Women’s Business Alliance

2 1/2 Day Power Sabbatical

Hosted by Dr. Debra Condren

September 16-18, 2010

Marconi Conference Center and State Historic Park

West Marin County, San Francisco Bay Area

Give Yourself Some Breathing Room + Be Taken Care Of For A Change! + Restore Some Sanity + Recharge Your Business – or Gear Up to Finally Launch Your Dream + Learn To Use New Tools and Resources You Need To Know About To Work Smarter, Not Harder + Quickly Boost Your Profitability + Cut Your Success Learning Curve + Get Inspiration, Encouragement, and Support + Leave With Your Own Informal Advisory Board

What the Power Sabbatical Is About

From: Debra Condren

RE: Why you should make yourself a priority (for a change!)
and join us at the Women's Business Alliance 2 1/2 Day Power Sabbatical in the San Francisco Bay Area September 16-18, 2010

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED

Click the Play arrow. Listen to how
you will benefit from this event!

Read below and see exactly what we'll be doing, where you will
be and the gorgeous surroundings where you will recharge your ambitious goals and restore your sense of well-being and support.

In 1995, I founded the Women’s Business Alliance (WBA), an organization that has served as a motivational think tank for 3,500 women over fifteen years and was recognized with a U.S. Small Business Alliance “Women In Business Advocate of the Year” award.

For seven years, we (including many of you reading this) met twice a month for 1 ½ hour WBA working lunches. Many WBA’ers attended almost every meeting over the seven years we met! (If you weren’t with us back then, not to worry. I welcome and encourage you to join us now!)

Then I took a sabbatical to write my book.

Inspired by what I learned from the many women I had the privilege to work with and learn from over the years, I began researching and writing my book, Ambition Is Not A Dirty Word: A Woman’s Guide To Earning Her Worth and Achieving Her Dreams (Random House/Broadway). I had the privilege of interviewing many of you while researching Ambition (500 women shared their stories with me).

Of necessity, during this time, I put our live Women’s Business Alliance meetings on hold for the past few years. (We did meet for periodic teleseminars and for my book launch, a wonderful homecoming of sorts).

"When Will We Start Meeting Again?"

While I was on my own sabbatical, writing Ambition, then doing book tours and speaking – still coaching my clients through it all, because that is my great passion – I kept getting the same question: Many of you have been asking, “When are we going to have Women’s Business Alliance meetings and events again?”

You’ve been asking. I’ve been listening. And I am thrilled to announce:

That time is now.

I’m “back” and ready to answer your requests — and my own desire and raison detre — to meet again in the spirit we built over so many years of Women’s Business Alliance meetings and events.

So, here we go…Again!

As I write this, I am incredibly happy to finally be able to extend an invitation to you to attend one of two upcoming Women’s Business Alliance Power Sabbaticals. These events are ours – and they are going to be great!

I came up with the idea of the Women’s Business Alliance Power Sabbatical retreat as an ideal way to blend two of my Ambitious Rules:

1. Make time for yourself to recharge your mind, body, spirit — and your ambitious dreams — by taking solo sabbaticals.

2. Get more power from powerful advice by forming and using your own advisory board to help speed your time to success, avoid needless mistakes, and break the isolation, loneliness, and lack of support so many women business owners experience.

The Women’s Business Alliance Power Sabbatical is your opportunity to take – For Yourself! – 2 ½ days + 2 nights to:

→ Rejuvenate mentally and physically. Unplug, get away from it all in a serene gorgeous setting. Be catered to and taken care of (what a concept for us women!), including dining on gourmet healthy food prepared by Marconi’s amazing chef. Take advantage of gorgeous natural surroundings by starting your morning and ending your day with a solo or group power walk or hike. Breathe the fresh air. Enjoy the stars at night and the peace and quiet (no ambient light or noise pollution here!) Even use your free time to take a swim in Tomales Bay (wet suit optional!), visit the quaint town of Marshall, kayak, or horseback ride on the beach.

→ Recharge your ambition. Launch – or re-launch – your dream in a powerful way. Recharge your business and your goals. Or finally give yourself the space, resources and support to give the business you’ve been struggling with the power to lift off. Get clarity on your ambitious goals. Figure out what’s working and what’s not. Redefine your targets. Get unstuck. Fire up your ambition. Keep yourself on target to do meaningful, challenging work that pays you what you’re worth. Stop settling. Stop selling yourself short. Get your ambition mojo back – you know what I mean: that feeling that you can’t wait to bounce out of bed each morning (no matter how tired you might be) because work feels like play. Keep your commitment to yourself to make the contribution you were born to make – and surround yourself with supportive peers to help you achieve the goals you have stars in your eyes for.

