The Connector Next Door with Lisa Gareau

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I had been following James Robilotta, CSP – an accomplished author, speaker, coach, and emcee – on LinkedIn over the last couple of months but it wasn’t his credentials that caught my eye – it was his keen focus on authentic connections that made me curious.

When inviting him to a conversation about connection (that I recorded for you all to share in) it was cool to hear how his definition of “Connection” was right in line with the foundation of our Candy Community – specifically that connection grows when all feel “seen, heard, and considered”.

James has aspired to live his life authentically – for his whole life – and chose to put pen to paper in 2015 to write his first book “Leading Imperfectly – The Value of Being Authentic for Leaders, Professionals, and Human Beings."

Long before the book came to be, James had been speaking internationally to willing & unwilling audiences about curiosity, authentic leadership, and vulnerability since 2009. 

He now speaks to over 60 groups a year, bringing his thought-provoking talks, each one infused with self-awareness and comedy stemming from his background as a trained stand-up and improv comedian. 

His clients include American Express, General Electric (GE), Accenture, SHRM, ATD, Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and many others. 

It’s his goal to leave audiences feeling happier and ready to take on their responsibilities and the world. 

I’m all for that. 
Thanks James. 

I was able to visit James virtually who was in his home in St Paul, Minnesota. You can find James on LinkedIn HERE – or on his website – HERE. www.JamesTRobo.com


Meaningful connections matter now more than ever!

Your community, clients, or customers are ready to connect. Are you ready to be their connector? Events can grow your business, create an impact in your community, or motivate a group around your ideas. The Connection Architect Course and Community is for the everyday event planner that is ready to create connections that matter.

Sound like you? Start building at www.TheConnectionArchitect.ca

The Connector Next Door is produced by www.CandyConsulting.ca  

Are you planning or promoting events for your business, organization, or group? Reach out and book a 30-Minute Hello with podcast host, Candy Event Consulting Founder, and Connection Strategy Coach Lisa Gareau to share how you are creating connections through events!

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Lindsey Sinclair is an active listener, big picture brainstormer, passionate problem solver, energetic educator, and – yes – a natural connector.

Lindsey happily puts all these skills – and her ability to show up authentically – to her work as the Business Development Manager at Tourism Canmore Kananaskis.

Her background in events began over a decade ago from coordinating festivals to then working as a supplier in a Destination Management Company (DMC), to diving into the Destination Management Organization (DMO) world where she now is a resource for planners who look to host their events in Canmore and Kananaskis.

Like many people emerging from lockdowns in the travel, tourism, and “events world” – Lindsey and I reconnected with a renewed enthusiasm and curiosity to explore what could be next for connectors like us!

On October 22-23 I hosted Candy’s first 2-day, deep-dive retreat for everyday event planners – The Ultimate Event Experience in Banff, Alberta, Canada. 

The room was filled with comfy chairs, coffees in hand, and concentrated conversation about how to create alignment between who we truly are and how we show up to the world around us.

We then applied that learning a to find alignment between the purpose of our events and how we could share that purpose with others. 

Lindsey agreed to jump in to not only learn with the small group of seven in-house and do-it-yourself event planners over the two days, but also showed up to offer feedback in our “Purpose Presentation” portion of the weekend.

In our conversation today Lindsey unpacks some insight she received from her time at The Ultimate, and shares her thoughts on shifting from being approval-driven to living authentically!


You can find Lindsey on LinkedIn HERE – or on the Tourism Canmore Kananaskis website – HERE.  www.ExploreCanmore.ca


Production Note: This episode was previously recorded the week after Candy's retreat - The Ultimate Event Experience - that took place on October 22-23, 2022

#candyevent_theultimate #candyeventretreat2022 #candyeventcommunity #candyeventworkshops #candyeventacademy #candyeventconsulting #theconnectionarchitect #lisagareauconnectioncoach


Meaningful connections matter now more than ever!

Your community, clients, or customers are ready to connect. Are you ready to be their connector? Events can grow your business, create an impact in your community, or motivate a group around your ideas. The Connection Architect Course and Community is for the everyday event planner that is ready to create connections that matter.

