The Better Business Bureau Southeast Texas Foundation announced Lauren Haydel, founder of New Orleans lifestyle brand Fleurty Girl, will keynote the 2026 BBB Foundation’s Professional Women’s Conference, the region’s premier professional women’s event, Unpack Your Potential — on September 10 at Doggett Ford Park in Beaumont. Tickets go on sale today, with Early Bird pricing available through August 14.
In 2009, Haydel was a single mother of three with $2,000 and an idea. She signed a lease, moved her family into the back of the shop, and opened Fleurty Girl. Sixteen years later it is a multi-million dollar company with nine locations and more than 70 employees — one of the most beloved brands in the Gulf South.
Her keynote, “From the Kitchen Table to Here: How a Multi-Million Dollar Business Began With All the Odds Stacked Against Her,” is the unfiltered account of what it truly takes to build something extraordinary when every odd is against you.
The all-day conference draws women from eight Southeast Texas counties — Bolivar Peninsula, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange, and Tyler. In addition to the keynote, the event features five leadership and professional development breakout sessions, a vendor marketplace including women-owned businesses and regional vendors, a buffet lunch, and live scholarship awards. Every ticket is entered to win one of three scholarships presented on stage. The conference is proudly presented by Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas, whose community partnership and investment in the women of this region made the event possible.
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