The Business of Meetings – Episode 144 – BounceBack Leadership with Brian Wagner We are delighted to be speaking with Brian Wagner from Radical Vision today!  Brian experienced a major setback at 43 that left him blind, apart from having a slight bit of vision in one eye. He joins us to share his unique and encouraging story and to discuss how he uses his life-changing experience to influence and motivate leaders to keep moving forward! We hope you enjoy listening to today’s inspiring conversation with Brian Wagner! Bio: Embrace your own personal blindness to drive better performance. That's what Brian Wagner has done through BounceBack Leadership. He is the founder and CEO of A Radical Vision. His mission is to help people embrace their own personal blindness to achieve a greater focus and drive better performance. Brian has worked with boards and organizations to clear the path for growth. On March 4, 2011, he awakened on the couch and couldn't see. For the next six months, he was blind. Only brain surgery and multiple eye surgeries have allowed a portion of his vision to return. Since then, Brian has become the author of the semi-autobiography book Sometimes It DOES Take a Brain Surgeon. Brian is the Immediate-Past President of the National Speakers’ Association, Ohio Chapter. Brian’s journey Brian’s journey began when he was ten years old. He had fluid on the brain and a shunt was inserted into his head to drain the fluid into his abdomen. When he was 43, a malformed blood vessel in his brain began to bleed, and the pressure on his nerves caused him to go blind. In 2011, he had brain surgery to remove one of three malformations on his brain stem. Recently, however, the remaining two malformations bled, putting pressure on the nerves that control his voice, so he now has a speech impediment that comes and goes.  What Brian does All Brian wants to do is help people along in their journeys. He has a disability, so he encourages others to recognize their disabilities, whether visible or not and helps them bounce back.   Driving Brian was able to drive a motor vehicle for ten years. He no longer does so because his eye with vision sometimes tends to close during the course of the day. Speaking Brian spoke at his high school graduation when he was seventeen and that helped him realize he wanted to be a speaker. So, he went to Toast Master meetings to practice speaking in front of crowds. He also had opportunities to speak at NSA.  Managing his life day-to-day Brian has worked at the Ohio School for the Blind for the past five years and finds it incredible to see how well blind people can cope! He sometimes finds it hard to do day-to-day things like writing emails and making phone calls, but he is motivated to do whatever he can to get by because he knows there is a good reason for his disability.    Making a better experience for people with disabilities To those with disabilities, it means everything to them when workers at hotels and function venues ask them what they can do to improve their experience!  Inspiring and influencing leaders When speaking to leaders, Brian encourages them not to discount or disregard their disabilities. He hopes to inspire them to be more confident in doing whatever their work requires and to become successful without becoming boastful or cocky.  We can all make our own past Looking at our past, reliving it, and telling others about it, helps us to engage and tell our stories in the way we want them to be heard. Helping executive leaders Brian enjoys speaking to executive leaders looking to inspire their teams. Apart from speaking to groups, he serves leaders via his book, and through retreats and workshops. He has also done a TEDx Talk. Empathy versus sympathy Brian does not want sympathy from others. Even though he does not want anyone to feel sorry for him, he appreciates it when others authentically try to put themselves in his shoes. Bouncing back Brian advises people facing challenges to embrace their setbacks, to do whatever they can to avoid being pitied and to ultimately find purpose and meaning from their setbacks. Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Brian Wagner A Radical Vision Call Brian on 614 946 1635 On LinkedIn Brian’s TEDx Talk

The Business of Meetings – Episode 143 – How to Keep Your Best People with Mike Desjardins We are delighted to be speaking with Mike Desjardins today! Mike is an amazing development leader! He created a company called ViRTUS that works with large corporations to help them with leadership development.  Mike is with us today to discuss his business and developing a company culture.  We hope you enjoy listening to today’s fascinating conversation with Mike Desjardins! Bio: MIKE DESJARDINS: At the heart of ViRTUS is our CEO, Mike. Mike is emotionally intelligent and driven. His core motivation is to make a difference in the lives of others. That is to say, his passion is creating positive change for his colleagues, clients, and community. With a Bachelor of Commerce from UBC’s Sauder School of Business, a CPHR designation, and over two decades of experience transforming businesses, he is a master in the realm of strategy and leadership development. From entrepreneurial businesses to large public companies and public-sector organizations, Mike focuses on driving return on investment in every client engagement. In June 2002, the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) invited Mike to become a member. After spending six years on the board, he served as President of the Vancouver Chapter. In January 2006, Mike was the recipient of the BIV Top 40 Under 40 Award. From 2010-2016, Mike sat on the board of directors for the Human Resource Management Association of BC (now CPHR BC). Since 2017, Mike has been a member of the Advisory Board of Robinson Group. Mike focuses on strategy, growth, and vision for ViRTUS. Passionate about leveraging his team, he engages them all in co-creating ViRTUS’s future vision and determining their role in it. Above all, ViRTUS is his vehicle to empower leaders, both within the company and among our clients. Mike is passionate about skiing, yoga, running, CrossFit, and anything in the self-improvement bucket. In his community, his focus is on what he can do for others, and he loves nothing more than spending time with his daughter and wife. Mike’s journey Mike’s story began when he was in his second year of college when a company offered to pay for the rest of his business school tuition in return for him working for them after he graduated. That turned into a ten-year journey, which led to him becoming president of the second-largest division of that company.  A journey of personal exploration Mike achieved all the goals he wanted to have by the time he was thirty, just after he turned twenty-six. Although his life looked great on paper, he realized he did not enjoy the life he had created. That sent him on an eighteen-month journey of personal exploration to figure out what he truly wanted. Then an opportunity arose for him to do a startup. So he quit his job in 2000, joined the startup, and leaped into an uncertain future. A new business model  Over the next few years, Mike bought out all four other partners in the original business, which focused on developing leaders in peer groups. He did not want to replicate his previous life in which he traveled all the time, so he decided to go after what was ten percent of the business revenue and grow and expand that so he would not have to travel so much.  Surviving the recession When Mike’s company lost half its revenue in September of 2008, he gave himself four months to get things working again. Just before his deadline, a utility company in British Columbia asked him to do some work for them the following year. They also asked him to pre-invoice them, which covered all his outstanding costs, and kept the company going. Big brands Soon after that, they landed five big brands. That put them on the map, so they leveraged those brands to get as many other companies as possible. That allowed them to spend the next ten years focusing on doing the work they love, developing leaders, from CEOs and executives to VPs, directors, high-potential leaders, and managers, with a firm grounding in emotional intelligence.  Mark’s decision to build a great life Part of Mark’s decision to build a great life came from him recognizing that his father’s premature decline and early passing as a result of Parkinson’s disease; Lewy body dementia, could also happen to him.  Holidays Mark insists everyone on his team takes their vacation every year rather than getting paid out for it, and everyone gets to take off the week in and around Christmas. In the summer when they are not so busy, he also gives his people “Half-day Friday’s” so they get more time to enjoy the good weather! Flexibility Mark’s employees are given the flexibility to take time off during the week to get their hair cut, do some shopping, or pick up their kids from school. Accountability Mark's business has a very high level of accountability, and everyone looks out for everyone else. That is why it works so well! Culture A big challenge with company culture is not letting things slide. When they are allowed to slide, it says that things are okay and that eventually becomes part of the culture. Similarly, exceptions must get recognized as exceptions.  A deeper level of empathy As a result of the pandemic, there's been a fundamental shift over the last two years that resulted in a need for leaders to have a deeper level of empathy.   Mark’s prediction Based on what we are seeing today, Mark predicts that the business world will change to a hoteling model in the future. That means people will no longer be expected to work in centralized offices from nine to five, Monday to Friday. Instead, they will work with a flexible hybridized model that allows them to come and go as they choose between their homes and company-owned offices, with empathy from their boss. Changing occupations He also thinks that many people will leave companies that are inflexible or change their occupations entirely and get into different lines of work.  Narcissistic leadership When fear gets in the way, people tend to do bad things. The same thing can happen to leaders with strong personalities.  Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Mike Desjardins On his website On LinkedIn Books mentioned: Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth, Making by Tony Fadell

The Business of Meetings – Episode 142 - Find Your Voice with Caroline Goyder   We are delighted to be speaking with Caroline Goyder today! Caroline is a well-known speaker coach who helps her clients find their voice.  Caroline is based in the UK and is known internationally and is the author of three books. She also did a TED Talk that has reached more than nine million people! In today’s episode, she shares some practical tools to implement immediately to help you find your voice and have more impact within organizations.  We hope you enjoy listening to today’s captivating conversation with Caroline Goyder! Bio: Caroline’s global reputation as a speaker and voice coach is built on her warm, engaging, relaxed, and highly practical style, and her expertise is honed by her work with actors, teachers, broadcasters, and the corporate sector. She worked for many years at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama as a voice coach. Her skill is to take ideas previously known by performers and broadcasters and make them immediately usable when facing personal and professional challenges. She is regularly sought after by the media as an expert in her field. Caroline’s work has been featured on television and in numerous national and international newspaper articles. Her TED Talk on speaking with confidence has had many millions of views. On Caroline’s website, you will find information about booking Caroline to speak and signing up for her ‘Find Your Voice’ events. You can also download and take short audio courses to help you speak with confidence.  Caroline’s story Caroline attended Oxford University with plans of becoming an actor.  She then went to drama school only to discover that it was hard to be on stage and look relaxed.  Change is possible Caroline has spent the last twenty years unpacking what it means to get told that you have no presence or your performance was terrible. In those situations, people tend to think they cannot change. But they can! Some speaking advice If you feel nervous and speak too fast, or you mouth-breathe when speaking, it is best to close your mouth and breathe in a feeling of relief whenever you hit a full stop. That will allow your system to reset and get out of fight or flight.  If your tone is flat, spend some time before you speak, imagining that you are in the audience listening, and consider what you need to do to engage yourself. Or imagine that you are talking to a clever fourteen-year-old. Then slow down and simplify what you are saying. Being yourself Caroline has spent many years working out quick ways for people to stand on stage and be themselves.  Changing course Acting did not come naturally to Caroline, but she realized she could learn to do what others, to whom it did come naturally, were doing. She changed course because her heart was in acting. She also knew that as an actor, she would not be in control, and she wanted to have more agency. So she decided to become an entrepreneur instead. Entrepreneurship To be successful as an entrepreneur, you really need to want it because it is hard. You need to know that you have a skill no one else has. You also need the drive and energy to get back up and keep going after getting knocked down. Caroline’s advice about changing course Caroline loved voice, so she trusted her instincts and trained as a voice teacher. She advises people in their twenties to keep flipping when things don’t feel right and to keep going until they find something that really lights them up! Dialects If you would like to know how to speak a dialect different from your own, you need to listen carefully to the patterns and absorb them.  Flood your ears If you are American and get invited to speak in the UK, there are a few things you should do to prepare yourself beforehand. Firstly, do your research and have an informal mini-focus group with a few people who will be at the event so that you can flood your ears with whatever drives them. You can also go to YouTube to listen to the dialect, energy, and speech patterns so that you can take on some of the language and dialect and use words that reflect the values of the people in the area in which you will be speaking. TEDx Caroline prepared extremely well before her TED Talk because she understood the jeopardy of being a speaker coach who “messes up” a speech.   If you are thinking of doing a TED Talk, Caroline suggests you ditch Powerpoint and find a prop that engages the audience and brings your idea to life. Selecting ideas Caroline’s coaches helped her select the best and freshest ideas from those she had in mind for her TED Talk. She urges anyone working on a speech to be open to feedback. Her idea process starts with a mind map. She uses voice notes on her phone to hear what her ideas sound like when spoken. She also tries them out on people. Showing up as herself As an actor, Caroline learned that when her body and breath were centered, she showed up as herself. She advised speakers to look after their bodies, keep fit, and learn how to breathe diaphragmatically so that their voices can develop authenticity.  Caroline’s books Caroline’s latest book, Find Your Voice, is about the voice and its potential to express whatever you feel in life and allow you to step up, speak up, and stand out. Her previous book, Gravitas, is about how speakers can find authority and credibility. Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Caroline Goyder On her website On social media: @Carolinegoyder Caroline’s books Find Your Voice Gravitas The Star Qualities  

The Business of Meetings – Episode 141 – The Challenges Faced by Senior Planners with Shawna Suckow   We are delighted to speak with Shawna Suckow today! Shawna is the founder of SPIN (Senior Planners Industry Network). She is also a writer and speaker.  Shawna joins us today to share her insights, discuss her take on what is happening within the industry, and talk about mental health, finding balance in life, and how to care for oneself.  We hope you enjoy listening to today’s enlightening conversation with Shawna Suckow! Bio: Shawna Suckow, CSP, CVP, CMP, is a former planner who became a professional speaker in 2012. She speaks to salespeople, marketers, C-Suite, and business owners across all industries seeking insight into the shifting marketplace and how to reach customers better.  What Shawna is proud of: Her latest book was recommended by Forbes as a top-six marketing book of 2022 (woohoo!). She has spoken in 17 countries on 5 continents (c’mon, Australia and Antarctica!). In 2019 she earned her CSP (like a Master's in professional speaking).  Three memorable things about her: She is so good at parallel parking, she should get a trophy. Her first car was a Volkswagen Bug that caught on fire on her way to school. Also, she once did a turkey call for the Jimmy Kimmel audience. (She’s still embarrassed about it).  How Shawna got into the industry After college, Shawna joined a commercial real estate company. She worked her way through PR and into the training department they were launching, where she helped create a training curriculum for real estate professionals. She fell into the industry through the meetings she planned to deliver the curriculum. It was hard initially because she had no one to guide her, but she loved it! Leaving the industry After she wrote the tell-all book, Planner Pet Peeves: Straight Talk for Meetings Industry Suppliers to Understand How Planners Really Think, Act and Buy, people began asking Shawna to speak. So she left the industry and transitioned to becoming a speaker. Speaking on stage She learned that when stepping on stage, only the first few minutes were about her. After that, it was about what she had to offer and how she engaged with the audience. Mentorship Shawna is always there to help up-and-coming speakers and answer their questions. SPIN Shawna started SPIN in 2008 because she wanted a more senior and distilled type of conversation than she was getting at the industry associations, where they speak to planners at multi-levels. SPIN currently has 2500 members. It also has a free Facebook group for planners with more than ten years of experience. Stress One of the top five most stressful occupations nationally is being a planner. It became even more stressful for planners when the pandemic hit because they had to cancel live meetings without knowing when they could reschedule them. Shawna points out that unplanning a meeting is almost as complicated as planning one! Self-care Many planners failed to practice self-care during the pandemic. As a result, they suffered mental health challenges including depression and anxiety. Brain, body, being, and business People need to speak about what they are going through, especially during difficult times like the pandemic. Soon after a well-known SPIN member took her own life, Shawna appeared on stage at SPINCON and spoke about it because, at that point, no one in the industry was talking about mental health. That was when they, in addition to business, began focusing on the brain, body, and being. Board of advisors Shawna joined a mastermind with two other speakers about six years ago. Since then, all of their businesses have grown exponentially. They look out for one another and help each other physically and emotionally. The other two speakers have become Shawna’s board of advisors. Balance Shawna has been feeling more balanced since she stopped traveling and started focusing more intentionally on her self-care. Speaking Shawna speaks about sales and marketing from the customer's perspective. She loves helping people in businesses better-understand their prospects. A new course Shawna believes that now is a good time for small business owners to compete, especially if they focus more on telling their stories. She is creating a new course to help small business owners rethink branding, improve marketing, and enrich their stories.  Trust People care about what others do. That is why Shawna advises speakers, coaches, and meeting planners to regain trust by rebuilding their brands, humanizing themselves, and telling their stories. That will help them avoid getting perceived as commodities and being put into the same category as everyone else. SPINCON The SPINCON annual conference took place virtually during the pandemic. This year, it will be happening live in Tempe, Arizona, from the 11th of December through the 13th. It will focus on self-care and great conversations!   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Shawna Suckow On her website SPIN   Books mentioned: Touching Two Worlds by Sherry Walling Planner Pet Peeves: Straight Talk for Meetings Industry Suppliers to Understand How Planners Really Think, Act and Buy by Shawna Suckow

The Business of Meetings – Episode 140 - All About Psychedelics with Matt Zemon Today, we are speaking with Matt Zemon, the Founder, and CEO of HAPPŸŸ. He is joining us to discuss a fascinating topic most of us know nothing about, even though many are curious about it. Matt has just written a book called Psychedelics for Everyone. He has a degree in psychology and neuroscience and is a member of EO. He joins us today to share his knowledge, experience, and understanding- and some unexpected and eye-opening statistics, on psychedelic treatment for PTSD! Matt’s entrepreneurial journey Matt is good at building businesses. He built several before qualifying for EO and a few more while in EO. However, nothing changed after hitting different goals and milestones, and it did not satisfy him. Then, about three years ago, some trusted friends suggested trying a guided psychedelic experience. He liked the idea of learning about himself differently, so he took part in one, and it blew his mind wide open! That sparked his interest as an entrepreneur, and he wanted to learn more about it and get involved. Psychedelics for Everyone Matt dove right in, getting a Master’s in psychology and neuroscience and attending many different psychedelic conferences and webinars. Then, about a year ago, he built a company called Psychable to create a directory of psychedelic-friendly practitioners with hundreds of pieces of easy-to-find relevant content. Then he put that content together in a medically-reviewed book, Psychedelics for Everyone, along with some personal stories, to give those who know nothing about psychedelics an understanding of how psychedelics could impact them, the people they love, or their communities. Ketamine Ketamine is the only psychedelic that is legal in all fifty states in the US. It is a powerful medicine that we can use for depression, anxiety, OCD, and substance-use disorders. Clinical trials The FDA allows MDMA (Ecstacy) and psilocybin use in clinical trials. MDMA There has been a 67% success rate in clinical trials using just two sessions of MDMA for people with treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder. So MDMA should be legal federally as a medicine within two years.  Psilocybin Psilocybin is the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms”. There have been some incredible results in clinical trials using psilocybin for people with treatment-resistant depression and anxiety. It has also been proven effective with terminal patients and substance abuse.  Drugs In the 1970s, there were campaigns to lead people to believe that all drugs, including psychedelics, were addictive and bad. Those campaigns were not truth-based, however. They were just a political tactic that had nothing to do with science. Research Before 1970, researchers were doing thousands of studies on the power of psychedelic medicine. But they were forced to stop due to the prohibition. In the last ten years, however, there has been a resurgence of academic research, and currently, 309 institutions are studying the benefits of psychedelics. Anti-depressants Anti-depressants are ineffective for 40% of those who try them. Even when they do work, there are lots of side effects, including sexual dysfunction, gastrointestinal problems, and suicidal ideation in young people. So another option is sorely needed, especially for veterans returning from wars unable to function normally. The side-effects of psychedelics There are very few short-term side effects from psychedelics. Sometimes, people may experience some nausea, and there is always dissociation which is a necessary feature. But they have no long-term side effects, and many psychedelics have no lethal dose. Risks Drugs like ketamine are serious and must get treated with respect. Recreational use has led some people have become addicted to it. However, it is the only psychedelic with an addiction risk, and no one using it medicinally in clinical studies has become addicted.  Danger Psychedelics are unlikely to cause any danger for those using them or for others.  How ketamine works in the brain Ketamine alters glutamine activity and increases BDNF in the brain. That increases neuroplasticity and synaptic strength. It also turns down the default mode network in the brain. So it can provide relief from worry and anxiety. Disassociation side-effects unlock subconscious thoughts and repressed memories, and emotions. So it removes shame, blame, and guilt, and with some people, it also awakens a spiritual effect. Connecting and caring Psychedelic medicines can help people to connect better with one another and care more for others.  Different models Many different models are available for entrepreneurs to provide psychedelic therapy through business-controlled health centers. Various financial and ethical issues still have to be ironed out. But Matt believes that thousands of opportunities exist for entrepreneurs to create businesses to provide mental health care in America. Microdosing Microdosing means taking a minute dose of mushrooms or LSD. It is very popular. If done correctly, you will not feel it, so you can still work and do whatever you usually do.  Download Matt’s free guide to microdosing to learn about the different protocols and the latest research. Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Matt Zemon On LinkedIn Download Matt’s free guide to microdosing https://www.happyy.me Instagram Recommended books: A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage My Life by Ayelet Waldman  

Episode 139- Representation Matters with Kevin Iwamoto Today, we are delighted to speak with another icon in our industry, Kevin Iwamoto!  Kevin has received many awards! He is the Chief Customer Officer of Bizly and is also a speaker, singer, and writer. He joins us today to talk about our industry, changing careers, and racism against Asian people and people from the Pacific Islands. We hope you enjoy listening to today’s engaging conversation with Kevin Iwamoto! Bio: Condensed Bio for Kevin Iwamoto, GLP, GTP | Chief Customer Officer | Bizly Inc.:  Kevin Iwamoto is an award-winning speaker, industry influencer, author, educator, and subject-matter expert consultant in business travel, GDPR, SMM, the meetings/events marketplace, and personal branding. His progressive industry expertise is featured regularly in industry trade publications, such as Business Travel News (BTN), Northstar Meetings Group, and MeetingsNet. He was President and CEO of the NBTA (now GBTA) from 2001-2003 during the tumultuous 9/11 aftermath.  Kevin is the recipient of many industry awards and recognition, including the 2015 Travel Weekly Gold Magellan Award for Best Overall Industry Blog, which is now syndicated and featured as Industry Insights via Northstar Meetings Group online. Kevin is also the 2016 MPI RISE Award for meetings industry leaders, and in 2014 he received a rare honor from GBTA with a designation as Industry Icon. Throughout his career, he has also been included in numerous industry Top Most Influential Executive lists.  He has two published books to his credit, Strategic Meetings Management: From Theory to Practice published in April 2011, and, Your Personal Brand, Your Power Tool to Build Career Integrity, published in October 2016. Both are available via Amazon. Before joining Bizly, Kevin was Sr. VP at GoldSpring Consulting and VP of Industry Strategy at Lanyon, Active Network, and StarCite. As a buyer, he was a Sr. Global Category Manager for HP’s global travel and meetings team and Sr. Travel Account Manager for Disney Worldwide Services. Kevin’s journey Kevin received a scholarship from Hawaiian Airlines to attend the University of Hawaii’s Travel Industry Management School and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in business. While at college, he made a living and contributed to his tuition fees by performing in nightclubs and working part-time for Hawaiian Airlines. His business degree helped him focus on the business side of his entertainment career. He did several recordings, collaborated with other local artists in Japan and California, and later created a label of his own. After retiring from live performing, he transitioned to a career in business travel, meetings, and events.  Regaining ownership Kevin recorded three vinyl albums. Many years later, he saw that others had placed his music online without his permission. During the pandemic, he finally had the chance to regain control by successfully monetizing his music after remixing and digitizing it, re-registering and re-copyrighting it, and then making it available on the internet. Racism In the 1980s, after moving to California, a high-profile manager informed Kevin that he would not represent him because there was no market for Asian or Pacific Islander performers. Kevin had grown up in Hawaii, where people were mostly Asian and Pacific Islanders. So that was the first time he ever encountered racism. Even though he chose to overlook that incident, he decided to stop performing, and look for something different.  From business travel to meetings and events Kevin moved into business travel and became a travel manager for various companies, including Walt Disney and Hewlett-Packard, where he successfully managed global travel programs for big corporations.  A corporate standard After that, he transitioned to meetings and events and wrote a book about initiating the Strategic Meetings Movement. He got a lot of recognition for that. Then he helped to institutionalize a corporate standard for how big corporations and enterprises should manage their meetings programs on a global level. After that, he took to the road to evangelize the corporate standard globally and won some awards along the way. The 9/11 President Two months after Kevin got elected as the president of the National Business Travel Association (now the Global Business Travel Association), 9/11 happened. The industry came to a halt, and Kevin and his board of directors managed to get business and leisure travel up and running again. Since then, he has become known as “The 9/11President”. No problem is unsolvable After pulling the travel industry out of the 9/11 global crisis, Kevin realized that no problem is unsolvable. Kevin’s role at Bizly  As the Chief Customer Officer Head of Enterprise at Bizly, Kevin leads the customer and enterprise efforts and guides sales and customer success teams. Focusing on others Kevin has always focused on what is good for everyone else rather than what is good for him. Diversity equity and inclusion Kevin believes that DEI awareness occurs in people at different points in their careers. Some people get it when they experience racism directed toward them. Others get it after hitting a glass ceiling when trying to advance their careers and attributing it to racism. Overcoming scapegoating and racism Kevin points out that scapegoating is easy when people look different from you. People need to realize that second or third-generation Asian Americans are American on the inside.  Educating people about racism Kevin has realized that it is up to him to overcome his cultural programming, speak up, correct people, and take the time to educate racist individuals on why racism is not okay.  Representation Kevin feels that representation is essential for Asian American and Pacific Islander actors because, without it, most Asian American and Pacific Islander actors will never believe they can become lead actors. Fighting racism in the industry Representation starts with a voice. For Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to have a voice within the industry, associations, or corporations, there should be a sub or separate group that accepts responsibility for education and awareness.  Mentorship Mentorship programs are vital for creating easier paths to the top for underrepresented individuals.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with Kevin Iwamoto On LinkedIn Bizly  

138: From Cinderella to CEO with Cary Broussard Cary Broussard, the Founder, and CEO of From Cinderella to CEO is today’s guest! Cary is an amazing industry leader! She started her career in Corporate America and is now an entrepreneur. She joins us today to talk about her journey and share her insights and experiences as a woman in the industry and an entrepreneur. We hope you enjoy listening to our inspiring conversation with Cary Broussard! Bio: Cary J. Broussard Cary is well known for establishing award-winning diversity, inclusion, and communication programs in several organizations, including Wyndham Hotels, Aimbridge Hospitality, Bank of Tokyo (now Union Bank MUFG), Carnival Cruise Line, Meeting Professionals International, and other organizations.  She has been interviewed by The New York Times, CNN, Bloomberg, CBS This Morning, The Wall Street Journal, and other national media about her successful women's marketing programs. Cary’s business book: From Cinderella to CEO (Wiley) features business lessons learned while climbing the business ladder and has been published in 10 languages. Interviews included in her book can be heard on her podcast Cinderella CEO On Air. She recently launched a nationwide tour for the Cinderella to CEO™Awards.  Dow Jones described her work as "the gold standard of women's marketing for Wall Street companies." Aimbridge Hospitality and Union Bank MUFG have implemented Broussard’s Cinderella to CEO curriculum and mentoring program to rapidly increase the number of women in senior-level management positions. Cary has also designed a leadership curriculum for New York University. Cary Broussard provides business courses, corporate training, executive coaching, and business mastermind groups for equitable, career opportunities with positive, measurable outcomes for individuals and organizations.  Cary’s background Cary had three sisters and went to all-girls schools. She came from a background of valuing women’s opinions and input, but deep down, she wanted to be a boy because they could do a lot more and seemed to have more fun. After she started working in a hotel, however, she was thankful to have ample opportunity to share ideas and contribute to the overall business. How Cary joined the hospitality industry Cary unofficially began her career as a banquet waitress at the Hyatt at Lake Tahoe one summer while in college. Officially, she started her hospitality career as the Director of Public Relations at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. Cary moved to Dallas and started her own PR business after leaving the Peabody. She later applied for a position as the head of PR at Wyndham Hotels and got the job because she was ambitious and had tons of experience in communication.  From Cinderella to CEO Carey wrote From Cinderella to CEO after creating the Women on Their Way woman’s leadership program at Wyndham and through the MPI program. Her book is a reminder of how, with the help of women, the hospitality industry was able to transform and better itself.  The Cinderella to CEO brand  After launching the Cinderella to CEO awards, Carey created the Cinderella to CEO brand. It is a coaching, training, diversity, and inclusion effort to share advice from her own experience and the experience of others.  Transforming the industry through women In the past, few women used to travel on business. After Cary launched Women on Their Way, research showed that more women leaders and decision-makers in the meeting and corporate travel industry were traveling on business. Using ideas from women travelers, Wyndham transformed its image and how it operated as a hotel company.   The pandemic The hospitality industry dipped during the pandemic. Things are picking up now, so people are looking to hire a more diverse selection of candidates. This is an excellent time to join the industry because smart companies require diversity of thought, age, talent, and everything else it takes to make an organization great!  Some advice for women: Take control of your destiny.  Find a company to work for that matches your culture and values.  When traveling, always be sure to select a hotel that is clean and feels safe. Tips for traveling safely Plan your trip.  Contact hotels ahead of time to let them know what your needs are.  Ensure your room is easily accessible, away from dark corners, and close to the elevators.  If someone at the front desk says your room number out loud, ask for a different room. Take some time to look at reviews online before making a hotel booking. Use a VIP car service, like Alto. Be prepared to spend a little more for a safer travel experience.  Ideally, get someone to help you plan your travel arrangements and make your bookings to ensure your experience is safe and effortless.   Competition amongst women  In the past, women were considered too so soft or too family-oriented to cope with managerial positions. So there were few opportunities for women, and women used to compete against one another for the few available “breadcrumbs”. We have come a long way since then. Today, at least 50% of all general managers of hotels are women.  Good leadership Good company leaders offer training to help everyone collaborate and work together. Good leaders also ensure that nobody feels like they are competing against external competition. Advisory boards Entrepreneurs can sometimes be isolated and could benefit from having advisory boards. People interested in creating an official advisory board need to know that it requires a structured approach. Corporate experience As an entrepreneur, Cary has benefited from her corporate experience. Others could also benefit from learning about the systems and processes of the corporate world before deciding to become entrepreneurs.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with Cary Broussard On her website On LinkedIn

