December 12, 2023
Joelyn Caprine, CERP, center, enjoys networking with other young rental operators at the Young Professional Network Conference.
The American Rental Association (ARA) recently held its annual Women in Rental and Young Professional Network (YPN) conferences in Clearwater Beach, Fla. Women in Rental took place from Oct. 23-24, and the YPN Conference followed from Oct. 25-26. Both conferences were sold out, and attendees spent two days focused on networking and professional development with their rental peers.
See what some of the attendees who traveled from ARA’s Region Nine had to say about the events.
Jasmine Le, Rouse Services, Beverly Hills, Calif., enjoyed connecting with other like-minded women
“This was my first time attending the Women in Rental Conference. Working in a male-dominated industry, it was wonderful getting to meet other women, connect with them and hear what they deal with and do on a day-to-day basis” says Le, who serves as sales representative at Rouse Services.
Le was impressed with Sara Ross, the keynote speaker, who presented “Activate Your Aliveness Factor.”
“She was wonderful and touched on many points that I feel anyone could relate to. She brought to the forefront that we forget to take care of ourselves first. We can’t help others until we take care of ourselves,” Le says.
As part of that self-care, Le says she has begun meditating more regularly. “I have been just sitting down, collecting myself and checking in with myself at the end of the day. I had not done that on a consistent basis before. Doing it since I have returned has been wonderful. I think I wake up with more of a peaceful mind and that continues throughout the day,” she says.
To end the conference on the right note, Le and the other participants took part in a dinner cruise. “It was amazing — a great chance to talk with other women and enjoy a great meal. The sunset also was beautiful,” she says.
Kay Lee, Rouse Services, Beverly Hills, loved ability to network in a relaxed, intimate setting
Women in Rental Conference attendees gained insightful tips from keynote speaker Sara Ross.
Lee, client success manager at Rouse Services, came back from attending her first Women in Rental Conference in Clearwater Beach “super-excited. I don’t think I have ever received so many business cards at any conference before,” she says.
What makes those cards so meaningful is the friendships they represent — friendships developed with other women from across the country. “I wanted to connect with other women in the industry in a more intimate setting. I felt I was able to connect with these women. With several of them, we have plans to meet at The ARA Show™ in February. I got their phone numbers and are now connected through LinkedIn. We even talked about starting a book club,” Lee says.
Besides the valued connections, Lee enjoyed Ross’s presentation. “She was very dynamic. She touched upon a topic about the whole work-life balance. It was a good refresher for me. I liked how she put it in a new framework and in a very cohesive way. It left people with some more thoughts on how to manage time better and not always be in the work mind. I also liked how she talked about managing expectations and not always being the go-to person with all the answers. She shared that instead of immediately telling someone the answer, help them come up with the answer on their own by asking questions regarding what they have done so far,” she says.
For Lee, the conference “was well worth my while. I had such a good time,” she says, adding that other women should take advantage of what this conference offers.
“It is a really great way to gain professional development along with networking in an intimate setting. I would highly encourage other women to go. I hope to go next year,” she adds.
Like her colleague, Lee thoroughly enjoyed the boat cruise. “That was so much fun. That is where I did most of my socializing, and the sunset was gorgeous. I really loved the whole experience,” she says.
