I recently had the opportunity to attend a lecture give by artist, author and entrepreneur Erik Wahl. Wahl’s personal story is an uplifting one. He enjoyed financial success with a dot-com business but after the bust, he lost everything. As he put it, he equated his “self worth with his net worth.” As an outlet for his worsening depression, Wahl turned to art. He began creating graffiti art as an outlet and it soon blossomed into a career as a keynote speaker and consultant to Fortune 500 companies across the country.
His specialty is getting people and companies to think creatively and differently – to color outside the lines, so to speak. His presentation was frenetic – he plays videos and music while he paints recognizable faces (U2’s Bono and Abraham Lincoln that night), but the takeaway from his talk is to adapt. Never be afraid to change in order to succeed in a particular situation.
It’s something we in the meeting and event planning industry do on a daily basis. Maybe it’s a massive snowstorm that wreaks havoc, making it impossible for people to attend an event. Or maybe it’s a last-minute cancellation by a keynote speaker that needs to be magically filled (NOW). What are some ways that you’ve had to adapt to keep a meeting or event running smoothly? Email me at nancy.depalma@tigeroak.com and we’ll post them on our website.
