The Real Growth Retreat

Last weekend I had the honor of emceeing an event for a dear friend of mine. My friend Shelley Streit is an author  (Beyond the Rear View Mirror) and has run her own business for over 8 years. Last fall she shared with me her frustration with high end business conferences that while are really flashy and high profile, did not really meet the needs of the attendees. She shared that most of the speakers are usually American and are sure to end their keynote with a sell or pitch.

So the Real Growth Retreat was an "un-conference" for women small business owners IN ALBERTA. The speakers were all Canadian and the cool thing was that they spent the whole weekend participating in each of the sessions and hanging out with all of the attendees. We got to get to know the speakers, pick their brains and just be inspired in one of the most beautiful locations in all of Canada. (Nakoda on the Lake). Ali Pain helped us to better understand ourselves and our weaknesses to help us grow and Jennifer Belanger did an intro to social media .... (she knew things about facebook that I had no idea of). Kim Page Gluckie helped our ladies do Marketing Mapping and putting all of those brilliant marketing ideas into a plan of attack. Patricia Simoneau talked on Branding and the importance of knowing who you are as part of your brand. These are only a few of the speakers that inspired me over the weekend.

The best part of the retreat for me was meeting and getting to know 25 ladies who are just like me...highly motivated, Type A personalities who are driven and are trying to make a difference through their businesses.

The Real Growth Retreat is not just for small business owners. Women who have jobs can also benefit from the personal development and sessions around branding and marketing. I HIGHLY recommend this unique event to any lady that wants to take her business to the next level but isn't quite sure how to do it. You will come away with a clear picture of what needs to happen next and grow your network with quality women who want you to succeed as much as you  do. I feel connected with all the ladies that attended the retreat and am hoping to be invited back again next year.

So save the dates!! April 18-20 2013. Keep checking www.realgrowthretreat.com for pre registration info. The details should be up in the next few weeks. Hope to see you there