With Nashville as the backdrop, the Female Integrator Mastermind (FIM) Summit hosted more than 150 female integrators in early November 2022. Surrounded by music, creativity, art, and culture, it’s no wonder inspiration flowed during the three-day gathering. I’ve had the honor and privilege of being involved with FIM since 2017 and I continue to find great value in and inspiration from this group of powerful, badass women. The 2022 Summit once again proved the sum of all of us is better than each of us individually. I took many more than five takeaways from my time in Nashville, though here are the highlights:
1. Why I Attend
Over and over, FIM provides a space where women come together to support one another and to freely share information and resources. I attend Summit because many of the powerful, badass females I work with, I met through FIM. I attend the in-person Summit event because of the contagious energy, enthusiastic vibe, and long-lasting relationships which are the things that help me to stay focused on what matters.
2. Partner Connections
FIM’s annual summit is where we connect with partners. Rockstars such as Titus Talent, Convergo, Process Optimizer, Playbook Builder, and Delegate Solutions are just a few of the supporters that the Catalyst Team looks forward to seeing each year. These allies not only provide valuable resources to me and to my team throughout the year, they also make Summit possible. I am grateful for their support and for the many resources these companies provide to my colleagues and clients.
3. Dynamic Speakers
The amazing speakers at the 2022 FIM Summit included the best of the best. These pillars of our community give us so much to think about, remind us to find and promote our best selves, and to show up and do the work, then celebrate those successes.
Leaders Inspired Founder and CEO, Mary Pat Knight, reminded us to focus on gratitude. Her question continues to play in my head: “what are the things that have happened FOR you and not TO you?” Read that again. Understanding what others – and the universe – have done for you is so much more powerful than playing the victim.
Jonathan Reynolds, CEO of Titus Talent Strategies, helped us focus on the formula for retaining the right people. Jonathan’s new book Right Seats, Right People: A Leader’s Guide to Hiring and Developing Top Performers, outlines the importance of not just finding the right people, but also actively nurturing the key talent that keeps our organizations functioning at a high level.
EOS ® Implementer Sara Stern helps family businesses “get their poop in a group” (as she notes on her website). Sara’s words of wisdom included the prompt to show up as our authentic selves. Being perfect shouldn’t be the goal. Decide who you want to be, how you want to be seen, and then show up as your true self. Authenticity goes a long way.
Negative self-talk is prevalent amongst female leaders at all levels. The badass female integrators in the room were reminded by FIM Founder, Kristie Clayton, that “if you can name it, you can take the power away.” This reminder is phenomenal to me. Name the thing that is scaring you. Take its power away. Move on and do great things.
Catalyst Integrators’ own Nicole Mennicke took the stage to urge us to set clear expectations with our own team members. To succeed, they must understand our definition of success. Without knowing what we are working toward together, it’s hard to make any progress. Setting your team up to be able to “wow” you with their performance and work can lead to truly remarkable outcomes.
One of my new mantras comes from Kathy Mayfield, Second-In-Command of Bloom Growth™. Change and influence starts with me. Finding and then naming my fears is step one. Figuring out what I need to do to overcome those fears is step two. And once and for all: follow those steps and conquer the fear. Taking ownership of my own influence and ability to change is transformational.
4. Nashville’s Vibe
I’ve already outlined the lessons I learned at Graceland, and was equally amazed at the vibe Nashville provides. It’s not just about country music. One is surrounded by musical talents across genres, rich culture, and what many would call the best food and entertainment in the country. Nashville was the perfect host city for FIM’s gathering, sparking creativity and inspiring us to think about all that is possible. The Catalyst Team embraced the chance to both relax, enjoy meals together, and make plans for both our own team and those teams we serve. Not to mention partying on Broadway was pretty fun as team-building!
5. An Abundance Mindset and Attitude of Gratitude
The gratitude the women of FIM show one another is awesome and infectious. The collaborative nature of Summit and the cheerleading these badass women provide gives us all hope and the confidence to continue doing the hard work we do. Kristie Clayton, FIM’s fearless leader, leads by example. She both questions and pushes us, cheers and lifts us up. The recognition through annual awards, the Fimmy’s, provided an added boost of assurance that what we do, matters. I was feeling high for days after this year’s Summit and after the awards at dinner. Catalyst walked away with the ‘FIM Champion Award’ and I personally received the Core4 Award for Summit my 2nd year in a row! I am so beyond proud! Thank you, Kristie and the team at FIM. Thank you, badass female Integrators of FIM!
If you’ve attended the FIM Summit in the past, you know what I’m talking about. If you have been on the fence about attending, I encourage you to join in the fun! 2023’s Summit will be in Omaha, Nebraska in November and the Catalyst Team will be there. Omaha boasts layers of culture, noteworthy landmarks, and a rich, Midwestern history, leading FIM to select this location. It’s not too early to start planning. Head to FIM’s website to get your ticket (use code: BeTheCatalyst for 10% off!) and I’ll see you in Omaha!