Episode 137- The Critical Role of Education with Dr. Krzysztof Celuch We are delighted to be speaking with another rockstar in our industry today! Dr. Krzysztof Celuch has recently been awarded a place in the Hall of Leaders of our industry! He has had an awesome career in academics. He has been with the Convention and Business Bureau and volunteered for many different organizations.  He joins us from Poland to tell his inspiring story and talk about his certifications and the importance of education. He also discusses the academic and voluntary work he does.  We hope you enjoy listening to today’s fascinating conversation with Professor Krzysztof Celuch! Bio: Professor Krzysztof Celuch, Ph.D. MBA, DBA, CMM, CITE, CIS, HMCC, CED – an academic professor and an entrepreneur, Krzysztof specializes in event experiences, event marketing, and management. His scientific research, training, and keynotes are all built on knowledge of economics, business psychology, sociology, marketing, and cultural studies. He conducts workshops and training, gives lectures, and moderates panel discussions, debates, and management meetings. He implements research projects, builds strategies, and provides business consulting services. He helps organizations, institutions, and companies in the areas of management, communication, motivation, and business development, with particular emphasis on the meetings industry (event marketing). He is an associate professor at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, deputy rector of Vistula School of Hospitality, and visiting professor in Austria, France, the USA, and China. Dr. Krzysztof’s education Dr. Krzysztof believes in education because it can be used to change the world. He likes to listen to others and learn from them. He was happy to have fulfilled his educational goals this year. He joined various industry associations’ certification programs and focused on university education. He likes to tie the different aspects of what he has learned together, implement his knowledge, and share it to bring some heart to the next generation of leaders. Dr. Krysztof’s journey Dr. Krysztof used to be a traditional folklore dance instructor. When he was around nineteen, he focused on dancing and started studying at a sports academy. After about two years, he decided to change direction and began working as a tour guide. He was also writing his bachelor’s degree thesis on incentive travel at the time and read the only Polish book available on business tourism. A coincidence Coincidentally, a guest in one of Krzysztof’s tour groups was Rob Davidson, the author of the book he had read on business tourism. Krzysztof asked him many questions, and Rob encouraged Krzysztof to become a member of MPI.  Step by step Dr. Krzysztof joined MPI in 2005. He continued to move forward step by step, writing, listening, and connecting with industry leaders. Future Leaders Forum Together with several organization leaders, Dr. Krzysztof started the first chapter of the Future Leaders Forum in Warsaw.    Academics Dr. Krzysztof loves academia and sharing his knowledge! His academic journey began with a dance movement in high school.  NGO The first NGO Dr. Krzysztof got involved with was the International Association of Folklore Festival Traditions (CIOFF). Organizations After joining MPI, Dr. Krzysztof joined IMEX and then the Convention Bureau. He spent five years working for the Warsaw Convention Bureau, during which he loved promoting the capital of Poland! He started as a student intern and worked his way to becoming a manager. The next step in his career was to become the head of Poland’s Convention Bureau, and he spent the next fifteen years there. A private university After graduating with his Master’s degree, a private university asked Krzysztof to share his knowledge about tourism and the meetings industry. He is still with them today. Giving back Dr. Krzysztof believes that we should give back what we have previously received.  Decisions We need the right information to make informed decisions. Dr. Krzysztof believes that it is crucial to consult the heart and include an emotional component in the decision-making process. The American way Dr. Krzysztof enjoys American efficiency and the American way of getting down to business and following up. But he sometimes misses the European chit-chat and storytelling. A challenging industry The hospitality industry can be challenging. Dr. Krzysztof finds that people new to the industry tend to lack inspiration. He also finds them not as motivated as those with more experience, unwilling to work hard if they do not earn vast amounts for their efforts, and unprepared when they have arranged to meet someone. Preparing Dr. Krzysztof believes it is vital to be focused and prepared when meeting someone. It’s worth spending a few minutes having a coffee or a drink with them before the meeting to get to know them.  The Internet The internet is a helpful tool for preparing for a meeting because it allows you to learn about those you intend to meet.  Building relationships Half of Dr. Krzysztof’s clients are based in Europe, half of them are in the Middle East, and a few are in the US. In the US, building relationships used to take much longer than it did in Europe. However, since Covid, things have changed. Volunteering Dr. Krzysztof spent years volunteering for MPI and many other organizations. Through that, he has met many new people and learned about different cultures and religions. When you volunteer, NGOs can help you build your position and become who you truly are. Krzysztof points out that this is our life and our planet, so we all need to engage, get involved, share our knowledge, and give back in any way we can! Full bio: Dr. Krzysztof Celuch Ph.D., DBA, MBA, CMM, CITE, CIS, HMCC, CED – an academic professor and an entrepreneur, Krzysztof specializes in the meetings industry, event marketing, and event management. His scientific research, training, and keynotes are all built on knowledge of economics, business psychology, sociology, marketing, and cultural studies. He conducts workshops and training, gives lectures, and moderates panel discussions, debates, and management meetings. He implements research projects, builds strategies, and provides business consulting services. He helps organizations, institutions, and companies in the areas of management, communication, motivation, and business development, with particular emphasis on the meetings industry (event marketing).  Motivation: “When we meet, We change the world” might be the current slogan of the Meetings Professionals International (MPI) association, but personally, I have always found these words to be a great source of inspiration. Belief in the power of events and being aware of tools making meetings efficient and effective are what made the innovative-sounding “meetings industry” my area of specialty.  Education and professional growth: Diploma in tourism and recreation, doctorate degree in the field of humanities (political sciences), experience gained in international organizations, management of a destination marketing organization (DMO), participation in scientific and research projects – all of these factors contributed to the development of new qualities in the discussed interdisciplinary field.  Achievements and experience:  Scientific and business portfolio:  20 years of experience in providing training in an international environment, i.a. in the USA, Scandinavia, Mexico, and Poland 15 years of academic experience in the USA, China, and Poland at such universities, as i.a. San Diego State University, Skema Business School, Warsaw School of Tourism and Hospitality Management (part of the Vistula Group of Universities), Warsaw University, Mikołaj Kopernik University in Toruń Keynote speaker at scientific and industry congresses, business conferences, kick-off meetings, and motivation-centered events Author of 150 articles and five books dedicated to event management Holder of international training certifications: MPI Global Training, Sustainability in Tourism, Certified Incentive Specialist, EventCanvas Implementation of research projects, including Poland Meetings Impact (The Economic Impact of Poland’s Meetings Industry), the first report of this type in Poland (and eighth in the world Conducting destination marketing campaigns Management of the cooperation between the business, public and scientific sectors, including the moderation of meetings held by association and corporation boards.  Awards: MPI RISE AWARD Young Professional Achievement 2009/2010 – awarded to individuals under 30 years of age for significant contributions to the development of global business tourism. Dallas, USA CIC Young Pacesetter Award 2012 – awarded to individuals for spreading good practices, sharing knowledge, and creating leaders. Convention Industry Council, Washington, USA “Za Zasługi DLA Turystyki” 2015 – an honorary distinction awarded to citizens of the Republic of Poland, foreigners, organizations, and other institutions both at home and abroad in recognition of their contribution to the development of Polish tourism and solidifying international cooperation in this field “Meeting Architects: 40 Under 40” – a distinction awarded in a competition staged by the Connect Association and publisher of the Connect magazine. I was listed among the 40 leaders of the global meetings industry under 40.  The recognition diploma, 2012, Ministry of Sport and Tourism, diploma of recognition for contribution to the development of Polish tourism  DMAI 30 under 30 Award, 2012, Destination Marketing Association International, the prize for persons under 30 years of age for a contribution to the development and marketing of business tourism  The Meeting Professional Magazine 30 under 30, 2008, the prize for having the greatest impact on the development of business tourism in the world in 2008  The Meeting Professional Magazine 30 under 30, 2007, the prize for having the greatest impact on the development of business tourism in the world in 2007  Passions: Career and research – growth of the meetings industry, contributing to innovations and trends, interpersonal motivation.  Hobbies – mountains (both as a regular tourist and an extreme mountaineering enthusiast looking for challenges), mountain rescuer, lifeguard, folklore dancer Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with Dr. Krzysztof Celuch On his Website On LinkedIn

 How to Leverage Human Connections with Riaz Meghji   Today we are delighted to be speaking with Riaz Meghji, the author of Every Conversation Counts!  Riaz has had a fascinating career! He switched from being a broker to speaking about human connections. He has worked on TV and radio and is also a podcaster and TEDx speaker. He joins us today to tell his story, talk about human connection and share his insights and advice.  We hope you enjoy listening to today’s enlightening conversation with Riaz Meghji! Bio: Riaz Meghji is a human connection expert and author of “Every Conversation Counts: The 5 Habits of Human Connection That Build Extraordinary Relationships”. His insights have been featured in Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, and Financial Post. He is also an accomplished broadcaster with 17 years of television hosting experience; he has interviewed experts on current affairs, sports, entertainment, politics, and business.  Riaz has hosted for Citytv’s Breakfast Television, MTV Canada, TEDxVancouver, CTV News, and the Toronto International Film Festival. He is a natural storyteller with a proven ability to conduct engaging, in-depth conversations across various disciplines. Off camera, Riaz dedicates himself to philanthropy and causes he cares about, including Canuck Place Children’s Hospice and Covenant House. He holds a degree in business from Simon Fraser University and studied leadership communication at Harvard Extension School and the Canadian Management Centre. He lives in Vancouver, B.C., with his wife Lori and son Nico. Riaz’s story Riaz’s family moved from East Africa to Canada. Twenty years ago, Riaz deviated from his career in finance, took a leap of faith, and followed his passion in the presentation space. Since then, he has interviewed thousands of people as a television host and broadcaster. He has learned something from every conversation!  Human relationships The power of human connection has always intrigued Riaz. He now lives a life of purpose, exploring how to build personal and professional relationships. From finance to becoming a presenter While in the final semester of his finance degree, Riaz did a presentation at an international student organization conference. Afterward, the co-chair took him aside and convinced him that he had something to offer in the presentation space. That person’s belief in his potential opened Riaz’s eyes to the life he wanted to live. A few months later, he landed his first internship with MTV in Canada.  Coaching Riaz advises people to find a coach and remain coachable. Listen to what they say, and also listen to your intuition. Complacency Avoid becoming complacent because complacency cultivates mediocrity.  A beginner’s mindset Riaz entered the craft of presenting intending to retain a beginner’s mindset and being his authentic self. A beginner’s mindset is about staying open, finding people you respect, and asking them for feedback. Pushing forward Make all your contributions to the best of your ability at any given moment. Have the courage and humility to ask for help. That will push your forward as a speaker or when pursuing something you feel passionate about. Mentorship If you are looking for a mentor, find someone who is committed and cares about you.  Connecting Be intentional about connecting with others. Then strive to be consistent in your behavior until it becomes habitual.  Connecting with others in hybrid meetings As a leader in hybrid meetings, you are managing energy and people. Everyone has their own expectations, so be intentional about checking in with people consistently and getting their feedback. Empathetic curiosity When people with cultural differences get together in a meeting, it’s vital for leaders to use empathetic curiosity and ask questions to understand how people show up and react.  Feedback Sometimes, people take honesty the wrong way. That could create a sense of distance. That’s why it is necessary to earn credibility and trust before being vulnerable and sharing your thoughts honestly.  Building trust Use empathetic curiosity to build trust in a new relationship. Start the conversation with questions that allow the other person to reflect, open up, and share. After that, check in with them consistently to show you care. Consistency Leaders should consistently provide and receive a steady stream of feedback. Use consistent praise or constructive criticism to let people know that you are invested in their growth and progress. Brainstorming sessions Brainstorming sessions are helpful. They also create opportunities for employees to share their input. Accessibility As a leader, make yourself accessible so that employees know they can always reach you if they need help.  Audience Speakers need to consider their audience when preparing for a presentation. Riaz believes that the best speakers are the best listeners. So he always tries to understand his audience to provide them with maximum value and a memorable experience.  Experience Riaz likes to interview leaders who can participate live on stage in his sessions to role model how to make the experience interactive. Then he allows audience members to share stories about their defining moments.  Storytelling Storytelling is crucial to convey information with emotion. Storytelling also helps the audience interact and lean into what the speaker has to say. Rehearsing Rehearsing is a crucial part of any presentation. It helps to speak out loud and anticipate questions you may be asked. Communicating to strengthen human connection It is important to understand the context in which the people you are communicating with prefer to respond. Ask them how they like to communicate (text, email, or video, for example) when they like to communicate, and how often they prefer to communicate. Then, ask for suggestions so everyone feels like part of the process.  Sending daily voice notes will add a personal touch, show people that you care, and promote loyalty.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with Riaz Meghji On LinkedIn

Episode 135 – True Modern Leadership with JeVon McCormick   We are delighted to speak with an amazing individual today! JeVon McCormick is a phenomenal person and an incredible leader! He is the CEO of Scribe Media and the author of the bestselling book Modern Leader.  JeVon is top-ranked with Glass Doors and received Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year. He was named Best CEO in Austin and Best Culture Company in America! He joins us today to talk about his personal and professional life, share his experience, and discuss his take on diversity, equity, and inclusion. We hope you enjoy listening to today’s inspiring conversation with JeVon McCormick! About JeVon JeVon McCormick was born the son of a Black pimp father and a white single mother on welfare. Poverty, abuse, eviction, and discrimination were a daily part of his life. Today, he’s the CEO of Scribe Media, a multi-million dollar publishing company that was recently ranked the #1 Top Company Culture in America by Entrepreneur Magazine. JeVon’s experiences shaped a mindset for modern leadership that now guides his service as the CEO of a massively successful company that’s redefining the world of publishing. JeVon’s journey JeVon’s mother grew up in an orphanage. She had JeVon when she was still technically a child herself. Growing up in the 1970s was hard for JeVon because he was half black and half white and never felt he belonged. He was always trying to fit in. He got molested as a child and was in and out of juvenile prison. He never graduated from high school and had to attend summer school to get his GED. A game-changer JeVon’s dad drove him through a very affluent Houston neighborhood when he was about ten. He had never seen homes anything like the ones he saw there before. It was a game-changer for him because it showed him what was possible. As a result, wealth became his goal. His first job JeVon’s first job after getting his GED was cleaning restaurant toilets. After about a month, he decided to make them the cleanest toilets in Texas. Then he resolved to be the best at whatever he did from that moment forward! What’s in a name? After struggling for some time to get a better job, JeVon thought people were reluctant to hire him because he had a black name. So he began to go by JT McCormick. A week later, callbacks, invitations, and appointments began flooding in. From then on, he built his career on the name JT McCormick.   Reclaiming his name  After the murder of George Floyd, JeVon realized that changing his name made him part of the problem. So he reclaimed his name for all the kids with ethnic names living in similar communities to the one where he grew up. Jevon’s credo Jevon lives by putting people first. He believes in people, processes, and profits and feels that people should use their profits to do great things for the communities they live and work in. Awards JeVon is grateful for and proud of his awards. However, he finds it interesting and quite funny that we celebrate CEOs when CEOs are only as good as those they serve and support. CEO A CEO is a foundational piece of any company. Their role is to serve and support everyone else. They should never make decisions to benefit themselves. Covid Modern leadership got tested during Covid because there was no playbook for the virus. Covid revealed the difference between true leaders and playbook leaders. Even before working remotely became a thing, JeVon told his people to take whatever they needed from the office to build a comfortable workspace at home. He also announced that no salaries would get reduced, and no one would get laid off. DEI JeVon does not see DEI as an initiative because diversity has no start or finish. He feels it should be referred to as diversity, equity, and inclusion rather than DEI because actually saying the words opens up a real conversation. He also points out that most Fortune 500 chief diversity officers are black women, many of whom are now coming out and saying they are getting no support in moving their DEI initiatives forward. Modern leadership JeVon has been a successful leader because he puts people first and does things differently. He does not want to recruit and retain people. He prefers to attract great people and provide them with a phenomenal culture, meaningful work, and great salaries.  Language Much of the language used in business today comes from an antiquated playbook. People don’t realize that some of it even comes from the plantation business model. For example, referring to people as “human capital”, or “greatest assets”, implies human trafficking or slavery.  Respect As Americans, we need to respect others, listen to them, and seek to understand their lived lives. We need to ask questions and learn from others.  History Rather than being destroyed, offensive statues should be placed in museums because they are part of history and serve to educate future generations.  Do the right thing Seek to do what is right for all people. Do the right thing just because it’s the right thing to do. Don’t do it for a buy-in or something that might be in it for you.     Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with JeVon McCormick On his website On Instagram      On LinkedIn         On Youtube             On Twitter             On Facebook           On TikTok   Scribe Media     

Today, we are honored and happy to speak with Kim Praitano, the CEO of Gilda’s Club in South Florida! Each year, Gilda's Club helps 5000 people affected by cancer. Kim is an interesting person with a fascinating story to tell! She has tons of experience and many health insights to share! She is joining us to talk about Gilda’s Club, how they use meetings to help raise funds and awareness, and how Krav Maga has helped her become a better leader.   We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation with Kim Praitano! Bio: Kim Praitano, MSW, CFRE  Kim Praitano is the President & CEO of Gilda’s Club South Florida, serving over 5000 people affected by cancer annually, addressing social determinants of health, and providing support services, renowned cancer education, and healthy lifestyle programs throughout South Florida.  Kim has held executive leadership positions for nearly 40 years, working with various nonprofit organizations, and served as CEO of Dynamic Leadership Concepts, a consulting firm serving nonprofit organizations through professional development and capacity-building. Kim’s family Kim’s grandparents immigrated from Italy in the World War 2 era. Although her family owned nothing materially, they had strong values and a good work ethic. They taught Kim that quitting is never an option. That gave her the grit she needed to move forward in life.  Education  Education was always important to Kim. It was her refuge.  Leadership After starting work, Kim constantly took leadership programs. She felt constant learning was vital because she knew where she wanted to go. A nonprofit leader Kim wanted to lead a nonprofit regardless of the services provided because they are all interrelated and important. She knew that a good leader was the key to the success of any organization.   Funding Nonprofits do not necessarily get funded for infrastructures like human resources, finance, marketing, and advertising. Kim got certifications continuously to do those things because she knew no one would provide funds for them.  Harvard Kim went to Harvard because they had leadership programs for nonprofit executives. Outcome Measurement was a program she found meaningful. Another was Excellence in Nonprofit Governance because, in a successful organization, the nonprofit leader will work collaboratively with the board to lead the organization. Board members Some of the Gilda’s Club board members are experts in the areas Kim is not. They help create the vision and experience for the organization and assist Kim in overcoming any organizational challenges. Gilda’s Club's mission The mission of Gilda’s Club is to ensure that anyone impacted by cancer gets empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by the community. The community support part motivates Kim and many other Gilda employees to get up and go off to work every day. Servant leadership For Kim, servant leadership is ensuring she gives her staff members all the tools they need to do their jobs. The Gilda’s Club activities Cancer patients require more than just medical treatment for good health outcomes. Many people also need assistance with things like housing, food, transportation, mental health insurance, physical fitness, and follow-up treatments. The Gilda’s Club provides healthy living classes, like yoga, Thai Chi, and cooking, to help people do better after their clinical treatments. They also provide cancer education, mental health counseling, and support groups for cancer patients and their family members. Covid For two years, Covid interrupted cancer patients’ regular screening schedules. Getting people screened has become significantly important now, especially in communities of color. Women of Color They have a Women of Color initiative at Gilda’s Club where they help people re-partner to their screening via a mobile mammography health clinic. Events Gilda’s Club has three major annual fundraisers to raise money and awareness and get people to start building a relationship with them. Krav Maga Fitness has always been important to Kim. Krav Maga gives her confidence and keeps her mind and body healthy. It strengthens her as a leader and helps her operate better as a CEO.    Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Kim Praitano On LinkedIn Gilda’s Club South Florida Call Kim at 954 763 6776

133: Another Day Above Ground with Carolyn Strauss We are delighted to speak with Carolyn Strauss today!  Carolyn has had a fantastic career! She has had an apparel collection and was CEO of a multi-million-dollar company. Now, she is a podcaster, speaker, and emcee.  Carolyn has loads of energy and tons of business experience! She joins us today to offer her advice and share some great tips and insights for business owners! We hope you enjoy listening to today’s inspiring conversation with Carolyn Strauss! Bio: Carolyn Strauss, CSP, is a professional keynote speaker, emcee, and trusted corporate advisor with over 30 years of experience both on stage and on camera. Carolyn is the former CEO of the Carolyn Strauss Collection™ an apparel collection exclusively sold on the Home Shopping Network where she sold over $160Million worth of her own product. She is an expert on sales, persuasion, and execution. Carolyn has worked with associations and executive teams across all industries. She trains “Wicked Smart People” on how to communicate effectively and she is a certified Working Genius™ facilitator. She has appeared on PBS, ABC, NBC, HSN, Food Network, and Lifetime television network. She is an active member of the Screen Actors Guild and is the author of 5 books. She is the host of the long-running podcast "Another Day Above Ground" and believes a good day contains chocolate. Cigar packs The National Speakers Association used to have specialized professional education groups called PEGs for their members. Someone started a group called The Cigar Pack for the rebels and outcasts. At the Cigar PEG, humorous speakers get together, smoke cigars, and get to know one another. Most of the money raised goes to charity. Carolyn joined the Cigar PEG 16-18 years ago. She loves their philanthropic approach to fun! She met her podcast partner, Dale Irvin, at the Cigar PEG. How Carolyn became CEO of a clothing company After graduating from college, Carolyn moved to New York and made a living as a plus-size model. Then she got certified as an aerobics instructor and personal trainer, hired two models, designed their leotards, and created an exercise video.   Home Shopping Network  Carolyn suggested to her modeling client in New York that they sell the exercise video along with exercise clothes. So they pitched the Home Shopping Network (HSN). The HSN did neither exercise videos nor exercise clothes, but they asked Carolyn and her client to put together a line of sportswear for them to launch several months later.  From failure to success Their sportswear failed to sell when Carolyn first presented it on TV, and she got pulled off the set. They had to do another show with a different network an hour later. That time, their stretch pants sold very well! So the HSN offered to bring Carolyn and her partner back if they designed another sportswear collection in the same fabric. The three-legged stool of home shopping Home shopping is all about presentation, pricing, and product. The HSN told Carolyn and her partner that they could be successful if they had a great presentation, great pricing, and a great product. They did, and for the next eighteen years, Carolyn and her partner made their living selling clothes to the HSN. They made more than 160 million dollars in wholesale sales between 1997 and 2015! Easy-wear-easy-care clothing When doing business consulting, Carolyn always explains to business owners that you need to know what you do, who you do it for, and why they care. Everyone who worked for her knew that they made easy-wear, easy-care clothing for busy women so that after getting dressed, they did not have to think about themselves for the rest of the day. 2015 In 2015, HSN merged with another company. They decided to shift and move in the direction of celebrities and brand names.  CSP Carolyn got her CSP because her dad always told her to do anything she wanted to do in the world and be the best she could be at doing it! Fashion show expert Carolyn started commentating on fashion shows when she was 25 years old. She became the highest-paid plus-sized fashion show expert and fashion expert in the United States.  Speaking Some college students approached Carolyn at a fashion show she was commentating on and asked her to speak at their college. She did, and it went well. After that, she began taking on speaking engagements. A great opportunity In 2008, Carolyn was at a National Speakers Association conference. Vistage, a CEO Mastermind group, was a sponsor, and they invited her to audition. They called a month later to say they wanted to work with her. One of their chairs helped Carolyn tailor the material she had designed for women business owners and make it applicable to all business owners. She has subsequently done more than 200 presentations for Vistage. She also speaks for various other associations. Emcee work During the pandemic, Carolyn started doing emcee work. Advice for business leaders When something is not right, speak up and get it fixed. Podcasting Carolyn’s podcast partner, Dale, had been doing a podcast with a friend and comedian called Tim Slagle. The podcast was winding down, but Dale and Tim still wanted to do a podcast, and they wanted to include a liberal female point of view. So they brought Carolyn in to meet Tim. They recorded a few podcast episodes relevant to baby boomers, and things worked out. So Carolyn joined them as a podcast partner. She makes no money from the podcast, but she loves doing it, and it looks great on her resume! Covid Doing the weekly podcast kept Carolyn razor sharp and helped her stay on top of her game during Covid.  How you present yourself In business, the way you present yourself is crucial! If you want to succeed without really trying, dress to suit the part. Advice for business owners Business owners must be clear with their employees about their expectations and how they want them to work. They must ensure that all their employees are happy doing what they do. Business owners should also have a clear roadmap of where they are heading and what they hope to achieve, and they should engage their employees in getting there.    Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with Carolyn Strauss On her website   On LinkedIn Another Day Above Ground Podcast Join The Cigar PEG

We are delighted to speak with Dr. Lalia Rach, the Executive Managing Director of Strategic Consulting Services for ALHI (Associated Luxury Hotels International), today!  Lalia has just written Managing the Book on You. She talks about her experiences, discusses why she wrote her book and shares some great stories and insights about leadership. We hope you enjoy listening to today’s riveting conversation with Dr. Lalia Rach! Bio: Dr. Lalia Rach is the executive managing director of Strategic Consulting Services, a division of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI). In this role, Lalia is responsible for developing and delivering strategic and managerial consulting services to member hotels and clients.  Each service is custom designed so the information, guidance, and training result in greater value to the organization and the attendee. She is known for her practical, informative, and entertaining presentations whether a keynote speech, a workshop, or MC a conference. An audience favorite as demonstrated by repeat engagements and survey feedback, Lalia prides herself on uniquely crafting each presentation to fit the needs of the client and their audience. Her first book “Managing the Book on You: Rewriting your leadership story!” is available on Amazon in paperback and kindle. An audible version will be coming in late September.  Designed as a workbook to assist leaders in advancing their success and to better manage old impressions and views held by others within the organization about their leadership ability.  As the founder and partner of Rach Enterprises, a consulting firm that takes an uncommon sense approach and delivers genuine ideas that challenge tradition, Lalia served as a trusted adviser to senior-level executives at many leading organizations.   As a university educator, Lalia served as Dean of several top hospitality and tourism programs. At New York University, her leadership ability resulted in the creation of one of the world’s most innovative graduate and undergraduate programs in the business of hospitality, sports, and tourism. Among her awards and honors are recipient of the Smart Women in Meetings: Visionary from Smart Meetings Magazine; the Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing from Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International; selected as one of the 33 Most Influential People in the Travel Industry from Travel Weekly; featured in “Meet the 25 Most Influential Women in Travel” by Forbes Life Executive Woman; recipient of the Professional of the Year Award from Big Apple Chapter Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association and recipient of the Special Hospitality Award recipient from NYC & Co.  She holds a B.S. and M.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin and a doctorate from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Laila’s story Lalia grew up in a teeny, tiny town with only 800 inhabitants. Her grandmother owned a restaurant, her parents owned a bar and grill, and Lalia has worked in the restaurant and lodging industry from fifteen years of age. She put herself through college by working in a busy restaurant and then went to work in a hotel. Her career started after she got placed in a management position and had to become a leader. She loved the idea of helping the people she worked with be better! College Lalia majored in the liberal arts in college and went back later to do a Master’s degree in business. Several years later, she went to George Washington University to get a Doctorate in Higher Education. Her college education taught her to think.    General management When the time came for Lalia to move into general management, she did not want to do it.  Finding her calling She saw an ad in an industry magazine for a faculty member at one of the hotel schools in the United States, applied for the position, and got hired. She worked far harder as a teacher than she ever would have as a general manager, but she found her calling there. She is an excellent teacher because she loves to learn! Leadership Lalia points out that not all leadership is natural. A lot of it comes from learning and experience. Her job as a leader is to ensure that her team is always functioning better than they did before. You have to be prepared Lalia got turned down for a faculty position she applied for because she did not prepare. That taught her the professional lesson that you have to be prepared.  New York University NYU decided to start a hospitality and tourism center. Lalia became the founding dean and spent the next 18 years there. That was when she discovered that she had leadership qualities.  Good leadership Good leaders can impact the lives of those who report directly to them and others. Intangibles, like emotional intelligence and maturity, make people better leaders. Good leaders will acknowledge their weaknesses and allow their team to tell them how to solve a problem even if they already know how to do it. Teach to your strengths Many years ago, someone told Lalia that to be successful as a teacher, she had to quit trying to be the best student in the class and teach to her strengths to help her students learn. Consulting, speaking and working with strategies Lalia began to consult while she was Dean of NYU. She did project work that included assessments and evaluations and also began speaking. Her consulting and speaking businesses grew, and eventually, presidents and CEOs started asking her to assist them in putting their strategies into practice. After some time, she realized she was done with higher education and went full-time into consulting. Leadership is universal Lalia realized that she doubted her ability even though she had proven it. So she began to explore how she self-sabotaged and lost confidence. That prompted her to get into C-suite executive coaching, and through that, she learned that even though every leader is different, leadership is universal. Writing a book When Covid came, Lalia began to write a book to help people develop as professionals and advance their careers. It was a two-year process, and finding a book coach kept her writing and pushed her to complete the book.  True stories In her book, Lalia tells stories about herself and her clients, all of which are true. She advises people to do the necessary work after reading the book. She also encourages men not to be put off because her book has been written from a female perspective.  How to show others that you have changed To show others that you have changed, you must be sincere and not take things personally. Pay attention and be willing to catch yourself when you fall back on old patterns.  ALHI Working for ALHI has been a great learning opportunity for Lalia, and Strategic Consulting Services has been a value-add plus more for ALHI.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Dr. Lalia Rach On LinkedIn Associated Luxury Hotels International Get your copy of Dr. Laila Rach’s book, Managing the Book on You: Rewriting your leadership story, from Amazon. Book mentioned: Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg

