What if going faster is what's slowing you down? Join us on Monday, Sept 28th for a candid panel discussion on slowing down at critical times.

Everything says speed is the answer, or hustle more. But the leaders getting where they set out to go often got there by slowing down at the right moments. Not because they're less ambitious. Because they know urgency isn't a strategy.

Real speed comes from setup. The leaders who move fast without breaking things aren't lucky. They took the time upfront to get the pieces right. Because moving fast on shaky ground just breaks things faster.

This quarter, we're exploring the importance of slowing down at the right times. The moments that make everything else possible.

Meet our panelists:

For 15 years, Sarah Collins defined herself as a graphic designer and photographer — well-versed in the visual marketing environment where she creatively supported small business owners to large corporations. Digital burnout led her down an unexpected and magical path to her now 10-year-old business, Lucky Locks.

She has used her skills in visual marketing and self-employment to usher over 100 women worldwide into entrepreneurship and over 200 licensed beauticians into easily increasing their earnings while bringing their clients more joy. Lucky Locks started simply as a smile-generating service of adorning hair with long-lasting, fuss-free, silk-based strands of sparkle, and has evolved into a training program for women who want to run their own mobile business.

There is also an event activation-focused team who are the professional go-to hair sparklers for corporations such as Google, Nordstrom, Anthropologie, and more.

Jeska is a human performance specialist, explorer, and outdoor professional whose work centers on resilience, leadership, and decision-making in high-pressure environments. Her experience spans marine conservation in Malaysia, polar training in Northern Canada, and high-altitude mountaineering, including ascents of Mt. Baker in the United States and Chachacomani and Pequeño Alpamayo in Bolivia. 

Based in Bend, Oregon, Jeska volunteers with Deschutes County Search and Rescue in medical and drone operations and is involved with Full Circle Expeditions’ Matthew Henson Expedition, an Arctic journey honoring Henson’s legacy and the human stories of polar exploration. 

Her work offers a powerful lens on many of the same challenges women navigate in business: leading through uncertainty, building confidence in demanding spaces, managing risk, adapting under pressure, and creating a sense of belonging in environments where women have historically been underrepresented. Through exploration and human performance, Jeska brings a distinctive perspective on what it means to lead with courage, preparation, and resilience.

Bryanna Emmerling is a marketing and business leader who has spent her career moving between the worlds of global brands, entrepreneurship, and creative agencies. She currently serves as Global Account Director at Happylucky, where she leads client relationships and teams across brands including adidas, Stanley 1913, and Apple.

Bryanna spent seven years at adidas, where she learned the business of building a global brand from the inside, including managing product development for a $100M footwear category to leading marketing for adidas Originals.

She’s particularly passionate about the messy, nonlinear side of leadership, how women navigate ambition, confidence, career pivots, and the pressure to have it all figured out. Her perspective is grounded in a career spent connecting business strategy with creativity, culture, and people.

Join us for a candid conversation about what it took to get the right pieces in place, the importance of timing, and what becomes possible afterward.

Subject: DWB Q4 Quarterly Connect: Go Slow to Go Fast

When: Monday, September 28th, 4:00 – 6:30 pm [4:20 intros, 4:30 – 5:45 panel discussion, 5:45+ networking]

Where: Open Space Studios

Tickets support access to our gorgeous, bigger venue and delicious nibbles. We will have a limited amount of wine provided, with additional drinks available at the cash bar. If cost is a barrier, please reach out, as we have a few community tickets available.

Please spread the word, invite other women* in business, and RSVP via our LinkedIn event! Be sure to follow us on Instagram as well.

To stay connected and support our growing community, please follow us on our website, LinkedIn, and Instagram — and spread the word to other incredible women* in your circles.  

*We welcome and support all individuals who identify as women, trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming, creating a space where everyone can thrive and connect.

If cost is a barrier, please reach out, as we have a few community tickets available.

NOTE: We heard your feedback that we need more variety on event days for those of you with conflicts! This event is on TUESDAY instead of our regular Wednesday time.

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