Agenda

 Pre-conference Workshop I

DRIVING IMPACT UNDER PRESSURE: ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR INFLUENCIAL MIDDLE MANAGERS

Hailey Meyer, Compassionately Transparent Coaching

Middle managers are the driving force behind organizational progress, and they frequently find themselves caught in a whirlwind of demands. To inspire their teams and deliver impactful results, they must effectively manage executive expectations, prioritize team well-being, and adapt to constant change. This ‘pressure cooker’ environment can leave them feeling overwhelmed and stuck. It doesn’t have to be this way. In this interactive session, you’ll learn four high-impact skills to convert pressure into a catalyst for achieving meaningful impact: Psychological safety, emotional intelligence, impactful feedback, and strategic boundaries.

With a deep-seated belief that leadership is fundamentally about human connection, Hailey Meyer founded Compassionately Transparent Coaching to guide leaders toward authentic and impactful relationships. Drawing on extensive experience designing and deploying transformational leadership programs for organizations and shaping emerging leaders as an Adjunct Professor, Hailey now dedicates her expertise to coaching individuals and teams to cultivate psychological safety, enhance collaboration, and ignite positive change within their organizations. As an ICF-certified coach, Hailey brings her dynamic energy and practical, actionable strategies to empower individuals to lead with greater self-awareness, build thriving teams, and create a ripple effect of positive change in their professional and personal lives.

 Pre-conference Workshop II

the Art of Self Aware Leadership

Tori Evans, Ashley Furniture

Tori Evans is an accomplished Senior Executive Leader with a proven record of building and leading high-performing, cross-functional teams. Her expertise spans multiple industries in  Sales, Marketing, and Merchandising. She is currently the Director of Category Management with Ashley Furniture Industries.  As a self proclaimed “Cat Herder” , Tori has learned the importance of how being a self aware leader can positively impact all areas of our personal and professional lives.  A dedicated member of Withit – Tori has served in various leadership roles on the Board of Directors since 2016, including Board of Directors Chairman (2025-2026) and President (2024-2025).  Tori holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from Bethel University, with a major in Marketing from the University of Southern Mississippi. She is also a Certified Predictive Index Leadership, Management, & Team Performance facilitator, among other certifications.

Keynote: “Relationships Are Your Superpower”

Barb Betts, Keynote Speaker and Entrepreneur

Barb delves into the art of relationship-building, debunking the myth that trust and connection are reserved for personal spheres. She reveals that trust, the bedrock of lasting professional relationships, is cultivated through deliberate, systematic, and measurable actions.

Discover how to implement these strategies effectively to redefine your sales and leadership styles, unlocking the power of trust-based connections. This is your roadmap to revolutionize how you connect, sell, and inspire.

Barb Betts is a sought-after keynote speaker, CEO and relentless advocate for building businesses rooted in relationships. With over 20 years of experience, she blends authenticity and strategy to help professionals create lasting success while staying true to themselves.

As an entrepreneur and CEO, Barb equips leaders and business owners with the systems and strategies to leverage relationships for growth and success. Through her award-winning podcast, Relationships are Your Superpower®, she shows how trust-based connections lead to more referrals, loyal clients, and sustainable business models.

Outside of her work, Barb enjoys life in Southern California with her husband and two children, believing that the strongest relationships are those nurtured both personally and professionally.

• Everyone Sells – Creating Value at Every Touchpoint

Jenni Kimpel, J.B Hunt

This interactive training session empowers every team member—regardless of role—to recognize their impact on the sales process by mastering communication, understanding customer motivation, and confidently handling objections. Through real-world scenarios and practical exercises, participants learn how to create value at every touchpoint and contribute to a stronger, more consultative sales experience.

Networking cocktail reception

“Electric Avenue” networking themed reception. Wear your best 80’s or neon outfit for a chance to win our costume contest!

“The Upward Influence Playbook: Speak Up, Manage Up, Move Forward”

Dr. Sarah Glova, Reify Media

Because leadership isn’t a title — it’s an action. This talk explores the power of finding and using your voice to lead from any position. Sarah inspires participants to explore different ways they can take charge of their contributions, setting the stage for impactful, purpose-driven communication that can influence any audience.

Dr. Sarah Glova specializes in helping teams and leaders connect and collaborate more effectively. With advanced degrees in technical communication, she brings nearly two decades of experience as a university instructor, tech reporter, and podcast host to the challenges of workplace communication in today’s fast-paced, often virtual, and highly collaborative environments.

Dr. Glova teaches business communication, leadership communication, technical writing, and storytelling at NC State and Duke University, where she equips students with strategies for persuasive and collaborative communication in professional settings. As a former tech journalist, she developed a knack for distilling complex topics into actionable insights — a skill she now brings to workshops, keynotes, and consulting sessions.

Known for her engaging, practical approach, Dr. Glova empowers participants to strengthen their leadership and communication skills, foster collaboration, and build confidence in every interaction.

MENTORSHIP UNFILTERED: THE OG NETWORKING HACK FOR REAL CONNECTIONS & GROWTH

Nora Gomez, NGG: Next Generation Growth
Retail Strategy & Executive Coaching

This session will explore the power of mentorship as a transformative tool for personal and professional growth. You will learn practical strategies for building strong mentor-mentee relationships, including goal setting, active listening, establishing trust, and delivering constructive feedback. Participants will gain insights into how to both give and receive mentorship, navigate challenges, and create a lasting impact in their communities and careers through supportive, intentional connections.

Nora Gomez is the president of NGG: Next Generation Growth, a retail strategy and executive coaching consultancy. She brings global leadership experience in P&L ownership, strategic planning, merchandising and merchandising operations, as well as product development, design and sourcing from a distinguished career that began in the fashion industry.  She has traveled all around the world and brings an eye for trend and curation, while anticipating customers needs across the product assortment.

Nora is well known internationally as a transformational leader of high performing teams.  Nora is a passionate Leader, Coach and Mentor to people both inside and outside of the industry and is an advocate for building tomorrow’s leaders today.

Closing Speaker: “10 Secrets To Level-Up Your Leadership”

Tara Renze, Author and Speaker

Authentic leadership is the foundation for driving results, fostering innovation, and creating a culture of trust and engagement. At its core, leadership is about emotional intelligence (EQ), self-awareness, adaptability, and the ability to bring out the best in others. Great leaders don’t just focus on their own success—they create teams, cultures, and environments where success is inevitable.

After two decades in corporate leadership and sales, Tara Renze developed this high-energy, transformational keynote to share the game-changing leadership secrets she has mastered along the way.

Tara Renze is a powerhouse in emotional intelligence and transformational speaking, delivering high-energy keynotes and workshops that ignite lasting change. With a bold, no-fluff approach, she blends sharp wit, relatable stories, and practical strategies to inspire action and drive meaningful transformation. Backed by over two decades of corporate and sales leadership experience, Tara is a certified emotional and positive intelligence practitioner, author, and thought leader who equips individuals and organizations with the mindset and tools to strengthen mental fitness, lead with authenticity, and unlock their full potential. Her message—Be Who You Came to Be—empowers people to create, own, and live the life they desire and deserve, fueling growth for individuals, teams, and cultures alike.

WithIt conference attendees will receive a copy of her book “Be Who You Came to Be.”