We have the great pleasure of speaking with Pierre-Henri Perrin, the General Manager of the new Marriott at the Geneva airport, today!  Pierre-Henri has a very inspiring story to share! He joins us today to talk about leadership, opening a new hotel, and what it means for a property to align with sustainability.  We hope you enjoy listening to today’s captivating conversation with Pierre-Henri Perrin! Bio: Destined for a job in finance, through a course in French Hautes Écoles, Pierre-Henri Perrin, General Manager of the Geneva Marriott Hotel discovered the hotel business thanks to a seasonal job in a brasserie where he served his first fondues. A passion was immediately born for this sector which pushed him to change course and integrate a master's degree in hotel management. During his first professional experiences, discovered all the trades related to the catering and hotel industry. Arriving at Marriott International, Pierre-Henri Perrin adheres to the group's "People First" philosophy. “By joining the Marriott group, I found a company in which I recognized myself 1000%. I am in tune with its brand promise, its values that are found in all levels of positions in the company. These are so strong that there is no compromise. We give the best of us and that is what is important.” For Pierre-Henri Perrin, following the slogan "People First" means putting people at the heart of the company's strategy by creating great hotel experiences. This state of mind has prompted him to develop a collaborative workspace, a hub, for his teams at the Geneva Marriott Hotel: "Here, there are no partitioned spaces or floors reserved for management", he explains, “We all work together in a spirit of conviviality and sharing”. Close to his partners, he is always keen to create opportunities both internally and externally so that each member of the team can develop in the best possible conditions: "We want to create an environment where everyone can give best of oneself and consequently the best of the guests who do us the honor of coming to our house.” Passionate and involved, Pierre-Henri Perrin is convinced that in the hotel business, even more than elsewhere, excellence is in the detail and therefore the service offered to each guest must be irreproachable. He will deploy this philosophy in all the positions he will occupy: Renaissance hotels, in Paris or Barcelona, through prestigious and trendy establishments.  This rich international experience enabled him to understand the importance of the vision of Glocal, both global and local, a method that he strives to transcribe at the Geneva Marriott Hotel and that can be found, for example, in the hotel's catering offer, which highlights sustainable and local products, as well as in the very construction of the hotel.  The next challenge for Pierre-Henri Perrin is to make the Geneva Marriott Hotel an essential place in Geneva life, a cosmopolitan place open to the world, like the capital of French-speaking Switzerland. Pierre-Henri’s story While studying finance at university, Pierre-Henri spent a summer holiday working as a waiter. After that, he decided to join the hospitality world. He started as a receptionist in Paris and worked his way up to hotel management with several different companies in Paris, London, and Barcelona. Big chains Seventeen years ago, he decided to work for a big chain to develop his career. He was offered a position at a small, luxury property in Paris that Marriott was considering buying. He took a chance and accepted the offer, hoping Marriott would buy the property, and three months later, they did. Pierre-Henri feels that was one of the best career moves he ever made!  Marriott He has never regretted his decision. Marriott is a wonderful company to work for because they put people first and encourage their employees to grow. Growth Pierre-Henri has grown with Marriott, mainly by converting hotels from independent to chain hotels. Change Change has been a big part of Pierre-Henri’s journey. Change always happens, and when it does, you have only two choices: You can either accept it or adapt. Passion Pierre-Henri believes that his passion for the work he does keeps him young! Leadership Leadership comes easily to Pierre-Henri because he has no problem engaging with people. He always listens to his people and pushes them to do better. Opening a hotel When opening a new hotel, Pierre-Henri goes into it with all his energy. A hotel is a slow-moving environment, so he knows he is sure to succeed because he will have the chance to practice.  Building a team Finding people who share your passion is the key to building the necessary energy to lead a project.  Managing people To manage people successfully you need to allow them to express themselves. Leading a project In the opening process of leading a project, you need to fully understand what the project is about and where the idea came from. That has to be taken into account when assimilating the project. Instilling and maintaining a culture Pierre-Henri meets all his staff members in order to get to know them better. He needs to understand whether his hotel is the right choice for them and whether they are the right choice for the hotel. After that, he walks his talk each day by spending an hour visiting every department, asking his people how they are, chatting, smiling, and engaging. He also has daily meetings to keep everyone aligned.  Inducting people At Marriott, they focus on onboarding and inducting all their people. When they launched one of their hotels in France, they had three full days of onboarding to explain their culture. Pierre-Henri continuously monitors things to maintain the culture. How to keep your people To create the culture of a company and retain your people, you need to be consistent and true. Creating a unique experience You need to be honest, consistent, and always online to create and maintain a unique experience for your customers.  Eco-sustainability Mariott properties are all about eco-sustainability. Since 2008, they have been creating avant-garde and visionary projects by using geothermal cooling systems, designing their buildings to be as sustainable as possible, and incorporating new technology into their projects as it evolves. They also work mostly with locally-sourced seasonal produce.  Recycling  At Marriott, the barmaids’ shirts are made from recycled plastic bottles and their wine glasses are made from recycled wine bottles. They are moving away from using plastic by incorporating wooden key cards. For their bar-checks, they use envelopes made from recycled paper that can be planted afterward to produce flowers. Their customers get welcomed with a water bottle that can be refilled from dispensers on every floor. Community They feel it is important to be accepted as part of their community, so they invited some of their neighbors in Geneva to spend an evening together so they could welcome them, get to know them, and engage with them.    Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with Pierre-Henri Perrin On LinkedIn Geneva Marriott Hotel

  We have the great pleasure of speaking with the education guru, Nancy Snowden today! She is the Lead Manager of Educational Experiences for Meeting Professionals International (MPI). Nancy joins us for a fully-packed session where she shares her insights and experience. We dive into mental health, emotional intelligence, financial literacy, humor, improvisation, and unschooling. We hope you enjoy listening to today’s thought-provoking episode with Nancy Snowden! Bio:  An educator by trade, dream chaser by nature, and brain-science fanatic, Nancy Snowden has always sought to do things in her own way. From earning her bachelor’s degree in English, Creative Writing, and Women & Gender Studies, to continuing her education and earning her master’s degree in Adult Education & Interdisciplinary studies – she loves to look at an average opportunity and carve out the path that cultivates her zeal for life and passion for helping others. After spending a decade working in Higher Education and specifically, the wellness sector, she took a leap and joined the Academy team at MPI Global Headquarters and launched headfirst into the world of meeting and event professionals. Since then, Nancy has found an incredible amount of fulfillment working to provide #meetingprofs with the tools and resources they need to live and work at their best as the Lead Manager of Educational Experiences. Nancy’s story After graduating with a degree in adult education and various other subjects, Nancy spent eight or nine years working for universities and international non-profit organizations with chapters and clubs on student campuses. She did some low-level event planning on college campuses and worked with college students, mainly with leadership, wellness, emergency response, and risk reduction in the education and development realm. A job at MPI In 2018, Nancy got tired of working within the confines of higher education and spent almost a year looking for a new job. Then a friend of a friend posted her original role at MPI. Nancy learned about the organization, landed the job, and joined MPI.  Health promotions standpoint wellness  Consumerism has taken hold of health promotions standpoint wellness. That is why there is currently one notion of wellness based on what you own, participate in, and put into your body.  Overwhelm Like many others during the pandemic, Nancy could no longer function because she was extremely overwhelmed. She even went into a short-term care facility before starting at MPI because she needed a break from the world to get herself together enough to move forward. Event professionals Feeling overwhelmed is unacceptable. Sometimes, the feeling is almost indiscernible. Event professionals are positioned uniquely to design and create experiences that can underpin that side of wellness in an integrated way. Transformative wellness Wellness becomes transformative when we address the small things that impact how we live or interact with others daily.  Nancy’s wellness presentations When Nancy talks about the transformational power of wellness and event wellness design in her presentations, she is referring to the deeper facets of what it is to be human and how that shows up in the events people create.  Financial wellness  Financial wellness in meetings and events lies in having tiered prices and providing discounts, scholarships, access to unique funding sources, and community structures for networking to equip attendees. Social wellness If people cannot go to events, interact with people who are meaningful to them, and network, they are not socially well. If they go to events and do not see themselves reflected in the content, speakers, and accommodations, they will not be their most authentic selves in the space. That is another barrier to social wellness. Bringing wellness into organizations The expectation that organizations and people in leadership positions will be submissive has framed Nancy’s understanding of how the wellness conversation gets brought into the corporate sphere, how organizations get shaped, and how support systems get created for employees, teammates, and colleagues.  Emotional intelligence Emotional intelligence is being so self-aware that when a moment of conflict arises, you can work through it in a way that the other person does not even realize you are helping them work through it. Learning emotional intelligence For people to learn emotional intelligence, they need to be willing. They also need to be aware of the lizard brain (the primal piece of the brain that works out of fear and response) and be able to turn it off. Improvisation Improvisation can be used as a tool for enhancing one’s understanding of emotional intelligence. Compromise Nancy helps organizational leaders and employees to find compromise when moments of conflict arise. That allows the organization to continue and grow and the leaders and employees to maintain their wellness. Key indicators of success Collaborative leadership and emotional intelligence are the key indicators of success within business units. Open communication Open communication and flexibility are key elements of any safe working environment.  Occupational wellness Occupational wellness creates a foundation for people to have successful careers.  Values If you articulate your values clearly, you can position yourself uniquely within your workplace and ensure your strengths get utilized. Humor Nancy uses humor to wield her emotional intelligence, self-reflect, and be candid. Allowing herself to be made fun of helps diffuse difficult or offensive situations. It also alleviates pressure and lets her take a step back mentally. A fallacy Nancy points out that it is a fallacy that people in leadership don’t care or are disinterested.  Education in professional industries Nancy shifted her opinion about the role of education in professional industries when she learned that there is no one size fits all way to create experience and credibility. She does not see education as a marker of intelligence. Unschooling Rather than creating more educational inequity and making it harder for people to be successful, we should look at what each person brings to the table and provide them with opportunities for advancement, fulfillment, and success.  New learning dynamic Within the events industry, there are some non-degree holding professionals and others from degree programs with less than four years of experience. There is a divide between them even though they both bring valuable experiences to the industry. Nancy proposes a new learning dynamic in which both sides could learn together and from one another. Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Nancy Snowden On LinkedIn MPI Book mentioned: Motivating the Middle by T.J. Sullivan

We are delighted to have Garrett Gunderson joining us today to talk about his transition from being a financial advisor to becoming a stand-up comedian and doing a tour on stages across the US! In this episode, you will hear Garrett talk about his journey and the bright future he is building for himself.  We hope you enjoy today’s inspiring conversation with Garrett Gunderson! Bio: A modern-day “renaissance man”, well, maybe. An Inc 500 founder of a financial firm and amateur barista. A rookie fly fisherman and Wall Street Journal #1 Bestseller. A public speaker who’s delivered hundreds of keynotes, and a mediocre guitar player at home. A bow hunter, Traeger grill semi-pro, former cross-fitter (emphasis on the former), and a whisky sommelier, which is real, and just as douchy as it sounds. But maybe the best way to know me is from a few notes my wife wrote: A man who can only drink tequila under supervision. A man who will stop at nothing to provide his wife food if she gets HANGRY-self-preservation really. A dad who was totally cool with letting his sons go anywhere with him, in any costume they may have on! (Yeah, a client offered my kids $100 to knock on every door in the neighborhood with the three of us sporting Spider-man costumes saying “the neighborhood is safe”. My costume was too small, and more Moose Knuckle Man than Spider-man, but hey, that $100 spent the same.) A man who can’t fix a toilet, but can help you become financially independent so you can hire someone else to do it for you. A man who supports his wife’s meditation, even if she is just sleeping. A brother who bailed his sister out of jail, while almost going to jail himself in the process. A father who loves and adores his sons for exactly who they are. A son that loves his parents with all his heart. A man loyal to his family and friends, but most of all his values. Comedy Garrett thinks comedy was his first love. He came from a family that was Catholic on one side and Mormon on the other, with love and laughter as their universal language. Garrett’s journey Garrett got involved in financial services when he was nineteen years old. In 2000, when the markets started dropping, he had the time to go places and meet people who were decades ahead of him in the financial game. So he spent 26 months interviewing people in various areas of finance. Scaling his business From 2000 to 2006, Garrett scaled his business by partnering with three other people. Learning from each other, positively challenging one another, and creating a bigger vision together helped them grow the business. Sadly, two of his three partners died in a plane crash in 2006. Working harder Garrett tried to make up for the loss of two of his partners by working harder. However, that negatively impacted his family life. So he had to let go of certain things and realize that he was not responsible for everyone. Then he created a firm, brought in financial people, and wrote a book.  Mistakes He made many mistakes along the way. He made most mistakes because he was not clear about his life, so he let opportunities distract and derail him. Four areas of guaranteed efficiency After doing all the interviews, Garrett concluded that although there are no financial guarantees when investing money, there are four areas where you are sure to be efficient with money and get a return on it.  Those areas are: Saving on taxes Saving on interest Removing all non-performing fees from your investments Removing all duplicate covers and improper structures from your insurance Writing books Garrett hired a ghostwriter to write his first book because he thought having a book would make him seem cooler than he was.  He has two books coming out next year. He did a lot of writing for one of them and loved the whole process! The other one he co-authored with someone else. The future of finance Garrett hopes that his new book helps to make the future of finance, business, and government about connection and compassion rather than competition and destruction.  Quality of life Garrett believes that if people can enjoy their lives and make their quality of life a priority, money will become a by-product of a life well-lived rather than an excuse against it. Confusing love and money Garrett believes that people have been misguided to confuse love and money. So they chase money to validate something they have not accepted in themselves.  Competition Competition will appear to be the norm until people learn to love themselves and create a life of value creation where they have a sense of purpose and are sure of their place in the world.  Collaboration Collaboration is much more fun than competition. Collaboration requires trust, and trust begins with ourselves. We need to trust ourselves to invest fully in who we are and deliver value consistently. A different conversation  Garrett wants to encourage people to have a different conversation about money and help them understand where there might be limitations in their goals. School Garrett feels that there are some positive aspects to school, but there is also rigidity that might not persevere in today’s world. Debt Debt is a trap. Garrett is writing a comedic book about debt called Life After Debt. It covers student debt, loans, and how people finance their future. Becoming a comedian As a kid, Garrett loved telling jokes! In 2005, he was at a formal dinner in Costa Rica, drank too much tequila, and ended up at the mic telling bad jokes. Then, in 2017, after returning from a summer in Italy, he felt relaxed and kept making his wife laugh. He also told some jokes at his next financial presentation and made the crowd laugh, so he felt ready to start telling jokes on stage. Then, a comedian friend helped him write some jokes and allowed him to start opening for him at his shows, and someone discovered him. Garrett filmed a comedy special in 2021 that will air at the end of 2022. Transitioning to comedy Garrett treats comedy as a profession. He received training from friends, professional coaches, and speaker-training programs. When made the transition to comedy, he felt he already had stage presence. He continues to refine and improve his presentation. His tour In 2021, Garrett did a tour of 15 or more cities across America.  Garrett’s goal Garrett would like to use performance and entertainment to educate people. He would like to plant a seed of hope, feel connected, and help people to be more expressed. He wants to reach a billion people, inspire them, and touch their hearts with his work.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with Garrett Gunderson On his website On LinkedIn

Today we have the great pleasure of speaking with Rafa Jimenez, the blockchain guru for ELCA and Secutix!  Rafa joins us today to shed light on blockchain and discuss its impact on the live event industry. He also discusses his career journey, shares his insights, and explains NFTs.  We hope you enjoy listening to today’s captivating and informative conversation with Rafa Jimenez! Rafa Jimenez Bio (July 2022)  Rafa is a blockchain, DeFi, and fintech specialist with over 10y experience in the industry, currently leading blockchain and Web3 at Secutix in the event industry solution and ticketing platform used by the largest and most renowned venues, operas, museums, live events, artist, sports clubs and tournaments in the world. With ELCA the Swiss IT solutions company and parent of Secutix, with over 50 years of serving corporate/gov clients worldwide - Rafa serves as a thought leader and general advisor for Blockchain, DeFi, and Digital-Asset strategy.  Previously as Chief Commercial Officer at Alpian, Rafa helped build a mobile-only Swiss private banking platform, now a fully licensed Swiss bank scheduled to launch end of 2022. Before that as founder, he built and lead Alibre.io (originally “AhorroLibre”), a mobile-only metaPSP one-click payment platform helping improve financial inclusion for the base of the pyramid in Mexico, that was recognized as one of the most innovative solutions in LATAM by the Global Entrepreneurship Summit GES Marrakech 2014. He is also a founding member and regular lecturer at KlubAlibre.mx a fintech, blockchain, DeFi & Web3 working and education community in Tijuana Mexico.  Since 2012 Rafa has worked with and advised founders, teams, and developers in the fintech & blockchain space on Venture Building, Fundraising, Strategy, Tech, Customer Journey, BizDev, and G2M launch.  At McKinsey & Co. from 2006-12, he was a management consultant specializing in BizDev, new Product Dev and G2M launch strategy for global financial services players, throughout his 6 years at the firm. Since then, Rafa has served as a counselor and strategic advisor to leaders of fortune 100s, SMEs, Startups, governments, IOs, and NGOs around the globe. As a big sports and music fan, he practices and plays a wide and eclectic range of sports disciplines and musical instruments. As a passionate and self-proclaimed “tech nerd”, he’s always been the first to use the latest available technology and at an early age, Rafa was already playing with electronics and programming ICs with assembly code & C++. He holds an Electronic Engineering degree from UAG Mexico 1997-01, and an MBA from HEC UNIGE Switzerland 2005-06. About Rafa Rafa describes himself as a tech geek, engineer, developer, turned management consultant, turned fintech entrepreneur, turned blockchain expert. Now, he is at Secutix with the ELCA Group, leading everything related to blockchain, the metaverse, and digital assets.  Rafa’s journey Rafa is from Tijuana, Mexico. He started programming in the mid-90s, taking the electronic engineering undergraduate route and developing integrated systems for communications applications. He graduated in the middle of the tech-bubble crash in 2001. The entire industry was frozen, so he started teaching high school math. A few years later, he got a scholarship from the Swiss government and went to Switzerland in 2005 to do an MBA. He joined McKinsey in 2006 and spent the next three years working with global finance leaders, banks, and insurance companies, focusing primarily on emerging markets and developing new products for financial institutions.  Around 2010, he saw a big financial inclusion gap in some countries. He fell in love with the notion of mobile-only fintech apps as a way of assisting billions of people in emerging markets in accessing financial services. So he left consulting to start a fintech company.  In 2012, he returned to Mexico and founded a fintech company with a peer-to-peer mobile-only app that allowed people to transfer money efficiently. He ran that company for eight years.  Blockchain Just before he decided to leave consulting in late 2011, Rafa learned about Bitcoin and blockchain from his roommate and felt he had finally found the missing piece in his career. Understanding blockchain  Understanding the idea behind blockchain and having a way to trade and keep a store of value using a smartphone lit Rafa up! After that, he could not stop reading and learning about blockchain. He spent half his time traveling the world to meetups to learn from others, work with them, and develop ideas. Teaching blockchain in Spanish In 2016, Rafa started teaching blockchain in Spanish. 2020 In 2020, he returned to Switzerland and stepped down from managing his company in Mexico to focus on DeFi and blockchain implementation.  Joining a Swiss company Rafa joined a Swiss company building Switzerland’s first mobile-only digital private bank. He still advises that company. ELCA and Secutix While looking for the world’s largest platform implementing blockchain functions, Rafa came across ELCA and Secutix, which asked him to join and lead them. Rafa explains blockchain  A blockchain changes the paradigm of needing and reconciling thousands of global databases, each with different information. A blockchain is the marketing name for distributed ledger technology. Instead of having a thousand databases or accounting ledgers, there is only one ledger in the world. It is a distributed ledger that everyone can access and see. It is a way of keeping track of assets that everyone and no one owns at the same time. There are different blockchains for different assets. A single worldwide database  There will soon be a single worldwide database for DLT (distributed ledger technology), or a blockchain, where everyone can trade, transfer, or send dollars anywhere in the world without intermediaries. NFT (Non-fungible token)  An NFT is a certificate of ownership of a digital asset. It is an application of a blockchain. Non-fungible tokens can be traded because they represent unique ownership of something.  How blockchain applies to the live events industry  There are three types of tokens to help different parts of the industry: Fungible tokens: These can be used as payment in specific places, like airline miles. Non-fungible tokens: NFTs can be used as souvenirs or memorabilia when an event is over. ERC11-55: These tokens can get distinguished from one group to another but not amongst each other. (Like shares in different companies.) All of those will address and minimize most current ticketing problems, enable more potential, and open new opportunities within the industry.  SSI (Self-sovereign identity) SSI is a way to manage things like single sign-on, identification, and verification. With its advent, ownership of data, power, and control will return to the end user.  Blockchain problems Sometimes, blockchains can be detrimental because there is a blockchain trilemma. That means that three options cannot be maximized at the same time. Only two options can be selected: security, decentralization, scalability, or speed. Direct services  Over the long term, artists, clubs, and tournaments will be able to engage directly with their fans and provide them with services like ticketing. Empowering people  Soon, owning customers’ data will no longer be necessary. Empowering customers, users, and fans will become the priority. People will consume what they want in a pull-marketing rather than a push-marketing mindset.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with Rafa Jimenez On Twitter (@rjgamez) Email Rafa: [email protected]  Secutix  ELCA   Recommended book: The Bitcoin Standard: The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking by Saifedean Ammous 

We are delighted to be speaking with Johann Zietsmann today! Johann is the President and CEO of the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami. He joins us to share his unique and fantastic journey and talk about servant leadership, the philosophy of Ubuntu, and the arts. We even sing a little bit!   We hope you enjoy listening to today’s captivating conversation with Johann Zietsmann! Bio: Johann Zietsman:  Born in the 1950s in South Africa, Johann Zietsman grew up under the Apartheid regime and first got involved in the arts as a brass player in his high school band. That led to his lifelong passion for the transformative value and role of the arts in a community. After serving in the military, he graduated as an architect, and Johann and his wife, Tharrie, moved to Ithaca, New York, where he completed a Master’s degree in music. After returning to South Africa in 1982, Johann started a 20-year career in various executive arts management positions, including a music school, two orchestras, an opera, and music theatre company, a community arts center, a large multi-theatre performing arts company, and a commercial communications company. During this time, he was actively involved in the political transformation of his homeland through pioneering work in the arts, resulting in recognition from Mr. Nelson Mandela’s government. As a volunteer, he launched and directed two community youth initiatives, which currently serve about 4000 at-risk children (annually) in townships. Johann and his family moved to the United States when he was recruited in 2002 by the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA), based in New York City. Since June 2007 he served as Executive Director of the Mesa Arts Center, and Director of Arts and Culture for the city of Mesa, Arizona. In December 2009, Johann accepted the position of President and CEO of Arts Commons in Calgary, Canada. He took up the role of President & CEO of the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami in December 2018. Johann’s journey Johann was born in South Africa during the apartheid. As with many other white South Africans, he grew up with the idea things were normal. In time, however, he realized how terrible and wrong apartheid was and tried to do something about it.  The military At eighteen, he got conscripted into the military to keep the “terrorists” (black people organizing resistance against apartheid) out of South Africa. He spent many years with other white South African soldiers in guerrilla warfare on the northern border between Namibia and Angola. He was also studying architecture and playing the French horn in a local symphony orchestra for pocket money at the same time. A difficult journey It was a difficult journey for people like Johann, who questioned apartheid and worked against it.  A music degree After graduating as an architect, Johann married and went to Ithaca, New York, where he did a Master’s degree in music.  Returning to South Africa Johan and his wife returned to South Africa to be part of the struggle for democracy, and Johann spent the next twenty years working in arts management. Emigrating In 2002, Johann got recruited to a job in New York, so he and his family emigrated. He has lived and worked in various places in the US since then and has been in Miami for the last three-and-a-half years. Arts are universal Arts are universal because all humans have similar dreams, desires, and aspirations. We all laugh when we’re happy, cry when we’re unhappy, and dance when we hear music. The universality of the arts ultimately brought Johann to the profession he decided to pursue. A lesson learned from the arts One night, while at a shabeen (a bar/nightclub in a South African “township”) with some friends, Johann was fortunate enough to see the famous South African actor, John Kani, and another actor performing a play called The Island. It was written by South African playwright Athol Fugard and is about two Robben Island prisoners discussing what they want to do after their release. Johann did not know who John Kani was back then, but he loved the experience! A decision for life Watching The Island was the first time Johann fully understood that black and white people were the same emotionally. The understanding conveyed to him via the arts prompted him to become involved with the arts for the rest of his life. Nelson Mandela Johann met Nelson Mandela three times. He was a true leader, and Johann found him even more wonderful than everyone said he was! Teaching black kids Johann taught black kids over weekends while running the music school in Cape Town, even though he was not supposed to do so. He also visited Robben Island several times to do music demonstrations for the prison guards' children when Nelson Mandela was imprisoned there.  The Adrienne Arsht Center The Adrienne Arsht Center was started 20 to 25 years ago by members of the Mami community. The famous Argentinian architect, Cesar Pelli, designed the building and shaped it to look like two big mountains. The concert hall and the ballet house are both world-class venues. There are also smaller performance venues and other venues for education. The center is now in its 16th operating season. It typically does about 430 shows each year and attracts about 400,000 people. Miami Miami keeps on changing. To Johann, it appears to be a city that always wants tomorrow to be better than today. He finds the energy intoxicating! Covid Covid hit the Adrienne Arsht Center very hard. It was one of the first types of business to close down and one of the last to re-open. When it happened, Johann said the center lost its voice.  The Community Throughout Covid, Johann and his team wanted to improve the lives of everyone in their community in any way they could. They launched many different online programs. They also launched Arsht On the Road, a pop-up show that appeared in hotels, hospitals, and shopping centers.  Local artists Johann and his team did whatever they could to engage local artists and help them make some money because the gig scene had dried up. Online monetization Johann believes that there are more opportunities for online monetization in brand new work that has never been seen before and work that people are unlikely to see live. Ubuntu Ubuntu is an ancient African philosophy very close to Johann’s heart. The philosophy embodies our inter-dependency as humans and is lived authentically in the African community. It means that if you are unhappy, I cannot be happy. Or if I have food, you will not go hungry. (Directly translated, it means that a person is a person through other people.) Great South African leaders like Nelson Mandela and the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu were advocates for Ubuntu.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with Johann Zietsman The Adrienne Arsht Center Johann Zietsmann on LinkedIn  

  We are delighted to be speaking with another rock star in our industry today! Junior Tauvaa is the Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Visit Anaheim.  Junior has had an amazing career! He shares some stories, ideas, and insights about how the CVB (Convention and Visitor Bureau) evolved to become the DMO (Destination Management Organization) and what today’s younger generation is looking for in terms of marketing. He also gets into sales, marketing, and influencers.  We hope you enjoy listening to our fascinating conversation with Junior Tauvaa today! Bio: Junior Tauvaa: Chief Sales Officer, Visit Anaheim  Junior Tauvaa has served as Chief Sales Officer at Visit Anaheim since October 2013.  Tauvaa leads sales and marketing teams for Visit Anaheim to increase Anaheim’s market share and customer satisfaction in the meetings and leisure market. He also leads Orange County Sports Commission in positioning Anaheim/Orange County as a premier sports destination. Tauvaa is very involved with meetings and events industry on initiatives to ensure the Anaheim/Orange County brand continues to be a thought leader in the industry. Tauvaa was previously Executive Vice President of Strategic Partnerships with Meeting Professional International (MPI) and the MPI Foundation, the largest global meeting and event industry association for seven years. He was previously with Los Angeles Tourism Board for more than ten years and held several key leadership roles.  Tauvaa held different volunteer leadership positions with Destination International (DI), Events Industry Council (EIC), American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), and Meeting Professionals International Foundation (MPIF) as well as several technology companies throughout his career. He is currently serving in volunteer leadership positions at DI and EIC.  Tauvaa earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from California State University, Long Beach, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from California Polytechnic University. Junior’s story Junior started his career in the world of business consulting. One of his clients was Hilton Hotels, and he got introduced to the meeting and events industry when he got hired by Bob Moore, who had been with Hilton Hotels before taking a job with the LA Convention and Visitors Bureau (now known as the LA Tourism Bureau). LA Convention Bureau When Junior started working at the LA Convention Bureau, he grew to understand what CVBs were about, who their clients were, and how they made money. He spent almost eleven years working there and then moved over to MPI.  MPI He spent about seven years at MPI, growing and expanding their chapter and membership site into the European, Asia-Pacific, and Latin American markets. Through MPI, he got to understand the business from a global perspective. Visit Anaheim Junior returned to California to head up the sales side of Visit Anaheim and eventually took on the marketing and sports commission sides too. He considered going to Visit Anaheim as coming home.  Many professions There are many professions within our industry, from the management side to sales, marketing, finance, communication, social, and technology. Figuring things out When Junior was in Los Angeles, he wanted to figure out what the industry and business were all about. He also wanted to find out where he fit in and what got him going. Finding solutions Junior’s approach to sales is all about finding solutions. He loves to connect with people, figure out their challenges, and connect them with others to help them find solutions. Diversity When trying to find solutions, it helps to have a variety of personalities and voices because they will offer diverse opinions and perspectives and make the conversation much richer. Evolution   When Junior joined the industry, they were known as CVB (Convention and Visitor Bureau). Back then, most DMOs focused on marketing their destination and bringing visitors, meetings, and events there.  Today, DMOs also look at destination development to make sure that their cities get developed in a way that works for both visitors and residents of the destination. Today’s DMOs also work with local communities to help them understand the economic impact of visitors, meetings, and events and rally their support. The role of the DMO The role of the DMO is to communicate the uniqueness of every hotel and venue in its destination and inform visitors about what locals do for leisure and business. The role of DMOs  DMOs ensure that every organization coming to their destination has a successful event. Their biggest role is to support the organizers and business leaders that bring people to their destination. (That also includes supporting their staff and local communities.) The pandemic Since the pandemic, re-staffing has become a big issue for DMOs, hotels, and many other areas across the industry. The benefits employees are looking for today differ from what they wanted before the pandemic, and employers today require different skill sets. Visit Anaheim  Visit Anaheim is working with universities and using platforms like LinkedIn to promote the positions they are looking to fill. They understand that they need to work harder, from a management standpoint, to bring their teams together, communicate, and ensure that their culture and core values do not get lost when their team members work remotely. Marketing A lot has changed when it comes to marketing. In the past, Visit Anaheim did a lot of advertising. Today, they do less advertising, they have shifted to using video as a marketing component, and their content is all digital. Social media and working with influencers to bring their message to different generations have also become parts of their current marketing strategy. They also strive to get their message out via traditional media and be a thought-leader in the industry by sponsoring various industry-associated organizations. Selecting influencers They select authentic people, people connected to their destination, or those who understand their destination or event design as their influencers.  Measuring the success of their influencers They measure the success of their influencers by looking at everything from impressions to followers to referrals and bookings. The right metric to measure the success of their influencers is evolving as technology improves. The metaverse A vendor will soon be talking to them about the metaverse. After that, they will know more about where the industry is going. Then they will decide where to put their resources to get their message out to the marketplace.    Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with Junior Tauvaa On LinkedIn Visit Anaheim

