tedxhouston 2012: look for the light

I had the honour of speaking at TEDxHouston in 2012. Click the image above to watch.

mom 2.0 summit
ritz-carlton hotel, key biscayne, florida
may 3-5, 2012

I was so honoured to speak on a panel with the amazing Gabrielle Blair, Nicole Feliciano and Jessica Shyba, to a standing-room only audience of incredibly creative and entrepreneurial women. We discussed setting the course for what's next in the blogging world -- such a great experience.

senior leadership onsite
fort benning maneuver center of excellence, georgia
april 26, 2012

I was so honoured to speak to women soldiers and military wives at the Ft. Benning Maneuver Center of Excellence in Columbus, Georgia. The experience completely overwhelmed me, and is one I'll never forget.

You can read all about it here.

erma bombeck writers' workshop
university of dayton
april 19-21, 2012

For the second year, I was a member of the faculty of one of the most prestigious writers' workshops in the country, the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop.

You can read all about my experience here.

women's leadership conference
the cunningham center for leadership development, columbus, georgia
march 14-15, 2012

I was so honoured to join a roster of amazing speakers at the Women's Leadership Conference at Columbus State University. It was a packed house, filled with inspiring women -- definitely one of the highlights of my 2012!

dad 2.0 summit
hyatt lost pines, austin, texas
march 8-10, 2012

I was thrilled to be a part of a panel entitled "Pack Mentality: Dads and the Power of Community." My co-panelists included Jim Higley, Lance Somerfield, Matt Schneider, Jason Sperber and Roland Warren. It was such an honour.

the creative connection/blogher handmade
st. paul, minnesota
september 14-16, 2011

I was thrilled to be a part of the closing keynote panel for BlogHer Handmade, as well as part of the VIP Breakfast Keynote for The Creative Connection Event. (Click here to read more...)

featured piece on the huffington post, august 10, 2011

I'm so honoured to a contributor to Huffington Post's Impact blog -- dedicated to spotlighting social good -- writing about my experience visiting Kenya with ONE.org.

You can read the entire piece here.

blogher '11 -- san diego, california
august 4-6, 2011

For the fifth time in six years, I was honoured to speak at the BlogHer '11 convention in San Diego, California. I spoke twice: first, during an all-day workshop with Gwen Bell on "Blog as Life-Changer," and then secondly as part of a panel on owning your beauty. It was a wonderful time.

it only takes ONE mom -- kisumu & nairobi, kenya july 23-31, 2011

The trip of a lifetime: I traveled with 9 other bloggers, courtesy of ONE.org, to Kenya, to witness the issues of extreme poverty, and learn how they are being overcome –- from meeting with health care workers and women farmers, to learning about education issues in one of Africa’s largest urban slums. I hope to bring back images and stories of the boundless beauty of Kenya.

Scroll through these posts to read all about the experience, and click here to see the entire photo gallery.

st. ambrose university -- davenport, iowa
july 19, 2011

I was so honoured to be the keynote speaker of The Women's Connection luncheon in Davenport, Iowa. We discussed self-empowerment and taking control of your own story. It was a fantastic time.

kariwak holistic haven & hotel -- crown point, tobago
june 17, 2011

While in my homeland, I was thrilled to speak at one of the true jewels of Tobago, the Kariwak Holistic Haven & Hotel. This beautiful place once had, as one of its guests, the Dalai Lama himself: it is a peaceful, joy-filled place to be.

Click here to read all about the experience.

a world of possibilities -- port-of-spain, trinidad
june 16, 2011

I was so honoured to return to my homeland of Trinidad and Tobago, to speak at the launch of the World of Possibilities, organized by Giselle Hudson.

Speaking with me was Dr. Marcia Reynolds. It was a true honour.

world domination summit, portland, oregon
june 4-5, 2011

I was so thrilled to be the closing keynote of Day 1 of the World Domination Summit. It was such an amazing, inspiring day.

Click here to read about the awesome experience.

pbs' "living smart"

Earlier this year, I was so honoured to be the guest on PBS' "Living Smart." Click the video above to watch the entire episode!

writers in the schools -- houston young writers reading series
may 1, 2011

The speaking engagement I'd been most excited about: I spoke to kids whose writing was selected as part of a juried competition, where they will be reading their pieces to the public at Discovery Green.

Click here to learn more about the Houston Young Writers Reading Series.

And click here to read about the awesome experience.

college smart: the beauty of different

Watch this video to see what University of Houston students had to say about beauty and different -- such great words!

mom 2.0 summit, new orleans, louisiana
april 14-16, 2011

I had so much fun at the Mom 2.0 Summit, discussing the reinvention and website evolution with my amazing co-panelists, Asha Dornfest, Jessica Ashley, Heather Flett and Laurie Smithwick. An amazing time with some wickedly intelligent women.

towson university, towson, maryland
wednesday, march 30, 2011

I was honoured to speak with the students of Towson University about 10 Lessons I Learned While Writing a Book, and to a creative writing class on The Process of Seeing.

You can read about my experience here. Thanks so much, Towson!