2021 Conference Watch Parties
Access to on-demand replay of this year’s keynote & breakout sessions ends Friday, December 17th. But we know you’re busy, and that part of the fun of a Conference for Women is experiencing it with fellow attendees.
That’s why we’re hosting lunchtime watch parties all this week—tune in to some of this year’s hottest sessions and interact with other attendees at the same time!
How to Participate
This opportunity is for 2021 Virtual Massachusetts Conference for Women attendees only. Please log in to the virtual Conference environment early so that you can click the “Watch Party” sign in the middle of main Lobby EXACTLY at 12:15 p.m. Eastern.
IMPORTANT: Some browsers will auto-play the video and some won’t; if your session doesn’t start immediately after clicking the “Watch Party” sign at 12:15 p.m., please press “Play” as soon as you can. This will ensure the best community/chat experience for all attendees.
*There are a few minutes of music and trivia at the top of each session – please do NOT fast forward through this. The session will begin approximately two minutes after the video starts playing.
Watch Party Schedule
MONDAY, Dec. 13: The Lost Art of Connecting: Reclaim the Power of Human Contact
Networking is often considered a necessary evil for all working professionals. With social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook at our disposal, reaching peers, investors, clients or employers is that much easier. Yet, these connections often feel transactional, agenda-driven, and dehumanizing, leaving professionals feeling burnt out and stressed out – even more so now as remote work limits our human interaction. In this session, serial connector and communications expert, Susan McPherson, will guide you through her 3-step “Gather, Ask, Do” methodology to help you uncover a new way to network and connect in a meaningful way. You will learn how to reclaim the power of human contact, and use technology as a tool versus a means to an end so that you build authentic relationships that last.
Speaker: Susan McPherson, serial connector, founder and CEO, McPherson Strategies and author
TUESDAY, Dec. 14: Fighting Fear and Living Audaciously
We’re all afraid after living in fear for over a year – subconsciously for many – scared to leave our homes, go to the market or see a friend in person. Fear isn’t new however. Before the pandemic we were afraid – scared to ask for what we want because we’re afraid of hearing “no.” Afraid of being different, of being too much or not enough. Afraid of leaving behind the known for the unknown. But in order to do the things that will truly, meaningfully change our lives – and actually start living again, we have to become professional troublemakers: people who are committed to not letting fear talk them out of the things they need to do; not to be fearless, but to know we are afraid and charge forward regardless. Learn how to live boldly in a new world in spite of all the reasons we have to cower.
Speaker: Luvvie Ajayi Jones, New York Times best-selling author, podcast host, & digital strategist
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 15: The Burnout Fix
We all know that excessive stress is a health hazard. What is less talked about are the effects of burnout on business performance. Stress makes people nearly three times as likely to leave their jobs, temporarily impairs strategic thinking, and lowers creative abilities. Burnout is a growing phenomenon in the workplace – leaders experience it as individuals and at same time responsible for teams feeling it. Being able to address and mitigate burnout is a critical new leadership skill as we navigate this new world of work for ourselves and our teams. Explore ways you can take care of yourself and also develop team cultures that inspire people to tap into their core resilience capabilities. Learn how to develop team norms; recognize and respond to burnout in your people; guard your team against the six person-job mismatches that lead to burnout and foster conditions for increased psychological safety.
Speaker: Dr. Jacinta M. Jiménez, award-winning psychologist & author, The Burnout Fix
THURSDAY, Dec. 16: Racial Justice: Navigating the Workplace with Dignity
Growing up in majority-white schools, organizations, and churches, Austin Channing Brown “had to learn what it means to love blackness”. In this session she will share her personal journey to self-worth and explore the complexity of America’s social fabric–from Black Cleveland neighborhoods to private schools in the middle-class suburbs, from prison walls to the boardrooms at majority-white organizations. After her remarks, she will be joined in conversation to explore insights for navigating America’s racial divide, ways to practice genuine inclusion and why we must confront apathy. Together they will shed new light on racial justice and inequality while offering concrete actions to take with hope for a better future.
Speaker: Austin Channing Brown, media producer, best-selling author, and racial justice advocate
Moderator: Celeste Headlee, award-winning journalist & author, We Need To Talk, Do Nothing and Speaking of Race