How Fear Empowered Me to Find My Voice and Build a Forum For Women

I am a feminist.

I strongly believe in equality of the sexes and I make no excuses or apologies on my position.

Although I wasn’t always vocal about it, I had taken a stand on women’s rights and other interests since I can remember. My silent stance didn’t matter much, it was those moments when I needed to step up but didn’t.

It was those moments of being treated unfairly that I bit my tongue, afraid to voice my displeasure, afraid to be labeled the “Trouble maker” or the one that wasn’t a team player. The times I feared being branded as “The angry black woman” more than I feared my confidence corroding were not my best moments and certainly not my proudest.

When I worked in a corporate setting. I was silent far too long as I watched women on my team, highly educated and profoundly driven women, receive lower wages than their (some times less accredited) male counterparts. My silence didn’t protect me and it didn’t help them. My silence didn’t serve the next generation. It added to the problem. It perpetuated a cycle and for that, I am apologetic.

No more.

My business, Rising Media LLC was founded on that No More-ism. Sometimes you have to use fear as a motivator, as a game-changer. You have to use what is holding you back to push you forward.

I am fully dedicated to helping women find their voice and advance through the terrain. And thank goodness I’m not alone. There are many women and men leading strong initiatives for equality and it takes all of us to burn the myths, kill the head-trash and challenge old thinking.

Raquel with the Be Bold Panelists: Heather Terry, Dominion Energy, Diana Fusco, Spectrum Reach, Kathleen Buse, Ph.D, ERC and Katherine Brandt, Thompson Hine.

While we keep working, I find it necessary to pull high-potential women aside to polish skills and present new ideals. I find it absolutely necessary to build a platform for a unique conversation that elevates everyone in the room.

When I created Woman of Power Conference, A Raquel Eatmon Leadership Forum in 2008, there was a simple purpose: Create an engagement that replenishes, strengthens and connects us. Today, eleven years later it’s still very simple.

On April 4, 2019 hundreds of women (and some men) from diverse work-styles connected on a single idea, a challenging theme: Beyond Enough: Leading with Your Whole Self. This theme shares the title of my recent book. I wrote it with the intention of providing a courageous, self-reflective roadmap for proactive women. I enrolled three partners to help transport readers to their destination: Be Worthy, Be Wise and Be Whole.

Woman of Power Conference (WoPC) 2019 presented this roadmap, live through stellar thought leaders. Executives voiced solidarity in helping high-potentials maximize opportunities and create a Beyond Enough mentality.

Be Whole Panelists: Dr.Holly Perzy, MetroHealth, Stephanie Kovacs, Oswald Companies, Dr. Casen DeMaria, Drugless Doctors and Nike Olabisi-Green, Nola Movements.

Keynote Speakers, Cleveland Clinic’s Kristen Morris and Oswald Companies’ Marc Byrnes delved into their personal stories to connect with attendees through a direct, transparent approach.

Raquel Eatmon and Kristen Morris, Chief Govt. & Community Relations Officer, Cleveland Clinic welcome questions from the audience.

Keynote speaker Marc S. Byrnes, Chairman, Oswald Companies shares insight on Compassionate Leadership.

The Signature Speakers, Ronn Richard, Dr. Martina Moore and Dennis Devine opened up conversations that guided participants to making an impact in life, the workplace and community.

CEO, The Cleveland Foundation, Ronn Richard created a roadmap for attendees through his speech: Leadership in Uncertain Times & A Changing Workforce.

Dennis Devine, KeyBank, Dr. Martina Moore, Moore Counseling & Mediation and Barb Smith, KeyBank discuss - Male Allies and Why We Need Them.

If we’re going to make our lives better, build our communities and make an impact in the world we have to have resources. We have to have access to the “how’ and the “why” and we need to stay in good company to achieve our goals.

WoPC is a resource and we’re all in good company.  I’m proud to work on a cause that elevates and challenges us. Stay tuned, there is so much more to come.

Your Partner,
Raquel