Last week, ESPN’s largest employee resource group – ESPN Women – hosted “Aspire/Inspire,” a companywide career development event in Bristol and via live stream for its members and employees nationwide. The agenda focused on improving presentation skills, maximizing productivity, finding the energy to succeed and networking and knowledge sharing conversations between executives and colleagues from across the company.
Hosted by SportsCenter anchor Cari Champion, attendees and participants of “Aspire/Inspire” gained valuable insights and lessons learned through a special kickoff session with The Walt Disney Company’s EVP and Chief HR Officer Jayne Parker followed by a full day of guest speakers that included presentation expert Karen Hough of ImprovEdge, “I Know How She Does It” author Laura Vanderkam and resiliency expert Eileen McDargh. ESPN Women members filled the room for the two-day event, with hundreds of additional viewers streaming the event live across various locations that included Atlanta, Austin, Burbank, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Glendale, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando, San Francisco and Seattle.
Jayne Parker – The Walt Disney Company’s EVP and Chief HR Officer – was the featured speaker at a special kickoff event on Wednesday, Sept. 16. She shared her professional journey and current Disney-wide global initiatives, including its latest workplace flexibility program.
Day 2 on Thursday, Sept. 17 kicked off with a motivational and interactive workshop led by best-selling author and CEO Karen Hough, who shared techniques from her training with Chicago’s famous Second City to radically improve presentation skills. Attendees learned how to use improv to think quickly, win over an audience and leverage authentic presence.
In a moderated discussion with SportsCenter anchor and “Aspire/Inspire” host Cari Champion, author Laura Vanderkam shared findings from her latest book “I Know How She Does It” and productivity tips from her prior work including “What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast.” Laura answered questions from the audience in Bristol as well as from members based in the outer offices.
Attendees were divided into breakout groups for lunch, where they shared their thoughts on the morning’s sessions and networked with executives and colleagues from across the company.
Award-winning author Eileen McDargh closed the event with a lively and engaging presentation on exploding the myth of balance. She shared the secret of “energy” and all its many connections that impact everyone’s lives – both personal and professional.
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