Jane Seymour at Women in the Know Conference

By JCK Online Staff -- JCK Online, 3/18/2009 10:25:00 AM

Award winning actress Jane Seymour received a standing ovation from the 200-plus attendees of the sixth Annual Women's Jewelry Association Women in the Know conference at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, after sharing the inspiration for her Open Hearts design in a story about her late mother who taught her that, "If your heart is open, love will always find its way in."

On display following her presentation were Seymour's works of watercolor art as well as her jewelry collection, which is sold exclusively in Kay Jewelers and Jared The Galleria of Jewelry.

Offering a pragmatic and humorous perspective to gender inequality was renowned author Nina DiSesa, who followed Seymour with a presentation on how to crash the proverbial 'glass ceiling' from her book Seducing the Boys Club.

"Jane and Nina epitomized our conference theme, 'Passion with Purpose,' " said conference co-chairs Brandee Dallow of Julius Klein Group and Anne Valentzas of Leo Schachter Diamonds. "Without purpose, passion is meaningless. It is the key to driving sales and profitable market share. Our goal was to design a conference that not only provided inspiration, but also practical tools that attendees could apply directly to their businesses."

After the two morning speakers, conference goers were able to attend breakout sessions of their choice in both the morning and afternoon. They included: Strategies for Succeeding in a Downward Economy with Claudia Rose, Diamond Promotion Service; How Research Can Improve Business with David Sisson and Dr. Sarah Fitzharding, Galileo Research; Creating a Sustainable Career with Suzanne DeVries,Diamond Staffing Solutions; and Strategies and Tips for Using Online Social Networks for Promotion with Carmina Perez, http://mogulette.blogspot.com.

The luncheon address featured 11 of the 13 women from the best-selling book, The Necklace: Thirteen Women and the Experiment that Transformed Their Lives. They shared the story behind their unprecedented experiment of sharing a diamond necklace.

The day ended with a panel entitled, "Passion with Purpose," where Lita Asscher, Royal Asscher; Janet Goldman, Fragments; Joi Gordon, Dress for Success; Kendra Scott, and Kendra Scott Design. The moderator was Carol Brodie of Carol Brodie & Co.

These exemplary women shared their personal experiences of working towards and ultimately achieving success and sent the message that anything and everything is possible—as long as you define your goals and try to achieve them.

The cocktail reception offered an opportunity to honor the "Shining Stars" from the various chapters represented at the conference.