Downtime Tips: Professionally and Personally

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Brooke Gracey: Welcome to the how great events happen podcast we are broken Cody and we are your podcast hosts. 

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Cody Liskh: But today's episode is another special edition video cast coming to you from our personal home offices in Portland, Oregon. 

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Cody Liskh: And just like most of our listeners. We are also pivoting temporarily to work remotely, but we know it is even more important than ever to continue having relevant conversations about what is happening in the event industry, given our worlds current situation. 

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Brooke Gracey: And we're so excited because today we are joined by one of our favorite guests Brenda Ainsburg she's the channel program manager at see that Siemens. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: And she's going to talk about some really great tips on what event professionals can be doing during the downtime. So, Brenda, thank you so much for joining the podcast again. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Hey, it's great to see you all here. What are you drinking today. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: I have a decaf coffee. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Which is kind of unreal for me. 

 

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Cody Liskh: I had my coffee. I'm drinking water out of a mason jar now because I'm from Portland. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Yeah. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Excellent. And well for anybody who's kind of cvent old school. I have my I love planner. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Up with my Dunkin Donuts cafe du jour de leche a cat, cat coffee so yummy. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: That's what your last time we talked. I 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Know that one was, it was a different kind of coffee. But yes, it was a flavor and I've got my cvent straw from hashtag cvent connect 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Until you are the best serious seriously. You're just love talking about cvent and you're the channel program manager at Siemens. Can you just remind us a little bit about how you got to that role. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Okay, so I started with Siemens, about five and a half years ago now, a big part of my job is executing our annual event. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: And when I got to Siemens, they were using a static eloquent form. There was no way to update it. There was no data transfer back and forth. We lost a bunch of data and the back end. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: And it was, it was just like soul crushing and then after that event was my first event right with this company. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Someone from the marketing team said, well, we've got this thing called cvent I'll give you a login. What do you think, and I went, what is this thing called see that. Let me see. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: And it was amazing. It totally changed the game data transparency, across the board, you know, Park reports mobile app on arrival like for using it all and it has just completely elevated the event experience. So I'm so grateful. 

 

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Cody Liskh: That's awesome. I know, Brenda, one of the coolest things we're talking about was just that you had all these tips about what we can be doing during our downtime during this crisis. What is one of the main productive things that planners can be doing in their downtime right now. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: So we're right now rescheduling events postponing events, maybe we're going to pivot to virtual we're just not sure if you're having a lot of planners are are 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Are doing live events and trying to reschedule them later in the year, we have been looking so closing out or contract, we cannot 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Just trust force majeure anymore. We really have to look at those contacts contract review them with your legal department. Maybe you have 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Standard contracts, we get us you know with various and sundry hotel chains. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Make sure you review that with your legal department, see what you can do to protect yourself legally we've never had this situation before a pandemic. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Never in the event industry is rocked our world. So we can prepare, we can look for ways to add specific clauses. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: That are fair to the hotel, but also protect us against things that we couldn't possibly have foreseen or control. That's how you're going to bring a lot of a lot of value to your organization right up front in this situation. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Yeah, I've heard of a lot of people looking at those hotels and venues, right, like we've had booked. Now we have to move our event. Have you had any luck, leveraging negotiations with the hotels and venues. Any advice for our listeners. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: So this is really interesting because, you know, right now it's it's even busier in the 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: You know hotel industry. It was a seller's market before, as we call it, you know, they've been booking at record rates year over year for the last five years. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: So now everything has been like pushed over to the fall, which is my timeframe. Now I'm very lucky with an independent hotels. We've been talking with a few independent hotels. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: And they actually offered me something really important and perhaps planners event architects, however you want to refer to yourselves can actually leverage this they have offered on their contract to us a one time reduce your attrition rate by 20% 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: That's huge. Because if you. We all know if we don't meet our attrition rate if we don't fill those hotel room blocks like we've promised we could look at many 10s of thousands of dollars of penalty fees. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: So that's a really great thing to do, hotels, you know, are hurting right now because their bookings are way down. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: So they're really looking to stack the deck in the fall and beyond. As the event industry and everything recovers, so see if they can do something very flexible with you. Just like that. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Try for an attrition rate try for some other things in the contract, be creative and you know you may find that you're welcome with open arms. Let's hope. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Well, I'm sure, something like that is helpful to because let's say you know we are ramping up events and late summer, fall 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Who's to say how many people are going to feel comfortable traveling. Like, it's probably a little bit harder to protect of what your actual attendance is going to be. So having a little bit of wiggle room is probably great for you. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Absolutely. Got to protect your company and you know you have to keep your attendees and your stakeholders informed and that's that's the best way to the legal contracts and, you know, looking at what hotels can do in this situation, it could be a win win and maybe it's 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: I can't have it now because there's no government restrictions in place, but we we promise to postpone and come back to this hotel. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: And then perhaps you won't face any penalty fees because you could get into that kind of situation with them where they're guaranteed future revenue and they're going to look very favorably on you for that. Yeah. 

