Bill Benjamin 
Bill Benjamin is one of the original partners at the Institute for Health and Human Potential (IHHP) and passionately contributes to the development of the organization’s future through his speaking, his engaging leader-to-leader conferences and his advocacy to get the message out to the rest of the world.

Prior to joining IHHP, Bill was Vice President of a computer software firm, leading the sales, consulting and marketing divisions. Under his leadership, the company grew from $2M in sales and a number 10 ranking in their industry, to over $75M in sales and the number one ranking.

His passion and enthusiasm for Emotional Intelligence and its impact on leadership development will leave you inspired and wanting more. Bill has delivered leadership programs to diverse groups that include the US Army, NASA, Intel and Goldman Sachs.

Pre-Conference Workshop
10:00 a.m., Wednesday, September 23
Emotional Intelligence: The Science of Leadership Under Pressure
Why do smart people fail? Why do technically brilliant individuals have trouble managing others and collaborating on a team? It’s not because they lack intelligence or technical skills. Far from it. What they lack is a critical level of Emotional Intelligence (EI) and the ability to manage their emotions and others when they are under pressure.

Whether you’re a formal manager or want to increase your individual performance (or both), Bill will teach you the foundational principles and brain science of Emotional Intelligence.

You’ll become a student of human behavior and begin to understand what your brain does under pressure and how that affects your decisions and the impact you have on others.

By learning how to manage your emotions in your most difficult moments, you’ll perform and lead at your best under pressure, and connect with others in a more meaningful way.

Keynote Session
1:00 p.m., Wednesday, September 23
Performing Under Pressure: The Science of Doing Your Best When it Matters Most
This program is based on the book by the same name co-authored by noted psychologist Hendrie Wesinger and IHHP’s J.P. Pawliw-Fry. Leadership is not easy, especially under pressure. Pressure diminishes our ability to think, make decisions and connect with others in a meaningful way.

With pressure increasing in all aspects of our lives, the ability to manage it is one of the key differentiators of high performing managers and leaders. In this high-energy exchange with Bill Benjamin, you’ll learn:

1. How to better manage pressure so it becomes a competitive advantage as you grow your career drive performance within your organization
2. About the results from a study of 12,000 people and what the top 10% did to excel under pressure
3. Three critical insights to help you avoid the sabotaging effects of pressure
4. Eye-opening stories of leaders and organizations who have managed pressure effectively to succeed
5. How pressure affects your brain and to develop strategies you can use to perform when the heat is on

Organizations like Goldman Sachs, Intel, Coca-Cola, NASA, and the US Navy and Army, as well as Olympic athletes and NBA teams, have benefitted from IHHP’s cutting-edge approach to performing under stress. This session will help you drive engagement, innovate, grow, increase customer service and succeed in the face of constantly increasing pressure.

Kelli Vrla
Kelli Vrla is a Rocky Mountain based corporate communications consultant who has enlightened and “entertrained” thousands in the U.S., Europe and Central America through her dynamic presentations. Kelli has over 30 years of lessons and experience under her belt. She spent 16 years as a broadcast sales executive in radio and 14 years as CEO of her own people development firm.

Her in-the-trenches scope of learning comes from firsthand experiences in handling change, effective marketing, bottom-line communications, difficult and demanding people, and motivating the tough-to-motivate people.

Since her radio days at ABC and CBS, Kelli has successfully helped people enhance their personal and professional development skills. She’ll show you how to own your job and get others to own theirs. Learn to handle change before it handles you and deal successfully with even the most challenging personalities in your organization.

Keynote Session
8:30 a.m., Thursday, September 24
Hocus Focus: Stay Resilient & Choose the Right Shiny Red Balls!
Do you find yourself managing several tasks at once? Feel like you’re spinning plates? Have you started to drop a few? You’re not alone … statistics show we work 1/3 of our lives, sleep 1/3 of our lives, and spend the final 1/3 of our lives with home and hobbies.

Stress from our work lives is now creeping over into our home lives and vice versa. There’s a healthy line of balance that needs to be drawn. Harvard Business Review says we’re all in the middle of at least 15 things at once—diminishing our effectiveness and adding to our burnout. Most of us have reached a breaking point and we’ve—quite frankly—had enough.

Kelli Vrla is here to help you:

• —Assess your work-life balance and why it may be draining you instead of sustaining you!
  —Learn at least 52 known stress reducers
  —Understand the cause of the GAP
  —Learn how to reach for your OWN OXYGEN MASK first, then help others
  —Quickly use dynamite and easy coping techniques to handle your most pressing challenges
  —Stay laser-focused amidst the chaos
  —Know what makes us tick and what ticks us off
  —Control your energy – surge when you really need it!
  —Generate a personalized productivity plan that works for you!

Scott Williams
Scott was a Corporate Vice President of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., from 2006 to May 2010, serving as General Manager of Samsclub.com. From 1996 to 2006, Mr. Williams was an executive with OfficeMax Incorporated, where he held a series of key leadership positions, including Senior Vice President, OfficeMax Direct Business Segment, and Senior Vice President, Marketing.

Closing Luncheon Session
11:30 a.m., Thursday, September 24
Through the Lens of a Leader
End your Fall Conference experience with a view of business and e-commerce from Scott K. Williams. Scott has been Cabela’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and E-Commerce Officer since October 2011. He joined Cabela’s after serving as President of Fanatics, Inc., a vertically integrated online retailer of team and league licensed sports apparel and collectibles.

Check out the 2015 Fall Conference Brochure! 

Click here to view the full 2015 Program.

Find out all the info you need about registration and the hotel here.

Use this year’s hashtag to connect with all your ag friends: #namafall15