Sterling Women’s engaging speakers are one of the main draws to the monthly networking luncheon, and this month’s featured speaker was no different.
Caren DeWitt Merrick, who with her husband co-founded WebMethods – the most successful software IPO in history – shared business advice with the more than 100 participants at yesterday’s event.
1. First things first: “I like to think of something St. Francis of Assisi once said: ‘Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible, and suddenly you’re doing the impossible.'”
2. Listen to your inner voice: “Listen to those inner dreams, those things that impassion you.”
3. Navigate your challenges and overcome setbacks: “Problems are meant to be solved. So often, though, when we encounter these challenges, we lose our balance. We feel ashamed, we think, ‘why are we having these problems, it must be my fault,’ when actually … our problems are often the opportunities we need to take us to the next level.”
After 15 years of working in the private sector and with non-profits dedicated to the community, Caren is now focusing her efforts on the political arena and is running for a seat in the Virginia Senate. She ended her speech with a quote from the late cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
If you’d like to view Caren’s speech, visit Reston Limousine’s YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/restonlimousine
For more information about Sterling Women and next month’s featured speaker, Dr. Thara Kodandaramachandra of Parma Spa and Center for Health and Medicine, visit http://www.sterlingwomen.org/.