“Be Bold. Be Fearless. Be the Heroine. “ -Acharya Shunya

Her Spirit addresses the spirituality for women business owners. One of the questions is, how can a woman create and convey self-love and self-acceptance? Camy Kennedy, Intuitive Life and Business Coach provides guidance, “The biggest thing when you are not spiritually connected, you are very conditioned to the outside world. When you reach the state of calm, grounded, and centered, you will make better decisions. Perfectionism, people-pleasing, and imposter syndrome are challenges for women. Perfectionism is trying to make everything look good and perfect before marketing or selling yourself. People pleasing is trying to make everyone like us. There will be some people for me and some people not for me. That is okay. Imposter syndrome is the feeling of not being good enough. Every human being has this wound. You are complete and whole. Imposter syndrome is a symptom of risk-taking. The biggest thing is being able to trust yourself. You can tap into your divine, feminine power separate from men. If you can have a baby, you can run a business,” shares Camy Kennedy.

The HerImpact Brunch was held on March 5, 2024, at the Greek Hellenic Center, Fayetteville. “As we come together to commemorate International Women’s Day, we are reminded of the remarkable progress women have made in the pursuit of equality. And yet we recognize the challenges that still are ahead. Today we affirm our collective dedication to breaking down barriers, challenging stereotypes, and creating a more inclusive and equitable world for all,” said Rebecca Jackson, HERWEEK, cofounder and emcee.
Women in Power is a partnering organization with NCCEED. This organization has donated $10,000 in 2023 and doubled the amount in 2024. The donations are based on proceeds from the Affair to Remember Annual Runway Extravaganza.

“We are giving away over $30,000 today for Women in Business: HERPITCH. Everyone in here today is helping HER WEEK along. We have over seventy women that have walked the stage,” shared Kathy Jensen, District 1, Fayetteville, Mayor Pro Tem, and Founder of Women in Power.

Amy Privette Perko, executive director, Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, inspired as the keynote speaker about the impact of Title IX on her career, “My own experience in sports would have never happened without Title IX in my life and the opportunities I have been given. When in 1983, I was offered a scholarship to play at Wake Forest, I never could have dreamed that I would have the career that I did. But thinking back, my success came from the help of another core lesson. It is one of my favorite quotes, that 'small things done consistently over time lead to big results.'”

Title IX in 1972 was a game-changing legislation for women in the sports and the sports industry.

One of Cumberland County’s trendsetters in Women in Sports is Michelle Skinner, General Manager, Fayetteville Woodpeckers. “One of the things I like about working in sports is that whether you are on the field or off the field, it is a team atmosphere. I have been in the baseball industry for over fifteen years. Two of the biggest struggles are representation and equal opportunity. There have been a lot of improvements. It is great to see young boys and men wearing female athletes’ jerseys. Bring your seat to the table. Build your network and make connections. Women in Baseball has a great networking group. There is room to grow.”

The Athena Award is one of the stellar moments of the HERImpact Brunch. The Athena Award recognizes “women who demonstrate excellence in professional leadership, community service and mentorship,” according to Athena International. Tammy Thurman, Piedmont Natural Gas, Senior Manager for community relations, and local government presented the award to Stacey Buckner for her organization, Off-Road Outreach. It is a mobile service that transports homeless veterans and provides laundry services, food, clothing, mobile showers, and assistance for applications concerning housing and VA benefits. Other nominees for the award were Tonette Sheree Johnson and Stephanie Brown Kegler.

“I cannot thank you all enough. The work in the community is not done without powerful women like you here. It is about improvement; it is about taking each and every one of our stories and making it a testimony and doing good in a great community because all of you beautiful trailblazing ladies out there,” said Buckner

Stacey Buckner’s response to receiving the Athena Award inspired remarks by Suzy Hrabovsky, NCCEED executive director, “The power of supporting each other is amazing. We do not do it enough. Stacey just showed that up here. She is absolutely amazing, when we come together and support each other, we grow. Instead of holding each other back.”