Leadership Breakfast: November 15–Kalamazoo

Go. Meet. Do.

Lynn Townsend loves adventures – from driving alone on the harrowing curves of Pike’s Peak to hitting the streets of Asheville as a journalist in training.

Music. Mementos. Memories.

Lynn’s unique ability to draw joy from the past enriches her present. A song like AC/DC’s “For Those About to Rock” evokes memories of her brother’s car rides to junior high. Seeing her grandmother’s rolling pin triggers the aroma of apple pie baking in the kitchen.

Influence. Endurance. Uniqueness.

Lynn’s guiding purpose is to serve and influence well through strength and self-appreciation. She regularly reminds herself of the wisdom she shared when her daughters were young: Honor God, be yourself, and have fun!

In her multi-decade career, Lynn has been a:
•Fortune 500 communications manager and food technologist,

•business entrepreneur and partner,

•people developer, and

•professor.

She is an award-winning writer with degrees from Purdue University and Western Michigan University. Lynn and her husband, Mark, enjoy traveling, reading, exercising, cheering each other on, and spending time with their daughters.

November 15:  Groundwork: Three Gems that Could Spark Your Business
In a world where it is hard to find and retain great employees and even harder to meet customers’ ever-changing needs, what’s next? How can leaders, business owners, and employees:
•Rise above the clutter and connect with customers?
•Build strong relationships as colleagues?
•Differentiate from the competition?

Groundwork. Solid and fertile. Timeless and timely. Intentional and practical.

Why is the groundwork forgotten or overlooked? First, an increase in mental health concerns, life stressors, and cultural pressures make us less present at work. Next, according to one recent study, psychological safety—the environment that fosters flourishing—is rare in today’s workplaces. Third, we work amid the lowest customer service scores in decades.

In this brief presentation – from a veteran professional and colleague-described organizational poet – together we will investigate how three groundwork gems could differentiate your brand, help retain employees and strengthen your customer base.