By Evan Bailyn (Bestselling Author & Co-Producer, Women Rock It)
We all have a sneaking suspicion somewhere deep inside of us that maybe we just can’t do it. Maybe we will fail. And we really don’t want to fail. So if something seems risky to us, we think “Better to avoid it. It probably wouldn’t have worked out anyway.”
Ignoring all the logic -– the fact that we learn more from failures than from successes, the fact that failure actually breeds success –- we plod along absolutely terrified of some faceless embarrassment.
We all feel this way. The insecure teenager, the first-time entrepreneur, the placid-faced CEO, the seasoned politician -– everyone.
What struck me and my Women Rock It co-founder, Hyla Molander, is that when you get into a room with people and one person admits it, suddenly all the walls come down. Suddenly it’s OK to admit that you’re scared. Just like that.
We came up with the idea for Women Rock It one day during a conversation about how much we have in common. Both Hyla and I have had our share of successes, and most of the time, we’re out there talking about them. But when the dreaded secret came out that –- oh my! –- we had plenty of failures too, something extraordinary started to happen.
We realized how much power there is in getting people together to share their honest stories. We carefully chose speakers for Women Rock It who are passionate, successful, and inspiring –- but brutally honest. What gave us chills as we put together this program is the fact that we know that we are all capable of achieving greatness, whatever our personal definition of that word is, if we can only get out of our own way.
If we can get comfortable with our fears -– not get rid of them, because that takes a long time, but truly make peace with the fact that they exist –- and open ourselves to what we genuinely love, we can accomplish far more than we ever thought possible.
That is what Women Rock It is about. The roster of speakers is incredible. But the environment is what I hope everyone will remember. Women Rock It is about women learning to find their voice, own their passions, and see through the mirage of their self-imposed limitations. It is also about men supporting women in achieving their goals, because we have gone long enough in a business environment dominated by men. I hope I can contribute in some small way to that paradigm shift by being the male founder of an event supporting the progress of women.
Please join us on October 27, 2011 at Madrone Studios in San Francisco for inspiration, practical advice, delicious food and drinks, and phenomenal company. Hyla and I can’t wait to see you there.
Women 2.0 readers save 30% on Women Rock It tickets when you register here.
Editor’s note: Got a question for our guest blogger? Leave a message in the comments below.
About the guest blogger: Evan Bailyn is an internet entrepreneur, bestselling author, and child advocate. He is primarily known as a search engine optimization expert, having used his ability to rank at the top of Google to build and sell five businesses, including one of the largest children’s websites online. His first book, Outsmarting Google, debuted to rave reviews in mid-2011. Its sequel, Outsmarting Social Media, comes out in early 2012. Follow him on Twitter at @ineffable111.
