Burnout, fatigue, setbacks, pressure, resistance: just a few of the forces that professionals bump up against every day in their path to achieving greatness. Too many lose out to discouraging dynamics because they haven’t been educated on the principles that make personal persistence possible. This presentation will help attendees to: 

• Free themselves from perfection to become persistent  
• Become customer-centric and give exceptional service to others
• Engage in healthy competition rather than negative comparison
• Attendees will learn the psychology of persistence and how to break through the barriers that hold you back from doing what it takes to achieve your goals.

Speaker | Dave Brown

Most leaders are never taught how to truly be servant leaders. Instead of understanding that their role is to serve the people and knowing how to lead by putting others first, they are focused on driving results, creating cultures with low morale, high turnover, and decreased production.     In this powerful and insightful program, you will learn how to:

• Help your people see their career as a mission rather than a paycheck
• Create meaningful connection through vulnerability.
  Build a team that listens, supports, and challenges one another. 

Servant leaders are builders of people. When you build people, you build strong organizations.

Speaker | Dave Brown

If as a business leader you want to learn how to use a practical customer-centric framework to drive sustainable organic growth for your organizations, this session is for you. We’ll walk through a systematic process for putting the customer first and using upstream marketing to navigate the path to growth. This is a fast-paced actionable session focus on

• Making customer-centricity more than just a buzzword.
• Using upstream marketing to drive growth.
• Employing a framework to accelerate traction in the market and driving sustainable organic growth for your organization.

Speaker | Laura Patterson

The best brands in the world create the condition of Irrational Loyalty – which is a bond so strong that customers would feel they were cheating on your brand were they to choose an alternative. The condition of Irrational Loyalty is available to every brand in every category, serving every kind of customer.    Strong brands help their customers solve problems, present a positive image to the world, feel empowered, feel accomplished, and feel like the hero in their own personal stories. Think about what happens when you’re feeling like you’re on top of the world and everything is working out the way you hoped it would. No matter which cliché you use to describe it—the feeling of having wind in your sails or the world on a string—that feeling connects deeply with your emotions. Bestselling author and branding expert Deb Gabor puts you in the mood to create a powerful brand that connects with your most important customers – the ones most highly predictive of your success.

Speaker | Deb Gabor

Gain insight using data-driven Marketing Performance Management (MPM) strategies to accelerate growth, create value, and improve performance for businesses. We will discuss how to use measures and analytics to identify areas for improvement, set measurable goals, and track progress to achieve desired results. Join this session to learn how to:

• Use data-driven strategies to identify areas for improvement and set measurable goals for their businesses.
• Gain insight for tracking progress and measuring the success of your marketing efforts.
• Connect marketing activity and investments to business results and get a seat at the C-level table.

Speaker | Laura Patterson

The Ideal Customer Archetype: Do you ever wonder how top brands create irrational loyalty among their users?    The world’s most profitable and well-known brands bond in highly emotional and compelling ways with the customers who are most likely to spend the most money with them.  Sol Marketing CEO and founder Deb Gabor leads this highly interactive workshop guiding attendees through identifying and profiling the customer who is most highly predictive of a startup’s success using the “Ideal Customer Archetype” methodology. Through the use of hands-on exercises, audiences learn to use this method to go beyond traditional demographic and firmographic profiles to hone in on behavioral and attitudinal attributes that enhance the climate of consideration for their brands and products.

Speaker | Deb Gabor

In today’s competitive environment, establishing a strong personal brand has become essential for business success. Whether you’re generating sales, recruiting talent, inspiring employees, or cultivating successful partnerships, your ability to win trust is crucial to driving business outcomes. In this keynote, Julian will teach your audience how to harness their reputation to foster connections, increase engagement, and ascend as market leaders.

Learning Points

• Enhanced self-awareness, confidence, and clarity of purpose
• Crafting a personal brand statement that elevates professional image
• LinkedIn strategies that boost online presence and authority

Speaker | Julian Placino

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, AI emerges as a game-changer, offering boundless opportunities to elevate your marketing strategies. This session will unveil innovative AI tools and techniques that are reshaping the future of marketing and sales. This session will empower you  to stay ahead of the curve and gain profit!  This content is crucial whether you're seeking ideas for customer engagement or communication with your target audience.  By the end of this presentation, audiences will have a deeper understanding of how AI can fuel their marketing and sales efforts, enabling them to navigate this new world with confidence.

