Seattle Convention Center
Andrea’s talk “profoundly moved our team…her presence is warm, authentic, and intellectually rich...”
Challenges
The Seattle Convention Center, under new leadership, was planning one of its semi-annual staff meetings. This time, they wanted to ensure all 260 staff plus vendors understood and experienced how the organization was starting to do things differently. That included making meaty and meaningful leadership development available to not just executives and managers—but also to front line staff. The key messages? The CEO’s commitment to "radical hospitality": to care for you, I have to know you and connect with you authentically. And to be the best team—ALL must lead with kindness, dignity, and respect.
Approach
Andrea Driessen and CEO Jennifer LeMaster had connected over a Gracenotes exchange at a live event. So, when Jennifer was ready to invite a well-aligned speaker, she looked to Andrea to deliver just the right message. Andrea tailored her remarks so that in just 45 minutes, the attendees learned about a new way to connect quickly and meaningfully.
Results
The CEO wrote: “I wholeheartedly recommend Andrea Driessen for any professional conference. Her talk profoundly moved our team, inspiring us to make visible and shareable the kinds of affirmations we too often reserve for eulogies. Andrea has a rare ability to connect across professional disciplines, blending personal storytelling in a way that acknowledges the impact we can have on one another. Her presence is warm, authentic, and intellectually rich— and who doesn’t need more of that?”
After the keynote, SCC’s executive team also harnessed the power of writing Gracenotes to themselves. They view these notes as living documents that honor both individual growth and collective team development—rather than see them as just “sentimental keepsakes.”
