October 2026 At A Glance
October is here, and it just happens to be National Women’s Small Business Month AND National Book Month!
With a business-focused Lioness Roundtable and our Speaking That Builds Businesses seminar coming up, there’s plenty for our entrepreneurs to look forward to. And for our book lovers, don’t forget that the Innovation Women Bookstore is always open! Have a book of your own? Become a speaker member and submit it using the Promote Yourself Button. Learn more about Resources for Author Speakers here.
Here’s a quick summary of what this blog has in store:
- The month at a glance calendar
- Speaker Friend Friday (SFF) events & registration links
- In-person event information including our next Speaker Friends Live!
- Upcoming no-cost webinar details & registration links
- Educational cohort information (exclusive to speaker members)
- Lioness Magazine community event information
Speaker Friend Fridays
Join us every Friday at 8:45 am ET for Speaker Friends Friday on Zoom, hosted by Innovation Women founder and public speaking expert Bobbie Carlton.
We have discussions with speakers, authors, event managers, business owners, podcasters and other professionals.
You can also join us on October 2 and 16 for West Coast Speaker Friends at noon ET/9:00 am PT. It’s every first and third Friday each month. All are welcome.
Speaking That Builds Businesses 
Featuring Bobbie Carlton | Open Invitation | October 13, 2026, 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET
Speaking can do so much for your career and business. When you approach it strategically, every presentation becomes an opportunity to grow your network, build your credibility and create new opportunities long after the event is over.
We’ll share practical strategies to help you get more value from every speaking engagement, before you step on stage, while you’re presenting and after the applause ends. Whether you’re a consultant, coach, founder, executive, author or entrepreneur, you’ll leave with actionable ideas you can put to work at your very next event. Register here.
Speaker Friends Live: Portland, ME
Wednesday | October 22, 2026 | 2 Sessions & Lunch: 8 am – 12 pm & 1:30 PM – 5:30 pm ET
The Knack Factory, 83 Bell St, Portland, ME
Speaker Friends Live is an in-person event dedicated to providing speakers with the assets they need to advance their speaking careers without spending a fortune, mortgaging the house or running up their credit cards.
Speakers, stop waiting for the perfect stage and start building real speaking assets now. Learn what works…and what doesn’t, in front of a live audience. Or, come and BE the audience! Cheer on your friends and you can learn more about what works for speakers. This is where speakers practice live, audiences show up big and supportive, and everyone learns and leaves with something useful.
PLUS, we’re hosting the event in a professional production studio with professional video, lighting, etc. Each speaker will leave with professional video from the Knack Factory.
This is speakers helping speakers – live and in-person – and more! Grab your ticket here.
Take the “Crazy” Out of “Busy”: Time Management for Today’s Professionals
Featuring Lisa Griffith | Wednesday | October 7, 2026, 12:00 – 1:00 pm ET
If your default answer to “How are you?” is “crazy busy,” you’re not alone. Many professionals are juggling endless to-do lists, packed calendars, and the constant pressure to be “on”—and wondering why everyone else seems to be getting more done with the same 24 hours. This dynamic workshop is designed to help you break free from overwhelm and take back control of your time. You’ll learn how to cut through the noise, identify what truly matters, and create a system that supports your work and your well-being. Register here.
NEW Office Hours
Featuring Bobbie Carlton | Weekly on Fridays at 11:00 am ET
Get personalized support from our team. Join founder Bobbie Carlton and Innovation Women team members for weekly open sessions. Ask questions, workshop ideas and get expert feedback tailored to your goals.
Whether you’re polishing your profile, developing a new signature talk, refining your speaker bio, strengthening your abstracts or simply looking for guidance on your next step, we’re here to help. Come with a question, a challenge or an idea you’d like to explore. Sessions are held on a first-come, first-served basis, so join early to make the most of your time. Head over to the Speaker Events Calendar in our online community to join!
Kickstart Cohort Program
Featuring Bobbie Carlton & IW Team | 4-Week Program | Next session starts Monday, October 5th, 2026, at 1:00 pm ET
Our Kickstart Cohorts are a combination of expert guidance on how to use the Innovation Women platform and an accountability group. We’ll show you how to best use our platform and tools while discussing how to position yourself as a speaker. Learn more here. These sessions are for members only, become a member here.
Speaker Coaching Cohort Program
Featuring Bobbie Carlton | 4-Week Program + A Bonus 1:1 | Next session starts Friday, October 2nd, 2026, at 2:00 pm ET
The program includes an easy-to-understand process, hands-on exercises, templates, personalized feedback, and practical strategies to ensure your presentation stands out. You’ll work in a small group, have regular breakouts and guided working sessions. This is a 4-week course plus a bonus session with Bobbie to review your presentation. Learn more here. These sessions are for members only, become a member here.
Lioness Magazine Event Information
Lioness for the Female Entrepreneur is our digital magazine for women who are starting (or thinking about starting) companies. Get the latest news, tools and resources to launch and scale startups. Start Your Lioness Membership to unlock even more events and opportunities like regular co-working hours and Coffee Time! Check out our free event information below.
Lioness Roundtable: Tell Us About Your Sidequests!
Featuring Bobbie Carlton & Lioness Team | Open Invitation | Thursday | October 15, 2026, 12:00 – 1:00 pm ET
You have a business. You have approximately 47 things on your to-do list. And somehow, you also started a Substack. Or maybe you’re writing a book, pitching articles, making art, launching a podcast, taking a class, building a passion project or working on the idea you swear you’re not turning into another business. This month, we’re talking about sidequests.
Join us for a conversation about the things we’re working on outside our main businesses: what we’re making, writing, learning and experimenting with, and why we’re doing it in the first place. We’ll talk about how we find the time for these projects, how we decide what’s worth pursuing and how to keep a sidequest fun when you’re already running a business.
The Lioness Roundtable is a monthly conversation for female entrepreneurs—and every session gets recorded and turned into an article. Come connect with other business owners and share your insights. Your experience could be quoted and featured in front of our whole community!
Lioness Social Media Workshop
Workshops on Wednesdays @ 10:00 am | Drop-In Q&A Time on Thursdays @ 3:00 pm ET
The Lioness Social Media Workshop is a hands-on program designed for women entrepreneurs who want to strengthen their brand presence, one graphic at a time.
You’ll get guidance from our expert designers, learn new Canva skills and have a whole bunch of accountability partners. You’ll walk away with new skills and a (nearly) ready-to-post graphic that helps grow your visibility.
To join, you need a Canva account and at least one logo. More information about the program and scheduling can be found here.
Have questions about any of the events or resources listed above? Our team is here to support you. Reach out anytime at info@innovationwomen.com.
