Coffee Klatch – University/Northlake Area Fall 2024 (Members Only)

August 2022 CREW Luncheon: “Leadership Lessons from an Industry Trailblazer” with Lee Ann Nance, Stewart

Lee Anne Nance, President and COO of Stewart, shared with us her core values and strategic goals that are the foundation of her success. A devoted wife and mother, with a background as an Economist and Analyst in Economic Development, Lee Anne has used her leadership skills to help develop a unique culture at Stewart. She shared how she has developed the acronym T H R E A D which has become part of the everyday language and culture for Stewart.

Lee Anne leads by example with the Big Three in Leadership: Communication, Relationships and Perseverance. No matter what, be your authentic self – embrace who you are. Be strategic and tactful, while having the discipline to create white space to visual the future while balancing demands. Decisions have far reaching impacts. Surround yourself with a trusted team that you can challenge because of the trust you have in each other. Tough decisions balance empathy and courage. Put yourself in the position of the people are you are responsible for, yet set boundaries since you cannot lead with an empty cup.

Regarding teamwork, Lee Anne shared her philosophy to treat anyone and everyone with respect and insist it is reciprocated. It is important to create Your Legacy. People don’t remember details, they remember how you made them feel. Be sure to perform character checks daily as stress makes us remember that we are all human. Pay it forward and remember to celebrate the small wins along the way. Silence your inner critic and don’t let it spiral! Be and advocate for yourself and others and bottom line, Hard Work Gets Noticed!! Yet, don’t focus on getting the credit. Ego is the enemy…

Lee Ann also shared her favorite books, authors, and podcasts as she stated, “I totally believe in Life Long Learning”. Lee Anne’s presentation is available by clicking here.

June 2022 Luncheon: New Trends in Retail Development

Submitted by Ashleigh Mellon, Geo Hydro Engineers

Katie Grissom, Managing Director, Asana Partners delivered an informative and positive message about the Trends in Retail Development at our June 2022 luncheon. Generation Z, the largest generation, is coming into buying power and more broadly, consumer preferences are evolving as a result of the last two years. With convenience at the forefront – mixed use, neighborhood near urban and suburban neighborhoods are becoming more desirable for retailers. New categories focused on convenience are emerging, like Medtail (vets, dentists, primary care). We better understand the halo effect, the impact of opening a new store on the retailer’s sales, and digital marketing costs are pushing retailers to find new avenues to acquire customers. All of these factors point to continued growth in the brick-and-mortar retail space.

Signature Luncheon with Alison Levine: On the Edge: The Art of High-Impact Leadership  

Submitted by Danielle Kuhn and Keiko Pace 

CREW Charlotte hosted a very motivating speech given by Alison Levine at the Westin for their Signature Luncheon on May 4th.  Alison Levine is no stranger to punishing environments. She has survived sub-zero temperatures, hurricane-force winds, sudden avalanches…and a career on Wall Street. Alison has made a career out of breaking boundaries and inspiring others to achieve more than they ever thought possible.

Levine has climbed the highest peak on every continent, served as the team captain of the first American Women’s Everest Expedition, and skied across the Arctic Circle to the geographic North Pole. In January 2008 she made history as the first American to follow a remote route across west Antarctica for 600 miles to the South Pole. She completed this arduous journey on skis while hauling 150 lbs of her gear and supplies in a sled harnessed to her waist. Her success in extreme environments is noteworthy given she had three heart surgeries and also suffers from a neurological disease that causes the arteries that feed her fingers and toes to collapse in cold weather, leaving her at extreme risk for frostbite.

Levine spoke about how you must climb up a few thousand feet and then go back down to base to rest, hydrate, and then go back up a little higher each time. She related the ascending and descending climbs to work and life. Sometimes you must go backward in order to move forward. She continued to talk about how fear is normal. She had fears about the weather, the journey, and whether she would reach the top, etc. Fear, willpower, and commitment to success can also help propel you forward.  

Alison did not make it to the top of Mount Everest on her first expedition. She encountered a few severe storms along her journey, and they had to make the extremely hard decision to turn back and head down the mountain for her safety and her team’s wellbeing. It was heartbreaking not to make it to the top her first time, but the lessons she learned were invaluable.  

Alison did go back and reach the top after encouragement from her late, best friend who was also an amazing athlete.  On this expedition, she encountered another storm and saw other climbers heading back down the mountain. But Alison had more experience this time and wanted to check out the conditions for herself. After a grueling trek up the mountain, again with more severe weather conditions, she made it to the top of Mount Everest!  

She learned many lessons along the way but one of the best lessons was that failure prepares you for success. Without failure, you can’t experience the sweet feeling of success. Failure motivates you to keep moving forward. Willpower and the determination to succeed must come from your heart.  

Quotes from Alison Levine: 

• “Backing up is not the same as backing down”
• “Take action based on the situation not based on a plan “ 
• “Fear is okay, it is just a normal human emotion. Complacency is what will kill you.” 
• “The storms are always temporary” 
• “No one gets to the top by themselves”

Key Takeaways: 

• Climbing Everest is nothing at all like the movies! 
• Just like in life, while you are climbing a mountain you must act and react quickly in environments that are constantly shifting and changing 
• You don’t have to be the best or the fastest or strongest, you just have to be relentless and want to continue 
• Leadership is about realizing that everyone has a responsibility to help a team move towards a goal, not just the leader themselves. 
• Leadership is not about you; it is about everyone around you. You must think about every move you make because it is going to affect everyone else on the team and not just you.
• We cannot control the environment, but we can only control the way we react. You may be put in scenarios where you have to act based on the situation and not the plan. 
• If the conditions aren’t right, it is okay to cut your losses and walk away because one person’s poor judgment can bring down an entire team or organization 
• When you are going to try hard things, you are going to have to give yourself and your team the freedom to fail and come back around to try it again. The hard work you put in will impact those who come behind you and do remarkable things because of your experience. 
• Failure stifles people from taking a risk. However, because of the previous failures Alison had or people had before her, she was able to be where she is today. 
• The lessons you learn along the way and what you are going to do with that knowledge going forward is what continues to change the world.  
• You do not have to have complete clarity to move towards a goal. But if you do have the big picture in sight, sometimes it is necessary to break down the big picture into smaller more doable goals.