Welcome to another edition of Kickin' it with Kristen — your midweek motivation every Wednesday!

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💡Aha! Moment

At work, I was the leader.
At home, I was the fixer.
In a crisis, I became the glue.

So when my dad had a massive heart attack, I did what I always do—
I held it all together.

I made sure my mom was okay.
I translated the medical updates.
I called the family. Found the living will. Informed his workplace.
I carried the weight of making sense of the chaos.

On about day three in the hospital, my sister and I were in the room when the doctor came in.
My dad hadn’t really woken up.
He was confused—his brain fogged from lack of oxygen.

The doctor began speaking. Updates. Probabilities. Realities.

And I… started to cry.

My sister looked at me and said,
“What are you doing? You can’t do that. You’re the one who keeps it together.”

Through tears, I whispered, “I know.”
But the truth? I couldn’t keep it together anymore.

The doctor paused, looked at both of us, and said something I’ll never forget:

“Everyone needs to have their moment.”

It’s been years since that day in the hospital, but the memory is etched in my heart. And as life throws new curveballs—aging parents, Alzheimer’s, caregiving—I carry that reminder with me still.

Because I’ve learned:

• Being “the strong one” doesn’t mean being unshakable.
• Sometimes, strength is the breakdown.
• Grace isn’t just for others—it’s for you too.

We all have our moments.

I’m grateful mine rarely happen at the same time as someone else’s.
That balance—that trade-off of grace and space—is how we make it through.

If you’re the one holding it all together, this is your permission:

You’re allowed your moment.

Take it. Feel it.
Then get back up—when you’re ready.

P.S. These are the moments coaching changed my life—from always being the strong one to learning how to hold space for myself, too.

One Thing to Know

🏨 Event Essentials - We’ve all experienced it: a beautiful venue, an energized crowd, and a WiFi signal that just won’t cooperate. In today’s world, strong, reliable connectivity isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity. I’ve learned it’s not enough to ask “Is there WiFi?” You need to dig deeper: What’s the bandwidth? How many devices can connect? Will it support livestreaming, mobile apps, and vendor tech simultaneously?

WiFi failures can derail everything from check-in to breakout sessions. That’s why I always recommend including a tech walk-through during your site visit and involving your AV and IT teams early in the planning process. A well-run event depends on the quiet power of connection.

🏰 a_far_off_place by Katy Lampe - Dreaming of a beach vacation to somewhere new?! Barbados should be on the top of our list!

Check out all Sandals Royal Barbados has to offer in this latest blog post!

🏫 Learned - Nothing beats face-to-face. I had the incredible opportunity to attend the HelmsBriscoe ABC conference in Toronto, and it reminded me just how powerful real connection can be. I got to catch up with hotel partners and friends from all over the world—but my favorite moment? A simple, joy-filled dinner with a colleague and her husband, who now live in France. We shared stories, travel tips, laughs, and encouragement.

Moments like that—off the official agenda—remind me why I love this work. Yes, the business gets done. But the relationships? That’s the part that sticks with you.

✔️ Accomplished - This month, I invested time in updating my internal templates for hotel negotiations, cost analysis, and my OneNote notebook system for new events. These tools aren’t flashy, but they’re foundational. Refining them helped streamline how I manage multiple events and client needs at once, and gave me the structure I need to stay calm and confident even when timelines get tight.

Having clear systems has been a game-changer in a season when life behind the scenes has been anything but calm. It’s amazing how getting organized on paper can create space in your mind—and your calendar—for what really matters.

🤔Insight for the Week

❓Ask Kristen

Q: Have you ever coached a team through planning or hosting a major event?

A: Absolutely—I’ve coached several teams through planning and hosting major events, from large-scale corporate meetings to intimate, high-impact retreats. My background includes leading a department that managed over 3,700 events annually, including a national conference with more than 40,000 attendees. Since launching my coaching and hotel sourcing businesses, I’ve supported clients in everything from venue selection and contract negotiations to team dynamics, agenda design, and onsite leadership.

What I’ve found is that coaching during event planning is often the secret sauce—because it’s not just about logistics, it’s about clarity, communication, and confidence. Whether I’m helping a team align around the event’s purpose, navigate decision fatigue, or step into leadership roles they’ve never held before, my goal is to make sure the event not only runs smoothly but also achieves its intended impact. And yes, sometimes that means coaching people through the panic and the possibilities.

💬 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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