Convergence was the thread that pulled us all together at the 2019 PRINTING United show, and that was never more evident than at the Women in Print Alliance Breakfast. You could see the convergence in every aspect of the room — from the men and women that gathered, to the different aspects of the industry represented. And they were all gathered to hear the different but synonymous messages from all the speakers at this year’s sold-out event.
It would be hard not to be motivated by our keynote speaker, Ariel Swedroe. Inspired by her grandfather’s work, Ariel, by the age of 15, has already put her mark on the fashion industry. She knew what she wanted to do at age seven and works hard to make her sketches come to life. She embodies everything that our industry represents: boundless creativity and the technical drive to invent something memorable.
She also embodied critical aspects of the four other messages that followed, all focused on the similar themes of empowerment. These included always believing in yourself, no matter the situation; being unafraid to ask for what you need; setting measurable goals; and continually speaking with confidence. We also must remember failure is ultimately part of what makes us stronger and more successful.
These messages are inherently vital because we all believe we embody and embrace these ideas every day. However, we get sidetracked by outside forces that deviate our attention to improving ourselves and the world around us. These lessons presented to us on that early morning in Dallas reminded us that we must empower ourselves to be that embodied change for our industry. And that is something that we all strive to do every single day.
We appreciate all the people who came out to the breakfast and for making it such an outstanding success, but we’re not done yet. The Women in Print Alliance is dedicated to becoming a vehicle for advancing our existing and emerging leaders. We will continue to build upon this momentum we have created, and we look forward to seeing you at PRINTING United 2020, in fabulous Atlanta.
