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The Passionate Voice

Snowstorm, Pea Coats & 2 a.m. Chaos: What is Your Character Defining Moment?

March 16, 2018 • Career, Leadership, Lifestyle

It was 10 years ago last weekend that I was College Royal President at the University of Guelph. Where did that time go. Seriously.

Among the many awesome things that took place that year, I think everyone will always remember 2008  as the year of the ‘snow storm and coat fiasco.’ It is a memory that while I cringe at first, it really was a character defining moment for me and my team of volunteers… and something I {now} laugh at when I look back.

It was early March and it had been beautiful weather until that Saturday when we were holding the annual ball. 2000+ students ascend on the University for a formal night known as the ‘College Royal Ball.’ That Saturday it started snowing. And it continued. All. Day. Long. To point that we had to meet late that afternoon and decide whether, for safety precautions, to cancel the ball after consulting with University administration. We decided to go on and hold the ball. If only had we known, that it would be our outsourced coat check that would be our dreaded nightmare, not the snow.

Because it was snowstorm of the century, everyone came in their formal suits and ball gowns in what felt like their snow suits. There were a lot more snow pants, boots and snow jackets that I ever remember seeing at any other ball. By the end of an epic night of dancing and drinking, 2000+ students (give or take) lined up all at once to get their myriad of clothing apparel. And what we realized quickly as an executive, was that the group we had outsourced coat check responsibilities too had not been as *organized* as we had thought – stuffing jackets here and there, not in numerical order.

It was a nightmare. Seriously, the worst nightmare of its kind.

What it turned out to be was a bonafide mess of huge piles of snow pants and jackets all unorganized – and of course, all the men’s black pea coats looked all the same that year, making for an even tougher time to decipher whose jacket was whose when we were trying to rally and help.

It was a nightmare. Have I mentioned that already?

When I called my parents that morning at their chore time, 6:30 a.m. to explain what had happened, I think they could tell in my exhausted voice that I hadn’t went to bed yet. 24 hours later.

To say I had to keep my composure as President; put on a brave face; role up my sleeves and go to work to help hand back jackets; all while {trying} to remain calm and stay positive for everyone around me was one of the hardest things I’ve done to date.

It truly was my first ‘adult-like’ experience where I had to put on my big girl pants and think and act like an adult. It really was a character defining moment for me as a person but also, a future glimpse into how to pull yourself together and how you have to act as a professional in the workplace when $*** hits the fan (in not so nice terms).

We all have our character defining moments. That moment that will forever be etched into your memory as the time you had to become an adult and act like one, whether you liked it or not, or whether you expected it or not. I’d love to hear your character defining moments, share below!

Happy Friday and happy College Royal weekend to those I may see back on campus this weekend! Oh and Happy St. Patty’s day from your Irish friend 🙂

[Photo Source]

Leave a Comment Career, Leadership, Lifestyle 2018, Blog452, Career, Christina Crowley-Arklie, College Royal, Inspiration, Leadership, Life, Life Lessons, Passionate Voice, The Passionate Voice, University of Guelph

The Nostalgia of Brand Loyalty

March 23, 2017 • Agriculture, Career, Communication, Leadership, Making a Difference, Public Speaking, Social Media

Every person has an event they attend every year. When you get a new planner or pull out the ol’ calendar, its one of the first things you pencil in.
 
One of those events for me each year is College Royal. Its an annual event held at the University of Guelph put on by the students. It draws thousands of community members, former alumni and students to campus every March. And the best part? Its organized by the students for FREE for the community.
 
I got involved with College Royal when I was a U of G student, becoming President in my third year. And this year, my sister too was President – a (now) very cool family tradition. College Royal is like a community homecoming-alumni weekend wrapped into one, big event. You can’t attend without seeing someone you know and stopping to catch up.
 
As I was walking around campus this weekend, I happened to pass a man wearing a Holstein Canada hat. The hat had that recognizable logo that I know all too well – a logo I grew up with as a dairy farmer and member and became so loyal too after working for HC as well.
 
Its amazing how a brand you are loyal too can make you feel a certain way. I wanted to walk over to this complete stranger and ask him what his connection was to Holstein Canada. Was he a member/farmer? Did he know someone who is a member? Did he win the hat? I’m sure he would have found me a bit friendly forward, no intrusive? had  I approached him with all these questions.
 
We are oh so loyal to the brands we love and have an attachment too. I laughed at how a cow head on a hat could evoke a conversation with myself.
 
Bernadette Jiwa of the blog, The Story of Telling, also recently touched on this same idea of brand loyalty and it got me thinking further.
 
We associate our loyalty with brands because of how they make us feel. If we want to become experts in our respective fields, we should want people to feel the same way our favourite brands do.
 
Its like how the swoosh on our running shoe, the blue cow on an icecream container or the half-bitten apple logo on our iPhone makes us feel. The loyalty we have to brands and the nostalgia we associate when we see these brands, is how we as personal brands should resonate for others. People are their own brand, whether they like it or not. This is something I’m going to touch on at a talk I’m giving next Wednesday night as part of the Ag Women’s Network spring series events.
If you are trying to establish your passionate voice as an expert or are working to be that go too person in your field, ask yourself: how do you want people to feel about you and your work?
 
How do you make people feel?
How do you resonate with them?
What feelings are they left with?
Are they the same feelings every time?
 
These are the same qualities we associate with brand loyalty. Its important that just like that random cow head on a hat or the event you always look forward too every year, that you as a personal brand give off that same nostalgic, or dare I say warm & fuzzy feeling with the people and organizations you work with. 
[Photo Source]

Leave a Comment Agriculture, Career, Communication, Leadership, Making a Difference, Public Speaking, Social Media 2017, Ag Women's Network, Agriculture, Alumni Weekend, Apple, AWN, Bernadette Jiwa, Brand Loyalty, Branding, Business, Calendar, Career, Christina Crowley-Arklie, College Royal, Communication, Dairy Farmers of Canada, DFC, Expert, Extra Curricular, Feelings, Guelph, Holstein Canada, Homecoming, Icecream, iPhone, Logo, Loyal, Loyalty, Nike, Nostalgia, Organizer. U of G, Passionate Voice, Personal Branding, Planner, President, Running Shoes, Side Hustle, Social Media, Student, The Passionate Voice, The Story of Telling, University of Guelph





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