Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios. It’s time for Women in Motion. Brought to you by WBEC-West. Join forces. Succeed together. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here with Renita Manley. Another episode of Women in Motion. And this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor, WBEC-West. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. And today, Renita, we’re talking about a big event that’s happening at the end of the year. You want to share a little bit about that?

Renita Manley: I do. We are talking about our upcoming conference, the WBEC West Conference that is happening December 16th through December 18th right here. But I’m recording here in Arizona, right here in Arizona for everybody. And we have Angela Garmon of ARG Coaching and Consulting here with us to pretty much try to convince you all about why you should be coming to this conference. So, thank you for joining us, Angela. We want to keep this one very quick and to the point, because I know you got a lot to say, but we are on condensed time. So, I want to start off by asking, as someone who is extremely popular here in Arizona and within the WBENC and WBEC West community, why are you still coming to the WBEC West Conference? What do you get out of it? And because of that, why should everybody else come too?

Angela Garmon: Well, hello there Renita and Lee. So good to be back onto the show. So, I love the opening where it says, “Join forces and succeed together.” So, when I think about the WBEC-West conference, I think about how I can leverage this conference to really scale out and grow my business. So, the reason why I continue to show up to these conferences is to nurture relationships, build my pipeline and to be in community with fellow WBEs and our corporate resource partners.

Renita Manley: The conference is happening right here in Arizona where me and you both reside. Can you tell me why specifically for Arizona WBEs, why should they come to this conference right here in their home state?

Angela Garmon: Well, first and foremost, Renita, if you don’t show up, how will people know who you are? And so, whether you are in Arizona or in one of the other parts of the region, come out, be part of the community, so that people know who you are. This is an opportunity for you to invest in your business, and it’s also an opportunity for you to be in relationship and community with decision maker resource partners and, again, your fellow WBEs.

Lee Kantor: Now, is there something that happens at the event that’s different than, you know, going to a live event as opposed to all these online things that people are doing?

Angela Garmon: Yes. Lee, the energy in the room is contagious. First and foremost, you are surrounded by an intimate group. Dr. Pamela keeps it right around 300 to 500 people. So, it’s a very intimate group. But it’s an opportunity for you to really dive in deeper and to build out those relationships or nurture those relationships with each conference that you attend. So, I definitely recommend just showing up, being present because it’s a totally different vibe and a totally different way that you can connect when you’re in person and present.

Renita Manley: It’s like one of the best success stories that maybe you’ve experienced personally, I just saw somebody get to experience that, you know, attended the conference, came back and got a great success story. Can you tell us about one of those that you might have heard about?

Angela Garmon: You know, I feel like those stories are prevalent all over the place. So, I think one of my favorite stories, or even just like one of my favorite moments, is when I left the last conference, actually, a corporate supplier diversity professional, she invited me to an RFP. I went through that RFP, and I asked some poignant questions because as I read through it, man, it was something that really fit what I did, but it was actually a little bit too large for me. And so, I asked some very pointed questions, and she was able to say, “Hey, this is what we’re actually looking for.” And I knew even though I didn’t get the opportunity, or I didn’t even respond to the opportunity, it was the mere fact that she knew exactly what it is that I did, and she was able to get me plugged in. And so, since then, I’ve been able to nurture that relationship and build out and get additional business based off of that initial conversation that we had from the last conference.

Lee Kantor: Now, is there any advice you would share maybe for a first-time attendee of the event? How would you go about kind of wringing out the most value from an event like this? Is it just doing the education? Is it just making more friends? Is it just finding opportunities to network. Like, what do you think are some tips and tricks to get the most out of the experience?

Angela Garmon: Yes. So, Lee, you and I always talk about defining value. So, the first thing that I would tell a WBE that is coming to the conference for the first time is to really understand, how will they define value when they walk into the conference? So, if they define it based off of the education, if they define it based off of relationships, or if they define it based off of revenue, create a strategy specifically around where or how they see value when they are signing up for the conference.

