A nearby wedding venue was transformed into a vibrant hub of creativity and empowerment last week as the Lightweaver Foundation and the Harrington Center hosted a special event celebrating women in business. This incredibly fun celebration of women-owned local businesses, and women in leadership positions elsewhere, was electric and inspiring. During the event, women were able to visit a few different stations where local businesses had set up shop, offering a bit of pampering in the form of permanent jewelry, candle making, flower bouquets, etc.
These women certainly deserved a bit of pampering. After all, each and every one of them is a key pillar of our community.
Because Lightweaver is a large part of putting on this event, we invited our founder Emily Sanderson, COO and co-president of Dragonsteel, to talk to the women in attendance as one of the most successful, well-rounded, and balanced leaders in the community. Emily readily accepted and gave a truly inspiring speech about the uniqueness that women can bring to their roles, and why that should be celebrated.
Why Are We Celebrating?
Below is an edited transcript of Emily Sanderson’s thought-provoking speech:
I was reflecting recently on Women's History Month. Did you know it’s been celebrated every March since 1911? That’s crazy. And, if you didn’t know this about me already, I’m a word nerd. Being a word nerd, I had the thought to look up what it actually means to celebrate.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, to celebrate is "to acknowledge a significant or happy day or event with a social gathering or enjoyable activity." And I thought that was exactly what we’re doing today.
(Side note… This led me to wonder about the opposite of celebration—which turns out to be overlooking, forgetting, casting aside, or denigrating. These alternatives sound terrible, and I'm grateful we're choosing celebration today.)
In that same vein, does celebrating someone mean we must diminish someone else? Is recognition a zero-sum game where lifting one person requires lowering another? Thankfully, this is a false dichotomy—a logical fallacy that limits our options to only two when more exist. Celebration is not zero-sum. We can celebrate all women in this room—and the men who support us—simultaneously, without diminishing anyone.
I recently discovered Barbara Annis's book "The Brilliance of the Female Mind," which resonated deeply with me. Annis describes her early career as the only woman on a sales team, where she worked tirelessly to succeed in a male-dominated environment. She sought advice from her mentor, John, who simply told her to "toughen up" or "deal with it."
Fascinated by the psychology behind successful business interactions, Annis eventually developed courses teaching women how to succeed in business. During one such event, a participant named Victoria challenged her: "Why do we need to fix who we are?"
This question sparked an epiphany for Annis. She realized she was standing before brilliant women in her pinstriped pantsuit, telling them to conform to a male-dominated business world. She recognized that women bring unique value precisely because of their differences, not despite them.
Through extensive study in psychology and neuroscience, Annis identified strengths that many women naturally bring to business:
- Building meaningful relationships
- Collaborative problem-solving
- Creating community and belonging
- Thinking divergently and creatively
- Active listening
- Emotional intelligence
- Inclusivity and seeking diverse input
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Persistence in problem-solving
- Considering long-term stability and sustainability
- Resilience
- Effective conflict resolution
- Courage and integrity
What strikes me about this impressive list is that these qualities aren't exclusive to women, nor do all women possess them equally. However, they represent strengths that many women bring naturally to their work and leadership.
The beauty of our time is that we can share these strengths with each other, supporting and uplifting one another without limitation. There is enough attention, praise, validation, and love for all of us. We don't have to choose between celebrating ourselves or others. We can do both.
I'll leave you with Annis's words: "My wish for you is that you continue to recognize and embrace the extraordinary strength you possess as a woman. When you encounter barriers or pitfalls, may you see them for what they truly are—opportunities for growth—and continue your brilliant journey with unwavering confidence."
For more information about future Lightweaver Foundation events, visit our website. To learn why Brandon and Emily Sanderson founded Lightweaver, you can read their own words here.