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# 2015 Women in Business Conference {Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce}

April 23, 2015 Jessica Eudy

The Ritchie family (and myself) are huge fans of the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce. Patrick, Ali, Paige and Danielle have been a huge part of our grand opening and our success so far! Needless to say, when we get the opportunity to “study” with them, we jump at it! They hosted their annual Women in Business Conference & Appreciation Event last Friday. I attended the conference portion and was truly inspired by Denise Ryan, their keynote speaker, and the Women in Business panel that followed.

Denise Ryan is a “motivational pyromaniac with infectious energy and enthusiasm that will set a room ablaze” according to her bio provided by the Chamber. Boy, were they right?! Her advice on being a powerful woman and paying attention to body language and how we present ourselves was something every female in today’s world should hear! INCREDIBLE! My favorite quote of her session: “Carry yourself like a leader and you’ll be treated like a leader!”

Then the Women in Business panel discussion lead by Cyndie Mynatt, President of Ben Mynatt Family of Dealerships began. The panelists consisted of Diane Honeycutt of Allen Tate Realtors and Cabarrus County Commissioner, Patricia Horton – Regional President of Uwharrie Bank, Veleria Levy – Senior Account Executive for MedExpress/AVITA Drugs, and Dianne Synder, DHA – Chancellor of Cabarrus College of Health Sciences. Wow, what a group of powerful women!

Here are my favorite quotes from their discussion.

Fear of Public Speaking: “If you don’t speak, someone else will. You need to be heard.” –Pat Horton

Hiring & Networking with Women: “Know your worth.” –Veleria Levy

Memorable Failures: “The time I failed was when I didn’t trust my gut feeling.” –Pat Horton

Dressing for Power: “You only get one time for a first impression!” –Diane Honeycutt

Work/Life Balance: “Women want to be all things to all people. You just can’t. Prioritizing is huge but hard.” –Pat Horton

Your one “do-over:” “I put things on hold or missed time with my children. You can’t do that over. Family comes first.” –Dianne Snyder

If you ever get the opportunity to be mentored by any of these ladies, jump at the opportunity!

After the panel discussion and a delicious lunch catered by Doughgirls Catering, there was an exhibitor show, where Ritchie Hill served cheese straws and collected names for one lucky lady to win a business luncheon at Ritchie Hill, catered with boxed lunches by Queen City Catering!

We’re happy to announce that Timbs Fulghum of Carolinas Medical Center NorthEast won the luncheon. Congrats Timbs! And thank you to the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce for allowing us to be a part of their annual Women in Business Conference. As you call tell, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Also, a quick thank you to Chelish Moore Flowers for providing our beautiful tablecloth; Ritchie Hill Bakery for the yummy cheese straws and Irresistible Portraits for the gorgeous print from our Grand Opening.

XOXO

Jessica

# Our First Appearance at the Carolina Bridal Fair

January 26, 2015 Jessica Eudy

Last Sunday, Ritchie Hill made its first appearance at the Carolina Bridal Fair. Liz and I have both attended the fair as brides, but were especially exciting to attend as a new vendor. The tables have turned! Here’s a quick recap from the show:

First, we’d like to say a big congratulations to the winners of our drawing: Jamie and Antwaine, who will be saying their vows up on Ritchie Hill this August! The lucky couple won a free two-hour event complimenting their other wedding festivities. Jamie and Antwaine, we can’t wait to celebrate with you!

In addition, we’d like to say a special thanks to to Chelish Moore flowers for providing linens, flowers, props and furniture for our booth; as well as Karen Goforth of Irresistible Portraits for providing furniture. The biggest challenge of exhibiting this year was showing a home that’s undergoing renovation. Even though we’re nearing completion, we weren’t quite ready to make the big reveal. Instead, we wanted to give couples a feeling for the style and atmosphere of the home. These wonderful vendors helped us assemble a booth that perfectly portrayed our vision of Ritchie Hill!

We chose old, white furniture paired with a modern rug and pillows and touches of flowers in antique tea pitchers to show our formula of mixing old with new. Ritchie Hill may be an antique home, but the clean, modern interior mixed with the original architecture, fireplaces, and doors is what makes it such a special, fresh, and beautiful place.

Ritchie Hill also has a long family history that we wanted to share. To do that, we filled the panes of an antique window with all of the original wallpaper. The colors and textures made for an interesting display and great conversation. We also had a few Ritchie family pictures on display – like one of Margaret Ritchie enjoying her wrap around porch years ago. I think it’s neat to make the connection between upcoming events, and the history of the home.

In closing, the show was a huge success. We’ve had a great time this past week giving couples a tour of the property, and our fall dates are disappearing fast - with Spring 2016 not far behind. I hope you were able to stop by our booth and get a Ritchie Hill koozie and some delicious cheese straws (courtesy of Ritchie Hill Bakery)!

If you’re like me, you probably came home, picked out the goodies from the cute bag they gave you and ignored the massive pile of business cards you received at the show. Overwhelmed, to say the least! Not to worry, over the next couple weeks, we’ll be sending along some tips and tricks for finding the right vendors, and planning the perfect day. Stay tuned for our next bit of news from up on Ritchie Hill.

Happy Planning!

Jessica