WITHIT: Women’s Leadership Development Network
Learn, Grow, Lead, Encourage
OUR CAUSE: To Encourage and develop Leadership, Mentoring, Education and Networking Opportunities for Professional Women in the Home and Furnishings Industries.
The above “says it all” if you will, as far as what WITHIT is all about. What a delight to say that it is “All That” and that I am proudly a member of this organization, and if you’re a female in the Home Furnishing Industry, you should consider joining, if you haven’t already.
Although a member for the past 3 years, “life” would have it (and the fact that I reside in Maine doesn’t help) such that I wasn’t able to participate much in organized events. In fact it was just this past May that I attended my first WITHIT organized event, that being the Inside Design Weekend in NYC, which I gushed about here, in a blog. Happily I FINALLY made it to the Annual Leadership Conference/WOW Awards Dinner, which is held in Charlotte NC each August. Click here to check out fun photos at said event.
An evening gathering at Carol Gregg’s last Spring could count as my premiere unorganized introduction to the group as she orchestrated a dinner on her Red Egg porch, and go figure, all the women she invited, were, you guessed it, WITHIT members. Yes, wrote about that in a blog as well.
I’ve been in business 10 years now, (online sales of Chinese Antique Furniture, in case you didn’t know) much of it working in a bubble….from my home in New Gloucester Maine. Since 2004 I’ve been making my way to High Point NC to participate in the High Point Furniture Market. And when in Spring 2008, after I had finished moving my warehouse from Maine to North Carolina, I joined the High Point Design Centre, and their mission to have a relevant presence Year Round to Trade for those that like to use the many resources available in High Point…ie, it isn’t JUST about Market twice/year.
So, yes, the High Point Design Center group was my first forray into joining a network that would envelop and support me and my business. And my affiliation with such would further offer opportunities for networking and growth with ASID Carolina’s Chapter as I “made myself known” participating in conferences of the latter, supporting mission of the former. It would be a chat with Kathleen Holterman (active member of both HPDC and WITHIT) that would introduce and encourage me to add WITHIT to my roster of valuable groups to join. (In more detail in blog dated August 09, Withit: My Story Thus Far.) Didn’t have to be told twice…I was in…and yes I have found MY PLACE in yet another group.
Frankly it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that there are much more than a handful of women that have membership in both groups, which is a further delight to me.
All this to say what? All this to say that, if you haven’t already discovered the value in joining an organization where your own personal vision is supported and nurtered, then it’s time to do so. Oh sure, I did “ok” when flying solo…hopping in and out of High Point inobtrusively for Markets. But how much more gratifying is it to be greeted, enveloped, supported and uplifted, simply by opening up to the Gift so freely given, when joining an organization of Substance…and that is what WITHIT and HPDC are, Organizations of Substance….because they hold true to their “causes” and because their members unite in supporting their respective causes, simply by each of them being who they are and collectively remembering and honoring why they exist as an entity.
There are too many people to acknowledge here name by name, but you know who you are. …
You are the Founders, who had the Vision.
You are the Members that fuel the engine by serving on a board/committee.
You are the Members that serve as ambassadors. (how hard is it to promote something you believe so strongly in?)
You are the Members that join and become part of the growing whole.
You are those that welcome newcomers and make them feel like they belong.
You are those that share your path to career and personal success, paving way for recipriocity.
You are those the continue to Believe in the Power of Gathering, Uniting, Uplifting and creating a Voice.
So, just thank you. I know that I, and my business , which just happens to be an extension of myself, are the better for all that these organizations offer, and am grateful to be a member, to participate and promote…any chance I get.
See ya’ll around…be it at Market, at one of the sponsored events and/or on Facebook, Linkedin or Twitter. Yes, so nice to stay in touch online between “real world” visits.
Ruth
August 30, 2011 at 7:30 am
[…] me every day many wonderful ”takeaways” after attending each WITHIT conference, see blog posting from last year, I would be remiss in ”moving forward” without an acknowledgement by way of a blog […]
July 1, 2011 at 7:46 am
[…] can I be so sure? Last year I attended my first conference last which I gushed about in this blog…..and if you want to SEE what fun we had, you can check out the handful of photos I posted […]
August 31, 2010 at 8:30 pm
Julia,
Likewise a delight to meet you. I see you all over facebook/twitter and felt I was meeting a celebrity…and to boot, your’e from K-W.
First conference, so nothing to compare it to, but was all that I had hoped it to be and more. My world is better for me for being a part of the world that WITHIT calls it’s own.
Yes, I too shall look forward to seeing you lots as well.
Ruth
P.S. Going to KW next Wed. Will be quick trip….heading back to NY on Sat…taking daughter to Western and meeting with family to plan parent’s 60th wedding anniversary in Oct.
August 31, 2010 at 8:21 pm
Ruth,
What an absolute joy it was getting to know you and sharing a meal with you on the last night. I love that WithIt supports us and nurtures us – and as Jeanne said, feeds us both personally and professionally.
I came home feeling more empowered than I have in a long time – and that is priceless.
Thank you for this post, a week after a fabulous event, and for giving so freely of yourself. Looking forward to seeing you – lots!
Julia
August 31, 2010 at 1:55 pm
Jeanne,
My absolute pleasure. Thank YOU for taking the time to read it.
It’s ALL GOOD and so happy to be in the company of so many good people…including your very special self.
Best for a very successful Designer Appreciation Day.
JUST send in my gift certifciates for the goody bags.
Ruth
August 31, 2010 at 8:35 am
Ruth, thank you so very much for taking the time to acknowledge both WithIt and High Point Design Center. Since I am also a member of both, my view may be slanted, but I wholeheartedly agree with your comments. Both are “places” where we can be fed personally and professionally. I consider the WithIt conference my “filling station” and once again this year came away with a full tank. HPDC is about to honor our customers with Designer Appreciation Day and we are already planning our premier event, Unity in Design 2011. Both organizations depend on teamwork to produce outstanding offerings to their members.