May 29th, 2026, Mount Laurel, NJ — Written by Director, Sales and Marketing Dave Brown

A big shout out to Chris Dunn and Dana Espisito for having me be a part of episode #60 of the Event Marketer’s Toolbox.  In conclusion, episode #60 exemplifies the spirit of Live events in that we brainstormed ideas, documented what made sense, created an outline to follow, rehearsed, and prepared for a few potential scenarios.  However, once the engineer hit record and we began talking, we hit a groove on the topic of career progression and explored teachable moments in  more depth than planned.   

A highlight for me was the fact Chris and Dana got me to think about certain decisions I made along the way and why I made them.  For example, departing Optima in 2000 and doing it in a way that not only prevented the burning of a bridge, but paved the way for me to return to the company after the industry experienced the traumatic disruption of 911.  Hopefully, the advice we shared could be of benefit to those just embarking on their careers as well as industry veterans.   

Take a listen to see if any of our insights will help you and your business.  Cheers! 

Check Out the full Episode of the Event Marketer’s Toolbox Here!