Sound like you? Start building at www.TheConnectionArchitect.ca


The Connector Next Door is produced by www.CandyConsulting.ca  

Are you planning or promoting events for your business, organization, or group? Reach out and book a 30-Minute Hello with podcast host, Candy Event Consulting Founder, and Connection Strategy Coach Lisa Gareau to share how you are creating connections through events!

Send us Fan Mail

Kyle Craik is a martial arts black belt, wellness community builder, and the Founder of The Wellness Dojo*.

When Kyle thinks about connection he thinks about community.

His journey to a black belt took patience, care, and an ability to embrace the journey.

It also took a network that was ready to support him, push him, lift up him up, and – yes even knock him down (in a healthy way!) – so he could get stronger. 

With nearly 30 years in martial arts, he has brought the world of discipline, learning, self-exploration, and focus that martial arts taught him and created a community built to help anyone take control of living a healthier life.

At Candy’s first 2-day deep-dive retreat - The Ultimate Event Experience - Kyle led us through an exclusive, poolside "martial arts 101” wellness session.

The few of us that joined in felt a bit out of our element as newbies, but we also felt that warm the feeling of connection.

Now Kyle finds joy working with his clients in the areas of massage therapy, fitness and nutrition coaching, and martial arts and, and, in our conversation today, shares how anyone can become a "Wellness Black Belt"!


You can find Kyle – and discuss how he could help you on your wellness journey – HERE. Interested to hear the inspirational story of Pam, one of Kyles clients? You can find Pam's Story HERE!


*Curious what the word "Dojo" means? Listen in to find out!

Production Note: This episode was previously recorded before Candy's  retreat - The Ultimate Event Experience - that took place on October 22-23, 2022
 

Meaningful connections matter now more than ever!

Your community, clients, or customers are ready to connect. Are you ready to be their connector? Events can grow your business, create an impact in your community, or motivate a group around your ideas. The Connection Architect Course and Community is for the everyday event planner that is ready to create connections that matter.

Sound like you? Start building at www.TheConnectionArchitect.ca


The Connector Next Door is produced by www.CandyConsulting.ca  

Are you planning or promoting events for your business, organization, or group? Reach out and book a 30-Minute Hello with podcast host, Candy Event Consulting Founder, and Connection Strategy Coach Lisa Gareau to share how you are creating connections through events!

Send us Fan Mail

Ever since she was young, Lucy Brazier, OBE*, has been driven to drive people together to have conversations.

As one of the world’s leading authorities on the administrative profession, CEO of Marcham Publishing, specialist publishers of Executive Support Magazine, Lucy’s passion is for the Assistant role to be truly recognized as a career and not just a job.

With access to the most forward-thinking, passionate, and knowledgeable administrative business leaders in the world, as well as personally meeting and speaking to literally thousands of Assistants over the last 10 years, Lucy’s knowledge of the market and what Assistants all over the world are facing on a day-to-day basis are second to none.

In a survey conducted by Lucy’s team, she found 87% of assistants plan events as part of their role. That’s no surprise as Lucy shares the assistant’s superpower is process and procedure ... all mixed up with great people skills. Who better to plan events for a business, organization, or group!

We talked about the difference between “teamwork” and “collaboration”. Brilliantly, Lucy shares how collaboration is not just working together, it’s thinking together.

She advocates that it’s time for Executives and Assistants to start thinking together so that – together – they can work toward larger, more meaningful goals.

Lucy now lives in Spain – 100 meters from the sea – which is where I caught up with her for this conversation. 

You can find Lucy anytime – even as she travels the around the globe with her message – HERE. Find a Resources and Conversations on her Executive Support Magazine Channel on YouTube HERE. 

*In 2021 Lucy was awarded an OBE in recognition for her services to office professionals. The OBE is an Officer of the British Empire which was awarded by the Queen in her Birthday Honours List in 2021.

Meaningful connections matter now more than ever!

Your community, clients, or customers are ready to connect. Are you ready to be their connector? Events can grow your business, create an impact in your community, or motivate a group around your ideas. The Connection Architect Course and Community is for the everyday event planner that is ready to create connections that matter.