 

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Cody Liskh: That's a really cool tip and another really cool tip that we talked about earlier was that you see a lot of value with staying in contact with your perspective attendees and I can imagine that. But how would you recommend staying in touch. And what are those benefits. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Well now, right now it's not the time to, you know, hard sell. Hey, come to my event right now. We really have to show empathy. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: We're all in this boat together hand mean or I am rowing in your boat Cody I'm growing and your boat Brooke and we have to make our attendees feel that way. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: They are bread and butter. They're also human being. So I would say since email marketing as part of just about every planner or event architects wheelhouse. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Reach out to them make you know touch base with them as a personal 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Gesture and ask them, How are you doing, you know, don't ask them you to buy anything. Don't try sell them anything to say. How are you doing, we want to know we care about you. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Let us know and you know when they answer you, if you can get some traction with that keep in contact with them, perhaps, send them a 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Maybe a one poll email saying, You know what, what's your biggest fear like connect with them on that level, so that they understand you are humans looking out for them as humans. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: And find out what those answers are. It could be. I'm afraid I'm going to get sick or I don't think I'm going to get sick, but I could bring this home to my kids, your parents. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Or you're really worried about my job right now really find out through that media short pole like get the pulse of what's happening with your attendees. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: And then what you could do is you could ask that question in a few weeks, maybe after a major news release. Hey, we have you know the best treatment ever or hey, you know, we're starting we're starting trials now on a vaccine and ask them. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: What are they, you know, how you doing, what's your biggest fear. Then, and then if you can reach out to them over time, you may actually see like that curve. You know those charts change over time. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: That is very valuable data to have you're keeping in touch with your attendees your understanding what their concerns are so that you can make them feel as safe as possible in this very uncertain world. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: And yet at the same time, you could be gathering really relevant data to bring to the C suite and show them this is the direction we're moving. This is the trend line. Let's prognosticate right I love putting like a four or five or six syllable word and 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Let's see. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Let's see if we can put her 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: prognostication hats on and and predict 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: You know, have a better prediction of what's going to happen in the future because that that data is going to help us plan. Maybe it's smaller events. Now, 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Leading up to like a bigger event later maybe we decide we're going to do small road shows. So, that kind of thing is what's going to bring value to the C suite. It's going to help you keep in touch with your attendees make them feel safe. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: And really that's what we're all about. We're all about the attendee experience. So let's pivot ourselves. However, we need to to make our attendees feel safe feel welcome and meet their needs. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: I mean, this is probably the best advice I've heard you just connecting staying in touch with your attendee is 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Everybody's going through this kind of take other right now, and even, I would say from like our sales teams. They're just really connecting on a human level. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: With people right now because it's not about like the cell. It's really just about touching base and, like, how are you going, and we're all kind of in this together. It's been 

 

