In business, as in life, networking is extremely important. It gives us an opportunity to connect with our contemporaries, to socialize and establish valuable relationships, while also having fun in the process. This is precisely what happened at the last European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ECCP) Wine and Wellness Night. The event, which took place on March 15, 2018, at the Regus Center, Net Park BGC, was spearheaded by my dear friend and current ECCP Women in Business Committee chairman, Sheila Lobien.
The ECCP Women in Business Committee is a fantastic group, which aims to enable professional women and influential female business leaders in the country to take a more active role in discussing issues that affect their professional growth. It helps these women build their business network, opens up opportunities, and initiates activities designed specifically for the development of women in business. Connecting, inspiring, empowering and nurturing one another for optimal output and productivity – These are values that the ECCP works towards and upholds.
For the Wine and Wellness Night, which was one of the organization’s Women’s Month activities, female professionals were invited to speak as part of the program. I had the pleasure of being one of the resource speakers, and my topic was “Create a Powerful Presence.” I shared the stage with two phenomenal women – Arlene Oliveros, the founder of World of Wines, gave a talk entitled Wine Wisdom and Wellness: Understanding Resveratrol and the Health Benefits of Drinking Wine, and Dr. Regina Talavera, Head of the Section of Palliative Care, Pain and Medical Acupuncture at Medical Center Manila, discussed Beauty Acupuncture.
My 15-minute talk was a short but impactful compact presentation. I hoped to educate the attendees on how to create a powerful executive presence, and open their eyes to its vital importance in each individual and organization. It is so much more than business etiquette or learning to look and act the part. Executive Presence is a powerful combination of leadership, mastery of communication and engagement expertise, leading to greater influence and productivity.
My topic was perfectly tailored to the attendees, which was made up of various C-level executives, managers, and professionals coming from different ECCP Members and sponsors. Some of the prestigious companies represented that evening were JLL Philippines, Healthway, Forth and Tay, PLDT, Crimson Boracay, Seda Hotels by Ayala, Belo, BioEssence, Ever Bilena, Evolve Yoga, Nature Spa, Stylist in a Pocket, and Ica Serafica Design. As leaders and decision makers in each of these companies, I felt it was important to enlighten and empower these women to strengthen their executive presence.
Opportunities like this are really valuable to me because I know what it feels like to be a woman in business. Being among the wonderful ladies in the audience that evening helped to enrich me, too. After the talk, I actually felt empowered because of the encouraging feedback I received. Even though my talk was only 15 minutes, they were able to truly understand the importance of executive presence, and see that while executive presence alone won’t get you promoted, its absence will certainly impede your progress. Some even said that I helped them realize how a workshop on this topic is an investment that all professionals should make, whether they are just starting their careers or are working to further it.
I was happy to have been able to do some networking myself during the event and build an interest in Radiance Image Consultancy as well. It was nice to hear that there were attendees interested in inviting us to conduct an Executive Presence program and workshop in their respective companies. This was the greatest compliment I could have hoped for.
You can read more about the event in the article clip from the Manila Times below.
If you would like to learn more about Executive Presence and why it matters, please read my article https://www.toni.ph/how-executive-presence-impacts-leadership/.
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