The Women Creating Success Conference was a big hit this year. With more than 150 women in attendance, the event put on by the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce focused on motivating women and giving them tools to be successful in the workplace and in life.

Marilee Wallace, the sales and membership director at the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce, has been organizing this event for seven years.

“Every year seems to have its own theme, and it really comes together with the speakers. I let them decide what they want to talk about,” she said. “This year seems to be more about rising above. All the speakers are talking about overcoming and rising above.”

Along with personality workshops and presentations about utilizing technology, a few of the speakers shared their stories about overcoming obstacles, both in the workplace and their daily lives.

Jennifer Lehn, chief operations officer at Numerica Credit Union, gave a moving speech about her determination to rise through the ranks at her job as a young woman in a man’s world. She also talked about her experience overcoming a stroke to return to the workplace. After her stroke, Lehn became a much more quiet person and was given less responsibilities at work than she had before. But, before long, she was rising up again.

Lehn left the women in the room some points of advice for getting through change: Allow yourself a little bit of worry time, but not too much and not at work, accept change as an opportunity to learn, don’t be a vicim and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Some of the women who attended the conference have been coming for years, and others were there for the first time.

Kallie Gordon, marketing coordinator for Kootenai Urgent Care

Q — Why are you here?

A — I wanted to get together with like-minded individuals and learn some good stuff to help me succeed in my career.

Q — Is this your first time at this conference? Do you like it so far?

A — Yes. It’s really good. I like being in a room with all women, it’s just empowering.

Q — Would you come back again?

A — I will absolutely will come back.

Q — What are you getting out of this conference?

A — That I’m not alone in some of the things I feel. Getting empowerment out of things from other women in higher positions and knowing that I can reach that someday.

Q — What is one thing you learned today that you will apply to your own life?

A — I think one of the things I struggle with is accepting change. One of the things I learned from the last speaker is to roll with it and it will usually benefit you in the end; and to let your walls down and everything will be OK in the end.

Carly Boyer, administrative assistant at Kootenai Urgent Care and marketing assistant at Lakewood Physical therapy

Q — Why are you here?

A — I am here with Kallie, learning about how we can better market ourselves so that we can help our companies thrive and grow. We compete against a lot of men, and somehow Kallie one ups all of them, so it’s a chance not only to learn from her but to learn from a lot of women who are finding success in the business world that we are trying to get into as well.

Q — Is this your first time at this conference? Do you like it so far? Would you come back?

A — I haven't been to a women’s conference here, but I’ve been to other conferences in the area. I would definitely come back to this one, yes. I like how energetic it is, it’s very welcoming. It’s not a cold conference just sitting in rows of chairs where you're just listening to one speaker after the next. The women talk for just enough time that you get information but not so long that you’re getting bored of the topic or the speaker themselves. Everyone is very relatable, you can find someone that is walking in your shoes currently, or who has been there.

Q — What are you getting out of this conference?

A — Personally, I like talking to people, I like making the connections. So as I’m talking with someone, it’s figuring what can we get out of a professional relationship together and how the both of us can thrive in whatever company it is. It’s not just making professional networking relationships, it’s finding people you can even be friends with, especially since we’re all women battling the business world together.

Q — What is one thing you learned today that you will apply to your own life?

A — I wish I was better at change. I know I need to be better at change and currently our company has been going through some changes, and I have some good mentors there. But I enjoyed listening to how Jennifer handled the change and that even good change, you’re going to have to roll with it no matter what comes. You have to stay on your toes too.

Jamie Smith, client services representative for Stifel Investments

Q — Why are you here?

A — To get in touch with the female community because women are running the show now, there’s a lot more women that are taking the lead and I want to help them to make decisions based on their own lives rather than as a family. We tend to nurture and see ourselves in a partnership with someone else rather than as individuals. So I wanted to get out here and see where women’s heads are as far as what their futures look like and where I can help them make good decisions later for themselves.

Q — Is this your first time at this conference? Do you like it so far?

A — No, I've just gone to a few Upbeat Breakfasts and I’ve met a few of the women and I thought this is was the way to get involved and be more present without it being such a social event. Women tend to have more in common, we talk more casually at these kind of events, so we can develop better friendships and get to know people better.

Q — Would you come back?

A — Absolutely, I’d recommend it to anyone. I think the speakers, I’ve seen and met a few of them before, but to actually hear their stories, I can see where it applies to my life.

Q — What are you getting out of this conference?

A — Encouragement. In the world you have to keep going. You’re plugging along uphill and you’re wondering ‘why am I doing this,’ and you kind of get reminded it’s more the journey than the destination, so along the way you have to take something good from it.

Q — What is one thing you learned today that you will apply to your own life?

A — Being receptive to the change, not being afraid of it. I think when Jennifer said that today, that’s something I’m facing right now, so it gave me a ‘it’s going to be OK’ and I’m going to get through it and be better for it.

Melody Forsmann, director of sales for Holiday Inn Express

Q — Why are you here?

A — I’m just here to connect with fellow, successful women in our area.

Q — Is this your first time at this conference? Do you like it so far?

A — This is probably my fourth or fifth year at this event. It’s definitely one I’ve been to and go to and I’ve really enjoyed it.

Q — Why do you come back?

A — I come back because the atmosphere is really engaging and it gets you more driven about the community and the people here in it. There’s always great people to meet.

Q — What are you getting out of this conference?

A — The people you meet, the women here, the motivation and just engaging with other successful women in our community is the best thing that I think you come out of this full-day event with.

Q — What is one thing you learned today that you will apply to your own life?

A — One of the speakers talked about change and how every day you are going to come across change in your life and how to handle that, and just always taking everything in stride and being positive and just learning to take things with a positive influence.

Rachael Shelley, office manager for American Family Insurance

Q — Why are you here?

A — I am coming out to see amazing business women. I’m here with my mom, too. I invited her as a guest because we’ve come to a lot of these events together and we’re both driven by other successful women. She’s my biggest mentor.

Q — Is this your first time at this conference? Do you like it so far?

A — Yes, I love any event that you leave feeling inspired. I think you need to tap into inspiration as much as you can.

Q — What are you getting out of this conference?

A — Learning about how people overcome obstacles, and tapping into their inspiration and motivation to do that in the future.

Q — What is one thing you learned today that you will apply to your own life?

A — Probably, about overcoming obstacles and changes because we’re going through some changes and it’s just how to take it and roll with it, personal and business.

Q — What is it like being here with your mom?

A — Full of laughs! We took the personality test and we are equal across the board, so we did learn a lot in regards to that, we are the same person, cloned.