Stop treating conferences like lectures and start treating them like catalysts. We sit down with Carol, a Detroit-based entrepreneur who left a secure GM career to build a national event agency that designs gatherings people still talk about years later. For decision-makers dealing with disengaged audiences—and for any leader who’s ever felt alone in tough calls about budget, flow, or impact—Carol reframes event design through a question-driven lens. She believes the real ROI happens in hallways: those unscripted, peer-powered moments where ideas stick and new partners meet.

Carol walks us through her proudest builds, including a centennial celebration for the Kresge Foundation that brought Detroit’s culture to the stage and quietly welcomed President Obama. She opens the curtain on production truths: why you should thank the AV crew when nothing goes wrong, how to rehearse for the “what if” moments, and how on-the-fly recoveries often become the most human stories attendees remember. There’s humor too—live tigers, accidental blackouts, and the delicate art of making a big entrance that actually works.

At the center of this conversation is impact. Events generate waste, especially food. Carol shares a simple, scalable tactic: redirect catering minimums into pre-packaged items and donate them to local food banks. No new budget. No extra logistics. Just asking the right question at the right time. That one shift sparked national interest and reflects a broader mandate: design gatherings that feed minds and communities.

We also unpack resilience. When COVID shut down live events, Carol split a lean team, earned virtual certifications, protected the brand, and later folded those skills into hybrid strategies for global niche groups. Earlier downturns pushed her to launch a consulting arm that transforms corporate anniversaries into yearlong engines for culture, PR, and growth. For anyone ready to challenge their comfort zone in leadership or creative industries, Carol’s story shows how to run toward the roar when uncertainty hits—and how clarity emerges when you decide what’s not your problem.

If you care about event design, audience engagement, sustainability, or leadership under pressure, this episode is full of practical plays you can use next week. Real leaders. Real stories. Real action. Listen, share with a teammate, and tell us your best hallway-moment tactic—and if you try the donation move, report back so others can follow. Subscribe for more candid conversations with leaders who build things that last.

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