A Morning Well Spent: Women in Business Luncheon with the Central Fort Bend Chamber

"Lead Boldly, Live Authentically"

That was the theme of the morning, and every part of the program reflected it. From the warm welcome by Chamber President Melissa Toon to the thoughtful closing remarks, the event felt both energizing and grounding. Which is exactly what you need on a Thursday morning.

Two Incredible Speakers

The highlight of the event was hearing from two standout speakers.

J Franco opened with her talk, *Believe, Belong, Become.* J is a content marketing strategist, speaker, and founder of FIMM Agency. She was recently honored as the 2026 American Business Woman of the Year by the American Business Women's Association. Her message centered on showing up authentically in business and life, and the reminder that belonging starts from within.

Ashley Baxter followed with *Leading from Wholeness: How Successful Women Manage What Matters.* Ashley is a leadership strategist, ordained minister, and founder of Mission Forward Consulting. She oversees a $300M portfolio and drives national growth strategy. Her keynote was filled with practical wisdom on leading with clarity, conviction, and wholeness. You could feel the energy in the room shift as she spoke.

Two lines in particular stopped the room:

"*Make sure your yes is worth the less*."

"*You don't need more time, you need more intention*."

That first one landed hard.

As women who are constantly saying yes to everything and everyone, it was a powerful challenge to be more deliberate about where we give our time and energy. The second was a gut-check reminder that we all have the same 24 hours.

It comes down to how intentionally we use them.

Ashley also left the room with three things to carry into future leadership roles:

• Schedule your values. If it is not on the calendar, it is not a priority. Your values deserve a time slot just like any meeting.
• Empower others like your life depends on it. Great leaders do not hoard their influence. They pour into the people around them and create other leaders.
• Outsource without guilt. Letting go of tasks that drain you is not weakness. It is wisdom. Free yourself up for the work only you can do.

These three takeaways alone were worth the price of admission.

The two speakers wrapped up in a moderated conversation and Q&A facilitated by Vanessa Mancinas of the Central Fort Bend Chamber, which was one of the best parts of the morning. Hearing both women speak candidly about their journeys made for a real, honest conversation.

Why Events Like This Matter

It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind. Mornings like this are a good reminder of the power of community. For the team at Showalter, Colgin and Davis, PLLC, getting out of the office and into a room with other women in business, hearing their stories, laughing together, and taking notes is something you cannot replicate at a desk. Stephanie, Ghizal, Susan, and Constance left feeling recharged and ready to lead with more intention.

A big thank you to the Central Fort Bend Chamber for putting together such a well-organized event, to Texas Party Box for sponsoring, and to all the sponsors who made it possible:

• Frost Bank - Aliana
• SI Environmental LLC
• H-E-B Floral Department
• Rosenberg Civic Center
• Safari Texas Ranch

We are already looking forward to the next one. If you have not attended a Chamber Women in Business event, put it on your calendar.

You will not regret it.