"The greatest moments of inspiration happen when you're in the bathtub and the water rises and flows out and you shout 'Eureka!'"

It's not every day that you hear a reference to Archimedes at a finance conference. But when one of your keynote speakers is Trevor Noah, comedian and host of The Daily Show, you can expect erudition as a matter of course.

(Photo courtesy of Modern Finance Experience 2018 Diamond Sponsor Deloitte, @DeloitteOracle)

Noah was asked a question about inspiration, which was a recurring theme at the first day of Modern Finance Experience 2018. He replied that inspiration comes when you're relaxed (hence the bathtub). Thus, it's important to invest as much time into the pursuit of happiness as we invest in career and corporate success.

That sentiment was echoed at the Women in Finance Luncheon, which kicked off the 3-day conference. Leaders from scrappy startups to stalwart companies discussed the necessity of innovation, with one speaker telling the audience that she sets aside two hours a week just to think about how her company can do things better. Her inspiration comes from a variety of sources, from looking at her own company's processes to looking outside her industry to see what disruptors are doing.