Local business women learned how to overcome obstacles and become effective leaders Wednesday.
Kosciusko Association for Female Enrichment sponsored a women's symposium titled "Leadership For Women: When Life Happens."The symposium is held every two years and was at the 2517 Restaurant, Warsaw, this year. There were 90 female business leaders and KAFE members who attended.
Symposium topics centered around a general theme of "when life happens," which addressed success stories and hardships in women's lives that they had to overcome.
The symposium included speakers, a continental breakfast, light lunch, door prizes, a goody bag and networking materials.
Co-keynote speakers were Cari Peugeot, WSBT 22 meteorologist, South Bend; and Jan Campbell, founder of Stephan Baby, a business that makes a "Boo Bunny", an ice pack for injured babies.
Peugeot said her love for science, the Earth and the atmosphere was influenced by her science teacher in high school.
"My teacher was hard on the female students because he wanted to encourage them to have an interest in science and become something," Peugeot said.
She advised women in their careers to seek a mentor, and said being employed as a meteorologist at WSBT for eight years has allowed her to get to know the community.
When asked how bad a winter she thinks Indiana will have, she said she predicts it will be a mild winter.
Campbell spoke about Stephan Baby, a business she founded in 1987. The business makes ice packs in the shape of bunnies for babies. It also creates and sells gifts for babies.
Campbell said she started the business after her sister brought out a washcloth in the shape of a bunny for her son and Campbell though it could be marketed.
The business publishes a catalog and has a retail store in Pierceton.
Other speakers were Kendra Cross, Goshen, and Shiloh O'Rourke, Indianapolis.
Cross is a national sales director for Mary Kay Cosmetics who mentors 700 beauty consultants.
She advised women who attended the symposium to make decisions on how to approach life, clarify their purpose in life, and know who is on their board of directors.
"You are the CEO of your life, and if a person is taking things out of your life, then you should not let them," Cross said.
O'Rourke, a 2000 Miss Kosciusko County, holds a masters of art degree in education from Pepperdine University. She is currently a speaker for the Mental Health Association of Indiana.
O'Rourke spoke about her struggle with clinical depression. She now is married and has a child and speaks to audiences about her battle.
She was diagnosed in 1997 with clinical depression when she was in high school. She said her parents were supportive through the process, encouraging her to seek therapy.
"My parents put their lives on hold so they could help me," O'Rourke said.
She now speaks to teenagers about her battle with clinical depression and was able to come off prescription medications.
KAFE meets the third Tuesday of every month at noon at The Great Wall, 2308 E. Center St.
For more information about the organization, visit www.kafe04.com
