Welcome to another edition of Kickin' it with Kristen — your midweek motivation every Wednesday!
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💡Aha! Moment
It’s the “One More Thing” That Usually Gets You! My sister-in-law was in town last week, and we decided to have a fun night together. One drink became two… One bottle of wine became two… And then — in a moment of questionable brilliance — we ended the night with a glass of Amarula Cream Liqueur.
That last decision was the one that took us out. Both of us ended up sick at midnight and dragging the entire next day.
As I sat the next morning, clutching Gatorade like it was holy water, the real insight hit me:
It’s rarely the first decision that gets you. It’s the “one more” you say yes to after you’re already tired.
In work and life, most overwhelm doesn’t come from one big choice. It comes from the tiny, “sure, why not?” moments we stack on top of each other.
🔶 And the funny part? There were signs we were already at our limit — we just ignored them. Here are the same warning signs that show up in life and leadership:
- You hear yourself say, “It’s fine… It’s just one more.” Minimizing is always the first clue you’re negotiating against your own best interest.
- You feel the tiny hesitation — and override it. That micro-pause of intuition is rarely wrong.
- You’re already tired or checked out. Tired you, says yes to things that Energized you would immediately decline.
- You say yes too fast because you don’t want to disappoint someone. That rapid-fire “sure!” is people-pleasing autopilot.
- You think, “I’ll deal with it tomorrow.” Tomorrow, you always pay the bill for tonight’s choices.
The real aha? If the “one more thing” costs you more tomorrow than it gives you today… pause.
Sometimes it takes an Amarula hangover to remember where our real boundaries are. 😅
One Thing to Know
🏨 Event Essentials - One thing every planner or meeting host should know: make sure you get your points. Most major hotel brands offer planner points or rewards programs, and they can add significant value to your hard work. When a hotel includes a Meeting Planner Bonus Program, you may be eligible to earn points on guest room revenue, food and beverage spend, and even meeting room rental. These points can be used for future travel, upgrades, or personal rewards — but only if you’re the planner listed in the contract and the terms are clear.
Many hotels now require an employer acknowledgment form confirming the points don't violate corporate policy. If you’re contracting on behalf of someone else or sourcing as an advisor (like I do for many clients), you’ll often see this tucked into the concessions or its own clause. The key: don’t assume points are automatically included. Ask. Negotiate. Confirm. It’s a small detail with a surprisingly big payoff.
🏰 a_far_off_place by Katy Lampe - Why wait? Start plotting your 2026 adventure now! Spring break fever is in the air, and it's prime time to snag those sweet travel deals for your next escape. Got your plans all mapped out yet? Need a spark of inspiration? Follow Katy Lampe with Magical Moments Vacations for some ideas for your family vacation!
🏫 Learned - This week’s aha moment came from something less glamorous but absolutely essential: Wave and getting ready to close out 2025 accounting. As my business grows, so does the volume of expenses, invoices, and categories I need to track. Wave has become the system that quietly keeps me sane. From separating personal and business transactions to categorizing receipts and preparing for tax season, I’ve learned that the right tools don’t just organize your business — they strengthen it.
What surprised me most? Once everything was cleaned up and connected properly, I could finally see patterns in my spending and revenue that help me make better decisions. It feels good to have a system that supports the business I’m building, instead of scrambling at the end of the year. For any new business owner: get your financial house set up early. It’s a gift to your future self.
✔️ Accomplished - This week, nine new events landed on my desk within three days. They spanned Asia, Europe, and the Americas — each with its own time zones, languages, rates, and contract nuances. It easily could have tipped into overwhelm, and for a moment, it did.
I felt myself shifting into reactive mode, bouncing between emails and trying to keep all the details straight. So I stopped. I regrouped. And I built a system that helped me regain control.
Here’s what worked:
1️⃣ I paused instead of pushing through. A short reset moved me from stress into strategy.
2️⃣ I broke everything into buckets. Each event got its own “container,” which made the work feel manageable instead of massive.
3️⃣ I scheduled focused time for each event. No more jumping from crisis to crisis — just intentional, block-based work.
4️⃣ I prioritized by anticipated close date. Once I sorted by what needed to move first, everything else fell into place.
From there, the momentum came back. And by the end of the week?
All nine events were sourced — accurately, quickly, and across three continents.
“Feeling overwhelmed isn’t a failure — it’s a cue to create a better system.”
Last week reminded me that I can handle high volume and complexity, but I do it best when I’m organized, intentional, and working from a plan instead of reacting to the noise.
🤔 Insight for the Week
Good, better, best. Never let it rest, 'til your good gets better, and your better gets best!
I love this mantra that the Chicago Bears are using and as I think about planning events. Good is finding a venue. Better is negotiating the right contract. Best is aligning the experience so perfectly with the goals that attendees feel it, from the moment they check in to the moment they head home.
“Never let it rest” doesn’t mean overworking. It means staying curious, asking the next question, anticipating the next need. It’s the spirit that turns a meeting into momentum, and a retreat into transformation.
❓A Question Worth Asking
Every week, I’ll leave you with one question—something I’m asking myself or my clients. Take it into your next team meeting, journaling session, or just a quiet moment.
As you think about where “good” can become “better” in your own world this week, here’s a question worth sitting with:
🟡 This week’s question: Where in your work or life are you settling for ‘good’—and what’s one small step that would move it toward ‘better’ this week?
It doesn’t have to be dramatic. Just intentional.
💬 Let’s Connect! Whether you’re planning an event, looking for leadership coaching, or dreaming up your next adventure, let’s chat. Hit reply, or find Kristen on LinkedIn and Katy on Facebook/Instagram.
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