GCA 2020 Workshop & Retreat


Register Now to Receive Access to All 24 Sessions from the 2020 Virtual Workshop & Retreat
We hosted the 2020 Workshop & Retreat VIRTUALLY on November 12th & 13th
2020 has been a year of unprecedented change. “Normal” is indefinitely disrupted and innovation is the way forward. This interactive conference was developed to help GCA members reset, recover, and reimagine! It consisted of two-days of high octane content including: cutting-edge technology hacks to help you work smarter and not harder, pivot success stories from industry influencers, and innovative sales practices designed to inspire.
You can purchase ALL of the recorded content — 24 sessions by 22 speakers — for just $199 for GCA Members or $299 for non-members.
For a full agenda, including speaker headshots and session descriptions, click here.
Already registered for the conference and looking for the recordings? Head back to the Learning Center below and you’ll see the recordings listed. Don’t forget to login!
Click Here to go to the Learning CenterWORKSHOP RECORDING PURCHASE RATES
GCA Member Purchase Fee | $199 |
Non-Member Purchase Fee | $299 |
Agenda from Workshop
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13
TIME(EST) | SESSION | SPEAKER |
10:45 am | Retreat Activity: Restorative Morning Yoga | Instructor: Christine Hyatt, West Side Yoga Collective |
11:30 am | It Wasn’t a Cliff…It Was a Launchpad: Using the Ashes of 2020 to Reimagine New Possibilities |
Shannon Cohen, Founder/CEO, Shannon Cohen, Inc. Read Shannon's BioShannon Cohen is founder and CEO of Shannon Cohen, Inc. – a boutique firm with a mighty imprint and reputation for excellence. Her clients include: The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Helen Devos Children’s Hospital, United Way, American Heart Association, Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Michigan, The University of Michigan, The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and Steelcase, Inc. Using a head+heart approach, Shannon excels in engaging change agents in transparent conversations about the unspoken truths of leadership. Shannon doesn’t just ‘speak’ to leaders; she speaks ‘into’ the lives of leaders. Shannon is an author, podcaster, and owner of a greeting card and inspiration product line called Tough Skin, Soft Heart. Her Tough Skin, Soft Heart products are available at a host of retailers nationwide. Her Tough Skin, Soft Heart podcast reaches subscribers nationally and globally with weekly grab-and-go encouragement for difference makers. Her 2nd book, “It’s Normal to Shake as You Soar” was released in September 2020. Shannon is respected and renowned for empowering organizations to integrate innovation, research, emerging trends, and creativity to cultivate continuous improvement and spur ongoing learning. Shannon is the 2020 YWCA Tribute Award recipient and was named one of the 2020 and 2018 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan by the Grand Rapids Business Journal. Shannon is an alumnus of the prestigious W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network Fellowship and a former Encore Innovation Fellow.
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12:00 pm | Q&A with GCA UK |
Amanda Fergusson, GCA UK and Nora Weiser, GCA US
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12:30 pm | Industry Fundamentals: What’s Changed And What Hasn’t |
Todd Litzman, Co-Founder and CEO, Brandwise Read Todd's BioAs the Co-Founder and CEO of Brandwise, Todd has spent the last 24 years as an impassioned advocate of the Gift and Home industries. Todd spent 5 years on the GHTA Board including serving as President 2013-2014. Todd actively engages with the Brandwise client community and guides the company’s vision in everything from product development to sales. Together with his wife Jannetta, Co-Founder and CFO of Brandwise, they have built a reputation as trusted partners to thousands of professionals in the Gift and Home segment.
Ari Lowenstein, Chief Strategy Officer, Brandwise Read Ari's BioAs Chief Strategy Officer for Brandwise, Ari Lowenstein uses his unique experience and extensive network within the industry to guide Brandwise’s strategy in a new era of growth for the Brandwise Ecosystem. Ari has a broad background, including owning an Italian gift company, acting as an Intergalactic Business Development Manager, co-owning Canopy and serving as a current board member of Gift for Life and Past President of the Gift Sales Managers Association.
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1:00 pm | The Power of Mail |
Wendell Brown, Inspirational Speaker Read Wendell's BioWendell L. Brown Sr. is a Ball State University graduate and Hall of Famer. He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in 2008 in Criminal Justice and has worked as a lawyer’s assistant in the Michigan Law Firm Plunkett Cooney. Wendell applied his education and knowledge in Criminal Justice to serve at risk youth as a treatment specialist at Don Bosco Hall in Detroit, Michigan. He is also the founder of Brown Elite Youth Elevation Foundation, a youth and community empowerment organization. Wendell began playing multiple sports as an adolescent but his sports career includes playing professional football in America, Canada, Austria and other European countries. He also has experience coaching youth, high school and collegiate football in North America, Europe and Asia. The Detroit native uses his work ethic, his athletic and education background, along with his passion for community service and love for uplifting and growing others, as his driving force for success. Wendell is currently mentoring and training Detroit’s inner-city youth through the Sound Mind Sound Body Football Academy, along with coaching high school football, at his Alma Mater Detroit Martin L. King Jr. Senior High School.
