By Jheri Hardaway
Staff Writer
Smithfield, NC - Former Governor RoyDunn, NC - In a powerful demonstration of community and collaboration, the Dunn Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its inaugural EmpowHer event last Monday morning at the Dunn Shrine Center. Brought to life by powerhouse presenting sponsor KS Bank, the morning gathering was explicitly designed as an intentional space to encourage, equip, and empower local women making an impact in business, at home, and behind the scenes. Featuring a panel of local leaders and an energetic keynote address, the event challenged attendees to step away from their endless to-do lists and actively invest in their own self-preservation.
The morning’s keynote address was delivered by Melissa Overton, local leadership consultant, nurse, and author of the upcoming book Focused and Fearless Leadership. Overton centered her remarks on a critical bottleneck that destroys organizational culture: the breakdown of clear communication. "Clarity is going to reduce the risk of conflict," Overton told the audience. "We have to stop hoping people will just 'read the room' and figure it out. We need to step up and be clear about our expectations." Overton noted that maintaining clear communication requires intentional trust and selective transparency, warning that a lack of clarity forces people into harmful cognitive traps. "When we get burnt out, we experience an increase in assumptions," Overton explained. "Instead of stopping to think and process, we're too tired. We just take things at face value and assume that's what they meant. And you know what they say about assumptions—it makes an absolute mess out of a situation."
Drawing from her own recent experience at a silent women’s retreat, Overton touched on a highly relatable modern affliction she dubbed the "busyness sickness.
“Busyness kills compassion and creativity," Overton stated plainly. "The busyness sickness is when we keep expecting to do more and more with less and less, and somehow, that becomes normalized. But when you are completely burnt out, your 'giving-on' button is busted. The people you used to have immense compassion for become just a checklist item, a chest pain, and not a person." Overton explicitly challenged the common narrative that prioritizes constant grinding over personal well-being, especially for women trying to balance multiple cultural roles. "Self-care is not selfish; self-care is self-preservation," Overton said to murmurs of agreement from the crowd. "We are naturally expected to be the nurturers and the caregivers. That's fine, but at some point, we also decided to be these fierce, badass businesswomen. We didn't get to shift our energy, we just had to be fully present for both."
To combat burnout, Overton left the audience with practical tools for everyday life:
Take a Victory Lap: Celebrate successes great and small. "We think we can only celebrate when we get 'there,'" Overton said, quoting leadership expert John Maxwell. "But as soon as you get there, you're here, looking at the next 'there.' Celebrate now to get the energy for the next great leap."
Surround Yourself with Builders, Not Suckers: Evaluate your circle. "Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future. Distance yourself from the energy suckers. Find girlfriends who encourage you to move forward instead of competing with you."
Organize Your Workspace: Avoid walking into structural chaos on a Monday morning, which instantly triggers an elevated stress response.
Cut Yourself a Break: Give yourself the exact same grace and mercy that you are expected to extend to others.
As a surprise concluding gift, Overton announced that every attendee in the room would receive an advance digital copy of three chapters from Focused and Fearless Leadership ahead of its physical print release on October 20. Following the keynote, attendees broke for a networking session, carrying forward real conversations about setting boundaries, cutting through the noise, and showing up for one another without emptying their own reservoirs.
