Great conference today in Syracuse. It was a business conference focused on women and I was so proud to be one of the women ready to take the leap into business ownership.

I loved the panel on entrepreneurs who all gave good advice including – write out good job descriptions, finding good mentors and ask good interview questions. The guys on the panel even had a funny story about not hiring the guy who said, “I wish I was a dog – they don’t work hard and get pampered all day.”  Not a good choice for an interview answer!

The women from Syracuse who were honored included a woman who is a dairy farmer, has a day spa and also runs a charity in St. Lawrence County.  Wow.. you know that woman packs so much into her daily life.  Oh and did I mention that she is the mother of three boys.  Incredibly inspiring.

However, I’m left a little sad after hearing the main national speaker. Her speech was about business and her time as a national TV personality. But wrapped in her promotion of her latest book was her bit about how she lost so much weight to appear like other people on TV. I get losing weight for health reasons. I get writing a book about it. But at a woman’s business conference, here she is telling women that if we aren’t a perfect size 8 – we should be “working on that” as well. Women business owners don’t have time for a gym or a nutritionist. Look at that dairy farmer spa mom! Do you think she cares what size dress she is wearing? Why are we still expected to be smart, successful, rich and a perfect size anything?

In the end you can all say she’s telling us this because it’s a health issue. But she made it clear it was a beauty issue as well. Instead of saying “I wanted to look like all the other people on TV.” Wouldn’t it have been more powerful if she said, “I’m representing for the rest of Americans who are not a size 2.”

If you really disagree with me then think of it this way.. if this was a MAN’s business conference.. do you think Donald Trump would be talking about how he lost 40 pounds and what he eats for breakfast?