You Go Girl! A seminar to inspire female leaders

Businesswoman Ingrid Vercammen wants to take on the world – starting in New Plymouth.

At 7pm on March 1st, Ingrid will present You Go Girl!, a seminar that goes straight to the heart of feminine leadership.

“I’m going to talk about how to avoid mistakes that female leaders make that keep them depleted, anxious and insecure,” she says.

The co-owner and former CEO of Van Dyck Fine Foods began her foray into promoting females in leadership with Women Beyond Ordinary, a panel discussion held on International Women’s Day last year.

“It was interesting to invite women to listen to women talk about their lives.”

On that first panel were private detective Sue Kelly, TGM Creative owner Andrea Leadbetter, Implement change-maker Shona Glentworth and the owner of Stephanie Murray Mortgages.

She held other panel talks in July and November and will being doing so again on March 8 to celebrate International Women’s Day.

The You Go Girl presentation in the Len Lye theatre is a precursor to that and will give people the chance to find out about Ingrid and her fascinating life, which began with the smell of gold dust in Belgium, through to the aroma of freshly baked pancakes and hotcakes in New Plymouth.

Ingrid will also be sharing information about her leadership training programme for women, something she wants to take beyond the shores of her adopted home.

“Why not do something in New Plymouth that puts us on the map. I thought we can think big and go global.”

With a background in marketing, media, psychotherapy and business, Ingrid believes she has the credentials to teach women how to overcome serious setbacks, find the focus and determination to move forward in their life and careers, and discover ways to use their natural communication style to lead and inspire.

“I want to teach women how to become better female leaders and to get a platform to talk about it, so people get to know me.”

She hopes the people who come to the seminar, will be interested in doing a course with her. “I want to do it globally – when you can engage with people all over the world you can move ahead quite a bit better.

“I think women have to celebrate the female movements. You make a ripple and ripples change the world.”

But Ingrid wants to share the idea of soft leadership. “Not being a bad ass and fighting but be like Gandhi and his gentle way of trusting, inspiring, listening and encouraging to bring the best out in people. That’s a very nice way to shift things in their mindset.”

Speaking in front of people is something Ingrid has been enjoying through Toastmasters. But when she was younger, public speaking terrified her.

As a member of Jaycees, she stayed glued to her seat. At school she needed someone to hold her hand to draw on the blackboard.

Later, her confidence grew along with her knowledge of the business world, and she went on to provide training sessions for the Belgium Government.

You Go Girl! will not only show women what is possible in the world of business – and beyond – it will also be new for Ingrid. “Giving a speech on stage; I have never done this before, and I have to do it in English.”

She is fluent in English, steeped in hard-won wisdom and lives by the lessons she wants to teach others. “It’s so important that someone believes in you. Live your best life and learn to eliminate what is holding you back. Grab a girlfriend and make an evening of it.”

For more information about the You Go Girl! seminar, look up www.ingridvercammen.com.

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