Grit Fueled

12/02/2025

When you walk into an event, what's the first thing you notice?

Beautiful decor?
Long lineups?
Warm smiles and welcoming hosts?
Crowded rooms?
Food and drinks?

It's that time of year with holiday party planning in full swing over the next few weeks.

If you're part of the planning team.... or if you are the planning team...

How's your stress?

One of the things no one tells you about planning events is they become most intense in the last few weeks leading up because:

Many decisions and action must happen in the last few weeks
- ordering final quantities of catering
- finalizing the seating charts based on who has confirmed
- printing guest lists, name tags, place cards, etc
- confirming final decor, signage, gifts
- finalizing the agenda and run of show
- dry runs
- organizing set-up..and more

and not to mention last minute changes from key stakeholders
I get it, I've been there.

From holiday parties, retreats, corporate events, and countless trade shows, I've spend nearly two decades strategizing, planning, and executing with grace under pressure.

Whether you're stressing out or feeling set, a final gut-check never hurts before the big day.

Join me this Thursday, noon MST for a free webinar where I'll take you through 8-steps on the details that matter to pull off a flawless event.

The Holiday Event Tune-Up, a free webinar to make your holiday party have the impact you're working so hard for: https://www.gritfueled.com/holiday-event

Register and you'll get a free checklist and the recording, even if you can't make it live because you also have a day job to do.

or visit gritfueled.com - you'll find the holiday event tune-up under free resources.

11/14/2025

Lately I’ve been working with more executives and there’s a pattern I can’t ignore: They pay for help.

Not for the time savings alone but for the leverage.

It’s not about what they could do themselves, it’s about what their time is worth and where it creates the biggest outcomes. High-leverage work stays on their plate. Everything else gets delegated to the best person for it.

When I supported an executive team on a large company event, they brought in outside consultants to refine every presentation. Not to “make slides,” but to pull out the stories so each session connected. The result? A clear throughline, engaged audience, and a team that landed the message.

That came up again this week over coffee with an old friend. We got talking leadership and delegation, and this line hit home:

“If you can delegate it as a leader, it’s irresponsible to do it yourself. Your monetary value belongs in your expertise.”

Or as the saying goes: you can do anything, but you can’t do everything.

Owners (myself included) often try to DIY it all, sometimes for good reasons.

But the biggest leaps usually come from investing in the right support at the right time. Bring in the experts. Let your team’s strengths rise. If someone’s better than you at it — good. That’s why they’re there.

If you’ve been wondering, “What would shift if I had the help I actually need?”… you might be closer than you think.

What’s the best decision you’ve made in outsourcing or delegating?👇

10/28/2025

You get two lives
The first one, you live
The second, is when you realize you only have one.
That hits, when you’re in the place to be ready for it to hit you.
Let that sink in. Here you might stop reading here or be intrigued to continue - that depends more on you than what I’m saying.
Often it’s life’s setbacks, challenges, or losses.
And on the flip side, it’s the chances you take, the confidence you build, even the forks in the road that leave you wondering…
I’m sure by now you can guess which life I’m living.
It’s been a combination of set backs and leaps forward, big wins and kicks to the gut, a growth mindset and the wrong opportunities, being unapologetically myself around the right opportunities, and those glimpses of what could be, seeing the impact compound.
Whatever it is for you matters most to you - that’s your personal journey.
Not there yet? You don’t need to be to chase your dreams but having those dreams, wanting more for your life isn’t selfish, it’s knowing what you want in your precious life.
If you’re as ambitious as I am, you’ll never quite be done and that’s not reaching too high or losing an uphill battle, it’s knowing you don’t know when the music will stop so you may as well keep on dancing like nobody’s watching.
Reach for your dreams and enjoy the life you’re in as much as the dream you’re building.
The second life quote is a pretty famous quote but it won’t hit you until it hits you.
In marketing we say that people generally need to see a message 7 times for it to sink in.
There’s something deeper there though, for something to truly resonate, your audience needs to be in the place ready to receive that message.
So keep going, know that the more you show up, the higher the chances that the people who need to receive your message are more likely to come across you when their timing is right.

10/28/2025

10/28/2025

You get two lives

The first one, you live

The second, is when you realize you only have one.

That hits, when you’re in the place to be ready for it to hit you.

