2018 has been an amazing year. Not only did we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we launched a successful speaker series called “Look Who’s Talking”. The mission behind this new speaker series was two-fold.
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Bring a wide range of people together for high quality networking.
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Present a speaker who could share interesting stories and insights, relevant to all categories of business and professionals.
Clearly there was a need for this type of programming here in the Twin Cities as attendance grew from one event to the next. So, thank you to all who attended this past year. You were instrumental in helping us launch this mission and set the stage for continuation of the series. If you missed any of the events, here are some brief highlights.
At the inaugural event in May, Joe Peters of Vasque Footwear shared a bit about #VasqueView and how the brand recognized an opportunity to feature social sharing from their loyal ambassadors. Afterall, who better to create social content for a brand than those wearing the product and traveling the world?
July featured Tim McNiff and his wise counsel on a new method he teaches to gain the attention of the media. It was a great opportunity to understand how this seasoned media professional translated his real-world experience into tangible advice appropriate for people and brands alike.
And, our December event featured Laura Schara, founder of Wildly Living and co-host of the popular television program, Minnesota Bound. Laura was accompanied by her flat-faced retriever, Bacon, as she shared lessons the outdoors have taught her about navigating business and everyday life. The largest takeaway from Laura’s talk that still sits with me today, as I write this post, is perseverance. When agents told her she could not have a career that combined both fashion and the pheasant field, she was discouraged. But it was actually her experiences in the pheasant field that drove her to stay after the dream. Patience, focus, humility, and defeat all drove Laura to not give up and to earn the ability to say, “Yes, I can and here’s how I do it.”
Laura’s lessons from the outdoors resonated with our inquisitive audience as questions ranged from,“How can outdoor apparel brands better serve the female audience?” and, “What are some tips for success in shooting clay and skeet?” That’s a question I never thought I’d hear at a business networking event!
Everyone left inspired as Laura drew real connections between the outdoors and life. It was plain to see that Laura’s affection and talent in the outdoors is authentic. And it’s quite heartwarming how she credits her father, Ron Schara, with introducing her to this way of life. True to her father’s mission, Laura was sure to remind the audience that it’s up to us to “introduce a kid to the outdoors.”
Well, that’s a wrap.
Thanks to our three featured speakers in 2018, I believe we accomplished the earlier stated “Look Who’s Talking” mission. Stay tuned for 2019 programming. The bar has been set high and we will continue to follow Laura’s sage advice and departing words, “Go ahead and shoot like a girl, just make sure you shoot for the STARs.”
That is our daily mission.
Happy Holidays, everyone!
