I took my mom with me to Summit at Sea. While I felt overwhelmed by the brotastic nature of it (see what Girlboss radio had to say about this – LOL!) I did have the best time learning from 3 key women: my mom, Dream Rockwell and Ambassador Shabazz.

1. My Mom:

– stay loose, stay open

– architecture is everything – humanity will always need a home!

– life is about present experiences, not doing for the future

– focus on what we have already, not what is missing

– stick together

– we are to the universe only as much as we give back to it

2. Dream Rockwell:

– our emotional EQ / intuition was devalued by war and conquering – the masculine took away the feminine – intuition

– must pay attention to your intuition

– those that were most targeted and tortured were those who used their intuition most: artists, lovers, women…the pituitary gland produces eggs

– use your pituitary – third eye-third brain- it is our relationship to the universe – don’t ignore this powerful tool- we will suffer otherwise since we are all interconnected and are supposed to be – connect to your higher spiritual entity 

– we are all one thing moving together – the future is female – the future is collaborative 

– create vibrations with numerous people – get others on the train and roll together 

–  we are powerful together when we think alike 

– you empower yourself by revealing your pain 

– a silent sexism is poisoning our country

– if we’re gonna talk, let’s have big conversations that elevate us

– wisdom keepers and wisdom seekers will find each other – this is just what MIA would say

– we can’t be bothered with the people who aren’t ready

– we have very little time so use it

– together we rise- not competing – just like Gloria- imagine we are linked not ranked- this is a very female way of thinking 

3. Ambassador Shabazz:

– honor your lineage 

– social change agent – we know what we must do from an early age

– build on what your ancestors have done from an early age

– take care of yourself so that you can do your work 

– it takes courage to stand by and align with someone who has revolutionary thoughts 

– don’t underestimate the courage of the front lines

– the civil rights movement was intentional, connected, driving towards the same goal 

Other learnings I had included:

Google/ Uber CEO Talk:

– so many no’s before you get a yes- then you’re really on to something – this resonated with me because of the reaction to the marathon

– you only really fail if you stop trying, not if you make a mistake 

John Legend Performance:

– Brian Stephenson, Harry Belafonte, John Legend spoke firstL: “art is the gatekeeper of society”

– radical art propels the world forward – it dictates where society is going

– Harry: “I was an activist turned artist”!!!!!

– When John legend played I felt moved by how effortless and clean it sounded and yet still had emotion and soul and pain and realness- I want this for my show – rooted in effortlessness so that the show is clean and easy 

Live Music Panel: Bonnaroo, Thievery Corporation, Electric Daisy Carnival

– “women aren’t there” (womp – at this moment both Miki Agrawal and Christine Sanford stood up and pushed the men on the panel to acknowledge that there are so many talented women making music and that they have the power to put them on and support more diverse acts)

– I asked, is this the case or is it feeling a state of onliness because we don’t see ourselves represented enough?

– need women to stay just long enough, need men to put talented women on- be the first to recognize good talent – otherwise women stop playing because it is exhausting to feel like they are the only women doing it without support or community

– we must encourage women to pursue their passion and be their most authentic selves- not construct expectations of women based on male needs 

Android Jones Performance:

– art can create utopia

– seek that which moves you 

– make the most honest and genuine art you can make- then let others figure out what to do with it

Jess Matthews Entrepreneurship Panel:

– white men don’t have to check themselves because they are the majority – when women of color build companies, they actually have to show data and profitability to be taken seriously 

My doppelgänger on the boat, Shantell Martin: