Not unmindful of the future

May 21, 2017May 21, 2017Leave a comment

Photo from Washington & Lee University website.

Recently, I joined 134 members of my graduating class to celebrate our 25th college reunion. It was an amazing weekend being back on campus, catching up with our retired professors, reminiscing with old friends about our pre 21-year-old selves and dancing to one of our favorite college bands that reunited just for this occasion.

But for me, as someone who talks about accelerating business growth by embedding vision, intention and learning into the company’s DNA, I was also interested in learning how my alma mater, has been able to continue its ascent to the top of the college rankings while not losing site of what makes it unique.

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Three takeaways from International Women’s Day

March 10, 2017May 21, 2017Leave a comment

As a former manager with Accenture, I look forward to receiving invitations to their alumni events. It has been fifteen years now, but the relationships I forged with my fellow consultants are some I value the most. So needless to say, International Women’s Day, was filled with a lot of excited chatter and laughter as we reunited. But today’s event was much more than a reunion. #IWD2017 was a platform to discuss ways to promote awareness of issues impacting women in business.

Below are three key takeaways from today’s event:

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After the Crawl

May 23, 2016Leave a comment

After weeks of anticipation, the 2016 KC Startup Crawl is now over.

The kick-off event to 1 Week KC, the crawl made nine shuttle stops serving 12 host locations and introduced crawlers to 100 area startups. For me it was my first time sponsoring an event; and I was not sure what to expect. But the event it provided me an excellent opportunity to not only to practice my pitch, but to make new connections and take in the excitement of each entrepreneur I met.

Get ready to crawl!

May 11, 2016May 11, 2016Leave a comment

Its just a little over a week away until the 2016 Startup Crawl and I can’t wait! As Startland News recently reported, KC is a thriving hub for innovation … #16 on the Top 20 Startup Cities and #7 for women-owned businesses. So what better way to learn about the startups that call Kansas City home, than to participate in the 2016 KC Startup Crawl. Whether you have considered starting a business of your own, or just enjoy learning about up-and-coming businesses, this is a don’t miss event.

That Startup Magic

May 3, 2016May 3, 2016Leave a comment

What’s the magic behind your startup?

Being intentional about business design will help you harness the magic that made your startup successful and keep it alive as your grow. However, too often the forward momentum driven by success draws a startup’s focus solely to go-to-market activities, leaving core business design to take a back seat.

Dare to Win

April 28, 2016April 28, 2016Leave a comment

What a great event! This year’s theme for the 2016 Central Exchange Leadership Lyceum, “Dare to Win,” drew a great line-up of speakers, each sharing their experience and advice to a packed ballroom at the KC Convention Center. I walked away with great insight into how each speaker dared to win, including Sarah Thomas, the first full-time female referee in the NFL, and Susan Packard, Co-founder and former chief operating officer of HGTV.

But as I look back on the day, two interwoven themes particularly resonated with me… “Dare to Act, Dare to Change.”

The Office

March 8, 2016April 28, 2016Leave a comment

Founded in the Fall of 2015, Harper Strategy is located in the Kansas City metropolitan area (pictured above courtesy of Fotolia), and currently serves both the KC and Denver areas. Meetings are typically held at the client site; therefore when not with a client, I can be found working from my home office (pictured below, left).

A Curious Mind

January 25, 2016April 28, 2016Leave a comment

Though we all have our own strengths, I can say small talk is not one of mine. And I am OK with that … because I am curious. I have a strong desire to know and learn things. So I ask questions of people, share articles of interest and Google new topics (a lot). Its because I genuinely care about learning, information, and the people with whom I interact (just ask the Denver Uber driver I met the other week).

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take

January 19, 2016April 28, 2016Leave a comment

Born and raised in Kansas City, I developed a love for tennis, travel and photography early in life. The daughter of a math teacher, summer vacations were spent in the family wagon, traveling the lower 48 and Europe, snapping pictures of countless scenic overlooks and (inter)national treasures. And when not on the road, it was a sure bet you’d find me at the city courts playing in the challenge ladder, taking a lesson or hitting against the backboard.

The Big Reveal

January 15, 2016April 28, 2016Leave a comment

So today I visited with a client in the Denver area. After a lot of hard work and hard thinking, it was time for the “big reveal” … The company-wide annual strategy kickoff meeting. For me, this is one of my favorite events.