Agenda
Join us for dynamic speakers, breakout sessions, roundtables and the best networking in the industry!

Monday, June 12th
12:00pm – 5:30pm
Prefunction
Registration
1:00pm-3:00pm
“Strengths Finders” Pre-conference Workshop
Lorri Kelley, Lorri Kelley Advisors
Prerequisite: Purchase Strengths Finders from Amazon.com, read the first 30 pages and take the test prior to the conference. Bring the results with you to the workshop.
Strengths Finders is one of the leading professional development tools used to uncover your top five talents and teach you to capitalize on them so you can work to your strengths. You can take the test and discover your talents, but you will be missing half of the opportunity. In addition to understanding your strengths, you learn how to work with others and build your team to have complimentary strengths.
There is an additonal $50 charge for this workshop
Lorri Kelley is the CEO and Founder of Lorri Kelley Advisors, Inc., a strategic consulting firm dedicated to providing services and guidance to companies and individuals who are passionate and committed to achieving business excellence. She has served a variety of companies within the furniture industry, most recently as the president of BDI. Lorri also held executive roles for Palliser Furniture and Home Elements, the 26-store retail division of The Rowe Companies. She is a past president of WithIt and was the recipient of the 2015 WOW Mentoring Award.

1:00pm-3:00pm
“Getting to the C-Suite – Building and Navigating Relationships” Pre-conference Workshop
Caroline Hipple, Norwalk Furniture
Advancing and getting to the C-Suite is more complicated than simply doing an exceptional job, it’s about building and navigating the right relationships. Spend time with Caroline Hipple, president of Norwalk Furniture, hearing advice from her and other C-Suite women about how they navigated relationships and situations to get to the top.
Bring a situation to share with the group for the second hour, as you work with experienced mentors to create strategies and solutions.
There is an additonal $50 charge for this workshop
Caroline Hipple is President of Norwalk Furniture. Prior to this role, Caroline founded HB2 Resources with a long-time partner to provide start-up, turn-around and brand advisory consulting to the home furnishings industry. One of those clients was Norwalk Furniture. Two previous leadership roles, as President of 72 store retail chain, Storehouse Furniture and EVP of 250 store This End Up furniture prepared Caroline and her partner to provide these consulting services. Caroline and 3 co-workers in both those companies chronicled their experiences promoting a “Culture of Caring” in their 2014 book, A Pathway to Profit (Amazon) which shares tangible methods for success in business by putting people first in the profit picture.

4:30pm – 5:30pm
Poinsett Ballroom
Annual WithIt Membership Meeting
The conference opens with the organization’s annual state of WithIt. Learn more about the organization and participate in dynamic networking exercise.
5:30pm-6:30pm
Mezzanine
Opening Networking Reception
Sponsored by

7:00pm
Dine Arounds
Join a group to network and dine at one of the fantastic restaurants in Greenville. Choose your group by the restaurant or the group. Either way, it will be a memorable evening.
Tuesday, June 13th
7:00am - 8:30am
Prefunction
Registration
7:30pm - 8:30pm
Mezzanine
Breakfast Buffet
Enjoy a continental breakfast of coffee, bagels, pastries and fruit.
8:30am
Poinsett Ballroom
Welcome
8:45am - 10:15am
Poinsett Ballroom
Keynote: “Regenerate”
Jessica Stollings-Holder
Amid one of the most disruptive times in history, industry and workforce trends are changing daily. Generational viewpoints provide a fascinating lens to discern current and future realities- turning chaos into clarity.
In this forward-thinking session, national speaker and author Jessica Stollings-Holder will empower you with insights to understand and engage all generations and to partner with young professionals- known as GenZ- to prepare for a thriving future together.
Jessica Stollings-Holder is a national speaker, trainer, author and researcher who empowers leaders to think differently about differences and turn obstacles into opportunities.
She entered the speaking world through her groundbreaking work in generational diversity and inclusion. She has studied how to bridge gaps across generations for more than a decade, serving more than 100 clients in 32 states and delivering 400 keynotes and training events.
Jessica’s research findings have been spotlighted in trade publications serving business, education and human-resources professionals, including SHRM, Ragan/PR Daily and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Her work in partnership with a client sparked new experiential training honored as one of top 120 trainings in the world by Training Magazine.

10:15am - 10:30am
Break
10:30am - 11:15am
Poinsett Ballroom
“Building Bridges to Work Together” Panel Discussion
Moderator: Natalie Sanders, Brooks Pierce
Courtney Panther, Sleep Number
Sydney Harris, Furnitureland South
Renee Loper-Boyd, International Market Centers
Bonnie Wallace, International Home Furnishings Reps Assoc. (IHFRA)
How do we take what we learned from our keynote and build bridges between the generations in our home furnishings workplaces? We talk with leaders from each generation about strategies, challenges and tactics they use to build bridges in their organizations.
11:15am - 11:25am
Break
11:25am - 12:15pm
Poinsett Ballroom
“The Path to Purchase: A Look at 2023 and Beyond”
Nicole Leinbach, Retail Minded
How consumers shop has historically changed and will continue to change, but that doesn’t mean retailers and brands alike can’t be prepared. Join globally recognized retail thought leader, Author, Professor and Founder of Retail Minded, Nicole Leinbach, as she reveals how customers engage on their path to purchase in 2023 – as well as what to look forward to in the years ahead. Expect to gain an understanding of generational preferences when shopping, including what can either keep customers on track to make a purchase or steer them away. From payment preferences to discovery of products to peer influences to social shopping and more, this session can help you be more proactive in order to be more profitable for your unique business.
Nicole Leinbach is the Founder and Publisher of RetailMinded.com, a well-respected retail industry resource that has been recognized worldwide for its leading business insight since 2007. With a core concentration on independent retailers, small businesses, community, technology and how the various touchpoints of commerce influence modern merchants, Leinbach is a frequent guest and contributor to various media outlets that have included The Today Show, Forbes, Entreprenuer.com and countless B2B publications. Additionally, Leinbach has supported American Express’s Small Business Saturday as a Spokesperson and is the Author of the book “Retail 101: The Guide to Managing and Marketing Your Retail Business” from McGraw-Hill.
Recognized within the top 10 out 100 worldwide retail thought leaders since 2015 – including having held the #1 spot – and a retail “futurist” for IBM, Leinbach is also the Co-Founder of the Independent Retailer Conference. Additionally, in March 2022, Women’s Wear Daily recognized Leinbach as one of the most inspiring 25 women in retail. Based in Denver, Leinbach is a mom of 4 and 3 dogs.

