Dr. Gooden Speaks on “Living the WOW” Panel

Honored and privilege to be an invited speaker for the Living in the Wow Summit held in New Orleans, Louisiana!

The goal for the ‘Living in the Wow’ experience was to create an event to create an event that inspired others through co-learning, connectedness, and collisions…and to create an event that would rejuvenate people through examining the transforming power of hospitality. Our contributions centered around sharing themes in two spaces:

1) Discussing the intersections of hospitality and higher education and how elements of hospitality inform campus visits to make positive impressions on prospective students and,

2) Sharing transformative experiences in our industry that have shaped or fueled our passion for success.

In preparation for this event, I was reminded that we often aspire in our careers to become directors, VPs, and CEOs. At this level, we are primarily charged with managing external stakeholders, developing policy, and examining data to inform long-term strategy. When we operate at this level, we do not have as much interaction with the primary audience we aim to serve—the students. My transformative experience was just that. A time where I stepped out of the ivory tower and made a high impact for a student and family that undoubtedly changed the trajectory for a student.

Panels were created across many sectors including the arts, non-profits, education, and sports as we all shared our transformative experiences. Unlike any other conference, each attendee left refueled, refreshed, and recentered in our purpose to continue the good work.

Thank you to Welcome to College for the invitation to speak and I look forward to attending again next year!

Mark your calendars for Friday and Saturday, February 2-3, 2024 for the next installment of LIVING in the WOW! You will not want to miss this.