The Stevie® Awards’ Post

Did I really learn something from my recent jury service that I can apply to our event program at Mercy? 🤔 No, I learned 4 things, and here they are: 📣 Give clear instructions - I’d never served jury duty before a few weeks ago, so I had no idea what to expect (aside from boredom). Thankfully, these court people do this every day, and all of their instructions were very clear and easy to follow, right down to where to park and how the day works. That reduced my anxiety around all that uncertainty and made a chore feel a bit more bearable, or at least easier to complete. ⌚ Own the moment - Does anyone really look forward to jury duty? The people working there aren’t ignorant of that fact, but instead of running away from it they embrace it. Everyone working was sympathetic about the hardship of serving, and the acknowledgement and understanding that it was a sacrifice to be there made me feel better about being there. 🎉 Let your passion inspire - This may be an outlier experience, but our local Commissioner of Jurors is fantastic! It was clear to me that she cared deeply about her responsibility in her role, and that passion shone through in how she presented the information we needed to know. She was approachable, humorous and most of all relatable, all while setting clear goals for the week. 🙏 Show gratitude - The last thing that struck me was how appreciative every single person was just for my presence. Everyone who talked to us thanked us for our service at least twice each time they addressed the group. That made me feel that not only was my time not wasted, but that my presence was appreciated. I was special just for showing up. I hope I’m not delusional, but I feel like these are good tips to improve an open house or visitation program. Most students and families don’t necessarily want to be there (at least that’s what I infer from our show rates), but our goal at the end of every visit is to have each person feel like their day with us was time well spent. Not that I want my events to feel like jury duty to our guests 🙄 but if we can give clear instructions on what to expect when you get here, and then let our passion inspire others, all while showing gratitude for their time, we’ll make a lasting positive impression.

Make sure you're Award Ready this award season by following our 10 steps for success blog from Justine Sinclair

Working with small businesses I know it can sometimes feel like just extra work to do an award - but there are some great benefits besides just getting some hardware! Here’s a blog I wrote on some benefits and also some tips about how to write an award application.

Allow me to speak to this post, individual and our relationship. About 10 years ago when I worked for AFR Furniture Rental I met Alex Carvalho, CMP, DES it was my first PCMA Northern California Chapter meeting and I was seated at her table. I didn't know anyone there. Then, Brian Bouchelle introduced us to one another. Alex looked me dead in the eye & said, "And who are you?" And if you know her, you can imagine the look on her face & her tone, LOL! At that time, she knew nothing about AFR. Then, she sent me my first opportunity to work with her & her company. This began what has become more than just a client/vendor relationship. Since my AFR days, Alex has stuck with me through all my moving around & we've built a personal relationship on top of this. When people ask me about sales as a career & how they get scared, I always tell them it's because you're looking at it as a numbers game. And it TOTALLY is. However, I always then share, that first & foremost, you're 'selling' yourself. Then you're offering the relationship. And this is how I've been able to connect & work with individuals like Alex. This picture was taken this past Saturday at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as we were a part of history watching University of Southern California play their final game ever against Stanford University, and what an AWESOME experience that was. Do I appreciate her business? Of course I do. However, what I cherish & what we'll always have after the show is over, is our relationship. Our friendship. The laughter. The support. And all of the memories we've created over the last 10 years. So, to Brian, I thank you. And to you, Alex, I can honestly say, nothing but LOVE for you!! PS... Sorry you got sun burnt that day! 🤦🏽♂️🤷🏽♂️ MC&A #friendsforlife #clientforlife #meetingprofs #meetingsmeanbusiness #relationships #relationshipsmatter #meetingsindustry #meetingplanners #appreciationpost #appreciation #thankful #grateful

I believe if you want to change your life, you must start by changing your story. Curl up on the sofa with me, my best friend Chardonnay, and the cast of characters who show up to tell the story of this wayward southern belle trying to find her happy ending. As you stand in my story, you find yourself standing in your own - and learn that fairy tales do come true, if you have the courage to let them go. And did you know? Who Hijacked My Fairytale is also available as a keynote for business and conference events! https://lnkd.in/d-GFZFs

It was indeed a great event with many insights and inspiring journeys shared with like-minded executives. As I say (in different words) in this video "get out of your working mode or offices more often to experience a different flow and reset yourself" 💥💡👏 thanks Management Events #video #moderator #event #creativemind #open #newinsights