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Brooke Gracey: A really kind of cool community feel within the events industry, even though I know we're kind of in a tough spot. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: And even for planners, right, like, you know, some people their events have been cancelled. Maybe they do have a little bit of downtime, what should they be doing to think about even their career kind of the personal development side of things. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Ooh, that's a good question. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: As you as you all know, I don't call myself an event planner. I don't have any event planning certifications. Right. I'm an event architect. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Okay, the whole attendee experience, top to bottom front to back, project management budget management email marketing. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Surveys gathering that data reporting that data out as well as programming you know cvent event management for the registration website. The conference app, the appointments module. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: And helping out with the on arrival implementation, too. So I think we have to stop thinking of ourselves as I'm a planner. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: And you really have to drill deep into what are all the amazing skills that I bring forward. Maybe you're a master at budgeting, you know, maybe you have all the contacts you know with the MCS maybe you're the digital data diva. Right, I would say, sit down. You like that. What are you digital 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Starter day 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: So, so, you know, all joking aside take those things. Write them down physically write them down and think about what you can do with those skills right update your LinkedIn. There's no shame in updating your LinkedIn. Also, if you are 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: A person with expertise in one of these say let's call it a sub genre of like the whole giant you know tool set of executing events, you know, on a grand scale. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Why don't you join the LinkedIn groups and offer your expertise to other people, you know, give them tips. Give them, give them tricks, give them this kind of advice. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: So I'd say update your resume, update your LinkedIn put out good stuff out there that will benefit other people because it makes you feel good to 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: And also that shows everybody in your organization that you're not just a planner and all you can do is events when live events are being scaled back 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: You know, for obvious reasons, show them the whole value of the entire package, you know, 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Brooke. You're not just like a gorgeous hairstyle and fabulous glasses and a wonderful smile, you know, Cody, you know, you're not just like that rockin gamer do with like the coolest cat in the background. Right. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: I'm not just 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Not just a pair of great 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: dresses and pretty shoes. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: There's a lot of value. So we need to think about our, our multiple identities. Right. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Yeah, multiple identities, really, really focus on all those wonderful identities and bring your value right in front of the rest of the organization. And you know what, there's other groups, maybe 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Marketing needs help with these communications. Maybe the folks who used to do your data analytics really need a little bit of help in figuring out how to forecast things or look at data. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Off of your services go across into other groups. Maybe they're in a vertical more of a vertical silo, and you're in your industry or in your corporation, but reach out to them because they're likely needing some help. And you know, it's a great way to connect 

 

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Brooke Gracey: And even I've noticed that there's a lot of organizations, you know, we've had MPI on here. We have had GTA. We've had a lot of, you know, kind of big organizations that help with the event planning industry. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Offering they're offering free 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Certifications trainings webinar. I mean, there's like the all of this knowledge that's coming out of this. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: That you can really use I mean even Steven. I think we're doing the free certifications right now. So if you want to deepen your knowledge and you have a little bit of time. I mean, health and family comes first and then 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Sort of thinking about some of these these ways to use the time wisely. 

 

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Cody Liskh: I love that. I also love that you were talking about the you have, you know, show your value with the different identities that you have 

 

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Cody Liskh: I'm pretty sure every one of your identities has this incredibly cool energy. I just love having you on the podcast Brenda. I mean, what's your secret. What are Brenda's tips for staying sane during this crazy time 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Oh my gosh. Okay, so you have to promise not to laugh. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Giving away my diva. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Like like stay not crazy secrets. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: So, and this, you know, I've been working from home for seven years and my you know my escape has been go to one of the two fitness gyms, go to the rock climbing gym. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Got motorcycle ride. I'm avid motorcyclists. So a lot of those things really haven't taken away from me. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: So how do I stay sane. Well, first of all, instead of focusing on the negative, you really have to think about what am I grateful for. I will got today. One of the things I'm most grateful for good coffee. Forget about toilet paper people if we didn't have coffee all World War three. 

 

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Cody Liskh: Preach preach 

 

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Brooke Gracey: So, 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: So every day. I don't write like a book or anything, but I will literally write 123 things I'm grateful for every day. You know, I have a great cup of coffee. Hey, the Hummingbirds are coming to my feeder outside my kitchen window. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Hey, somebody needs me. Somebody needs my expertise at my organization. And I, and I get to help them. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Whatever your family soft pillow. Hey, you know, whatever it is you're grateful for, even if it's the smallest thing. Write it down. Because if you just think about it. Thoughts flit in they flipped out, write it down and 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: I have a kind of a strange hack. So I learned this from a favorite podcasts. I'll give you guys the link to it if you want to, you know, promote it out because it's a it's a podcast that helps me be happier just every day. No matter just during this time. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: I will grab my dry erase markers. And I actually write on my bathroom mirror so I write it there. I don't write it in a book that you know gets left in the bedroom or stuck on a bookshelf. So 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Every day I see these messages multiple times a day that three to five or whatever things I'm grateful for and you can erase it every day. Doesn't hurt but 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Excellent an extra half to your half Brenda. So if you don't 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Have a dry erase marker. You can use lipstick. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Oh, 

