Boots, Business, & Barbecue: LinkUnite Nashville Women's Conference Recap
All of us who attended LinkUnite IV in Nashville, Tennessee! Over 100 women from across the globe! I’m Deb in the white cowgirl hat!
Yeehaw! I had the most boot-scootin' time at the LinkUnite Women’s Conference in Nashville, Tennessee AKA Music City, representing Female Power Players, Affiliate Ball, and the AFFY Awards🌟 This event was particularly special to me because it was my first time attending, having missed previous years due to cancer treatments and recovery. It was truly a joy to be surrounded by incredibly accomplished, sweet, and encouraging women who made this experience unforgettable. 💖
Honky Tonk Highlights
Round-Up of Community and Support
From the moment I arrived, I felt a sense of camaraderie and support. The opening reception was filled with energy and felt like seeing old friends, even if I hadn't seen them in years or had just met them. The organizers, Amanda Faris and Sara Malo, deserve a huge thank you and congrats for their hard work and attention to detail in creating a fantastic environment for women to learn, support each other, connect, and thrive! Your dedication does not go unnoticed. 🙏
Giddy-Up Workshops
The conference offered a stampede of workshops that were both insightful and empowering:
Compliance Corral: Michele Schuster provided crucial updates on telemarketing regulations.
Lassoing Compliance Laws: Tammy Glover Fowler, MS, guided us through essential tools.
Saddle-Up for Influence: Gabriela Buich, an IFC Master Certified Coach, enhanced our leadership and presentation skills with interactive exercises.
Rodeo of AI Skills: Jenny Kay Pollock and Reut Lazo of Woman and AI taught interactive sessions to sharpen our AI skills.
Wrangling Business Models: Jennifer Lau-Hatcher, the “Queen of Financing” helped us focus on building affordability and streamlined excellence into business processes and procedures.
Mindset Mustangs: Emily Golden shared insights and led a rejuvenating breathwork session.
Critical Thinking Round-Up: Ndala Booker provided actionable insights to improve mental clarity and decision-making skills.
Additionally, Debbie Conrad and team at The Lead Group led a morning walk, Chelsea Denning of Ignite Media Group hosted a champagne toast, setting a positive tone for the days ahead, and heartfelt, authentic, and insightful interviews were produced by Tom Wozniak and his team from Optizmo Technologies, capturing the essence of empowerment and achievement among attendees.
Attending a conference alone or for the first time can be daunting, but LinkUnite is designed to make everyone feel welcome and included. The environment was incredibly supportive, with many opportunities to meet new people and build connections. Whether you came alone or with a group, you quickly felt like part of the community. People were always introducing each other, creating a wonderful and safe space for women to connect about both business and life. The positive energy was truly infectious! ✨
Y’all, We Enjoyed Nashville!
Beyond the professional development, the conference was a ton of fun! We stayed at the Noelle Hotel, which featured a gorgeous rooftop overlooking the city, an airy window-filled conference room for the workshops, an Alice in Wonderland-themed quirky restaurant, and a hidden speakeasy down a supply closet hallway! Exploring the Honky Tonk bars in Nashville with live music was an absolute blast. We got Cowgirl hats, boots, and new Western wardrobes, which made for fun conversation pieces. I still remember becoming close with someone because she initially came up to me and loved my boots! The BBQ was undeniably delicious and made me glad I'm not currently vegan.
The Nashville nightlife was electric! It’s a good thing we were prepared wit country line dancing lessons, AKA Boot-Scootin' Boogie, led by Jenny Cain! Out and about at night, te lights felt like a retro Vegas with a New Orleans twist. You could easily slide in and out of bars with different live music on every floor, which a few of us coined the Country Music Multiverse. They played all kinds of tunes, including rock and pop, and even a man singing Taylor Swift songs! It was so fun running into familiar faces, roaming around the current Bachelorette Capitol of the world, and soaking in the sweet Southern charm. 🎤🌃💃
Mixology, Music, Murals, and Memories
A mixology course allowed many of us to learn the art of crafting cocktails, some chose the murals and shopping tour, while an option to explore Nashville’s charm through trolley rides and visits to microbreweries added an extra layer of enjoyment and networking opportunities.
Round 'Em Up!
One of the best parts about attending LinkUnite is the incredible value of the annual membership. As a member, you can attend the conference with meals, drinks, and activities generously covered by corporate sponsors – you just need to handle your travel accommodations. This amazing support allows women to focus on connecting and learning without the stress of additional costs. And, we connect at monthly virtual meetings and in-person meetups and trade shows.🌟✈️
Everyone was treated equally regardless of their status at their company or how long they have been a part of LinkUnite. It was truly an uplifting and inspiring experience. I can’t wait to connect more with the women I met and go on work vacations again next year with all my LinkUnite friends! These women are not only overcoming challenges in their work and personal lives but are also volunteering their time for various causes, making them truly inspirational. 🌟
I’m still on a high from all the love and learnings, and I can’t wait to connect more with everyone I met. I’m looking forward to seeing many of you in a month at the AFFY Awards Gala and Affiliate Ball for performance marketers in NY during Affiliate Summit East and can’t wait to feature many of you in Female Power Player written interviews and articles to show you and your incredible services off to our B2B database of biz owners and performance marketers! 🎉
Oh, and a little humor to share – my fiancé Darren Blatt spent the conference hiding out in our hotel with a cowboy hat on and I did drop him off in the Shark Cage bar next door lol before he came out late one night and was hilariously recognized when eye contact was made! 🤠
If you’re considering attending LinkUnite next year, I wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s an unparalleled opportunity to grow, learn, and connect with some of the most inspiring women in the performance marketing industry. Want more info on membership? Check out https://www.linkunite.live/membership/ for more info and to join or reach out to Sara Malo or Amanda Farris. And feel free to contact me if there’s anything I can do to support you or if you’d like to be featured in an interview as a Female Power Player in the Affiliate Ball/AFFY Awards newsletter. Let’s keep this momentum going and continue to uplift and empower each other! And feel free to share this article and spread the love! 💪✨
#LinkUnite #FemalePowerPlayers #AffiliateBall #AFFYAwards #WomenSupportingWomen #Nashville
