THRIVE virtual on May 12 was a huge success
Please mark your calendar for THRIVE Live, a preconvention program at Staffing World 2022. Learn more at staffingworld.net. We look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas in October!
ASA THRIVE Virtual Agenda—May 12, 2022
This agenda, session descriptions, and speaker information will be updated as more details become available.
Subject to change
1:30–1:45 p.m. Eastern time
Welcome and Introduction
1:45–2:30 p.m. Eastern time
Keynote Presentation: Seek Harmony, Not Balance
Presented by best-selling author and award-winning thought leader Shennice Cleckley, chief executive officer of Smart Cookie
Do you ever say to yourself: There’s just not enough time in the day…? Do you ever look at your growing to-do list and wonder how you’ll ever get it all done? Do you find yourself at the end of the workday wishing you had spent your time differently?
All of these are examples of how we try to achieve “balance” between what our work demands from us and our life requires of us. Balance is when you’re trying to make everything equal. The truth is, trying to achieve balance can drive you bonkers!
Instead, THRIVE keynote presenter Shennice Cleckley invites you to embrace work-life harmony. Harmony allows you to prioritize what’s important for you at the time that it’s important. It also allows for you to flow. It gives you the ability to put a little more energy here or a little more energy there, which enables you to truly choose what’s best for your life based on who you want to be and where you want to go.
With work-life harmony, there’s no guilt or shame. Why? Because you’re making a choice, not bending to demands under pressure. Cleckley will teach you how to accomplish this. Don’t miss this inspiring, empowering, and strategic keynote presentation.
Qualifies for .75 CE hour
2:30–3 p.m. Eastern time
Networking With Peers
Network with your peers in small groups, discuss takeaways from the keynote, and pregame for the THRIVE sessions coming next.
Qualifies for 0.5 CE hour
3:15-4:15 p.m. Eastern time
Breakout Sessions
Four Steps to Manifesting and Upleveling Your Life
Presenter: Cassandra Bodzak
During this breakout session, best-selling author and spiritual mentor Cassandra Bodzak will guide you through the four steps to becoming a conscious creator of your life. You'll learn how to take your power back as the director of the movie you are starring in (aka your life), get clear on what your heart's desires are, learn how to release your fears and overcome your limiting beliefs, and finally, step into the next-level you. Grab a notebook, because you are going to want to jot down this process to utilize again and again to help bring your dreams into your reality.
Take part in a lively and inspiring discussion with Bodzak, author of Manifesting Through Meditation: 100 Guided Practices to Harness the Power of Your Thoughts and Create the Life You Want.
Qualifies for 1.0 CE hour
Achieving Self-Empowerment
Presented by Stephynie Malik, chief executive officer and founder, SMALIK Enterprises
What does empowerment mean to you? Some of the many responses to this question include becoming stronger and more confident; having the freedom to make choices; getting respect and confidence; seeing something and saying something; and taking control of your life—personally and professionally.
Join this breakout session with powerhouse Malik for real, actionable guidance around these important areas of empowerment. She will coach you on having difficult conversations and addressing uncomfortable environments, taking your power back, being equipped to take action, and more.
Come to this session prepared to interact with Malik and share your story.
Qualifies for 1.0 CE hour
4:20–5 p.m. Eastern time
Staffing Industry Entrepreneurs and Intrapreneurs: A Panel Discussion
Facilitator: Ginnette Harvey, founder and chief executive officer, Harper & Gray
Panelists include: Hannah Donaldson, chief executive officer, Meet; Marina Perla, chief executive officer and founder, Mojo Trek; Nina Vaca, chief executive officer and chairman, Pinnacle Group
Hear from and interact with an impressive slate of inspiring women from throughout the staffing and recruiting industry who will share their challenges, strategies, and results.
5:15–6 p.m. Eastern time
Session: The Inclusive Leader; Closing Remarks
The Inclusive Leader
Presented by Asfa Malik, founder and chief executive officer, Growth-Minded Consulting, and Ginnette Harvey, chief executive officer and founder, Harper & Gray
Wrap up your THRIVE experience with a high-impact session from two powerful women.
Then take part in an online group photo as we stand together as a community to effect change and Break the Bias in honor of International Women’s Day. Learn more about the movement and how to strike the IWD #BreakTheBias pose here.
Qualifies for .5 CE hours
Cassandra Bodzak, author
Bodzak is a thought leader, best-selling author, and sought after on-camera personality and speaker in the mindfulness and personal development world. She is also the host of the popular spiritual podcast, “Divine Downloads.” You may have seen her on ABC’s “The Taste” as the “happy, healthy living guru” or in her work with SHAPE, Eating Well, Huffington Post, Teen Vogue, Thrive, Fabletics, Lululemon, SoulCycle, and many more. She has been called “an award-winning thought leader and intuitive coach” in Forbes and “a spiritual leader” by Well + Good. Bodzak helps people bring their soul’s desires into their everyday reality through her online group program, Divinely Design Your Life, as well as on her YouTube channel and on social media.
Shennice Cleckley, chief executive officer, Smart Cookie
Cleckley is the chief executive officer of Smart Cookie, a boutique business development agency that focuses on digital skills and business education training, and Dream Launchers Inc., a business coaching firm that focuses on teaching faith-driven female entrepreneurs on how to incorporate their faith, personality, and lifestyle into their business operations and strategic plans. She is also the co-host for the nationally syndicated “The Big Redd” radio show. Her journey into business began nearly 20 years ago when she accidentally discovered she could get paid for making custom candy wrappers for a friend's wedding. She evolved that little candy-making business to a full-service mobile dessert catering company serving celebrity clients, and she has appeared on media outlets such as CNBC, TV One, ABC, NBC, FOX, and CBS. She has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Politico, Authority Magazine, and Thrive Global, and recently appeared on the cover of Columbia Business Monthly.
