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WithIt Leadership Conference Inspires with Career Roadblock Theme
June 9,
2025 by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry 
WithIt's Leadership Conference took place at the Kansas City Marriott - Country Club Plaza, June 2-4 and featured a talk on OVERCOMING CAREER ROADBLOCKS. Serena Martin, the founder and president of 24/7 Creative Agency who also serves as a WithIt co-chair and VP of events, including insights from the event.
Martin shared some of the biggest takeaways, including insights from the event and how each panelist inspired her.
Shelia Butler, moderator, Jola
Luck follows the prepared. Don’t think of roadblocks as failures! Think of them as stepping stones on your career’s forward path, helping you learn how to overcome obstacles. Being vulnerable is being brave.
Colleen Daly, Howard Elliott
Confidence is key in all stages of your career. Sometimes, having confidence is doing the hard things that are the most uncomfortable. Having confidence helps you to fight for your career and move up in your company. Don't let your inner voice say "you can't" rule your self-confidence. And learn from everything—good, bad, roadblocks, obstacles, successes, and failures. Self-reflection is vital to look, learn, and to grow.
Chris Amos, ANDMORE
Plant the seeds in your relationships and your company. Seek to support your local community and find charities to donate your time to. Learn from the ground up and be respectful of the process. Being resilient is key. Sometimes, you have to back up to move forward but never stop learning and always push forward.
Jill Hardy, Tempur Sealy
You don't have to know everything or be perfect to be successful. Don’t let a setback, roadblock or failure define you. We are all human. Don’t focus on your deficiencies or incompetence. Always double down on your strengths and learn from every lesson, good or bad.
WithIt will hold its annual Professional Leadership Conference in Kansas City, MO, in the fall of 2026. To learn more about WithIt or how you can volunteer to support next year's conference, visit www.withit.org.
Overcoming Career Roadblocks
Every career has its share of roadblocks—but they don’t have to be setbacks. This empowering panel explores how challenges can catalyze personal and professional growth. Through real stories and practical advice, panelists will share how they transformed obstacles into turning points that shaped their careers for the better. Attendees will leave with fresh perspectives, renewed motivation, and strategies to turn challenges into stepping stones.