Expo Inspires Women for Success

August 24, 2008
By Betsy Simon,
The Sentinel Record


Women can have children, hold down a marriage and still achieve any goals they set for themselves if they have the motivation to ride out the tough times in life and keep striving for a better day ahead, according to the panel of speakers at this year's EMwomen's Nation EMerge Conference and Expo.

Staci Wallace, a Hot Springs resident and founder of EMwomen, a global organization founded by Wallace and her husband to inspire females to find a balance between their personal and professional lives that will allow them to live positive lives while excelling at the multiple roles they play in life, brought the event to the Hot Springs Convention Center on Saturday to inspire women to change their lives today with motivational speakers at Horner Hall and a business expo.

Wallace was one of the day's motivational speakers, which also included Joseph Christiano, a naturopathic doctor; Dianna Booher, CEO of Booher Consultants; Sally Carder, president of National Park Community College; and Gracie Updyke, CEO of Gracies-Gear.com.

As the first speaker, Wallace encouraged the audience to keep an open mind as they listened to the tips from each speaker and think about how their messages can fit into their lives.

"My husband and I moved to Hot Springs two years ago and started this organization because we are passionate about seeing women emerge to the next level of greatness," she said. "Each of us can do better that we're currently doing, whether it's with our finances or health. No matter what has happened in your past history, you can always do better. By the end of the day, the goal is for you to be able to laugh and leave at the end with a feeling that you can go out and conquer the world. Whether you're a mom or a CEO of a company, you have to believe in your brand - 'You Incorporated' ."

For women to begin feeling a sense of strength in their lives, Updyke, a former fitness trainer and physiologist at Duke University who started an exercise clothing line for women, said they have to decide what their dreams are and set goals that will help to achieve them.

"I want to empower each of you to meet your fullest potential, and if you're not following your passion ask yourself why not," she said. "I used to see women in my office every day who didn't feel comfortable in their own skin, but there wasn't clothing out on the market they felt comfortable exercising in.

"Well, I' m a risk taker and I told my husband I wanted to start my own clothing line for women and he supported me when I started my company Gracie's Gear."

Through family issues and the birth of her daughter, Updyke weathered criticism from potential buyers of clothing and came out swinging when Dick's Sporting Goods agreed to begin selling her gear in a quarter of their stores next year. She asked the audience to remember that every setback in their lives are just set backs and not the end.


"Success in your lives won't happen overnight, but stay committed to your passion," she said. "Even if you're afraid, it's better to go after your goals than to sit back on the sidelines and watch someone else achieve theirs."