The InXpress franchise has always been about empowerment. We’ve given hundreds of hard-working and ambitious individuals in 14 different countries the opportunity to run their own successful shipping and logistics businesses by working in partnership with us. However, a great franchise is a two-way street where everyone involved can benefit from each other’s strength and experience. Which is why we believe it is important to take the time to celebrate those that empower us – in this case, all of our incredible female leaders who have been essential in making InXpress the success it is today.
A great deal has changed for woman in business in the last few decades, especially in a sector like ours, which used to be seen as a very male-dominated industry. A lot more women are now becoming franchisees, or taking leadership roles in our 440+ offices, and are leading the way in transforming InXpress for the better. However, there are still a great number of obstacles women face in the workplace in order to fulfil their true potential, which is why the women of InXpress have created the International Women’s Conference to ensure that their colleagues have the support and inspiration they need to succeed.
Now in its second year, the conference continues to be an invaluable experience for all involved. We were very pleased to welcome several guest speakers from among some of the most inspirational women in the business world who spoke on a wide range of topics. Sue Evans from Fast Pathways opened the segment with a fantastic talk on “How to keep stress useful”. Her advocacy of the importance of wellbeing in performance gave us all a unique insight into how to tackle life’s various challenges in a healthy and productive way.
We were then joined by Franchise Profitability & Support specialist, Tracey Leak, who shared some fantastic insights into how modern women can juggle all the different roles in their lives and still thrive in business. This led perfectly into a talk by Christy Parrish, President of the UPS Digital Programme, who shared her experiences of what it takes for women to flourish in a male-dominated workplace.
The day closed with a great talk on that old enemy we all know too well: Imposter Syndrome. Performance Mentor, and award-winning founder of “THINK TRANSFORM THRIVE”, Sajna Rahman, spoke to us about understanding your strengths and overcoming doubt.
There was a real sense of connection and community among the more than 100 women who attended from across our network, as well as a powerful feeling of what it meant to grow and thrive together.
Here are just a few of the reviews we received:
"As with last year, it was a brilliant opportunity to hear from some really good speakers on relatable topics. A great opportunity to rejuvenate." Sarah Chapman, InXpress Huddersfield, UK
"All the speakers were great. The conference was inspirational. I liked the topics about stress management and work-life balance." Bharti Shah, India
"I liked how informative, interactive and relevant the session was in today's climate. The speakers each spoke on pertinent topics with enthusiasm and conviction." Logie Schalkwyk, South Africa
No event like this is complete without some awards, of course! The new GREAT awards are a fantastic opportunity for us to recognise some of the incredible contributions many of the women in our global network have made. Even though this was only the second time we have given out these accolades, it already seems to be getting harder and harder to judge each year with so many truly exceptional women being nominated.
This year’s winners were:
Gives Back
First place: Vanessa Heaps, UK
Second place: Chloe Vant, UK
Results Driven
First place: Lisa Biscotti, Canada
Second place: Bianca Banwell, South Africa
Energetic Fun
First place: Vickie Winn, UK
Second place: Kadence Clark, US
All-In
First place: Marjorie Sucilan, Philippines
Second place: Alexis Arsenaut, US
Targeted Improvement
First place: Paige Pilsona, Philippines
Second place: Lauren Curtz, US
Overall GREAT global winner
First place: Kinjal Nair, India
Second place: Tayla Bane, Australia
Congratulations everyone! This year’s winners are going to be hard to top, but we have every confidence in all our powerful women’s ability to smash through expectations. Who knows, perhaps you could be one of next year’s award-winners?