My Vision

This is an opportunity to restore your sanity and recharge your business by retreating to a stunning, peaceful conference center in an historic park setting and interacting with innovators like yourself. I’ll be leading the charge and together we will make sure that You — and Your most precious ambitious goals — are the agenda. And of course, a huge part of recharging your business and dreams is making sure that you, yourself, get plenty of downtime – space and time and the serenity to unplug and think and be taken care of.

Break isolation. Stamp out your fear and resistance by interacting with ambitious, creative innovators – women just like yourself who struggle with the same fears and doubts as you, even as they are fighting the big fight to hold on to their big dreams. Get your brain cells firing and reignite your passion for what you do or want to do though 2 ½ days of custom-tailored small-group coaching and brainstorming with me plus 20 other women peers. The ideas will be flying around the room. And You and Your goals are the agenda.

Ask me anything!

I’ll be there to coach you in a super-fast-paced (if you’ve worked with me before, you know we move fast!), supportive, inspiring environment filled with cutting-edge, gold-standard information about anything and everything relating to making your small business or small, fast-growing firm a success.

Bring your specific goals, objectives, challenges, and opportunities to the table. Take advantage of my wealth of information, wisdom gleaned though fifteen years of coaching thousands of women (and men!) and through constant learning – reading, studying, conducting research, tracking industry trends and resources, and learning from my own brilliant coaches and advisors.

You will leave fired up, refreshed, confident, excited – and with blueprint in hand mapping out a specific short-term, intermediate, and long-term plan and roadmap to get from where you are to where you want to be.

You will also leave with powerful new strategic alliances, friendships, and a new network of like-minded women with whom you can stay in touch to keep the masterminding and advisory board working and the isolation at bay (after having connected at the Bay—i.e., Tomales Bay; sorry, I could not resist the pun!).

Where

The perfect venue is the gorgeous setting at the Marconi Conference Center overlooking Tomales Bay in beautiful West Marin County, San Francisco Bay Area. Marconi Conference Center is approximately a 90-minute drive from San Francisco International Airport, Oakland International Airport.

When:

Choose from one of two summer 2010 Women’s Business Alliance Power Sabbatical dates:

September 16-18, 2010

**Maximum of 25 participants per event**

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED

Itinerary:

Arrive on day one as early as 3:00 p.m. for check in at the lovely main Marconi center and lounge.

Our welcome and social networking kicks off at 5 p.m. in our private meeting room in the gorgeous McCargo Hall.

McCargo Hall Ante Room and Lounge - Private restrooms - Landline Phones - Internet

and our main McCargo Meeting Room, just beyond this ante room and just for us!

We’ll roll up our sleeves and officially launch with a delicious dinner at 6 p.m. This will involve a lot of great food, being catered to, pampered, and relaxing with Marconi's Chef's Healthful, Flavorful cuisine. His background and skill complement the center’s goal of utilizing the wide variety of local food products that are available: fish, cheeses, fruits and vegetables, beef and lamb, as well as wines. All meals are served in the center’s lovely Redwood Dining Hall.

Following dinner, we’ll say “good evening” and head off to enjoy some solo free time -- or spend some time strolling with new acquaintances around the beautiful grounds, taking a walk down to the beach, or relaxing in any number of beautiful indoor or outdoor settings.

… or head back to our rooms for some quality Solo Sabbatical time...

...and rest.

Day 2

Bright and early the next morning, we’ll prepare for a great day with a healthy working breakfast in the lovely dining hall.

After breakfast, we’ll head back over to McCargo Hall (seen from outside in the photo below) and settle in at our Power Sabbatical Open Forum Roundtable.

We’ll have a working lunch back in the dining hall. Then Back to McCargo for more masterminding and tapping our power board of advisors.

More Solo Sabbatical Free Time

We will break at 3:30 to give you free time … (remember the last time you had free time, contemplative time, time to clear your mind…?)

Part of the grounds at Marconi's Historical State Park Setting

We will meet up again at 6 p.m. in the dining room for yet another delicious, healthy dinner where you will again be pampered and taken care of, lingering for great, relaxing conversation…

After which the evening is yours to enjoy, on your own or however you wish…

Our Final Day

We start our final morning again with a working breakfast in the dining hall, then back to our gorgeous McCargo Hall for more inspiring brainstorming and peer mentoring. We’ll have our working lunch, again in the lovely dining hall.

