by Denise Natishan 

The Women’s Leadership Conference in Washington, DC was a very impressive and inspiring experience for me: Great women sharing their stories of success and providing motivation that dreams can come true. 

One story that stood out for me was about Carly Fiorina who dropped out of law school to work as a secretary before climbing the corporate ladder to become President and CEO of Hewlett Packard. In 1998 when Fortune magazine published its first list of the most powerful women in business, Carly Fiorina was ranked #1.

Meg Whitman, former CEO of EBay, challenged the group to think about success.  What does success mean to you and how can go beyond success to significance? 

Having mentors who have blazed trails for us means we have opportunities that did not exist even as little as 15 years ago.  There are strong professional role models who are eager to pass on their wisdom and knowledge to take us to a new level in our careers if we choose. 

While looking to create a life that is fulfilling, we are left we many questions. Do you believe that you have to make huge sacrifices in order to have a shining career?  What are you willing to forgo to have financial security and career success?   How can you create a career that is successful and significant? Have you found a mentor and if so, what have you learned?  What stories do you have to share?

Each of us can reach a higher level in our lives by helping each other with positive stories of how life experiences have changed/impacted our lives.