A beloved tradition of mine is to venture to my hometown each summer and help at my mom’s conference. Know Your Impact is a cost-efficient and highly-equipping opportunity for educators of all settings. In the above pic, the keynote speaker is presenting my mom with a gift of appreciation. What fun! 😁
From “Mrs. Beautiful of MHS ’04” telling me that I get prettier with age, 😂 (#ConfidenceBoost) to learning new ways of using technology in the learning space, KYI was filled with takeaways, but for now, we will start with the top six.
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| Doc Brown getting rid of implicit biasses one amAzing talk at a time. |
Doc Brown sets the standard for Keynote addresses.
- Every second of Doctor Adolf Brown‘s address was infused with his endless knowledge of behavioral science. From laughing to dancing to crying and creating, my brain has never held so much oxytocin/many endorphins in a lecture hall. I loved how his vocational calling as a professor/dean/author/speaker was so beautifully integrated into his life as a dad and husband. His wife was even on his PR and Tech teams–so.Cool! He had many tweetable tidbits, but my fav might have been, “Genetics may lower the gun, but environment pulls the trigger.” If your event is needing a keynote speaker, check out his website and search no further. Seriously, if you want motivation with some sharp undertones of spirituality and heaping doses of research, he’s your guy.
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| The fantastic musician, Mitch Michael with my Mom, my sister from another mister, Hilary, and future YA Author, Anna Rhea |
When you’re following a divine nudge, God will bring about the “right” people to partner with you towards the goal.
- Back in January, my mom joined me as I presented at a Children’s Pastors Conference in Orlando. While she was there she was recruiting musicians for KYI. As we dined at the Royal Caribe Hotel, we heard the glorious sounds of Mitch Micheal and he agreed to offer up some tunes at her KYI conference. He is an insanely versatile pop rock/acoustic/acoustic rock artist. He can do Cash one second then jump up three octaves and do Coldplay. Insane! He’s amazing on guitar and his voice is beyond lovely. Check him out! 😍
- As I have shared before, my favorite teacher of all-time is my choir teacher from middle school and high school, Mrs. Catherine Lindsley. Two years ago, I met her partner-in-crime, Hilary Strum and she and I have since bonded. Although I only get to connect with her when I am in Mabank, I honestly feel that she is my sister from another mister. 😂 Her friendship has been a blessing on both a personal and professional level.
- One workshop that I attended was on using Google forms to connect with the parents you serve. Anna Rhea was the presenter and after one-minute into her content, I knew I was learning from a highly creative, competent, and hilarious person. As we got to talking, I found out that she is an aspiring YA writer with some books already completed. I connected her to another Winfield author, Andrea Berthort, and I can’t wait to buy her first book. ❤ To add to this, Anna and I are now niche-mates and will be trading publishing advice for editorial work on my next book. How fun is that?!
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| Christian parenting resource author, Callie Grant |
- I also had an awesome conversation with Christian parenting resource author, Callie Grant. She was another one who my mom recruited while at the Children’s Pastor’s Conference in Orlando. Instead of premarital counseling books, she writes resources for parents to use while they are expecting a child. Her work is beautiful and unique. Click on the above link and see how it can enhance your church’s serve.
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| Region 10 Autism Consultant, Layne Pethick |
Layne Pethic taught me to move differently with my toddler and screen time.
- Did you know that both Steve Jobs and Bill Gates limited their kids to twenty-minutes of screen time a day? 😕 Yep, it’s true. This is shocking considering that the average kid in America spends seven hours a day in front of a screen when kids really should not be in front of a screen for more than two hours a day (and kids under five should only be in front of a screen one-hour a day). Layne taught us that too much screen time increases cravings, alters kid’s mood and causes inconsistencies in speech. After being in front of any screen, all of us need around five minutes for our brains to scramble back into place before transitioning on to the next thing.
- Layne’s presentation was based on 55 neuroscientific studies and he shared that the latest research is pointing to the sad increase of anxiety and depression in teens due to increased screen time. 😢
- The three things we need to support healthy brain development at any age? Layne proclaimed, “conversations, play and being in nature”. (It’s really not that surprising, right?)
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| While I was presenting at KYI, my Aunt Nancy (and Dad, and Grandparents) filled Henley’s days with fun. |
I am (almost) ready for Henley to go to preschool.
- Fear has been overwhelming me lately as a parent. Pour on the courage, Lord! Help me to gather up my gumption! 😆 As my offspring turns four in the fall, I am shockingly terrified of sending her off to preschool. However, as I saw how much fun she had with my Aunt, and all of the neat things my Aunt taught her, it gave me a glimpse into our new chapter. And what I saw made this wimp-of-a-parent a lil’ bit bolder.
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| Me and my bold offspring, Henley June |
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| Here we are exploring the “7 Dwarfs of Setting the Brain up for Success: The Internal and External Factors that Affect Every Learner”. |
As a presenter, it is helpful to set out promotional materials on the tables/chairs before folks arrive.
- When I have presented in the past, I always waited until the end to share fliers on my book, workshops or online book club. And I always wait for folks to ask for them first, as to not come off as pushy or cocky. However, since I was offering three different workshops at KYI, I figured I had nothing to lose in doing a little experimenting. With this said, during my last workshop, all of my promo materials were awaiting folks at their tables as they arrived. The timing of this experiment was also golden because most of the people got there twenty-minutes early. (Who are these people?!)To my surprise, people were actually interested in them.😆 Most took them home, some took pictures of them, and the rush of book sales after my presentation was more than those of the past. (Insane!) Most importantly, this intentional time for them to explore what I was all about enriched our conversations because they knew the ways that my services could help them. From now on, promo materials will always be set out at the start! 💪💓🙋
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| My fav hometown dining spot, Vetonis |
There is just as much comfort found in change as there is when things stay the same.
- In the fourteen years since I flew north, it seems that one of the rare things that remains unchanged in my hometown is my fav restaurant, Vetonis. This place is very near and dear to my heart. I learned how to go on dates here. I won a speech scholarship here. I got shot looks from my mom for eating an entire calzone (on multiple occasions) here. 😅(#NotAshamed) When I think of my years in Texas–I taste the sub-par pizza of this almost out-of-place mom-and-pop joint. It nurtures me on every level, and I am so thankful that the menu, like the wallpaper, has not changed in two decades. On the flip side, I am thankful for the change in my relationships. My Dad and I are much more capable of healthy convos now then when I was in school, and I am so grateful. I am thankful that we have both evolved as emotionally mature humans (for the most part). I have also reconnected with friends from my teen years in new and fresh ways because of KYI, and this calls for much rejoicing as well.
Thanks, Mabank, for a refreshing time, and in closing, I will share two of your eye-catching murals.
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| “The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.” Prez. Willie |