Hannah Donaldson, chief executive officer, Meet
Donaldson is the chief executive officer and one of the founders of Meet. Meet’s mission is to build a dynamic and niche life sciences staffing company and to be a market leader in its field. With a career of more than 10 years in life sciences recruitment, Donaldson has an extensive knowledge of the sector and passion for this life-changing industry. Meet has partnered with various top pharmaceutical, health care communications, and medical device companies, helping them recruit the professionals who make their meaningful work possible. Since 2009 the company has grown rapidly—what started in London is now a global business with offices in New York, San Francisco, and Berlin. Donaldson is most proud of is the inclusive, high-performance culture that has been built across the business. As CEO, Donaldson works hard to maintain that company’s unique culture and champion diversity while scaling the business.
Ginnette Harvey, founder and chief executive officer, Harper & Gray
Harvey is a senior executive in the staffing industry with over 17 years of experience. As one of the founding members of SThree in North America, she grew the business to $280 million, spanning eight offices and four specialist brands. She has been named one of the 100 most influential leaders by Staffing Industry Analysts and has been recognized as the best North American sales director at the Women in Sales Awards. Harvey has the lived experience of overcoming diversity and inclusion challenges. She has helped others navigate these challenges and advised many companies on their DEI strategy. With deep recruitment industry knowledge and a background as a certified professional coach, she is a thought leader in this space. Harnessing her extensive experience in building and growing inclusive, diverse leadership teams, Harvey launched Harper & Gray in 2021.
Asfa Malik, founder and chief executive officer, Growth-Minded Consulting
Malik is an award-winning talent development leader with a strong background in sales, learning, and strategy. She is also a cultural change agent, inclusion strategist, thought leader, published author, and founder. Having spent most of her professional life at a global big data and technology company, she ran the learning and development team—serving more than 5,000 employees around the world. One of her greatest passions is to provide best-in-class development opportunities for professionals to excel in their roles, leverage their strengths, and drive career success. Her expertise in data analysis, consultative selling, and leadership development allows her to build strong employee programs that drive bottom-line growth. Today, she partners with chief executive officers from small to midsized companies to design growth strategies to drive cultural diversity and inclusive leadership.
Stephynie Malik, founder, SMALIK Enterprises
Fresh on the heels of a successful career of more than 25 years, including as the award-winning chief executive officer of a global consulting firm for more than a decade, Malik—a serial entrepreneur who spearheaded multimillion-dollar acquisitions and mergers while working with more than 11 startups globally—took the next step into her journey as a business transformation and crisis specialist. She founded SMALIK Enterprises with one goal in mind: to help others and promote change through her proven strategies and methodologies. Hailed as an expert negotiator and skilled crisis management consultant, Malik helps top-notch athletes, executives, and businesses take their careers and organizations to the next level while also resolving high-conflict and crisis cases for individuals and companies globally.
Marina Perla, chief executive officer and founder, Mojo Trek
Perla is chief executive officer and founder of Mojo Trek, a technology recruitment and consulting firm with a nationwide presence. Perla has a knack for bringing out her team’s strengths, embracing differences, and delivering more than what is expected for clients. Her ability to align talent with business objectives has proven successful in scaling technology divisions of businesses ranging from $5 million to $40 billion. At Mojo Trek, she oversees strategic business development, working closely with clients and partners. She sets strategic direction, with a strong focus on sustainable growth and scalability, and builds a recruitment experience grounded in transparency and integrity.
Nina Vaca, chief executive officer and chairman, Pinnacle Group
Vaca founded Pinnacle Group in 1996 and has served as its chairman and chief executive officer for over two decades. What started as a one-woman information technology staffing firm has grown into a workforce solutions leader serving the telecommunications, financial services, transportation, and technology industries. In 2007, Pinnacle began providing services nationwide, and today Pinnacle is expanding internationally. Pinnacle has been included in the Inc. 500/5000 list of fastest-growing companies 13 times; in 2015 and 2018 it was named the fastest-growing women-owned or women-led company by the Women Presidents’ Organization. Vaca has received numerous awards and recognition for her business success. She also is a committed civic leader and philanthropist—for example, Pinnacle Group provides extensive career preparation training and internship opportunities to high school and college students. Vaca is particularly focused on expanding opportunities for women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, as well as for women and Hispanics in business.
“The event was well organized. The speakers were phenomenal and very inspiring! It was a great event! I am happy that I participated.”
“Loved connecting with so many great women. Great content, loved the synergy across topics, loved the opportunity to chat and vibe together in the happy hour.”
“This was such an incredible event! So impressed with the smooth technology and loved the speakers and topics. I have lots of great take-aways and can't wait to share them with our team of wonderful women back at the office!”
“An amazing way to network with other women leaders while at home. I felt more connected than ever to the women in the industry.”
“It was a truly wonderful experience to see the many women in this industry who are dedicated to making a difference in their companies, their teams, and their talent coming together. It was like stepping into a forcefield—the energy, the willingness to support each other, the passion for becoming stronger leaders, and the gratitude for the opportunities and each other was palpable.”
Are you ASA-certified? Participate in THRIVE Virtual 2022 and earn up to 3.25 continuing education hours toward maintaining your ASA credential.
Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Contact Sarah Senges at 703-253-2042.