A Grand Close to a Grand Power Sabbatical

We’ll finish up our Power Sabbatical in the property’s gorgeous, cozy outdoor amphitheater under the redwood trees (if the weather Gods and Goddesses are smiling on us!)

We’ll finish our time together around 3 p.m. after which you are free to take advantage of the grounds, exploring the national park hiking trails, or arranging for horseback riding on the beach or kayaking, or visit the nearby town of Marshall, all of which are available about a 5 minute drive from the property. ~ Should you wish to extend your stay for a day or several days, you are invited to make arrangements with Marconi Conference Center staff to check regarding availability.

Cost + Value
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED

Your investment in the Women’s Business Alliance 2 1/2 Day Power Sabbatical is:

• $1,397 for a Deluxe Single Occupancy room (includes 2 nights lodging, dinner on the day of arrival, breakfast, lunch, dinner on day two, and breakfast and lunch on the final day. Snacks and beverage service is included in between meals).

• $1,197 for a Standard Single Occupancy room (includes 2 nights lodging, dinner on the day of arrival, breakfast, lunch, dinner on day two, and breakfast and lunch on the final day. Snacks and beverage service is included in between meals).

• $ 997 for a Standard Double Occupancy room (room shared with one other Power Sabbatical attendee; **most double occupancy rooms have a nice configuration with upstairs and downstairs sleeping lofts for privacy vs. side by side beds). We will do our best to acommodate specific roommate requests. Includes 2 nights lodging, dinner on the day of arrival, breakfast, lunch, dinner on day two, and breakfast and lunch on the final day. Snacks and beverage service is included in between meals).

All taxes and gratuities are included in this all-inclusive price. (The only additional optional costs would be for cash bar at dinner.) Payment options are available when you register.

Note: Payment options are available (see below when you click to register).

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED

Plus:

All Women’s Business Alliance POWER SABBATICAL attendees are protected by our money-back guarantee. "I invite you to attend a WBA Power Sabbatical at no risk whatsoever. If for some reason you are not delighted with our Power Sabbatical and do not feel it was the best women’s entrepreneurial event you have ever attended, simply turn-in all your event materials to me or my staff before the event ends, tell us or me what you think, and we will mail you a check for a full 100% refund of WBA Power Sabbatical registration fee MINUS the cost of your lodging and meals (i.e., minus only exactly what it costs us) within 30 days. I promise. I want to help make your decision to attend WBA Power Sabbatical an easy one. See you there!” -Debra Condren

Your Investment Also Includes the Following:

• A pre-Power Sabbatical 1/2 hour phone meeting with Debra Condren. During your individualized goals and needs telephone call session, my goal is to get you to define your main business objective, challenge, or opportunities so that I can do my best to make sure you are and your needs are addressed / are then agenda – at our Power Sabbatical.

• An online career and interest assessment and a confidential written report provided to you.

• All program materials to support your participation in the Women’s Business Alliance Power Sabbatical

• Two nights lodging accommodations at the Marconi Conference Center in Northern California’s beautiful West Marin County, one to two hours from most San Francisco Bay Area locations. The peaceful country drive creates a transition from urban pressures to the tranquility of this beautiful setting. All meals are provided, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus between-meal snacks and beverages. (A cash bar is available at dinner.)

(We are happy to arrange for ground transportation or rental car reservations from San Francisco International Airport or Oakland International Airport for an additional fee. Many participants prefer to rent their own car. Some choose to extend their stay after the event to enjoy a bonus vacation exploring this part of the San Francisco Bay Area. If you desire to extend your stay, please contact the fabulous and personable team at Marconi Conference Center to inquire about availability and fees. They are the best and will work with you to accommodate your planning.)

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED

If you have questions, feel free to email or phone me (Debra Condren) at: Debra@AmbitionIsNotADirtyWord.com or 212.749.1988.

If you have not yet subscribed to receive email notifications about this and other events plus Dr. Debra Condren's weekly Ambition + Life Updates, please click here to sign up now. **Privacy policy: we promise never to sell, rent, trade, or share your e-mail with any other organization.

