The Purdue Women’s Network connects alumnae around the globe with opportunities to share their skills, knowledge, and leadership to uplift and inspire other women. In this ongoing series, we check in with Purdue alumnae who run their own businesses and are looking to connect with others.
Tell us about your academic and professional background.
I majored in interior design at Purdue and graduated in 1989.
I worked in interior design in Chicago for five years after graduation. I was hired by a large corporate insurance broker to learn marketing and quickly turned my attention to corporate insurance management. After starting a family and moving back to Lafayette, I had the blessing of staying home with my three sons. In 2010, I chose to go back to work when we purchased a historical building downtown.
We renovated a large historical building in downtown Lafayette in 2010. I designed the renovation project and secured finances for the remodel. We hosted multiple events — including weddings, showers, parties, business meetings, art classes, and more. We partnered with Ivy Tech Community College as a host for its fine art program. Because of my innovative business plan, we won an EDGE Award from the state of Indiana.
When we left the retail space behind, I took one part of the business — corporate team building workshops — and focused on building the programs as an independent consultant.
Tell us about your business
I am a visual practitioner. My background in art, design, and business has equipped me to custom design and facilitate unique hands-on training experiences for groups and organizations, cultivating creative problem-solving, visioning, and whole-brain thinking to increase the group’s ability to think outside the box. I offer stand-alone workshops and also partner with other facilitators, complementing their programs with hands-on, arts-based training.
In addition to my workshops, I am a trained graphic facilitator. I capture presentations and meetings graphically in large format using paper and markers to help participants see the information they are hearing as well as organize it to increase their understanding and retention. This skill is very useful in process scenarios such as visioning and strategic planning meetings. Process meetings especially benefit from visual organization as it helps to incorporate everyone’s opinions, organizes the information, and keeps the group moving along on the same trajectory.
Who would be a good referral for you right now?
- Live or virtual conference or meeting coordinator looking for a way to increase participation, retention, and understanding for their event
- Women’s groups looking for creative training and team building.
- Facilitators/trainers looking for a partner to complement their programs by incorporating experiential learning into their trainings
How could people learn more about you and your business?
Follow my social media pages — Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Share an invitation to a call, webinar, website, free download, etc.
A free phone consult allows you to learn more about your creative options, ask questions, and customize exactly what fits your group needs. No obligations!
It might also be interesting to include other information such as your hobbies and how you’re working through these uncertain times.
Outside of work, I enjoy nature, fitness, art, and time spent with my husband and three sons.
Working through these uncertain times has taken some creative thinking. Virtual meetings can become boring and laborious. Graphic recording helps keep participants engaged with the material and helps increase retention.