Story & Lesson Highlights with Carrie Davenport CMP-Fellow, CEM, CSEP

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Carrie Davenport CMP-Fellow, CEM, CSEP. Check out our conversation below.

Carrie, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I think people secretly struggle with a whole lot of guilt. Especially women in the workplace. Guilt that we cannot be 100% to our employers, partners, children and ourselves. Guilt that sometimes we aren’t the best friend, child, parent, spouse etc because we are so torn in a million directions and society wants us to be just about perfect at everything we do. Guilt that maybe we treat ourselves too much or too little, that we care what others think on social media when we shouldn’t — there are so many more layers to this but I do think we carry “silent guilt” on the daily.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I consider myself a passionate corporate event professional with 20 years of experience designing and managing conferences, meetings, and special events that leave a lasting impact. I take pride in bringing together strategy, creativity, and flawless execution to create experiences that truly connect with audiences. I am also a published writer that loves to contribute my viewpoint on leadership to publications like Women’s Health Magazine, and Golf and Travel Magazine among others. My lasting legacy is “Face it till you Make it” a lifestyle brand I’m developing. Stay tuned to ceocarrie.com for more on that!

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
My father taught me the most about having a strong work ethic. He built an automotive repair business from scratch when he was younger and as I grew older, he pulled me into the fold and taught me how to balance the books. I was their bookkeeper in college and at 65 he is still working. I learned that it’s important to be self-reliant and have integrity, as integrity is a game changer in business and in all relationships.

What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
At some point during the living/breathing/succeeding and failing process that is life, I started to realize that I need to stop hiding my failures and start leaning into the lessons they taught me instead. I learned that being uncomfortable and hearing “no” helped build my resiliency muscle and I became stronger and more agile with every non-success. Failing is part of living, and the faster you can pick yourself up and recreate your narrative, the better you will be in the long term.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
I live by the following priorities: kindness, integrity and gratitude. I celebrate each and every day and try to celebrate the small things around me. I don’t take anyone or anything for granted and try to let people know how much I care verbally. I think one thing our society gets wrong is only celebrating people or speaking about what they meant to you AFTER they pass away. I think we would live in a different world if we were to hold “celebrations of life” during our actual lives.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
This is a tough question, but I want to tackle it. I feel like I truly understand the value of TIME. What I mean by that, is that I truly understand how limited our time on earth is. I understand the value of my time and energy and others time that they give to me, and I feel grateful for it. I understand that a minute can feel very long under certain circumstances, and very short in others. I think that a second can change your life, but at the same time we can’t sweat the small stuff. I don’t want to waste any of the time that I have here on earth, so I live very boldly and love very deeply.

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Image Credits
Casey Vaughn Photography

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