Vulnerable and undaunted
In an industry that often requires vast amounts of conviction and courage, it's refreshing to hear stories of vulnerability and openness.
After nearly two years of Zoom meetings and virtual events, I was recently able to attend two in-person conferences. The energy and excitement at both the BenefitsPRO Broker Expo and Q4Live in Seattle was palpable as old friendships were renewed and new relationships formed.
Attendees compared notes, discussed challenges, and collaborated. But there was something else in the air, too. On stage and in private conversations, it became obvious that, like others, the people in our industry have been through a lot: health problems, business struggles, personal challenges and more.
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Here are a few things I heard that epitomize their openness, resilience and spirit:
“We learn more from our failures as leaders than we do from our successes.” —Timothy Davis, president of the Texas Benefit Alliance and mayor of the city of Temple, sharing his insights on leadership during tough times
“What is on the other side of what I’ve always thought was right?” —Lindsay Clarke Youngwerth, describing the realizations she made about herself during her pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago
“When you’re going through a personal pandemic, you need the resolve to keep going no matter what.” —Felipe Barganier, on facing recent personal and professional challenges
“It’s not impossible to fight the health care system, but we have to have the courage to do it.” —Marshall Allen, sharing stories of people pushing back and helping create meaningful change
“Nothing worked until I surrendered and realized I can’t do everything myself.” —Jennifer Spiegel Berman discussing how medical issues and other obstacles made a tough couple of years even more challenging
“You can get bitter or you can get better.”
—Al Schiebel on his struggles during the pandemic, his family’s escape from Nicaragua, and the importance of self-care
In an industry that often requires vast amounts of conviction and courage, I was struck by the vulnerability and openness I heard. At the Expo, Chelsea Whalley shared the challenges and obstacles she faced while recovering from a head injury to rebuild her life and self-confidence.
She summed it up with one of my favorite takeaways from the past weeks: “You don’t need to bounce back. You can bounce forward into the new version of yourself.”
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