9 to Thrive

The 9 to Thrive expo by Business Chicks took place in Sydney on August 11^th and 12^th at the Royal Hall of Industries. All in all, it was a day full of food and beauty samples, speakers and inspiration.

I’ve been to various other expo’s to motivate and inspire women and this one definitely stood out from the rest. So here’s what I got up to throughout the day and why it was such a standout for me…

The moment I stepped through the doors I knew it was going to be an enjoyable day. There were large pink signs hung everywhere (my fav colour) and girls we’re tucking into kale and pumpkin salads and sipping on coffee and Kombucha.

First stop was the coffee booth, where I picked my own organic coffee pod, put it in a Nespresso machine and a barista’s topped it off with frothy almond milk (the only way I like it!). I felt catered for and I was loving it!

The Hall was filled with food, health and beauty pop up stalls including Doterra, Philosophy, Kombucha, Benefit, Chobani and as you can probably tell Doughnut time was by far my favourite! By the end of the day my bag was filled to the brim with samples.

Time went by so fast that I had missed most of all the guest speakers but I wasn’t bothered because there was so much to see… and EAT! I was unfamiliar with most of the speakers and I originally purchased my ticket just to see – Kayla Itsines, Kelsey Wells and Sjana Earp.

My friend, Erica (@yeswanderlust) and I had secured two seats an hour and a half prior to hearing them speak. This was the last session of the day and there were many fans in the room!

The girls came on stage with enthusiasm and flamboyance. In particular, Kayla Itsines was full of nervous laughter, and it’s not the first time she’s forgotten what question the host asked her. She’s extremely humble and relatable.

Sjana Earp entered the stage with the most infectious smile and her outfit was BANGING. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. Her laughter was contagious and her presence was extremely uplifting.

Lastly but not the least of the three stars, was the beautiful Kelsey Wells, whom I was most looking forward to see! Besides the fact that she is amazingly gorgeous – she had a very calm and confident energy about her.

The girls began speaking about their involvement in the creation of their app, SWEAT. And individually, there was so much to learn from each of the girls.

Sjana told us of her struggles with mental health and finding relief through yoga. Sjana (like me) left school early battling depression and anxiety and she’s inspired millions of women around the world to practice yoga. She left a huge impact on me.

Kayla reminded everyone that when seeking out a new business venture, to ask others about the ‘not so good’ parts, the things that can go wrong, so you’re prepared when they come up. And to always keep asking people questions. ‘Knowledge is power’.

Kelsey prompted everyone to “Just go for it!” and Sjana quoted Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love, “follow your curiosity”.

Overall, what I really loved most about the day was the key message and purpose of the event itself – for women to empower women. Too often, and a trend created by our age of society in social media, is women competing with one another. We are not in competition with one another and if we could only see that, we could help each other reach our own unique success. Women can truly thrive off each others support if we would only allow it. 

I truly felt the support and encouragement in the room that day, through every women that walked by and smiled and every compliment shared. Expo’s like this were made to leave you feeling more motivated then when you arrived, and it’s true. I did.

So remember, real queens fix each others crowns. Trust your gut. And it’s always cool to be kind!