Registration | Networking | Breakfast

7:30 to 8 a.m.
First Floor Information Desk

Pick up your nametag, attendee bag and program guide, and start the conference off right by joining fellow attendees for a power-boost breakfast and some early morning engagement.

Headshot Lounge

7:30 a.m. to Noon
First Floor Center Pre-function

You only get one shot to make a (memorable) first impression. Let the professionals help with a complimentary quality headshot.

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Sponsored by Ackerman McQueen

Opening Session Welcome Remarks

8 to 8:45 a.m.
Second Floor, Grand Ballroom ABC
 

Percy Kirk, Chair of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber

Learn what to expect from Elevate and how to make the most of the day’s opportunities.

This is Your Time

​Amy Downs, President/CEO, Allegiance Credit Union

Amy will share her story of surviving the OKC bombing and subsequent transformation as a way to inspire the listener and ignite within them a desire for personal growth.

Move | Refresh

8:45 to 9 a.m.

Grab your hydration of choice and head to your first education session!

Education Sessions

9 to 9:45 a.m.

Dive deep into improving your future career path with Elevate’s Education Sessions! Whether you are new to the workforce, a business owner, or anywhere in between, Elevate has a breakout session that will benefit the current stage of your career. The following education sessions are representative of the content that you will experience at Elevate. The schedule is subject to change as speakers are confirmed.

Education Sessions

Help! I've Been Promoted: Essential Skills for New Supervisors

Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

9 to 9:45 a.m.

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Dive deep into improving your future career path with Elevate’s Education Sessions! Whether you are new to the workforce, a business owner, or anywhere in between, Elevate has a breakout session that will benefit the current stage of your career. The following education sessions are representative of the content that you will experience at Elevate. The schedule is subject to change as speakers are confirmed.

​Meeting Room 1, First Floor

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Steve Puckett, Director, Corporate Human Resources, Express Employment Professionals

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Learn the critical skills you need to possess in order to successfully transition from employee to supervisor. 

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Track(s): New Managers, General

Meeting Room 2, First Floor

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Michael Shellabarger, Corporate Trainer, Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores

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Our workplace is comprised of people with different strengths, personalities and emotions, which can greatly affect the way they work. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to identify and manage your emotions as well as the emotions of others. This workshop will define the context of emotional intelligence as it pertains to you and finding success with your customers.

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Track(s): General, New Employees, New Managers

Healthy Business Transition to New Owners: Why is this so hard?

Sales: Our Chosen Profession

Managing Up for Results

Meeting Room 6, First Floor

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Dr. Alan Campbell, Director, Family Business Resources

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This session will take a deep dive into the three circles of the business system and explore what obstacles exist to healthy business transition.

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Track(s): Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs

Meeting Room 16, Second Floor

Derek Villanueva, Director, DRG Professional Services

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Did you choose sales or did sales choose you? A look at the responsibility of today's winning sales professional.

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Track(s): Sales, Small Businesses

Meeting Room 17, Second Floor

David McLaughlin, Asst Vice President, Corporate Training, American Fidelity Assurance Company

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No matter your career level, being able to manage up in the workplace is key to becoming an effective coworker. In this session, you will learn key ways that you can manage up to get results. 

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Track(s): General, New Employees, New Managers

Finding Funding

First Impressions

How to be more productive in the workforce using your computer

Meeting Room 18, Second Floor

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Stacey Brandhorst, Venture Advisor & Director of Venture Outreach, i2E, Inc.

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Join a Venture Advisor from Oklahoma’s premier startup investment firm as she discusses capital sources in Oklahoma, the critical mistakes entrepreneurs make when seeking funding, and what investors want to hear. This high-energy discussion will be valuable for anyone who wants a peek inside Oklahoma’s version of “Shark Tank,” the potential sources of funding for Oklahoma’s newest businesses, and actionable tips for seeking funding.

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Track(s): Entrepreneurs, Small Businesses

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Meeting Room 19, Second Floor

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Hilarie H. Blaney, Etiquette and Protocol Consulting

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Master the skills needed to make the best presentation of yourself in business and social settings.