12:30pm - 1:30pm
Mezzanine and Veranda
Buffet Lunch
1:45pm - 2:30pm
Breakout Sessions
1:45pm - 2:30pm
Francis Marion Room
Breakout 1: Seeing Differences Differently:
Honor and include all perspectives to fuel success
Jessica Stollings-Holder
Our personal backgrounds influence our perspective.
Among a wide spectrum of backgrounds, it’s no wonder perspectives collide and cause conflict… even when everyone means well.
It doesn’t have to be that way. With the right understanding, our different views can serve as our greatest strength.
In this session, national speaker and author Jessica Stollings-Holder will share how to break down barriers that divide and build up awareness that unites and empowers all people to create a more inclusive and innovative future.
1:45pm - 2:30pm
Card Room
Breakout 2: Hiring In a Multi-Generational Landscape
Lori Ellis, Pinnacle Search Partners
The employment landscape is difficult and the hiring process requires new strategies. Join hiring expert Lori Ellis to learn her strategies for finding great employees.
Lori Ellis brings 25 years of experience including retail, wholesale, and manufacturing to her leadership position at Pinnacle Search Partners. She began her career in retail with The Limited and continually moved up to larger corporate roles with more executive responsibility at Bed Bath and Beyond, Century 21 Department Stores, DXL, J. Jill, Sleepy’s, Mattress Firm, and Bedgear. Lori has always focused on driving profitability when working with all aspects of her clients’ teams. As a trusted advisor within executive leadership teams, Lori delivers strategies and structures that facilitate scalability to support future growth. A testament to that success is how many corporations, retailers, and individuals from her long career follow her today and ask for guidance and placement opportunities. Lori has the unique ability to match skill set and culture fit.
Lori spends her free time volunteering with Last Chance Animal Rescue, Cause No Harm, running a food bank and book drive for underprivileged families. She is a board member of WithIt as VP of Connections and sits as a judge for Virtual Enterprise International where students create and manage a business venture. Lori earned her BS at Stonybrook University with an emphasis in Political Science and Business. She currently resides in New York with her husband and 2 children.
1:45pm - 2:30pm
Poinsett Ballroom
Breakout 3: Negotiation Tactics
Lorri Kelley, Lorri Kelley Advisors and Julie Messner, IMC
Join these industry veterans to learn about keys to success in negotiations. Lorri Kelley and Julie Messner are experienced negotiators in both business and family life. This interactive session will include group exercises and time for your pressing questions.
2:30pm - 2:40pm
Break
2:40pm - 3:25pm
Mezzanine
Roundtable Discussions – First Session
Round tables are a crowd favorite at the WithIt conference. There will be two sessions of round tables on these topics.
- The Changing Retail Customer: Reaching our Consumer
- The New Remote Office
- Beyond the Balancing Act
- Marketing to Different Generations
- How to Get Your Foot in the Door and Make the Sale
- Interpersonal Relations at the Office
- Tips and Tricks for Finding Your Dream Job
- Stop Networking and Start Making Connections
- Wear Your Crown With Pride – How do we take credit for our work without bragging
- Let’s Talk About AI & Tech Tools for Work
- Best Avenues for Advertising in the Industry
- Getting to the C-Suite – Building and Navigating Relationships
3:25pm - 3:40pm
Break
3:40pm - 4:30pm
Mezzanine
Roundtable Discussions – Second Session
- The Changing Retail Customer: Reaching our Consumer
- The New Remote Office
- Beyond the Balancing Act
- Marketing to Different Generations
- How to Get Your Foot in the Door and Make the Sale
- Interpersonal Relations at the Office
- Tips and Tricks for Finding Your Dream Job
- Stop Networking and Start Making Connections
- Wear Your Crown With Pride – How do we take credit for our work without bragging
- Let’s Talk About AI & Tech Tools for Work
- Best Avenues for Advertising in the Industry
- Getting to the C-Suite – Building and Navigating Relationships
4:30pm - 6:00pm
Break
6:00pm - 7:00pm
Mezzanine
“Fashion Through the Decades” Networking Reception
7:00pm - 10:00pm
Gold Ballroom
Buffet dinner and fun after-party
Wednesday, June 14th
7:30am – 8:30am
Mezzanine
Breakfast Buffet
8:30am
Poinsett Ballroom
Welcome Day 2
8:45am - 9:45am
Poinsett Ballroom
“Sharpen Your Inclusion Edge: The 8 Step Approach”
Jada Monica Drew, Social Designs
The Sharpen Your Inclusion Edge approach teaches multi-generational leaders to sustain inclusive practices. Leaders who follow the 8-steps are more equipped to approach inclusion with guidelines and a measurable timeline they can co-create with colleagues. During this interactive keynote address, the speaker offers applicable tools to assess and transform leaders and organizational culture.
Jada Monica Drew is the CEO of Social Designs, a leadership and diversity firm. When people think of Jada, they think, results, impact, innovation, and community. She is passionate about working with leaders and serving as a catalyst for growth as a trainer, coach, and consultant. She is also the author of Sharpen Your Inclusion Edge and More Than Enough. When she’s taking a break from speaking and training, Jada enjoys cooking, spending time with family and working out.

9:45am - 9:55am
Break
9:55am - 10:55am
Poinsett Ballroom
“Creating Culture: Developing an Intentional and Inclusive Workplace” Panel Discussion
Moderator: Nora Gomez, NFM
Panel:
Jo Hilliard, THS Creative
Laura Levinson, Valdese Weavers
Lori Ellis, Pinnacle Search Partners
The culture of a workplace is one of the key pieces of employee retention right now. How can we work to improve company culture honoring and including the multi-dimensions of all the people in our companies. Let’s talk with three industry leaders who are thinking about and working on an inclusive culture today.
10:55am - 11:10am
Break
11:15am - 12:15pm
Poinsett Ballroom
“Coaching Across Generations”
Shelia Butler, Jola Interactive
Shelia Butler explores the incredible power of coaching in shaping a company that truly resonates with people from different generations. We’ll explore practical strategies and insightful perspectives highlighting how effective coaching can bridge the gap between generations, nurture talent, and foster a strong sense of purpose within organizations.
Shelia Butler is a seasoned professional with over 18 years in the home furnishings industry. As a co-founder of Aidan Gray Home and Handley Drive, she established highly sought-after brands. Shelia is an industry consultant and executive coach, specializing in agile and operational transformation. With an MBA from Baylor University and a Lean Green Belt from Arizona State University, she brings a wealth of knowledge to her clients. Shelia’s dynamic leadership and expertise drive positive change and optimize business processes.
