EntreCon just wrapped up its annual two-day business, leadership, and entrepreneurship conference in Pensacola. This local, purposeful, affordable, and inspiring event is great for networking and leadership learning.
The Studer Community Institute organizes and hosts speakers from all over the country with information-packed sessions like “Top 10 Things to Optimize Your Social Media,” and “Talent Acquisition & Retention in the Post-COVID Labor Markets.”
But beyond specific and actionable business strategies and topics, each day ended with keynote speeches that included the emotional quotients of business.
Thomas Dahlborg closed Entrecon 2023 with a Keynote speech called Love is the Force Multiplier. He is the
As the grandson of a funeral home operator, he knew that not everyone thought of a job in the funeral industry as appealing. Behind the scenes, however, Tom saw and heard the impact his grandfather made in their local community.
He couldn’t go to the barbershop without hearing stories of the kindness and compassion his grandfather showed to people during their lowest points and greatest times of need – during loss.
While a funeral home director may not be on the list of glamorous or enviable jobs, his grandfather did a job that mattered when it counted most. Being a witness to that instilled in Tom from a young age an appreciation for the authentic power of the love quotient in business. Applying love worked in a quantifiable way because the funeral is still thriving today after more than 100 years in business.
While many business and quality improvement speakers and motivators focus on metrics, Tom implored the audience to make authentic love a motivating factor in internal and external business practices.
For business leaders who have been trained to think in terms of the immediate bottom line, he knows that it can take courage to make cultural shifts, but reminded the audience that the Latin root of courage is Cor – which means heart. While it may take courage and may be hard to measure immediately, the long-term loyalty and gains will be worth it in sustainable ways.
An immigrant experience and journeys through loss were the driving force behind the lessons and insights shared by Fawn Lopez at Wednesday’s closing keynote.
Fawn is an author and the Publisher-Emeritus at Modern Healthcare. Prior to her retirement this year, she was publisher of the industry’s leading source of healthcare business and policy news, research, and information for healthcare executives since 2005.
The audience was captivated by Fawn’s keynote speech entitled Unstoppable: Embracing Change and Building a Brighter Future.
Fawn gave 3 turning points for living a fulfilling life. The first was embracing the importance of relentless hustle, kindness, and curiosity. The second was embracing the importance of investing in and caring for others. And lastly, embrace the importance of authenticity with yourself and your relationships.
She also shared that the experiences of losing her grandfather, sister, and beloved colleague, taught her that every moment is precious.
Having built a successful career based on her first turning point, she looks forward with points 2 and 3 at the forefront. She ended her talk with the challenge for us all to ask…
What is my mission?
What values do I hold?
Am I being authentic?
What do I aspire for my life to stand for?
For more information on EntreCon or to register for the 2024 Conference, visit the website here: https://entreconpensacola.com/