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Track(s): New Employees, New Managers, General

Meeting Room 20, Second Floor

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Jennifer Wherle, Inside Sales Medium Business, Dell Technologies

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Learn how the value of technology can transform you and your job.

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Track(s): General, New Managers, Small Businesses, New Employees

Move | Refresh

9:45 to 10 a.m.

Grab your hydration of choice and head to your second education session!

Education Sessions

10 to 10:45 a.m.

Dive deep into improving your future career path with Elevate’s Education Sessions! Whether you are new to the workforce, a business owner, or anywhere in between, Elevate has a breakout session that will benefit the current stage of your career. The following education sessions are representative of the content that you will experience at Elevate. The schedule is subject to change as speakers are confirmed.

​

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Education Sessions

Building Your Professional Equity Today for Your Role Tomorrow

Who Moved My Cheese? The Art of Change Management

10 to 10:45 a.m.

​

Dive deep into improving your future career path with Elevate’s Education Sessions! Whether you are new to the workforce, a business owner, or anywhere in between, Elevate has a breakout session that will benefit the current stage of your career. The following education sessions are representative of the content that you will experience at Elevate. The schedule is subject to change as speakers are confirmed.

Meeting Room 1, First Floor

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Kati Hanna, Partner, The Mettise Group

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When you buy a house, you expect to build equity as you live in it.  Why do so many professionals not look at their current job the same way?  Don’t allow your career to be defined by someone else. Experienced executive coach, Kati Hanna has found that building a professional equity plan today will impact your career path for tomorrow.  Spend time defining what your next role looks like and the skills and goals you want to achieve from your current role in order to get there.

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Track(s): General, New Managers, New Employees

Meeting Room 2, First Floor

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Michael Shellabarger, Corporate Trainer, Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores

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This workshop is based on the bestselling book – “Who Moved My Cheese?” – which presents a simple parable that reveals profound truths about dealing with change. It follows the story of four characters who live in a maze and look for cheese to nourish them and make them happy. The workshop will identify how change can affect people, while also developing an effective strategy for dealing with change. 

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Track(s): New Management, New Employees, General

Client-Focused Communication

LinkedIn for Introverts

What Impressions are You Making: Professionalism Leads to Success

Meeting Room 6, First Floor

Derek Villanueva, Director, DRG Professional Services

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More than a popular catch phrase, client-focused communication is a proven key to the magic kingdom. Take a deeper look at why, what, when, and how to create a conversation environment that inspires client trust. 

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Track(s): Sales, Small Businesses

Meeting Room 16, Second Floor

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Gunnar Hood, Digital Marketing Consultant, WSI Summit

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Making connections can be an important aspect in reaching business goals and advancing your career.  Yet, traditional networking can be both intimidating and exhausting prompting many introverts to skip the events entirely.

In this session we’ll explore how to use Linkedin to make valuable business connections and ‘network’ in a way that is comfortable and works for introverts.  You’ll walk away with insight on:

• building your Linkedin profile to attract the right connections
• identifying the right people to connect with
• best practices for inviting people to connect with you
• building relationships on Linkedin that are mutually beneficial
 

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Track(s): General, New Employees, Small Businesses, New Managers

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Meeting Room 17, Second Floor

Kenny Reinbold, Marketing Specialist, Express Employment Professionals

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The saying goes that you never get a second chance to make a first impression, so what’s the first impression your customers and clients have of you and your business? In this breakout session you’ll learn how your brand is more than your logo or a mission statement; it’s the heartbeat of your organization. 

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Track(s): New Employees, New Managers, General

Making Data-Driven Decisions: Group Therapy for Your Business Research Needs

The changing landscape of OT rules

Keeping Your Cool

Meeting Room 18, Second Floor

Eric Long, Senior Research Economist, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber

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Who has time for research? With all the other things going on in your business, it’s hard to figure out where to start. Don’t get stressed out - You are not alone! Take a moment to gather with other area businesses in finding out what resources are available. Often times you don’t know you need something until you need it. What are some of the research tools that our economic development team uses on a daily basis to recruit companies to our market or help existing companies grow? You will walk away with a list of practical tools, websites, and resources that will relieve some of your stress and make you fall in love with data again! 