Lessons from the Climb ➡ : Four years ago, I had no clue I would be having a mountaintop moment today. This morning Good Morning America devoted five minutes to telling the Unclaimed Funds story at the Ohio Department of Commerce. My youngest son told me as I was watching the segment: "Mom- you're acting like a kid! You're so excited!!" Yes, Christian, I am. And this could not have happened without the team we have in place today. The journey has been more than worth it. When you’re brought in to change a communications culture, there is a lot of hard work, crucial conversations, and nights where you wonder if it can happen. Ultimately, you have a strategy and then the good fortune of finding the right individuals who believe in your philosophy and want to work with you to realize that vision. Here’s what I’ve learned that led us to this moment: 1)    Supportive leadership is crucial to your success. We could not do this without our executive leadership team and our divisional leaders. 2)    It takes a village AND time to find those who will support and understand your vision in a larger group that’s accustomed to a different way of doing things. Have patience and energy through the weeks and months required to make this happen. 3)    Great relationships with members of the media are key. Sometimes we have to work on difficult stories. Sometimes they’re interesting or fun. No matter what they are- be a help to reporters, producers, assignment editors, and more- and ask the right questions. Go above and beyond for those who engage with you in a positive way. 4)    Be willing to think outside of the box. In creating content in different forms, we were able to bring this piece together for GMA and they used some of the professional video, social media work, and event planning resources we developed as a team to complete- and ultimately lengthen- the piece. I hope you can check out what Jarrod Clay and Susan Wagner were able to create with the GMA producer and Gio Benitez- along with several other members of our team and other teams in supporting roles: Jennifer Jarrell, Michael Gravely Jr., MBA, Catherine Balderson Alicia Shoults Jason White Beyond proud. Grateful. #TeamOhio #storytelling #communications You can watch the segment here ⬇

See below on how to enter the Shorty Impact Awards!

It’s a terrific, take it to the top Tuesday to talk about what’s above the fold! If you remember when newspapers hit your doorstep the major headline would always appear above the fold. Today’s headline: Rockstars Illuminate our Industry! Here in Columbia South Carolina we are celebrating Hall of Fame Honorees: Victoria Cowart of Pet Screening and Chris Carter of Carter-Haston Real Estate. Maria Spencer, Director of Federal Legislative Affairs for NAA is emphasizing the importance of our PAC participation. Mark Cukro, of Plus One Consulting is reminding us that 8.8 million skilled workers are in demand. Russ Webb is sharing what’s on the horizon with Artificial Intelligence. Check out Pendant! The icing on the cake was watching Lyla Scott and Mike Holmes speak from the heart about Chris and Victoria. There’s absolutely nothing that compares to celebrating the success of people who have made an IMPACT in your life. (By the way, that was the topic of my keynote) With sold-out attendance, more than 40 of our industry’s most passionate presenters had the opportunity to teach, inspire, engage, and elevate an eager audience. As the opening keynote speaker, I quickly identified some new “baby birds” to add to our flock of winners. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it! Choose wisely. Take time this Tuesday and every day that ends in “y” to examine your “why.”

A big win for me in January - my first speaking event at GO WEST® Live especially considering the junk in my head. In Dec and January, I spent many hours and Saturdays preparing my talk and slide presentation. I knew the message and felt like I was prepared. Yet these crazy thoughts kept coming to mind. This quote from Alex Hormozi was how I answered those thoughts. "Outwork your self-doubt". That's what I did. And you know what? The entire experience was awesome. The feedback I received from attendees was very positive. They learned something new that they could take action on in their business. Yeah! Goal achieved. The big win for me is a 3-part bundle of "firsts". 1. the 1st time that I spoke at an event of this size 2. the 1st time I shared part of my framework outside of my direct client work with an audience 3. the 1st time that I wore a lanyard with the word "speaker" on it Each "first" brought its own set of nerves and challenges, but pushing through those moments of self-doubt was worth it. It's the hard things that help us grow. So, as we jump into February, I am off to seek out and sign up for a few more "hard things" until they become the easy things. 💪🏼 Thanks for listening! Drop a flex if you resonate. 💪🏼