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Ever so often, especially in the middle of your career, you may find yourself stuck and at a loss for personal passion. You may find yourself with a talent that you are sure of, without a community to support it. And while success is a personal journey, the most successful people of our time are positioned with a cohort that propels their vision.

Motivation and purpose are two senses you have to serve, structuring your time around those events that help you harness your energy and motivate your career can give you the edge that makes you a better team player, a focused worker and a visionary leader. From serving your soul to challenging your best, here are some great events happening across the country that will help you enter the zone that will set your career on fire:

1. Creative Mornings

Once a month, in cities including New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London and Chicago, forward-thinkers gather for free coffee and inspiration from local visionaries. This is one of my favorite things to do, and the one thing for which I will wake up an hour earlier to ride 40 minutes out of my way. If you are someone who likes to be a thought leader or someone trying to get on track with the new innovation economy, this TED-esque gathering is one of the best ways to keep your mind young at heart and your organizational strategy fresh. The one catch is that these gatherings are so popular that they generally sell out within 10 minutes of registration opening.

2. Women 2.0 Founder Friday

Also an incredibly popular gathering, this program is focused on help women entrepreneurs network, skill gather, and talent search.  If you are thinking about starting a business, wanting to work at a startup or seeking navigation in the social media and tech driven business place, this is a wonderful community of women supporting women as they lead in their fields.

3. Goddess on the Go

A seasonal gathering focused on spiritual rejuvenation, this niche event is one of New York City’s best kept secrets.  Founded by make up artist Leora Edut, over 100 women convene for a day of empowerment rooted in yoga exercises, conversations with motivational speakers focused on personal points of reference from sexual confidence to owning one’s own voice, and a setting that allows a reprieve from the stress of work life.  The next event is upcoming in June, and is worth the day of events if only for the perks of being in a space where celebrating the sisterhood of leading women is central to the culture.  And it is one of the most multicultural gatherings around.

4. #BurytheRatchet/Mad Free

Michaela Angela Davis is many things, all defined by great talent and great vision. From editor to style influencer, Davis is guided by a value set that she is sharing with the world through her MAD Free series, currently spreading the #BurytheRatchet tour. Her forums focus on breaking the myth that women, specifically black women, and invite women to turn back the media projection and embrace that natural spark of supporting and uplifting each other.  With the next event happening in Atlanta on April 30th, Davis leads the necessary group therapy to remind us of our nature and our truth of being collaborative, supportive forces in the world.

5. Step Up Women’s Network

It is amazing how much you can receive from giving back. Located in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York, Step Up Women’s Network (SUWN) hosts regular opportunities to mentor teenage women in group settings where you build relationships with other women based on a shared value for collaborative leadership.  And when you are not mentoring, SUWN offers opportunities to be mentored and access dynamic women who reveal their points of view on competitive edge. If you enjoy reading books like Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In,” their events, from Power Breakfasts to Empowerment Lunches, are interactive spaces to help you walk the talk of career growth.

6. 2013 Roar!® Women’s Leadership Summit

Gathering the most dynamic women in Houston, Roar! is a multicultural women’s event convening thought leadership in the areas of in business, education, government, and civic society. The May 23rd summit will be helmed by local leaders including Emmy® Award winning journalist Shern-Min Chow of KHOU 11 News.  Whether you are an entrepreneur or an executive, the program is designed to ignite your command as a leader.

BONUS:  If you know a talented teen, either already an outstanding leader in her community or a hidden flower needing a circle to help her bloom, Black Girls Rock! Queens Camp is a secret gem.  A summer program in New York City for teenage women, their graduates go on to attend some of the top schools in the country, from Spelman College to the University of Southern California.  Founded by celebrity DJ Beverly Bond, program connects its participants to nationally renown women in a diversity of fields, and offers programming anchored around training in deejaying skills and entrepreneurship, girls develop the self-esteem and audacity to claim their passion.  Applications are due April 29th.

Originally seen on HelloBeautiful.com