Inspiring Women Live!, the unique Bristol events that urge businesswomen to prioritise their personal development while pursuing professional goals, will have an expanded programme next year after a successful 2014.
Devised by Bristol events management specialist Amanda Kerin, pictured, and launched just six months ago, Inspiring Women Live! invites working women from every field of business to meet every two months to network and hear from two expert speakers. 
Chosen for their inspirational qualities, the speakers share knowledge, tools and insight from her field, describing their personal and professional journeys to success. With a focus on sharing and learning in an ego-free environment, the events encourage women to regularly refocus career goals, and warns against the dangers of sacrificing personal development.
Amanda said: “Through Inspiring Women Live! I want to share the message that you needn’t compromise your personal life in order to achieve business success.
“By taking a pro-active and mindful approach, it is possible to bring your personal and professional lives into alignment. More importantly, it’s my belief that only by doing so can you gain true career satisfaction.”
To devise the Inspiring Women Live! ethos, Amanda drew upon her own direct experience of work-induced stress. Following a stellar career of more than 10 years in broadcast production and event management, during which she achieved award-winning success, Amanda experienced an unexpected and debilitating period of ‘burnout’ in 2012. Through her recovery she developed the concept for a series of events designed to support women in a new way of working and thinking.
“Businesswomen today have so little ‘switch off’ time,” said Amanda. “In this digital world it has become the norm to be permanently on call in high pressure roles. If we find it tough, there’s a tendency to think it must be our own fault, ignore it and just keep on going.
“It’s easy to fall into the trap of blindly chasing career goals without staying true to your own personal aspirations, but by doing so you risk jeopardising your emotional and physical wellbeing. I learnt the hard way, and I want to prevent women from making the same mistakes as I did. Inspiring Women Live! is designed to help women realise their own needs for work/life balance, giving them the courage to say ‘no’, whilst still supporting them to be successful.”
Since launching in May, the popular events have consistently attracted audiences of more than 50, and plans are already in place for business expansion. Next year Amanda aims to roll out a new offering of bespoke retreats, in particular for staff teams whose employers are looking to develop the professional and personal wellbeing of their workforce.
She said: “We’ve received such a fantastic response in our first six months that we’re already developing the next stage of the business, exploring what our approach can offer professionals around the country, as well as employers looking to ensure they have a healthy and happy workforce that will be most productive, with reduced risk of costs to cover stress related sick leave.”
The next Inspiring Women Live! event takes place on November 13, featuring guest speakers Bray Leino’s learning director Stephanie Morgan, who will discuss gender development at board level and how women should pursue board appointments, and Karen Lowe, image consultant and personal stylist, who will discuss why image matters and how the clothes we wear can have a positive or negative impact on how we feel about ourselves.
To book tickets now, or to find our more, visit www.inspiringwomenlive.co.uk
