Are you familiar with how the cast of Hamilton sings about being in “The Room Where It Happens”? Well, on this past Friday, the ballroom at The Bradford was that room.

If you weren’t in the room on Friday for FOCU$ED, you need to mark your calendar to join the powerhouses of KNOW Women in Houston, New York City or Atlanta in the months ahead… The energy is contagious and will help reignite your passion for fueling your goals. FOCU$ED is a conference for ambitious women, developed to be a catalyst for expansion, connection and up-leveling. As the website explains, “We’re not doing fluff. We’re not wasting time. We’re giving you tips, tricks and hacks." I was honored to be part of the event’s return to North Carolina!

When Sarah Benken Foushee founded KNOW, it was with the commitment to connect high-achieving women and help them take their businesses to the next level. As Sarah explains it, "The spark of KNOW was ignited with a singular vision: to shine a spotlight on the authenticity, intention, dynamism and diversity of female leaders, entrepreneurs and business owners. We recognize the power and potential within women who are making waves in their respective fields and in their local communities and believe it is our duty to provide them with the visibility they deserve.” That intention is fulfilled with KNOW’s annual FOCU$ED conferences.

The room was filled with women representing a diverse array of talents, perspectives, achievements and visions, reflecting the rich tapestry of female excellence across our continent with local folks intermingling with individuals who traveled in from all sorts of locations. Whether it be at the VIP mingle on Thursday evening or to kickoff the conference on Friday morning, it was obvious that Sarah’s recalling others’ questions about “why Raleigh?” reflected more about those individuals than the incredible location for FOCU$ED’s return to the Triangle area… Putting aside how Raleigh has a larger population than either St Louis or Minneapolis, let’s keep in mind that the population of Raleigh proper is 499K while the city of Atlanta boasts a population of only 520K. When you include the entire Triangle area, we are talking about 2.4 million people, and Raleigh is the 3rd fastest growing city in all of the United States, leading many lists as seen at https://raleighnc.gov/accolades, https://www.workinthetriangle.com/news-resources/ and more. As North Carolina was ranked #1 in America’s Top States for Business 2025, we were reminded that this is the 3rd time in 4 years that North Carolina has won this distinction. Instead of being confused about why Sarah brought FOCU$ED to her hometown of Raleigh, it would make more sense to question how there could be a series of FOCU$ED conferences that did not include Raleigh.

With a mentoring topic of “Ready to Thrive… Not Simply Survive?”, I was asked to speak to women who are ready to level up in both business and life about the how to live a fulfilling life in the following ways:

Invest your time, energy and focus strategically and intentionally to fuel the success you’re building.
Create personalized productivity solutions tailored to your unique strengths, helping you efficiently achieve desired results without burnout or guilt.
Lead with synergy and impact using proven strategies from Emily’s nearly 30-year track record building collaborative, high-performing teams.
Align how you spend your time with what you value, mastering true work-life integration by designing a life that reflects what matters to you and making every minute matter.

It is such an honor, joy and privilege to be able to pour into ambitious women who are joining me on this entrepreneurial journey, like the individual who came up to me toward the end of the day to show how she “took more notes during your mentoring session than anything else all day” or the two individuals who were gushing about the mentoring session with me when asked by Elaine Buxton about what had provided meaning for them throughout the day. I always love being in the room with so many of my rockstar business besties, and this event delivered in spades while expanding my network even more.

The event offered panels and fireside chats on how to get funding, mastering media, diversifying your revenue, how to make educated gambles as your business assets grow, the art of telling your story and how to strategically build the gumption needed to make bold moves for big growth. There were plenty of nuggets to catapult each attendee to the next level, success that could be nurtured by connections made in the networking or lessons conveyed in the mentoring. Plus, the positive energy in the room was truly uplifting for everyone. As one attendee said, “When you’re welcomed into a room where you’re seen, heard, trusted, given a platform and treated as an equal, it can light you up”, and that’s what FOCU$ED exists to accomplish… Welcome all, lift you up and propel you toward your vision with the inspiration as well as tools needed.

With that in mind, the day ended on the highest of highs as a brand-new entrepreneur won the “boost your business grant”, where cash and in-kind prizes totaled well over $30K. Amazing! We all got to celebrate her and will take seriously our newfound roles of aunties in helping her achieve her greatest success. Almost equally wonderfully, my new friend Nicole and her husband brought samples of their Artie Bars for all of us to enjoy, and, y’all, these are delicious! There were so many blessings for each of us, and I know folks will be raving for months or years to come. Thanks for caring so much about us, Sarah and the KNOW team!

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FOCU$ED is The Room Where It Happens