Dr. Northrup shares the upbeat conference spirit with California First Lady, Maria Shriver.
With wildfires raging throughout the region, nearly 14,000 women flocked to the Southern California coastal city of Long Beach on October 23 for the legendary Women’s Conference hosted by the state’s First Lady Maria Shriver. Along with more than 50 other distinguished speakers, Dr. Northrup braved the smoke to speak to capacity crowds. “The Women’s Conference in California was exhilarating,” says Dr. Northrup. “And Maria Shriver was magnificent. So personable, warm, and friendly!”
In recent years, Shriver has transformed the 20-year-old state women’s conference into a world-class event, creating what she calls a place “where the world’s greatest hearts and minds come together to shed light on the timely topics that matter to women today.” Says Shriver, “If you want to know what women from all backgrounds and lifestyles are doing, thinking, feeling, saying, reading, watching, and buying, The Women’s Conference is the place to find out.”
Dr. Northrup was honored to join a vast array of world-renowned speakers from all fields of endeavor, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan, actress and author Jamie Lee Curtis, designer Diane von Furstenberg, singer Joan Baez, the spouses of 2008 Presidential candidates (except for Bill Clinton), and many more giving and caring leaders of today.
Dr. Northrup reveled in the awesome and inspiring conference experience. She loved meeting Peggy Northrup, editor of noted women’s magazine More. “Although we’re not related, it was fun talking about our shared last name, which means ‘north village’ in Scandinavian.” Another great moment was an introduction to Elizabeth Gilbert, author of beloved bestseller, Eat, Pray, Love. “She is just as wonderful and down-to-earth as her writing and her story!” says Dr. Northrup. “There are many other memories of the conference that will stay with me. Not the least of which was the fabulous women of California who attended!”
One special highlight of the conference for Dr. Northrup was listening to New York Times columnist and author Thomas Friedman interview former Prime Minister Tony Blair on the subject of leadership. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was scheduled to participate in the conversation but needed to remain on the front lines of the state’s ongoing firefighting efforts.
Here’s how Dr. Northrup describes the discussion: “Friedman quoted Abraham Lincoln who said that the hallmark of all leadership was to evoke the ‘better angels’ in others. Blair obviously has done that. He is now working for peace in the Middle East, which gave me a great deal of hope. Friedman described himself as an optimist who always sees the glass half full. He also said that although pessimists are right more of the time than optimists, every positive change that’s ever happened on Earth has come about because of an optimist! Perfect!”
Dr. Northrup felt a great rapport with conference champion and host, Maria Shriver. “Her speech about learning to love herself and slow down was particularly moving. As an heir to the Kennedy family legacy, she was taught to achieve, achieve, achieve, and never let her feelings get in the way. She was very vulnerable and honest. I found this most courageous given her legacy and her position in the world.” At an evening dessert reception, Dr. Northrup had a chance to meet Shriver’s two daughters. “I LOVED them,” she says. “Mother-daughter wisdom seems to work as her girls are just as warm and down-to-earth as their mother!”