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Track(s): Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs, General

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Meeting Room 19, Second Floor

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Paul Ross, Partner, Shareholder, Practice Group Leader, McAfee & Taft

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On September 24, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a long awaited final rule interpreting the Fair Labor Standards Act making at least 1.3 million American workers newly eligible for overtime pay.  This new rule replaces a similar attempt to update overtime regulations by the Obama administration, although that effort was ultimately struck down by federal courts.  In this session we discuss the new definitions of “exempt” under federal overtime law, as well as additional rule changes that impact the manner in which employers calculate the “regular rate of pay” for making overtime calculations. 

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Track(s): Professional Services, Small Businesses

Meeting Room 20, Second Floor

Scott Meacham, President & CEO, i2E, Inc.

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Scott Meacham started negotiating all of his family’s car purchases when he was in high school. He went on to hone his negotiating skills as a litigator and a banker before becoming Governor Henry’s chief negotiator on budget, tribal and legislative matters. After leaving office, he negotiated settlements, financings and business transactions as chair of Crowe and Dunlevy’s banking and financial institutions practice group. Now, he is a venture capitalist and negotiates financing with startups as well as assisting startups in negotiating better terms in their transactions. Learn from a career negotiator on how to negotiate better and what to do and not do in critical negotiations.

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Track(s): Entrepreneurs, Small Businesses

Move | Refresh

10:45 to 11 a.m.

Grab your hydration of choice and head to your third education session!

Education Sessions

11 to 11:45 a.m.

Dive deep into improving your future career path with Elevate’s Education Sessions! Whether you are new to the workforce, a business owner, or anywhere in between, Elevate has a breakout session that will benefit the current stage of your career. The following education sessions are representative of the content that you will experience at Elevate. The schedule is subject to change as speakers are confirmed.

Education Sessions

Managing Your Career

Time Management - The Art of Eating the Frog 

11 to 11:45 a.m.

​

Dive deep into improving your future career path with Elevate’s Education Sessions! Whether you are new to the workforce, a business owner, or anywhere in between, Elevate has a breakout session that will benefit the current stage of your career. The following education sessions are representative of the content that you will experience at Elevate. The schedule is subject to change as speakers are confirmed.

Meeting Room 1, First Floor

Tennille Whiteman, SHRM-CP, Corporate Trainer, American Fidelity
Assurance Company

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From entering the workforce to moving up the leadership ladder, it takes skill to know how to manage the path of your career. Attend this event to learn how to pace your career growth in order to reach your career goals. 

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Track(s): New Employees, New Managers, General

Meeting Room 2, First Floor

Michael Shellabarger, Corporate Trainer, Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores

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Inspired by the book “Eat That Frog!” by Brian Tracy, this workshop will outline different perspectives on managing your time effectively.

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Track(s): General, Entrepreneurs, New Managers, New Employees

Mitigate Your Fraud Risk

Workforce Development: Creating Great Employees

Developing Cultural Competency

Meeting Room 6, First Floor

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Todd Burchett, Partner, South Region Leader of Forensics and Valuation Services, BKD CPAs and Advisors

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It is estimated the average

organization loses 5 percent of its annual revenue to fraud, according to the ACFE’s 2018 Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse.  This session is designed to update you on current trends related to fraud and ways you can utilize technology like data analytics to mitigate fraud risks.

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Track(s): Professional Services, Small Businesses

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Meeting Room 16, Second Floor

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Shelley Cadamy, Partner, The Mettise Group

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Finding employees with all the right skills, experience, and cultural fit is virtually impossible in Oklahoma, and won’t get easier anytime soon. Instead of recruiting employees, learn how to create the workers your company needs to stay strong and prosper. Audience participation is encouraged, so attendees should bring real world hiring challenges to the event. 

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Track(s): New Managers, Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs

Meeting Room 17, Second Floor

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Sandra Quince, Bank of America

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Track(s): General, New Managers, New Employees

Early Childhood Development: The First 100 Days in an Employee’s Life

Financial Bootcamp for Emerging Leaders

Questions, Part 1: Questions with Purpose and Payoff

Meeting Room 18, Second Floor

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Danielle Ezell, APR, SPHR,

Partner, The Mettise Group

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We spend too much time focused on the interview process and too little time on the first few days and weeks that an employee joins our company. It's time to put away the 50-page employee handbook and boring compliance training, and instead focus on how to engage employees from day one so that they quickly become productive team members and are more likely to stay with your company.  

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Track(s): New Managers, Small Businesses

Meeting Room 19, Second Floor

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Sherry Dale, CPA, Partner, The Mettise Group

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Sherry Dale, CPA, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of The Mettise Group, will lead a discussion for non-financial leaders on how to understand the story your financials are revealing about the health of your company.  She will focus on understanding the basic financial statements, financial terms, key metrics, leading indicators and how to appropriately monitor cash flow along with planning for growth.  Walk away with knowledge and confidence about managing your P&L responsibly.  

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Track(s): New Managers, Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs

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Meeting Room 20, Second Floor

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Dot Rhyne, Founder & President, Brand Talkers

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Asking the right questions at the right time for the right reasons helps unlock critical information needed to best serve client short and long-term needs. 

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Track(s): Sales, Small Businesses

Move | Refresh

11:45 a.m. to Noon

Make your way to the Grand Ballroom for your next dose of inspiration during Elevate’s lunch and keynote address.

Lunch Session

Noon to 1:45 p.m.
Second Floor, Grand Ballroom ABC

The Sink Philosophy: Radical Transformation Through One Small Change

Walter Nusbaum, President, The Nusbaum Group

Everyone loves progress. Everyone loves to achieve successful outcomes in whatever they do. There is a powerful philosophy of life that has the power to create radical transformation through one small change. Based on a true story that happened to Walter at an airport bathroom sink many years ago, the Sink philosophy was born. When we leave everything “a little better than we found it” then time will do its remarkable work of rewarding us with long sought after gains. The Sink philosophy has the power to radically transform any business or any individual’s life if it is put into consistent practice.

The Power of Range: The Secret to Success in Any Domain

David Epstein, No. 1 NYT Best-Selling Author of Range & The Sports Gene, Expert on the Science of High Performance

New York Times best-selling author and science writer David Epstein has made it his mission to uncover the keys to achieving high performance in any domain, and to debunk popular myths along the way. Epstein will distill his research in a powerful keynote session on the secret to getting ahead: in most fields—especially those that are complex, unpredictable, and difficult to automate—generalists, not specialists, are primed to excel.

Move | Refresh

1:45 to 2 p.m.

Grab your hydration of choice and head to your afternoon education session!

Education Sessions

2 to 2:45 p.m.

Dive deep into improving your future career path with Elevate’s Education Sessions! Whether you are new to the workforce, a business owner, or anywhere in between, Elevate has a breakout session that will benefit the current stage of your career. The following education sessions are representative of the content that you will experience at Elevate. The schedule is subject to change as speakers are confirmed.

Education Sessions

How to Become a Master Communicator

Using your story to grow your business

2 to 2:45 p.m.

​

Dive deep into improving your future career path with Elevate’s Education Sessions! Whether you are new to the workforce, a business owner, or anywhere in between, Elevate has a breakout session that will benefit the current stage of your career. The following education sessions are representative of the content that you will experience at Elevate. The schedule is subject to change as speakers are confirmed.

Meeting Room 1, First Floor

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Mike Crandall, CEO, Sandler Training

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Communication is one of the most important things we do in business (and life). Most people have communication breakdowns on a regular basis, and some don’t even know it. This session is for those who want to get better at reading, understanding, and adapting to ensure you have better interactions with others. Attendees will learn the biggest communication breakdowns, the disconnects those cause, and how to get better at eliminating them in communication. 

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Track(s): Entrepreneurs, New Employees, Small Business, General

Meeting Room 2, First Floor

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Brad Bishop, Owner, Bishop Branding

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Using the StoryBrand method, this session will help you clarify your message, connect with customers and grow your business. You will walk away with an actionable to-do list to start getting results immediately. 

