The Michigan Chamber, along with Megan Hayward of Consumers Energy and Theresa Dubiel with Lake Trust Credit Union, had the pleasure of welcoming Mimi Brown and more than 720 registrants to the 2023 ATHENA kick-off program. Mimi had many nuggets of wisdom and encouragement to pass along, outlined by her L.O.U.D. acronym. Here are her top insights:
- L: Lead with intention. When you turn the volume up on who you want to be and what your top priorities are, it is much easier to achieve your goals. Clearly establishing where you are at in your journey and where your destination is gives you the confidence to head toward the next step. As Mimi said: “The ‘how’ is none of your business.” Writing is a huge tool to clarify your intentions. You can write down your life priorities to reassess daily living and if you need to reprioritize habits. Writing down goals is another way to solidify a next step in your journey.
- O: Own your swag. Initially, Mimi explained “swag” as “stuff we all got,” which means even the most doubtful of us have it. What is that “stuff” exactly? Success, which includes our achievements to date in work or education; Wisdom, which encompasses our knowledge across everything, from volunteer opportunities to classes; Activities, which are experiences and environments that bring you energy; and Gifts, which are your built-in personality strengths. Mimi also cited the StrengthFinders model as one tool to owning your swag.
- U: Get uncomfortable. We underestimate our strengths when we only engage in familiarity; Mimi emphasized that success happens on the other side of comfort. At one point, we had to try something new to get where we are now, and that courage still exists within us. But just like Mimi’s unlikely beauty pageant journey, which helped lead to her success, sometimes we have to latch onto other people’s beliefs of ourselves before we can believe in the scope of our capabilities.
- D: Define your moment. During one poignant interaction on Mimi’s journey, her mom said, “I know you’re ready to quit, but there’s no quit in you. You never know what obstacle will lead to your success.” Oftentimes, a little extra resilience will help us arrive where we have been longing to go. We tend to have two options: to stop or to keep trying. It’s an important moment where we can choose to live loud and show up for ourselves.
Mimi emphasizes the empowerment to show up for ourselves where we are, while living L.O.U.D. into the future. The MI Chamber was honored to partner with Mimi and connect her with hundreds of members and business leaders from across the state. Be sure to save the date for our next program, May 24, “Your Secret Weapon: Building Emotional Intelligence to Live and Lead.”
Our MI ATHENA series would also not be possible without our generous sponsors. Big thank yous to presenting sponsors, Consumers Energy and Lake Trust Credit Union; gold sponsors, Perrigo and Hastings Mutual Insurance Company; silver sponsors, Blue Triton Brands/Ice Mountain and the Lansing Board of Water and Light; supporting sponsor, West Shore Bank; and educational sponsor, Davenport University.
You can catch the recording of Mimi’s presentation below: