Jill Frey: Catch the Wave 2017 speech

What does it mean to be champion? The Oxford dictionary defines the word “champion” as “a person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in a competition.” At Cummins, we are proud to encourage our employees to be champions within the workplace and in their personal lives. Each year, I look forward to invigorating my inspiration to be a champion, and encourage my employees to be champions at the Catch the Wave Conference (CTWC), hosted by the Women’s Business Enterprise Council. It’s that time of year again, and I am so excited to be participating in this one-of-a-kind conference where I get to encourage female business owners to be the champions that I know they are! While the conference is virtual this year, Cummins is going to be hosting a socially distanced, in-person watch party so all attendees can absorb and embrace the phenomenal messages that come from this event. Following are some of the topics we are most excited about.

Celebrating women and diversity within the workplace

Ladies, this is our time to show who we are, to celebrate our differences, and to roar! This conference is about bringing out the best version of ourselves as unique individuals. We all bring something different to the table, through our different backgrounds, industries and passions, with our collective strength truly coming from our individual talents!

Now, more than ever, I love that there are so many opportunities to embrace and celebrate diversity within the workplace. In my eyes, a champion is someone who goes after what they want, and at the same time, encouraging, uplifting and supporting those around them.

Networking and Relationship Building

One of my favorite parts about the Catch the Wave conference is the opportunity for networking and relationship building with amazing female business owners and corporate partners. During the pandemic, networking and relationship building opportunities have been few and far between, so it’s so exciting to have this opportunity to pounce and really pursue interactions with so many inspiring leaders!

Personally, this conference gives me time and resources to think about how I can strengthen relationships within my business. One of the unique things about the CTWC is that it lets more experienced business owners pour into new and upcoming entrepreneurs. Everyone I have met over the years is so willing and open to sharing their tips and tricks of the trade, and they want to see new business owners succeed.

Catch the Wave is the perfect setting to reinvest in not only your business, but also yourself. Not only does CTW open networking opportunities in the moment, but it also opens the door for future possibilities as well. Maybe you’re a new business owner and you are working to see the impact of business relationships pay off. How can you take this time to invest (or reinvest!) in your business and yourself to help your business succeed? Attend the Catch the Wave conference – you won’t regret it! Learn more about the event at www.wbenc.org/calendar/2021-catch-the-wave-virtual-conference-embrace-a-new-global-economy/.

Jill Frey, President & CEO
Cummins Facility Services, LLC