Sound like you? Start building at www.TheConnectionArchitect.ca

The Connector Next Door is produced by www.CandyConsulting.ca  

Are you planning or promoting events for your business, organization, or group? Reach out and book a 30-Minute Hello with podcast host, Candy Event Consulting Founder, and Connection Strategy Coach Lisa Gareau to share how you are creating connections through events!

Send us Fan Mail

Trish Tutton helps organizations and individuals learn to use mindfulness to reduce stress and anxiety so that they can thrive in life and at work.

After years working in cultures where stress and burnout were seemingly the only way to success, Trish suffered a shocking loss and things became clear: stress is unavoidable, but it doesn’t have to dictate our lives.

As a speaker and mindfulness teacher, Trish has taught the skills to live and work happier to thousands of professionals and has created positive change for her clients to become happier, more productive, effective and successful without the busy badge of honour.

In our conversation today Trish shares with us what it means to “re-member” who we are by reconnecting the parts of us that have been scattered.

You can find her as a teacher on the #1 free meditation app in the world, Insight Timer, and she is the author of the Mindful Mornings Journal.

Her warmth and wisdom shine through in her coaching and training … and just as much in this conversation.



You can find Trish on her website HERE, Instagram at @trish_tutton or on Facebook at Trish Tutton Mindfulness page HERE!  

Meaningful connections matter now more than ever!

Your community, clients, or customers are ready to connect. Are you ready to be their connector? Events can grow your business, create an impact in your community, or motivate a group around your ideas. The Connection Architect Course and Community is for the everyday event planner that is ready to create connections that matter.

Sound like you? Start building at www.TheConnectionArchitect.ca

The Connector Next Door is produced by www.CandyConsulting.ca  

Are you planning or promoting events for your business, organization, or group? Reach out and book a 30-Minute Hello with podcast host, Candy Event Consulting Founder, and Connection Strategy Coach Lisa Gareau to share how you are creating connections through events!

Send us Fan Mail

Caitlyn Hamblin is a natural connector, creator, and podcast enthusiast.

She learned from her mom – who she called the "Mayor of Truro, Nova Scotia" – how to walk up to anyone and make them feel seen, heard, and considered.

Caitlyn is an Executive Assistant in Business Development and Marketing at Lindsay Construction based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia near Halifax, an Atlantic Ocean port in eastern Canada - the provincial capital of Nova Scotia.

A leader in her profession, she now puts her “connection savvy” to work as the President of the Atlantic Branch of the Association of Administrative Professionals (AAP).

And AAP is the reason we met - and became fast friends at at the AAP National Conference in PEI this last June where I was honoured to be chosen to speak to the dynamic and dedicated Administrative Professionals in attendance.

In our conversation Caitlyn expressed how “when we’re surrounded by people we naturally connect with, we can do great things."! 

Her new passion project, “Cait Collabs”, launched in 2022 with the goal of connecting brands and generating collaborations between big-picture creative women. Her collaborative initiative is such a great example of her belief in action!

Connections can be polished, professional, and also be a lot of fun like the doing goofy Instagram reels on a cold beach in PEI! (Yes, you'll hear that story when you listen in.) 

Caitlyn also reminds us that keeping connections strong we need to be intentional about reaching out while – at the same time – taking care of ourselves along the way.

This conversation was a fun one and became a natural first episode for Season 2. I think it will set the tone for our new season The Connector Next Door and I hope you do too.

Welcome back Connectors!


You can find Caitlyn on LinkedIn HERE and check out her new passion project “Cait Collabs” on Instagram HERE.


A special note as of September 24, 2022: My conversation with Caitlyn was recorded before the devastating “historic” storm hit Atlantic Canada. The next days and weeks will be difficult for those in the area because of Hurricane Fiona. We wish all those affected a safe and speedy recovery once the wind and water recedes.


Meaningful connections matter now more than ever!

Your community, clients, or customers are ready to connect. Are you ready to be their connector? Events can grow your business, create an impact in your community, or motivate a group around your ideas. The Connection Architect Course and Community is for the everyday event planner that is ready to create connections that matter.

