- Field Technicians
- Contractors
- Distributors
- Suppliers
- Service Providers
- Manufacturers
- Educators
- Anyone and Everyone in the HVACR Industry!
The business disruptions in 2020 gave us many opportunities to find the good - even in the most difficult of circumstances. Although it sometimes doesn’t feel like it, there were many “gifts” that resulted from the pandemic. The challenge is to look for and find the good. In this fun and engaging session, you’ll see the difference that having a gratitude strategy – or Grategy – can make for you as an association leader. Using research, anecdotes, personal stories and experiences, Lisa gives you simple tools to create a culture of appreciation in your workplace so that you can keep your best employees from becoming someone else’s and your favorite members from leaving. In the process, you’ll also be able to give yourself the gift of a little self-care today for a better tomorrow.
What you can expect from my program:
Speaker Bio:
As a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), an award-winning speaker and author of eleven books, Lisa Ryan works with her clients to develop employee and client engagement initiatives and strategies that keep their top talent and best clients from becoming someone else’s.
Lisa’s expertise includes: strengthening workplace culture, improving employee engagement, increasing customer retention, and initiating gratitude strategies (“Grategies”) for personal and professional benefit. Lisa’s participants enjoy her high energy, enthusiastic delivery and quick wit and they leave the session with ideas they are committed to acting on immediately to make positive workplace culture changes.
Lisa costars in two films with other experts including Jack Canfield of “Chicken Soup for the Soul.” She is the Past-President of the National Speakers Association, Ohio Chapter and holds an MBA from Cleveland State University. She has served on a number of trade association boards including The American Welding Society, Cleveland Chapter, the Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP), and Toastmasters International.
Relevant Experience
Great leaders make smart decisions, even in difficult circumstances. From Albert Einstein to Oprah Winfrey, many top leaders ascribe their success to having followed their intuition. Learning to leverage the unconscious information in your brain with the data and analytics that surround you and your business can guide you to better and faster decisions. Intuition is about facts and not feeling. Please join me and hear how blending gut instincts with data analytics help identify data driven opportunities in the current marketplace.
Speaker Bio:
Deanna Kawasaki is joining us from ServiceTitan where she serves as the Sr. Director of Data Products, managing the Data Science projects and data vision. Most recently, she presented at Pantheon, ServiceTitan’s industry event, where Titan Intelligence was unveiled as “AI for the Trades”. Deanna possesses a unique skill set of data sciences, strategic planning, and big data knowledge. She has developed statistical models that quantify a prospect’s value, predict a customer’s lifetime value, created algorithms for service level tiers based on customer value, operational capacity, customer behavior and growth revenue targets. Deanna has developed customer profiles, clusters and segmentations, demand and capacity forecasts and new product launch projections and adoption curves. In addition, she has designed scorecard performance metrics, defined industry benchmarks, and performed numerous other statistical analyses on such topics as media impact, campaign effectiveness, marketing spend optimization, production planning and inventory control, price sensitivity, attrition, retention, propensity for “next action”, and cannibalization. She has helped companies better understand the driving factors affecting their business.
Moreover, Deanna has analyzed and partnered with various business groups to attack customer acquisition and retention programs including new product releases, tiered pricing models, multi-channel delivery methods, seasonality, competition, market trends and economic drivers. Deanna has experience in both the B2B and B2C realms. Many companies have benefited from her extraordinary mix of quantitative knowledge, strategic planning, and operational excellence. Companies she has helped include Trane, Ingersoll Rand, Boise Cascade, E*Trade, Bank of America, AT&T, Verizon, Yahoo!, YP.com, MGM-Mirage Resorts, AAA, Cars.com, Bausch-Lomb, eBay, NCR, Amgen, Mattel Toys, Disney, Ford, Kia, AmerisourceBergen, and Match.com. Prior to ServiceTitan, Deanna drove the data strategy for Procore Technologies where she led the creation of Procore's data warehouse, built a data team and spearheaded the development of a data culture
Stacey Vanek Smith, author of Machiavelli for women, is an expert in helping women defend their worth, grow their ambition, and win in the workplace. You don’t want to miss this session where she will provide the most successful tools and techniques that women can implement to move up in the workplace, negotiate pay and benefits, mentor others, and stand out.
Speaker Bio:
Stacey Vanek Smith is a longtime public radio reporter and host, highly regarded for her insight and journalism on work, business, and economics. Stacey previously served as a correspondent and host for NPR’s Planet Money as well as the national public radio show Marketplace. She is the host of NPR’s daily podcast, The Indicator from Planet Money. Her work has appeared on All things Considered, Consider This, Morning Edition, Up First, Weekend All Things Considered, It’s Been A Minute, with Sam Sanders, How I Built This, and Rough Translation, as well as in Time Magazine, The New York Times, The Awl and People Magazine.
