MARSHALL TWP — Seated at a table marked with the word, “Hope,” Kelly Costello said she’s “always looking for advice from people who are more experienced.”

So Costello, owner of the Evans City-based Puppy Cake company, on Thursday joined 260 other ladies in a quest for enlightenment and enrichment at the third annual “Inspired Women In Business and Life Conference” at the Four Points Sheraton.

The mission of the conference, according to a written statement by organizer Debra Dion Krischke of Team Effort Events in Wexford, “is to inspire and empower every woman to be more successful in business and life. Successful women process information, solve problems set goals and recover from setbacks differently. The good news is that this talent is not genetic or inherent, it can be learned.”

The daylong seminar, sponsored by Pennsylvania 211 Southwest, featured numerous breakout sessions and roundtable discussions with topics like “Maybe it’s your hormones,” and “Laugh often ... Live well.”

The life coaches in attendance ranged in experience from business to interior design; from relationships and health to marketing.

The group took breaks for chocolate, martinis, a silent auction and offerings from vendors selling items like makeup, jewelry and wigs.

The event also featured two keynote speakers.

Pauline George, president of PG Training and Consulting in Wexford, spoke about “Values: The Critical Compass for Life.”

The second keynote speaker was Melissa Moore of California, who was raised Melissa Jesperson, the daughter of “The Happy Face” serial killer Keith Jesperson. Because of her traumatic experiences with violence growing up and publication of her memoir, “Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer’s Daughter” Moore already has appeared on the “Dr. Phil” and “Oprah Winfrey” shows. She spoke to the group on how to attract positive media attention.

Krischke, who said it’s her personal goal to empower other women, said attendance has increased at “Inspired Women” by about 100 people from the year prior. The ladies sat at tables marked with inspirational words like “Courage,” and “Integrity.”

Alison Richards, 34, of Verona sat at a table marked, “Success.”

“I’m here to get inspired,” said Richards, who works at H.J. Heinz.

Based on information garnered from name tags, employment of the ladies in attendance ranged from major area corporations to small privately owned companies.

Puppy Cake, as an example of one of the smaller companies, offers a cake mix designed for dogs and “Puptato Chips” dog treats.

Around for a half-dozen years, Puppy Cake saw its sales “quadruple” in 2012, when Costello appeared on “Shark Tank,” a television show that features business pitches from aspiring entrepreneurs to a panel of potential investors.

“Still I’m always looking to learn,” she said of her attendance at the $95-a-head conference. “I like to grow myself.”