By Ashlyn Beck | News Editor
For Women of Waco, networking is more than a business tactic — it’s a way to build friendships and community.
By trade, Dr. Christy Flick is an upper cervical chiropractor, but for the last year, she’s worked to co-chair the Women of Waco event Level Up 2026. Women of Waco is a local networking group for women in business in the Waco area, including business owners, women who are job hunting and those who are simply looking for a community, Flick said.
Women of Waco meets monthly, but this year, they are introducing the inaugural Level Up Conference from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 30 at AC Hotel Waco, a day-long event featuring keynote speakers, breakout groups and a happy hour.
President Linda Livingstone will open the conference. Attendees will have the choice of four different breakout sessions in the morning and afternoon, and lunch will be provided as Vice President and Lemonade Day Waco Director at Cen-Tex Rachel E. Pate speaks. Scattered throughout the day will be structured networking opportunities, and the day will end with a sponsored happy hour and door prizes. The conference theme is “connection, growth, impact.”
“As we connect, it helps us to grow, and as we grow, it deepens our impact,” Flick said.
Women of Waco meets every second Friday of the month over lunch and often includes speakers and time for networking to “support and encourage the growth of women in their personal lives and in their business environment, as well as to assist each other by networking, referring business and providing leadership opportunities,” according to the Women of Waco website.
The event has been a year in the making, Flick said, and it’s a culmination of what Women of Waco already does on a monthly basis. A major goal for the conference is to expand their reach and diversify Women of Waco membership. Alongside that comes providing an opportunity for women to connect with one another.
“People are really looking for different things,” Flick said. “There are women who are new to the area who are just looking for general friendship connections. They might be looking for other women who have a similar role or are in a similar stage of life.”
Though Women of Waco and the conference are labeled networking opportunities and will provide ample opportunity for networking, Flick said it’s also an opportunity for women to build friendships and relationships.
Networking has gained a negative connotation, according to Flick, but it’s important for succeeding in the business world.
“If you’re doing it right, it’s actually fun,” Flick said.
For Women of Waco member and Director of Sales and Marketing for AC Hotel Jennifer Bevington, the group has not only brought business relationships but also lifelong friendships. Bevington has been part of Women of Waco for three years and said the women she met at meetings and while planning for the conference will be her friends for life.
“It’s friendships, but it’s also inspiration because everyone has their story and everyone in that room is willing to share their story because it’s a safe room of a group of ladies who all have gone through the same journeys,” Bevington said.
Bevington and Flick agreed that they want the conference to be open to all. No one is too new to the corporate world to attend, and no one should have to struggle without other women in their corner.
“I think there’s a lot of impostor syndrome that happens,” Flick said. “You think you have to be grown and fancy to attend a networking conference.”
At the end of the day, Flick said one of her passions is providing mentorship for young women and a space for them to find community. For Bevington, the main goal is to empower women to feel confident in their ability and qualifications.
“When they leave, I want them to feel inspired and like they can do anything they want in life,” Bevington said. “I want people to walk away knowing that whatever they want, they have the ability to go get.”
Registration for the event is $147, and women can register on the event website. Women of Waco’s next meeting will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Baylor Club, and attendees can RSVP on the Women of Waco site.