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Track(s): Entrepreneurs, Small Businesses, General

The value of inclusiveness in strategic financial planning

The Tightrope of Confrontation: Successfully Navigating Conflict in the Workplace

Questions, Part 2: Conversation Discipline

Meeting Room 6, First Floor

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David Rodarte, Director, BKDnext Business Advisor, BKD CPAs and Advisors

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High performance companies know where they are going and empower their people to make confident and quality decisions.  How can you become a best practice organization that enables your employees to make decisions matched to your goals? This breakout session on annual financial planning will l incorporate examples of the risks and fears of inclusive decisions and the rewards companies have experienced by unleashing the power of their people.  

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Track(s): Professional Services, Small Businesses, New Managers

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Meeting Room 16, Second Floor

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Gene Hopper, Partner, The Mettise Group

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All leaders will experience managing the team members who can’t get along.  Learn to identify the symptoms of unresolved conflict in an organization and what you can do to break the cycle of drama. Learn powerful feedback techniques to get more of right behaviors your team needs to succeed. 

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Track(s): New Managers, New Employees, Small Businesses

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Meeting Room 17, Second Floor

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Tee Hicks, Vice President of Advertising, The Oklahoman Media Company

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Follow a natural path to “yes” and watch the magic happen. Clients will help us learn what we need to know if we demonstrate an intent to understand instead of respond.

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Track(s): Sales, Small Businesses

Situational Leadership

Personal Branding 101

Becoming a Trusted Co-Worker

Meeting Room 18, Second Floor

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Russ Florence, President, Chief Operating and Inclusion Officer, Schnake Turnbo Frank

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How do you navigate tough leadership issues? It depends. Knowing your audience, your tone, your timing – and a dozen other factors – all come into play. 

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Track(s): General, New Managers, New Employees

Meeting Room 19, Second Floor

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Adam Brooks, Senior Advisor, Energy and Corporate Communications, Candor

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You probably have never held a focus group or a brainstorm about yourself – and you almost certainly don’t have a logo or a tagline – but you DO have a personal brand. Do you know what it is? Do you know how to shape one? More importantly: Do you know why it matters? This session will help you answer those questions.   

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Track(s): General, Small Businesses, New Employees

Meeting Room 20, Second Floor

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Rhonda Y. Thompson, Sr. Technical Training Specialist, OGE Energy Corp.

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Do you find it hard to trust people? Do you allow past experiences to hold you back? Come prepared to identify the signs of a trusted co-worker and the steps to becoming a trusted co-worker. Attend this session to learn to model the trust you want.

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Track(s): New Employees, General

Move | Refresh

2:45 to 3 p.m.

Treat yourself with a surprise infusion of energy as we hit mid-afternoon!

Education Sessions

3 to 3:45 p.m.

Dive deep into improving your future career path with Elevate’s Education Sessions! Whether you are new to the workforce, a business owner, or anywhere in between, Elevate has a breakout session that will benefit the current stage of your career. The following education sessions are representative of the content that you will experience at Elevate. The schedule is subject to change as speakers are confirmed.

​

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Education Sessions

Cannabis in the workplace

Networking 101

3 to 3:45 p.m.

​

Dive deep into improving your future career path with Elevate’s Education Sessions! Whether you are new to the workforce, a business owner, or anywhere in between, Elevate has a breakout session that will benefit the current stage of your career. The following education sessions are representative of the content that you will experience at Elevate. The schedule is subject to change as speakers are confirmed.

Meeting Room 1, First Floor

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Eric S. Fisher, Attorney, Crowe & Dunlevy

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Learn how companies can navigate Oklahoma's medical marijuana laws.  

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Track(s): Professional Services, Small Businesses, New Managers

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Meeting Room 2, First Floor

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Sunny Cearley, VP of Membership, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber

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You’ve always heard that networking is important. But have you ever been told how to do it really well?  Attend this session and you can expect to walk away with practical tools that will help you get the most out of every networking situation.  