Sound like you? Start building at www.TheConnectionArchitect.ca


The Connector Next Door is produced by www.CandyConsulting.ca  

Are you planning or promoting events for your business, organization, or group? Reach out and book a 30-Minute Hello with podcast host, Candy Event Consulting Founder, and Connection Strategy Coach Lisa Gareau to share how you are creating connections through events!

Send us Fan Mail

My long-time, dear friend, Grace Gee, is a Chinese Canadian who now resides in Louisville, Colorado.

Grace has lived and worked in Canada, the US and Hong Kong and has traveled widely in Europe and Asia.

It was over 25 years ago that we met in Calgary, working side by side at a postal plant conveyor belt sorting holiday packages to their final destinations. We both knew our time there would be short lived, but our friendship endured.

Grace is an artist.

Her life and work as an artist have been deeply influenced by her bi-cultural upbringing and she’s strongly rooted in spiritual growth, healing, and transformation.

As she explains in our conversation today, her art holds space for vulnerability to exist, and her upcoming installation is evidence of how deeply that is true for her.

Grace has exhibited across the US, in both group and solo exhibitions and her award-winning work has brought her invitations to exhibitions, artist residencies, interviews, and even published works.

What a joy, on this my last episode of Season one, to sit down and explore how art can awaken us to the value and importance of deep connection with each other.


You can find Grace on her website HERE ( www.HealingGraceStudio.com ) and on Instagram HERE.

Learn more about her Brave Pathways Exhibit HERE . 

You can participate in her upcoming project Bubbling Up: Giving Voice to Injustice at the following two events:

• History Colorado Center in Denver on May 7th for the AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) Wellness Day Event.

• Denver Zoo (at the Toyota Elephant Plaza) on May 15th  for the AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) Heritage Celebration Event.

You can contact Grace by email to learn more, connect, volunteer, or support her work at  [email protected]  


Meaningful connections matter now more than ever!

Your community, clients, or customers are ready to connect. Are you ready to be their connector? Events can grow your business, create an impact in your community, or motivate a group around your ideas. The Connection Architect Course and Community is for the everyday event planner that is ready to create connections that matter.

Sound like you? Start building at www.TheConnectionArchitect.ca

The Connector Next Door is produced by www.CandyConsulting.ca  

Are you planning or promoting events for your business, organization, or group? Reach out and book a 30-Minute Hello with podcast host, Candy Event Consulting Founder, and Connection Strategy Coach Lisa Gareau to share how you are creating connections through events!

Send us Fan Mail

Christa Hiebert is a soulful advocate who approaches life with open arms; no challenge is too mighty.

As a community builder, Office Manager and Executive Assistant at Alaris Equity Partners, and a dedicated mom of two girls, she looks at every challenge as a chance to learn, grow, and thrive.

She’s an igniter and inspiring leader who serves as the volunteer President of the Calgary Branch of The Association of Administrative Professionals.

Since Christa and I met a couple of years ago I have admired her sass, grit, and unshakable belief to change the status quo.

We became fast friends and aligned in our desire to empower those working behind the scenes to make their companies, organizations, and communities stronger and more connected to those they work to serve.

It was with that grit and a growing appreciation for those that have fought – and are still fighting – for our freedom that she advocated to paint a Poppy Crosswalk in her home of Chestermere, Alberta and founded "Glorious and Free" a Canadian Veterans Awareness Group in 2021.

In her downtime her thirst for adventure takes over and has landed her on multiple wake surfing podiums and her fearless tenacity guides her through avalanche terrain on her snowmobile.

Today she continues to use her platform to uplift others while staying connected, supported, educated, and empowered to shine.  

You can find Christa on LinkedIn HERE, learn more about the Association of Administrative Professionals HERE, or support her “Glorious and Free” initiatives HERE! 

Meaningful connections matter now more than ever!

Your community, clients, or customers are ready to connect. Are you ready to be their connector? Events can grow your business, create an impact in your community, or motivate a group around your ideas. The Connection Architect Course and Community is for the everyday event planner that is ready to create connections that matter.

