Women get plenty of advice at expo

Young Lady Bosses pose as they promote their health and fitness brand.

What Women Need host Bri Harmon posed with attendee.
Photos by Elegance Davis

By Ashia Glover
Outlook writer

A radio commercial promoting the annual “What Women Want” event in Tallahassee was enough to grab Bri Harmon’s attention.
But the event’s title got her thinking that the question should be more like “What Women Need.”
She figured that she’d bring a group of experts to answer the burning questing, with the intention of making it more than just an event that provides services specifically for women. They came together this past Saturday for the What Women Need Expo, attracting a crowd of about 50 people to the Grand Ballroom on FAMU’s campus.

 
“We do this in January because it is the top of the year so hopefully all the empowerment and things that they learned will be able to gear them back in and say ‘okay, you know what my New Year’s resolution is going to be to either not worry about a man or to get healthy or to make sure my mind is right, my goals are right, whatever I want to do is together as a whole,” she said. “If they could take away any of those things, then I am successfully happy.”

 
The speakers had advice for women on everything from health and beauty to how to find pleasure in their bedroom. Essentially, Harmon said, she staged the event in hopes of empowering women.
“Let’s just all love and all use our skills and use everything that we have together as a people and to grow as a community,” Harmon said.

 
The ambience was right for plenty of bonding, too. With recorded music as the backdrop, several women dressed in business casual suits browsed vendors for information on fitness, hair care, and fashion.

 
Then, the serious conversation began with an ice breaker before fitness trainer Splack Williams stepped up. He went right to the heart of what he felt women needed to know.

 
“At the end of the day health is important for everyone.” he said, adding that good health is especially important for women who might be considering having children.

 
Later on, medical doctor Denise Barrett, a self-described beauty enthusiast, suggested several tips that she said should empower women.

 
First, she said, women need to love themselves to develop self-confidence, then embrace glamour.
Ariane Davis, one of the stars from Love and Hip Hop Atlanta television show, also made an appearance. She reminded women of the importance of networking and establishing a brand of their own as well as offered them a few sex tips.

 
Harmon, who staged a similar event last year, said she hopes the women left feeling inspired.
“I would love for everyone to take away a little bit of motivation as well as self-love,” she said.