What do you get when you cross 300 of the country's most driven women with a stage, a few microphones, and the common goal of advancing women's roles? An awe-inspiring first Women A.R.E. (Aspire. Respond. Engage) Summit. Thrown by Women A.R.E. founders Angella Nazarian and Beth Friedman, the one-day event in Los Angeles united trailblazers in the fields of art, entrepreneurship, health and wellness, and philanthropy in a series of panels featuring speakers such as Sharon Stone, Kathy Freston, Chelsea Handler, and Catherine Opie. With so many inspiring women in one room, it's no surprise that I left with some nuggets of wisdom. Here are my five favorite gems from the day.
"Women don't have to be jealous of other women." —Chelsea Handler
"I didn't want to be an actress; they're not fun to be around," said Handler, who discovered the competitive and jealous side of the entertainment world when she first began auditioning in Hollywood at age 19. "When you do stand-up, you're the center of your universe," she said. Handler went on to forge her own path, becoming the first female late-night television host, best-selling author, and one of 2011's Glamour Women of the Year to boot. Currently, Handler employs a 500-person staff across multiple shows, and 300 of those staff members are women. Her motto? "[Women] should lift each other up."
"Love others and lighten up!" —Marianne Williamson
Williamson, who just announced her first run for Congress in California, has impacted countless lives with her spiritual advice, 10 books, and the founding of Project Angel Food, which delivers meals in Los Angeles to homebound people affected by AIDS. And then she said this: "Being the best person you know how to be, living as heart-centered a life as possible is the key to success in work and everything else."
"Do what you are passionate about, and the dollars will follow." —Jane Wurwand
"You have to have fun," said Wurwand, founder of skin care line Dermalogica. Julie Clark, who launched Baby Einstein—and later sold it to Disney—shared similar sentiments as well as her own wisdom, also drawn from experience. "When you are passionate, you are afraid, because you are putting yourself on the line. It's difficult to take the first step, but that's what draws the good juju to you."
"You get to make this whole thing up as you go along." —Abigail Disney
"I wish I had known that anything is possible," said filmmaker and grassroots activist Abigail Disney of what she wishes she knew at the beginning of her career. "I thought there were lines, like in a coloring book, and I had to stay in them. There are no borders, and there are no limits. You get to make this whole thing up as you go along." And the proof is in the pudding: The pioneering women's rights documentarian is currently at work on her next project, highlighting the Arab Spring and its effect on women in the Middle East.
"Give of yourself whatever you can give, but don't put a judgment on it." —Wallis Annenberg
"Never explain to anybody, 'I can only afford this,'" said keynote speaker Annenberg, who recently bestowed the city of Beverly Hills with the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. In her speech, Annenberg emphasized being true to yourself and experimenting to find what you enjoy. A passionate philanthropist, Annenberg continues to reap the rewards of her work in culture and for her community. "You can't get that in a Neiman Marcus catalogue," she reminded the audience.
5 Inspiring Quotes From the Women A.R.E. Summit