200 women attend inaugural Flourish summit

More than 200 women from across Southeast Missouri gathered Thursday at the Osage Centre for the Flourish Magazine Women’s Summit.

Hosted by the Southeast Missourian and rustmedia and touted as a “leadership and empowerment event,” the half-day conference featured discussions led by influential regional women from a variety of industries and a keynote speech from Gigi Butler, founder of Gigi’s Cupcakes.

“We wanted an event that women from all walks of life could be a part of, that was educational and informative in addition to being a networking event,” Jamie Barnwell, project manager at rustmedia and a coordinator of the event, said in an email. “There are so many local women with so much valuable information to share. It’s great being able to be a facilitator for that sharing.”

Thursday’s event was the first of its kind, and Barnwell said they hope to make it an annual affair.

“It’s good to see women come together like this,” attendee Carmelia Coney said. “Mothers, and women in general, often find they have no time for themselves. This is a get-together, relax and learn.”

Women attending the Healthy Living breakout session at the Flourish Women's Summit were guided through seated yoga stretches Thursday at the Osage Centre.BRIDGET BROWN

Felice Robinson agreed and was looking forward to “seeing what’s out there” and discovering how women can be a positive influence on each other.

Breakout sessions focused on topics such as health, safety, philanthropy and networking.

Christa Hudson, dietitian and health educator at Saint Francis Medical Center; Judy Grier, yoga instructor at Yoga East; and Lara May, a family nurse practitioner affiliated with Southeast Obstetrics and Gynecology, led the healthy-living session.

The panelists discussed various aspects of women’s health and how women can be their own advocates.

They promoted healthy living through good food choices, exercise and the proper checkups and screenings.

“They talked about everything I know I need to do, but don’t,” Shelly Kaiser said, echoing sentiments discussed in the session.

Women are aware of the choices they need to make to be healthy, Hudson said during the panel, but often find it to be a daunting task, with little time to dedicate to the goal.

In the session regarding personal safety, Della Moore, investigator with the state fire marshal’s office and Missouri Division of Fire Safety, discussed her experiences with domestic-violence cases and how women can help those suffering from it.

She encouraged women who are in a position to help domestic-violence victims to store IDs, personal effects and clothing off-site to make an eventual escape easier.

Amanda Rhodes of the Cape Girardeau Police Department gave tips for remaining safe during daily activities, from exercising to dating. A woman’s best weapons are her voice and her head, Rhodes said, but when it comes to tangible weaponry, she said, “My Taser has failed me, but pepper spray never has.”

Carolyn Sandgren (Kempf), owner of Elite Travel, discussed how women can remain safe while traveling, from the best place to sit on an airplane — the exit row or, failing that, an aisle seat near the plane’s exits — to the features to look for when choosing a hotel room: placement near the lobby but not on the ground floor.

Shari Stroup, co-founder and CEO of Room for One More; Cheryl Mothes, Edward Jones financial adviser and founder of MissionFest and Heartland 4 Haiti; and Jennifer Gast, founder of Student Santas, headed up the discussion on faith and philanthropy.

There, they spoke about their organizations and causes. The women shared why they chose their specific callings and why volunteerism is important.

“The women were so inspiring,” attendee Cheryl Klueppel said. “I want to look at my own environment and see how I can do more.”

The networking and leadership panel — led by Erin Fluegge, a professor in the Harrison College of Business at Southeast Missouri State University; Kathy Swan of the Missouri House of Representatives; and Rekha Patterson, head women’s basketball coach at Southeast — focused on how women can overcome adversity in the workplace.

By being genuine, making their opinions known, having and showing confidence and creating a community in the workplace where women build each other up, women can foster an environment where they can stand on equal ground, the group explained.

“I enjoyed the diversity of the panel,” Tameka Kyles said of the women who shared their expertise and experience in the panel. “It was uplifting and inspirational.”

Butler, a nationally acclaimed entrepreneur, delivered the keynote address following the morning of breakout sessions.

She outlined the progression of her aspirations and how she went from being a 7-year-old with dreams of being a singer-songwriter in Nashville to starting her own cleaning company at age 15 and finally opening her own chain of cupcake shops throughout the country.

“Life is all about recreating ourselves,” Butler said. “That’s what God wants us to do.”

“It’s OK to fail,” Butler told the audience. But it’s also OK to be afraid to fail.

“I was afraid every day,” Butler said. “But it’s what you do with that fear that’s going to define you and your future.”

Butler advised the audience to set goals, regardless of their size, knowing big things can come from them, and she presented herself as an example of what tenacity and faith can achieve.

“It’s just cupcakes, not rocket science,” Butler said of her multimillion-dollar cupcake franchise. “If I can do it, you can reach your goals as well.”

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630