EPIC CON 21 Was Lit 🔥, Here’s 2 Things I Learned

Greetings Guys, 

EPIC CON 21 was everything the event producer Aprille Franks said it would be! It was educational, feminine, and lit! Yes, this was a business conference, but Aprille called it a reunion, which is what it felt like. It felt inclusive, which is something I don’t always sense at women’s events nowadays. Maybe I am simply over virtual events and was desperately in need of human connection, but something about Aprille’s swagher told me that she was going to bring it with this event, and she did. From the speakers to the information to the vibes, everything was on point. But even more importantly, I took two things away from the event. 

When you sit with the winners, the conversation is different. 

First, let me share, this was my first significant business conference with heavy hitters like Ronne Brown, Allyson Byrd, and Pamela J. Booker, and I didn’t know what to expect. I remembered seeing or hearing Aprille saying we could wear what we wanted. That was a real invitation to be yourself, and that was important to me because I am sick of going places that make you feel like you have to be someone else to belong there, and I never feel like I belong. So I usually shrink back and keep to myself, but something about this event made it a little easier to talk to the other women. I think it may have been that if you came there, you were working on something. You were a girl boss who wanted to improve in some way. Still, you also have a side that is into femininity (Aprille teaches how to coach and sell like a girl), so you approach life from a feminine perspective. That made me feel more connected to the other women, even if my introvertness may have hidden that. 

From the conversations, I realized what many of the women wanted to do was get to the next level, and so that is what we talked about- where we wanted to go, why we want to go there, who’s in that space, and what challenges we may be experiencing while getting there. I found this to be different because, in the past, it seems like the only connections that were made were those who bonded through some type of struggle or religion, and again, I never fit in. The commonality between these women and me is we believe better exists. We just need to know how to get it. 

So yes, the convo was different. It was refreshing, and though I was only there for three days, it felt like longer. 

Sometimes the seat at the table costs but it is worth it. 

Before you start contesting already, hear me out. Sometimes we grow to a point in life where we need people who are bigger than us so that we can have something to aspire to and witness as proof that it exists. Women at the event made much than me, but that did not make me feel intimated. Instead, I felt motivated. I wanted to know what they knew. How did they get there? 

Lately, I have been struggling with attracting more clients, and neither I nor anyone on my team can think of a reason why. So, I participated in this activity called the Hot Seat at the event. I stated what I was being challenged with, and then the women on the stage and in the audience gave me advice and asked questions causing me to look further into the issue. I made several discoveries. I may share them in another blog, but the activity was uncomfortable. At one point, I was resisting what the women were saying, and Aprille pointed out that I am used to being the smartest person in the room. 

I felt exposed, but I needed to hear that because then I knew I needed to be in other rooms where I could learn because this is not where I intend to stay. That seat was so hot, I left with tears in my eyes, but at that moment, I knew I wanted to work with Aprille. 

And as the event progressed, I noticed that the women closest to her were the women in the CEO Collective, her mastermind group. Those women seemed to be having the time of their lives. I wanted to know more about the group, but I was a little discouraged once I heard the price. I hadn’t ever made that type of investment before. I hadn’t ever worked with a coach before either, so I had no idea what they charged, but I wanted to be around these types of women more often so they could rub off on me. 

It wasn’t much to think about. I was not upgrading my circle because I did not have anyone to upgrade. I have a line of friends, and I recently shared how lonesome entrepreneurship can be, so it was kind of a no-brainer. I would need to do whatever I needed to do to be in that community. I realized the seat is not always free, but sitting there could be life-changing, as masterminds usually are. So I decided to sign up. 

I wasn’t a consistent follower of master community builder and launch strategist Aprille but had heard of her from an associate last year and had caught a live or two. Then I watched her “Sell Like a Girl webinar and was impressed, but what attracted her to me was her belief in using our feminine energy in business. Did I mention she gave us vibrators for VIP Day? That’s the type of coach I need because our personal lives impact our business whether we like to think it does or not. The better we are mentally and spiritually, the better business leaders we are. 

I am so glad I took a chance and attended EPIC CON 2021. Before, I read the women in the group’s comments online, wondering what all the fuss was about, but now I see it really was epic!

I want to take a quick minute and recognize the complete list of speakers and emcees because I know these women earned their right to be on that stage.

• Tamara Mitchell-Davis- Emcee
• Zenovia Andrews- Emcee
• Emily D. Baker
• Topsie VandenBosch
• Niki Moore
• Ronnie Tyler
• Monaye Marcia
• Demetria Miles McDonald
• Janiel Pierre
• Veronda Brooks- Bellamy
• Darin Adams
• Enisha Ligon-Garrett
• Melika Honore
• Regina Garvin Buckley

If you want to learn what all the fuss is about, the next event is EPIC Woman, and it will take place next spring in Dallas, Texas. I hope to see some of you there.