June 23, 2025 – New Orleans, LA
Painters USA is proud to announce that our President and Owner, Meg Cook, was a featured panelist at the WBENC National Conference during the transformative wellness session titled “From Crisis to Wisdom: Building Resilient Business Leadership.”

This session brought together inspiring women entrepreneurs to explore the personal and professional realities of leading through crisis. Guided by Emma Churchman, a nationally certified trauma chaplain and bestselling author, the two-hour session walked attendees through the four phases of trauma recovery—Rescue, Recovery, Reconstruction, and Evolution—offering practical insights into resilience and sustainable leadership.

Meg’s Segment: The Reconstruction Phase

Meg Cook participated in the Reconstruction Phase of the session, highlighting her journey as the head of Painters USA during a time of profound personal and organizational transition. She shared a deeply moving and strategic perspective on how she managed significant personal challenges while leading her company to profitability—balancing family responsibilities, business transitions, and long-term planning.

Drawing from her own experiences, Meg discussed her “keystones” of resilient leadership, which included:

• Transparent yet strategic communication with her team
• Cultivating a multi-layered support network
• Maintaining remote leadership presence during health recovery
• Balancing empathy with professional accountability
• Adaptive decision-making and integrating personal growth with business sustainability

These insights were delivered alongside fellow panelists Barb Smith, Cathy Koch, Marianne Ellis, Rashmi Chaturvedi, and others—each bringing their unique voice to this powerful conversation about business leadership under pressure.

An Event Rooted in Empowerment

Hosted in New Orleans, the session was part of WBENC’s commitment to supporting the mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being of women business leaders. Attendees gained access to practical tools like the “Quick Self-Assessment Checklist” and the “60-Second Reset” technique, and left with actionable strategies for creating psychologically safe and resilient workplaces.

Why It Matters

Meg’s participation reflects not only her personal courage but also the values at the heart of Painters USA—leadership grounded in empathy, strength, and transformation. Her ability to turn crisis into a growth opportunity for herself and her team makes her a model of modern business leadership.

We are honored to have Meg represent our organization and the broader community of women-owned businesses. Her message is clear: with the right mindset and support, business leaders can weather any storm—and come out stronger on the other side.