By Chelsea Harrison
ON
a cold morning in February, Annapolis Moms Media welcomed over 100 women leaders and innovators in Annapolis to a local venue
Women business owners commiserated on similar problems. Women from different sectors connected and shared perspectives, saying things like, “Oh, I never knew that!” and “I’m so glad to finally meet you.” Women encouraged each other if they were nervous to give an interview. These might seem like small moments, but this is what I love about women working together. It’s not that some of us are in the room where it happens and some of us are outside. It’s a great big room and everyone is invited. It’s not how I can beat everyone else; it’s how can we all help each other win? There is room for everyone to have a seat at the table, as we are learning. We asked all the women* the same three questions: 1. What made you take the leap (start your business, run for office, become a leader, etc.)? 2. What are you working on currently that you are excited about? 3. What advice would you give your younger self? I hope you take some time to read the quotes on the following pages, and watch the interviews from that day online. These women share some truly inspiring stories and sage advice in their own words here, on our YouTube Channel, and on Instagram. I wrote a poem several years ago called Prose Poem for the Future ;** here’s an excerpt below. That day in February was an embodiment of what I was trying to say here. Here’s to the future! Women climbed the mountains and from this new height, they could see what needed to be done, and more importantly, they could see each other, each on her mountaintop, ready to work. The women ruled with compassion, logic, and virtue. The women thought, why didn’t we do this sooner? But the women never forgot the dark days behind them. They invented peace out of chaos. They reinvented truth. They invested in love. They nurtured compromise. The women believed, and it was thus.
for a photo shoot. In the following pages, you’ll get to see and hear some snapshots of what went on that day , but let me tell you about what you won’t see here. As our guests started arriving, there was a buzzy anticipation. Annapolis Mom Media’s (AMM) staff had been there since 7 a.m., so we were ready for them, but there was still a feeling of- Is this really happening? The first guest arrived, and then there were three, then seven, and then a whole crowd. Women began to cluster together, some old friends catching up, some meeting each other for the first time. The small group photographs began along with the individual interviews. Before we knew it, it was time for the whole group cover shot. For this special moment, our Publisher, Lisa, made an impromptu speech about the importance of these woman sharing their stories of inspiration. The reaction was palpable with tears, laughter, hugging and overall pride in our community. The AMM staff and I were there for over six hours that day, and there were many memorable moments, but my favorite moments were these: as I was standing around with a clipboard checking women in for their interviews, I couldn’t help but overhear women talking.
On cover but not in small group photos:
Lee Anderson, Producer/Principal Festival Director and Co-Founder, FILMSTERS Annapolis Film Festival Margaret E. Davis, President, Anne Arundel Women Giving Together Nora Demleitner, President, St. John's College Jess Wakefield, Owner, Stellar Staging & Design Patti White, Co-Founder and Principal, FILMSTERS Annapolis Film Festival
Photo by Meredith Minor for DANIE Photography
*While we did our best to gather quotes from every attendee, a few quotes were not available at time of press. **Originally published in From the Ashes by Animal Heart Press.
SPRING 2024 | 49
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