Stop Judging Women By Their Highlight Reel On Social Media Now

In this era of social media, it’s easy to think we know someone from the highlight reel they share with others. Kaylee Keppy-McDonnell, swine account manager at Zinpro Corporation, says the challenge is we often make assumptions before we really get to know the people behind the reel.

That’s why she wanted to create a space that allowed women in agriculture to meet face to face and have deeper conversations to help people bridge divides. On June 4, Keppy-McDonnell kicked off the first Elevate Women in Agriculture conference at The Rewind Hotel in West Des Moines, Iowa.

“Our swine team decided we needed to do something different, to think outside the box and we landed on a women in ag event,” she says. “I knew just from being a woman in different aspects of this industry – a first-time mom, a stepmom of two teenagers and all the ups and downs life can throw at you – I felt a strong need to connect with other passionate lady leaders.” 

Knowing she couldn’t be alone in seeking something like that, Keppy-McDonnell set out to fill that professional and personal development void she was facing. The event featured a Ta space for insightful discussion, shared experiences and a valuable place for networking opportunities to contribute to growth both personally and professionally.

 “I truly think that as women in ag, our dedication, expertise and passion play such a vital role in shaping our industry. I believe it is important as we try to be the ‘superheroes’ day to day, in and out of work life, that we have a community or a network of people we can lean on, share our thoughts, and ideas with,” she explains. “I wanted to help women truly find their people and their cheerleaders. By no means am I suggesting it should be girls versus boys, but sometimes in life, women just need their girl gang to cheer them on.”

She organized it to take place right before the largest swine industry gathering – the World Pork Expo. In addition to a session on strategies for showing up as your most authentic self with rural entrepreneur Crystal Blin, participants also took part in a “Working Genius” personality workshop led by Kacee Bohle of Kacee Bohle Coaching.

After a welcome from Keppy-McDonnell on June 4, Bohle led off with a session on “Work/Life Balance, Setting Boundaries and Seasons of Life.”

“Trying to do all the things all the time is exhausting,” Bohle said. “So often we hang onto things, jobs, mindsets and people because we are afraid of hurting feelings. It’s OK to step into the new. What you are not changing, you are choosing.” 

She challenged participants to take a hard look at what they are choosing. Then, to take action to pursue what they do want to do and develop the skills and mindset to get there. Read more here.

Bohle then led a panel of women in agriculture discussing a variety of topics from comparison to grieving hard changes. The panel included Blin, Kylee Deniz, Oklahoma Pork Council executive director; Annie Grinstead, owner of Positive Energy, Inc.; and Cara Haden, DVM, director of animal welfare for Pipestone Veterinary Services.

“Comparison is the thief of joy,” Haden said.

She reminded participants that seasons of life look different for everyone. One lesson she has learned over the years is not to waste time comparing her season of life to someone else’s season of life.

“There were so many valuable takeaways from this event,” Keppy-McDonnell says. “I’m sure every woman took away something different. The one common denominator I saw was that there truly was a gap filled through an event like this. Women need a space to have genuine, good conversation around work-life balance.”

At the end of the day, she points out we all need encouragement that we are not alone in our journey or season of life.

“Sometimes we need reminded that women can do all the things,” she says. “It’s just a matter of how intentional we are and what priorities take the lead during that time. Let’s keep doing big things to elevate each other and know that when life gets tough or challenging, we have a community of women who are there to cheer us on.”

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Never Underestimate What You Can Accomplish

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