Wonderful woman profile: Bonnie DiLeone

Bonnie DiLeone, Clinical Instructor
University of Carolina at Chapel Hill

If you ask Bonnie DiLeone what she likes best about Women’s Wonderful Weekend (WWW) at The Greenbrier, you don’t get just one answer. Bonnie’s experience with the weekend is reflective of the richness and variety this signature event has to offer. From personal growth seminars to top-notch financial information, Bonnie finds value in every aspect of this weekend, designed exclusively for women.

How did you hear about WWW?
About 10 years ago, I moved to North Carolina, and in order to stay in touch with friends, we established The Greenbrier as the halfway point between us. So every year, we would meet there to catch up. When The Greenbrier introduced Women’s Wonderful Weekend, we decided to plan our weekend around it, and we’ve been doing that ever since.

What is your favorite aspect of the event?
The presentations, the breakout sessions. The keynote is always excellent. I like to use the weekend to reflect on my personal and professional life goals. I love the sessions that Anne Wolf conducts. She is a nutritionist and she always presents valuable programs on health and wellness. She introduced us to Nia and led a walk on The Greenbrier meditation trail.

For me, during that weekend, I feel I can really just be myself, and we all celebrate each other’s self-hood. I attend many conferences in my work, and WWW doesn’t have that stuffiness of a professional conference, yet we’re getting top-notch information on everything from finances, to spirituality, to health and wellness.

I love the dining, and in addition to the cooking demonstration that is part of the event, we like to go down to the Gourmet Shoppe for the regular demonstrations they give. We get copies of the recipes – we all enjoy cooking – and then we try out the recipes at home.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s event?
Terry Graedon of The People’s Pharmacy is really going to be interesting, and I’m also looking forward to hearing Elaine Honig of the Wine, Women, and Shoes event. And of course, I always look forward to seeing the women that I’ve met over the years.

A lot of strong connections are formed at WWW. It’s very inspiring for me to see both young women and women who are a little bit older, all making fantastic contributions to the world.

Do you have a personal or business maxim that you live by that you’d like to share with other women?
“The most wasted of all days is that during which one has not laughed.” – Nicolas DeChamfort

If you had to describe the WWW experience in one word, what would it be?
Dynamic.

Bonnie has spent 30 years in the field of early childhood/special education, most recently doing teacher training all over the state of North Carolina. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Ralph, son Daniel, and puppy Roxy. She also enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time at the beach.

Learn more about Women's Wonderful Weekend at The Greenbrier, March 6 - 9 2008.

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Wonderful woman profile: Beth Clough

Making a commitment to care for yourself and your friendships is as important as making a commitment to care for others. Just ask Beth Clough of Mentor, Ohio. Beth is the Social Work Director at Heartland of Mentor, a facility of HCR Manor Care – one of the largest long-term skilled nursing care providers in the U.S.

One way Beth takes care of herself is to attend Women’s Wonderful Weekend at The Greenbrier.

How did you first hear about Women’s Wonderful Weekend?

A close friend of mine moved to Raleigh, NC. At that time, we were having trouble staying in touch, so we decided to try to meet once a year to catch up. We discovered that The Greenbrier was the perfect halfway point between our two cities, so we started meeting there. When they began presenting Women's Wonderful Weekend (WWW), we planned our visits to coincide with the event. We love it!

What is your favorite aspect of the event?

So many favorites… truly, to be at The Greenbrier in and of itself is an experience. You are totally pampered… the food is so good… the service is excellent… the spa is wonderful – they give the best pedicure in the Universe! I can’t say enough about Betsy Conte, the Social Director. She is the perfect hostess and she personifies The Greenbrier. What is so unique about her is that she is totally approachable and she stays in contact with us throughout the year, asking us for feedback and suggestions. WWW has an aspect of collaboration that is nurtured by Betsy – she is like our best friend!

WWW is a positive, supportive weekend. For me, it started out as a way to meet with my friends, but for all of us it has become a weekend to recharge, take care of ourselves, get inspired. The speakers are very motivational, very pro-women. It’s refreshing and renewing to be with women who want to be nurtured and who nurture other women. At Women’s Wonderful Weekend, women extend themselves to each other.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s event?

