5 Lessons I Learned from Chairing the EO Women Global Summit 2025

By Marina Byezhanova, an EO Canada Bridge chapter member who is a global speaker, university instructor, and co-founder of Brand of a Leader, a personal branding agency for entrepreneurs. 

In June 2025, I had the most exhilarating experience of my 11-year EO tenure, with 10 of those years spent in leadership roles: I chaired the first-ever EO Women Global Summit as an official EO product. 

Here's the backstory: In July 2024, EO finally recognized what many of us already knew, that some of our most vibrant communities deserved formal recognition. MyEO Women, along with MyEO DealExchange, MyEO Under 35, and MyEO Industry Groups, officially became EO Communities. With that transition, our beloved MyEO Women Summit (launched nine years prior) evolved into the EO Women Global Summit.

When the EO Global team struggled to find the right EO member to chair this newly elevated event, I watched from the sidelines for about five minutes. Then I couldn't stand it anymore. I'd attended the previous summits in Marrakech and Seoul, formed some of my deepest EO friendships through this community, and this year's event was happening in my hometown of Montreal. The universe was basically screaming at me to step up.

So, I did what I always do: I said Yes. I applied. And I was selected.

The experience was mind-blowing in many ways, including the many lessons it brought me. Here are five that stood out above all.

Lesson 1: Build Your Team Like Your Success Depends on It (Because It Does)

Before touching a single logistical detail, I obsessed over the planning committee’s team composition. One of my core leadership strengths is to strategically place people where they will absolutely thrive. I handpicked women who were EO-committed but also my allies that I knew I could trust. My huge gratitude goes to our inspiring members Stephanie Camarillo, Elizabeth Garvish, Tammy Powell, Jane Bolin, and Jenny Feterovich. 

Here's where I went rogue. though: I created an entirely new role—the Moments of Delight Chair. Not logistics, not operations—pure magic creation. Handwritten notes, surprise gifts, unexpected touches of joy woven throughout the experience. People told me these "little" details weren't just nice additions—they WERE the event. That role didn't exist in EO before. Hopefully, it will now. My deep gratitude goes to Maureen Birdsall who took this role with excitement and, yes, delight.

Lesson 2: Make It Unmistakably Yours (Or Why Bother?)

Walter Stugger, the Founder of Inspiria (our event partner) made an immediate and significant impact on me during our first call: "The summit needs to feel like you. If it fails, you fail. So, you might as well make it something you love and something that fully represents who you are."

Permission granted.

I wanted learning that pushed boundaries, energy that felt distinctly feminine and powerful, and an atmosphere that said "this isn't your typical conference." I designed a gender-specific event, which was simultaneously rooted in inclusion. What most people don’t know is that the EO Women Summit welcomes SLPs without their members, EO Accelerators, friends of members and, yes, men as well.  

Some people raised eyebrows when I pushed for pajama parties, evening intimacy workshops, and tea times with 450 candles around. Good. The theme was “What if? Expect the Unexpected,” and we stayed aligned with it.

Lesson 3: Your Gut Knows Things Your Spreadsheet Doesn't

When I was selected for the Chair role, we had exactly five registrations. Five!

Asked for my attendance projection, I thought about it and said, "120." The previous year had under 80. My amazing and multitalented, albeit risk-averse (thank goodness for that!) EO staff lead, Jorge Orozco, looked at me with concern and budgeted for 100.

We sold out at 120.

In January 2025, five months before the event, our contracted hotel venue e-dropped a bomb: Due to renovations and labor strikes, they had to slash our contract down to 40 rooms. To be completely transparent, I felt ... excited! I am a deep believer that everything happens for a reason, and my gut said that this was a redirection and a blessing in disguise, rather than a disaster.

My gut was right.

We pivoted to a venue with a top-floor space offering 360° views of Montreal plus rooftop access. It was spectacular. Better than anything we'd originally imagined. Had I let fear override instinct, we'd have missed that magic entirely.

Lesson 4: Find Your Opposite (And Thank Them Daily)

I've got explosive energy, let's-go-bigger thinking, and "what if we tried this crazy idea?" My EO global staff partner Jorge? Pure operational excellence: budgets, contingencies, risk mitigation.

Where I pushed ahead boldly and excitedly, he calmly asked, "What's Plan B if that doesn't work?"

This tension was our superpower. You need people who challenge your blind spots, who bring complementary strengths, who keep your feet on the ground while you're reaching for the stars. Without that balance, ambition becomes chaos. I hope every visionary entrepreneur has a Jorge in their corner.

Lesson 5: Women Supporting Women Is Our Competitive Advantage

Let me be honest: Not everything was smooth sailing. There were moments that tested every ounce of my resilience (those skeletons can stay in their closets, but trust me when I say they are remnants of some trying experiences).

Yet, what exceeded all of my expectations was the unwavering support from women worldwide who protected my vision, defended my decisions, and whispered (often in the form of a late-night WhatsApp DM) "I've got you" when it mattered most.

I already knew it, but this experience solidified one of my biggest and most important beliefs: There are few things as powerful as women supporting and elevating other women. It's the kind of leadership that makes a difference. Amazing ladies, you know who you are. Your leadership has inspired me to carry it forward and be an ally other women may need.

Did It Work? Let Me Show You the Receipts

My expectations were astronomical. I pushed everyone to dream bigger than was comfortable. And yes, we met those expectations:

• First sold-out EO Women Summit ever
• First-time incredible sponsor partnerships
• Largest EO Powerhouse Speaker Series watch party in history (with Martha Stewart—and yes, I surprised everyone with a live question from our green room)
• 100% satisfaction rating in the post-event survey with 100% of respondents saying that, based on their experience, they were likely to attend the 2026 edition of the Summit

The details that touched our guests’ hearts:

• Pajama morning meditation led by MyEO Women Founder, Marsha Ralls, herself. She even gifted us bathrobes for every attendee with the new EO Women logo on them (because Marsha doesn't do anything halfway)
• Sessions on exits and scaling alongside conversations about intimacy and skincare
• Heartfelt circus performances and an immersive light show during our first night social
• Candlelit experiences, women-owned restaurant dine-arounds, personalized notebooks with names
• Early morning walking meditation
• A handwritten note from me to every single attendee
• Our closing night Red Dress Party

Because that's what happens when you treat a business summit like a gathering of your closest friends ... magic.

The Real Lesson

Chairing the Summit stretched me in ways I'm still unpacking. It was exhilarating and more emotional than I anticipated. I have teared up several times even now while writing this article.

But mostly, it reinforced what I've always believed: When you lead from your authentic self, when you build with intention rather than convention, when you dare to imagine bigger and then actually do it — that's when ordinary events become movements.

The EO Women Global Summit is the reflection of what happens when women refuse to play small, when community trumps competition, and when someone asks: "What if?” as in “What if we did this completely differently?"

You may also enjoy reading Marina’s other posts:

• Will we meet at EO’s Global Leadership Conference (GLC) this year?
• Learn and Grow Together: A Look Back at the EO Tanzania Exploration
• Empowerment Awaits: 3 Key Insights You’ll Gain at the 2025 EO Women Summit
• EO Global Speakers Academy Grads Share Transformational Results