February 21, 2024
More than 650 attendees kicked off Tuesday at The ARA Show™ with the Women in Rental Breakfast, which offered the opportunity for learning and networking.
Angela Nussel, CERP, Premiere Events, Austin, Texas, American Rental Association (ARA) Region Four director and chair of the Women in Rental Committee, opened the breakfast by welcoming attendees and recognizing the progress and growth of the Women in Rental group.
“The initial Women in Rental committee was formed in 2019, and there has been a great deal of progress made over the last few years, however, there is still work to do, and we need to stay focused on our mission — to engage and increase the number of women in the industry by providing empowerment, networking, mentorship and education opportunities,” Nussel says.
She encouraged attendees to get involved, volunteer and take leadership roles in the industry. She also challenged the group to take the Women in Rental Career Development Program track in RentalU.
The breakfast featured Dr. Michelle Rozen, a.k.a. The Change Doctor, currently one of the most sought-after actionable speakers on leadership, motivation and change. Rozen spoke about the difference between the 94 percent of people who give up on their goals and the 6 percent who take action and achieve their goals. She used the analogy of a person hitting the elevator button over and over again hoping it will arrive faster.
“Why does your mind cause us to do things that don’t make any sense? We know that doing this is not going to bring the elevator any faster, but everybody does it. Over and over and over again, and then with increased intensity and frustration just to get the same result. Where in your life do you stand there by the elevator button of business or life and hit that button over and over?” she asks.
She emphasized starting small and being consistent when it comes to change.
“Change one habit for 30 days consistently. Then, move on to the next habit and do that for 30 days,” she says.
She also encouraged attendees to practice the mirroring rule.
“Change starts with you. If you want your people to go the extra mile for you, you have to go the extra mile for them. You want them to care about what matters to you. Do you care about them? We don’t see our own blind spots. Whatever you want from the other person starts with the way you carry yourself,” she says.
Next, she encouraged attendees to give several genuine compliments to people every day.
“Did you know that every time we give someone a genuine compliment you trigger the same area in their brain as receiving cash? It’s the reward center of the brain. That means that every day you start your day in business and in life and you got yourself a stack of cash, a stack of hundreds to just give out to people and nothing will be lacking in your checking account,” she says.
She asked attendees to practice the 20-minute rule, which means that if you are tired or hungry, or have had a bad day and someone gets on your nerves, excuse yourself from the situation as quickly as you can.
“If you feel that you’re just about to lose it, never stay where you are. Physically get up and go somewhere to do something else for 20 minutes,” she says.
“I loved what she had to say. There was specifically an excerpt in there that reminded me of a current situation that occurred. She said instead of reacting, take your 20 minutes. That was a big takeaway for me, because sometimes we can be reactionary immediately. Take that time. That one was a home run for me,” says Stephanie Layson, Party Pro Rents, Tulsa, Okla.
“Dr. Rozen was great. She had some good pointers on how we can make change, make successful change, and reach our goals. This was my first Women in Rental event and I feel encouraged and inspired,” says Marci Moe, Special Event Rentals – Red Deer, Red Deer County, Alberta, Canada.
“Get specific, make a plan, take action. Make your life better. Get to where you want to go in life, not where life takes you. Get where you want to go in business, not where business takes you. Restore your energy. Do something for yourself every day. Because to live with purpose, to become a six percenter, to implement changes, you need mental energy. If you drain yourself, you’ll have nothing to give, but will just get by. But if you want to be proactive, not reactive and take charge of your business and life, you need to do something for yourself to feed your soul every day. Go swim. Call someone you love. Go for a walk, work out, eat healthy, do things that make you happy. Then you will achieve the things that you want to achieve in business and life. It’s not complicated,” Rozen says.
At the end of the session, Rozen signed complimentary copies of her book, 2 Second Decisions: The Secret Formula for Leading Change by Making Quick Winning Choices.
“I really enjoyed the speaker. Her advice about taking two minutes a day for yourself to pause is something I will try to do,” says Natalia Cristofoletti, Casa do Construtor, Rio Claro, Brazil.
“I thought the speaker was really good. Her ideas seem simple and straightforward. They shouldn’t be complicated for me to implement. My one takeaway was to just give any new goal 30 days. It seemed attainable,” says Elizabeth Hensley, CERP, A-1 Party & Event Rental, Columbia, Mo.
Those interested in the ARA Women in Rental group can learn more at ARArental.org/women-in-rental and by visiting the ARA Women In Rental Facebook Group. The breakfast was sponsored by Alert Rental Software, Barreto Manufacturing, Catalyst Strategic Advisors, Ditch Witch, John Deere and Toro.
