--> --> --> --> --> --> --> -->

Tag Archives: The Women’s Conference

The Women’s Conference: waiting & watching from afar

26 Oct

Yesterday was a “Day Of Transformation and Healing” and “A Night at at the Village” at the Women’s Conference.

What an absolutely amazing event; unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to attend. I had to leave Deepak Chopra’s talk early for a rehearsal; the rehearsal was scheduled after his talk but I was told I was needed immediately–which was not even close to the truth and which meant I sat in the convention hall waiting around for 90 aggravating minutes. I couldn’t even get online to hear the rest of his talk on the Women’s Conference website. I promise to get my notes turned into a blog post as soon as possible.

Above is a photo of “How Do I Look” host Jeannie Mai during rehearsal. Her glasses are so clear you can put your finger right through (but you might poke her in the eye so be careful!). It’s all about style she told me. We also talked about Vietnamese food and I invited her to visit with me the An Lac Mission Buddhist Temple in Ventura in February for a huge festival celebrating the visit of the Jade Buddha.

When the rehearsal was over, I wasn’t allowed to stay at the convention center: I had to leave my car there and be driven back to the hotel where I had to stay with the other women in one of two hotel rooms until I was called in almost four hours later for my hair. I couldn’t even go to my own room.

At least today I thought (more…)

So “How Do I Look?”

25 Oct

Today was the BIG DAY, the day of the Style Network “How Do I Look” show’s big reveal of myself and three other women at the Women’s Conference in Long Beach, California.

It was also the “Day of Transformation and Healing” at the Women’s Conference with lots of amazing speakers including Deepak Chopra and Tony Robbins.

Unfortunately, I was only able to get a very small taste of the  Women’s Conference. (More on that in a later blog post; a blog post from my notes from the opening session with Deepak Chopra will be posted soon).

My experience with the Style Network brought me quite a few surprises: on Sunday, I went from a natural blond to a brunette and on Monday, during the segment on the Main Stage in front of a thousand or so people, they gave me $1500 worth of office furniture (!) and a week’s worth of professional clothing.

And I was able to hand a copy of my new poetry book, Middle of the Night Poems From Daughter to Mother:: Mother to Son” to Maria Shriver who is a mother to four children herself (two boys, two girls) and who recently lost her own mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

So “How Do I Look”? Decide for yourself! (more…)

New Write Alley Bookmarks & Biz Cards in time for Women’s Conference!

21 Oct

Ahh, the company I will be keeping! Here’s a screen shot of the page for speakers at the Night at the Village at the Women’s Conference Monday, Oct. 25.

And yes, there I am! How exciting!

Obviously, for an event as HUGE as this, I needed new business cards and materials to promote my business!

And since I have a new poetry collection coming out in a special edition for the occasion, I decided to do bookmarks with information on the book on one side and information on the business on the other.

At the last minute, I was able to recruit friends and graphic artists Borbala Arvai to help me on my business card and the business side of the book mark while Tracy Hudak did the book side of the bookmark. Tracy was also a huge help in paring down the text to the essentials to show off the stunning photograph by Alan Sailer of a shooting star which is on the cover of the book as well.

This afternoon, we sent the files over to Matt Faussett at Fausett Printing; my brother’s high school surfing buddy promises to have them done by close of business tomorrow, Friday.

I am so grateful to my friends. I couldn’t get this book and these materials together so quickly without them. Thank You!

PS Order your copy of the book Middle of the Night Poems From Daughter to Mother  Mother to Son from Tod at en theos press today!

Head Coach Gwendolyn Alley Prepares for The Women’s Conference with new poetry collection!

20 Oct

Yes that’s me, Gwendolyn Alley, in the black and white photo (under the Governor!) listed as a speaker at this year’s Women’s Conference, the premier conference and networking event for women in the country if not the world!

At least that’s how I look now! On Sunday, I will begin a makeover; on Monday night on the Main Stage in the Village at the conference will be the reveal!

Go see for yourself at the Women’s Conference Website!

Getting ready for this has kept me very busy! For the occasion I decided to put together a collection of my poetry that traces my journey of being a daughter, becoming a mother, and losing my mother all from the perspective of 3:15 am on August nights from 2002-2010.

I am also working on new business cards and bookmarks for the book and my business! I’m very very excited about being a part of the Women’s Conference and getting a makeover from the Style Network!

Please join me on my journey!

Writing is Re-Writing: Part 1

15 Sep

“What did you do today?” asked my husband last night as we were fixing dinner.

And I had to admit that I’d spent most of the day writing and rewriting a bio for the Women’s Conference.

“How many pages is it?” he asked.

“I’m trying to keep it around 100 words,” I answered.

For a non-writer like my husband, it is hard to imagine spending all day writing so few words. But poets do it all the time, spending hours crafting a few lines, a hundred words or so, on a regular basis. A good haiku may only have 17 syllables, but to convey so much meaning in so few words takes a lot of work!

How can it be that the better you become at writing the longer it takes you to write?

What happens is this: (more…)

Gwendolyn Alley Selected for Women’s Conference Style Network Makeover

8 Sep

I don’t think of myself as the auditioning for a reality show type of person.

Yet that’s what I found myself doing nearly three weeks ago when I was nominated by Tea Silvestre of Women’s Economic Ventures for a makeover by the Style Network show “How Do I Look?” hosted by Jeannie Mai. The big “reveal” is slated to be held on the Main Stage of the Women’s Conference as part of the Day of Transformation and Healing with Maria Shriver interviewing the lucky winner about her business.

That’s right, this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. I mean, Maria Shriver? Talking with me about my business in front of thousands of women? That’s got to be the ULTIMATE networking event!

So I drove down to LA and auditioned. I talked about myself, and WEV and why I was nominated. I told lots of stories, probably revealing way too much about myself as I made the casting director laugh and cry. I brought a huge suitcase full of clothes and held them up and told stories about them too.

And then I waited and waited and waited to hear the results–which I got today when the casting director Jill called to tell me I’d been selected!

As you can imagine, I am VERY excited! I mean, Maria Shriver? Hello? Deepak Chopra will be there and Tony Robbins and Carol Gilligan and one of my favorite poets Mary Oliver and Sally Fields and Suze Orman! Oh, and OPRAH! And 10,000 women a day will be attending! (more…)

--> --> --> --> --> -->
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 35 other followers

--> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> -->