Speaker | Chris Cheetham-West

Year after year, the data says that employees who feel appreciated and supported in their career development stay around! Learn how simple day-to-day deposits in the "You Matter to Me, You Matter to the Team" account pay off! Join us for "The 4C's of Celebrating Your Team." Curiosity fosters growth by encouraging questions and alignment and letting go of assumptions. Compassion builds trust. Connection enhances collaboration, and Courage supports taking inspired actions that can lead to innovation. By integrating the 4C's, Curiosity, Compassion, Connection, and Courage into your leadership style, you create a more engaged, motivated, and cohesive team.

Speaker | Lois Barth

In today's digital landscape, what you say online can have a lasting positive or negative impact. This presentation will introduce innovative techniques businesses are using to achieve great customer service online. You will discover strategies for garnering positive reviews and effectively engaging with your audience across various old and new social media platforms. 

Objectives 

• How to craft and deliver clear, impactful messages across multiple social media channels.
• How to secure excellent reviews and respond to feedback in a way that builds trust and loyalty.
• Provide excellent customer service online that keeps them coming back  

Speaker | Chris Cheetham-West

Unlock the full potential of your recruiting strategy with this keynote. Julian believes that hiring exceptional talent is the universal key to business success and will equip your audience with the tools to achieve this. In this keynote, Julian will share proven methods and tactics to enhance your ability to attract, recruit, and retain top talent.

Learning Points

• How to craft an irresistible Employment Value Proposition (EVP)
• A viral recruiting strategy that boosts your employer brand awareness
• Secrets of world-class recruiting organizations

Speaker | Julian Placino

The audience will hear examples of ethics in action and the lessons learned that are applicable to today’s business world. John discusses behind the scenes stories not otherwise shared with the public from such high-profile cases as the 9/11 attack, the shooting of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, the Enron collapse, and more. As is often the case with law enforcement situations, the audience will find this valuable presentation informative and frequently entertaining. Key takeaways include:

• Identify the ethical skills necessary for leadership.
• Understand why persons may act unethically and what to do.
• Recognize and correct a toxic workplace culture
• Encourage strong ethics thru leading by example.

Speaker | John Iannarelli

Why rob a bank when a criminal can steal far more while sitting in front of a computer? Beyond just money, the sensitive personal information of both employees and customers is attractive to the cyber thief. Additionally, remote work technologies like mobile devices have provided cybercriminals with new ways to disrupt business and steal what is yours. Every year millions become victims because they did not know how to protect themselves from cybercrime. By using examples of actual FBI cases, John reveals the ways you are vulnerable to a cyberattack, the current threats and how you can protect yourself.

Speaker | John Iannarelli

Caring in leadership is crucial for fostering a strong workplace culture. Leaders who build emotional bonds through empathy and confidence harness their team's diverse abilities and perspectives to achieve shared goals. You create a high-performing, supportive environment by genuinely valuing employees and nurturing their sense of belonging. This emotional connection boosts motivation, satisfaction, and loyalty, even in challenging times. Learn what leadership can do to create a culture of accountability that enhances job performance, reduces turnover, and drives long-term success and fulfillment.

Speaker | Jonathan Stanley

Jerry Seinfeld once joked that people's top fear was speaking in public, and their second greatest fear was dying. His punchline was that at a funeral, people would rather be in the casket than delivering the eulogy. We laugh in recognition.    Though many fear public speaking, it's an essential part of being an impactful and effective leader and team member. In this highly creative and interactive session, attendees will come away with tangible tools to address their fears, as well as skills to be more confident, polished, and effective as a speaker in addition to the basics of good storytelling.

Speaker | Lois Barth

Networking is a necessary part of being a leader and promoting yourself and your work. But it can also feel contrived, stressful and demoralizing. You hope networking will look like a direct line to new relationships and business, but in fact, it's a much more mysterious journey with an unknown outcome. In this session, we'll analyze this journey and focus on putting connection before business. Learn about the Three Zones of Networking, the People Pyramid, and other strategies to help you make lasting connections, including a speed networking opportunity to prepare you to make the most of the conference!