Angela Garmon: And then, I would just say be strategic about it. If education is your primary focus, then figure out what it is that your business needs and then get into those rooms where they are specifically talking about or educating you in the specific areas that you need. If it’s about relationship building, then when you sign up for the conference, make sure you circle back around to find out who’s going to be in the conference, who your ideal clients are, and see how you can schedule time ahead of the conference to actually connect with them for coffee, or ask and request when you get on site to see if you can sit down with them for a brief minute to talk and discuss their particular needs. So, I would just say make a strategy behind it and be specific as it relates to what you deem as value when you’re walking into that conference.

Lee Kantor: And it’s-

Renita Manley: I have just one — oh, sorry about that.

Lee Kantor: It’s important to work to do some pre-work, is what I’m hearing you say. And then, do some follow up, too, right? It’s not just an event that happens just on those days. There’s some work to be done beforehand, and there’s some work to be done after.

Angela Garmon: Oh, yeah. You gotta definitely follow up, and you got to be extremely specific. The deeper you can dive in a conversation to understand their being your respective client’s needs, the clearer you can follow up, and ask, and actually remind them of the conversation that the two of you had while you were at the conference.

Renita Manley: And this is the perfect moment – thank you, Lee – to bring up the fact that we do have a pre-conference boot camp coming up on November 10th, I believe. It’s on our calendar, and I’ll be blasting that out all over social media. And this is where you can go attend this virtual event and get all that pre-work done before you actually come to the conference in person.

Renita Manley: And here’s my final question. All right. So, I’m acting like a WBE, I’m certified, I’m a WBE, and I’m inundated with conferences, virtual conferences, in-person conferences all the time. Can you tell me why I, already as a certified WBE, need to be at this conference in Scottsdale, Arizona on December 16th through the 18th? What am I missing? Why this conference? Why do I need to come?

Angela Garmon: This conference is — first and foremost, we need it. It is a way to create exposure for your organization. Again, Dr. Pamela keep it such an intimate environment. She also keeps it fun and uplifting. And there are so many different activities to engage that I don’t see at other conferences, you know. And so, I would definitely say show up, but most importantly, be extremely present when you show up and be extremely intentional because that is the space that she is curating, she and the team is curating for WBEs. She’s curating an intentional space for you to make those immediate connections, so that you can get immediate results and build out those relationships that you need to succeed.

Lee Kantor: Now, Angela, you’ve been recognized as a WBE Star. You go to these events. You are an active participant in this work for WBEC-West, the community, and your community. If somebody wants to learn more about ARG Coaching and Consulting Group and get a hold of you personally outside of the conference, what is the coordinates? What is the best way to connect with you?

Angela Garmon: Yes. So, they can connect with me at argccgroup.com, and they can also find me at AngelaGarmon.com as well.

Lee Kantor: Well, Renita, before we wrap, one more time with the dates of the event and maybe a website for people to register.

Renita Manley: Absolutely. December 16th through December 18th, 2025. Go to our WBEC West website, wbec-west.com. To register, go to our events tab and register. And you know what? Before I get out of here, before me and Lee get up out of here, I do gotta ask one question, because I know a lot of WBEs might be wondering, and Lee did bring it up. Angela, I don’t know how many times you’ve been recognized as a star for WBENC and WBEC-West, but why you? Why are you special? What’s going on? Can you give us the secret sauce to being the star all- the time?

Angela Garmon: Well, so I have been recognized as WBE of the Year twice, and the WBE Star only comes around once in a lifetime from my understanding. And so, I am actively involved in the WBEC-West community. And I tell women all the time, if you’re going to get certification or if you’re going to be part of any type of association, show up, be present, and most importantly, volunteer your skills and efforts to support other people in the community, because that’s where you create visibility not only for yourself but also for your business.

Lee Kantor: Good stuff. Well, Angela, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Angela Garmon: Thank you so much, Lee. It’s always great to be on your show.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor for Renita Manley. We’ll see you all next time on Women in Motion.