 

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Brooke Gracey: My mom used to do that on the bathroom years right little things. So we all, you know, be in the best mood every day. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: My mom had that she probably written clean up your room. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: You know the other thing for staying happy is there's a lot of 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Negative information out there and let me just speak from from from my marketing and marketing hat on. Okay, one of my identities. So marketing. What is marketing all about all about selling advertising. What is going to get people to click on stuff hyperbolic frenetic 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Hysterical headlines. Okay, they're not 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Most of the news media out there. I hate to say it, a lot of them will they have to pay their bills to their human beings. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: But they have to do something to get us to click to get us to look because they're pulling all of that reporting and data and they're showing it to potential advertisers going 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Look, look, look, we got millions of hits just this one day on our website pay us x amount of money will put you out of there will put it in front of millions of people they quantify our actions. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: And as human beings we react without even thinking passes by the by the analytical brain we react with a hearts. Right. So we have to really carefully curate 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: What media we choose to look at right now. And we also have to control our time in the media because there's really not that much new or different information coming out. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: It's just kind of the same thing. Most of the time, at this point. Anyhow, that may change the point of this recording, so 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: I stick with very analytical scientific stuff without the hyperbole that aren't looking for my clicks to put them in front of advertisers john hopkins University. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Mayo Clinic World Health Organization, those are my three go tues you choose your three go tues but I find that they write things that are very sane. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: And calm and analytical and factual oh yeah it's boring reading. I'd rather be bored than upset because when my energy changes to upset. Everyone around me is affected, you know, family. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Kids you live with anybody, you're in contact with anyone, even your coworkers, you know, virtually you bring that energy and it's super negative so 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: You know, in control. The time. Maybe you check it in the morning, maybe check it in the evening. I have not listened. I used to be an NPR like content streamer 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: I haven't listened to NPR since any of the started because it's so upsetting to me. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: I check it at night because I need to focus on my job. During my day because I am communicating with my attendees and my greater community about what we're doing. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: to empathize with them to help them out to help them connect more efficiently in a virtual or remote environment. So it upsets me in the morning, but my coffee makes me happy. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: So, you know, I start with that. So I don't know, um, 

 

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Brooke Gracey: I had me 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Kind of finding what makes you happy, right. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Right, you know. And on that note, whatever makes you happy figure that out. Know one or two things and do it. Okay, so what if, what if you love reading to your kids. Make sure you read to your kids. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Some people have said, Hey, let's let's you know I love to meditate. I'm going to meditate for five minutes or I'm going to watch. What's that, what's that new show tiger King or something. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Whatever you 

 

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Cody Liskh: Yep, that's it. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Whatever you want to do. I personally am watching 

 

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A lot of comedy. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: I've got, I've got some things I do every day. You know, one is right, my gratitude to is, I'm doing a little bit of exercise every day. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: I'm drinking a lot of water and I know this sounds really silly, but one of my major valves during my coronavirus diaries is where real pants every day. I mean, 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Wow, that's 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: That's 

 

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Brooke Gracey: A big ask 

 

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Cody Liskh: To be advice to 

 