Getting energized. Attending is like a boost of energy. It clears my head and heals me so that I can go back to my life and my work. It has become a necessity in my life. My daughter is almost 16 and when I start to get stressed at home she’ll say to me, “Mom – it’s time for you to go to The Greenbrier.”

What do you want to tell other women about Women’s Wonderful Weekend?

It’s natural for people to feel uncomfortable in a new place, but at WWW, it’s not like that. No matter who you are – a CEO, a social worker, a teacher, an entrepreneur, a stay-at-home mom; no matter your age – if you come, you’ll find someone else like you. There’s a genuine camaraderie among the women there – no cliques…all are welcome.

Women’s Wonderful Weekend at The Greenbrier is a transformative experience. My life has been changed by it. I was first introduced to Yoga at WWW, and my Yoga practice has transformed my life in many ways. The weekend has a long lasting effect – you go home nurtured and with a positive outlook.

How would you describe Women’s Wonderful Weekend, in a word?

Wonderful!

Learn more about Women's Wonderful Weekend at The Greenbrier, March 6 - 9 2008.

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Wonderful woman profile: Nancy Novak

In the months following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, most of us were grieving and struggling to regain some semblance of normalcy to our lives. Nancy Novak was working to rebuild the Pentagon.

Just weeks before 9/11, Hensel Phelps Construction had signed a contract to renovate the Pentagon and Nancy was named Program Manager.

“After 9/11, everything changed,” said Nancy. “There was a tremendous deal of stress and tension around this project. It was quite a burden.”

Late in 2002, Nancy was looking for a special place to go to for rest and recovery from the demands and responsibilities of her work.

“My safety director told me about The Greenbrier,” said Nancy. “His wife’s company had held some meetings there. So I visited The Greenbrier Web site and learned of Women’s Wonderful Weekend.”

Nancy has attended Women’s Wonderful Weekend (WWW) every year since then, bringing other women along. Her daughter and her mother have joined her, and every year she sponsors attendance for women from her company.

We spoke with Nancy recently about her experience with Women’s Wonderful Weekend.

What is your favorite aspect of Women’s Wonderful Weekend?

Definitely the personal connections that we make… the friendships. I’ve made many new friends that I never would have met if I hadn’t gone to The Greenbrier, and now we stay in touch all year through.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s event?

The great speakers. What I love about WWW is that I get a little personal time to relax, I get inspired by the speakers, and I am surrounded by women from all walks of life who are there for the same reasons. And honestly, the speakers have been among the friends I’ve made.

Do you have a favorite WWW memory?

One year, Gail Evans, author of Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman came and brought her daughter. The two of them were awesome. The first year I attended it was right after 9/11 and I was so busy. I really needed to reach out and get some balance. Dr. Pamela Peeke, nutritionist and author of Body-for-Life for Women came and she gave us some great tips about food, body fat and women’s health. What a dynamic personality! One of the best closing speeches I ever heard at the WWW was Sharon Decker, the President of Doncaster Clothing. She talked about life balance. (We love the Doncaster line of clothing too!) I still think about her all the time. She made a huge impression on me and I use her advice for others frequently.

What personal or business advice can you offer to other women?

Anything to excess isn’t good. I have three kids and I always tell them, “Everything in moderation.” Working too much, playing too much, too much money, too much TV, isn’t good. People get so caught up. The secret to happiness isn’t having more of anything; it’s in finding contentment with having enough, which is always an interesting concept.

What do you want other women to know about Women’s Wonderful Weekend at The Greenbrier?

One thing that always fascinates me is the power of networking. It’s huge. Once you experience that power, you really begin to understand it. It feels like an indulgence to do it at The Greenbrier, but it is a smart and an important thing to do. The more women get to know each other and touch base, the better and stronger we’re going to be.

How would you describe Women’s Wonderful Weekend, in a word?

Powerful.

Nancy Novak is an Operations Manager with Hensel Phelps Construction Co. overseeing approximately $300 million worth of backlog each year. Nancy holds a BS in Construction Management/Construction Technology, and she has worked all over the country. Nancy has three children ages 22, 20 and 8.

Learn more about Women's Wonderful Weekend at The Greenbrier, March 6 - 9 2008.

Don’t miss a thing! Subscribe to Greenbrier Women's Community by Email
and receive valuable articles, updates and program announcements right to your Inbox.