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1:30 pm | Update on the USPS Partnership with the GCA: A Dialogue with Steve Monteith | Steve Monteith, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, USPS |
2:00 pm | BREAK | |
2:30 pm | Breakout A: CTRL-ALT-DEL (Reboot Your Systems for Success) | Tiffany Chalk, Owner/Leader Planner, Tiffany Chalk Events and Simply TC Designs Read Tiffany's BioTiffany Chalk is a sought-after event planner. Dedicated to her craft, Tiffany stays abreast of what she calls ‘T3™’ (the latest techniques, technology and talent boosters), making her the go-to for forecasting industry trends. Amplifying the WOW factor of her client’s experience regardless of the limited budgets, especially during space transformations is Tiffany’s expertise. It is this expertise that has also made her one of the Delaware Valley’s most sought-after speakers at industry conferences and retreats both internationally and state-side in recent years. Her charismatic demeanor coupled her spontaneity to conceptualize creative party and entertaining ideas has led to several guest appearances on Fox 29’s Good Day Philadelphia and WBOC TV’s Delmarva Life. In addition to being a businesswoman, Tiffany is a loving wife and mother. She has served as adjunct instructor for over five years at Delaware Technical Community College for the Wedding and Event Planning Certificate course. In her spare time, Tiffany volunteers for several charitable organizations and serves on the board of several non-profits.
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2:30 pm | Breakout B: Bridging the Digital/Physical Divide: Unmasking eCommerce Greeting Card Sales During the Pandemic |
Stephan Sabo CMO/Co-Founder, Card Isle Corporation Read Stephan's BioStephan Sabo is the Co-Founder and CMO of the Card Isle Corporation. At Card Isle, he is involved in marketing, content strategy, product design, customer experience and high level company direction. Card Isle is a greeting card technology company that provides a platform for selling and printing personalized greeting cards, both in store and online. Card Isle works with a network of hundreds of florists, retail gift stores and eCommerce gifting brands across North America that sell their personalized greeting cards. Card Isle licenses thousands of designs from hundreds of artists on a non-exclusive royalty basis.
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2:30 pm | Breakout C: How Two Wholesale Stationery Brands Leverage Faire |
Sara Ittelson Jill Shephard, Owner and CEO, Ruff House Print Shop Beth Snyder, Owner / Creative Director ,1canoe2 |
3:00 pm | BREAK | |
3:15 pm | Breakout A: Are Paper Greeting Cards a Sustainable Choice? | Kathi Rowzie Vice President of Operations, Two Sides North America Read Kathi's BioKathi Rowzie is an accomplished communications, public affairs and sustainability professional whose career spans more than 30 years in corporate and consulting roles with Fortune 500 companies, including extensive experience in the paper and forest products industry. Before joining Two Sides as Vice President of Operations in March 2020, she served for five years as vice president of communications and public affairs at Verso Corporation. During her previous paper industry career at International Paper she was both executive communications counsel to the chairman from 2013 to 2015 and communications leader for the company’s Printing and Communications Papers and Coated Papers businesses and their 12 paper mills from 2003 to 2006. Among her other responsibilities, she worked with many of the industry’s leading organizations, campaigns and coalitions, including Two Sides. As a sustainability issues management and communications consultant, Kathi helped guide paper industry customers in the development of innovative sustainability strategies, programs, responsible paper procurement policies and communications, and in their response to the claims and demands of ENGOs. She has authored sustainability-related feature articles and more than a dozen CSR annual reports, and was instrumental in helping Two Sides North America launch many of its initial educational and marketing materials. She began her corporate career at GEICO, where for nearly a decade she was director of Business and Community Relations and led the company’s public relations, community relations and legislative action coalition building. Kathi is a Washington, D.C. native and received her B.S. in journalism from the University of Maryland College of Journalism.
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3:15 pm | Breakout B: Live Tech Hack with Wallway Technologies |
Ariana Waller, Wallway Technologies Read Ariana's BioAriana Waller is a 3X founder, full stack-software developer, tech consultant and host of the technology podcast, Women in Tech with Ariana podcast. Ariana is the owner of Wallway Technologies, a technology company that helps non-technical founders develop tech solutions through consulting and development. With a listener base in 10+ countries, Ariana was featured in Forbes for her tech podcast work in and rated Top 5 podcasts for product managers in 2020. Ariana previously served as Chief Technology Officer of Michigan’s first uber eats style platform for cannabis based products and is a 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 semi-finalist for the company. Ariana has consulted 60+ startups and business owners into developing modern technology solutions to help scale their companies and develop digitally efficient business models.
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3:15pm | Breakout C: Small Business Productivity Management & CRM |
Paul Minors
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3:45 pm | BREAK | |
4:00 pm | Closing Remarks | George White, GCA President |
4:30 pm | Retreat Activity: Cocktails and Connections |
Learn more about the speaker line up and topics in the GCA Virtual Workshop & Retreat Press Release.