P31 Womenpreneur Conference to help inspire, connect women

Christopher Harris, Commonwealth Journal, Somerset, Ky.
·4 min read

Jan. 19—The woman described in Proverbs 31 is confident, industrious, and successful. But she likely didn't get there all on her own.

Making connections with others like themselves only makes women stronger, and that's the goal of the 2023 P31 Womenpreneur Conference, to be held Saturday, February 25, at One27 House of Prayer in Somerset.

"it's a conference for like-minded women who want to excel, whether it's in entrepreneurship, leadership, motherhood, just being the best person that they can be," said Rikiyah Pryor, who is organizing the event along with her mother Brenda Pryor.

She noted that the the focus is "all-around growth" and that the conference is faith-based but not exclusively religious in nature.

"Being a womanpreneur is multi-faceted," said Pryor. "It's about being an all-around, Proverbs 31 woman, and really taking the time to understand that you can't do everything but you can do something. What you can do, you can do with a group of women who are there to keep you accountable but also give you the support that you need to keep going. Having that type of support is something that comes from women before us sharing their knowledge down."

Pryor said that the conference was her mother Brenda's vision, to have a "safe space for women to create a tribe that they can rely on for accountability purposes." From there, said Pryor, they tried to figure out how to take the idea of a tribe of accountability and passing on knowledge from one generation of women to the next and make it something tangible.

"How do we actually get these women together? How do we create these networking opportunities?" asked Pryor, discussing the idea behind the conference. "A lot of times, you want that sort of thing but you don't know where to find it."

In trying to make those connections, women can face a variety of challenges, noted Pryor, especially in light of the concept of doing what you can even if you can't do it all at once.

"Maybe in the past, we would have said that as women, we don't have the same opportunities or as women, it's a little bit harder. Those things still ring true for a lot of people, but I feel like since the pandemic, it's across-the-board just more difficult to meet like-minded people in person," she said. "It's difficult to get a bunch of people under the same roof with the same mindset who are working toward the same goals, especially in a culture that's very much (about) instant gratification. We want everything now."

Speakers for the event include Jordyne Carmack, a communication coach who has done sessions with BRIGHT Leadership Kentucky — "She's very, very bright," said Pryor — as well as Karen Butcher, who has a background in coaching and developmental process for human relations for banking, as well as being a Leadership Kentucky organizer.

Another speaker is Trudy Lonesky, a local author, mother and entrepreneur — "She is very much that mom who's a jack-of-all-trades and really wants to share how God's been working in her life," said Pryor.

Then there's Brenda Pryor herself, organizer and founder of the conference and the woman behind Brenda Pryor Coaching and Focal Point Consulting. "Basically, she can meet with people one-on-one and give them the motivation and mindset strategy they need in order to meet their goals," said Rikiyah Pryor. "Apart from that, she also writes curriculum. She's one of the people who's helping (Somerset Mayor Alan Keck) in orchestrating a boys and girls club. She has a background in early childhood development as well, so she's very good at helping teachers learn how to teach the next generation."

To buy tickets for the conference, go to the "P31 Womenpreneur Conference" Facebook event page, or online at www.p31womenpreneurcon.com or on www.eventbrite.com.

Tickets are $59 each, or two for $100 (plus taxes and fees). Pryor noted that the tickets are cheaper if you buy them in pairs — "because we always want to bring a friend. That's what the whole point is." VIP tickets are $125 (plus taxes and fees) and include perks like exclusive seating and a follow-up coaching call with Brenda Pryor.

The full-day conference begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, February 25, but on the Friday before, there is a special VIP dinner at 6 p.m. for those who buy a VIP ticket. "It's informal, and it's going to be a lot of fun," said Pryor. (It will be held at a local event venue which has not yet been finalized.)

The committee behind the P31 Womenpreneur Conference includes Brenda and Rikiyah Pryor, Rebecca McCord, Miranda Lyons, Alison Pyles, and Amanda Muse.

The conference, hosted by Brenda Pryor Coaching and Clouded By Reign, is in its second year in 2023. The theme for this year is "Envelope the Experience," a play on the idea of capturing the moment, noted Rikiyah Pryor.

"(It's about) being in the moment when you're making little wins," said Pryor. "It's not all about the big milestones. Sometimes it's about the little stuff too."