A Brief Introduction to Wendy Wallbridge

Wendy Wallbridge, author of Spiraling Upward:the Five Co-Creative Powers for Women on the Rise, is a strategic and intuitive advisor to Fortune 100 leaders and teams. She produces women's gatherings such as TEDxSandHillRdWomen and Women's Evolutionary Leadership (WEL) and inspires women to develop their own unique leadership style leveraging their feminine strengths.

Her compassionate and positive outlook bring an upbeat and energizing lightness to every conversation. This year at the annual WITI Summit, she will be the beacon of the WITI Summit as the first speaker.

Her introduction will inspire and guide attendees to get the most of their Summit experience. In a brief discussion, she describes the purpose of her welcome speech, WITI as a whole, and how Dave and Carolyn Leighton pulled the curtain open in order for the world to see the amazing qualities of women and just what they can do.

WITI: How are you participating in the upcoming summit?

Wendy Wallbridge (WW): I will be a welcoming advocate, starting off the conference before the first keynote speaker, Linda Bernardi. With my kick-off, I will be inviting the audience and attendees to take advantage of the incredible opportunity to forge new friends and connections by being authentic. I'll encourage them to implement the most powerful takeaways from the conference into their daily routines. I want to get them thinking about why they came, and catalyze their courage to reach out and meet other people to build their network.

WITI: Have you been to the summit previously? What is your most memorable experience?

WW: Yes, on and off for the last thirteen years. I have been a member of WITI for 10 years. I have done so many things including speaking, moderating panels, and leading workshops. WITI Summits are a great blend of super-smart, technical women who have the desire to grow personally.

There are collegiality and a kinship that comes from the experience of a woman finding her tribe. Everyone wants to share and give, they want to help lift each other up. It is a truly unique environment where every woman can take away the profound appreciation for themselves and others.

WITI: What is one suggestion you can offer Summit goers?

WW: The Summit is a powerful gathering of great thinkers and accomplished women. I would like everyone to remember that you have something unique to contribute, and what you have to give is valuable to another, so don't be shy about it.

Remind yourself that you have just as much to help inspire and guide as someone else has for you. One of the important parts of the summit is to meet other women who could be part of your network, so take the opportunity to extend and share yourself with others.

WITI: What is one of the more interesting perceptions you have had as a speaker?

WW: It isn't through speaking where I have had my most enriching experiences, the value comes from how Carolyn and Dave [Leighton] grant permission for the speakers and panelists to be creative and showcase the best of themselves. The innovative contribution each presenter offers is a precious element of a WITI conference.

It provides a platform for women who have a quieter voice and who are deep thinkers to express themselves knowing that they can feel confident about being heard. Through this receptive, welcoming environment, Carolyn and Dave invite us to believe in ourselves and take away not just more competence but more confidence from the conference experience.

WITI: What do you hope participants take away from the speakers?

WW: We want women to feel they are not alone in their struggles to realize the challenges that they experience are shared and surmountable, and that the "lone ranger" path that women may have been used to is a thing of the past. Our aspiration for this conference is that it will embolden women to play in new areas where they feel drawn, but might not have tried without being exposed to another woman going for it. The WITI Summit is a definite confidence builder. When women feel connection and resonance they feel empowered to go forward and do things they may never have dreamed they could do.

Wendy Wallbridge is president and executive coach of On Your Mark Corporate Coaching and Consulting, www.onyourmarkcoach.com.

Kara Zone is a professional writer, editor, and graphic designer. She is the managing editor of WITI.com and enjoys working remotely. She is a critical thinker and builds departmental systems for companies to use when structuring organizational systems.

Opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of WITI.