A native of Idaho, Stacey grew up in Boise and on her parents' cattle ranch in western Idaho. She is a graduate of Princeton University and holds a master’s in broadcast journalism from Columbia University. She was awarded the Ferris Teaching Grant from Princeton University in 2019 and taught a course in audio journalism.
Stacey lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she spends most of her time broadcasting out of her broom closet, hiking, cooking, rock climbing, and watching unholy amounts of Netflix. Stacey’s father was a major inspiration for her career—instilling a love of history, economics and literature in her from an early age. Stacey’s mother is an accomplished painter—you can check out her work here.
How do you talk about yourself, others, and your experiences? Do you apologize for it? Celebrate it? Act like it’s no big deal? Do you find yourself drifting to the negative side of things rather than having positive and optimistic language in your conversations?
It’s time to consider the power you hold with the language you use. What words, phrases and expressions are you saying that could be keeping you from going to the next level in your career, your relationships, and your leadership abilities? If you knew, you’d probably want to change it!
Join Angie Snow in this session to help uncover a layer of detrimental language that is holding you back and learn what to say instead, so you can be a positive influence, inspiring conversationalist, and top level leader.
Speaker Bio:
Angie Snow is the Director of Customer & Product Training at ServiceTitan, a home services management software company. Angie is passionate about helping contractors find innovative solutions that drive success. Angie has 14 years of experience building her own successful HVAC business in Utah, Western Heating & Air Conditioning, where she focused on marketing, finances, business development and customer service/experience. Angie was awarded the Service World Woman of the Year Award at Service World Expo in 2016.
Angie has served on the Board of Directors for Women in HVACR for the past five years. She has a strong desire to improve and give back to the industry and open the doors for women in this industry. Angie is also a coach, presenter, and mentor with Snow Business Coaching and the Go Time Success Group. With a strong background in education, she thrives on developing individuals in the home service industry. She speaks at industry events, and has also been showcased in industry publications, podcasts, and webinars. She enjoys helping her clients find a balance between home and business, all while reaching their business goals.
Speaker Bio:
Tim Fisher is the Director of Market Intelligence at HARDI, where he oversees the research and analysis of HVAC/R market trends – particularly those affecting wholesale distribution. The Market Intelligence unit is one of the industry’s few in-house association-based economic research teams, offering HARDI members a suite of products for benchmarking and analysis. Prior to joining HARDI, Tim was the Director of Government and External Affairs at the Council of Development Finance Agencies where he worked on federal policy and legislative issues related to public finance. He earned his B.A. and M.A. at Ohio University, and M.B.A. at The Ohio State University.We are all on stage daily. Whether we are presenting to a customer, advocating for our community, pitching investors or executives, or influencing colleagues, mastering the ability to confidently present our ideas is a building block of success. This engaging session will equip you with tips to own your Presence and Perception, practically Prepare and channel your Passion for the topic for greater impact.
Speaker Bio:
Jane Sidebottom is the Founder and President of Applied Marketing Knowledge, LLC, (AMK, LLC) a marketing and strategy consulting company that works primarily with companies in the US and international commercial buildings market. Jane founded AMK in 2007 to fill a gap for market growth expertise in the HVAC and energy markets. Over the past 15 years, Jane and her talented colleagues have worked with more than 50 companies in the commercial, residential, industrial, and institutional buildings industries.
Prior to starting AMK in 2007, Jane built a career in international marketing and general management leadership positions for several companies, including Carrier Corporation, Trane, and Sargent & Lundy Consulting Engineers. She began her career in Washington, DC as an international trade lobbyist working for The American Consulting Engineers Council.
Jane serves on the Women in HVAC mentoring committee. She co-created and authored the Career Smart column in Consulting Engineer Magazine until 2016. She was selected as 20 Women to Watch in 2020 by Engineered Systems and just completed a 4-year term on the board for Friedrich Air Conditioning.
Jane has a B.A. in International Affairs from the University of Maryland. She has completed the leadership development program at the Center for Creative Leadership in Colorado Springs, as well as Carrier’s leadership program developed by the Darden School/ University of Virginia. She has traveled extensively, speaks Spanish, French and Arabic, and has lived and worked in many countries around the world.
In her free time, Jane enjoys golf, SF Giants Baseball, travel and sharing good food and wine with friends and family. She and her husband David live in Bonita Springs, FL.
Speaker Bio:
Since entering the HVAC industry in 1980, Eugene has taken on many roles ranging from field technician and system designer to company owner, teacher, administrator, consultant and author. Eugene is presently the Director of Technical Education and Standards at the ESCO Institute.
Eugene has twenty-five years of teaching experience and has taught air conditioning and refrigeration at many institutions including high school vocational programs, proprietary post-secondary institutions, and community colleges. In December of 2015, Eugene retired from his tenured teaching position at Suffolk County Community College, in Brentwood, New York, to join the ESCO Group and relocate to Southern California.
