Staff photo by Clay Schuldt Author, blogger and podcaster Rebecca Undem gave the keynote speech at the Mingling with a Purpose women’s networking event, Thursday. Undem’s talk was on how she developed her living a B.I.G. life framework.

NEW ULM — Over 180 women came together at the New Ulm Event Center for the 7th annual women’s networking event “Mingle With A Purpose: Heels and All.”

The event was hosted by the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce. Committee Chair for the event Kristine Rueckert said they try to change things up every year. This year they introduced a purposeful mingling game to get the conversation started. Attendees could enter a raffle drawing by filling out a question card with the names of women. They had to find a woman who recently changed jobs, who has traveled outside the country or was born in a town with under 2,000 people.

The raffle was a way to get people talking and asking questions. The event was geared around local women getting to know each other.

The evening was sponsored in part by Blethen Berens and Gislason & Hunter law firms.

Lisa Jasperson of Blethen Berens said, “It is great to promote women and business leaders.”

Gislason & Hunter Director of Marketing Maureen Gustafson said, “We always like to see women-owned businesses take off.”

This year’s keynote speaker was Rebecca Undem. Undem said her talk was about how to honor and invest in the women standing in the middle of crazy life. The framework of her speech was on how to live a B.I.G. (Bold, Inspired, Growth) life in a small town.

Undem said she developed this model for life after moving back home to her hometown of Oakes, North Dakota. She had been a banker in Fargo but was not happy in the experience. Then one day her mother had dreamed of starting a pumpkin patch and Undem decided to return home and help her mother with the business.

She went from a big city banker to a small-town pumpkin patch. Undem admitted the experience gave her an identity crisis. She worried other people wouldn’t understand the life change and in a small town, might judge her.

In the end, she realized it did not matter what other people think. She had to be herself.

While others might not understand, it is important to find people who could inspire you to the best. Undem talked about her supportive friends, the ones she kept close, that encouraged instead of tearing down.

Growth comes naturally. Undem said. She started life doing what she thought was necessary; leaving town, going to school and into banking. But this was not her calling. She described growth as the thing she achieved when trying to do something else.

Undem said she did not care what people chose to do with their lives, but wanted them to know they do have gifts and should not be afraid to use them.

Thursday was not the end of the networking event. A leadership development workshop is from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Turner Hall today. This event will also be presented by Undem and is an opportunity for leaders to dig deeper into the B.I.G. framework.

The New Ulm Chamber of Commerce began hosting these events after seeing there was a need for professional women to network for business, personal and community benefit.