Life always presents one with many twists and turns. It’s how you react and adapt that makes the difference.
Speaker and author Kristen Brown, who spent 15 years on the corporate ladder in senior leadership roles with Fortune 500 giants such as Disney, Hanes, Target and Kraft, was dealt the ultimate wild card in 2007 when her previously healthy husband died of a sudden heart attack in his sleep, leaving Brown a widow and single mother of an infant daughter just as the economy was collapsing during the Great Recession.
“After my husband died and I was left with a 10-month child, it because practically impossible to maintain that corporate lifestyle, but I liked to serve that world, so I needed to find a way to serve it on my terms,” Brown says, adding that as the stress piled on, her body started to react.
“Your body just starts to revolt on you,” she says. “There might be headaches, digestive problems, moodiness, because your body is literally being bathed in stress chemicals, and those are the first real indicators.”
As the stress mounted, these initial symptoms led to panic attacks, and a radical career change.
“I wanted to figure out how to help myself, but I didn’t want to go on anti-depressants,” she says, “so I actually developed a health supplement called The Happy Hour Effect, which I sold to [nutritional supplement corporation] GNC.”
Not wanting to take on the headaches associated with operating a corporation, Brown used recently acquired knowledge of the speaking and self-help world—she spoke at a small women’s health expo and was hooked after the positive reaction—to embark on a career as a speaker.
“It made me realize that I have a story that can help people, and I had an expertise,” she says. “I didn’t want this expertise, but I realized I could use it for good.”
Since then, Brown has presented to audiences that have included General Mills, Boston Scientific, Target, Live with Kelly & Michael, Working Mother, Cargill, RegisTKTK and the BBC, as well as at PCMA’s most recent Convening Leaders conference, Spin (Senior Planners Industry Network) and her own top-rated iTunes podcast.
Her message? Be aware of the time drains and energy zappers that can get in the way of you making positive decisions.
Brown drives home her message and techniques via keynote speeches and exercises such as completing a life map, but can also tailor he presentation to more corporate-focused topics via her experience in that arena. Too view a demonstration of her presentations, visit http://happyhoureffect.com/speaker-videos.
See for yourself! Hear about Kristen's inspiring and actionable story in person during our Meetings Today Live! hosted-buyer educational programs! Visit www.meetingstoday.com/live to register or learn more.