Let that sink in. Here you might stop reading or be intrigued to continue - that depends more on you than what I’m saying.

Often it’s life’s setbacks, challenges, or losses.

And on the flip side, it’s the chances you take, the confidence you build, even the forks in the road that leave you wondering…

I’m sure by now you can guess which life I’m living.

It’s been a combination of set backs and leaps forward, big wins and kicks to the gut, a growth mindset and the wrong opportunities, being unapologetically myself around the right opportunities, and those glimpses of what could be, seeing the impact compound.

Whatever it is for you matters most to you - that’s your personal journey.

Not there yet? You don’t need to be to chase your dreams but having those dreams, wanting more for your life isn’t selfish, it’s knowing what you want in your precious life.

If you’re as ambitious as I am, you’ll never quite be done and that’s not reaching too high or losing an uphill battle, it’s knowing you don’t know when the music will stop so you may as well keep on dancing like nobody’s watching.

Reach for your dreams and enjoy the life you’re in as much as the dream you’re building.

The second life quote is a pretty famous quote but it won’t hit you until it hits you.

In marketing we say that people generally need to see a message 7 times for it to sink in.

There’s something deeper there though, for something to truly resonate, you audience needs to be in the place ready to receive that message.

So keep going, know that the more you show up, the higher the chances that the people who need to receive your message are more likely to come across you when their timing is right.

10/23/2025

SD CUE Powered Learning Fair 2025: Results That Speak Volumes

It’s been a joy to support the San Diego CUE Powered Learning Fair team for the past two years, an education conference centered around education technology and getting creative with AI. This year, we hit our stride. The 2025 conference yet again met (and exceeded!) registration goals, attracting over 200 engaged attendees, and our event captured exactly what we wanted: crowded rooms, smiling faces, and a buzzing atmosphere.

Thank you Drew Hinds, Ed.D, CETL, Elizabeth Loether and the entire SD CUE Board for the spirited collaboration.

I had the pleasure of leading strategic marketing efforts:

- Built a sponsorship program that brought in 19 incredible sponsors
- Promoted the conference via a targeted email campaign
- Ran consistent, organic social media marketing on Instagram & Facebook

And all of this was achieved without a dollar spent on paid advertising.

Email Marketing Wins
Strong engagement and conversions, our email marketing delivered:
📈 7,311 total opens | Open rates as high as 52%
💬 752 clicks | Averaging 2.6% click-through rates

Every send delivered results that directly contributed to growing registrations.

Social Media Marketing Highlights
With a modest follower base under 800, we focused on high-quality, community-focused content:

📊 Top performing reel reached 909 views, with 24 likes and 11 shares
🔁 82% of posts were shared, reflecting strong engagement

All organically. No boosted posts. No ads.

What This Means for Business Owners
If you're a business owner planning an event, launching a product, or building visibility, this is proof that strategic, relationship-based marketing works. You don’t need a massive budget; you need clarity, consistency, and the right partner.

Want help making your next launch or event a success? DM me to book a consult and we’ll review how to make yours a success.

10/15/2025

Unpopular opinion: in a room full of flats, wear stilettos.

We used to assume the sharpest suit had the most power. Now? That’s being challenged by the “billionaire in a tee” era. Mark Cuban shows up in jeans and a T-shirt and commands the room. As fellow Shark Robert Herjavec puts it: “beware the person in the T-shirt.” Translation: power isn’t the outfit; it’s the presence behind it.

And then there’s Marilyn Monroe. Amy Greene (wife of photographer Milton Greene) recalled strolling Broadway when Marilyn asked, “Do you want to see me become her?”—and with a subtle switch, the crowd materialized. She could turn “Marilyn” on like a light. Presence isn’t an accident; it’s a choice.

So what do they have in common? Presence. Confidence. Charisma. And a deep understanding that how you dress affects you more than anyone else.

Think about your best days, the ones where you’re grounded, game-ready, fully you.

What are you wearing?

That’s your inner superhero cape.

For me: I’m at my best in a dress and stilettos in the boardroom; sneakers, leggings, and a hoodie when I’m chasing kids. Same person, slightly different presence—either way, own it.

Confidence doesn’t come from being well-dressed. It comes from dressing with confidence.
Agree? 👇