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Track(s): General, New Employees, Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs

Elevate Your Reputation: Practical Ethics for Everyday Life

Better Results Through Asking Questions

Positioning Your Company to Be Irresistible 

Meeting Room 6, First Floor

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Shannon Warren, Founder, OK Ethics

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Want to know what people really think of you?  Your reputation could be influenced by many factors beyond your control, but an occasional assessment is a good idea.  This program will help participants have fun evaluating their reputational capital in order to protect their most valuable asset: personal integrity.

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Track(s): General, New Employees, New Managers, Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs

Meeting Room 16, Second Floor

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David Curran, Head of Business Development, Sandler Training

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Ever been frustrated because you visited with a team member, coworker, client, or prospect then found out they didn't tell you everything? Or have you wasted time in a useless meeting or appointment? If yes, you would want to attend this session. Attendees will learn why we struggle to ask questions, how to ask more / better questions, how to ask the right questions, and how to uncover the information you really want instead of just scraping the surface. 

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Track(s): New Employees, New Managers, General

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Meeting Room 17, Second Floor

Rhonda Hooper, President and CEO, Jordan Advertising

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Whether it’s about you, a start-up company, or one that’s evolving, there’s a secret formula to making your brand irresistible.

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Track(s): Entrepreneurs, Small Businesses, General

Resolving Concerns

Vote for Prom King or Queen: Get Crowned on Page 1 Google Ranking 

Building Presentation Skills

Meeting Room 18, Second Floor

Dot Rhyne, Founder & President, Brand Talkers
 

Client concerns come in all shapes and sizes. Understanding the different types of concerns and having a game plan to resolve them makes for a better client experience, accelerating our opportunity for the “yes” we all seek.

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Track(s): Sales, Small Businesses

Meeting Room 19, Second Floor

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Stacy Eads, CEO, Stacy Eads, LLC

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If you wanted to be crowned Prom King or Queen, you’d need votes to reach your goal, right? Well the same is true to be crowned the King or Queen of Page 1 on Google Search. In this class, all the techy jargon will be thrown out the window, and you’ll get a clear checklist for how to attain votes with Google. Our speaker, Stacy Eads, has carved a unique niche in the Technology & Digital Marketing sector for over 15 years as a top Woman In Tech. She’s well-known for training with ‘real speak’ not ‘geek speak’. Her leadership within 3 leading-edge tech firms has touched everything from Silicon Valley to Bootstrap Start-Ups, yet she takes these complex topics and pairs them down to an everyday level we can all understand. She will teach us how to Reign Supreme over Google Maps and Local Search Engine Optimization. You will leave with DIY Tools that work, no matter the size of your company – big or small.
 

Track(s): Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs

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Meeting Room 20, Second Floor

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Russ Florence, President, Chief Operating and Inclusion Officer, Schnake Turnbo Frank

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More than 85% of executives say presentation skills played a critical role in their career path. From the board room to the annual meeting, this session gives you practical skills to help improve your game. 

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Track(s): General, New Employees, New Managers, Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs

Move | Refresh

3:45 to 4 p.m.

Grab your hydration of choice and head to your education session!

Education Sessions

How to Motivate Yourself and Others

Oklahoma's Open Carry Laws: What You Need to Know

4 to 4:45

​

Dive deep into improving your future career path with Elevate’s Education Sessions! Whether you are new to the workforce, a business owner, or anywhere in between, Elevate has a breakout session that will benefit the current stage of your career. The following education sessions are representative of the content that you will experience at Elevate. The schedule is subject to change as speakers are confirmed.

Meeting Room 1, First Floor

Mike Crandall, CEO, Sandler Training

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A top key to success is understanding what drives people to do or not do different things. Every thought and action (bad and good) we have is driven by things inside our subconscious mind, we often don’t realize or understand. If you want to get better at understanding what drives people, yourself and others, join us for this session. Attendees will learn what really happens in the subconscious mind, how it drives thoughts and actions, and how to use this information to achieve greater success in business and life. 

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Track(s): New Managers, Small Businesses, New Employees, General

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Meeting Room 2, First Floor

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Nathan L. Whatley, Shareholder, McAfee & Taft

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This session will cover changes in Oklahoma’s gun laws under the constitutional carry law going into effect on November 1. We will cover who can carry firearms, where they can carry and when and where firearms can be kept in in vehicles.  We will also discuss the rights and responsibilities of employers and business owners in controlling firearms on their premises. This session will cover changes in Oklahoma’s gun laws under the constitutional carry law going into effect on November 1.