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Cody Liskh: People, but it's true. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: If I'm sitting in like my PJs in my slippers, you know, or something. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: I also cannot transition into a different mood I'm in that casual mood. So, however you want to be. If you want to exercise at home, put on your gym clothes. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: If you want to, you know, log into work and be professional and, you know, super 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: efficient and effective. Maybe you should put on a work shirt and pants and some shoes and sit down at your desk. I find that that transition really helps me 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: And also when I'm done work and I work out work clothes nope changed from those to my exercise clothes that were really feeling like exercise Brenda today. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: It really there is not either a science behind it that kind of knowing you. You have a transition and maybe work is really stressful for you and you don't want to be stressed with your family. Maybe you need to figure out your own little transition 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Technique so that you can bring your best self to your family. After you've, you know, come out of your home office or whatever you're doing. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: So it's just, it's like, it's not even just tips on how to handle what's going on right now, but it's like you're really introspective growth. I mean, so interesting. What 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Even outside of this like if you keep using these sort of techniques and habits like it's, it's just like good life advice. I guess is what I'm saying. Do you have any other life advice that you can give 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: She's. Let me think. You know it. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: We talked, we talked a little bit about doing things that you love. I think right now, especially if people suddenly don't have a three hour commute anymore if they're just with their families and you know they're doing kind of the same things with their families. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Figure out how to do some good. And so it doesn't matter what you do, I heard something great. The other day on a podcast, a woman had a grandma had decided that she was going to 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: read to her grandchildren every night, but she can't go over there. Right. You can't do that. So she's been recording herself right writing 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Sorry reading bedtime stories and she's posting it on YouTube and she figured out how to post them on Facebook. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: So do do the good things. Maybe you set up a Facebook page or a next door page for your neighborhood to figure out is there anybody need 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: If you're cooking. Maybe there's an elderly neighbor or you know somebody else who's got a lot of kids. And it's really stressful for them. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: You know, to be doing all the cooking and the cleaning by themselves. Maybe they're their spouses somewhere else. Maybe they're single parent 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: offered help hey you know I'm cooking a bunch of stuff I will leave it on my front porch come pick it up. You can heat it up and you can have it for dinner, you know, cooking baking. A lot of people are doing that. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: So think about what you can do to put good out there into the world, even if it's just connecting with an old friend. I'm doing my route reconnect. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Not just wear pants, but rather to reconnect with everybody. I'm scheduling time with family and friends I reached out some friends I hadn't talked to for a while. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: I'm doing some FaceTime right some text back and forth. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: But I'm also writing letters I wrote a letter to my godfather, the other day and he called me. So wow it's like I was right there with you. It's your house and he really appreciated that. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Drop a postcard in the mail. Put a stamp on it USPS is still is still running. And that's a great way to put that personal touch on something, someone's going to know that. Wow. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Somebody's thinking about me somebody cares about me somebody is thinking about me and that can turn their entire day around so put some good out into the world think about, it doesn't have to be big. It can be small. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: My boss, actually. So she she's the best shout out to my list up but she 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Has a bunch of tulips in their yard. She's like, I was just looking at my yard. I saw these two lumps and how much joy. They're bringing me so she just left like a bouquet of tulips on my front step and I 

 

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Brooke Gracey: I was like, this is the best thing that's happened to me all day and it's just you know that small act of kindness really can take you out of the gloom, that is sort of a day to day these days. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: I gosh 

 

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Cody Liskh: I just I just loved it. Like, none of that is very hard and it's very expensive, but it can mean the world to somebody else right now. So don't forget that. That's super cool. Yep. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Right there is how to use zoom. So we can do the happy hours. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: And think about your co workers, think about your co 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Workers, you know, you may have some co workers that you can connect with remotely and that's awesome, you know, make sure you reach out to them and be even closer to them. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: I'm kind of thinking to I've heard about in the event industry a lot of planners being furloughed laid off that sort of thing. If you have co workers that have been furloughed 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Reach out to them if you would all can, you know, because they can't they can't get together with family or friends right now like 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: You know they can't go out with some friends. They can't like meet in person to have like that talk. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: And get that comfort. So reach out to them. Let them know, Hey, I'm thinking about you and you know maybe it's something where you can say, hey, 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Look at all your different identities. You're not just a planner, you're this and that. Maybe you help them with their resume. Maybe you just have like a meeting with them and say, you know, we miss you. We care about you. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: So make sure you connect with those folks because if we all are disconnected right where you know coming together in a community means that we will all not just survive, but together will thrive human beings were community animals. That's why we live together. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: We're wired with hardware that way. So reach out to your coworkers keep keep in touch with them, and especially those co workers who, you know, may have been furloughed at this time. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Reach out to them because they need you right now. 

 

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Cody Liskh: I personally don't know what I would do without my best friend and colleague, Brooke like 

 

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Cody Liskh: We talk all the time. So, 

 

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Cody Liskh: And my co host so many titles, but I don't know what I do without you. I mean, just like having somebody here that I can talk to. During this time, makes such a huge difference when you're isolated in at home by yourself. 

