FRISCO \u2014 A local woman is launching a new conference in Breckenridge next month, hoping to celebrate and connect female leaders in the Summit County community and to highlight their abilities to make an impact in the workplace.<\/p>\n
The conference, called The Roar, will focus on developing emotional intelligence among participants through a keynote address from a local life coach and exercises designed to improve leadership abilities.<\/p>\n
Brittany Speer, Breckenridge resident and founder of the conference, said she became drawn to the idea because of a lack of anything similar in the area.<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t find any conferences or organizations that met my needs, so I made my own,\u201d Speer said. \u201cI was looking for some sort of outlet for women like myself, women in leadership, that put an emphasis on emotional intelligence in the workplace. I saw a need, and the more I spread the word, the more that need was validated. The support so far has been really amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speer, who also works as a manager at Breckenridge Grand Vacations, said that throughout her business career, she\u2019s seen plenty of female-specific conferences \u2014 she noted topics like \u201chow to be more assertive\u201d or \u201chow to get what you want\u201d in the workplace \u2014 but always in a way she felt created a sense of inferiority to their male counterparts.<\/p>\n
Instead, Speer said she\u2019s interested in creating an experience that would emphasize the natural strengths of female leadership.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel there aren\u2019t a lot of resources for women out there, especially in leadership,\u201d Speer said. \u201cIt seemed to me the conferences that are out there are highlighting the idea that women are less than. It was all about how women can feel equal in the workplace.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I wanted to celebrate is our strength. And what that strength is, to really generalize here, emotional intelligence. I want to celebrate women in leadership, and highlight the positives and natural abilities rather than trying to just make comparisons to the male gender. And that\u2019s a whole different level of emotional intelligence \u2014 recognizing that the genders are different, and there are reasons to be proud of that and find value in both genders.\u201d<\/p>\n
The conference will key in on that idea, beginning with a presentation by local facilitator Claudine Norden, of Ascent Life Planning out of Frisco. Norden \u2014 who runs one-on-one and larger corporate leadership events \u2014 will lead the group through a workshop on emotional intelligence, consisting of group activities and active reflexive exercises.<\/p>\n
According to Norden, the concept of emotional intelligence is composed of five main skills: stress management, self-perception, self-expression, decision-making and interpersonal skills. The idea is to help women better hone these skills on a personal level so they can bring them back into the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m hoping to make personal impacts,\u201d Norden said. \u201cOnce we have that personal impact and self-awareness, we can make a bigger impact on the community around us. \u2026 I\u2019m honored to be a part of it. I believe what we\u2019re bringing to the community will inspire our young women in leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speer also will head exercises later in the day, including a guided meditation and training in communication and self-perception. There will be a happy hour and farewell address at the end of the day.<\/p>\n
The Roar will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 4 at Carter Park in Breckenridge. Registration is open at Facebook.com\/events\/623947301442847<\/a> or at the event, though there are only 45 available spots.<\/p>\n Speer said she\u2019s hoping the conference can become an annual event and help to create a community among participants.<\/p>\n \u201cThis community attracts the best of the best, and people are always looking to take things to the next level,\u201d Speer said. \u201cI just want to provide that resource. \u2026 These are skills you can take with you.\u201d<\/p>\n