If you’re a Black businesswoman, artist or creative, this read is for you! The 6th Annual Black Business Women Rock (BBWR) Conference & Expo is approaching and Black businesswomen everywhere are making plans to attend. Founded in 2011 by Natalyn Randle, BBWR has grown exponentially, boasting hundreds of attendees during last year’s expo and connecting thousands more.
This year, attendees can expect a two-day extravaganza, the first day designed specifically for specialized workshops, and the second day dedicated to panel discussions, networking opportunities, vendors, entertainment and a plethora of business resources for attendees.
The theme for this year’s expo is “Mind Your Temple, Build Your Empire”, and Randle says she wanted the experience to be transformative for each woman from the inside out. “I’m focusing this year not just on the outer appearance and what we’re doing with our businesses, it’s pretty much the inner connect,” Randle said.
“What are we doing to these temples? What are we saying to ourselves? What are we feeding ourselves? Are we committing to ourselves? First, I want you to commit to you, because if you commit to you, then you can commit to me,” Randle declared.
“If you can commit to you, then you’ll be able to commit fully to your business. If you can commit to you and take care of yourself, then you’ll be able to serve others. The inner will take care of the outer,” Randle continued.
Randle says that adding a second day to the expo was essential to ensure women walked away with the tools needed to build their businesses. “I noticed that they wanted more; they said it wasn’t enough time, we wanted more.” And more time is exactly what has been granted, with more than 20 workshops, including “Money Right: Body Tight” and “Are You Chasing Money, Like You Chase a Man?” taking place on the first day. “We’re tapping into both, the inner and outer for two days, and then after that, we celebrate at the after party,” Randle stated.
BBWR also has an online business directory that connects business owners in different industries. “If you want to start, grow or expand your business, the resources are there,” Randle said.
Personally, Randle recently released her first book, “Behind the Scenes to Greatness: Lessons and Blessings on My Purpose Journey”, which she says is an opportunity to share the brokenness she experienced at a young age and her journey to reaching success. “I thought broken was bad, but broken is beautiful, and so I share my story and include the gift that God has given me, my vision, and that is the Black Business Women Rock organization. That is my ministry,” Randle said.
The Black Business Women Rock expo is scheduled to take place on Friday, November 17 and Saturday, November 18 at the Torrance Marriot in Torrance, CA. Get your tickets by visiting www.blackbusinesswomenrock.com.