Eugene earned his dual Bachelors Degree from The City College of New York (New York, NY) and his Masters of Science degree from Stony Brook University, (Stony Brook, NY) where he specialized in Energy and Environmental Systems, studying renewable and sustainable energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and hydropower. He earned his Certified Master HVAC/R Educator (CMHE) credential from HVAC Excellence and the ESCO Group in 2010. Eugene also carries ASHRAE’s BEAP credential, which classifies Eugene as a Building Energy Assessment Professional. He is also an active3 member of many industry societies.
Eugene served as the subject matter expert on over fifteen HVAC-related educational projects. His most notable work is Cengage Learning’s Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology title, which is presently in its 8th Edition (2016). This book is used in over 1,000 schools both in this country and abroad to help individuals learn, and master, the skills required to service, install, design, service, and troubleshoot HVAC/R equipment. Other book credits include The Complete HVAC Lab Manual (2019), Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology, 6th and 7th Editions (2008, 2012), Residential Construction Academy: HVAC, 1st and 2nd Editions (2005, 2012), Pressure Enthalpy Without Tears (2006), Heat Pumps, 1st and 2nd Editions (2003, 2016), and Psychrometrics Without Tears (2014). In addition to his book credits, Eugene has written the production scripts for over thirty HVAC/R educational videos and has written articles for the industry’s newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals.
Eugene was selected as one of the top three HVAC/R instructors in the country for the 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 academic school years by the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration (ACHR) News.
Speaker Bio:
Chris Forth is a 30+ year HVAC industry veteran, who has worked in engineering, in product management, and most recently in the regulatory and codes space as the Vice President of Regulatory, Codes & Environmental Affairs for the Ducted Systems division of Johnson Controls. Chris is heavily involved in industry codes and standards development, as well as industry advocacy efforts to facilitate the safe transition to low-GWP refrigerants at the state, federal and international levels. Chris currently serves on multiple committees and boards, including the Air-conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), the Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy, and the State Chamber of Oklahoma, where he is based.How to be the Waldo in the Where’s Waldo! Let’s talk about differentiating your company to stand out! In a world full of contractors how can you stay top of mind! When you realize calls to action aren’t the only way to the top of the market, you start building your brand! Squeeze the most out of your brand!
Speaker Bio:
With well over 10 years of marketing and employee engagement experience under her belt, Crystal has an out-of-the-box way of thinking that draws attention to her marketing strategies and community involvement. Her always enthusiastic attitude makes it easy to get excited and rejuvenated to grow service companies to their fullest potential. She is a devoted wife, mom of two boys, and loves to rock a bold, red lipstick.
With a passion for the Service Industry, Crystal grew up in the heating and air conditioning world with her family’s HVAC business in east Texas. She thrives on helping family owned and operated businesses grow to their potential and create superior company cultures with engaged employees.
Crystal is a 2005 graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University with a degree is communications. In 2018, Crystal was selected as Service World’s Woman of the Year and she continues to be involved in both McWilliams and Son Heating and Air Conditioning and her newest adventure, Lemon Seed Marketing; a holistic approach to helping contractors create, implement and track successful marketing plans for their businesses.
Ready to succeed in today’s demanding talent market? Join us to learn about powerful recruitment tactics, effective talent selection, and employee engagement tips. During this session, we’ll discuss proven talent strategies for future growth and share materials that you can bring back to your business.
Speaker Bio:
Ariel is an HR Manager at Allied Air Enterprises, a division of Lennox International, where she started her career in HVAC 4 years ago. During her time at Lennox, Ariel has supported a wide range of employees including corporate professionals, manufacturing operators, R&D lab technicians, and business executives. She firmly believes that employees are a company’s greatest asset and competitive advantage. Ariel earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Clemson University and a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management from Texas A&M University. Ariel is a South Carolina native and takes every opportunity she can to enjoy the beautiful Carolina coast or explore the Blue Ridge Mountains!
HVAC Feelings Beyond Temperature: Airflow, Humidity, and Comfort, and Introduction to Building Science.
Speaker Bio:
I started in the trade in 1995 bending sheet metal with my father. I worked in installations, maintenance, service management, and commercial refrigeration until I found my true passion for education and travel. I am now an educator at Faraday, an instructor for Emerson Copeland division, and a content creator. You can find me on youtube, tiktok, or at my website www.love2hvac.com.
As much as I love the trade, helping people learn, grow, and become successful is the most rewarding thing I have done. Never stop learning!
