Things I saw at the fair.

I attended the first ever women business owner's conference in Denver yesterday. Sponsored by NAWBO and the SBA, it promised to be a hootin' good time. There were close to 500 women there, mostly business owners. If I were in the fashion consulting business, I would have had a heart attack. Instead, I'm left with plenty of snark material. The bad part was that I didn't have anyone with me to snark along side of. The good part was that by the end of the day, I'd met a few dozen neat ladies.

The day started bright and painfully early at 7 am. Seven-freakin-a-m. Keep in mind I had to drive from the ghetto to downtown Denver. My brain doesn't even start processing until 8:30 am. It's a scientific fact. I'm wired this way.

To get us jazzed first thing, they had a panel of women business owners sharing their successes and lessons-learned. People: a dark ballroom at 9:30 in the morning with a panel of noteworthy, but otherwise "calm," speakers is not my idea of a energizer. Sleepy. Sleepy. Of course the "reserved" tables for all the media sponsors were empty at this time. Hmm. Right.

Next were a series of fascinating (I'm serious here) seminars. I learned a lot. I learned (not for the first time) that I have a whole lot more to learn about bidness. I wish I could have split myself into four people to go to all the seminars at the same time.

But my loyal six readers aren't here for a recap of the women's conference of the year. They want the dirt.

Some women must be so busy running successful companies that they have no time to shop for clothes. I'd say they've been really busy since 1987. Shoulder pads died so, very, very long ago, ladies. Just an fyi.

Is big hair back? Did I miss that memo? When it's combined with a poufy-shouldered -power-suit, ala Melanie Griffith in "Working Girl" I don't think it's a "new" hairstyle. Might want to check that out. Maybe I'm behind the fashion curve.

Yes, yes, I went to a women's conference and all I did was snark. You would too if you saw what I saw. It actually is a pathetic attempt to mask my insecurities regarding networking opportunities. All the movers and shakers at the conference were beyond me. I ended up talking to a whole bunch of women just like me. Small business women, start-ups, amateurs.

I've got some work to do. But first I have to look into this shoulder pad fashion trend.