November 5, 2022- Women from the Decatur community, as well as surrounding areas, gathered at the Decatur Club for the 2022 Power In Pumps Conference.
Mia Jackson Tyus, founder of Power In Pumps, has seen her baby (Power In Pumps) at its highest and lowest moments. Power In Pumps is six years old, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is only the fourth in person conference. Jackson has been dreaming of the day where she and her fellow women could be in person.
“For the last two years I’ve dreamed of the day when we’d be back and in person in a room full of love and support, laughter and learning, a day of devotion built just for us,” Jackson Tyus said. “It’s been a rough two years marked by grief, sickness, and death, political unrest and confusion but praise God, we are making our way through and, I believe, ready to figure out what’s next. Hopefully this pandemic has shown us what’s important and opened our eyes to a new way of living.”
The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Ready for Takeoff’. Similar to a flight, life can have its’ fair share of turbulence, baggage, change in plans, emergencies, and delays. But hopefully once you get back on the runway heading towards your destination, you can finally enjoy the trip you planned for yourself.
The conference was composed of group breakout sessions and a panel discussion. The sessions included “What’s Your Destination”, “Who Are You Taking With You”, “Check In”, & “Ready For Departure”. The sessions were hosted by TyKyna Cole, owner of Cole Counseling Services; Kesha Gilbert, founder of Ready For Takeoff LLC; Bettye J. Hill, Human Resources Legal Counsel; and Jey Owens, a professional coach and mentor. The panel included Gussie Reed, retired division director of Ameren Illinois; Dr. Rochelle Harris-Clark, DPS 61 Superintendent; Rebecca “Riki” Wright, owner of Reflections Academy of Beauty; Bettye J. Hill; and Brenda Nevitt, a health coach & speaker.
Jackson’s Tyus’ goals are to empower, and impact, and through this conference, she is able to accomplish the goals. Just ask her biggest supporter and co-pilot, her husband Billy Tyus, who believes that empowering others is what his wife was meant to do.
“I am proud, and I am happy for Mia,” Tyus said. “This really is in her blood, this is what she does. She is a helper. She is a teacher, and she wants to help people to want more and be more. It’s not about credit for her. It is about the act. The wanting that for people, so I am happy for her. I really am. That’s the big thing. Happy and proud.”
The conference, which was sold out within weeks of being announced, is an event that Tyus believes is a special day that gives women an opportunity to embrace their power and be themselves.
“The conference, from what I have seen, and I have been to every one, is a special day,” Tyus said. “It is full of love, as corny as that may sound. It is. People are smiling. People are laughing. People are dancing. People are catching up with old friends. People are making new friends. And that’s rare, from what I see, especially for women in the world today. Just because you are not afforded the opportunity often. You are always doing for people, and it has become an expectation. It’s not fair but it’s real. But this day is for women and it is for you to be able to do that. You feel it in the room. It’s tangible It’s powerful.”
Jackson-Tyus also sees how special the conference can be, and is intentional in making sure the Power In Pumps conference serves as a safe space for women’s needs to be meant.
“Every time I do this, I ask what are my intentions, and I do question different people and ask what do you need,” Jackson-Tyus said. “Because it is not all about me. It is not even about me so I want to know what do we as women need.”
To learn more about Power In Pumps, click HERE.
Below is the Power In Pumps photo gallery.
