Our Story
What are the Pearls Of Wisdom?
Pearls of Wisdom began as an idea to bring executive and management women in the Mortgage Banking Industry together in fellowship for networking, education and discussion of issues particular to women working in a stressful environment.
When polled, most of our female colleagues and servicer friends told us the "The Balancing Act" was a major area of concern. Balancing career and family is not a new challenge but in recent years more attention is being paid by companies and industries on helping employees find ways to achieve that healthy balance between their jobs and home life, thus resulting in a healthier, happier employee.
Our first seminar, on December 1, 2004 took place in a conference room at the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphia and was actually called "Fall in Philadelphia - A Woman's Health & Wellness Symposium". The seminar format included Industry Updates, followed by Delores Merrill of the National Association of Professional Women in Mortgage Banking who spoke on her organization and the benefit to women in our industry. Our final speaker was from Spirit Communication, entitle "The Balancing Act, Stress Reduction in the Workplace and Time Management for Women. The day concluded with dinner and a female comedian. All agreed that it was a day of great education and some eye opening ideas on how to improve the quality of our lives.
Because of the success of our first event and the incredible feedback we received, we decided to hold another Symposium, this time in Dallas, Texas. We opened our co-sponsorship to a number of other law firms with successful & dynamic female partners. Robin Gillespie from Fannie Mae also joined us as a key note speaker.
The sponsors each took turns speaking during lunch, sharing their Pearls of Wisdom, that is our meaning of success and our stories of how we work to achieve that success. As the first speaker, and founder of Pearls of Wisdom, Mary Ann Decker reached back to the first symposium and spoke on "The Balancing Act - Sanity in the Midst of Ordered Chaos". Each speaker seemed to get more inspirational and we could have called the day a success but there was more.
Following the lunch and speakers we held a charity Chinese auction. Each law firm donated a number of prizes and each attendee (sponsors and guests alike) was asked to purchase tickets at $5.00 each to win the prizes. The proceeds from the auction ($1,500.00) were donated to Oprah Winfrey's Angel's Network, and organization that helps displaced women get their lives back on track.
The day concluded with dinner and for those that were able, the next day included attendance at Oprah Winfrey's Live Your Best Life Tour. Many of the attendees still talk about the incredible impact that this woman's symposium had on them and their day-to-day lives. Both professionally and personally we all walked away with enriched lives.
Since then, the Pearls - as we call ourselves - have continued to hold symposiums around the country, at the request of our clients. Our third event was held in beautiful Niagara Falls, and included a full afternoon of education including a motivational speaker, followed by industry updates, numerous speakers, much laughter and even a few tears. The funds raised from the Niagara Falls Auction were donated to a high school student who had been awarded an opportunity of a lifetime to attend a weeklong event in Washington, DC, which focused on the law - her intended career path.
In 2008 we began to add some suggested activities to our symposiums, including nutrition and fitness counseling as well as certified Yoga instruction - aimed at helping all of us find ways to de-stress our days with simple activity. These inclusions have been incredibly successful with sponsor and guest, alike. And although we enjoy mixing it up a bit, adding a golf clinic or wine and cheese tasting with a professional sommelier, connecting with women and recharging ourselves continues to be the most valuable aspects of what we do.
Our charity auctions continue to support the needs of each given community, at the suggestion of the servicer client, including woman's shelters and other worthy causes. At a recent event, again in Dallas, we were pleased to be able to raise enough money to purchase a laptop computer for a deserving, yet very ill young woman who is now able to finish her studies via the internet.
Each Pearl owns a beautiful gray pearl bracelet, engraved with the word "Pearl" and the date of their official induction into our group. We all wear them proudly and with the knowledge that only through leaning upon on another, sharing our struggles as well as our successes, the laughter and the tears, will we truly hope to find the balance we all deserve.