NAWRB CONFERENCE
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Recap of 2015 NAWRB Conference
The National Association of Women in Real Estate
Businesses (NAWRB) held its 2nd Annual Conference, “Historic Diversity and Inclusion Movement,” August 17th-19th in Long Beach, CA. As a testament to our dedication to bring women to the forefront, 84 percent of our speakers were women in executive positions, who shared their best practices, personal stories and business opportunities with the attendees. Conference workshops were highly engaging, starting with certification training speakers Sylvia Gutierrez of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Karla Gonzalez of the Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Attendees were encouraged to bring their certification packages and follow step-by-step instructions on the process of applying for a women-owned business certification. Prepaying applicants had the opportunity of submitting their completed certification packages to an onsite NAWRB certification reviewer. As part of the workshop, we also addressed the benefits of certifying as a women-owned business and the ways certification can maximize business growth. LinkedIn expert Melissa Washington, a Navy veteran,
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began her workshop by describing her background and career struggles. Having been laid off from her corporate job in 2009, Washington turned to LinkedIn for her employment search and eventually began holding workshops at her home. These workshops sparked a remarkable change and Washington now enjoys a successful career as a renowned speaker, author and corporate event professional. Washington spoke to attendees about the best ways of utilizing LinkedIn to expand their outreach and connect themselves and their businesses with decisive opportunities. Our “Use Your REO and Corporate Training to Secure Government Contracts” workshop featured NAWRB’s Desirée Patno and Fred*Photo 3 die Mac’s Jay Inouye. Attendees were all ears to learn ways of using their existing skill set to capitalize on new business prospects. As the overall volume of REO properties diminishes, so do the business opportunities for the vendors who service them. In an effort to drive vendor business growth, this session demonstrated the process of utilizing their REO and corporate skill set to obtain facility maintenance government contracts. NAWRB provides unique consulting and marketing services to help companies grow their businesses.