Conference at Freedom Church drew women from around the country
By Josh Bootsma
LANSING, Ill. (January 1, 2022) – It wasn’t until 2020 that Dominique Harness decided to use her business experience to help other women try to reach their business goals. In December of 2021, she held her most recent — and perhaps most ambitious — conference yet, on a budget of only $0.16
Taking place at Freedom Church in mid-December, the conference spanned four days and was titled, “Hey Queen” and was put on by Harness’ organization called Business Redeemed.
The Christian business conference featured dozens of speakers, and was hosted throughout Freedom Church.
Harness, who owns a business in Park Forest, said in her Business Redeemed Magazine, “This is not one of those cute stories where I … tell you it was a great conference and I would do it again. But it is a story that I tell you that I hosted an amazing conference and God blew my mind.”
Bringing a conference to life
In Business Redeemed Magazine, Harness recounted the origins of the event. She said her father, who had not yet been to one of her conferences said he would attend one once she hosted one for 3,000 women.
Inspired by her father, who passed away in August of 2021, she started planning a conference on a minimal budget, made even more minimal by things that happened in her life like a car accident and other budget-squeezing events.
Harness said, “Then God started speaking again! God said you will host a conference … at Freedom Church in Lansing, IL and it will be free! … The Lord said there will be no selling in the church, everything must be free.”
Harness said there were many moments when she didn’t think she could pull off the event, but encouragement from friends — and generous spirits — kept her going. She said, “They just kept telling me ‘You got this,’ ‘It is all going to work out,’ and ‘God is not a man that he shall lie.'”
Business Redeemed conference
Harness said her favorite Gospel singer Sara Mia attended the event, as well as many entrepreneurial women from all walks of life.
Day one of the conference was a “stage play,” day two was full of breakout sessions, day three was focused on “self care,” and day four brought participants out for brunch before heading home.
“My mind is blown at what transpired at the event. At the end I shared my big secret that I planned the event with no money and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room, no one could believe how God blessed us to do such a big event with only $0.16.”
Though the December event didn’t come close to 3,000 women, Harness knows she’s better prepared for such an event in the future, and is hoping to continue to impact female business owners.
Freedom Church is located at 2261 Indiana Avenue in Lansing.