Speaker | Lisa Braithwaite

Whether you’re pitching an idea, engaging in advocacy with elected officials, or speaking on a panel, your messages are being delivered in shorter and shorter time frames. What would it be like if you could powerfully influence your audience to change their thoughts, attitudes and behaviors in five minutes or less? In this session, Lisa will show you exactly how to leverage the "power of five" (minutes!) to create a concise, crisp and compelling presentation. Inspire your audience to take action without brain-dumping, fire-hosing, or stealing your audience's precious time.

Speaker | Lisa Braithwaite

Ready to go beyond traditional SMART goals? Join me for an engaging discussion on MEAN goals—Meaningful, Exact, Actionable, and Necessary. Discover how SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timebound—might limit your team's potential by focusing too much on immediate attainability. Learn how MEAN goals can inspire and empower your team to surpass limits and explore new possibilities. We’ll explore implementing MEAN goals by setting clear actions, responsibilities, and deadlines aligned with your company’s mission. Transform your goal-setting approach, enhance employee engagement, and drive significant progress. Embrace MEAN goals to unlock greater achievements and foster innovation.

Speaker | Jonathan Stanley

Imposter Syndrome is a phenomenon whereby individuals doubt their own accomplishments and have a persistent fear of being exposed as a “fraud” or “imposter”. Imposter Syndrome is common among professionals, executives, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. By overcoming Imposter Syndrome, you will build self-confidence, strengthen resilience, enhance your performance, and become a more effective leader. Defeating Imposter Syndrome will also improve your mental well-being and success by reducing stress and improving professional relationships.

Speaker | Lawrence D. Eichen

Discover how AI can help businesses gather and apply client intelligence more effectively to engage customers and foster lasting relationships. This session introduces practical tools for collecting, analyzing, and using data insights to better understand client needs and expectations. Attendees will learn AI-driven strategies for refining marketing efforts, improving targeting, and automating processes to personalize client experiences. Walk away with simple, actionable steps to leverage AI—no technical background required—and gain the tools needed to build smarter client relationships.

Speaker | Catharine O’Leary

This powerful presentation is a must-attend for individuals seeking to gain proven techniques and tips from an attorney with over 25 years of negotiation experience inside and outside of the courtroom. The presentation centers on a unique and winning negotiation formula E=MC5 -- a playful nod to Einstein's Theory of Relativity E=MC2 (but without physics). Focus will be on the formula’s 5 core components: Commitment, Confidence, Courage, Compassion, and Calmness, with insights and examples showing how mastering these elements will enable anyone to obtain consistent excellent negotiation results.

Speaker | Lawrence D. Eichen

Learn how to design a powerful AI-driven client feedback system that goes beyond traditional surveys to capture valuable insights in real time. This session explores how AI tools can identify trends, predict customer needs, and extract meaningful insights from feedback data to improve service delivery. Discover strategies to integrate client intelligence into your feedback loop, empowering your business to proactively address client expectations and foster deeper engagement. Whether you want to enhance satisfaction or unlock new growth opportunities, you’ll walk away with practical strategies to leverage AI and feedback systems for sustainable success.

Speaker | Catharine O’Leary

Devastating storms have been cycling through our economy, healthcare system, businesses, and our families the past three years, disrupting everything we once thought we could count on. But the truth is, storms of this size weren’t just created overnight… Many of us have been caught up in a whirlwind for a while now. Weathering the Storms is a presentation about personal and professional resilience and the steps you and your team can take to persevere through the eye of the storm with hope, a plan, and Annie’s actionable steps on the other side.

Speaker | Annie Meehan

Clear, Concise, and Confident Communication is crucial in today’s fast-paced world.  This interactive program equips participants with innovative communication skills and presentation strategies that will help them deliver better messages to colleagues, clients, and company leaders.

Participants will discover a road map to presentation planning, recognize the critical distinction between knowing your audience and understanding your audience, and master the art of attracting and holding your audience’s attention.

Speaker | Christina Butler

Be a Pineapple and change the world.

Speaker | Annie Meehan

Effective communication comes in many forms, including email. In this engaging session, we dive into the art of crafting impactful business emails that stand out in crowded inboxes.

Participants will learn essential strategies for writing concise, persuasive emails that capture attention and drive action. We’ll cover best practices for subject lines, structure, tone, and length.  Whether you are reaching out to clients or colleagues, this session will elevate your email game.

Speaker | Christina Butler