Dare to Interrupt

What can we do to ensure that the right voices are included in conversations where decisions are being made? 

Trevor Lui, Principal of The Highbell Group and Co-Founder of Quell Agency, discusses his merit-based strategy to diversify positions of power, how he wishes leaders had handled the COVID-19 global pandemic, and continuing to make progress and create change in the future.

Episode 10 with guest Daphne Hoppenot

We can plan ahead, but we can’t predict the future. After realizing that women in the events industry hold massive buying power but don’t always get credit for their behind-the-scenes work, Daphne Hoppenot, CEO & Founder of The Vendry, launched a brand new network and marketplace with empowering women in events built into the foundation of her company’s mission.

Daphne encourages the audience to take leaps of faith and start new ventures, stay the course when things get tough, and give yourself permission to practice self-care in ways that are effective for you.

How can we ensure that we fill our own cup before attempting to fill another’s?

Angie Ahrens, Vice President of Program & Event Operations at Leadercast, discusses how reevaluating your core values, setting boundaries, and incorporating self-respect into your leadership approach are a few key strategies to successfully prioritizing your needs and supporting your team during times of crisis.

Featured Guest: Johanna Maska, Host, Pod is a Woman & CEO of Global Situation Room

What can we do to unite our country in the midst of ongoing divisiveness? 

Johanna Maska, host of Pod is a Woman, CEO of Global Situation Room and former White House Director of Press Advance for President Barack Obama, discusses how bringing people together who don’t agree, getting involved at the local level, and not backing down from tough conversations are the keys to creating a more connected, inclusive community.

Episode 7:

Featured guests: Annette Gregg, Sr. Vice President, Experience at Meeting Professionals International and Jenn Artura, Senior Director, Global Events & Incentive Programs at Veritas Technologies LLC.

What winning strategies have two of the industry's most accomplished women applied to their career journeys? Annette Gregg, Senior Vice President, Experience at Meeting Professionals International and Jenn Artura, Senior Director, Global Events & Incentive Programs at Veritas Technologies LLC., discuss how leaning into office politics, engaging sponsors with intention, and boldly creating self-visibility have been key to their professional advancement.

Featured guest: Elisabeth Diana, Vice President, Communications at Instagram

How do our communication techniques play a role in the trajectory of our success? 

At every turn, we’re given opportunities to amplify others, speak our truth, and provide honest feedback. Elisabeth Diana, Vice President of Communications at Instagram, shares how practicing “real talk”, being concise, and owning moments of redemption pave the way for a more rewarding professional journey.

What role can we play in breaking the cycle of injustice? 

As our world awakens to the reality of bias blindness and the complexity of microaggressions, we dive deeper into the murky waters of asking ourselves—and others—honest questions, identifying and embracing opportunities to be an ally, and acknowledging the potential consequences of speaking your truth. 

Melissa Majors, CEO of Melissa Majors Consulting, shares how exposing yourself to difference and promoting inclusion leads to greater levels of innovation and success.

Success is not measured by how many times you have been knocked down, but by how many times you get back up. 

Industry trailblazers Sarah Soliman Daudin, President & CEO of Soliman Productions and Carrie Abernathy, Founder and Executive Director of the Association for Women in Events, share how they practiced tenacity in the face of hardship to build something bigger.

*Read the transcript and learn more about Sarah, Carrie and Courtney here.

It is not the obstacles we face that define us, it is the way in which we approach life’s challenges that shapes our legacy. 

In this episode of Dare to Interrupt, Anne Hamilton, Vice President of Global Travel and Expense Management at The Walt Disney Company, shares her incredible story and explains how determination, courage and paying it forward creates the foundation for success, impact and legacy.

*Read the transcript and learn more about Anne and Courtney here.

What is the real secret behind “doing it all”? 

In episode 3 of Dare to Interrupt, host Courtney Stanley speaks with event technology and marketing entrepreneurs Dahlia El Gazzar of DAHLIA+Agency and Shannon DeSouza of DeSouza on Demand. They discuss the importance of practicing gratitude, servanthood and self-care while balancing family life and running their own growing businesses.

*Read the transcript and learn more about Dahlia, Shannon and Courtney here.