networks

Spring Newsletter

Dear WICT Atlanta Members –   The Spring Newsletter is now available to read online at: http://www.wictatlanta.org/wictconnection/index.html   In this Issue: From the Editors:  Meet Ceshia & Maigh your 2008 Newsletter Editors  President’s Address:  From Sheri McGaughy Announcements:  A new section for 2008 Member Spotlight:  Interview with Karen White Tim’s Take:  A new section for 2008 Atlanta Connections:  Flashback by Andrea Harry Inspiration from:  Interview with Veronica Sheehan Program Spotlight:  Mentoring Upcoming Events:  Ways to get involved in 2008   We hope you enjoy this addition of the newsletter for Spring 2008. As always, please feel to contact Ceshia McCaulley (ceshia.mccaulley@turner.com) with any questions or comments.    Ceshia & Maigh

Welcome!

Hia Gang – Welcome to WICT Atlanta’s first weblog!  Please feel free to comment on anything you see here.  Also, if you would like to participate by blogging WICT or local events let any board member know and they can get you setup as a user.

~Ceshia