The Connector Next Door with Lisa Gareau
The Connector Next Door is your invitation to meet natural connectors here in Canada and all around world. Each one is an everyday event planner who works to create meaningful connections through the events they plan. Their stories are familiar, fun, and full of charm. Your host, Lisa Gareau, is a lifelong Event Planner and has been a Connection Strategy Coach for over a decade. She knows events can become energized "connecting points" where communities can gather and grow. If you are ready to build connection points through the events you plan, listen in as Lisa strikes up a conversation with today’s Connector Next Door.
Episodes
Never one to fit into any sort of mold, Joseph “JD” Dubois has always followed the urge to get out and see the world!
JD’s been riding motorcycles since he was a young man and still loves to soak in the landscapes and experience other cultures from the seat of his bike.
He’s always loved riding, referring to a good ride as “Throttle Therapy” but as he grew older, JD found a home in the biker brother...
Gabrielle Austen-Browne – or Gabby – is a multi-award-winning diversity and inclusion professional, and the founder of Diversity Alliance.
Diversity Alliance is a female and Black owned leading consultancy that empowers organisations in the events, hospitality and creative industries to achieve diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility through education, training, workshops, and events.
With a team of ...
Tim Truax is a multi-faceted professional who blends creativity with science, and storytelling with structure.
Tim is a passionate pop culture enthusiast and the creative force behind The Nerd Room, a podcast that has been nerding out with listeners since 2015. With over 450 episodes under his belt, Tim has carved out a space as a trusted voice in the worlds of Star Wars, Marvel, and beyond.
His energetic commentary and...
Liz Lathan, CMP, is a trailblazer in the experiential marketing arena and is the Co-Founder and head of community for Club Ichi, which is in Liz’s own words … a “friggin' awesome”, private membership community for Business to Business – or B2B – Event Marketers.
Club Ichi isn’t like any other community. Dive in and you’ll experience conference sessions on inflatable unicorns, 2:30 a.m. exploding pajama parties, se...
Gabriella Robuccio – or Gabby as she has invited me to call her – has taken it on herself to put her event experience to work to empower event professionals, one relationship at a time.
We all say relationships are one of the most – if not the most – important aspect of event planning. But how many of us are ready to get real about how we are creating, cultivating, and caring for those relationships?
Gabby’s professiona...
Mallory Erickson helps nonprofits feel better, do better, and raise more from the right funders so they can stop hounding people for money.
As an Executive Director, Mallory turned an organization from a 300K to a 3-million-dollar one thanks to working 70 hours a week to keep everything afloat. She was driven by the dream to make a positive impact in this world, but she didn’t know how to get off the hamster ...
Christian Ortiz is a multifaceted American talent based out of Denver, Colorado, known for his groundbreaking work as a filmmaker, musician, photographer, artist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.
He has been bridging creativity and business for years, specializing in helping creatives build sustainable businesses while empowering companies to create meaningful, impactful brands.
Through his innovati...
Stacy Huston is a visionary leader in social impact, known for her innovative, purpose-driven approach to philanthropy.
I first learned of Stacy in her work as the Executive Director of SixDegrees.Org, a nonprofit founded by actor and philanthropist Kevin Bacon that uses social networking to amplify the unsung heroes and causes in communities everywhere.
With over eight years of experience in this role, she continues ...
I feel I got to know author B. Jeffrey Madoff when reading his book "Creative Careers: Making a Living with Your Ideas”. It was one on my pile of library books I had gathered for an event planning course I’ve been developing for creatives.
On the faculty at Parsons School for Design, Jeffrey taught a course he developed called “Creativity: Making a Living with Your Ideas”.
I’m grateful he put ma...
Carolina Panoff is a life coach specializing in authenticity and the visionary founder of Be You Disco, a groundbreaking team-building company that brings wellness and authenticity to the forefront through music, movement, and mindfulness.
Passionate about breaking down barriers, Carolina helps transform company cultures to thrive relationally by boosting well-being and improving the bottom line.
She...
Mike Morrison is the leader and the founder of SocialNext, a premier digital marketing event organization that hosts some of Canada’s most influential conferences, including SocialWest, SocialEast, SocialPacific, and SocialNext: Toronto.
With a passion for fostering community and professional growth, Mike has dedicated his career to curating events that bring together digital marketers, industry leaders, and ...
Jan Keck is a recovering shy guy, people-loving introvert, and a deep connector.
He is also is a Facilitation Skills Trainer, Workshop Facilitator, Experience Designer, TEDx Speaker.
His mission is to teach empathetic leaders how to design group experiences that spark engagement, increase trust, and foster deep connections - so nobody feels left out.
Jan believes that gatherings without inte...
Jon McCoy is a husband, father of two sets of twins, and a creative soul with a passion to make a positive impact in the world.
With a background in design – Jon has spent more than 15 years in the nonprofit world, starting as a graphic design intern, then marketer, and ultimately a fundraiser.
In 2020 alongside two like-minded friends, Jon jumped his nonprofit job opportunities to create We Are For Good, a...
Pete Bombaci is a visionary business and social change leader who - in 2016 -launched The GenWell Project, Canada’s Human Connection Movement, which has recently become more relevant than ever.
The mission of The GenWell Project is to make the world a happier and healthier place by educating, empowering, and catalyzing people around the importance of proactive face-to-face social connection as an action we ca...
Maya Corona and David Schmeikal are a dynamic husband-and-wife duo, blending backgrounds in graphic design, painting, branding, and coaching to help humans create and be creative.
Maya, with over two decades in graphic design, now explores the depths of her self-expression and joy through painting and creative initiatives focused on connecting communities together.
David has worked as an entrepreneur...
Ashley Tedham has leaned into her life with courage and has become a leader who embraces the “fear factor” in her leadership.
A native Calgarian with a passion for international and community development, Ashley obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Political Science at the University of Calgary in 2007, and a Master's Degree in 2012 in International Affairs at The Graduate Institute in Geneva, Switzerl...
Linda Joyce Jones believes that gathering is essential to living a meaningful life.
She’s a self-proclaimed obsessive organizer of people, places, and events – orchestrating special occasions in both her personal and professional life for more than 25 years!
Her pragmatic approach and knack for sweating the small stuff has helped her organize successful corporate conferences, community events, retre...
Janice Cardinale has been listed as one of the top 100 most influential people in events, she’s in the Smart Meetings Hall of Fame, is noted as one of the BizBash’s 15 over 50, is a Smart Meetings Entrepreneur, a Reiimagine Powerful Business Woman, aaaand is the fiery Founder of the Event Minds Matter community – which is where our lives intersected in the Fall of 2023.
The community Janice ignited in 2022 gr...
I recently attended an innovation day to support a friend and colleague who was presenting. Hanging at the back of a room I found a seat – as it turns out – right where I was supposed to be that day.
Sitting beside me was a high energy, business development and marketing professional, who seemed to be deeply engaged with his local community, and who was – clearly – a “natural connector”.
Kent Patel i...
Cathy Derksen is a catalyst and disruptor, supporting and inspiring midlife women to rediscover their brilliance and step into new possibilities.
As the founder of her company Inspired Tenacity Global Solutions Inc, Cathy helps women take on the courage to face major changes in their life.
Cathy is an international speaker and an 12x bestselling author who inspires her audience to dream big and take ...
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