An enthusiastic crowd started the morning off with cheers of “Bring it on!” during the keynote breakfast Thursday on the first day of the RV Women’s Alliance’s Educational Symposium in Schaumburg, Illinois.
Christine Cashen, the morning’s speaker, encouraged the audience to listen to her tips on how to be more inspired and less tired, prompting the women and men in attendance to holler “Bring it on!” for every new tip.
Tip No. 1? “Wean from the screen,” Cashen said, encouraging everyone to start and end their day away from their phones – whether meditating, having a cup of coffee, grounding their feet in the grass or connecting with nature. The goal is to protect your energy, she said.
“We have a certain amount of energy, and we waste it on nonsense.”
This is the second annual RVWA Educational Symposium. This year, about 175 people are in attendance – an increase over the inaugural year, organizers said. The first order of business began even before check-in, when attendees were asked to complete a DiSC assessment prior to arriving at the Renaissance Convention Center Hotel. Each attendee’s nametag is color coded to show whether they are a high D (Dominance), I (Influence), S (Steadiness) or C (Compliance). An assessment report was provided to each person explaining how their ranking affects their primary behaviors and how they adjust to their work environment. The DiSC results will be used throughout the symposium as it continues through noon on Friday.
As Cashen noted during her keynote, learning to tune into your own mindset can help you change how your brain is wired. “What you say will come your way,” she said. She noted a favorite quote from a church’s billboard she saw years ago: “You can be the fountain, or you can be the drain.”
It’s important as members of the same industry that we lift each other up, helping to make someone else’s day better, she said. In turn, “there’s a gift in the lift” – we end up feeling better when helping someone else feel better.
Cashen challenged the audience to practice the “Ten Coin Challenge” daily – give someone else a compliment or show your appreciation 10 times each day, moving a coin from one pocket to the other, until all 10 coins are in the opposite pocket. Soon, she said, it will come naturally, and you won’t need the coins anymore.
“Now, more than ever, people need love, prayer and support,” Cashen said.
Today the symposium will continue with speed networking – pairing attendees with someone they don’t know for a 3-minute conversation, and then moving on to the person sitting next to them. This will be followed by a networking lunch and then DiSC education sessions in the afternoon.
An awards banquet will be held this evening where RVWA will award the Trailblazer Award for Lifetime achievement to an individual; the Champion of Women Award to a company and an individual; and the Leader of Tomorrow Award to an individual.