Today we are happy to speak with Mariska Kesteloo, the President and Founder of Word of MICE.  Mariska connects brands and influencers. In this episode, she talks about influencers and shares her unique and inspiring story of grit, grief, persistence, courage, and inspiring others.   We hope you enjoy listening to today’s heartfelt conversation with Mariska Kesteloo! Bio: Mariska Kesteloo is an entrepreneur, public speaker, author, and board member. With more than 18 years of working experience in tourism and the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Events) sector, she’s an authority in the industry. Passionate about storytelling, Mariska founded her company Word of MICE in 2017. Her company connects the MICE industry with the right storyteller and expert to spread the story of the suppliers in an authentic way to the right target audience.  In January 2020, her husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and her personal life turned upside down. She decided to share her experiences in a book. Unfortunately, her husband passed away in July 2021. Despite the challenging circumstances, she began creating an association to inform, motivate and encourage patients and their loved ones who go through a similar situation. Next, she started a new company to support entrepreneurship and retain talent in the MICE industry. And she bought a camper and became a digital nomad in 2022. Her first destination is Poland.  She is a visionary, forward-thinking, and positive entrepreneur who loves new challenges. Mariska’s story Mariska started her career in the tourism industry. She moved to Belgium after falling in love with a Belgian man and slowly shifted from tourism to the meetings and events industry. She did a Master’s degree in Business Event Management, became a freelancer, and got involved with MPI ten years ago. In 2016, she was working as an event manager for an accelerator program, doing events for startups and scale-ups. Then, inspired by the intriguing stories travel influencers told her, she opted to start a “real” company to gain more recognition and awareness for the under-rated and under-valued meetings and events industry. Now, she links industry experts with the suppliers of the meetings and events industry. An influencer Mariska is now an influencer even though she has a love-hate relationship with the word influencer. She believes that we are all influencers because we are all influenced by people and influence others. She prefers to call herself an industry expert. Our industry needs to change Our industry tends to be old-fashioned, so it needs to change. We need to find new ways to share our stories because a younger generation is entering our market and doing business differently. Transparency Mariska feels we need more transparency in our industry.  Industry experts Industry experts need to be recognized as experts rather than as paid content creators. A strategic process It takes a long-term and strategic internal process to find the right influencers and ensure that a campaign will be successful. Checking influencers’ content The videos and blog posts of influencers get double-checked by the client before they are uploaded. They work across borders, so cultural differences have to get considered. The client always has the final say on the influencers’ blog posts and videos. Life is a bumpy road In January 2020, Mariska’s husband was diagnosed with a severe brain tumor. At the end of 2020 and after nine months of treatment, the tumor disappeared. In March of 2021, her father-in-law passed away, and Mariska noticed her husband was not well. But she thought it was due to his father’s death. In April, she saw something was very wrong with her husband, and shortly after that, it got confirmed that the tumor was back. At the end of May, her mother passed away unexpectedly. Then a dear industry friend passed away in France at the beginning of July in a car accident. A week later, her husband passed away at 49 due to his brain tumor.  Mutual support Mariska felt broken on all levels. So she decided to move back to live with her father so that they could support one another. The impact of grief No one prepared Mariska for how much her grief would affect her. She could not sleep. She lost her taste for food and her joy in life, and she found it hard to concentrate. She also experienced a financial loss and had to deal with tons of administration.  Therapy She went to see a grief therapist. That, combined with staying with her father, having regular meals, and talking to close friends, pulled her through the grief process and helped her start a new life. Support and respect  Going to an industry fair in Barcelona, hugging people, and getting support and respect from industry members also helped her get through the difficult time. Becoming a digital nomad Mariska realized that she needed some freedom and space. So she spontaneously spent all her savings on a camper and decided to work and travel as a digital nomad.  Poland She decided to make Poland her first destination and spent three months traveling across the country. There were many ups and downs, but it was a life-changing experience for her!  Get out of your comfort zone Mariska recommends getting out of your comfort zone, traveling, and meeting new people to overcome challenges in your life. In love with her new life Mariska fell in love with her life as a digital nomad and intends to go back on the road very soon! A book Mariska wrote a book about her journey to tell people that having a brain tumor is not the same as having cancer. When someone has a brain tumor, they change quickly and become a very different person. She also wrote about her emotions in the book.  A professional association Now, along with some others, Mariska is creating a professional association under an official umbrella in the Netherlands to share non-medical information about alternative treatments for brain tumors, answer questions, and explain how to tell the devastating news to children, partners, and parents. Being a digital nomad Being a digital nomad is a dream life, but there are also many consequences. Mariska points out that you need an adventurous mindset, and everything costs more than you think! You have to prepare, plan things carefully, and think strategically.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with Mariska Kesteloo On her website On all social media channels: @MariskaKesteloo

We are delighted to be speaking with a legend in our industry today! Steven Foster is the Managing Partner of Foster+Fathom, a Leadership Training and Goodness Alliance in Dallas, Texas. Steven is the author of Full-Throttle Leadership: Passion, Power & Purpose on the Edge of America. He joins us today to tell the incredible story behind his solo motorcycle ride around the perimeter of the US and share some stories about leadership. He also gets into what he has written in his book about passion, power, and purpose and talks about workshops, advisory, and veterans. We hope you enjoy listening to our super-inspiring conversation with Steven Foster today! Bio: Steven G. Foster, CMP, is Managing Partner of Foster+Fathom, a Leadership Training and Goodness Alliance in Dallas, TX. that provides opportunities for organizations and individuals to connect and create meaningful engagement, influence, and impact in the communities where they live, work, and meet.  An award-winning speaker, author, business consultant, and team-builder, Steven is a 32-year member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI), where he has served in a variety of leadership roles at both the chapter and global level. In 2004 he was inducted into the MPI Community of Honorees, and in 2022 was named one of MPI’s Top 50 Most Influential Members.  Steven also is a Harley-Davidson LIFE Member who took a 13,000-mile solo motorcycle ride around the perimeter of the United States in 2013 to support the Boot Campaign, a national veteran’s organization where he serves as an Ambassador and Advisory Board Member. That journey is chronicled in his new book, “Full-Throttle Leadership: Passion, Power & Purpose on the Edge of America.” He also has a “Full-Throttle” resume receiving more than 15 top industry awards. In 2000, Steven and Wendy Foster became the first husband/wife business team to earn the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation. Both of them have been profiled by CNN/Fortune as a Small Business Success. How Steven got into the meetings and events industry Steven stumbled into the meetings and events industry almost before it became an industry. He was living in Hawaii and working as a journalist when Hawaii State certified tour guides for the first time and offered a series of certifications and classes to train tour guides. Steven’s editor selected five reporters to go through the training. One of them got sick, so Steven was sent in his place. To acquire the certification at the end of the training, they had to take a written test and then get onto a bus to give an eight-hour “Circle Island Tour” to 16 proctors who graded them afterward. Steven found it fascinating and started working part-time as a tour guide. He loved it and decided to make a career change several months later.  Acquiring a business Steven met his wife, Wendy, while working at the destination management company where she worked. Wendy eventually left that company to work for a family-owned meeting and event ranch in north Texas. She and Steven then acquired that business. They got a great team together, rebuilt the business to host corporate and association meetings, and ran it for eighteen years. A husband and wife team  Steven and Wendy each had their own strengths and talents and did their best to play to them. When people saw them working together, they saw genuine affection and respect. They focused on growing the business and building a great team and did tons of amazing events!   Learning and growing They learned a lot as business owners. It pushed them to live in their lane and keep growing.  Things he would change Steven tended to move too fast at times. So he did not always share his intended route with the team or thank them enough for all they did. Drawing from his experiences Steven has worked for the best and the worst business leaders, and he learned from all of them! As a business owner, he constantly draws from his experiences as an employee. He also draws from his more than fifty-five years of riding motorcycles. Leadership Steven believes that leaders are not born. They become. That means that leaders should constantly be learning and serving their teams. Lessons from motorcycling Many lessons about leadership are to be learned from motorcycling. One is that leaders cannot constantly stay in the front because there is too much resistance and blowback there, and intense focus is required. So motorcyclists ride in a coordinated and staggered formation, use hand signals to communicate, rotate back into the pod, and allow their wingmen to assume the number one position. Steven’s definition of winning Steven’s definition of winning in life is moving together, working together, and serving everyone who rides with you every day to do the job you do- whatever it is.  The Boot Campaign In 2010, Steven was introduced to a non-profit veteran’s service organization called the Boot Campaign, founded by five Texas women who read a book called Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell and wanted to do something to help returning veterans. Steven had also read the book and felt motivated to help returning veterans.  The tagline of the Boot Campaign is: “When they come back, we give back.” A US perimeter ride The grand-daddy of all the rides a real biker would do is the perimeter ride of the US, which takes a minimum of thirty days to complete. In 2011, Steven came up with the idea of doing a US perimeter ride as a fundraiser to raise awareness and support for the Boot Campaign. It took him and a group of bikers about a year to map out the route, and they decided to do the ride in 2013. Over time, however, everyone slowly dropped out, so Steven decided to do the ride alone. Riding alone made the trip much more memorable, and he met some amazing people along the way. Service and sacrifice  Doing the US perimeter ride was the greatest accomplishment of Steven’s life! He feels that it changed him fundamentally as a person because it allowed him to see people who were overcoming insurmountable challenges, setbacks, and losses getting up every day saying they wanted to make their piece of the world a better place. Weathering storms A core part of leadership is realizing that you need to constantly be learning and building up your skills so you can weather the storms when things go wrong. Passion, power, and purpose  In his book, Steven talks about passion, power, and purpose as the three lessons of leadership. Passion is about finding the right ride. Power is about fueling the ride with skills and capability. Purpose is the focus of the ride. Be like the Boot Campaign girls Steven encourages everyone to do what the Boot Campaign girls did. They were not in the non-profit space, nor were they professional fundraisers. They just read a book that touched their hearts and decided to do something simple and profound to connect people. They truly understood that to understand somebody, you have to walk a while in their shoes. Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Steven Foster On his website   Foster + Fathom on Facebook  Foster + Fathom on LinkedIn  The Boot Campaign:  www.bootcampaign.com or www.bootcampaign.org   Books mentioned: Full-Throttle Leadership: Passion, Power & Purpose on the Edge of America by Steven Foster Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson

Episode 123: What are the Main Industry Trends with Will Curran Today we are happy to speak with Will Curran, the Chief Event Einstein of Endless Events! Will has been in our industry for many years and has an interesting perspective to share! In this episode, he talks about his journey, shares his insights, and discusses the trends we need to concentrate on.   We hope you enjoy listening to our fascinating conversation with Will Curran today!  Bio: As the founder of Endless Events, Will Curran has been named one of the most influential people in the meeting & events industry, one of the 40 under 40 event industry leaders, 35 entrepreneurs under the age of 35, and the highest customer satisfaction of any event company in the industry. Will has been producing in-person, virtual, and hybrid events since high school when he started his first company, and he has now worked in the management of large event clients such as Emerald City Comicon, Anheuser-Busch, Warner Brothers, Morton Salt & Uber. His team’s mission is to simplify the event planning process by creating the equation for an event’s perfect solution. From event management to business development to the latest technologies, Will Curran has a diverse background in growing events and companies to the next level. Will’s backstory Will loved electronic music in high school, so he started a radio station and a DJ company. The DJ company exploded when he went to college. Will wanted to do larger-scale productions like high school dances and college events, so he learned about production and started hiring production companies. He transformed his DJ company into a production company and began to do big corporate events and productions. He also started using event technology, publishing tons of content about events and event technology and did a few podcasts along the way. The pandemic pushed them to help with all the aspects of events because technology became central to everything, so they transitioned and became a full-scale event management company. Learning from people’s business stories Will loves hearing about how business owners came up with innovative ideas for their businesses, and he is constantly getting new ideas from different places. Innovation Will thinks he may be more conservative than some other innovative individuals, but he believes that he is more innovative than most people in many ways.  The pandemic Will was having his busiest year ever in March of 2020. Fortunately, his company had begun working remotely seven years before that, so none of his clients canceled when the pandemic hit. Some of them were even looking at adding more services, so Will felt that the pandemic was good for him. Music festival  Will had plans to go to a music festival in Belgium in Mid-March, but it got canceled a day before it was due to take place, even though millions of dollars had been spent on producing it.  An opportunity Will realized that the pandemic was going to devastate the United States. Everyone was looking for event tech, so he decided to use the situation as an opportunity and started contacting people to assist him with helping people produce their events virtually. As a result, his business blew up so fast in 2020 that it was almost uncontrolled in some ways! Although Will found it somewhat overwhelming, the entrepreneur in him resolved to go with it and help as many people as possible.  Thought leadership and flexibility Fortunately, their willingness to be flexible, and the thought leadership they gained from the content marketing they had been doing, really paid off in 2020!   Things to consider With the recession, economic downturn, and all the changes we are facing right now, Will is thinking of ways to do things differently from other businesses, reduce the fixed costs of his business, and become more variable. He is also considering the conversations he will need to have with his clients in the future, rising costs, and how to get his business to move faster.  Equipment Will did not like maintaining equipment, so he sold all his equipment and started renting whatever he needs. A unique business model Renting the equipment made Will feel liberated, and he learned that you can have a different model and still work very well! Even though there are still some challenges, he has managed to create a unique business model. Now they focus more on the people, the experience, and the design of events. The future   Will was excited when the pandemic started because people were going to work remotely. He knew his business would excel because they had been doing things remotely for years, so they had an advantage. They used to be one of the larger remote companies in the events industry, so many people wanted to work for them. Now it has become much harder to find the right people. Over the next two years, Will hopes that most people will revert to working in offices, and then he will employ those who prefer working remotely.   The next cultural trends People are moving toward feeling more natural with international hires and having their businesses become more global than before. We will see more people moving from places like San Francisco to bigger and cheaper metropolitan areas- even rural areas like Kansas and Montana. Will believes America needs more infrastructure, like faster and better internet, and we are moving towards having more digital nomads when flights become more affordable. Another trend he foresees is people demanding better workspaces and refusing to work for toxic bosses. It is also likely that by 2027, most people working in America will be freelancers, and new laws may come out to protect freelancers and contractors.  How the culture of our industry has changed The meetings and events industry used to be run by older people. When the pandemic broke out, many of those people were averse to the idea of virtual events. So they left the industry and were replaced by a generation of people who feel comfortable with technology and appreciate its value. Many of those people have subsequently risen within the ranks of their organizations.  Understanding company culture It is vital for people working for Endless Events to feel comfortable with technology and using different software. They also need to understand the company culture and try to stand out within it.    Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Will Curran Endless Events Event Profs Community Reddit Books mentioned: Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break Through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less by Joe Pulizzi  

People, Planet, and Profit with Benoît Sauvage We are delighted to be speaking with Benoît Sauvage today! Benoît is an international entrepreneur who has worked for French presidents! He owns a DMC and consults on sustainability. Benoît has some interesting insights for us today! We talk about the DMC and sustainability, and Benoît shares some intriguing information and what he has learned from his unique experiences.  We hope you enjoy listening to our fascinating conversation with Benoît Sauvage today! Bio: Benoît Sauvage, DMCP, CMP, CITP is the founder and CEO of Connect DMC, a leading Destination Management Company in the Dominican Republic and Mexico, as well as the founder and CEO of Hospitality Sustainability Revolution (HSR), a leading consulting firm for hospitality stakeholders worldwide.  Ben was born in Paris, France, and has lived and worked on 3 continents over the years. He brings 25 years of experience in delivering high-end and complex services as a destination expert to worldwide clients and has a passion for creativity, attention to detail, and sustainable practices. Organizing travel and meetings for presidents Benoît’s dad worked for the French Presidential and Prime Ministerial press for twenty-five years, arranging all their overseas trips. He was involved with some of the world’s highest decision-makers. As a young man, Benoît got given the chance to join him, to organize all the French Presidential and Prime Ministerial official State Travels. Benoît learned most of what he knows from his father. He loved having the opportunity to collaborate with him. A revelation It was a revelation for Benoît to discover that decisions that can impact the world sometimes get made over a cup of coffee or a drink. It is all about humans doing business with humans. In the end, it all boils down to humans sitting down together to find the best solutions for their country and the world.  The human approach Benoît tries to apply the same human approach in his company and in all his collaborations. Mexico Benoît could have followed the same path as his dad, but he wanted to do something on his own. He had some great memories of backpacking in Mexico during a summer break, so he decided to move there. He left a month later with one bag and a thousand dollars in his bank account. After arriving in Mexico, he contacted someone he knew who owned a trans-global vacation company, and they gave him a job.  His destination When Benoît arrived back in France, the owner of the trans-global company contacted him to offer him a destination of his own. He accepted before even knowing it was in the Dominican Republic! Establishing himself in the Dominican Republic After that, Benoît worked in Africa, Sri Lanka, Spain, and various other countries before he finally established himself in the Dominican Republic twenty-three years ago and opened Connect DMC.  Covid Most people want to know if and when Covid will stop.  Overcoming challenges Benoît advises everyone to be resilient when facing challenges in life and trust that this too shall pass.  Classify your challenges Classify your challenges each day and determine which one is most important. Go through that challenge, resolve it, and move on. Then tackle the next challenge.  Know your company Get to know yourself and everything about your company. Make sure everyone you collaborate with shares the same values and culture you want to implement in your company and consider the value you bring to others within your organization. Company culture You spend more time at your company than you do at home. So your business has to be a happy place where you can express yourself, grow as an individual, and grow your career.  Connect DMC’s recruitment process The Director of Human Resources at Connect DMC contacts all the candidates that could be a good fit for the company to find out if they are available, what they need, where they are in their career, how they want to grow, and where they want to be. Then, the supervisor that the candidate would report to will interview the candidate and narrow it down to three of the best candidates. Then Benoît makes the final call. When they hire someone, they train them well, which usually ensures that they stay with the company for a long time.  A family-owned company Connect DMC is a family-owned company, and they are very flexible. All their employees have to have similar views and share the same culture.  Demonstrating your value To demonstrate your value, know yourself and your culture and find simple ways to express that to your clients. Unique experiences  Connect DMC is known for having destinations that are not easy to operate. Reliable transportation is easy to find, but Connect DMC is everything before, after, and in between. They are about creativity, uniqueness, and using the right talents for their client's needs, goals, and objectives. They create experiences that people could never find anywhere else.  Things that set you apart from the rest Anyone can make a promise, but what truly matters, and sets you apart from the rest, is how you deliver, how well you run your operation, and whether you can foresee something that might happen before it happens. It is vital to ensure that your clients are always satisfied. If they are not, you must correct the problem immediately.  Sustainability Sustainability is not only about caring for the environment. It is also caring about communities, collaborators, and attendees. Connect DMC's involvement with local communities sets them apart from all other DMCs. Sustainability in the meetings and events industry The industry has a three-pillar approach to sustainability:  People Planet Profit To avoid failure, you need to concentrate on sustainability from environmental, societal, and economic aspects. Benoît’s journey into sustainability Benoît got involved with sustainability seven years ago after thinking about the kind of world he would leave for his sons. After spending seven years learning about sustainability, he wanted to share his knowledge with those around him, so he began speaking about it in the hospitality industry. Since then, he has constantly been showing up wherever there is a need for speeches on sustainability. Space travel Lately, Benoît has developed a passion for space travel and the conquest of Mars.  Hospitality Sustainability Revolution About two years ago, Benoît opened Hospitality Sustainability Revolution, a consulting company on sustainability. One of their clients is a famous travel to space company. That opened his eyes to how easily the solutions found for the conquest of Mars and the International Space Station could also resolve many of the issues we currently face around food, water, and waste management. Some simple steps business owners can implement for sustainability Do not greenwash! Greenwashing is the enemy of sustainability. Reduce the impact of carbon emissions by sharing transportation. Switch off lights and computers at night. Reduce the amount of waste you produce. Finding solutions as an industry We must step away from fear and learn to sit down together as an industry and embrace the industry and sustainability together to find solutions when challenges arise. For face-to-face experiences, we need to make sure that we can gather the data, reduce the emissions, and compensate for whatever we cannot reduce. Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Benoît Sauvage Connect DMC On LinkedIn

We are excited to speak with Dahlia El Gazzar, the Founder of Dahlia+ Agency, today! Dahlia is a tech, marketing, and digital agency specialist!  In this episode, Dahlia shares many valuable tips and insights for entrepreneurs and talks about tech, digital agencies, and digital marketing.  We hope you enjoy listening to our interesting and informative conversation with Dahlia El Gazzar today! Bio: Dahlia has an OMG attitude about all things event tech and experience design. She is her own brand, with more than a decade of experience in the meetings and events sector, working on both the professional planning side and as an association collaborator, Dahlia is known as the coffee-fuelled ‘go-to’ source for trendsetting solutions, event tech news, and professional branding expertise. Recently featured in:  Best Event Tech Evangelist: Event Tech Live 2022 Most Influential Women in Event Tech: BizBash 2021 Eventex 100 Top Influencers in Events Industry 2020 Smart Meetings Magazine 2019 Smartest Women in the Industry - Hall of Fame Top 500 People in Events by BizBash 2019 Smart Meetings Magazine 2017 + 2018 Top 100 Smartest Women in the meetings industry who inspire us Top 25 women in the meetings industry list by Meetings & Conventions Magazine Top 20 of the #eventprofs US & Canada Power 100 List Top Five Women in Event Tech List  MeetingsNet's 2015 Changemakers  2014 Meetings Today Magazine's Trendsetter & Industry mover & shaker.  Dahlia is an Evernote aficionado. She speaks globally on meetings and events technology and new-and-upcoming technology solutions and platforms. Her mission is to empower event professionals with practical intel on everything tech-related and educate them on the emerging digital innovation opportunities to elevate their events and audience engagement.  How Dahlia got into the meetings and events industry Someone approached Dahlia at a resort on the Red Sea in Egypt, looking for somebody to plan a camel race with the Bedouins in the middle of the desert. Her only brief was to make money. She had to negotiate with some of the world's hardest business dealers and owners. She created an amazing event with a camel race, a henna corner, a tea corner, and more than five hundred people. After that, Dahlia got addicted to bringing people together, making money, and the thrill of seeing something come together!  The “Coronacoaster” The “Coronacoaster” was a test of time for talent to ascertain whether they were in the industry or not. Starting her agency When Dahlia was with On Peak in Chicago, one of her great mentors, the head of On Peak, took her aside and spoke to her because he saw she was not giving her fullest. So she took a leap of faith and decided to start a business. The timing was off because her husband was going through brain surgery, and she had two young kids, so she was the only breadwinner. She went ahead anyway and founded Dahlia+, and On Peak became her first client. Dahlia’s motivation for starting Dahlia+ Dahlia started Dahlia+ because she saw stakeholders in the industry having trouble telling their stories, changing their narratives, and talking to each other about how technology could help them. They also struggled to talk about how they could use digital solutions for change or how they could change their internal teams. The plus The plus in Dahlia+ came from the idea of Dahlia working with other agencies, partners, and experts who are smarter than her. Some key lessons Align yourself with the lane you want to be in. Lean hard on those who can complement the lanes you are in. If you take on projects to satisfy your curiosity, it is not about the money. It is about what you will learn from it.  The first thing you should do as an entrepreneur is to create your circles of trust, support, and expertise.  Think of those who will compliment you in terms of your energy rather than your talent. Never work with toxic people who drain your energy. Do not be a Jill of all trades and spread yourself too thin If you take on too much and spread yourself too thin, you risk losing credibility in the areas you are not great.  A circle of support If you have a circle of support, you will not get lonely when you have to work alone, make decisions or recommendations, or organize things yourself. Support When looking for support and you need to vent, say so. If you need support when making a decision, say so. Then, when you tap into your circle of support, people will know what kind of engagement you need. Be there for them in the same way whenever necessary. The Tech Zone Dahlia created the Tech Zone to ensure that professionals are always ahead of the curve with technology and apps (like Evernote). It is a value-add, and they work across different industry sectors to help people feel comfortable asking the right questions and looking at new technologies to see how they will either work for them or not. Their ultimate dream is always to have a playground for people to play with tech, ask questions, and see if technology can work for them.  Podcast Dahlia started a podcast called Cut the Sh*t Cue the Genius with Liz Caruso and Michelle Bruno. Their webisodes air every Thursday at 9.30 EST. They curate topics their audience wants to hear more about and talk about what is going on in people's minds. The audience comes up with solutions.  Tech and apps for starting a new business If you are starting a business, get a project management platform to help you map things. Create a spot for storing new ideas, and start your business with a CRM solution. (MailTracker is a free extension on Google email to track who opens your emails.) CRM Choosing the right CRM is a matter of budget. It also depends on what you want to use it for. Dahlia suggests HubSpot, or you can even use Mailchimp as your CRM.  Scope creep As an entrepreneur, you will always have scope creep if you fail to assess a project in the right way initially.  Protecting your bubble Clients are always working and thinking and will approach you with half-thoughts or unbaked ideas that will require mental effort from you and your team. Be careful with that. Buzzwords Pivoting was overused as a term. Then it changed to pirouette because people were going round in circles. Dahlia created the term shivoting by combining the words shift and pivot.   Know what you want to achieve It is vital to know what you want to achieve with an event. Know which audience you are targeting, how you will measure the event's success, and if you yourself would like to be part of the event you are designing. Or, look at what is in it for your audience if you are giving them the same speakers and content they have heard many times before. Respect your intellectual property and expertise New entrepreneurs should respect their intellectual property and expertise by refusing to speak for free at events, even if it gives them exposure. Nobody can guarantee business for you unless they guarantee leads for you as a new speaker.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Dahlia El Gazzar Website: https://dahliaplus.com/ On email: hello@[email protected]  Call or text Dahlia: 617 470 2655 

We are delighted to be speaking with Leanne Calderwood today! Leanne trains people in the meetings and event industry. She is an expert in personal branding and has tons of experience with venue selection and meeting planning.  In this episode, Leanne shares her experience. She talks about personal branding and positioning and explains how to leverage LinkedIn. She also shares some actionable tips for tweaking your LinkedIn profile.  We hope you enjoy listening to today’s informative conversation with Leanne Calderwood! Bio: Are you ready to step into the spotlight and stand out from your competition? Let me help guide the way! I’m here to simplify the world of personal branding and LinkedIn so you can create a compelling brand and start attracting leads and opportunities.  Why should we be building our brands and LinkedIn presence in hospitality?  ⭐To increase trust with our customers  ⭐To shorten the path-to-purchase for potential clients  ⭐To differentiate yourself from your competition  ⭐To attract leads to your product/service  ⭐To attract opportunities to you personally!  Here is whom I love to help:  📚Hotel and Destination Sales Managers  📚Meeting, Event, and Conference Planners  📚Hospitality Professionals and Executives Leanne’s story Leanne fell into the industry 22 years ago. After graduating from university with a degree in physical education, she started working at a local YMCA, teaching leadership conferences. That changed the course of her career, and she got into meeting planning after that. Then, about fifteen years ago, she fell in love with hotel contracts and the relationship between the planner, the venues, and the partners with whom they were working. Since then, she has been doing what she loves the most- cultivating relationships with planners and site selection.  2020 When the pandemic hit in 2020, Leanne decided to take all the knowledge she had built while growing her business, using LinkedIn, and creating her brand to create something to help others. She still does some site selection on the side, but she focuses on helping other people build their businesses using personal brand tactics and the LinkedIn platform. Making a change Leanne had a moment of panic when the world changed, and the industry evaporated in March 2020. Her panic dissolved instantly, however, when she realized she had the opportunity to explore her passion for LinkedIn and the brand that had served her so well. She knew she had a lot to learn. But she had a lot to offer. Creating content and connecting Leanne began creating content every day for her community on LinkedIn. She also started talking to people on podcasts and LinkedIn live shows. Leanne’s file Leanne had a file where she saved everything she was successful with on the LinkedIn platform. It was her informal way of testing new theories in branding or on LinkedIn. A digital course  Leanne used her file to create a digital course that taught people how to use LinkedIn, optimize their LinkedIn profile, grow their networks, and start creating content on a potentially intimidating platform. She launched her first digital course about six months after Covid hit. Another course Leanne now has another course, and several one-on-one and group training modules, to help people with their LinkedIn journeys. A success file There is power in keeping a success file because you can use it to uplift others. Or you can lean on it when things are not going your way. Your profile represents your brand On LinkedIn, you have the opportunity to create a robust personal profile. Leanne points out that your profile on LinkedIn is a representation of your brand. Your subject matter expertise and thought leadership shine on the LinkedIn platform! Facebook profiles Facebook is more about your personal journey and experiences. So a Facebook profile is more about content than about representing your brand.  How to leverage LinkedIn: Optimize your brand’s representation. Grow your networks so that people can look at the personal brand representation you have created. Create content around the area in which you see yourself as a thought leader. An opportunity LinkedIn provides an opportunity to share your areas of expertise and the things you know professionally with others. Leanne feels it is a disservice when we keep our gifts to ourselves. Colliding worlds People’s personal and professional worlds sometimes clash on LinkedIn. The reality is, however, that people’s personal and professional worlds also tend to collide in real life. That became more evident during Covid when many people started working from home! Personal content Personal content that works well on LinkedIn is storytelling that has encouraging professional learning content. Positive influences Avoid having divisive content on social media. Grow your networks and followings to find more positive influences. That will fill your home feed with positive messages of inspiration and encouragement.   Growing a network and building relationships on LinkedIn Even though it is professional, LinkedIn is essentially a relationship platform. Building a network requires one-on-one transactions, so personalize your message when you want to connect with someone. That will show them that you have taken the time to learn about them, found something in common with them professionally, and are interested in watching their professional LinkedIn journey. A personalized invitation In LinkedIn invitation with a personalized message has a 75% chance of being accepted.  Establishing a relationship Never try to sell something to someone straight after connecting with them on LinkedIn. (That is known as pitch-slapping) Rather comment about something in their LinkedIn content. When you comment on a piece of their content they will receive a notification. That will put you on their radar and they will want to get to know you a bit better. Only tell them what you do or suggest talking about something you can collaborate on after you have spent time getting to know them and discussing the things you have in common. Maintaining a network and nurturing relationships Keep commenting on the content of those with whom you have connected. You can also nurture a relationship by sending someone a direct message with an article you read if you think they may find it interesting.  Value Always provide more value than you take on your LinkedIn journey. Feed into people through your content, your comments, and your direct messages. Personal branding Be consistent across all the elements of your LinkedIn profile, and have a cohesive and consistent story. That will help cement your personal brand and give people a sense of who you are, what you do, and how you help people.  Differentiate yourself Highlight the unique aspects of what you do and the things you do best, and capitalize on them. That will differentiate you from others in your field, and people will remember you for it, even if it is something small. Clubhouse Leanne facilitates a community of 15,000 people on Clubhouse. She and an Australian branding expert spend an hour each week discussing branding, inbound marketing, and social selling. Social audio Leanne firmly believes there is a place for social audio, especially as people grow their brands. LinkedIn has added LinkedIn Audio, and when Leanne can access it, she will start having conversations for the meetings and events industry through her LinkedIn audio channel to hash out some of the problems people in the industry are experiencing. Video Video is a good way to build connections with people when you are not sitting face-to-face with them. Video helps you build trust with your audience and grow your brand faster. Start with one platform Start with one platform for your personal brand. Only add another one when you have become consistent with your posting schedule.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Leanne Calderwood On her website On LinkedIn     Leanne Calderwood, Personal Branding for Hospitality on LinkedIn Books mentioned: The Technology of Success by Susan Ford Collins Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries and Jack Trout

Today we have the pleasure of speaking with an amazing leader and a legend in our industry, Gary Shapiro! Gary is President and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association- the association that owns the famous Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. He is a New York Times bestselling author and was recently awarded a Legend of Honor.  Gary is full of drive and passion! In this episode, he talks about his experiences and shares his fascinating views on the meetings and events industry. We hope you enjoy listening to today’s inspiring conversation with Gary Shapiro! Bio: Gary Shapiro is an acclaimed author, lobbyist, president, and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, which represents over 1,500 consumer technology companies and owns and produces the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) ® — The Global Stage for Innovation.  A Georgetown Law graduate, Shapiro began his career as an associate at the Squire Sanders law firm. After an extended tenure in law, he began working on Capitol Hill as an assistant to a prominent member of the U.S. Congress. Later in his life, Gary would use this combined law and legal experience to be named one of The Hill’s top lobbyists numerous times throughout his career (2015-2021). As his experience in law and politics progressed, he became more aligned with the world of technology, which eventually brought him into the fold of the Consumer Technology Association in 1982.  Taking the role of President and CEO, Shapiro evolved the idea of the workplace over his 40-year-long tenure leading the organization. Directing a staff of 150 employees alongside thousands of industry volunteers, he built a forward-thinking and successful business focused on the further development and integration of technology in all industries of the world. Under his leadership, CTA has won numerous awards for its healthy workplace, family-friendly employment practices, and environmentally friendly exhibition practices. In 2019, CTA earned its sixth consecutive selection as a Washington Post Top Workplace.  Shapiro is a New York Times bestselling author whose books include “Ninja Future: Secrets to Success in the New World of Innovation” (HarperCollins, 2019), “Ninja Innovation: The Ten Killer Strategies of the World’s Most Successful Businesses” (HarperCollins, 2013), and “The Comeback: How Innovation will Restore the American Dream” (Beaufort, 2011). Through these books, numerous television appearances, and as a columnist whose more than 1,200 opinion pieces have appeared in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, Shapiro has helped direct policymakers and business leaders on the importance of innovation and technology in the U.S. economy.  Shapiro consistently stays active in policy, thought leadership, government, and community development alongside his position at CTA. He currently sits on the Northern Virginia Technology Council, CEO Update Roundtable, Council of Manufacturing Associations Board, and more. A subject of regular praise, Shapiro was once called a “mastermind” for his initiative in helping to create the Industry Cooperative for Ozone Layer Protection. His mind for an evolving workplace and consumers while staying environmentally conscious has paved a roadmap for bipartisan law and policymakers to follow in making a more innovative world.  Gary Shapiro is happily married and lives in Michigan. Gary’s story Gary enrolled at Georgetown Law School as the youngest student. He started school with no money and immediately landed a job at Capitol Hill. In his second year, Gary started working for a law firm. He spent his third year working there almost full-time. He loved what the law firm was doing because they focused on the future. He became a summer associate and then an associate.  CES While still a student, Gary worked for a client at the law firm, which he loved and saw as the future of technology. The client was essentially the Consumer Technology Association and the CES. Gary fell in love with what an event could be after experiencing the excitement and action on the floor! Competition Gary feels that events are good for competition because competitors get brought together in one room. The best things tend to happen when you see what your competition is doing and how you need to improve, and that produces innovation for society.  A battle for the future of technology and innovation Gary found himself in the middle of a case about the legality of video cassette recorders. He debated the issue and formed an association of video retailers. They eventually went to the Supreme Court, and Gary testified many times. It was a huge battle, and Gary even debated live on the Today Show! They eventually proved that technology and innovation are vital for the future and for improving lives. Gary’s motivating mission Innovation is vital for our destiny as human beings and the future of our nation. So we need to guard and protect it. That has been Gary’s motivating mission for over thirty years.  A diverse nation The United States is an inventive nation partly because it is diverse and partly because it attracts some of the best and brightest immigrants from around the world.  The secret sauce  The best and brightest immigrants want to live in the U.S. and create a better life for themselves and their families. That is our secret sauce and strength!  Suffering One of the reasons we are suffering as a country right now is because we have lost our zest for immigration. So we are no longer welcoming immigrants who want to work hard and fill jobs.  An issue  Costs are increasing so much that it will soon be a real challenge to have meetings. Face-to-face meetings The pandemic has caused most thinking individuals to do some self-examination and consider what is truly important to them. Many CEOs have concluded that face-to-face meetings are important. CFOs, on the other hand, are more excited about people working at home. A different era Meetings and events are about relationships, transformation, change, and innovation. We are now in a new and different era where people skills are vital. Why have events? Events are all about business. They bring serendipity and discovery. They also help people find out what they do not know. From a business perspective, we need events to learn new things and build relationships.  Skills  Some skills were not valued much in the past but are valued now. (Like cross-cultural understanding and being able to think outside of your vertical sphere.) Skills like knowing how to deal with people, motivate people, set goals, and get results are vital. Valuable business skills include teaching teamwork skills, cross-culture skills, empathy, understanding, and motivation. Purpose In business today, purpose needs to be put above profit, and adopting a human approach is vital.  Novel questions Currently, CEOs face many new challenges. New questions keep coming up, like whether people have to go to the office every day, whether people can live any work from anywhere in the world, and how to maintain a culture and relationships. Employees Employees need to be taken care of, and they are all motivated by different things, like the purpose of the business, money, title, or recognition. CEOs need to understand that and have empathy. Virtual meetings and the metaverse Everyone should think that the metaverse is the coolest thing, yet no one seems to be able to understand it or define it, and no one can see it, conceptualize it, or even say what it is. It is also hard to put on digital events, and most people do not prefer to attend them. However, the metaverse promises more interactivity and a more immersive experience, and virtual events tend to cost less and be more profitable.  Succeeding in the world of discovery and innovation In the world of discovery and innovation today, you cannot stay only in your vertical sphere if you’d like to do well. You have to cross-license, partner, go outside of your vertical industry, and do many different things to succeed. Ecosystems  At some events, ecosystems combine with other ecosystems in new ways, creating better services and benefits for people. Virtual events versus the real world Gary feels that having a five-sense experience allows people to form relationships. It also allows for serendipity and discovery. That is also possible at virtual events, but it will take longer and be less effective and efficient. Even though virtual events may save travel costs and work during a pandemic, Gary would still choose to be in the real world. Impersonation fraud Security is an issue, and it’s a big deal when your identity gets taken! Impersonation fraud has affected Gary as an event producer when people have used his company’s logo to try to sell things, including exhibit space. He does whatever he can to shut those people down. He hopes the Trade Commissioner will sharpen its tools to help.  A revolution Even though we may not feel it, we are currently living through a revolution in the use of technology. Throughout history, every new technology has been a tool that could benefit humans or harm them. If people don’t like how technology gets used, they want to make it illegal. However, in time, that technology might help us solve big problems.  Focus Ultrasound Gary is on the foundation board for Focus Ultrasound. It uses sound waves to quickly and easily treat various conditions, including tumors and tremors. It has been FDA approved for treating many different issues.   Using science in better ways   Many people are dying unnecessarily. On one side, we have wars where people go against one another intentionally. On the other side, we have the opportunity to use science in better ways to improve our lives. It is inspiring to know that we now have the technology to produce clean water out of the air and use solar energy. Government The government should set guardrails for new technology. However, it should not inhibit innovation. (Part of Gary’s job is to ensure that the government values innovation.) Solve problems like a Ninja For Gary, being a Ninja is about doing anything you can to solve a problem. He used the concept of the Ninja with his children. Now, he uses it with his employees to help them get ahead in life by relying on skills and teamwork and finding new ways to solve problems.  Ready for the pandemic When the pandemic hit, Gary’s organization was ready for it. So they were able to adapt quickly.  Risks Gary insists on his staff taking risks and making mistakes. But they must confess when they make mistakes because people learn from their failures, not their successes. The Legend of Honor Gary was awarded the Legend of Honor, by the President of France, in a personal ceremony. He got it for his passion for innovation, improving the world, and his willingness to share his work with France. Gary accepted the award on behalf of the meetings and exhibition industry and all those who put on CES. Politicians Most world-class events take place in Europe, and Europeans support the events. American politicians tend not to support events. Gary feels that every American event organizer should figure out ways to invite politicians, to help them understand and value the various aspects of events.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Gary Shapiro On LinkedIn Consumer Technology Association Consumer Electronics Show Books mentioned: Jack Welch and the GE Way by Robert Slater Ninja Future: Secrets to Success in the New World of Innovation by Gary Shapiro

  Today, we have the great pleasure of speaking with Jon Kazarian, the Founder, and CEO of Accelevents! In this episode, we talk about data, entrepreneurship, marketing, the role of events in marketing, and opportunities for the future of our industry.  We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation with Jon Kazarian today! Bio: Jonathan Kazarian is the Founder & CEO of Accelevents, a leading virtual and hybrid event management platform recently recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the top 200 fastest-growing private companies in America.  As CEO, Jon focuses on leading the company’s vision of helping event organizers and marketing professionals transform their events through innovative technology solutions.  As an industry thought leader, Jon actively publishes insights on the events landscape and frequently speaks at industry events such as EventMB’s Event Tech Innovation Summit, BizBash Live, and INBOUND.  Jon also chairs the board for the Fall Formal fundraiser benefiting the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Outside of work, Jon has a passion for anything on-water — sailing, boating, scuba diving, and kiteboarding. Jonathan’s journey Jonathan started hosting events while in college. After finding out that his seventeen-year-old cousin had been diagnosed with cancer, he decided to host an event at the Boston Aquarium to raise some money to help her. He needed to sell 185 tickets to break even, and he sold 840! Going into that event, Jonathan knew that to raise the most money he could from running an auction and a raffle, he needed to do it digitally. However, he struggled to find an affordable and easy-to-use technical solution. After realizing that there was nothing available to make life easier, he and his team decided to build their own. It worked well! They got great feedback and raised about $65,000. Launching a business  They realized that they could offer their technology to other similar organizations, so they decided to launch a business around it. Initially, they focused on fundraising.  Everything under one roof Later, they learned that the organizers wanted to have everything, including ticketing and payment processing, in one place. So they began to focus more on for-profit events like festivals, conferences, and trade shows. They kept on growing and doubling, year after year, but they were still small, and Jonathan was still working full-time at another job.  2020 Approaching 2020, Jonathan intended to go into the business full-time, but, unfortunately, the world shut down. They were a bootstrapped business, so when all the events got canceled, they ran out of money. Virtual events  Jonathan’s father invested $75,000 in the business. That allowed them to pivot and focus on virtual events. Things started to accelerate, and they closed out 2020 at 3.3-million dollars in revenue. That was ten times more than they had done in 2019! Conferences At that point, they began to focus solely on conferences. Their events ranged from hundreds of people to tens of thousands.  Value They ensured that everyone, including the organizers, exhibitors, and sponsors, was getting value. As a result of them focusing on the other stakeholders as part of the experience, those stakeholders naturally approached Jonathan’s company when it was time to host their events. User experience The mission of Accelevents is to make life easier for event organizers. Over the past year or so, they doubled down on their main product and focused mainly on the user experience. The various elements They provide all the technology needed for an organizer to host an online, hybrid, or in-person experience. They provide everything from badge printing to check-in to lead capture for exhibitors in the in-person world to the entire venue for the virtual experience. Fundraising They also have fundraising technology focused on auctions, raffles, fund-to-need, and text-to-give. A feedback loop They built a powerful feedback loop to help them understand the needs of their customers and ensure that they focus on the right developments.  Marketing strategy It is vital to understand the customer when it comes to marketing.  First-party data The reduction in third-party cookie tracking has led to first-party data becoming much more important. All first-party information does, however, is to tell you about singular actions taken by someone. With an event experience, a lot of information gets gathered about each attendee that can be used in your ads, in your targeting and building your audience, and in the way in which you communicate and personalize your messaging with your audience. Competition To build a brand and establish your presence, you need more than ads. You need to be there, build experiences, and bring opportunities for people to connect within the industry. Events- either digital or in person, are the best way to do that.  Virtual events Events are expensive, so virtual events are a good way for people to ease their way into hosting in-person events. Hosting virtual events can help people to build their connections with speakers and sponsors. Then, when they are ready to host an in-person event, those people will already be part of their ecosystem. Data Even though there are many opportunities for how event data can get used after an event, there is still a gap in how the data gets used during the event to improve the experience. The people who got that right have been creating some very successful experiences!  An opportunity to re-market to your attendees If your platform has real-time tracking in place, you can quickly adjust the experience, either in-person or virtually. For example, if you have a speaker who gets a lot of engagement, ask them to host a workshop later that day to re-engage your audience. Getting increased engagement at virtual events It is easy to get distracted in the world of virtual. If, as an organizer, you can come up with different ways to re-activate and re-engage your audience and bring them back to the platform, or you create campaigns to bring people back into the virtual experience, you will get increased engagement. That will also keep your sponsors and exhibitors happy and ensure that they get value out of the experience. Exhibitors Notice the exhibitors who have the most success generating leads throughout the experience. Identify what they are doing differently, and then go to the bottom-performing exhibitors and coach them. Trade Shows Big trade shows are hard to navigate as a virtual experience. If, for example, you have a software company with many different partners (integration partners, cold-marketing partners, re-sellers, etc.) who can do some type of digital activation in your event experience and drive people to engage and interact, you could be more successful. You also need to be there in video and on chat, and you need to have a platform that will tell you about the person to whom you are talking, and what they care about. Cross-referencing Take all the information you have gathered and make sure that it passes into your CRM or marketing automation system so that you can cross-reference it and figure out how to segment it and market it to the different audiences in the best way. Marketing operations Marketing operations people are becoming more involved in the procurement process, especially in the mid and enterprise segments. If you are an event planner in that area, set up a conversation with the marketing ops person to understand how that data will flow into their existing systems and how they intend to use it. Then you will be able to offer guidance in terms of other ways to use that information. You can also show them how you can make their lives easier and get better results.  The metaverse Jonathan feels that the metaverse will create opportunities for events. It is unlikely to happen very soon, however.  Ease of use Virtual events create a level of accessibility that tends to be unreached with in-person experiences. So, event organizers should avoid anything that could get in the way of that accessibility.    Jonathan’s quotes: “For somebody hosting their first large-scale event, there are so many stressors on you already. Technology doesn’t need to be another one.” “By focusing on that other stakeholder that is part of the experience, they naturally turned to us when it was time to host their own events.” “As you approach the days leading up to an event, you are basically giving up another hour of sleep every day until you get to event day. So anything we can do to regain a couple of extra minutes for organizers goes a long way!” “What we are providing is pretty much the entirety of the technology needed for an organizer to host an event experience, be it online, hybrid, or in person.”  “When buying a tech business, the second you take your foot off the gas, you fall behind.”  “There has to be very a high degree of rigor and QA for the assurance associated with any sort of development.” Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Jonathan Kazarian On Accelevents website On LinkedIn On Twitter

Today we have the great pleasure of speaking with Magdalena Bonnelly, the Founder and President of Event Strategies! Magdalena has worked all over the world, including in corporate America. She has also volunteered in the industry. She has a wonderful story of entrepreneurship, decision-making, and re-inventing herself to share!  We hope you enjoy listening to today’s inspiring conversation with Magdalena Bonnelly! Bio: Magdalena Bonnelly, MS, VEMM A well-connected negotiator, Magdalena Bonnelly has spent the last 20 years servicing clients from around the globe–Europe, North and South America, and Asia–securing the seamless acquisition of event space, guestrooms, audio/visual equipment, food, and beverage service, and all the other key items that make your conference a success. Known for her out-of-the-box thinking in strategic event planning and management, Magdalena was named one of 2021’s Smart Women in Meetings.  A queen of strategic partnerships, Magdalena collaborates with her clients, vendors, and suppliers to create meaningful events. Her strategic partnerships prove especially valuable in challenging times like the Covid-19 pandemic or when the client faces unexpected cancellations/postponement of the conference. Magdalena has helped her clients maintain flexibility and event agility, loyally representing her clients’ best interests while negotiating cancellations and event rebookings with suppliers. Tough during supplier contract negotiations and resourceful for last-minute event rescues, she knows there’s a solution to every conference concern. Magdalena holds a Master of Science in Business Management, a Bachelor of Arts in International Business and Economics, an Associate’s Degree of Applied Science in Travel, Exposition, and Meeting Management, and many widely recognized industry certifications.  In her personal time, she enjoys CrossFit, new-age teachings, volunteering with local animal rescues, and likes to try her hand at creative art forms like painting, music, and poetry. Magdalena lives in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, with her husband, toddler daughter, and four rescue dogs.  Magdalena’s story Magdalena was born and raised in Poland. After graduating from college in 2001, she came to the United States. Initially, her goal was to visit her uncle, go to school, and make some money working as a nanny. Then she met a wonderful family that insisted on her getting an education. So while working full-time, she also went to Richland College in Dallas and earned an Associate’s Degree of Applied Science in Travel, Exposition, and Meeting Management. Several years later, she got to know organizations like MPI and PCMA and became a student member of MPI. Then she met two ladies from a small boutique hotel in Dallas who offered her the chance to work as an intern in the hotel’s sales office. That afforded her an eighteen-year-long career opportunity in the hotel business. She became a Catering Coordinator, a Small Meetings Manager, and a Convention Sales Manager. Over the years, she worked her way up the career ladder, ending her corporate career as a National Sales Manager for Caesar’s Entertainment Corporation.  In the summer of 2019, she began her entrepreneurial journey by starting Events Strategies.  Support Having the support of her husband helped Magdalena navigate her tough career path. Overcoming obstacles Magdalena was born in communist Poland, where the government owned everything. The strict socialist regime did not allow any opportunities for entrepreneurship, so the first obstacle Magdalena faced was overcoming the conditioning she had had since childhood. It took a lot of work to change her mindset and rid herself of her doubts about becoming an entrepreneur.  Her first two customers During her first month in business, Magdalena found two customers. She reached out to them because they had already formed a relationship while she progressed through her hotel career, and she knew they would want to keep working with her. Nerve-wracking Magdalena was proud of getting her first two clients, but it was also nerve-wracking because she was aware of her responsibility to deliver! It takes discipline to be a business owner  As a business owner working from home, Magdalena has to be disciplined. So she maintains social contact with others, walks her dogs often, and takes breaks from her work when necessary. Overcoming fear Magdalena had to be accountable for all of her actions and mistakes. So she needed to overcome her fear of responsibility and her tendency to think about everything that could go wrong.  The pandemic As the hotels started shutting down and tours were getting canceled, Magdalena wondered what she could do to support her family. She tried not to panic and focused on what she could do. Then she received a call from a friend who convinced her to start a company with him.  Starting a business in the PPE space They started a business in the PPE space, supplying PPE equipment to hotels, car rental companies, and even some government agencies. They kept the business going until the market got saturated. Then they parted ways, dissolved the company, and returned to their regular jobs. Virtual meetings Before Covid, Magdalena knew nothing about virtual meetings. She derived a lot of satisfaction from learning about technology and how different platforms could benefit her clients.  The virtual aspect is working well The virtual aspect is working very well for Magdalena because she has a young daughter, so she is not eager to travel now. That could change as her daughter gets older, however. Free training Magdalena wanted to enhance her skills and experience, so she took advantage of the free training offered by various platforms. Getting your hands dirty Magdalena has learned that nothing will teach you as much as working, doing, and getting your hands dirty. She gained the most from jumping into virtual and learning as she went. Emotional intelligence Magdalena feels that emotional intelligence comes from within, so you need to look for it to gain it. Soft skills Magdalena has been called aggressive, especially in the sales world. So she would like to work on her soft skills, like reading the room, adjusting to the energy in the room, reading body language, and any other kind of non-verbal communication to get further with other people. Magdalena’s recommendations for people starting a business Consistent marketing is vital for any business. Magdalena recommends that business owners invest in hiring someone to guide them through the first steps of marketing and help them understand the importance of social media marketing. For sales, being authentic, having common decency, and building a good rapport with others will work well for business owners.  Connect with Magdalena Bonnelly On Website On LinkedIn On Facebook   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website  

How to Leverage Call Centers with Richard Blank Today, we are delighted to be speaking with Richard Blank, the CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center!  Richard has had an amazing journey! In this episode, he talks about call centers, sales, people retention, life, and entrepreneurship. He explains how to leverage call centers to connect better with your customers and grow your business.  We hope you enjoy listening to today’s conversation with Richard Blank! Bio: Richard Blank is the Chief Executive Officer for Costa Rica’s Call Center since 2008.  At the beginning of the new millennium, Mr. Blank relocated to Costa Rica to train employees for one of the larger call centers in Central America.  By utilizing his motivational public speaking style backed by tactful and appropriate rhetoric, Richard has successfully prepared and managed over 10,000 of the finest telemarketers in the country for the past twenty-one years.  In addition, he has earned the reputation of running a school for telemarketing and is often sought after for private training sessions and consultations.  Mr. Richard Blank holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Spanish from the University of Arizona and a certificate of language proficiency from the University of Sevilla, Spain. A Keynote speaker for Abington High School 68th National Honors Society induction ceremony. Giving back to Abington Senior High School is very important to Mr. Blank. As such, he endows a scholarship each year for students who plan on majoring in a world language at the university level.  Per Gamification, Richard Blank has the largest collection of restored American Pinball machines and antique Rockola Jukeboxes in Central America.  Costa Rica’s Call Center (CCC) is a state-of-the-art BPO telemarketing outsourcing company located in the capital city of San Jose, Costa Rica. Our main focus has been, and will always be to personally train every Central America call center agent so that we may offer the highest quality of outbound and inbound telemarketing solutions and bilingual customer service to small and medium-sized international companies, and entrepreneurs as well as fortune 500 companies. Richard’s journey After graduating in 1991 from Abington High School in North East Philadelphia, Richard went to the University of Arizona. He majored in Spanish and Communication and focused on public speaking, non-verbal communication, and micro-expression reading. When he was 27 years old, a friend who had a call center invited him to go there to teach English, and he ended up working there for four years.  Starting a call center In 2008, Richard decided to start a call center with his wife. They began with one seat and fifty hours. Today, fourteen years later, they are 150 strong. They are very selective and reject more accounts than they accept because Richard wants to ensure that he can fulfill his clients' needs with the accounts that come in, and the agent will be comfortable enough to do the work. The agents’ experience Richard respects Costa Rican customs, culture, and native tongue. He also respects the bilingualism of his agents. He can mold brand-new agents, and with older agents, he sometimes has to get rid of bad habits. By properly preparing his agents, he feels he can put them all on a level playing field.  The culture Sometimes, telemarketers and call center agents feel like numbers or robots, and they feel expendable. So before putting them on the phone, Richard gets to know their names and who they are. He also trains them to give them a base foundation to grow. Quality calls Richard likes his agents to focus on doing quality calls. About 30% of all calls come about through referrals. Much of their business happens because they do an excellent job on the first call. By working smarter rather than harder, they earn those referrals. Growing a business by working with call centers Growing a business has a lot to do with workforce management. Small business owners in the meetings and events industry can grow their businesses using omnichannel support and emails. By making phone calls, they also get the chance to do up-sales, get referrals, and answer questions.  Put more effort into your communication Putting more effort into your communication, and making it warmer and more inviting, will separate you from others. If you make outbound calls, send an email, or leave a voicemail, take the time to look at the website or the CEO or business leaders' LinkedIn profiles to get a sense of the tone or the company culture.  Answering calls Have your best people answer calls. If there is an overflow, it is worth paying a little extra to work with a blended call center answering service so that you never have to miss that special call! Cold calls Doing cold calls represents half of their business. Their forte is appointment setting and lead generation, and they sometimes do surveys. Outbound calls Richard believes he has cracked a code for making outbound calls! The best approach for a phone call is to use anonymity (apart from mentioning the name of the company you represent) in the first three to five seconds of the call.  The Buffer Boomerang technique If someone gives you a negative one, negative two, or a negative three-tone, reduce that tone and make it positive to reset the conversation. Then, show active listening by repeating the question. Land it back at them with a plus-two boomerang response.  Positive escalation When your call gets transferred, it is the perfect time to give a positive verbal escalation (complimenting someone who works for you) to gain momentum and move forward. Concluding a call Calls consist of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. To conclude, ask if there are any final questions, and then finish up with a military alphabet to double-check the email address of the person to whom you are talking.  Follow up Follow up with a thank-you email that includes the name of the person who assisted you by transferring your call. Motivation Richard’s agents are properly prepared and well-rehearsed. He motivates his team by giving them prizes for meeting their goals. Working with good faith and good intentions also helps them weather the storms.  Reading micro-expressions on the phone The purest form of communication is phonetics because congruence is where audio matches the visual. Phonetics can be broken down into four different sections: Tone Rate Pitch Duration Your tone is the one consistent variable you have when you read micro-expressions. Keep it confident and empathetic.  Mirror imaging Focus on the speed and pitch of the person you are talking to. Read them initially to see if they are going faster, slower, louder, or softer. After about five minutes, you will notice if there is a spike or dip in their speech. Tone, rate, and pitch can be manipulated. Your ultimate tell-sign is your subconscious answering speed. Then it will be the ideal time for you to ask a tie-down, a pin-down, or a clarification question.  Repetition Richard suggests that you repeat something from time to time to make sure that the person you are talking to is following along with you. It will also give them time to digest what you have been talking about.  An exit interview Better phone calls sometimes include an exit interview. You could get five reasons why someone chose your competition or get a suggestion to enhance your services.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with Richard Blank On his website On LinkedIn