Speaker Bio:
Sarah Hammond is the President Atlas Electric & Air Conditioning, an over 39 year old family business located in Alton that has been in operation since January 1983. In December 2017 she graduated with a certificate in Scaling Business from Stanford University Graduate of School of Business. She also holds a paralegal certificate and worked with an attorney for 17 years and holds a finance degree and a real estate degree from A&M. She has her own dba Financial Solutions and is a partner with Intentionally BridgeIt, an organization that spear heads, women business owner. She also oversees management of Hummingbird Trailer Park, which is a winter Texan park for her family that is over 28 years old. She further manages rental Alton X-Plex and other real estate and have invested in other entrepreneur ideas. Sarah maintains an active role in the community on behalf of Atlas and serves on several boards. Her passion is to help women grow business and speaks on this issue across several world and national platforms. She has served on National, Texas and several local boards. She is a graduate of Leadership Texas 2020. She was published in 100 Words / 100 Women by South Texas College. And published in the McAllen Chamber Ad and I am Latino Magazine. She also has a chapter in the book UPWARD, a book on leadership for women. She was also featured in the Special Edition of the Amazons Watch Magazine as one of the top 20 global women to watch. She has spoken on international platforms, and conferences as a guest speaker. She has several accolades and awards she has received. Although business and community involvement are important and part of her mission for her self-growth, what brings most happiness to Sarah is her family. She is married to Coach Marty Hammond and together they have three strong daughters. She has lived here in the valley most of her life and married her husband from Alabama who settled here and has coached arena football and currently is still coaching.
Speaker Bio:
Profitability Master Ruth King has worked in the construction industry (including plumbing, heating and air conditioning, generators, pool and spa companies, etc.) since 1987. Her work includes consulting in sales and marketing, finance, technical training, and operations challenges.
Ruth has been instrumental in helping business owners understand and profitably use the information generated from the financial segment of their businesses. She has a knack for helping business owners truly understand financials.
She is especially proud of one HVAC contractor she helped climb out of a big hole. He started with a negative $400,000 net worth 15 years ago and is still in business today…profitably and with a positive net worth.
After twelve years on the road, doing 200 flights per year, she knew there had to be a better way to reach business people who wanted to build their businesses and train their employees. She began training on the Internet in 1998 and began the first television like broadcasting in 2002. Channels currently include www.profitabilityrevolution.com and www.hvacchannel.tv.
Ruth holds an MBA in Finance from Georgia State University and Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Chemical Engineering from Tufts University and the University of Pennsylvania.
She holds a Class II HVAC contractor’s license (inactive) in Georgia.
Ruth is passionate about helping adults learn to read, photography, and marathon races. She helped start an adult literacy organization in 1986 that currently serves over 1,000 adults per year and ran the Boston Marathon and 11 other marathons so far.
Ruth has written many manuals and books including the popular Operations Manuals: Best Practices for Running a Profitable Service and Replacement company.
Her latest book, Profit or Wealth? reached #1 in October, 2020. This book is preceded by The Ugly Truth about Cash and the #1 best-selling book, The Courage to be Profitable. These two books were named two of 37 books start ups should read, along with the books of Napoleon Hill, Stephen Covey, Dale Carnegie and other esteemed authors. She is also the author of two other award winning books, The Ugly Truth about Small Business and The Ugly Truth about Managing People.
She contributes a monthly financial column to HVACR Business as well as columns in Reeves Journal, Today’s AC, and many other regional publications. Ruth is part of Jim Blasingame’s Small Business Advocate brain trusts and appears frequently on his national radio program. She has also been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal Radio Network, the Big Biz Show, and many regional and local radio programs.
Ruth has spoken for national and state association meetings, national and local trade shows, manufacturers, distributors, and others in 49 of 50 states. (She is looking for a reason to go to North Dakota).
Learn best practices to prevent financial fraud and become cyber secure as a professional and in your business.
Speaker Bio:
Matt Michel is an internationally recognized and highly acclaimed motivational and informational speaker. He has spoken about marketing, branding, sales, pricing, leadership, strategic planning, and goal setting from Istanbul to Australia and every place in-between.Breakout description:
Will you be ready? New minimum energy efficiency standards for the Department of Energy (DOE) begin on January 1, 2023. These new regulations are an effort to reduce energy consumption & HVAC manufacturers will be required to produce central air-conditioning and air-source heat pump systems that meet these new energy efficiency standards. While these minimums are changing, testing regulations that determine efficiencies are also changing. During this session we’ll help you prepare by reviewing the minimum efficiency changes, understand new SEER2, EER2 and HSPF2 M1 test procedures, understand non-compliance consequences & how to protect your business and maintain critical records.
Speaker Bio:
Connie Schroder is the Portfolio Leader for Single & Multi-Zone Ductless systems and has been with Daikin since 2017. She graduated from Oklahoma State University (Go Pokes!) with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and started her career in the Oil & Gas Industry, holding various roles in engineering, operations & product management. Connie is originally from Wyoming and misses the open spaces & mountains but not the blizzards and sub-zero wind chills. Outside of work she enjoys time with her family, playing tennis & watching baseball.