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Track(s): Professional Services, Small Businesses

Corporate Cares: Are you building a Purpose-Driven community impact?

Ten IT tips when you are the President and IT Technician of your company

Combatting Connection Killers

Meeting Room 6, First Floor

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Stacy Eads, CEO, Stacy Eads, LLC

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Come learn from one of Oklahoma’s Most Admired CEOs how defining a Passionate Purpose for your Brand can impact your Employee Engagement, and Your Profit. Did you know that in just 6 years, 75% of your local workforce will be made up of Millennials who want to know WHAT your small business cares about & WHY? Hear specific ideas on how local Oklahomans are creating Deep Community Connections that Inspire Social Responsibility. We’ll discuss how to choose a Corporate Citizenship program that’s right for your brand, your consumers, and your employees. Let’s discover how you can make a difference in Oklahoma!

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Track(s): Entrepreneurs, Small Businesses

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Meeting Room 16, Second Floor

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Brad Thomas, Co-Founder, NvYA Technology  

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Join serial-entrepreneur Brad Thomas as he gives 10 tips for small business owners who have the responsibility of running the company and providing IT technical support to the staff.  Brad was the co-founder of Perimeter Technology and NvYA Technology so he brings an insider’s understanding of the challenges that many small business owners face when it comes to supporting their employees IT needs while also trying to operate the day-to-day tasks of running the business.    

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Track(s): Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs, General

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Meeting Room 17, Second Floor

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Doug Hacking, CEO / Owner, Relationship Resonance, Inc.

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Understand and utilize current relationship-driven strategies that boost engagement, improve culture, and decrease job strain while defeating common connection-killing tendencies. 

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Track(s): General, New Employees, New Managers, Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs

Faces of Change: Understanding and Managing Generations in the Workplace

Mental Health/Wellbeing in the Workplace- Understanding for Yourself and Those Around You

What We Sell

Meeting Room 18, Second Floor

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Danielle Hoeltzel, Director of Organizational Development, Express Employment Professionals

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We often hear about this thing called “generations”, but we often don’t know what the different generations are, and more importantly, why we should care about this topic.  In this fun and interactive session, we will explore each of the five generations at work and how to engage and motivate each of them.  The objectives for this session include:

• Introducing the different generations in today's workplace, their unique contributions, and potential areas of growth.
• Providing a strategic tool to help companies maximize one of their greatest assets -their employees.
• Teaching employers how to avoid potential workplace conflict between the generations and management.
 

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Track(s): New Employees, New Managers, Small Businesses, General

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Meeting Room 19, Second Floor

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Janienne Bella, Chief Executive Officer, A Chance to Change

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Mental health problems can affect productivity, performance, and morale at work—not to mention people’s quality of life. You can take steps to boost those—and reduce stress, absenteeism, and conflict while you’re at it. Now is an ideal time for employees, supervisors, and businesses to take stock in how well they are supporting mental health initiatives in their workplace – and why they should do it better.  Learn more for yourself and those around you.

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Track(s): General, New Managers, New Employees

Meeting Room 20, Second Floor

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Tee Hicks, Vice President of Advertising, The Oklahoman Media Company

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The core belief driving this conversation: We don’t sell what something is – we sell what it can potentially DO for the client. As much as they care about features and benefits, they care more about measurable outcomes.  

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Track(s): Sales, Small Businesses

Move | Refresh

4:45 to 5 p.m.

Freshen up before you head to the Elevate After-Party, the perfect place to conclude a day full of development and networking!

Elevate After-Party & Exhibitor Experience

5 to 7 p.m.
Grand Ballroom CDE

Everyone loves a high energy party to unwind after days of intense networking and education, and Elevate delivers with its After-Party! After experiencing a day full of professional development and career education, Elevate attendees will be able to engage with colleagues, sample food from caterers and restaurants and offer a toast to the experience with tasters from Oklahoma City breweries and wineries.