Today, we have the great pleasure of speaking with Liz Holtby! Liz is a giver! She is the Vice President of Operations for Meeting Escrow.  Liz has some important information to share about financial risk management and incentive travel. In this episode, she tells her story, talks about the services she provides and the value of incentive travel, and shares some great insights!   We hope you enjoy listening to today’s informative conversation with Liz Holtby! Bio: Liz started her career in Toronto with the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (now CPA), planning meetings for their Executive Office and Board of Directors. Since then, she has worked with various marketing, as well as Meeting and Incentive Travel companies in an operations-related capacity. Her roles have included human resources, finance, operations, administration, and technology. Primarily, she ensures that the operations team has the support required to deliver programs on time and within the budget.  Currently, daily, Liz manages financial risk for a variety of organizations. She handles client event budgets by managing funds in segregated domestic and foreign currency trust accounts.  Liz is passionate about education and mentorship and helps cultivate the next generation of leaders in the Business Events Industry through her teaching positions at Durham and Centennial Colleges. She is also a member of their Program Advisory Committees.  She is a graduate of Ryerson University’s Hospitality and Tourism Management program with a Bachelor of Applied Arts. She is TICO certified and is the 2022 President for SITE Canada (Society of Incentive Travel Executives). Liz’s story Liz graduated from university in Toronto with a degree in commerce and a specialty in hospitality and tourism. She took one inspiring course in meetings and event management, given by Duff Shaw, an icon in the industry. Liz wanted to follow in his footsteps as a teacher and inspire others as he had inspired her. That led her down the path of incentive travel, meetings, and conferences.  In 2008, Liz left the industry because of the recession. She worked for a marketing company for about three years and then got back into the incentive travel industry. She joined Meeting Escrow in 2018. Joining Meeting Escrow Joining Meeting Escrow was an opportunity for Liz to marry the MICE industry with the finance side and risk management. Creative people  Most people in the industry are part of the industry because they are creative people who care about the details.  What does Meeting Escrow do? Meeting Escrow provides a variety of different financial solutions. During a crisis, their clients become concerned about the advance deposits they pay to their vendors. The deposits get put into an Escrow trust account where the beneficiary is both the client and the vendor. The account is mandated by an Escrow agreement signed by both parties. The agreement outlines when the deposits were put into the Escrow trust account and when they get paid out. That is very helpful for both clients and vendors because a client could go bankrupt as easily as a vendor could, and if that happens, the funds go to the other party. Secure Vendor Payment Program Meeting Escrow also has a Secure Vendor Payment program. They have twenty different currencies of trust accounts for when money sits in Escrow or a trust. They work with clients who have programs in various countries around the world. When they take in money from clients, they exchange it immediately. Then it sits in the foreign currency trust account, so there is no currency fluctuation. Incentive travel Incentive travel is all about providing people with experiential moments that they cannot do by themselves. Right now, incentive travel is more important than ever because it gets people away from their screens and helps them connect with people in different countries. It helps bring back a sense of community, camaraderie, and motivation. SITE Most of the people that Liz communicates with through Meeting Escrow are hoteliers, DMCs, clients, or third-party agencies. They are busy now and finding it hard to get the staff they need, so people are doing multiple jobs within those companies to get their incentive programs off the ground. Their focus right now is on execution and planning for the future. Changes in the industry When Liz started teaching about four years ago, she used to tell her students good things about the industry. It was hard for her students to find jobs within the industry back then because they were in short supply, and companies within the industry wanted people with experience. Now, many jobs are available, so students can pick and choose. They can also research what they truly want. As a result, many students are now focusing on roles in areas of sustainability, charity, and CSR.  Getting back into teaching Liz is looking forward to getting back into teaching to have the opportunity to bring more great graduates into the industry again. In-demand skills within the industry Young people should develop project management skills and certifications to become marketable and successful within the industry. Because anything you focus on when you execute an incentive program, a conference, or a meeting is a project. And each project is different. Document your task Things seldom go as planned with projects. It is vital to document all the relevant tasks, milestones, responsibilities, and dates. That will help you stay on top of things and execute your job with minimum stress. Project management Project management means creating a database and automating your project. That will ensure that everyone working on the project is clear about their area of responsibility. Sales CRMs are a helpful tool if you get into sales. They are an excellent way to generate sales, document opportunities, follow up on sales potentials and leads, and follow a sales cycle.  Automation Automated tools, like CRMs, project management tools, accounting software, Mailchimp, and others, are helpful. They can make individuals more efficient and help small companies perform like big companies.  A four-day workweek A four-day workweek is about being as efficient in four days as you could be in five. Automating some of your processes can make a four-day week a realistic possibility. Recommended tool for better efficiency and organization Liz recommends that people within the meetings and event industry use Zoho because you can buy one subscription that includes all the components and platforms beneath it. They include Zoho Project, Zoho CRM, Zoho Forms, Zoho Books, and Zoho Campaigns.  2023 will return to 2019 levels Much of what Liz has been reading says that 2023 will return to 2019 levels. It also seemed to be the consensus amongst the 450 event planning professionals she got together with recently in Ireland. Covid As a result of Covid, Meeting Escrow has been armed with all the risk management tools they need to move on and keep going.    Liz’s quotes: “Dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s is truly what finance is about.” “The majority of people in this industry are in this industry because they are creative people.” “I think incentive travel cannot be any more important than it is now to get people away from their screens, out of their desks, and connecting with people in a different country.” “Incentive travel is about providing experiential moments that people can’t do on their own.” “What you are executing when you execute an incentive program, a conference or a meeting is a project. And no project is the same.” Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Liz Holtby On LinkedIn Meeting Escrow

We have the great pleasure of speaking with Walker Deibel today! Walker is a fantastic individual and the number one name in acquisition entrepreneurship! He created the Acquisition Lab and wrote the book Buy Then Build.  Walker is an entrepreneur, teacher, and father. In this inspiring episode, he tells his story and talks about what it takes to be successful as an entrepreneur. He also gets into the benefits of acquisition entrepreneurship and discusses whether it is better to acquire an existing business or start from scratch. We hope you enjoy listening to today’s memorable and encouraging conversation with Walker Deibel!  Bio: Walker Deibel is a serial acquisition entrepreneur, bestselling author, and M&A advisor. Walker acquired seven companies over ten years and co-founded several startups. His bestselling book, Buy Then Build: How Acquisition Entrepreneurs Outsmart the Startup Game, was released to critical acclaim, including being recognized by Forbes as “one of the top 7 books all entrepreneurs must read.” It is currently used in many universities.  His book and the educational company of the same name share his experiences and frameworks to help entrepreneurs learn why buying an existing company is often a better route for entrepreneurs, and how to do it. Their flagship program, the Acquisition Lab, offers buy-side M&A services for first-time financial buyers in a do-it-with-you service; providing information, coaching, tools, and community. Walker is a partner at Quiet Light where he helps online-based businesses exit. He is a Certified M&A Advisor, Certified M&A Professional, former SEC licensed stockbroker, and recipient of the Middle Market Thought Leader of the Year, awarded by the private market Alliance of M&A Advisors. He was recognized as a lower-middle-market thought leader by Axial, and his writing has been featured in Inc, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Fast Company, & Harvard Business Review. Walker is currently the owner of the premiere aluminum railing manufacturer in Missouri and a portfolio of online-based businesses. Historically, he has owned and operated in many industries, including manufacturing, fulfillment, software, education, and eCommerce.  Walker is an Emmy-nominated producer. He worked on almost a dozen films with premieres at some of the world’s most prestigious festivals, including Sundance, SXSW, and Toronto International Film Festival. He holds an MBA from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis, where he received the Declaration of Accomplishment in Entrepreneurship from the Skandalaris Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He is a Pipeline Entrepreneurs fellow and an adjunct professor at Olin, where he launched the acquisition entrepreneurship class for the MBA program. He lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife and their three children. Walker’s backstory Walker grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. Everyone on his dad’s side of the family had a small business. On his mom’s side, everyone was artistic and creative. So Walker developed a creative interest early on but always felt the need to be economically sustainable.  Stockbroker Walker was an English Literature major in school. He became a stockbroker immediately after graduating in 1995, right at the end of the tech boom when the transition from the old economy to the new digital economy was happening.   Film Walker got laid off during the tech bust along with 6,000 other people. He was full of ideas, so he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to learn from people doing their own thing in business and ended up getting a foothold in film. Learning from failure After moving back to St. Louis to get an MBA, he launched a startup with some MBA classmates. Unfortunately, it did not work out, but he learned from the experience. It also helped him get to where he is today. The first thing Walker learned that the first thing you need to do as an entrepreneur is to get off the pay-cheque because it is as addictive as crack cocaine! Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship allows you to live the biggest, most engaging, and most impactful life possible. It is part of you, all-consuming, and it gives you a vehicle for wealth creation and wealth destruction simultaneously.  A strong work ethic As an entrepreneur, it is vital to have a strong work ethic and the ability to be imbalanced at times.  The number one reason startups fail Lack of product-market fit is the number one reason nine out of ten startups fail.  Entrepreneurship through acquisition Buying an existing business is affordable. If you buy an existing business, you start with existing customers, revenue, established infrastructure, and ongoing earnings, which form a foundation for innovating and growing the business. Having existing earnings allows you to get a bank loan to acquire the business. Figuring out entrepreneurship  While figuring out entrepreneurship, Walker found that the market was okay, but it was hard to get any data. He also found the market decentralized and fragmented, and there was no efficient way to navigate it. So, after about six months, he went corporate and crushed it! An opportunity Walker did not want to spend all his time building a brand for another company, so he started doing a part-time search for a business of his own. Then his dad invited him to work for him in his small company. (It was a surprise because, for all his life, Walker’s dad had told him that there was no role for him in his company.) Walker worked there for about a year. Then he bought the company.  Several things happened Immediately after Walker bought his dad’s printing company, several things happened: His dad’s cohorts started approaching his dad, wanting to know how he sold his business. Walker realized that knowledge about business sales could be easily acquired.  Walker understood that starting from scratch is very smart- but only sometimes! Books Even though a transition was happening in the print industry and bookstores and newspapers were going out of business because of the internet, more authors were writing and publishing books, and more people were buying books than ever before.   Digital printing technology Walker started looking at digital printing technology because he saw that all his publisher customers had massive libraries of books of which they printed only about twenty percent. They ignored the other eighty percent because that would tie up their cash and inventory. Walker realized that if he could turn short-run digital book printing into JIT inventory for his book publishers, his company could have its best opportunity for growth in eighty years. Becoming a Merger & Acquisition professional Walker sold the printing company in 2013 to an acquisition target and subsequently bought another six companies. He knew the public capital market, but he also wanted to understand the private capital market. So he became a Certified M&A Advisor, an M&A Master Intermediary, and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor. He also spent a lot of time working with brokers to learn about the M&A space.  Buy Then Build Everything Walker learned about M&A culminated in him writing the book Buy Then Build, which became a best-seller. Along the way, Buy Then Build also became a textbook for 30% of the schools that teach entrepreneurship through acquisition. The Acquisition Lab People kept asking Walker to help them find and buy a business, so he created The Acquisition Lab as a solution. The Acquisition Lab is similar to an MBA program. It is designed to help people acquire a business, understand what makes world-class content, and then learn how to build that content. The Acquisition Lab became the most popular elected course for MBA programs at some of the best schools in the world, like Harvard, Stanford, University of Chicago, North Western, London Business School, Yale, and Columbia. The Acquisition Lab program Walker wanted a vetted community for The Acquisition Lab, so only about 25% of the applicants get accepted. You will get in only if they think you will succeed. The program takes twelve months. It is designed to meet people where they are and help them succeed in achieving their dreams.  The team Chelsea Wood is the Managing Director of The Acquisition Lab. Chelsea is a Certified M&A Advisor. She grew a company to three billion dollars and spent five years doing post-merger integration. Karen Heise is the former Director of The Career Center at a top-ranked business school. Chelsea, Karen, and Walker work together to create buyer profiles, bring in debt lenders, and do personality assessments.   Entrepreneurship is not for everyone Entrepreneurship is not for everyone. Walker points out that being an entrepreneur is not a job title- it is a condition. If you are unsure whether entrepreneurship is for you or if you have what it takes, it helps to know that if it doesn’t get you going, it is not for you.  Some clues that show entrepreneurship is for you You keep getting fired from your job You always find yourself second in command, and you keep on executing  Acquisition versus starting from scratch Your ability to tolerate risks, how comfortable you feel with debt, your age, and your level of experience will all indicate to a certain degree whether you would be better off starting from scratch or acquiring an existing business. It comes down to your business idea and how you approach it.  Two ways to grow a company There are only two ways to grow a company: innovation or acquisition. You can change the world with innovation, but it will take a long time and a lot of effort. For most businesses, buying an existing company is the fastest way to grow because you can double the size of a company in a single day.    Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Walker Deibel The Acquisition Lab Buy Then Build On LinkedIn Books mentioned: Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis Buy Then Build: How Acquisition Entrepreneurs Outsmart the Startup Game by Walker Deibel  

113: An Entrepreneurial Journey with Mahoganey Jones We are delighted to be speaking with a rockstar in our industry today! Mahoganey Jones is a truly inspiring individual, and she is very well-known in the meeting and events industry! She is the Founder of Event Specialists and the first Canadian Event professional ever to become a Certified Digital Event Strategist!  She tells her fascinating story, talks about the birth of her company, Event Specialists, and shares her thoughts, insights, and experience. Bio: Mahoganey is an event expert. She founded and runs Event Specialists, one of Canada’s pre-eminent event production and management firms. She is the FIRST (yah, the first!) Canadian Event professional to become a Certified Digital Event Strategist. She also considers herself a poutine aficionado!   It has been 17+ years since Mahoganey took a jump into the Events world – and she still wakes up each day with a real love for her work! She has won numerous awards for her contributions to the events world, including the 2021 “Event Professional of the Year” & “Top 100 Most Influential People in the Events Industry.” Mahoganey’s story Growing up, Mahoganey wanted to be a pediatric oncologist. So she began volunteering at a local hospital on her fourteenth birthday. She then got hired by the hospital to be on their events team and part of their fundraisers. She wanted to know where the money from fundraisers came from and how it would get used. She then realized that there was more to events than the eye could see.  An event professional  Throughout her career, Mahoganey has only ever worked as an event professional. When in university, she planned career fairs. At the time, she saw events as a way to pay for her education because she still wanted to become a doctor.  Her first job Her first job out of university was as a kinesiologist. At the same time, she was asked to join health care fundraising campaigns and an events team to help plan campaigns for the provincial government. Her mentor at the time also suggested that she did events.  Event Specialists After deciding to try a career in events, Mahoganey found it hard to find a job without having a degree in event management. So she created a job for herself, and Event Specialists was born!  Fueling her business She planned a wedding show and a business trade show to get clients and fuel her new business. Ageism The main prejudice Mahoganey encountered in her early career was ageism. Her husband did the registration for her all her early events, and people often assumed that he, or someone else who looked older than Mahoganey, was the owner of Event Specialists.  Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) During the time when Mahoganey still lacked the necessary processes for collecting payment from her event clients, she heard that EO was looking for a manager for Canada. She applied for the position, got the job, and found that the organization full of people who talked and sounded like her. Learning from her role She learned a lot from her role at EO. She learned from how their team approached event design and how all the different chapters across the world shared similar thought processes. It re-kindled her love for events and pushed her back into running her own business. A challenge around diversity One of Mahoganey’s biggest challenges as a black female in the events space has been that everyone wants to fill the diversity quota. She feels that those who fill the quota because they have to have missed the mark, and she believes that color-blindness is not something real. A love for content and production Mahoganey started in the events world as a freelancer with a business name and only took on contracts that she herself could fulfill. However, after spending years in the industry and continuing to develop professionally, she realized that she had a love for content and production. So she started looking at events differently. An AV company Mahoganey feels that if she had known the event tech world first, she would have owned an AV company rather than getting into the planning side. Strategizing Mahoganey does not like planning. She loves the strategy behind how an event can be monetized and strategizing ways to put emotions into a space so that people feel something and walk away with the intent she wanted them to have.  The next five years Over the next five years, Mahoganey will remove herself entirely from the planning side of Event Specialists. She will continue strategizing and go back into the teaching space because that is where she loves to be! Covid At the start of the pandemic, Mahoganey saw people returning to the fundamentals and realizing that an event is not always the best way to fulfill the need or goal of a company. People also started to question how to measure the success of an event.  A regression Now, she feels that people have regressed to shorter timelines again. They are also going back into panic mode and rushing to own what hybrid or virtual look like. Innovation We are now reaching a point where true talent will shine, and Mahoganey hopes that innovation will come back.  The time has come Mahoganey feels the time has come for us to settle down and stop saying that we are post-pandemic and want things to go back to pre-pandemic. We need to avoid falling back into how we have always done things, live in the current state, follow current trends, and continue to evolve as an industry.    Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with Mahoganey Jones On Twitter (@mahoganeyjones) On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram (@mahoganeyjones)  

Music was My First Love with Darryl Hurs - Episode 112 We are delighted to be speaking with a legend in the music industry today! Darryl Hurs is the Founder of Indie Week in Toronto. He is also the Managing Director of Downtown Global.  Darryl has created online conferences and worked with famous bands and musicians like U2, Madonna, Beyonce, Jay-Z, and Dave Matthews. Darryl is a fascinating individual! In this episode, he tells his story, talks about music, marketing, and engagement, and paints a vivid picture of the future of conferences.  We hope you enjoy listening to today’s captivating conversation with Darryl Hurs! Bio: Darryl Hurs has a 25+ year history in the music business, including launching and running one of Canada’s largest music showcase festivals and the conference, Indie Week. In the past two years, he founded three new online conferences: Music Pro Summit, indie101, and SCREENxSCREEN. Recently hired as the Managing Director for Downtown Music in Canada heading the Canadian operations for Fuga, Songtrust, Adrev, Found.ee, CD Baby, and Downtown Music Services. His past positions include design and branding/marketing for Live Nation as a freelancer (projects included a corporate rebrand and logo design, launching VIPNATION.com, work for U2, Nickelback, Madonna, Beyonce, Jay-Z, and Dave Matthews) retail buyer at HMV, and booker for one of Toronto’s top live music venues (The Rivoli). Growing up in Canada Darryl grew up in Edmonton. He already knew in grade six that he wanted to get into the music business. The music industry in Canada was in Toronto, so he moved there when he was older, looking to do what he does now. Darryl’s story Darryl wanted to be a musician, so he studied guitar at MacEwan University in Edmonton. Then he joined a band and moved with it from Edmonton to Toronto. When the band moved back to Edmonton, Darryl remained in Toronto. He knew nobody there, so he started networking, volunteering, hustling, playing, and auditioning. He began carving out his career when he became a booker for a venue, started managing bands, and did all the promotions and bookings for the bands he was in. Then he took a desktop publishing course and started earning a living doing graphics and design.  Live Nation He landed Live Nation as a client for eight or nine years, during which time he also launched VIPNATION.Com for them, rebranded the company, and did event marketing and advertising for several famous artists. He gained experience in marketing and promoting events and engaging fans. A promotion Darryl has been the country rep for CD Baby in Canada for three years. At the end of last year, he received a promotion and is now the Managing Director for Canada for Downtown Global. Covid When Covid hit, they lost everything and started doing conferencing online. Since then, they have launched another three successful other online music conferences. They now have several different projects on the go and are on par with where they were at the start of Covid. Indie Week Darryl created Indie Week because no festivals in Toronto focused on local artists. It was a music festival and also a music conference. Just before Covid, Indie Week in Toronto was doing about 240 bands from all around the world for four nights at 24 music venues in downtown Toronto. (Before that, they were doing the UK, but they stopped when Brexit happened.) In Indie Week, they got the industry out to look at the bands and vote for the band that deserved to play at Indie Week in the UK. Then, at Indie Week in the UK, they would pick a band to bring to Canada.  Comafest Since Covid, they have partnered with a Comafest in Brazil. They have taken an artist there every year and intend to take a few artists there in August 2022. Their objective is to build the international partnerships they started online, partner with other existing festivals, and take artists to those festivals. Online conferences They plan to continue their conference online. What set their conference apart from all other conferences happening during the Covid lockdown was that they were 110% invested in doing it online.  Positive feedback They have had a lot of praise and positive feedback for their online conferences! They could get higher-level speakers because they did not have to fly anyone anywhere.  The Indie Week online Music Conference They took the music conference and broke it down into different demographics to go online. Now, Screen X Screen, which is about music and tech, happens in February each year. Indie 101 is about education, and it happens in May. Music Pro Summit hosts high-level industry discussions and takes place in September. Indie Week is their hub, so they try to bring everything together in one place and focus on international connections. Many people have said that it is one of the best online conferences they have ever attended. The platform Their platform, Whova, is open to engagement and connecting with others. All their programs are recorded and people can talk online for three months. So any attendee can still go through the speaker and attendee list and message them after the conference. People are learning how to use the platform and taking advantage of it! A community Their free weekly sessions focus on being real. The sessions have helped grow their community because people love having the connection! Value People add value. Darryl believes that if you offer help first things will happen, and if you do something that engages with people, it will become valuable. So focus on people first, and monetization later. Online is working well They are planning to stay online because it is working well. They are also looking for ways to utilize what they have done online and do something in person when the time is right to do so. The goal The goal for Indie Week is that the participants make connections that turn into a real business. Online versus face-to-face People make a mistake when they try to recreate a face-to-face event online. Indie Week is an online experience, and the organizers are making the most of it! They are not trying to do what they would normally do in person.  Valuable experience They gained valuable experience from doing four online events in one year. They learned to utilize the positive aspects of the online experience and capitalize on them. AI Darryl believes that AI will make it possible for anything to happen musically in the future! Music marketing for artists Everyone in the world is online today, so artists need to plug into social marketing. That means using Facebook ads and Instagram ads and knowing how to use the data to locate their audience and the areas where people are tuning in the most. Then they need to start feeding different ads to that market to build a story. They can also use billboard ads, magazines, and online advertising programs like Found.ee. How can artists get known? Artists should focus on what they do and how to use tools to elevate that. They should focus on where their audience is and try to get as many fans as possible to engage. Engaging audiences at conferences People need to talk less about business and more about who they are and how they are doing. Digital is global, so there is value in considering how to elevate an in-person event to online. Being inclusive is also vital.    Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with Darryl Hurs On LinkedIn Indie Week  

Innovation in Facilitation with Samme Allen We have the great pleasure of speaking with Samme Allen today! Samme has been in the meetings and events industry for many years. She is the Founder and CEO of ConferenceEmcees.   Samme has a fascinating and inspiring story to tell! In this episode, she shares her story and talks about what she is doing to help people reduce their carbon footprint. She also gets into believing in yourself and moving forward and illustrates the importance of honesty and the power of building relationships. We hope you'll enjoy listening to today’s captivating conversation with Samme Allen! Samme’s story Samme has been a meeting professional for most of her career. Her background is in sales, and she fell into events while living in Hong Kong and working for a publishing company. She started working as an event planner when the publishing company asked her to work with one of their clients- to run a charity event and a golf day. It went well, and after that, Samme and her team worked with other clients, including the British Chamber of Commerce in China. Moving back to the UK  After moving back to the UK, Samme continued to dabble in the periphery of the events world. She moved to London in 2008 and wanted to get more into events. Her recruitment company suggested that she stay with them and work in recruitment. That was a valuable journey for her because it got her involved with MPI.  Iconic venues Samme has worked with some of the most iconic venues in the UK, including the Barbican Centre in London.  Professional moderating Samme got a call from a company called Audience, asking her to facilitate a meeting for one of their pharmaceutical clients. She refused because it was not in the event industry. They pushed, however, and eventually convinced her to do it. That started her journey into professional moderating. Sammeallen.Com Samme invented Sammeallen.Com, and she had the privilege of hosting MPI’s European meeting and events conference a few times. She was in a great space because, for the first time, she was booked out for the following year- 2020. She was about to host an event in Florida when the world turned upside down. In three weeks, she lost all her bookings.  Pivoting to virtual Samme had to figure out how to survive and thrive. So she joined an online event design course on Zoom. At the time, she did not believe in online events, but the course convinced her otherwise. It changed everything and gave her the confidence to pivot to virtual.  The best year She started doing online events, and they took off! She ended up having her best year ever, financially!  Reaching out Throughout the pandemic, she reached out to her clients to find out how they were and keep the communication lines open. Good things One of the good things that came out of the pandemic was ConferenceEmcees.Com. Samme wanted to grow her business without hurting the planet. She also wanted a community where like-minded individuals could inspire one another, and she wanted to gain experience. Barriers Her barriers to growing ConferenceEmcees.Com were self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and the sudden loss of her father right before the conference was due to happen. ConferenceEmcees With the help and support of associates from her network, the ConferenceEmcees experience happened organically, and they self-launched in September 2020. The ConferenceEmcees experience  ConferenceEmcees is the first-ever global network of professional conference emcees, moderators, and facilitators. Their goal is to put the right person for the right client in the right location. They aim to remove pain points while ensuring that they are part of the carbon footprint solution and not part of the carbon problem.  Education ConferenceEmcees is providing education about reducing the carbon footprint. They have an incredible collection already, including a piece on diversity. They launched officially in January 2022. They currently have 36 associates and continue to grow. Selecting members  Samme has a background in recruitment. That helps her select the right members for her organization.  Support Samme would like to support her community of independent associates, help them track their carbon footprints, and provide opportunities to avoid having to travel long distances. Inclusivity You cannot have a successful business without bringing everybody to the table. It's not just about including more women. It's about including more people of every creed, color, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.  Women Samme urges people to actually do something to help women become more successful instead of just liking them on LinkedIn or patting them on the back. One of her action points for 2022 is championing women going through difficult times.  Leadership Samme would like to see leadership become more diverse and action orientated. Her focus is on staying inclusive with male leaders, learning from them, and figuring out what everyone can do better together.  Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Samme Allen On Website On LinkedIn On email: [email protected] 

Relentless with Natasha Miller We are thrilled to be speaking with a fabulous entrepreneur today! Natasha Miller is the CEO of Entire Productions and a three times Inc. 5000 recipient. Natasha has just launched a book called Relentless: Homeless Teen to Achieving the Entrepreneur Dream. It tells the story of her life.  Natasha is joining us today to tell her unique story and share her experiences, ideas, and perceptions. She also offers some valuable nuggets of advice for growing your business. We hope you enjoy listening to today’s insightful conversation with Natasha Miller! Bio: Natasha Miller isn’t your average CEO. She sits at the helm of Entire Productions, the go-to experience design, event, and entertainment production company in San Francisco, and has been on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in America for three years in a row. Natasha’s passion and commitment to giving back drive her invariable contributions and participation with numerous charitable organizations. She is also performing as a jazz vocalist and a trained classical violinist. Natasha is a proud graduate of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses. She has studied entrepreneurship at the Harvard Business School and MIT, and she is a member of The Recording Academy (Grammys), ASCAP, SF Travel, and Meeting Professionals International (MPI). She resides in San Francisco, CA, where she is a member and on the board of EO (Entrepreneurs’ Organization). Natasha’s story Natasha grew up in Iowa in the mid-80s. She learned to play the violin when she was young. Then she became a passionate vocalist. Music saved Natasha’s life and propelled her into her future! She earned a Fulbright Scholarship to study the violin, and she has been involved in entrepreneurial endeavors with music since the age of fifteen. Her core business is a San Francisco-based entertainment production company called Entire Productions.  Natasha has a twenty-six-year-old daughter who she adores! From an abandoned teen to achieving her dream When she was sixteen, Natasha landed up in a youth shelter for homeless kids on Christmas day. At the time, she was studying the violin with a college professor. Natasha always advocated for herself and made things happen. Even when she had bookings, she could not turn down performance work, so she would book other artists to take her place. That ultimately grew into her booking jazz and classical ensembles for corporate and social special events.  She found herself in the meetings and events industry many years later, after she expanded into dance bands, DJs, aerialists, and cigar bars, and she did all the planning.  Support In the homeless shelter, Natasha had people supporting her with her issues and helping her onto a track that would be good for her after leaving. As a musician, she had the support of her conductor, her violin instructor, and some others who recognized her gifts and talent. However, she knew that no one would come to save her, so she had to save herself. Mentors Over the last twenty years, Natasha has realized that she needs mentors, advisors, and outside help to give her a different perspective and reveal her blind spots. Since seeking that out, her world has cracked open! Proud of her accomplishments Natasha attended three different colleges on Fulbright Scholarships, but she never graduated because she moved to San Francisco. She is proud of what she has accomplished without having a college degree! The Grammys After being taken to the Grammys, Natasha realized that she could become a voting member of the organization that puts on the Grammys. Even though she has not yet won a Grammy award, she hopes to enter the Audible version of her book for consideration.   Natasha’s book Natasha wanted her book to sweep readers away and take them on a journey- almost like a fictional read. The book tells the story of her recollection of what happened in her life. It is a good read, and what Natasha lived through is very interesting! You will enjoy the book, especially if you’re an entrepreneur or struggling to get from where you are to where you want to be! Leading with values Natasha’s organization focuses on five core values. The one they talk about the most is the pursuit of excellence, not perfection. Working in pursuit of excellence ensures that they always have enough bandwidth to cope with any challenges that might arise with the events they produce.  Natasha’s team Another core value is that her team is self-managed. Natasha gives the team the ability to make decisions based on their own experiences and watching how she does things.  Being scrappy Being scrappy is another core value. Being scrappy means that they work bootstrapped on a shoestring budget, and they don’t take equity from anyone else. They don’t frivolously spend other people’s money, and they give their clients an incredible amount of value.  Recruiting Recruiting people is challenging! People generally put on a facade for interviews. So it is hard to find out what their real values are. It takes intuition, a gut reaction, and experience to choose the best candidates. Managing the team Natasha does not work day-to-day in her business with clients. Right now, she is a visionary and a strategist for entire productions, so she is not solely responsible for marketing and sales. She is responsible for managing her team, but they are mature and self-managed, so it is not a heavy lift. Using technology to boost revenue and profit Natasha is technologically interested. She feels that technology shows a return on investment. Her internal team produced and designed all the technology for her latest book launch summit on the ExVo platform, apart from the switcher (the one that brings people on and off the stage). She sometimes uses third-party vendors to help with the broadcast quality of big studio events, but for the most part, everything gets done in-house. People and processes Natasha has all the right people and processes in place, so she does not need to know about everything going on in her business. Getting ARR (Annual Recurrent Revenue) in the meetings and events industry Entire Productions has been around for a long time. It is known and trusted within the industry for producing excellent events, so they have several recurring clients. They also attract many new clients when their events get seen on social media. They have two divisions, so they have a lot of high volume with the artists, talent, and entertainment they put out and a smaller amount with their full-production events.  Big numbers  People spend about ten percent of their budget on entertainment. So when big numbers run through Natasha’s company- to pay for catering, for example, they try not to pass that through, and they also try not to be the bank. That is how they managed to run a five million ARR business. Growing a business and working on it rather than in it Have all your systems and processes down so that they are very efficient. Then, put them in a manual, and make a video explaining it. That will free you from having to train people as you scale and grow your company. Remember that your systems will change as you grow. Delegating  If you are one person with one employee, start thinking about how to delegate and share what you know. Remember that it is not good business practice for one individual to hold on to all the knowledge about a business. Thriving despite hardships Natasha feels lucky because she did not take her hardships and make them worse or turn to alcohol or drugs. Even when she felt sad or depressed, she always had a positive attitude, creativity, and an insatiable thirst for learning. She learned that once you reach a positive place, you need to stamp it as a milestone. Then, when the next bad thing happens, you know it will pass, and you won’t let it affect you.  Be relentless  We all have to be resilient. But to get to where you want to go, you have to be relentless.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Natasha Miller On Website On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram

We are delighted to be speaking with a legend today! Jack Daly is a phenomenal individual! He is known worldwide as a subject matter expert in the sales side of the house and as a business person who knows how to scale companies. About eight years ago, Jack wrote a book called Hyper Sales Growth which sold tremendously when it came out and continues to sell exceptionally well today.  A few weeks ago, Jack went to market with his latest book, Jack Daly’s Life by Design. It is the tenth book he has written and a project he has wanted to do for several years for various reasons.  We are thrilled to have Jack back on the show today! In this episode, he tells his story and talks about his new book. He shares his experiences and discusses the importance of being disciplined. He also explains how to maintain a positive mindset and the importance of knowing what your personal values are! We hope you enjoy listening to our amazingly inspiring conversation with Jack Daly! Bio: Jack Daly is a leading sales speaker and trainer with over 30 years of sales and executive experience. Jack’s track record is a testament to his real-world knowledge and extensive expertise in sales and sales management. He started his professional journey at the CPA firm, Arthur Andersen, and rose to the CEO level of several corporations, building six companies into national firms along the way, two of which he subsequently sold to the Wall Street firms of Solomon Brothers and First Boston. In addition to his comprehensive professional background, Jack holds a BS in Accounting, as well as an MBA, and was a Captain in the U.S. Army. Jack Daly is an Amazon Best Selling Author and has written and contributed to many books, including Hyper Sales Growth and The Sales Playbook for Hyper Sales Growth. Jack is a 15-time Ironman competitor and has completed over 93 marathons in 50 states and on seven continents. He achieves these goals and lives life to the fullest by following his own Life by Design techniques. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Jack currently resides in San Clemente, California. Jack’s story On six different occasions, between the ages of 26 and 46, Jack sketched out a business plan and convinced others to join him. They grew those companies in the US to become national firms, two of which were sold to Wall Street.  For the last 25 years, Jack has been touring the world as a professional speaker and helping people grow their businesses.  Endurance racing Jack has run many marathons. A few months back, he completed his hundredth. He has also done fifteen full and several half Iron Man competitions. US Army Jack joined the ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) when he was in college. Even though he has a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree, the courses that made the most difference in his adult life were those related to the military. They taught him to be disciplined, focused, goal-oriented, and responsible and gave him insight into communications skills, systems, and processes. How leaders are built  As an adult, Jack has been fortunate to visit all the military schools to see how leaders get built. Measuring Jack measures everything! He has been at it for over sixty years. Every year, he adds a few more things relative to his life as it evolves. He enjoys making year-to-year comparisons as he grows and matures.  Discipline  You need to be disciplined in how you invest and spend your time and what you do with it. A positive mindset Jack has faced many challenges in his life. He uses the mantra: “Focus on that which you have control over” to help him stay upbeat in attitude.  Discussions Before Jack lost his wife to cancer, he had discussions with her about how he should take her passing and how he should behave afterward. They decided that he should hug the memories and then craft a plan for his future.  Going forward Jack’s military training taught him to do his best and keep on focusing forward.  The tenth-fastest-growing company in the US In 1998, Jack owned the tenth-fastest-growing company in the US. One year later, he had to let 240 people go in one day. It was terrible, but he focused on the few people he had left and re-built the company. A happy life Jack is now re-married to a client he has known for more than twenty years. He is living a happy life!  Good advice When he was thirteen, Jack interviewed fifty successful people and asked them for advice. One of the things they told him was to be focused, not to try to do too many things, and set a date for getting them done. Then, they advised him to measure everything and share it with others to pressure himself. He has detailed that process in his new book, and he has also included blank templates for people to use to design their lives.  A less than ideal life Jack has observed many who are successful in businesses but have lived less than ideal personal lives. A successful life Jack can only help those who know what they want, so he challenges you, the listener, to define and measure what a successful life means to you. Jack Daly’s Life by Design  Jack wrote the book Jack Daly’s Life by Design for anyone who wants to lead an exceptional life. He also wrote it as a legacy for his kids and his grandkids. An important message from Jack  A chapter in Jack’s bo explains that you are never too old. Even though he is 73 years old and has lived an exceptional life, he believes that his best years are still ahead of him! Personal values You need to know your values to design your way to success. Jack’s book starts by asking readers if they know what their personal values are. That is because the definition of success is personal, and it differs for every individual. Marathons Jack ran his first marathon when he was 46 years old. After that, he ran one a year for the next ten years. He has subsequently joined a club that runs marathons in all fifty states, and he now aspires to run a marathon in all seven continents! Fun projects Jack wants to live for another 52 years! He has some fun projects ahead of him that include a tour around the world doing workshops to help people create a life plan for themselves, writing children’s books, and teaching kids how to become entrepreneurs. He also has a website called Jack Daly’s Life By Design.Com. Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Jack Daly On his website   Jack Daly’s Life By Design.Com  Books mentioned: Hyper Sales Growth by Jack Daly

Today, we are happy to be speaking with the legendary John Ruhlin! John is the founder of Giftology, and he is full of energy and great ideas! In this episode, John tells his fascinating story and talks about how he created Giftology. He explains how he developed the understanding of giving personal gifts and shares his best marketing and sales referral tool. He also discusses why you should focus on your inner circle and why he wrote the book Giftology. We hope you enjoy listening to today's enlightening conversation with John Ruhlin! JOHN RUHLIN BIO:  John Ruhlin is the world’s leading authority in maximizing customer loyalty through radical generosity. He is the founder and author of Gift·ology and has been featured in Fox News, Forbes, Fast Company, Inc, and the New York Times. While becoming the #1 performer out of 1.5 million sales reps for one of the world’s most recognizable brands, John developed a system of using generosity to gain access to elite clients and generate thousands of referrals. He and his firm now help automate this process for individuals and organizations like UBS, Raymond James, DR Horton, Keller Williams, the Chicago Cubs, and Caesar’s Palace. John and the Gift·ology team can help any individual turn their clients into their own personal sales force to drive exponential growth. John’s story John grew up in a modest family on a farm in a small town in Ohio. He learned, early on, that if he wanted something, he had to work for it. John did very well at school and wanted to become a doctor or a chiropractor. But his life and plans changed after he started dating a girl whose father, Paul, was a generous rain-making attorney. Mentorship Paul showed up in unusual ways for his relationships. That inspired John to want to be just like him at sixty. John was interning with Cutco, selling knives to pay for med school. He was not good at selling, and after he pitched to Paul, Paul offered to help him hit his goals.  Relationships Paul taught John that everything boiled down to relationships. Paul explained that if you take care of the family in business, everything else takes care of itself. That struck a chord with John. He started to mimic Paul in his relationships and sent some expensive knives to some CEOs he wanted to meet with as gifts. After pitching the CEO of a large insurance company, John walked out with an order for 1,000 knife sets! Number 1 distributer Cutco has worked with about 2,000,000 sales reps over 70 years. John became their number one distributor in the entire global history of the company by using the idea of giftology!  Giftology Giftology is about building relationships. If you want referrals, deal flow, or employee retention, you need to inspire people to want to advocate on your behalf. The best marketing sales referral tool  John learned early on that if you go all-in and show something in your relationships, it will come back to you a hundred-fold. He found it one of the best marketing sales referral tools on the planet!  All over the world John now owns a consulting agency that teaches people how to do giftology. He also writes books and speaks about it all over the world.  The core of his business The core of John’s business is teaching people how to love relationships thoughtfully and at scale, while moving people emotionally. What John discovered about gifts  John discovered that it does not help to send people a gift with your logo on it. It is better to send them something personal with their name on it.  A recipe for building relationships John noticed that there was a recipe for building relationships with giftology. For it to work, you have to follow the recipe to the letter because every tiny detail and every intention counts. We were designed to want to reciprocate and do nice things for people who do things for us with no strings attached. Kindness, generosity, and love Everyone wants to be appreciated, acknowledged, and loved. The companies crushing it all lead with kindness, generosity, and love. They care for their employees and clients and invest in them. The inner-circle John believes that the inner circle matters just as much as the person writing the checks because those people influence the decisions. A six-figure deal John closed a six-figure deal with a basketball team because he treated the inner circle the same as he treated the CEO.  Event planners John treats event planners like gold because they have gone out of their way at times to become sales reps for his brand.  Show up repetitively and consistently When you move from being passively loyal to being actively loyal and show up repetitively and consistently for a relationship because you want to, not because you have to, the relationship will flourish. John’s book, Giftology John wrote the book to spread the idea of giftology to others. He also wanted to drive credibility, have a global impact, and be the first one in the leadership space to talk about using gratitude and generosity to grow relationships and revenue. He has sold 110,000 copies in the last six years, and it changed everything for him! Covid Covid has shifted the priorities of many, but humans still need to connect. So although Covid made John realize that he can have an impact from afar, he still enjoys appearing on a big stage once or twice a month, shaking hands with people, and signing books.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with John Ruhlin On LinkedIn Books mentioned: Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Client Retention, by John Ruhlin Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, by Gary Vaynerchuk Save Your Asks: Evolve Your Networking Currencies. Grow Your Influence. Triple Your Business, by Chris Tuff

  Today, we are thrilled to be speaking with a phenomenal lady! Rushia Brown is the President and Founder of the Women’s Professional Basketball Alumni Association. She used to be a professional basketball player. She is now an entrepreneur, and she helps and inspires many people! Rushia has achieved a lot in her life! In this episode, she tells the inspiring story of her fascinating journey! It is all about having grit and never giving up!  We hope you enjoy listening to our inspiring conversation with Rushia Brown today! Bio: Rushia Brown, the South Carolina native, has made the world her home. As a professional athlete, Rushia played 17 seasons of basketball in 6 different countries. Furman University and Southern Conference Hall of Fame was one of the original pioneers in the WNBA, which started in 1997. She spent 6 years with the Cleveland Rockers and her final year with the Charlotte Sting. Her international career spanned ten seasons in Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and Korea. After retiring, Brown earned her Executive MBA from George Washington University. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to be a part of starting several companies, including the Women’s Professional Basketball Alumnae, the only organization to assist women who have played professionally in the WNBA or Internationally to transition; ServCom, a non-profit organization that provides programming that cultivates personal productivity and profitability through preparedness; Hearts & Hands Catering, a family business offering healthy soul food alternatives; and Young Black Entrepreneur Magazine, a quarterly publication that serves as an educational platform encouraging minorities to start their own businesses. Brown has made her mark in various business sectors and continues to travel the world, inspiring others to use their gifts and talents to pursue their dreams. After a stint in New York at the NBA League office, Rushia served in the front office of the Las Vegas Aces as Player Programs and Franchise Development Manager and later served as Director of Community Relations and Youth Sports for the LA Sparks until Feb of 22. She is the proud mother of Morgan MacKenzie Brown. Rushia’s journey Rushia was born in the Bronx, New York, and her family later moved to South Carolina. Her father was diagnosed with cancer when he was a high school freshman. He meant a lot to their family, and Rushia wanted to help him, but she did not know how. When he eventually passed away, she felt like she had lost everything and became a problem child. Fortunately, the people around her encouraged her to make healthier decisions.   Basketball Rushia picked up a basketball for the first time when she was in the tenth grade. She fell in love with the game and found that playing sports was a way to reconnect with her father because he had been an avid sports fan. The more she played and the harder she worked, the better she got, and the cycle of improvement and reaching different goals stuck with her, so she kept on playing. College Rushia wanted to go to college and knew that sports was the only way for her to get there. She became the number two recruit in the entire state of South Carolina, so she could pick any school to which she wanted to go. She initially committed to going to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill but later decided to stay closer to home and went to Furman University in South Carolina. She had a fantastic career there, got a degree in sociology, and won every basketball award. An offer to play professionally In her senior year, her basketball coach got a call from an agent who wanted to see her play internationally. Rushia was made an offer she could not refuse, so she took the chance and played internationally for ten seasons. WNBA Three years into her international career, the WNBA started. Rushia wanted to have the opportunity to play in that league. Even though she was not selected straight away, she got picked eventually because her international team was doing so well. Open trials In their first year, the WNBA allowed franchises in eight cities to host open trials. Rushia went to the closest team in Charlotte, North Carolina, where 200 women were trying out. She made it to the final four and got cut! She was heartbroken, but her no-nonsense mom encouraged her to find a way to get in front of the right people to get an opportunity. Cleveland The following weekend, she drove to Cleveland to try again. She made it to the final four again, and the head coach invited her to be part of their practice team. That meant she would be a practice player only, and when the games came, she would sit in the stands and would not travel with the team. Having a foot in the door was enough for her, and she knew her hard work would eventually get her into the team, so she accepted. Part of the team  Three-and-a-half weeks later the coach invited her to be part of the regular roster. Seven games into the season, the coach told her that she would start her in the game they were playing the following week. She ended up playing as a starter for the rest of her seven-year career in the WNBA.  Retiring Rushia retired from the WNBA in 2003, at the age of 31, and started doing the things she loved.  ServCom She eventually started a basketball academy because she wanted to work with kids. That led to her starting a non-profit, ServCom, dedicated to providing resources for those who want to do better and be better. MBA Everyone referred to Rushia as the “Rushia the basketball player” and minimized who she was as a woman and a professional. So she thought that educating herself more would bring more opportunities her way and did an MBA at George Washington University. The Women’s Professional Basketball Alumni Association When Rushia did not know what she wanted to do, she planned celebrity games and hosted events. A former player was at one of the celebrity events. She had been a 2x WNBA All-Star and played the league for seven or eight years internationally. On that trip, Rushia discovered that she was homeless, so she wanted to figure out a way to help women in those situations. That was her initial motivation to start the WPBA. The Young Black Entrepreneur Rushia and her brother started Young Black Entrepreneur Magazine as an educational platform to influence and encourage people of color to start businesses and educate them on the process. They also do a mentorship program for kids called The Wolf Pack. Boss Girls Rushia loves helping others! She created Boss Girls at the beginning of Covid to help people because she discovered that in helping people, her spirit also did well. Writing a book Rushia plans to finish writing the book she has been working on for the last ten years. She feels that now is the right time to finish it because when she does her speaking events, it will be helpful to have the book for people to take away with them.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Rushia Brown On her website    On her non-profit website   On LinkedIn

Today we are delighted to speak to Samir Uberoi, one of the three partners of Designer Incentives & Conferences! Samir has had a fascinating journey! In this episode, he tells his story, and talks about what it means to do an incentive trip in India. He dives into what it takes to be a business owner and go through the rollercoaster life of an entrepreneur. He also shares some stories to inspire business owners, discusses his hopes and dreams for the future, and offers advice for entrepreneurs.  We hope you enjoy today’s captivating conversation with Samir Uberoi! Bio: Samir Uberoi is one of the three partners of Designer Incentives & Conferences, a DMC based in India. Designer Incentives and Conferences is considered a pioneer in the UK for the MICE segment to India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan. Samir has over 30 years of experience in the travel industry and has personally accompanied and been involved with the planning and operation of virtually all of the MICE programs of Designer Incentives & Conferences in these destinations. Travel is not just his profession but also his passion! Samir’s story Samir studied finance in college. After graduating in 1990, he went to New York City to start a career as an investment banker. He ran into an acquaintance who used to be with a financial company. He was working for a travel company. When Samir asked him for some contacts in the finance world, he explained that he was about to start operating in India and invited Samir to his office to help him with his India program. He then offered him a job. Samir loved the world of travel and has never looked back since then! Designer holidays Samir’s business partners started offering designer holidays in 1990. Then in 1995, they invited Samir to go back to India to join them. He agreed and he and his wife returned to Mumbai to join their designer holiday company, which specialized in tours and groups. They later started along the route of doing designer incentives. A mindset shift Samir started in a senior position at Designer Holidays and worked his way to a partnership. Switching from an employee to a business partner required a complete mindset shift. It was not easy because he had to learn to function in an entirely new way and take on a lot of responsibility. Designer Incentives In 1995, Samir’s partners received a request from a tour operating principal in France to handle some of their incentives in India, and they invited Samir to travel with them. They were all surprised to discover how interesting and challenging it was to do incentives rather than tours. They needed to make it clear that they were doing incentives, conferences, and MICE, as well as tours. They established Designer Incentives & Conferences as an offshoot of Designer Holidays so that people could identify what they were doing from an incentive and conferencing perspective. A challenge When they started doing incentives, they had to learn a lot! The challenge was to educate themselves first and then teach their partners, the hotels, and everyone they worked with that an incentive is not a tour group.  Sri Lanka and Nepal They also work with Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan. They feel fortunate to have worked in destinations where they could help people understand the difference between an incentive and a tour group.  Bhutan Bhutan is not a party destination and is only suitable for more discerning groups. Even so, those who have been there described it as a trip of a lifetime! Samir believes that the post-pandemic Bhutan will become a sought-after experience because it is so interesting, and the people there are so happy! The rollercoaster of running a business Over the last thirty years, India has experienced some incredible changes. When Designer Incentives & Conferences was founded, in 1990, the country was very different from how it is today. Starting a business was a big challenge. Samir and his partners had many unforeseen issues to deal with, yet they still enjoyed building their team of about fifty people and developing close relationships with everyone. They loved both the challenge and the joy of starting and owning a business.  Starting and growing a business As a business grows, new problems tend to arise, like staffing issues and problems with authorities. Those issues can be both challenging and rewarding. Even though you can usually foresee a few issues when you start a business, you will only get to know the real joys and challenges when you do it.  Big problems When they started the business, Samir and his partners faced challenging times and dealt with big problems specific to India that affected their business badly. Fortunately there were three of them to support one another and overcome the issues with the help of their resourceful team.   Samir and his partners Samir and his partners are all very different people. It has been helpful at times in terms of creativity but challenging when they had opposing points of view.  Samir’s hope for the future In Samir’s experience, the positives of owning a business have far outweighed the challenges. He hopes to stay in business for at least another thirty years. Communication During Covid, the vital thing for Samir and his partners was communication. They decided to be honest with their team about whatever they could and could not do.  Tough decisions They had to make some tough decisions, but the priority was always to look after the team.  Downsizing They decided to downsize at the end of 2020 and work from a smaller space with a reduced team. Now, Samir is feeling motivated and enthusiastic about the business and hopes to rebuild it as things continue to improve.    Samir’s quotes: “When we started doing incentives, it was a learning process.” "In life, good friends are what makes it all worthwhile!" “The challenge was to educate our partners, the hotels, and all the people we worked with that an incentive is not a tour group.” “We have been fortunate to work in destinations where one can bring about a bit of change in the process of the realization of the difference between an incentive and a tour group.” “It has been fantastic! It has been fascinating, it’s been challenging, but it has been rewarding as well!” “I think Bhutan is going to be the next interesting destination because post-pandemic, people will look for more of those sorts of experiences which are going to be quite interesting.” “You have to pivot to be relevant today.” Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Samir Uberoi On the Designer Incentives & Conferences website Samir Uberoi on LinkedIn Designer Incentives & Conferences, India on LinkedIn

Today we have the pleasure of speaking to Cerissa Miller! Cerissa is a leader in our industry. She started the Hospitality Family Facebook Group two years ago during the pandemic, and it now has over 60,000 members!  Cerissa has a very inspiring story to share! In this episode, she talks about mentorship, networking, finding her niche in teaching, and the Hospitality Family Group she started, on Facebook. Cerissa’s story When she was twenty-one years old, Cerissa moved from Santa Cruz, California, to Austin, Texas, looking for a career. She applied for many different positions and was finally offered a job at an Embassy Suites hotel in Austin as a social catering sales manager. After experiencing the back-of-house environment, realized her passion for the industry and wanted to make a career of it.  Mentors She had some kind and wonderful mentors who taught her a lot and pushed her to be successful. Cerissa loved her job, even though it demanded a lot of her time. Sales Cerissa later developed an interest in the sales side and became a successful hotel sales manager. After working in several different markets and hotels, she moved back to California and stepped into her first Director of Sales role. After that, she fell in love with leading and teaching. She felt like she knew what she was selling because of her catering experience in the hotel industry. Learning Cerissa feels blessed to have had the opportunity to work with and learn from all the different hotel directors who took the time to answer all her questions and help her understand how the various wheels turn to make one successful product. She also loved teaching those who followed behind her. Networking All the hotels Cerissa has worked for have been active in MPI programs or other associations. She feels that getting involved with those associations is vital for networking with peers and potential clients. She also sees a lot of networking happening on the Hospitality Family Page. Cerissa’s niche Cerissa has stepped away from hotel properties. She has now found her niche in consulting for organizations and training within hotels and management companies. She has also been able to transition some of her networking online. Training company Cerissa started her training company about eight months ago after seeing many questions asked and people needing guidance on the Hospitality Family group on Facebook.  A more personalized approach She thinks her approach is different from some standard hospitality training programs because it is more personalized. She works with individuals as well as hotels. She is able to add a lot of positivity into her programs, which had been lacking across the industry. Cerissa is able to work with individuals on a more personal level and help them transition into newer practices in the industry. Hospitality Family Group Cerissa got the idea to start the Hospitality Family group on Facebook in March 2020, when Covid hit her area, and her property sent everyone home. She panicked a little because she did not know what would happen and thought she might lose her job. She decided to create the Hospitality Family page, so she sent out invitations to a few people she worked with to connect, understand what others were going through, and prepare for what could potentially happen to her career. It turned into a space for people to share their experiences, encourage each other, and offer support.  There are now more than 60,000 members, and thirty different countries are participating in the group.  Cerissa’s vision Cerissa’s vision for the Hospitality Family Group is to make it even more valuable and beneficial for everyone who is part of the group. She would like it to become a place where people can ask the questions they do not feel comfortable asking their leaders or get career support. Passion and drive To be successful in the hotel industry, you need to be driven and passionate! You also have to love people and want to be around them to provide them with service.  Getting people back into working in the hotel industry It has been hard for hotel employees in all departments to adjust to a new way of doing things. Many different issues still need to be taken care of, and many changes need to be implemented, to curb the great resignation and get people back into the hotel industry. Many resources that were plentiful prior to the pandemic were lacking; including staffing issues.  Mental health The industry was stricken hard by the pandemic and it especially took a mental toll on workers. Managers/owners had to cut budgets and positions, which often included letting people go who had been in the industry for years.  Speak up Employees need to speak up for themselves when they want to transition into different roles or schedules. Companies need to really be willing to raise people up into the company to roles that are mutually beneficial. Work/life balance Cerissa recommends standing up for yourself when it comes to work hours or schedules that do not allow them to have personal/family time. Create a list of priorities for your life. Seek positions that will help you meet your expectations. Be confident! Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Cerissa Miller On LinkedIn   The Hospitality Family on Facebook

We are delighted to be speaking to Sherry Walling, PhD, today. Sherry is an amazing person! She and her husband are both entrepreneurs. Sherry hosts the ZenFounder podcast, which has produced 300 episodes so far, and she is also the owner of a company called ZenFounder. Sherry offers mental health advice for entrepreneurs. She has a new book coming out soon, called Touching Two Worlds. It is about mental health and ensuring that you know how to take care of yourself as a business owner.  In this episode, Sherry tells her professional story, shares her experience, and talks about her new book. She describes the similarities between trauma from combat and the trauma experienced by entrepreneurs. She also talks about using psychedelic drugs to cure trauma, what we can do to prevent burnout, and coping with grief as a business owner. We hope you enjoy our insightful conversation with Sherry Walling!  Bio Dr. Sherry Walling is a clinical psychologist, speaker, podcaster, best-selling author, yoga teacher, and mental health advocate. Her company, ZenFounder, helps leaders and entrepreneurs navigate transition, loss, conflict, or any manner of complex human experience. She hosts the ZenFounder podcast, which has been called a “must listen” by both Forbes and Entrepreneur Magazine and has been downloaded more than 1,000,000 times. She is also the host of Mind Curious, a podcast exploring psychedelics and innovations in mental health care. Her best-selling book, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Keeping Your Shit Together, combines the insight and warmth of a therapist with the truth-telling mirth of someone who has been there. Her soon-to-be-released book, Touching Two Worlds, explores new strategies for grief and wholeness in the aftermath of loss.  Sherry and her husband, Rob, reside in Minneapolis where they spend their time driving their children to music lessons. She has also been known to occasionally perform as a circus aerialist. Sherry’s story Sherry started her career as a clinical psychologist working in a traditional environment. She worked with veterans at the VA Hospital, so she developed expertise in treating trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. She found that the traumas of the people she worked with often occurred within the context of their jobs, so she often helped them work through their relationship to their jobs. Working with entrepreneurs She later started working with entrepreneurs, helping them to explore their relationships with their business or work when their business is psychologically expensive. The mental health of entrepreneurs Sherry married an entrepreneur in the software space, so she spent a lot of time with entrepreneurs. There was not much talk going on about their mental health, so at one point, it made sense for her to start considering their mental health needs. The first tipping point  Two tipping points made Sherry decide to start a business of her own. The first happened in 2017, when Aaron Swartz, the founder of Reddit, committed suicide. It upset her husband, and Sherry realized she could help by offering some skills and insight into that community. So she started a podcast, a series of conference presentations, and some open public conversations around mental health in the entrepreneurial community. The second tipping point The second tipping point happened a few years later when her husband sold his company. They moved from California to Minneapolis, so Sherry left her job and decided to do something new and different. Similarities There are many similarities between the work Sherry does today and the work she did before with veterans. Both situations involve working with highly motivated people climbing ladders and chasing goals. She found the personalities of the people she has worked with, in both situations, quite similar. Trauma Trauma consistently affects all bodies. It causes an overwhelming amount of physiological stress. Trauma from combat looks physiologically similar to trauma related to a sexual assault or a shooting incident, so a similar conversation is required to integrate the bodies of all traumatized people with their minds and hearts in their pursuit of health.  A spectrum Trauma falls on a spectrum. PTSD trauma is on one end of the spectrum because the system gets completely overwhelmed. On the other end of the spectrum, there is some homeostasis, calm, or relaxed state. The stress that comes from entrepreneurship is somewhere in the middle. Threat For some entrepreneurs, the threat of potentially losing their livelihood can be traumatic. Psychedelic drugs to cure trauma In research studies, the use of MDMA, or Ecstasy, has shown tremendous promise for treating PTSD. Sherry co-hosts another podcast called The Mind Curious, which addresses using psychedelics for mental health. Burnout prevention Sherry recommends activities like play, exercise, and meditation to prevent burnout because those activities provide balance for the brain. The future Sherry thinks we will see a combination of hybrid, remote, and in-person for work in the future. Grief Business owners should be a little more authentic than they usually permit themselves to be around grief. Grief usually requires stopping and being still for a while. If you are a customer-facing professional or deal with people in your job, create corners in your life where you have space for grief. Sherry’s new book In Sherry’s new book, Touching Two Worlds, she wrote about what was happening in her life after losing both her dad and her brother within a few months. It contains memoirs and her thoughts as a psychologist on coping with grief a little better. It is due to come out in July.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with Dr. Sherry Walling On Zen Founder Podcast and The Mind Curious Podcast On the ZenFounder website On her website

Today we are happy to speak to Evan Nierman, the CEO, and Founder of Red Banyan! Evan is the guy behind the curtain who helps people in any type of crisis! He is an amazing individual with tons of experience in communication, crisis, and public relations. He is the author of the bestselling book, Crisis Averted: PR Strategies to Protect Your Reputation and the Bottom Line. In this episode, Evan tells his story. He explains why he started his company, Red Banyan, and the challenge he had to face after starting it. He talks about his book and shares the lessons he learned along the way to becoming a successful entrepreneur.   We hope you enjoy our conversation with Evan Nierman today! Bio: Evan Nierman is the Founder and CEO of Red Banyan, an international crisis management, and public relations firm. Evan and his team have provided counsel to a diverse group of celebrity, political, corporate, and private clients, helping them navigate high-stakes situations to achieve the optimal outcome. He is also the author of the best-selling new book Crisis Averted: PR Strategies to Protect Your Reputation and the Bottom Line.  Evan’s story Evan was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. He studied communications at George Washington University in D.C. After graduating, he spent the next seven years-and-a-half years working in communications between the U.S. and Israel. After that, he worked at a high-stakes and crisis communications firm in D.C. for eighteen months and then moved to South Florida to work for a startup as their Spokesperson and Communications Director. After doing that for a year and a half, he decided to start a business and founded Red Banyan. Evan’s event Immediately after graduating, Evan left to attend an event he had been planning for several months. Senator Bob Dole was the speaker, and the event took place just after he had lost the run for president.  The AIPAC Conference The biggest event Evan has ever assisted in planning was the AIPAC Conference in Washington D.C., with 20,000 people attending. Until Covid, that event happened every year for 20 years in a row, and Evan was there for every event without missing a single year. Planning those events was always a mammoth undertaking, and it involved an enormous amount of logistics. People are not always how they appear on TV In the twenty years he spent in D.C., Evan noticed that sometimes the people who seem the nicest on TV turn out to be the worst, and those with the worst reputations are the nicest. Leaving his first job Evan decided to leave his first job because he was afraid of being pigeon-holed or becoming a one-trick pony. He needed to see what else was out there and wanted to test himself.  Moving to Florida When Evan moved to Florida, his wife was nine months pregnant with their second child, and they knew almost no one. He advises anyone with an opportunity to move to Florida not to do it with a heavily pregnant wife or in the middle of summer.  Leaving the startup Evan decided to leave the startup because he knew it would soon blow up in a bad way. He got well educated at the startup and learned a lot about venture funding, but he wanted to get out and do his own thing before things went wrong.  Starting Red Banyan out of desperation He started Red Banyan out of desperation because he knew that the company he was working for would not make it. In both the jobs he did after leaving AIPAC, he ended up not enjoying the culture of the organizations or the way they did business. So he gave himself one year to see if he could make Red Banyan work. Why did Evan start the kind of business he did? Evan started his business because it involved doing what he knew. He is a communicator, and he did not know anything else.  The challenge The challenge he faced when starting his business was that he was good at doing the work, but he did not understand how to be an entrepreneur.  Building an enterprise Evan’s involvement with EO and getting coaching and mentorship from other entrepreneurs made all the difference. In time, he got the education he needed, so he transitioned from thinking of the business as a consultancy to building an enterprise and an organization that could operate with him at the helm but did not need him for the day-to-day. Looking back  Looking back, he finds it hard to believe that he was willing to make that leap. But he knows he is doing what he needs to do, and he learned many valuable lessons along the way.  Trust the process Evan believes that if you have the right mindset and mentality, all your experiences in life will lead you on a journey. So you have to trust that whatever you are doing is right for you.  Learning from your mistakes You learn more from your mistakes than you do from your wins. Lessons learned Evan learned from his experience as an entrepreneur that getting paid something was better than earning nothing. He also discovered that you can't afford to have too much revenue tied up in one client.  Evan’s book Evan wrote the book Crisis Averted: PR Strategies to Protect Your Reputation and the Bottom Line, and he also read it on Audible. PR and crisis  In his book, Evan explains that PR and crisis are not only for the big dog. They are for everyone. That has never been more important than right now because we live in a dangerous time. So a good person trying to do the right thing is never more than one bad article, comment, review, or accusation away from facing an existential crisis.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Even Nierman On the Red Banyan Website On LinkedIn On Facebook On Twitter Evan’s book, Crisis Averted, on Audible

