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Girlbosses Unite: A Recap of the 2019 Girlboss Rally in Los Angeles
By Alisha Chocha
So many pearls of wisdom were dropped during the Girlboss Rally at UCLA last month! As female entrepreneurs, Ishani and I decided to attend the weekend-long event for two reasons: 1) to focus on self-improvement as professionals and 2) to network with fellow businesswomen. From the engaging Girlboss speakers to the new business relationships we’ve developed, Girlboss 2019 delivered on both.
After the rally, I shared about my experience via a post on social media, and family and friends immediately began reaching out to find out more and see if this is an event they would like to attend next year. Below are some key takeaways from my Girlboss Rally experience, including some amazing workshops and mixers.
What Is the Girlboss Rally?
Girlboss is a professional network for a new era of women bosses. The rally is “a conference and community for ambitious women.” On June 29–30, hundreds of female entrepreneurs, ranging from just starting out (or building a side hustle) to years of success in business, flocked to UCLA to attend fun and informative break-out sessions and experiences.
The UCLA campus is beautiful and Royce Hall was the perfect location for the rally—the classrooms lended well to focusing on lectures and the lawn was a great spot to chat with fellow Girlbosses.
Tons of influencers were snapping away. Women who are just starting out came to utilize the career consulting services and advice workshops. Everyone was friendly, open-minded, and happy to be present. You could feel the positive energy the entire weekend.
7 Workshops to Develop Your Inner Girlboss
There were so many workshops I wanted to attend but unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time. Ishani and I decided to divide and conquer the best we could. The key areas seemed to be Budgeting, Marketing, Career, and Meditation/Self-Help. I naturally gravitated to Marketing, of course, because we love hearing what others are saying in the field.
1. Make Them Hear Your Voice: Public Speaking 101
Arian Simone, Founder and CEO of Fearless, led a presentation on how to squash fears on public speaking and be a memorable speaker. Hearing her story was truly inspiring. She talked about rising to the top, falling to the bottom (living in her car in L.A.), and sneaking into the BET Awards (without a ticket and only through her confidence).
Key Takeaway: Distract/Dispute/Inspire. This public speaking technique involves: Distracting by telling a joke or a dramatic story; Disputing by challenging the concepts that are already in your audience’s minds; and then Inspiring by motivating your audience to go after their dreams. Leave them with clear action items to know what to take away from your speech.
2. #Influenced: A Smarter Way to Succeed With Digital Creators
During this workshop, Corey Zimbalist, Client Services Lead at CreatorIQ, confirmed what all of us have been thinking: Influencer marketing is crucial for today’s brands, and it’s only getting more popular. She even gave away a freebie of influencer benchmarks to evaluate your current performance.
Key Takeaway: Influencer marketing is only effective when you clearly determine your KPIs to measure success. Here is a helpful chart to determine what KPIs you should be tracking when it comes to influencer marketing:
| Awareness | Reach, engagement, etc. |
| Traffic | Clicks, CPX, Google Analytics, time on website |
| Follower Growth | Campaign dates to audience changes |
| Conversions | Unique tracking links, coupon/promo codes, isolated marketing |
3. The Revival: Rising Above the Negative Self-Talk
Not Therapy Founder Dr. Lauren Hazzouri came out dancing and left us all in tears! Dr. Lauren empowered Girlbosses with raw emotion and told us to hush that negative voice that is always trying to bring us down.
In her early 20s, Dr. Lauren left college struggling with depression and drowning in her own self doubt. Once home, her mother was instrumental in helping her get back on her feet. She got her degree and now operates Not Therapy, a lifestyle program that helps empower women to care for themselves and connect with others in a meaningful way.
Key Takeaway: It wasn’t until years after getting her degree that, while listening to her female patients, Dr. Lauren learned that every female was just like her: suffering from the same internal demons. That’s when she started telling women to stand up and dance! Get moving! Get out of it! It’s a great reminder to know that we are never alone.
4. The View From the Other Side
Whitney Cummings is a successful comedian, actress and TV producer. No joke, Cummings had me in stitches. She’s such a success (she created the CBS sitcom “2 Broke Girls” and the NBC sitcom “Whitney,” which she starred in), but she hilariously talked about what she’s learned along the way to getting there.
Key Takeaway: It’s okay to say no. In fact, when she was training herself to say no more often, she kept three pieces of paper on her desk to remind her how to say it politely, like: “That’s a great idea, but I’m overextended at the moment,” or “Let’s circle back in a couple of months.” I’ll give you three guesses to what is next to my computer right now.
5. Move Beyond: Building (Multimillion-Dollar Companies), Resting, and Rebuilding
This was one of the sessions I was most excited about since Michelle Phan is an entrepreneur who started with YouTube videos and grew her portfolio to include huge multimillion-dollar companies like Ipsy.
Key Takeaway: When you’re thinking about whether to start the company you’ve got planned out in your head, it’s a mix of trusting your gut and logic. You have to run the numbers, be ahead of the market, and also feel like this a good investment. Some professionals try to keep emotions out of their business decisions, but trusting your gut is one of the ways Phan started many of her investment opportunities.
6. Want to Start a Podcast? Here’s Your Checklist.
Every session should be like that of Lauren LoGrasso, Executive Producer of Female Content for podcasting company Cadence13. She gave so many helpful tips for what you need to do to start your own successful podcast. LoGrasso is based in Los Angeles and is also a singer/songwriter, podcast host, actress, and creativity coach.
Key Takeaway: Everything LoGrasso went over was actionable. She explained the equipment and software to use, what and what not to say, the type of artwork to include on the cover, and so much more.
7. Mindfulness, Meditation, and Living in the Present
Oh how I wished I went to more of the relaxation sessions! I only had time to schedule one in and it definitely did not disappoint. The session featured breathing techniques and a Sound Bath. I found myself wishing we could lay on the floor (but, it was in a lecture hall). Shanila Sattar, Founder and Sound Alchemist at AlwaysPlay, did a wonderful job in helping me recenter and recharge.
Key Takeaway: Go to a Sound Bath (here are some of the best in Los Angeles)! You won’t be disappointed.
Join the Girlboss community and movement!
Girlboss Mixers
The mixers were by far my favorite part of the rally. I attended two: Start-ups and Small Biz (because Your Marketing People falls into both categories).
It was such a treat to mingle with other strong, successful businesswomen and to hear their stories—what they overcame, how they want to grow, and what made them decide to be an entrepreneur in the first place. It’s unbelievably refreshing to hear women talk about work-life balance, fears for finances, imposter syndrome, and so much more that we face as female business owners.
It was truly a beautiful bonding experience, and I’m excited to share some of the companies of the women that I’ve met:
- @towerpress – Female-led graphic design shop in Atlanta. Check out their holographic custom printing!
- @latinxtherapy – Podcast about mental health stigmas in the Latinx community. Beautiful cause!
- @thriveandalign – Latinx Life and Leadership Coach who helps burnt-out founders balance their lives.
Meet Your Marketing People's Girlbosses
Ishani and I co-founded Your Marketing People, our Orange County-based digital marketing agency, in 2017. Our vision for our clients remains the same as it was on Day 1: To take their marketing to the next level by improving the KPIs that matter most to them.
We’re in the business of helping. And we’re so inspired by the all the Girlbosses we met at the 2019 Girlboss Rally. We’re determined to make the most out of what we learned to help our clients grow their brands. Because, let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to do that? Contact us!
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