Last week, I posted asking for tips before my first BWSL event. Now that I've experienced the magic, I thought I'd jot down a few tips for next year while they're still fresh. DO WHAT THE EMAILS TELL YOU There were approximately 28387 emails before the event letting us know what time to register, and entry time based on ticket. The first day I showed up at 6:30am to get an early place in line even though doors didn't open until 8:40am for us. I used that time to get to know other attendees and network. You can leave a bag or placeholder and the community was great about respecting it. Someone even moved my bag for me when the line moved from inside to outside while I was off getting coffee. LUNCH Don't dally. I'm sure the set up will be different next year but most folks went to the CTR food court across the street and lollygagging meant long lines and a long wait. I didn't wait more than 3 people to order food, meaning I could eat, socialize and have plenty of time to get back to the ballroom on time. SELF CARE I haven't traveled at all this year until September and I forgot some basic best practices. Take care of your immune system, whatever that looks like for you. I came down with a cold on day two and was fairly miserable the rest of the conference. Folks were so supportive from the older Black women working the hotel coffee shop who gave me tea on the house, to the attendee who donated me a couple of Emergen-C packets. Between that and Day and Nyquil, I was able to participate in the full conference. MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN. Get on the mic! There are so many opportunities for Q&A, and sharing what you learned. I live in Portland, OR and I want to work with more Black women, so I picked seats as close to the mic as possible and didn't pass up any chance to get up and let the room know what I do. That resulted in around 30 people coming up to me and asking for my information and one sales conversation.

You’ve just joined the #1 community for experts who want to land five- and six-figure corporate contracts and scale their businesses strategically. Here at SPEAK Your Way To Cash®, we’ve built a reputation for excellence: we’re the 14th fastest-growing privately held company in Georgia and ranked 370th in the U.S. We don’t just teach sales—we create transformations. I’m Ashley Kirkwood, founder and CEO of SPEAK Your Way To Cash®. I left a $300,000 partner-track attorney job to build my own law firm and SPEAK Your Way To Cash®! Since then, I’ve personally closed five- and six-figure contracts with corporations and helped countless others do the same. If you’re here, it’s because you’re ready to take action and build a thriving business by selling your expertise at the highest level. This community isn’t just a group—it’s a movement of experts ready to unlock their full potential. We’re here to share strategies, celebrate wins, and challenge each other to scale bigger and faster than ever before. 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘: To unlock the best this community has to offer, complete these three steps in the next 7 days (and within 30 days, you must reach Level 2 to stay active—this is a space for action-takers): 1️⃣ Introduce yourself: Drop your introduction below! Share who you are, what you do, and what your goals are. 2️⃣ Engage with 5 other members: Comment, ask questions, or show support. Building connections is key. 3️⃣ Make a post: Share a quick win, a challenge, or a question to spark conversation. 𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒: This isn’t a spectator sport. The most successful members are the ones who show up, connect, and contribute. This community thrives when YOU show up boldly. 🔥 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒: • 𝐍𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠: Keep the focus on collaboration, not self-promotion. • 𝐁𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥: We’re here to build each other up. • 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲: This is a space for doers—not passive scrollers. When you’ve completed your first steps, keep the momentum going by:

I'm Kronda Adair, founder of Karvel Digital, coming to Atlanta from Portland, Oregon. My origin story is five years building websites for small businesses. But I got tired of clients who thought a shiny new website would solve everything, so I pivoted hard into marketing coaching for service business owners. In less than a year they were begging for help with their tech–because they finally understood why it mattered. I went back to my done-for-you roots, but focused on marketing and business automation. Because as soon as you have a certain number of clients, the cracks in the operation start to show. - The intake form that goes to an inbox nobody checks. ($50,000 in lost opportunity.) - The follow-up that only happens when one person remembers. - The payroll mistake quietly costing $10,000 a year. (That one's from this week.) The systems are invisible, which means the mistakes and the money leaks are invisible too. And until recently there wasn't a good tool for showing how people and software actually work together to execute a process. When I found that tool, 2.5 years ago, I logged in for 15 minutes, and then sent a breakup text to Miro, Lucidchart, and Whimsical and never looked back. I got so good at process mapping that I became the top user of the platform, got hired by the founder, and pivoted my business to focus on what almost no one else is doing - getting your processes out of people's heads, so you can actually improve them. I use my C.L.E.A.R. framework — Clarify processes, Liberate time, Elevate data, Automate, Repeat — and fix what's broken before automating anything. Automating a broken process just breaks things faster and with more confidence. And AI wants nothing to do with your sloppy data. Two things I believe, loudly: you can't delegate chaos, and your software is part of your team. I'm coming to Atlanta with a specific focus. I'm good at the work and I've let referrals do my selling for a long time. I'd like that to be a choice instead of a default. So I'm here to get sharper about how I sell this, and to leave with real relationships, not a stack of business cards.

There's been a lot of information about the amazing speakers and information we're going to get, but I want the insider tips from people who have been around the block. What's up with the food? Is lunch included? What's your favorite hotel in the restaurant? How do you stay energized for the long days? What's your favorite note taking hack? How do you find your people? Let's hear it!

My name is Dr. Poinsetta Tillman. I am a Certified AI Consultant/Strategist/AI Authority Leader. Leaders know there are areas in their business where they’re losing time, working harder than they should, and missing opportunities, but they don’t know which problem to solve first or where AI would actually make the biggest difference. I help leaders who know something in their business needs to change, but aren’t clear on what to fix first or where AI actually fits. I am working toward getting 6-figure contract opportunities and I'm here to learn how. I am also excited about attending the Black Women Sell Live conference in ATL. I hope to meet some of you there.