Today, we are happy to be speaking to an icon in our industry who is also an amazing leader! Carrie Ferenac has been a co-owner of CNTV (Convention News Television) for fifteen years and is currently the chairwoman of the board of directors of IAEE.   In this episode, Carrie tells her story and talks about her business. She shares her business experience and insights, offers advice for business owners, and talks about transparency, virtual learning, the importance of connecting, showing up, volunteering, and what needs to be done to build a company culture in our current environment.  We hope you enjoy our interesting and insightful conversation with Carrie Ferenac today! Bio: Carrie and her business partner, Marcelo Zolessi, co-founded Convention News Television (CNTV) in 2007 after seeing a need for digital content and live production in the exhibitions and events industry. Now, the company produces live and remote content for more than seventy clients annually. The video stories bring events to life and offer associations and for-profit show organizers a new stream of revenue through sponsorships. CNTV also partners with IAEE, PCMA, TSNN, and Tradeshow Executive to produce video content and live coverage of industry events throughout the year.  Carrie has an extensive background in broadcast journalism and management. She spent eleven years at the NBC affiliate in Orlando (WESH-TV). Now, Carrie is entrenched in the meetings industry. She is the current chair of the IAEE Board of Directors, and Immediate Past Chair of the CEIR Board. She was a finalist for PCMA’s Supplier of the year in 2017 and 2019. She volunteers her time and energy to projects that forward the industry, including Exhibitions Day and the Exhibitions Mean Business campaign. Carrie’s story After graduating from the University of Florida, Carrie became a hard-core journalist and worked in TV news for more than a decade. Most of her professional career was spent at the NBC affiliate in Orlando. She then ventured out on her own and started CNTV with her business partner in 2007 CNTV  CNTV produces video content, live-streaming, and virtual events in the meetings and events industry. It is mostly for trade shows, conventions, and conferences.  Evolving Over the last year-and-a-half, CNTV pivoted, evolved, and changed. Now they are evolving into doing hybrid events. Transparency Transparency has always been important at CNTV. With the onset of Covid, they spoke to their employees every day when the news was coming out, gave them updates on what was happening with all the shows, and kept everyone informed of the latest numbers. They also communicated directly with all their employees about their lay-offs and furlough. Maintaining that level of transparency helped them get through the crisis and the tough times. Daily check-ins They still have daily ten or fifteen-minute check-ins with their staff to keep the communication lines open and answer questions. CNTV Day Every year, they have CNTV Day and spend an entire day taking every staff member on a full-day retreat where they plan for the future, answer questions about anything, do hands-on training, and even share some of their finances. It is done to keep the whole team as on board as possible and teach everyone about the business. Starting a business  Starting a business is not easy because you need the stomach for it, and you have to be ready to evolve. Carrie and her business partner recruited a convention expert to consult with them about the industry.  Ask for help It is always worth asking! Ask for help, and remember those who helped you along the way.  Taking classes Carrie took every class she could learn something from because she had to learn how to be a business owner.  Virtual trade show Carrie does not think that the virtual trade show worked. She believes that trade shows should be in-person. Virtual learning  Carrie believes that virtual learning and education are good and here to stay. A live studio Adding a live studio is a way to get thought leaders on camera to create content and assist with virtual content for virtual events. Hiring producers When it comes to event marketing and creating unique experiences, hiring a producer is a good idea. Producers can help tell a compelling story, convert it to great content, summarize an event, and post it online.  Connections Connecting is vital because people tend to remember the relationships and connections they make at events. Showing up and volunteering It is important to put yourself out there and get involved if you want to start a business. Showing up and volunteering is a great way to make connections and get involved. CIER research The CIER research predicts that we will be back to pre-pandemic numbers by the start of 2024. 2022 and beyond Although Carrie is optimistic about the future, she believes that the rest of 2022 will still be hard. We are also seeing some changes this year that we will have to get used to in the future.  A changing workforce The different and creative ways people are making money right now are changing the traditional workforce. Carrie feels that we need to be open to that and adapt to it. Building a company culture in today’s environment To build a company culture in the current environment, we need to listen more carefully to what employees want. (Most people want fair pay, flexibility, and direction.) Employees also need to conform to the company’s values.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with Carrie Ferenac On CNTV website

Today, we have the great pleasure of speaking to Terry Manion. Terry is another icon in our industry! He spent many years arranging incentive travel and is currently President of the Toronto-based consulting company Inspire Consulting. He is the immediate past President of the SITE Foundation.   In this episode, Terry shares some insights from a survey being done currently by the SITE Foundation. He also discusses his career and offers nuggets of wisdom from his many years of experience in organizing incentive travel across the world and then selling his company. We hope you enjoy listening to our informative conversation with Terry Manion today! Bio: Terry is currently President of Inspire Consulting, a Toronto-based consulting company that focuses on entrepreneurial start-ups and small businesses. Inspire provides guidance, support, and access to the tools and professional services needed for a growing business.   As a former partner of Meridican Incentive Consultants, Terry was very involved in the growth of that respected incentive and meeting planning company. “We weren’t always perfect, and it is through the stumbles that the greatest lessons were learned. It is through these experiences that Inspire leads growing businesses through the challenges associated with Human Resources, Cash Flow, New Markets and Growth to name a few of the areas of expertise.” A long-time member of the Society for Incentive Excellence and the SITE Foundation President in 2021, Terry continues to support the industry through his activities on the SITE Foundation Board of Trustees. Terry’s story Terry had no idea what he wanted to do after high school, so he decided to travel. He worked in hotels in Switzerland and then returned home to do a two-year diploma course in business administration and travel and tourism. After meeting some people along the way, he moved into the world of incentive travel and spent ten years working as a salesperson for a Canadian company that was deeply involved with SITE. Co-partner He then became a co-partner in Meridican Incentive Consultants. In 2019, they sold the company to Creative Group, and Terry stayed with them for just over a year and a half.  Inspire Consulting  In May of 2021, Terry started Inspire Consulting as a semi-retirement piece. Terry uses his experience to help businesses avoid potential pitfalls and grow. A memorable experience  One of Terry’s most memorable experiences was taking over the Sistine Chapel for a cocktail party. Rwanda Terry loved going to Rwanda to see the beautiful country and walk with the gorillas. It was a life-changing experience for him! Assessing his business Terry’s business was healthy, well-run, and debt-free when he sold it. It also had tremendously loyal staff and clients. Assessing your business  About ten years ago, Terry and his partner had their business assessed to get an impartial view of how the business world might value it. After that, they decided that their business was not quite ready to be sold.  Terry feels that anyone considering selling their business should do the same.  Retiring Terry feels that it is wise to plan for your retirement. He and his wife filled in several profile surveys to help them know what to do in their retirement years. Terry was fortunate to have been President of the SITE Foundation when he retired because his voluntary position there allowed him to stay relevant, and it kept him occupied. Referrals All the business he is currently working on came through referrals from former clients or friends growing their businesses. SITE SITE is a global organization dedicated to strengthening and supporting the incentive travel industry. The SITE Association is a membership organization focused mainly on incentive travel. Anyone affiliated with incentive travel can become a member.  The SITE Foundation The SITE Foundation is an arm of SITE. Its primary role is to raise funds for research projects, scholarships, and grants to support professional development within the industry world.  Incentive travel Incentive travel creates added value and motivation for cooperation for its participants. Those who participate in incentive travel experience moments they cannot duplicate if they ever return to the same place with family or friends. Some tangible benefits of incentive travel    Incentive travel gets primarily used as a sales motivator. Incentive travel programs motivate the retention and loyalty of dealers and distributors and create a level of communication that can only happen when people get the opportunity to live together for several days or a week or two. Incentive travel provides opportunities for networking and the sharing of best practices between groups of top-end salespeople, even long after the trip is over. Incentive travel also allows for a spread of culture and provides an opportunity for leadership to communicate with their top people. Non-sales motivation Terry was surprised and a little disappointed to learn that incentive travel has not been used more for non-sales motivation. Driving best practices Different metrics exist within most companies to measure how well the employees in various positions are performing. Building incentive programs with those metrics involved will drive best practices. It will also encourage the kind of behavior the company requires. Active leadership Terry feels it is vital and valuable for leadership to be actively involved on-site with incentive travel programs.  Unique experiences The culture piece of businesses has always been important. Now, it is even more so because it brings people together. Incentive travel allows people to have unique experiences that they will not want to miss the next time!  Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Terry Manion On LinkedIn SITE Foundation  

You are in for a treat today! We are over the moon to have the phenomenal Jayson Gaignard, the creator of the MMT Community, join us as our guest for the 100th Episode of the Business of Meetings Podcast!  Jayson is an incredibly inspiring individual and fantastic entrepreneur whose name we have often mentioned on the show! In this episode, he tells his motivating story, discusses the value of relationships, and shares the secret to MMT’s success. In addition, he discusses the impact of the pandemic on his business and community and talks about what has driven and motivated him over the last two years. We hope you enjoy our stimulating conversation with Jayson Gaignard today! Jayson’s bio Named one of Forbes “Top Networkers to Watch,” Jayson Gaignard founded one of the world’s most exclusive communities for entrepreneurs. With just shy of 19,500 applications since its inception in 2013, the invite-only MMT Community has a lower acceptance rate than Harvard University, and brings together brilliant minds from various industries for curated networking, targeted troubleshooting and custom events, both live and virtual. Jayson’s work has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, Forbes, Life Hacker, Business Insider, and in Tim Ferriss's New York Times bestseller, Tools of Titans. Jayson is also the founder and host of Community Made, a top-rated business podcast on iTunes. Jayson’s story After dropping out of high school, Jayson started a personal concierge firm. He did that for some time and then realized that service-based businesses are hard to scale. So, he pivoted and started an online product business, traveled the world, and made a lot of money. Even so, he was stressed. He also developed health problems and he no longer felt aligned with the work he was doing. He began to wonder how much it all mattered until he finally understood that money and happiness scale very differently. Scaling down When he realized his heart was not in the business, Jayson decided to scale it down to zero. Unfortunately, things did not work out as planned. So he landed up a quarter-of-a-million dollars in debt. An opportunity A month or two later, an opportunity came his way. Someone he had met at an event had an extra ticket available for a Seth Godin event in New York, and it included participating in one of his workshops. Jayson had always been a Seth Godin fan, so he took the ticket. The theme of the event The theme of the event was the connection economy and the value of connecting with like-minded individuals. Hosting dinners  Jayson decided to start hosting dinners and bringing fascinating people together because he felt lonely and isolated. It ended up being a great success! It became clear to him that creating a container for bringing fascinating people together, and being in their presence, was something he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Tim Ferriss After Jayson had hosted dinners for about a month, the best-selling author Tim Ferriss learned that he would be banned from all retail distribution because he was the first big-name author to publish through Amazon. To combat that, Tim started a book-bundle campaign in which he offered to do two speaking engagements for people who bought 4,000 of his books. Jayson saw that and reached out to Tim to get the package. He also reached out to a friend who did leadership events in Canada with thousands of people attending.  Reaching out Jayson had to stretch himself to pay for all the books, so he reached out to three friends. One of them gave him the money he needed. The value of relationships  Later, when Jayson asked his friend why he made such a risky investment, he said he lent him the money because he was investing in him, not the business. That made two things clear to him: You never know the value of your relationships until you need it, and when you hit rock bottom, you will be left with only your word and your relationships. That also taught him that you should never turn against your word, and you should always invest in your relationships.  Amazing people Jayson has learned that amazing people become even better over time! He loves finding people with low confidence, investing in them, and adding fuel to their journeys! MMT When he did his first event, Jayson did not know how to put on an event. That is why MMT is more like a wedding than a conference in terms of its high-touch nature.  The first MMT event Jayson did not have the money to pay the speakers to draw an audience for his first event. So he asked the audience to vote for the best speaker and offered a $25,000 prize for the winner. He ended up having many $30,000 speakers competing for the $25,000 prize! He also had Tim Ferriss as the anchor speaker. Honesty As a result of Jayson’s honesty, the speakers wanted to support him. So they used their social media channels to promote the first event. The secret sauce MMT’s secret sauce for success is its curation process. The process only allows people who are the right fit, in terms of their core values to attend their events and become members of their community.  Raising the bar Over the years, the curation process of MMT events has become tighter. They are serving different people now than they were before, and recently, they have grown the organization differently. Rather than putting on more, or bigger events, they now scale by raising the caliber of the people attending the events. They have also upped the price-point of the events. The pandemic Jayson did not want the pandemic to disrupt the business or the community. So he offered the community either a full refund or the option to move their spot forward to 2021. All the members opted to move their spots forward to 2021. 2021 In 2021, they had to move the event a full calendar year ahead once again. Again, everyone transferred their spots. Even so, they lost a lot of revenue. Fortunately, the loyalty and support of the members have made things manageable. Tough times Jason spends ninety percent of his social time with the people in his MMT community. His love of his community drove him and motivated him to keep going when things got tough over the last two years. Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Jayson Gaignard On LinkedIn MMT Community   Books mentioned: The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss The 4-Hour Chef by Tim Ferriss

Today, we have the pleasure of speaking to a legend in our industry! Rémy Crégut is the head of the 2m2c Montreux Music and Convention Center in Montreux, where the Montreux Jazz Festival is held. He also started the MPI chapter in France and is an active ECM member. Rémy has had some wonderful life experiences! He had a fantastic career in the hotel industry and did various jobs within the Meetings and Events industry.  Rémy is an excellent example of what servant leadership means. In this episode, he shares his fascinating story, talks about leadership, and discusses his experiences before becoming the General Manager of the 2m2c Montreux Music and Convention Center. They include participating in the Paris Dakar off-road race, joining the army, running a team of truckers in America, and rising through the ranks in a hotel. He also shares some of the lessons he learned along the way and some key points for having a successful career.  We hope you enjoy our exciting and inspiring conversation with Rémy Crégut today! Rémy Crégut’s bio Rémy Crégut is the Founder and has been the Honorary President of the MPI French Chapter since 1997, a member of the MPI Foundation European Council, and was an active ECM Member from 2006 to 2016. Rémy is a man with a diverse and rich professional background! Between 1984 -1996, he occupied senior sales and marketing positions at Sofitel, Hyatt Hotels, and Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts. He subsequently created Disneyland Paris Business Solutions, acting as a director for 3 years, and then moved to the Côte d’Azur to open the Grimaldi Forum Monaco.  Two years later, he became Executive Vice-President of LSO International, the largest destination management company in France at that time. Before accepting his current position in Montreux, he was heading Center Parcs Business Solutions in Rotterdam.  In 2005 Rémy accepted the role of General Manager of the 2m2c Montreux Music and Convention Center, host of the famous long-lasting Montreux Jazz Festival. Remy had been serving on different boards (Club Français du Tourisme d'Affaires, ANAé, and European Cities Marketing).  He now sits in various committees, such as the Coesio (French Speaking Congress Destinations), Swiss Convention Centers Alliance, the Swiss Riviera Economic Development Office, the Swiss Riviera Hotels Association, the Montreux Riviera Convention Bureau, and the Partners Club of the French Association of Event Agencies. Joining the family business  Rémy always dreamed of working in the family business. His father wanted him to get a diploma before joining the company, which constructed roads, airports, and parking lots. So Remy enrolled at the Ecole Spéciale des Travaux Publics in Paris, got a diploma, and became part of the business. Business school  After his father sold the business, Rémy enrolled in a business school in the south of France. After a year, he quit his studies because he wanted to find his own way in life.  A hotel in the south of France Around the same time, one of his aunts opened a hotel in the south of France, so Rémy started working there. He had to do almost everything from driving to cooking to being a porter because his aunt had no experience as a hotelier. Paris Dakar  Rémy always wanted to participate in the Paris Dakar off-road race. He finally got the opportunity to do it on a motorbike in January 1992, and it was a memorable experience! He gained a lot of confidence from doing it, and it afforded him the chance to learn more about the world.  The army Rémy then spent a compulsory year in the army. That was another valuable experience for him. It allowed him to get in touch with real life in France and meet people from all over the country. A new adventure While working at his aunt’s hotel, an American man who had made a fortune in specialized industrial cleaning asked Rémy to work for him and open subsidiaries in America. Rémy agreed.  Running a team of truckers Six months later, the employer went bankrupt and asked Rémy to help him run a team of truckers from Virginia to Louisiana to fetch the equipment from the various subsidiaries to sell it off. The value of experience It is vital to be curious and have diverse experiences. Learning from your experiences and applying what you learned is valuable because that will help you develop responsibility and become more competent as a leader. Hotel in Paris Rémy learned most of what he knows today from working for a Sofitel hotel in Paris, answering client requests, and organizing meetings and events. After six months, he got promoted to manager. He spent the next five years working for the hotel, doing different jobs.  The key to success Rémy’s curiosity was the key to his success in his first job.  Mission When you work for an organization, you will have a mission. Find out what the missions of those working around you are too, and get to know who does what. You will earn the respect of your co-workers when you listen to them and make an effort to understand what they do. Predict the unpredictable Rémy believes that part of any job in the events industry is predicting the unpredictable. The more experience you have, the easier it becomes. Montreaux Montreaux is a beautiful, panoramic city. Everyone Rémy has ever invited there has returned!  Entertainment in Montreaux Discovering all the entertainment in Montreaux was a whole new world for Rémy! As well as the famous Montreaux Jazz Festival, Montreaux also hosts the oldest classical music festival and the largest French-speaking humor festival in Switzerland.  Creating enjoyable and unique experiences Everything Rémy has done in his life has helped prepare him for what he does now. It is all about hosting people and creating enjoyable and unique experiences. MPI Starting an MPI chapter in France helped Rémy grow. It also helped him improve various aspects of his personality and brush up on his public speaking. Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Rémy Crégut On LinkedIn On YouTube Article about Rémy Crégut

Today, we are very happy to be speaking to Hilmar Tonnemacher, the founder and owner of Abenteuer Afrika Safari! Hilmar is from Namibia, in Southern Africa. In this episode, Hilmar tells his story, talks about Namibia, and shares his knowledge and experience. We talk about enjoying life and incentive trips, and Hilmar shares some valuable nuggets that are particularly helpful for preparing for the unexpected in business in the future.  We hope you enjoy our fun and exciting conversation with Hilmar Tonnemacher today! Hilmar Tonnemacher’s bio “Abenteuer Afrika Safari”: The German name stands for Adventure Africa Safari (which is also a registered Trade Name in Namibia). The company was founded in 1993 by Hilmar Tonnemacher. Having grown up on a Namibian farm, Hilmar was accustomed to the distant horizons and the beauty of the rugged nature in between. It is believed that it was this wide expanse that gave him the vision that would later lead his business to such great success. As a toddler he was standing on his dad’s lap, hands on the steering wheel, so it was no surprise to anyone that at the tender age of 7, Hilmar started driving the farm truck, a Land Rover 88’ Series. Here began a love affair and to this very day there is always, amongst other Land Rover products, an “88 or 90” in his life. As a young adult, Hilmar studied Hotel Management and ended off his education with a Senior Hotel Executive Course in Switzerland. After over 10 years in Management positions in Hotels in South Africa and Namibia, his passion for nature led him to start a Safari Company. Turning his leisure love into a business, Hilmar started sharing the immense vastness of Namibia’s nature with clients. His passion for four-wheel driving soon expanded into Incentive and Corporate travel, as well as Leisure travel.  Allowing stressed executives from all over the world, to experience the dream of driving a 4x4 on trails that rarely were circular, but mostly a means to a remote destination of beauty. The clients experience the thrill of driving in unspoiled nature, ending at a campfire under the spectacular African sky and even occasionally sleeping under canvas, but Hilmar’s Hotel background brings an exciting twist to the experience, because there is always a luxurious surprise, whether skydivers deliver chilled bubbly and fresh oysters in the remotest desert location or an African Achapella Choir appears out of the dark at the campfire to entertain, or gorgeous Lodges are reached after a thrilling day’s drive. Always adhering to the fine line between sustainability of nature, trail driving and not compromising on luxury, Hilmar built up a multi-million operation that caters to around 40,000 clients annually. Some are self-drive clients that, armed with a detailed roadbook, experience the remote beauty of Namibian nature on their own in a rented 4x4; others are guided either in self-drive groups in rented 4x4’s with specialist guides carefully mentoring the drivers via two-way radios, and sharing copious amounts of background information and folklore about the country, it’s wildlife and tribes; or groups being taken around in coaches or specially designed and built 4x4 luxury adventure vehicles. Amongst their clients were the original Land Rover Experience trips of Namibia, Skoda Yeti adventure tours, and still are the Porsche Drive Experience groups. In fact, about every 4x4 vehicle brand has been associated with Abenteuer Afrika Safari. Whether it was the launch of Mercedes’ AMG G Series or most Japanese 4x4s, they all had a taste of Hilmar’s Creative Team in Namibia. Hilmar and his team skillfully choose the multiply different terrain to enhance but never embarrass the ability and capability of the different levels of the vehicles. As a result of this, quite a number of vehicle sales have been generated after affluent clients, wanting to bring some of the memories of the Namibian trip into their daily lives, ended up purchasing such a vehicle. Abenteuer Afrika Safari’s motto: Creative Minds Playing at Work, says it all. Hilmar Tonnemacher’s background Hilmar was born in Namibia. He grew up on a sheep farm in the south of the country. After completing his military conscription, he wanted to try something different, so he decided to get into the hotel industry. He was surprised to discover how much work it entailed, but as a child, he was taught to finish whatever he started, so he completed his studies and obtained a Degree in Hotel Management. He followed that with a Senior Executive course in Switzerland before returning home to work as the youngest General Manager in Namibia.  A midlife crisis When he turned 30, Hilmar had a midlife crisis because he was no longer the youngest person doing what he was doing.  An incentive opportunity While working as the General Manager, he was approached by a South African incentive company, asking him to host 100 people outside on the beach rather than in the beautiful, newly-restored hotel restaurant. Initially, he thought it was a crazy idea, but he thought it could be fun, so he decided to do it, and it became his first incentive opportunity. He realized that being out of the box with incentives and events was a lot more fun than being stuck in a hotel with only a couple of outlets. Still a hotelier Now, Hilmar is still a hotelier. However, he has many more outlets and beds to sell in Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. Creating memories Helping people create unique memories keeps Hilmar going! Creating a company of his own Hilmar will soon be celebrating 30 years of Abenteuer Afrika Safari! He felt no fear when he started the business. He just started it and did it, even though it was very different from what he expected it to be. Driving When he was very young, Hilmar started driving a Land Rover while standing on his father’s lap. When he was seven years old, he drove the Land Rover on his own, for the first time - without permission. Even though he got into serious trouble, he was still allowed to drive from then on.  Africa Africa is often perceived by the rest of the world as a country when it is a continent.  Namibia On the map, Namibia is situated in southwest Africa, just north of South Africa. It is approximately the same size as Texas and Oklahoma put together. It has a population of 2.5-million people, making it one of the least populated countries on earth.  The nature in Namibia The nature in Namibia is very beautiful! The Namib Desert is considered a living desert because it is so full of life. It is the oldest desert in the world and has some of the world’s highest dunes. There is no light pollution in Namibia, so the stars are visible from horizon to horizon at night. It is also ideal terrain four-wheel driving. Flying  Namibia offers some of the world’s most affordable charter flying. Flying is an integral part of travel in Namibia because it is a vast country, and flying is relatively inexpensive.  Preparing for a crisis as a business owner Although he is an out-of-the-box thinker, Hilmar leaves nothing to chance. As a business owner, it is risky to draw money out of your business or live a high life, even when your business is doing well because that will leave you with no reserves.  Lifestyle The Namibian lifestyle is measured differently from that in the US or Europe. Namibian people do not live extravagantly, but life is very good there, and you do not need to spend much money. The nature, sunshine, fresh air, and food in Namibia are phenomenal! They also have one of the richest fishing grounds on earth. Keeping afloat in times of trouble When you live within your means, you will have the necessary reserves if trouble starts. If trouble does start, you need to recognize it and use every possible opportunity to keep your business afloat. Giving Hilmar believes in giving. His industry is about relationships. So he understands that if he saves someone a dollar today, they will willingly spend two dollars with him tomorrow.  Support During the pandemic, many of the companies that had already paid Hilmar large deposits trusted him enough to leave their deposits with him to be used for future arrangements. Invest in yourself Hilmar believes that the best investment you can make as a business owner is within yourself. Investing in the training of your staff is also vital.  Strengthen your business The assets you have in your business will carry you through unforeseen occurrences like the pandemic. Before drawing profits out of your company, strengthen your business by buying the property you are in rather than giving a large portion of your earnings away to a landlord.  Tomorrow It is important to prepare for tomorrow if you want your lifestyle to be sustainable.  Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Hilmar Tonnemacher On Abenteuer Afrika Safari website  

We have the great pleasure of speaking to Joe Calloway today! Joe is a multi-faceted character who has had a remarkable career as a speaker! Since retiring from the speaking industry, he has involved himself in many different ventures.  Whenever Joe speaks, there is always something to learn! In this episode, he tells his fascinating story and shares some valuable nuggets from his vast experience. He talks about preparing for keynotes, his way of selling, and entrepreneurship. He also explains how he motivates himself to keep going when times get tough, discusses what he has learned from his involvement in the wholesale Kentucky bourbon business, and talks about the happy process of figuring out life after retiring. We hope you learn something new today and enjoy listening to our captivating conversation with Joe Calloway! Joe Calloway’s bio: Joe Calloway is an investor and entrepreneur who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife Annette. They have two daughters, Cate and Jessica. A former business consultant and speaker, Joe worked with companies ranging from Coca-Cola and Verizon to Delta Air Lines and American Express. Joe also worked as an advisor with small to mid-sized businesses, as well as professional services groups, non-profits, and government organizations. Joe has presented workshops at leadership events in countries around the world including Italy, Sweden, South Africa, England, Swaziland, Canada, Mexico, and throughout the Caribbean. He is a member of the Speakers Hall of Fame. Joe is a Principal in The Disruption Lab and has served as Executive In Residence at Belmont University’s Center For Entrepreneurship. He is a partner in Barrel Stock Trading Company, a company in the wholesale Kentucky bourbon business. Joe is the author of eight published business books, including Becoming A Category of One: How Extraordinary Companies Transcend Commodity And Defy Comparison, which received rave reviews from The New York Times, Retailing Today, Publishers Weekly, and many others. His other books include Be The Best At What Matters Most, Magnetic: The Art Of Attracting Business, Keep It Simple, and his latest book, The Leadership Mindset. Joe is an investor in and active advisor to two successful start-up companies, Gilson Boards, a snowboard and ski manufacturer, and EVAmore, an online event and booking company. He is a partner in several real estate developments throughout the mid-South. Joe Calloway’s story Joe started his career traveling from city to city as a subcontractor, doing full-day pre-packaged training program workshops geared mostly for business managers. After that, he started doing workshops of his own. That later evolved into keynote speaking, which Joe continued doing for more than thirty years. Changing his content regularly Joe has a low threshold for boredom, so he found it fun to regularly change his topics and content because that kept his interest level high.  Many irons in the fire Joe has “been there and done that”, and he wanted to do something new. So, three years ago, he went from doing keynotes to doing about a year of small group workshops with senior leadership teams for mid-sized companies. He also did some executive coaching and real estate projects, and got involved in the manufacture of snowboards and skis and the wholesale Kentucky bourbon business.  Preparing for keynotes When preparing for a keynote, Joe always personalized what he would say. He had a lot of material which he put together differently each time he spoke. Selling Many speakers spend most of their time marketing and selling. Joe did not do that because bureaus were his pipeline, and they did the selling. Joe knew that if he did a good job, then word of mouth, referrals, and repeats would take care of the selling. So, he kept working on his upcoming speeches to make them as good as possible. Quitting Over time, doing speeches became less and less exciting for Joe. Eventually, he did not want to do them at all, so he emailed every bureau that represented him, saying that he would no longer be doing keynotes and asking them to remove him from their websites. Conversational presentations Over time, Joe developed a preference for doing more conversational presentations. Entrepreneurship Joe points out that entrepreneurship is not for everyone, and the journey of most entrepreneurs is a hard one.  The trap entrepreneurs can fall into People can fall into a trap when they get an idea and fall in love with it. When they put their idea out into the marketplace, they may discover it is not marketable.  Helping college seniors Several years ago, Joe was the entrepreneur in residence for Belmont University’s Center for Entrepreneurship. He helped college seniors who were starting companies navigate their way. Gathering information The early stages of entrepreneurship are about gathering information and getting your business off the ground.  Clarity As an entrepreneur, you need to be clear about what you want and love to do. The beauty of entrepreneurship is that you can run your business in any way you want to.  Things could go wrong When Joe gets a good idea, he thinks about all the reasons why it might not work. He also considers that there will be downturns in the economy and understands that other problems could arise.  Motivation to keep going A long time ago, Joe learned that when something goes wrong, it is probably normal- even if it is awful. Knowing that, and adopting a constructive approach to any situation, helps him get through tough times. He has also developed a network of other speakers over the years who support one another when times are hard. Bourbon Getting involved in the wholesale Kentucky bourbon business has been a catalyst for Joe to learn a whole lot more about the fascinating bourbon industry! Retirement Since retiring, Joe has been trying to figure out how to live without the day-to-day engagement he is used to having with his various businesses.  Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Joe Calloway On LinkedIn  Books mentioned: Buy Then Build by Walker Deibel