More Details about the Venue and Setting:

Endless Inspiration

•The Marconi Conference Center is dedicated solely to meetings and retreats. The modern facilities in a State Historic Park on 62 acres of lush hillsides overlooking Tomales Bay, provides an ideal setting for concentration and renewal without any sense of isolation or lack of comfort. You will be refreshed between meetings by the vistas from expansive hiking trails, the quiet breeze through the pines, the beauty of the night sky, the call of an owl or watching fawns explore the hillsides.

• Marconi’s professional staff tailors each Women’s Business Alliance Power Sabbatical to our specifications so that you may focus on your custom-tailored agenda and goals, secure in the knowledge that all of your needs will be addressed efficiently. Marconi’s wonderful team – many of whom have been with the center for eighteen plus years – is committed to providing service that exceeds expectations so that your time at Women’s Business Alliance Power Sabbatical will be relaxing, inspiring, and productive. I promise you that we are in great hands with the folks at Marconi. How do I know? They have been phenomenally helpful and, okay, I’m going to admit it – endlessly patient with me! – in preparing for an amazing event. I am duly impressed – and I know that you will be, too.

• Private Meeting Facilities. Each Women’s Business Alliance Power Sabbatical group meets in McCargo Hall (handpicked by me after touring it and seeing for myself what our Marconi team deemed the perfect fit for our Power Sabbaticals). McCargo Hall is a handsome private meeting building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is one of two cottages built by the American Marconi Company in 1913-14 to house its Chief and Assistant Engineer. It has been renovated to become the Marconi Center’s most beautiful meeting space.

The Mediterranean stylistic elements of the building include the extensive use of tile and an arcade veranda which offers a spectacular view of Tomales Bay, the historic Marconi Hotel, and the cascading waterfall, pond, and garden area.

McCargo’s cozy pre-function room is exquisitely furnished and includes a gas fireplace. Its L-shaped main room meets our goal to provide a private, intimate meeting space for The Executive Mastermind Forum with comfortable leather chairs and lightweight tables. McCargo includes a primary meeting room, a pre-function or break-out area, two restrooms, land line phone, wheelchair access, ample patio and garden seating – and a spectacular view.

Peaceful lodging

• Contemporary Lodging Accommodations. Marconi Conference Center’s lodging buildings are nestled in the trees around a garden courtyard area where our guests can relax between meetings. Your room will be centrally located near parking/check-in and the lounge, and within a few minutes’ walk of the entire facility.

• Lodging includes guest rooms with private baths, available in 1, 2, and 3 bed configurations. NOTE: Unless you request otherwise, you will receive a private room. There are limited numbers of rooms with 1, 2, and 3 bed configurations so you may be assigned a room with a 2 bed configuration, for example, even though you will be the only guest. Water views, forest and hillside views are available. Rooms are assigned on a first come, first serve basis, so early registration will ensure the best selection of available room styles and views. (All have lovely views, so you will not be disappointed!)

• Marconi’s dedicated staff meticulously maintains each room, for the personal comfort that is essential to your experience. Your room will include in-room coffee, a study desk, a telephone, and low-cost wireless Internet access.

• Marconi’s Business Center offers Internet access and other simple services at no charge to our guests.

Healthy, Flavorful Cuisine

Marconi’s Chef’s background and skill complement the center’s goal of utilizing the wide variety of local food products that are available: fish, cheeses, fruits and vegetables, beef and lamb, as well as wines. All meals are served in the center’s lovely Redwood Dining Hall.

Breakfast and lunch are presented buffet-style over a two-hour period designed to accommodate our agenda. You will be able to select from a well-balanced variety of hot dishes, as well as an assortment of fruits or salads, that allow for your individual dietary preferences and limitations. Menus are planned to be light but satisfying so that The Executive Mastermind Forum participants can comfortably stay focused on our event goals.

Marconi’s friendly wait staff will serve us the Chef’s more relaxed, four-course dinner each evening in a setting of white tablecloths, menus and floral centerpieces. The selection of three nightly entrees always includes a vegetarian choice. Regional wine and beer are available for individual purchase at dinner.

A variety of between-meal food and beverage services will be provided to Women’s Business Alliance Power Sabbatical participants in our private meeting facility.

There is not a greater feeling in the world than coming together with supportive, talented, thirsty-for-knowledge, open-minded, fired-up, ambitious women to link arms and help each other make our ambitious dreams a reality.

I look forward to seeing you there! Let’s inspire each other to make the contribution we were born to make. The world deserves to hear from us!

–Sincerely and ambitiously,

Debra Condren

Debra@AmbitionIsNotADirtyWord.com

212.749.1988 New York

415.454.1234 San Francisco