We recently had the privilege of attending this year’s Massachusetts Conference for Women. It reminded us how powerful it can be to come together, share ideas, and support one another—not just as professionals but as people.

The Massachusetts Conference for Women is an annual event that brings together thousands of women to connect and learn from each other and an extraordinary roster of speakers. Since it began in 2005, the Conference has grown into a sold-out event, this year with over 11,000 attendees, featuring dozens of expert speakers leading workshops and seminars on topics like personal finance, business, entrepreneurship, and well-being. This year’s keynote speakers included Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Gail Devers, Beverly Johnson, and Caitlin Clark.

While the day was filled with memorable wisdom from the many speakers, some standout moments were: 

• Hearing trailblazing women share their stories with 11,000 attendees in a single room.
• Connecting with clients and colleagues, diving into meaningful conversations, and hearing incredible panelists and speakers together.
• Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King’s warm, candid, and brilliant conversation, and reminiscences about their decades-long friendship.
• Oprah’s reflections on acting with intention and creating one’s legacy, with a wonderful anecdote from a conversation she had with Maya Angelou about the lives we touch.
• Stories from Gail Devers, Beverly Johnson, and Caitlin Clark, who have broken barriers to boldly redefine their industries.
• In a video shared during the conference, Marian Heard posed the question whether you’d rather be a big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond and answered, “I say own the pond.” 

The conference left us energized and grateful for the opportunity to hear from such remarkable women. It also reinforced the importance of building and tending to relationships—in our professional lives and beyond. As we head into the new year, we’ll carry these lessons with us as we think about ways to make an impact, both as a team and as individuals.