Sound like you? Start building at www.TheConnectionArchitect.ca

The Connector Next Door is produced by www.CandyConsulting.ca  

Are you planning or promoting events for your business, organization, or group? Reach out and book a 30-Minute Hello with podcast host, Candy Event Consulting Founder, and Connection Strategy Coach Lisa Gareau to share how you are creating connections through events!

Send us Fan Mail

Wakefield Brewster – “Da Lyrical Pitbull” – is a proud, professional poet, spoken word artist, and Professional Poetic Interpreter™️.

Since January 1999, Wakefield has been known as one of Canada’s most popular and prolific Performance Poets.

He is a black man born and raised in Toronto, by parents hailing from the island of beautiful Barbados, and he has called Calgary home since 2006.

In 2019, he was appointed as the very First Resident Poet & Spoken Word Artist of The Grand Theatre House in Calgary, Alberta and currently sits on the Board of Directors of the E.A.R. Society – Emergency Artist’s Relief Society, providing emergency relief funding and affordable Health Care for Artists.

Wakefield says one of his greatest presents to the world is bringing a poetic presence into places where people don’t expect poetry to be.

In this age of information and sharing stories, Wakefield believes in the power language and in this artistic form – the live expression of these stories. He believes poetry is a way of bringing people together. A way to create safe place for people to connect.

These days Wakefield is everywhere but it was a gift to slow down, have a seat on his virtual couch, and discuss how connection is built through poetry and to hear more about the passion he carries for the spoken word … and it’s unifying nature.


You can find Wakefield – everywhere online – AND at his NEW website at www.WakefieldBrewster.com  

Meaningful connections matter now more than ever!

Your community, clients, or customers are ready to connect. Are you ready to be their connector? Events can grow your business, create an impact in your community, or motivate a group around your ideas. The Connection Architect Course and Community is for the everyday event planner that is ready to create connections that matter.

Sound like you? Start building at www.TheConnectionArchitect.ca

The Connector Next Door is produced by www.CandyConsulting.ca  

Are you planning or promoting events for your business, organization, or group? Reach out and book a 30-Minute Hello with podcast host, Candy Event Consulting Founder, and Connection Strategy Coach Lisa Gareau to share how you are creating connections through events!

Send us Fan Mail

Evan Babins is a self-proclaimed “adrenaline junkie”, a tech savvy event producer, and event industry trendsetter.

He has managed event logistics and technical event production for many world class clients like: Nissan Canada, Equitable Bank, Kia Canada, Novartis, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, just to name a few. He continues his passion for events as the new Events & Marketing Manager for Klir.

He has hard-won, long-time, experience in both the live, hybrid, and virtual event spaces. That experience has won him a reputation as someone to watch as the events grow and change in the months and years to come.

Evan has been listed as one of BizBash’s Top 250 Event Professionals and one of Special Event Magazine's “Top 20 Young Event Pro's to Watch”.

He believes it’s so important that event planners come together to share ideas, resources, and connections.

When we open the curtain to reveal the experts behind the scenes, we can all learn what it means to create a seamless event production by connecting well with our event teams, partners, and attendees.

Evan sat down with me for this virtual visit from his home in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and quickly shared how it’s his desire to work with good people, doing good work, for good clients.

I’m thankful to have met Evan – a truly good person in the events industry – and to be able share our conversation with you all!

You can find Evan and continue the conversation on LinkedIn HERE


Meaningful connections matter now more than ever!

Your community, clients, or customers are ready to connect. Are you ready to be their connector? Events can grow your business, create an impact in your community, or motivate a group around your ideas. The Connection Architect Course and Community is for the everyday event planner that is ready to create connections that matter.

Sound like you? Start building at www.TheConnectionArchitect.ca


The Connector Next Door is produced by www.CandyConsulting.ca 

Are you planning or promoting events for your business, organization, or group? Reach out and book a 30-Minute Hello with podcast host, Candy Event Consulting Founder, and Connection Strategy Coach Lisa Gareau to share how you are creating connections through events!