 

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Cody Liskh: But 

 

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Cody Liskh: Brenda 

 

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Cody Liskh: I know. Sorry. Brooke. 

 

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Cody Liskh: I just am hearing so many cool tips and tricks from you, Brenda, like if you had to leave one takeaway just one takeaway though for our meeting professionals and what they could be doing right now, what would that be 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Make sure that you keep yourself sane at home. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Make sure that you understand how much value you bring whether or not you know whatever happens in the industry right now right and know that 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: We're going to come out on the other side of this. So try not to spend too much time in the moment, you know, feeling upset. Everyone's gonna feel upset scheduled time to worry 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: But remember that, think about your future self, your future family and your future career and plan for that because we get stuck in this one moment, we're going to stop evolving. We're all going to come out of this. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: A lot better. It's not gonna be easy, but we're all going to come out of it a lot better. And I think as as a human race. You know, I think, I think we're going to be closer, I really do. So I guess, you know, I guess that's what I can leave you with without one. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: The best I can do. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Brenda for President. I love that. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: So you have tons of resources and you're plugged into a lot of different organizations, anything that you'd want to promote or share to the audience. Ooh. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Couple things. So for those of you who may have 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Been downsized or you're free to going to be downsized or may your hours were cut back 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Chris Gila bow has an amazing podcast called side hustle school. Actually, I was listening to that and I started a side hustle, which was very successful so super happy about that. He also came out with a book. So if you prefer reading do that. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Something to make me happier. Every day I listened to Gretchen Rubin's happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: And it's all these tips and tricks, how to be happier work, how to be happier at home. So those are a couple of resources that are super go tues for me. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Don't forget about all the amazing podcasts out there that can lift you up. There's audible. You know, Amazon has 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Lots of streaming free stuff and I'm trying to remember. Yes. Audible now has 300 books and a lot of them are geared towards children. Some of them are classic literature that you can stream for free. So just like Google audible 300 free books, you will find it. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: There are so many free resources out there and Andrew, I'll leave you with one more. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Andrew Johnson is in the UK. He's a meditation expert and he is releasing MP3 of meditation is not just for adults, like kids to 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: To like calm you down. Chill out, you know, make you feel better. And he's got this beautiful Scottish like bro kind of voice. Imagine Sean Connery but smooth there. He's got like the buttery man vocals. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: I've listened to yours. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: It's super soothing, especially those of you who are parents 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: You're at home. Your kids are at home with you. They're not going back to school for a while. Some of you are homeschooling to this may be just the kind of thing to bring in 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: You know, help your kids just because they're having a hard time too. So Chris Gila bow Gretchen Rubin podcast Andrew Johnson audibles 300 books. Oh, and of course women it 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: See Ben is running free certifications and they're running these like live virtual study groups connect with other planners. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: It's, it's fantastic. Stephen has put out so much good stuff out there. So I personally am planning on ramping up and recertified in crowd compass, because the app into his time. I gotta show my skills. I gotta 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Pass. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: I gotta get my double black belt here. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: So I'm going to recertified that let's see if I go for 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: Like the gusto and do cvent advanced to the advanced certification. Because right now, I have UC benefit management certification. So I really should take the advanced test and maybe I'll try for triple Triple Crown. How cool would that be right. 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: I love 

 

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Cody Liskh: To do Brenda 

 

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Brenda (Jean) Ainsburg: I want a tiara. If I do it, I want a TR I want a better 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Person. 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Yes, I was so happy that I have a mute button because you're cracking me up the whole time. 

 

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Cody Liskh: But I just gotta say, Brenda, thank you so much for joining today's very special edition video cast 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Yeah, and Cody and I were just really appreciate you stepping in to talk to us about, you know, event professionals like what we can be doing right now. You had so many cool 

 

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Brooke Gracey: Tips and tricks and for all of our listeners. Thank you for joining another episode of How great events happen as a reminder, today's recording is also available as a podcast, you can get that at cvent.com/podcast 

 

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Brooke Gracey: If any of our listeners out there have stories about how you're handling these times, and he tips and tricks you can shoot us a message at podcast@cvent.com and we'd love to hear from you. 

 

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Cody Liskh: So we'll see you again next week for another great episode. 

 

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Thanks, everybody.