Never Too Late

photo courtesy of The Inspiration Lab

For this year’s upcoming Inspiration Lab conference, STEPHANIE LANIER wants women to channel their inner Cinderella and embrace new transformations. Titled “It’s Never Too Late,” the conference, slated for October 30 at Wrightsville Manor, will feature speakers, panelists, and workshops to help women make connections and get excited to follow their dreams. Lanier, who is the founder of the women’s connections group The Inspiration Lab, shared her thoughts with WILMA in a Q&A about the conference.

The concept of ‘inspiration’ is a big part of what you do – what’s the inspiration behind organizing this conference?

Lanier: “I have hosted conferences and large-scale events quite a few times now, and every time, something transformative happens for many women. Hearing those stories truly inspires me to do it again and again.

Finding out they met their future business partner at one of our events or were inspired by what they heard and finally wrote that book they had always dreamed about writing, or they quit a job and launched a business.

Or hearing one of my friends who is a small business owner has new clients because she got to share her small business story. Or hearing about attendees who got mammograms they had kept putting off after a talk about a speaker’s breast cancer journey.

Getting to be a part of this is just the biggest honor ever. What a joy and gift! So that’s the inspiration because these events truly do change women’s lives, from the content they hear from the stage to the connections they make with one another.”

You’ve titled the conference “It’s Never Too Late” – is that a sentiment you’ve personally contended with in the past?

Lanier: “The Never Too Late and You’re Never Too Old concept is really connected to our theme of Cinderella and the idea that we don’t actually turn into pumpkins. Thankfully, we often have more time than we think we do, even though it can feel like we’re constantly running against the clock – much like Cinderella.

What can be easy to miss about the Cinderella fairytale is that she wasn’t only trying to get a pretty dress and find a man; this hardworking and kind-spirited woman was trying to find a way out of her circumstances and be seen for who she truly was. We are all hoping it isn’t too late for someone to see us for who we really are and to give us an opportunity to shine.

The clothes and the carriage really aren’t the point; it’s that they show us it isn’t too late for someone with true character to be revealed. To be seen for their true potential.

So yes, metaphorically, I have certainly felt like the girl in the garden in rags, discouraged and brokenhearted feeling like I’m too late to the party. I mean, who hasn’t? It’s such a human experience of vulnerability, but I’ve also had the joy of having fairy godmothers come in and help me see myself for what is possible.”

Much of the conference focuses on professionally interacting with others, whether it’s through public speaking or networking. Why are these skills important for women to brush up on?

Lanier: “I was at a local women’s event recently and the very successful panelists I heard from all said they were introverts who really disliked networking. The women said they attended events frequently, but they didn’t always enjoy it. Since this wasn’t an area that brings them joy, they didn’t have much advice to offer, and I saw this as an area where I could bring in speakers to teach on this topic.

We know from surveys and requests from women in our community this is an almost universal struggle, and yet they want to grow in this area. It’s a myth that some people are just social butterflies … Thankfully building a purposeful network of meaningful relationships is a teachable skill you can learn, and we’re going to talk about that at our event.

We are also going to cover how to practice and prepare to communicate on stage or in small groups because that is something you can learn to do and become more proficient at over time.”

How did you go about the selection process for the many women who will be panelists and speakers?

Lanier: “The conference feels a bit like a concert to me and so I’m trying to put together a band of sorts to get just the right chemistry of personalities, backgrounds, and experiences; knowing who is funny and who is serious, when the topics are heavier and when they’ll be lighter and so forth, so I can take the audience on a journey with me for half a day.

It’s all incredibly purposeful, and it’s like putting together a beautiful puzzle. I invite women to speak that I know and trust. Each speaker brings their own unique experiences to the topic at hand and embodies the Inspiration Lab spirit of sincerely wanting to support other women.”

What lessons do you hope women walk away with after attending this event?

Lanier: “I hope they walk away knowing it isn’t too late, and they aren’t too old to – fill in the blank – in their lives and that belief spurs them to take action.

Secondly, I hope they have at least one takeaway that would improve their lives, ideally something to help them become better networkers or presenters making it easier to meet new people because, in the end, all we have is each other.

And lastly, if we do our jobs correctly, they will walk away with a new – or mostly new – connection that will blossom into either a professional or personal relationship that will joyfully enrich their life for years to come.”

(Editor’s Note: WILMA editor in Vicky Janowski is slated to participate as a panelist at one of the conference discussions.)

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