Hundreds are expected to be plugged into JOYMAKER 2020 on Saturday, June 6, as an inspiring collective of motivators spread a message of joy and gratitude in the age of COVID-19.
Memphis-based Wundher, a digital movement designed to encourage women and mothers, will host the national summit of innovative life coaching from popular speakers in a power-packed, three-hour confab, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. ( CST).
“I think joy is an important component in this present-day crisis if we are to emerge from the pandemic a stronger, thriving nation of women,” said Lori Spicer Robertson, founder and CEO of Wundher.
Wundher, a new digital and in-the-flesh (ITF) platform, will partner with BlueJeans Network, which provides secure video conferencing services in more than 180 countries, to host the gathering.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health officials throughout the country have warned about the added stress and anxiety brought on by coronavirus and the changes it has wrought, including the isolation brought on by safer at home mandates and the loss of employment.
Robertson cited a pervasive loss of joy and enthusiasm for life in “this COVID-19 era” by women who have been forced to face a new normal.
“Many mothers are single parents who must figure it out—how to juggle the responsibilities of financially supporting their children, home-schooling, and a million other things,” Robertson said.
Robertson, who refers to herself as “chief joy maker,” hopes the event will spark a community spread of its own.
“The power of personal joy can ripple throughout — positively impacting families, friends, and communities,” Robertson said. “These resilient trailblazers will encourage all of us as they speak.”
Wundher opened its doors with a launch event in Midtown’s Cooper-Young, community in January, as hundreds of women watched a panel of women and mothers tout the lessons they learned in rearing children, advancing their careers, and nurturing good relationships in their lives.
Robertson said the idea for a women’s empowerment entity materialized when she was pregnant with her first child six years ago. There were no women with children in her family at the time. She befriended mothers who could help her with child-rearing.
“I needed the power of community to help me in this motherhood journey,” Robertson said. “The group of 10 women would meet for lunch to share stories of successful as well as unsuccessful experiences. We were called ‘Wunder’ at that time.”
By the end of 2018, the group had grown to more than 40 women, and Robertson was encouraged to do more with the collective she had brought together.
When the 2020 launch was staged, ‘Wunder’ had become ‘Wundher.’ The ‘h’ was added to depict its advocacy of women in their various roles as mothers, workforce personnel, wives, and heads of households.
Before the organization could initiate its full, first quarter of activities, the coronavirus struck, shutting down many facets of life around the globe.
JOYMAKER came out of Robertson’s own household. Sheltering-in-place grew to be a tremendous challenge for the family. Tempers were short, nerves were frayed and home was not a happy place.
“My husband and I sat down and said, ‘We’re not going to last like this,’ Robertson said. “So, we started our days with positive affirmations and even included the children in those affirmations.”
Robertson shared with other women struggling with similar issues in their households. JOYMAKER grew out of that idea when Robertson began contacting individuals via LinkedIn, asking them to be a part of the project.
BlueJeans is the first cloud service to connect desktops, mobile devices and room systems in one video meeting.
(For reservations and ticket information, click here. Visit www.wundher.com.)
