Solon’s historic Palmer House Stable was filled with women Saturday, Feb. 19 learning to overcome barriers in their life, which prevent them from achieving goals, dreams, even their own happiness. And, they learned to take care of themselves, say thank you to themselves, and even love themselves.
“Beyond Barriers is a women’s event where we highlight women in the community with speakers from the community come and share their story – what’s going on in their life right now, how they’ve gotten to this point, where they may be going, with the understanding that your inspiration, your hero, can be your next door neighbor, or the person that drops their kids off at school next to you,” said event organizer Cara Flynn.
Three women from Solon and the surrounding area – Jessie Frerich, Kimberly Hendricks, and Haley Hines, spoke at the conference. A local flavor, literally, was also present in the form of food and beverage from local businesses including MOXIE & Mortar, The Eat Shop, Zoetic Coffee, Joe’s Place, and Blackstone. “We try to purchase things from the community,” Flynn said. “Our food, any gifts that I can do, wine, and we do cocktails at the end.”
The conference was a full day event for the women starting with coffee and pastries, moving into some “super gentle yoga” and presentations including one from the Johnson County Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) before a catered lunch. “We end the day with the last speaker, and a cocktail in hand,” Flynn said.
She started Beyond Barriers in early 2020 with her first conference in North Liberty in March, just before the pandemic broke out and essentially shut down the world for a year. Flynn is planning another conference for April 23 at Big Grove in Iowa City. The goal, she said is to take Beyond Barriers to a variety of smaller communities in Iowa with the target of three per year.
“It was just an idea,” she said. “I’m a yoga instructor (and owner of Benders Yoga Studio in downtown Iowa City) and had gone to an event that really hit me in all the good ways, so I thought, I’m going to do something…a women’s event, and let women come together and support each other. After the big idea I did North Liberty, and then I got to sit on it for a year, think about it, and it solidified what I wanted it to look like.” Flynn uses social media to highlight stories of inspirational women throughout the year.
“I just did a story on two friends and shared the story of their long term friendship.”
Flynn overcame barriers of her own on the way to crafting her conferences. “A few years ago, after I’d been teaching things for about ten years, I decided to do something I fear or hate for an entire year. It started with horses and moved on to yoga, writing, and doing events like this and putting them together.”
Candles set a mood of relaxation and reflection Saturday, Feb. 19 at the historic Palmer House Stable event center in downtown Solon as the Beyond Barriers women’s conference was held.