Begin with Who – An Ice Breaker Session

Our job titles tell others what we do, but not who we are. During this energizing, interactive session led by the Bolder Company, we’ll explore the art of how to make deeper connections more quickly. Your connection to others is an important building block to long-term networking relationships… learn to hone and master them!

Ellen Feldman Ornato

Bolder Company Founding Partner and CMO, Ellen Feldman Ornato has a diverse work background that includes stints as a city planner, an economic development official, and a marketing director in a large retail chain.  She is an entrepreneur at heart and owned a learning company and a marketing & public relations agency prior to launching Bolder Company with Jenny Drescher in 2014. Ellen has extensive experience working with manufacturers, building essential supervisory and leadership skills with rising leaders. She is bilingual (English/Spanish) and blends her knowledge of Unconscious Bias, DiSC®, and other leadership content with a wide variety of experiential methods that make learning stick. Ellen is a gifted storyteller who performs regularly at regional storytelling events.

Jenny Drescher

Bolder Company Founding Partner and CFO, Jenny Drescher is an invigorating speaker and coach with a bold, funny style. An accomplished performance Improviser, instructional designer, and candid-yet-kind facilitator, she draws out courage and playfulness in her audiences and students. She delights in guiding people to break free of patterns that hold them back and liberate the powerful leader within. Jenny has 10+ years of coaching and facilitation experience in workplaces, service agencies, and schools. Jenny’s corporate work background includes inside and outside sales, customer service and account management. She has been a certified coach since 2007 and she is a performing improviser with the Mop & Bucket Company in Schenectady, NY.

Confident Communications: Unmute Yourself and Speak Up to Stand Out

Confident Communications: Unmute Yourself & Speak Up to Stand Out will be a game changer! It’s a call to action for professionals in all stages of their career who are ready to get their seat at the table – then build a bigger table. Ready to step away from the herd? How about leveraging your strengths to step into your authenticity to truly thrive at work? Unmute yourself and communicate your value when the stakes are high using the 3 principles of persuasion.

Nancy will provide actionable tools to take your career to the next level and start getting what you want and deserve at work. You’ll leave with the knowledge and tools needed to step into your authenticity and communicate with confidence.

This session will focus on:

• Creating a framework for confident communications
• Learning, practicing, and implementing proven tactics to overcome conversation gender bias
• Communicating your value with certainty, clarity, and confidence when the stakes are high
• Adapting tactics for a successful outcome for crucial conversations (giving and receiving feedback)

Nancy Medoff

After close to three decades of walking the talk in corporate sales leadership, Nancy Medoff, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and executive coach has literally “written the book” on workplace confidence and persuasive communication. Unmute Yourself – Speak Up to Stand Out is a game changer and a call to action for professionals who are ready to get their seat at the table – then build a bigger table. Some speakers talk about empowerment, Nancy walks the talk and provides actionable tools, proven skills, and contagious energy to elevate your teams, your programs, and your personal brand to the next level. Her signature keynote is a deeper dive into the tactics, principles, and anecdotes from her best-selling communication handbook which was featured in Forbes magazine before publication and launched at #1 in its category.

WII Peer-Led Round Tables – An Interactive Session

Please join the WII Leadership Team for an opportunity for open dialogue to share your insights, obstacles, and solutions. These peer-led, small group discussions provide a place for you to ask questions and connect with others who have similar challenges, goals, or interests.

You may gain new knowledge, perspective, and maybe even some new confidants!

Gina Schaefer

Gina Schaefer is the founder and CEO of a chain of Ace Hardware stores located in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, MD, and Alexandria, VA. She is a passionate entrepreneur who grew her company from one to 12 stores in only 14 years and now leads a multimillion-dollar business that employs more than 250 people. As a former member of the Ace Hardware Corporation Board of Directors, she is dedicated to maintaining a strong corporate culture. Schaefer’s big passion is for developing urban markets, supporting small businesses and helping women to succeed in all aspects of the hardware industry. She has tirelessly focused on the “Return to Main Street” movement in her own city of Washington, D.C., to promote Shop Local campaigns and community revitalization in urban areas.

Lessons Learned in Leadership – A Panel Discussion

As women in the industry, learning from our own experiences and sharing them with others is one of the most valuable gifts we can give one another. What are some of the most impactful encounters you have had in your career journey? How have you overcome those hurdles? How have you set yourself apart while developing the skills you need to climb that ladder?

Join this panel of extraordinary women as they share their personal experiences and lessons in leadership along the way.

Kristin Kraai-Keely

Kristin Kraai-Keely is the Portfolio Management VP at LineDrive, responsible for manufacturer partnerships and strategy.  She has served on the ISA Women in Industry Education & Development committee for several years and has been part of the WII leadership team, chairing the E & D committee for the past year.  Kristin also acts as an Advisory Council Member for The George Washington University School of Business for The Women in Leadership Executive Program.  Her 20 years in industrial distribution have included a variety of progressive sales roles within both manufacturer and manufacturer representative organizations.  Kristin left the industry for several years to serve as Director of Admissions for a Chicago-based MBA program and came back in order to work for LineDrive.  She is passionate about the education, development, and advancement of women in the industrial channel.  She lives in Michigan with her husband Kevin and has two daughters, Gillian and Gabby.

Sonia Timmons

Sonia Timmons, Vallen’s Vice President of Finance, has oversight and responsibility for Vallen’s financial & data analysis, planning, reporting, and modeling. Sonia is committed to diversity & inclusion and is an executive sponsor of both Vallen’s women and black employee resource groups. Sonia has been a part of the Vallen team for 15 years and has 25 years of finance experience. Vallen Distribution is a broad line distributor that helps solve the toughest challenges with industry-leading solutions and services for MROP and safety products to the customers in the industrial supply market. Sonia was the 2019 ISA conference speaker for Distributor Analytics-Changing the Way You Assess and Driver Performance and is a current member of Women In Industry and former committee member of Emerging Leaders. Sonia is based in Charlotte, NC.

Jennifer Hawkins

Jennifer Hawkins is the Director of Sales over the Western U.S. region at Weiler Abrasives group. She is experienced in various channels of the business including industrial, welding, and wholesale models. She has over 18 years of proven success in the industry on both the manufacturer and wholesale side with a career focused in sales and sales management for the last 4 years.

Jennifer prides herself on her collaborative team approach, clear communication, strategic plan development & execution, and positioning her team for success through coaching and development to ensure strategic plans are executed at the local level. She strives to tackle challenges head-on with professionalism, respect, and a positive mindset while holding everyone accountable for delivering on their commitments. Jennifer is always eager to learn something new and enjoys seeking advice from those that have a long tenure in the industry.

Tracy Moyse

Tracy Moyse started with LineDrive as Strategic Account Manager in July of 2020 after making the conscious decision to get back into sales and working directly with customers – two of her passions. Prior to her time with LineDrive, Tracy spent 16 years with Greenlee Tools holding a variety of sales positions. Throughout her career, she gained experience in various channels and in multiple management capacities. After Emerson acquired Greenlee from Textron and merged Greenlee & Ridgid Tool, she moved to a VP of Business Development role which was her last position before starting at LineDrive.

Tracy lives in Rockton, IL with her husband, Brian, and their adult son, Ben – who lives near them but not with them 🙂 They have 2 dogs and enjoy traveling to different beach destinations while exploring new food and drink recipes.

Never Lose a Customer Again: Creating Remarkable Experiences in The First 100 Days® to Gain a Customer for Life

Losing customers is the biggest threat facing businesses today – and yet most companies don’t even realize it. After making huge investments of time, money, and energy to acquire new customers, most companies see between 20-70% of those customers disappear in less than one hundred days.

In an engaging and entertaining keynote, Joey Coleman will introduce you to The First 100 Days® methodology – a way of approaching your customer experience and customer service efforts that will turn new customers into lifelong fans. His presentation will feature research and case studies showing the importance of making a great impression and creating a remarkable experience in The First 100 Days of the customer lifecycle.

Joey Coleman

For nearly twenty years, Joey has helped organizations retain their best customers and turn them into raving fans via his entertaining and actionable keynotes, workshops, and consulting projects. His First 100 Days® methodology helps fuel the successful customer experiences his clients deliver around the world. In his Wall Street Journal #2 best-selling book, Never Lose a Customer Again, Joey shares strategies and tactics for turning one-time purchasers into lifelong customers – while dramatically increasing profits along the way. As a recognized expert in customer experience design and an award-winning speaker at national and international conferences, Joey specializes in creating unique, attention-grabbing customer experiences. He works with companies ranging from small start-ups, to large Fortune 500s, with hundreds of mid-size businesses in between.

Understanding Business Cycles Using Rates-of-Change

Many of us have heard about business cycles, but what is it and how do we quantify it? Measuring the business cycle can help us understand where we are today and where we are heading tomorrow.

This session will walk attendees through how to calculate Rates-of-Change (the bedrock upon which the forecasting process is built) and the importance of business cycles – what they are and how they work. By using real data, leading indicators, business analytics tools (included with registration), and case studies, attendees will improve their understanding of the bigger economic picture impacting their company and this channel.

Patrick Luce

Patrick Luce is a vital member of ITR Economics’ team of expert economists. He lends his expertise to client reports, forecast reviews, research, and frequent communications with clients. Patrick double-majored in finance and economics at the University of Tampa and went on to earn a master’s degree in economics from the University of South Florida.

His accomplishments include serving as a panel member and moderator for Institute of Strategic Policy Solutions events, serving as a contributor to the American Water Works Association Manual M1, presenting at AWWA Utility Management Conferences, and publishing insights in the Florida Water Resources Journal.

Prior to joining the ITR Economics team, Patrick worked as a management consultant, specializing in financial and economic modeling for local government agencies. Additionally, Patrick is an adjunct professor at his undergraduate alma mater, where he teaches courses in macroeconomics.

Forecasting: Peek Into the Future

Knowing where your business is today is good… but knowing where it will be tomorrow is better! In this session, attendees will learn about leading indicators, how to spot changes in the business cycle before they take place, and most importantly, what specific steps they should take to capitalize on those changes and proactively plan for what comes next. Learn how to peek into the future and take one step closer to thinking like a CEO.

Patrick Luce

Patrick Luce is a vital member of ITR Economics’ team of expert economists. He lends his expertise to client reports, forecast reviews, research, and frequent communications with clients. Patrick double-majored in finance and economics at the University of Tampa and went on to earn a master’s degree in economics from the University of South Florida.

His accomplishments include serving as a panel member and moderator for Institute of Strategic Policy Solutions events, serving as a contributor to the American Water Works Association Manual M1, presenting at AWWA Utility Management Conferences, and publishing insights in the Florida Water Resources Journal.

Prior to joining the ITR Economics team, Patrick worked as a management consultant, specializing in financial and economic modeling for local government agencies. Additionally, Patrick is an adjunct professor at his undergraduate alma mater, where he teaches courses in macroeconomics.

Just Negotiate!

Are your negotiations causing you to give more than you get? Do you feel boxed in? How aware are you of the impact your emotions may have on your negotiation approach?

In 60-minutes you’ll be introduced to the difference between positional and collaborative negotiation styles, the power of understanding interests for negotiation outcomes, and the importance of emotional intelligence for better negotiation results. Research studies show that improved negotiation results in higher revenues for companies and more productive and engaged employees.

Denise LaStoria

Denise LaStoria is the founder and Managing Partner of Training Advantages, LLC. She brings expertise in presentation and messaging skills training, expert level negotiations, Extended DISC and Emotional Intelligence, complex B2B selling methodology and sales coaching. Denise has been providing facilitation services since 2001 for organizations including Miller Heiman, Inc., Action Strategies, Accordance and others. She has also developed her own skills-based programs and markets those to various industries, customizing as appropriate to meet the specific needs of her clients. She has worked with various industries including manufacturing, consulting, finance, insurance, and semiconductor, among others. Denise has twenty-two years of sales and marketing experience. In the sales arena, she has sold capital equipment for both manufacturers and distributors in the industrial markets.

Good Leaders Ask Great Questions (John Maxwell)

“You only get answers to the questions you ask.” John Maxwell Asking the Right Questions is the only way to be informed.

There is no greater challenge to a leader than to set aside the ego that gets in the way of asking questions. In this 90-minute session, we’ll explore the value of questions and the types of questions that leaders might ask themselves as well as their team members. Asking the right question of the right person at the right time is a powerful combination because answers set you up for success.

Denise LaStoria

Denise LaStoria is the founder and Managing Partner of Training Advantages, LLC. She brings expertise in presentation and messaging skills training, expert level negotiations, Extended DISC and Emotional Intelligence, complex B2B selling methodology and sales coaching. Denise has been providing facilitation services since 2001 for organizations including Miller Heiman, Inc., Action Strategies, Accordance and others. She has also developed her own skills-based programs and markets those to various industries, customizing as appropriate to meet the specific needs of her clients. She has worked with various industries including manufacturing, consulting, finance, insurance, and semiconductor, among others. Denise has twenty-two years of sales and marketing experience. In the sales arena, she has sold capital equipment for both manufacturers and distributors in the industrial markets.