By Tami Adams.
Like many of you, I’ve often wondered how I could help people in our communities who are struggling emotionally or feeling overwhelmed by the unprecedented nature of this moment were in.
The answer turned out to be the inaugural virtual Nurses Week Resiliency ReBoot (NWRR), perhaps the most rewarding event of my life
The NWRR, a co-creation with recognition and culture expert Sarah McVanel and psychosocial wellness expert, Stephanie Staples was an opportunity for us to give back to the health care community at a time when nurses and front-line healthcare workers were burning out in the face of unprecedented levels of stress.
The event helped the nursing community to connect, come together, learn, and gain strength from the shared experience but this article is not about the details of the event, that’s for another story. This article is about why I produce events, the true impact of the experiences we create and the power of engagement.
This isn’t an easy job and if I only produced events for the money, I wouldn’t produce many events. I wouldn’t stay up days, give up weekends or pursue a career that the U.S recruitment site CareerCast described as the “5th most stressful job outside firefighters & soldiers fighting on the front-lines” if there wasn’t something more.
For me, it’s the impact events have on the individual that inspires me and one of the best examples of that happened just recently:
Jeudi is an ICU nurse with more than 25 years of experience working for a large teaching hospital when Covid hit but after working on the front lines of COVID, she was exhausted, burnt out, frustrated, and considering her early retirement options.
After attending every session offered at NWRR, even scheduling her break so she could join us for the final Celebration, she summarized her experience as follows:
“It was a wonderful week of presentations for which I am still so grateful to have attended. I still get choked up and excited thinking about that week. I am so blessed. Thank you is not enough – I will be your poster child for the reboot program. It was a new beginning I knew I needed but did not know how to get it or where to start. The incentive to want to grow again as a person renewed, the energy to take it back to the team. ‘Restored as we all begin to heal and move forward to take on our next challenge.”
–Jeudie, ICU Nurse Leader
This was such a rewarding comment and it reminded me of the true power of events and how impactful events can be that fuels the souls, hearts, and minds of those attending, and how you can make the incredible happen in less than two months when you’re planning partners feel just as passionate as you do.
Is it easy? No, but even in the most stressful moments, I found myself pumped up, energized, and feeling like I was fulfilling some part of my higher purpose.
“When you love people and have the desire to make a profound, positive impact upon the world, then will you have accomplished the meaning to live.”
-Sasha Azevedo
Through the power of events and the power of speech, we can inspire excellence in others and positively affect the world. Event professionals, let us keep doing what we do best and changing lives for the better!
Tami Adams is a dedicated and passionate Speaker Manager, Coach & Events Professional who thrives in bringing people together for engaging and life-changing experiences. She believes that when people come together, that is where the magic truly happens! Tami started her own Speaker Management Company, TA Speakers Management, in Sept. 2020, where she works with professional speakers to manage their day-to-day. She coaches new speakers wanting to get into this incredible industry and current speakers looking for consulting services for different aspects of their business.
To connect with Tami: LinkedIn – Website – Email