Recap: At the Helm: Women in Biz San Diego

The fourth stop on the At the Helm: Women in Biz 2013 tour was San Diego. Everything about this event excited me – from the venue to the speakers, I knew it would be a great night before it even began.

After sitting in a bit of typical L.A. traffic and ending up on a toll road for the first time in my life…with no cash…I arrived at Hera Hub, our home for the evening. Hera Hub was recommended to me by a business buddy and I loved everything about it. The founder, Felena Hanson, is an amazing business owner and connector. She created this amazing space for women entrepreneurs to connect and grow their businesses. The Sorrento Mesa location has a spa-like feel that manages to make you feel relaxed and energized at the same time. Felena has done a fantastic job, so it's no surprise that Hera Hub locations are in the works all over the place.

Our speakers for the evening were Jennifer Holliday and Krystina Feucht, two really great women who generously shared their knowledge with the audience. Jennifer set the tone with a talk on mindfulness and how to be more mindful in our everyday lives as a way to “get real” and be present. Krystina's talk on community was exactly in line with the mission and purpose of At the Helm. She gave great advice on ways that we can all cultivate great communities. I ended up talking way more than I planned to, but shared with the attendees my take on networking, how to recognize informal networking opportunities, and shared my experience participating in and creating communities – like my masterminds and my networking group.

The women of San Diego were warm, funny, savvy and, in my opinion, open minded. A few women I chatted with before the event mentioned that they hated networking. That always bums me out to hear people say because I know it typically means that they've had bad experiences before that have turned them off to the idea – but networking is sooooo much more than meeting people at a formal event and shoving business cards into their hands. We had a great discussion at the event and I think a few minds were changed. I can't ask for more than that :-)!

I loved the energy in San Diego and it was a nice way to slow things down while the tour takes a brief hiatus. I'm so excited about the rest of the cities on our list – there are so many more great women out there to meet!

For more information on At the Helm, visit www.atthehelm.co