U.S. Representative Ed Royce

Washington, Apr 2 - By Jennifer Karmarkar for FullertonStories.com -- Look forward, move ahead and don’t let fear rule you. That was the message television personality Mindy Burbano-Stearns delivered to more than 500 women at Rep. Ed Royce’s Fourth Annual Women’s Conference at Cal State Fullerton Saturday.

Burbano-Stearns, a two-time Emmy nominee and Golden Mike Award-winner, was the keynote speaker for the free event, a half-day seminar dedicated to providing women with tools and resources to enrich their lives.

Held in conjunction with CSUF’s Women and Philanthropy Network, the conference was packed with tips on topics ranging from healthy cooking to financial fitness to finding a job. Every breakout session topic came from suggestions by previous conference attendees, said Audra McGeorge, spokesperson for Royce.

"The hope is that women walk away from the conference feeling like it was a valuable resource and they have the tools to pursue their goals," McGeorge said.

Hour-long workshop sessions included "Tips for Job Seekers", "Five Health Tips Every Woman Must Know" and "Conquering the Work-Life Balance", led by radio personality and life coach Tammy Hotsenpiller, top picture.

Celebrity chef and cookbook author Jamie Gwen, lower picture, led one of the most popular sessions. Gwen shared her top 10 healthy food trends and showed audiences some quick tricks for adding nutrition to their meals.

The hottest food trend for 2012? Coconut oil, Gwen said, which studies have shown reverses signs of Alzheimer’s disease and helps control diabetes.

But it was Burbano-Stearns’ account of her meteoric rise from dental hygienist to television reporter on Entertainment Tonight and the KTLA Morning News that brought the audience in Titan Theater to their feet.

She urged audience-members to listen to their heart and be open to possibilities.

"When you see an opportunity and it knocks, open the door," Burbano-Stearns said. "See what’s on the other side because you just never know. If you don’t answer the door, nothing’s going to happen."

A victim of sexual abuse as a child, Burbano-Stearns said it didn’t hold her back from leading a fulfilling life. "If you spend all that time looking back at all the stuff that happened to you, you’re going to miss what’s right in front of you about to happen," she said.

Cypress resident Claudia Lozano, 30, said Burbano-Stearns message was exactly what she needed to hear.

"I felt like she was talking to me directly," Lozano said, adding she will soon graduate with her MBA and is wondering what to do next. "Having faith in faith and believing it will happen are new concepts for me. To see somebody where it has come to fruition for them, it’s amazing."

Social worker Janny Hui, 62, called Burbano-Stearns’ message personally inspiring and she plans to take it back to her clients, who are victims of similar abuse.

Burbano-Stearns was a last-minute replacement for scheduled speaker Nancy Pfotenhauer, who cancelled due to illness.

Royce said he created the conferences to bring a wider awareness of what’s going on within the communities and the challenges many women face.

"There is a cycle of abuse in some families that goes on generationally where a pattern is established," Royce explained. "Unless that pattern is severed, unless those in the community get involved in ending that cycle, we go into a vortex where the situation gets worse."

Another focus, he said, is to bring awareness through the keynote speakers of global challenges outside the community, such as human trafficking and child abduction.

Royce’s wife Marie believes the conference is a great way to connect with women with similar interests. "I had a chance to be with somebody else in the Work-Life Balance session who had a similar analysis, and we’ve already connected on LinkedIn, which is really great," she said.

Royce hosted the first Women’s Conference in 2008. Past keynote speakers include actress Kristen Bell, journalist Lisa Ling and former e-Bay CEO and California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman.