In this episode of Event Experience by Bizabo, host Rachel Moore interviews Sarah Reuter, CEO of Elevate Travel Company, about her experiences and insights in the event industry. Sarah discusses the shift towards providing non-alcoholic options at events and the importance of mindfulness in both professional and personal lives.
Sarah shares her personal journey with alcohol and addiction, emphasizing the need for inclusivity and healthier lifestyle choices at events. The conversation highlights the evolving landscape of event planning, where offering a variety of options, including adhering to dietary restrictions and offering non-alcoholic beverages, is becoming increasingly important to cater to diverse attendee needs.
Here’s what you’ll hear about in this conversation:
The Feminine Frequency Business School
[00:00:18] Rachel Moore: Welcome to Event Experience by Bizabo, the podcast where we bring the best and brightest event experience leaders together to share stories, tips, and lessons learned from creating some of the world's biggest events.
[00:00:30] I'm Rachel Moore, your podcast host.
[00:00:33] Let's have a full body experience together in this episode where we chat with Sarah Reuter, CEO of Elevate Travel Company. Sarah shares her candid experience and insights about the pivot to providing non alcoholic options at today's events, as well as some truly mindful guidance for how to be our best selves in our professional and personal lives.
[00:00:55] You'll be glad you pushed play on this event experience.
[00:00:59] Rachel Moore: With a career in travel since 1998, our guest has experienced a business development strategy and today, she's the CEO of Elevate Travel Company.
[00:01:20] She was also recently featured in Skift meetings. I'm thrilled to welcome Sarah Reuter to the podcast. Thanks for joining Event Experience.
[00:01:28] Sarah Reuter: Thank you so much, Rachel. I'm so grateful to be here.
[00:01:31] Rachel Moore: So when you have an all day event, multiple hours. Uh, what are your go to on the ground shoes that you're going to Oh, Well, I just bought a pair of Taos tennis shoes. I'm actually, sorry this is the opposite answer. I need to return them because they're not comfortable at all, but they're so cute!
[00:01:50] Oh, no!
[00:01:51] Sarah Reuter: They're so so cute.
[00:01:53] Right now, my most comfortable are a pair of Adidas. I've got a pair of a white sneaker Adidas that I wear.
[00:01:58] And I've got my eye on a, on a pair of new balance as well that I've seen that are really Mm. I do hear, I hear both Adidas and New Balance. My husband swears by Adidas. He loves them. They just are great for his feet.
[00:02:09] Rachel Moore: I'm sorry that that didn't work out for the other pair. But at least you've got a good pair of Adidas that you can rely on. Excellent!
[00:02:17] Um, is there anything that you're listening to, watching, or reading these days that you can't put down? Doesn't have to be events related.
[00:02:23] Sarah Reuter: I am in a business school right now, called The Feminine Frequency Business School led by Jessica Zweig. She is a, an amazing woman. And I read her book called The Light Worker. It was such a wealth of knowledge and it was, in fact, I'm postponing reading the last chapter because I don't want it to end, but it's just full of resources.
[00:02:46] And if you're into mixing business with spirit, it's a really beautiful, beautiful book and her podcast is called The Spiritual Hustler. So yeah.
[00:02:58] Rachel Moore: That's wow. That is an interesting combination of words. Because I always, you know, hustle, you know, and it's a hustle culture, but then you're like spiritual, really?
[00:03:07] Sarah Reuter: Spiritual hustler, which really aligned for me. Because, I mean, look if you're gonna be in the event professional business, you need to know what it means to hustle and work your ass off.
[00:03:18] And, um, and you also have to learn how to take care, really good care of yourself and your spirit. And a lot of people I feel like are a little lost in that area.
[00:03:28] Rachel Moore: Yeah. Agreed. Agreed. Well, hopefully part of listening to this podcast, they can, they can find and not be lost anymore, but get them on the right path.
[00:03:37] Um, is there a particular social post or a piece of media or even a hot take about events that you found interesting lately?
[00:03:44] Sarah Reuter: Let's see. I'm trying to think back of what I've just read in the last 24 hours. Everything I've read in the last 24 hours is very election heavy. So, that's where my mind is going right now.
[00:03:58] But, um, you know, I just, I just read, actually, speaking of Skift, they wrote an article on Club Ichi and, you know, kind of benefits of these, these associations, And membership communities. And it was a, it was a great, it really was a great article.
[00:04:15] I'm actually a member of Club Ichi. I'm, I'm one of the Insiders and Liz and Nicole, The Founders, just provide extraordinary wealth of knowledge and connection and bringing to people together in community.
[00:04:27] So that's probably my plug there for, um, the social piece.
[00:04:32] Rachel Moore: Excellent. That's a great one. Um, yeah, we, we know about Club Ichi. I think we, I think a few of our folks saw it too, um, at ETL and then IMX too. So that's cool. That's a great, great tie in.
[00:04:42] Um, And I gave a super short introduction to you. I want to hand it over to you. You are the CEO of Elevate Travel Company. What does that look like? What does your world look like? If you could describe that for us, what that role is like?
[00:04:54] Sarah Reuter: Yeah, it's, it's exhilarating for starters. Um, definitely travel is a big piece of the business, but I'm actually rebranding to Experiences Elevated Consulting.
[00:05:05] Yeah, because we...
[00:05:07] Rachel Moore: You heard it here. That's awesome!
[00:05:08] Sarah Reuter: So next year, that rebrand will start to roll out because we're really just adding in some new products to our suite of services in addition to group incentive travel experiences, retreats, um, executive leadership meetings. And you know, those sorts of experiences where we really co create with our corporate B2B partners on what they want to experience when, you know, when they're gathering a group or a community to build connections.
[00:05:39] Rachel Moore: Well, that's super exciting. Congrats! It's always fun when you're like, kind of looking at, you know, the next phase of your business journey and expanding.
[00:05:47] So this is really exciting. I'm so, I'm so glad you got to share that with us.
[00:05:51] Sarah Reuter: Thank you. Me too. It's an exciting time and stressful.
[00:05:54] Rachel Moore: Yes. Thank you for being. That's, that's a reality of it and, um, you know, it, it sounds exciting, but there's so much work that goes behind it. So, I'm sure you and your whole team are just like this. This is a, we're gears grinding the gears, getting it done.
[00:06:08] And, um, but thank you so much to, I very much appreciate you taking the time to talk to us today too. Because, uh, I know you got a lot going on there.
[00:06:14] Sarah Reuter: Absolutely.
[00:06:16] Rachel Moore: Well, um, let's kick things off, um, with this.
[00:06:18] I did mention this when I introduced you, but Skift Meetings featured you recently in an article about a turning point in the events industry. I know this made me perk up and for any of us, you know, obviously, you work a ton in travel. Tons of experience in travel, which you, as you said, is a mainstay of the events industry.
[00:06:36] A part of that too, I would say, we've all seen in and experienced is alcohol at events. It's, you know, happy hours. I mean, if you just start right there. But they're, they really do kind of permeate events today.
[00:06:49] Um, first off, I wanted to ask you. What changes or evolution are you seeing at events today that might be demonstrating a pivot in our approach to alcohol at events?
[00:06:59] Sarah Reuter: Yeah, you know, we definitely have more resources and knowledge as a society. And, you know, the biggest pivot I've seen over the last few years actually is, you know, people are choosing healthier lifestyles and more non-alcoholic options are needed at that open bar. And that's really it in a nutshell.
[00:07:24] Rachel Moore: Yeah, and I like that you mentioned that too. And, you know, obviously people can imbibe as they want. You know, everybody can make that choice there.
[00:07:33] You've also, you just said it too. Healthier lifestyle. I'll be honest. I'm just sharing my own perspective here and everybody has their own twos. They're listening to this podcast.
[00:07:41] I happen to be a carnivore. I'm a meat eater. But, I will tell you there are times where I'm like, I'm so thankful that there are vegan options because I'm just feeling that's what would be a bit better for me or for whatever, you know, my day is about to, to bring my way.
[00:07:58] But having those additional options and, you know, I know, I know I'm expanding this a bit more farther into from alcohol, but it's like having gluten free or lactose, you know, people, things for lactose intolerant people.
[00:08:08] Or, or you know, just having more options so people don't feel like they're kind of pigeonholed into, well, I either eat what's before me or drink what's before me, or I don't eat or drink.
[00:08:19] But, um. It does seem like there's a bit more of that mindfulness of saying there, there can be healthy alternatives based on whatever that person's health might be, right?
[00:08:27] Sarah Reuter: Absolutely. Yeah. And just to have variety, I mean, there are so many. God, love our, our food and beverage teams at hotels and restaurants and bars because.
[00:08:38] I mean, I just returned from a program in Mexico where we had. It was a small group. But almost, you know, everyone had a dietary restriction. And working with the chefs and the entire team to really strategize to please all of these palates was not easy. It really is not.
[00:08:57] But, um, you know, that open communication and planning and just being prepared and understanding, you know.
[00:09:05] Having that open line, of, of conversation with the partners that we use. I think, is really valuable. And such a big piece of the experience, you know, to, to provide that overall variety that I think most attendees are really craving these days.
[00:09:23] As you know, like you said, you know, you're a carnivore. I am too, but I also love, I love variety. I love trying new foods and different, different types of, um, drinks as well. And I'm a non drinker.
[00:09:37] But I still love the experience of, you know, food and drink pairing. I think it's very much, you know, elevating the senses, which is something I really love to do. And, and, and the, um, experiences we, we create.
[00:09:51] Rachel Moore: That's such a great point too. It is all about that experience. It adds on to it. And having those options allows people to craft their own. And I, I really appreciated this. This is the thing that, the primary driver, frankly, I wanted to have you on the podcast for our listeners.
[00:10:08] You were really candid in that article from Skif Meetings about your own history with alcohol and addiction.
[00:10:13] And even if we're just speaking statistically about the listeners of this very podcast, you're not the only one with that experience. Absolutely not. There's just no way.
[00:10:21] Can you share with us how we as an industry, and then as event planners specifically, can make sure we're using that lens to adjust our approach, using the lens of like, Hey, this experience is absolutely reality. It's out there. How can we make sure we're embracing it as we design these events?
[00:10:39] Sarah Reuter: Yes, you know, from that article, I had so many people reach out to me privately and personally and say, Sarah, thank you for, you know, sharing what you did. And they, you know, would share that they had been sober for, you know, they said their sobriety date. And, so they weren't very public with it.
[00:10:57] And so I, I feel like in the sharing of, you know, just truth and what's real, and there's definitely a stigma and there's, you know, it's not a pretty, pretty thing to talk about a lot, you know.
[00:11:09] But I think in just the vulnerability and the sharing, it, it gives others permission to do the same. And so, there are a lot of people out there who are not vocal. They may not check it off on even a list. If they're filling out a form or registration, they may not even speak it there because it is so kind of taboo in a way.
[00:11:31] But, you know, I just think that we have to just remember that in any, in any event we're, we're attending, especially if you're behind the scenes and in charge of planning it, you just never know what someone else is, is going through or has been through.
[00:11:47] And to be mindful of that and not assume that it's just, you know, one, one way or even two ways. I think we just have to be very mindful that we're all going through a little bit of something, you know, or have some sort of history with drinking and alcohol in particular. I mean, I, I will tell you, I love a good party still to this day.
[00:12:11] Rachel Moore: Right?
[00:12:11] Sarah Reuter: So for me, you know, probably starting out in my twenties in this industry and even before that, I was in, you know, as a bartender. I was, I was waiting tables. And I've been in hospitality and service since, you know, some of my first jobs as a teenager.
[00:12:26] And you know, alcohol was definitely at the root of the service and hospitality industry from day one for me. So, it was, it was, it was accessible to me, you know, from a very early age and it, it kind of just became the norm. And, you know, so to have an open bar at an event is you know, pretty much what kind of things are themed or centered around.
[00:12:50] But again, that shift is happening. I do believe with, with lifestyle changes and people are becoming a lot more conscious and just want to feel good. I mean, that was a big driver for me was that I finally started to listen to my body.
[00:13:06] You know, what we resist persists and I really, you know, was never a drinker that felt like I wanted to drink to get drunk. It was more of a, it was a social thing that I was wanting to belong and fit in. And there's a little bit of pressure there.
[00:13:24] And me loving variety, like I said earlier, kind of got me in trouble with going from champagne to beer to bourbon to vodka to whatever was, you know, uh, had to try it all right. Um, was not a good combo.
[00:13:40] So just, just really listening to our bodies and then also our audiences on what they're really, they really desire.
[00:13:49] Rachel Moore: Yeah. It, it all really kind of seems to be a manifestation of, I think, some self examination that the events industry did.
[00:13:58] Especially, you know, post COVID, and you talk about, you think about the mental health aspects that people were starting, okay, can we, we let's, let's make sure we're talking about the realities of this, but that extends into all of our wellness. And I do want to give you recognition too that.
[00:14:13] The fact that, you're able to like be candid about that experience, really, as you mentioned, even if they're reaching out privately, but that can really, kind of empower people to say, it's okay if I'm honest about my experience too.
[00:14:26] And it's, you know, it's just a can door about here's what I've been through in my life and here's where I am today. And as a result of that, it would be really helpful if we're baking in these different options.
[00:14:40] And I always think of it too from a marketing perspective. If you really are trying to reach everyone, so from an events perspective, you're trying to engage everyone, then make sure you've got those options so everyone is empowered to engage. And that includes with what you're providing at the bar.
[00:14:58] It's really interesting too. This, this was not something planned. We have another, uh, podcast episode. Um, we interview Karina Bauer, um, head of IMEX group every year and we just interviewed her. So that podcast should be up as well.
[00:15:12] But, one of the things she brought up was they had, I, they, I think they called it Drymex at IMEX America and they had, um, just a bunch of non alcoholic options and not to the point where, I think we're all used to like, oh, let's just throw in some non-alcoholic, you can have water or Sprite or juice.
[00:15:31] And, or sometimes it's those mocktails that are super like super sweet and just, you know, like, let me have a Jolly Rancher or five.
[00:15:38] Sarah Reuter: Right.
[00:15:39] Rachel Moore: But actually, putting some thought and intent into it and saying, you can make really good non alcoholic drinks that, you know, help everybody feel like, yes, you can do that, have that social aspect of the activity, but also, you know, be, be paying attention to your wellness and body.
[00:15:55] But I just wanted to share that too. This obviously is not, was not just on your mind and not just in that Skift Meetings article.
[00:16:02] It seems like the industry as a whole is really starting to more openly tackle this topic of overall wellness and the options that we need for that.
[00:16:10] Sarah Reuter: Absolutely. Yeah, they did a great job of weaving that in, baking that in, like you said, um.
[00:16:16] I actually had to fly out that day of the, um, event they had. That they had some featured, you know, mocktails and, um, the mocktails are getting better. They really are.
[00:16:28] Um, I have been a non alcohol drinker for about three and a half years now and you know, it's, it's, it's definitely evolving. It is getting better.
[00:16:38] There are some great brands out there where you really can't taste the difference. You can make a gin and tonic. You can make, you know, it's not gin, but Seedlip is a great brand. I have it in my office, home office bar.
[00:16:52] You know, I still entertain. I have a full bar, so no, no shame in anybody's game, right? I mean, we, we need to have all these choices.
[00:16:58] But I love Seedlip and I'll see it in a lot of hotels. In fact, some of the, some of the brands I like to partner with when I'm doing research for clients of ours that wellness is maybe one of their core culture initiatives. And you know, that's important to them because they tend to put that up at the top of the list.
[00:17:17] So we'll look at brands, and, and partners that really elevate that experience as well. And people are doing better. Brands are doing much better to, um, to have those delicious choices that aren't high sugar content drinks, um, of like a Shirley Temple or something, Strawberry Daiquiri, you know. But just, you know, there's a great Aperol Spritz.
[00:17:40] Um, in fact, out in Vegas at, where did I stay? Um, Oh, Vidara, State of Vidara. In the, you know, hotel lobby kind of grab and go area. They had a little, a few non alcoholic cans that you could buy.
[00:17:54] Which I took up to my room after, you know, after getting back and being on the floor all day and I wanted to have a nice little Aperol Spritz, non alcoholic drink. It was lovely. Um, so.
[00:18:05] Rachel Moore: Excellent! I tend to, we go to great American beer fest here in Denver every year and, uh. I've been seeing the non alcoholic beer selection grow and so appreciate it. And they're good. Um, they've, they've really, you're right, there, everything's evolving. And to, to offer those better solutions.
[00:18:21] So, and it's great. Because you mentioned there is stigma as much as we want, we might want to not have that there and work against that.
[00:18:28] But, just the fact you're able to like, yes, I like my fellow compatriots here. My fellow colleagues can, can walk around with a glass that looks like everybody else's or a can that looks like everybody else's. You know, there's just less to single out there and let them engage.
[00:18:43] Sarah Reuter: I know that was a weird one year, the first year of, of being sober and being in the industry and going to, you know, networking and social events where everyone's having a drink, right? That's just what you do. And having water, you know, people would say, are you pregnant? Or, you know, what's wrong with you? Or are you okay? And I'm like, I'm, I'm great. I'm doing well.
[00:19:05] So, it was a weird transition phase for me but that is also shifting too. I think in the last year or two, I've, I've seen again, you know, there's more inclusive, inclusive options that make it so that it doesn't look like you're just having, you know, water.
[00:19:23] Rachel Moore: Or avoiding, well, that could be a whole other podcast about, please don't assume a woman drinking water must be with child.
[00:19:29] Sarah Reuter: I know, right? Like check that one off the list, right? Yeah, I know. That's what too much alcohol will do for you. You kind of lose, you you lose your filter and you say some things that you might regret, right?
[00:19:41] Rachel Moore: That's right. That's right. Oh my gosh. The stories we could all tell.
[00:19:45] We'll be right back with more event experience after the break.
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[00:20:19]
[00:20:20] Rachel Moore: We're back with Sarah Reuter to zero in on her word of focus for the events industry.
[00:20:25] you know, this, this is, uh, I know we've talked about wellness, but you're sharing all this experience. And I, I think that we're about, I'm about to bring another word out here that I think really describes you, but also, um, want to hear your thoughts on it.
[00:20:38] We're in the midst of turning the page. Oh my gosh. From one year of events to the next one. It's amazing. We're here again.
[00:20:45] If there's one word we can use to describe professions, professionals in the events industry and you, now that we know a little bit more about you, I would say this applies. That word would be resilience.
[00:20:55] I'd love if you could share your own philosophy about resilience, what that means to you.
[00:21:00] Sarah Reuter: That one. I call myself the queen of resilience because let me tell you, Rachel, I have from a very young age, just experienced a lot of challenging moments in my life, you know.
[00:21:14] From, you know, childhood, to just last weekend, you know, when I was working with a group, trying to get everybody home and dealing with delays.
[00:21:24] I mean, you, we really have to embody resilience in a way that requires a very healthy, I say, mind, body, and spirit. Um, because in this industry, there are so many things that can go wrong. And there are so many challenges that we face. And you know, it just requires this almost mastery level of leadership and embodiment.
[00:21:55] I say embodiment a lot because, I really practice listening to my body. It's my greatest teacher and tool and a lot of us are disconnected from that. We just operate in our heads and our minds and we kind of cut off what's happening in the body.
[00:22:09] And honestly, I think that me ridding myself of drinking alcohol really helped me deepen that connection and to tap into that in a just more powerful way.
[00:22:20] But resilience is just, I think too, I see a lot of event professionals who have forgotten what resilience is. And, you know, we're, we're living in this. We can live in this very highly toxic environment that keeps us on that hamster wheel of go, go, go. Do, do, do.
[00:22:41] And this resilience to me now is really being able to not just, you know, run through the storm, but after I get through the storm, I'm able to pause and really look back and appreciate just how far I've come and, and the, the people that helped me get there.
[00:23:01] I feel like in our world, not just in hospitality and events, but, we're just in this hurry. Every, we're always, we're rushing to get to the top, you know, to make more money and to do all these things and we're just kind of missing those magical moments of pausing and appreciating, the challenges we, we just got through. The, the celebrations that, that are there for us to actually embody and receive. And, um, you know, so it's just nice to, to really pause and look back on how, just how far we've all come.
[00:23:35] Rachel Moore: It's a great message too and how, how often do we have time or take time to do that?
[00:23:41] Um, you always see those reminders out there saying, hey, when somebody takes the time to send you a message, that's a praise, a comment about how amazing you are, or even if you've got like that, hey, I hit a metric, whoa, let's celebrate that.
[00:24:00] And to stockpile those and keep those somewhere because you're going to absolutely encounter those times and days or stretches of time where you are so immersed in the muck of just getting things done and, and also I think we're so good at feeling bad.
[00:24:15] Especially in the events industry, like everything happens so visibly. Like, if something messes up, it's immediate and it's very public. And then you as a planner, you know, the master behind all the, the details have to deal with that.
[00:24:32] And it can be super easy. It's easy. It's easy in any, profession and environment. But I love your reminder that just to be consciously, you know, pat yourself on the back and realize where you came from and how you got here. And that there's, it's, it's worthwhile to call that out and, and, and respect that about yourself, right?
[00:24:55] Sarah Reuter: And what's the story about the buffalo, the bison. The bison, when the storms are coming, they naturally know to head directly into the storm. That's resilience to me is, is facing it head on, you know, and not, not disappearing over here or diverting left and right to avoid the obvious.
[00:25:12] But it's truly facing the storm head on accepting it, the good, the bad, everything in between, and then coming out the other side and just, you know, taking that, that deep breath to say, you know, we did it.
[00:25:26] Rachel Moore: Yeah. Yeah. And yeah, everyone listening to this too, everybody's got their own experience and story. You know, it's not going to look exactly like yours. It's very unique to them.
[00:25:36] And, just super important to, to that, looking back on that and realizing that you were resilient and that you did make it through other things, um, can help you face, go head first into that storm and say, yeah, but I did this already and I made it.
[00:25:51] Sometimes that might be the only thing that gets us through. Um, and so it's super important to think about that.
[00:25:56] Sarah Reuter: It really is. You know, that when that, when the fear, when the self doubt creeps in, these real human emotions that we all share, the over functioning, the people pleasing, the high achieving, I mean, we can go on and on about these roles that we, that we can pick up.
[00:26:13] It's, it's just important to reflect back and have that self awareness to say, "Okay, I've been through, you know, COVID and my business almost shutting down. I started my first business in the recession in 2008. We made it, you know, we grew."
[00:26:27] I mean, so just to go back and remind yourself that, you know, that's, you, you we've come through these, these tough times, you know, we've all, we all have these really unique stories of resilience.
[00:26:39] Rachel Moore: Yeah. Well, um, I'm going to move on to our next question. Cause I, I love that when, when you, you and I were kind of going back and forth talking about the things we were going to discuss today.
[00:26:48] A, you gave me some great words, which I think, you know, we've, we've dived into already, but one of them was another phrase, which I'm excited to ask you about.
[00:26:56] You call it "Radical Responsibility" and I want to hear what is your definition of that and what's your approach with, with that radical responsibility, the notion of that.
[00:27:05] Sarah Reuter: It's, for me, it's been, you know, if I look back on my life and, and especially when I find myself in uncomfortable circumstances or, you know, I'm, I'm pointing the finger and I'm blaming others for the circumstances I'm finding myself in the uncomfortable moment.
[00:27:27] It's really easy to point that finger and radical responsibility to me means turning that finger inward and pointing it directly at myself and taking full ownership on who I am, where I'm at, what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.
[00:27:46] And that shift is so powerful and is like, it really is transformational. It's life changing. Your relationships will change with your work colleagues, your teammates, your suppliers, your partners, um, your clients.
[00:28:01] When you really just start to accept your flaws, your failures, and, and your successes as well, right?
[00:28:09] It's not just about the imperfections, but accepting all of it and just being brave and courageous and willing to say, you know, this is, this is what's going on, you know, this is what's really happening for me. And just owning that really fragile piece that might be a little uncomfortable and scary to, to say out loud.
[00:28:30] Rachel Moore: That is a difficult thing. To be frank, it's something I try to do, and I do it very imperfectly. Um, I think we could probably all think about people we wish would do it more, that we know.
[00:28:43] But again, that even saying that brings it back to say, Okay. Great. But you know what you can't control? That person. You know, you can control this person who I am. That's the person you have control over.
[00:28:58] Which makes it super important to look inward and say, wait, where is my responsibility with this situation? Because that is something I can control. And is there something that I should be controlling about that, that I haven't done yet, that could contribute to making something better, right?
[00:29:14] Sarah Reuter: Absolutely. There's this, um, in my, I have a program that just launched called revive and thrive. It's kind of centered around some of these words, we're using resilience and radical, taking radical responsibility and, and one of the modules, there's an exercise called The Truth Telling: become a conscious truth teller.
[00:29:35] I walk everyone through a, an exercise to start learning what the subconscious mind is and how this record is really kind of playing whether we realize it or not.
[00:29:48] And, um, through this exercise, people learned, you know, what, what, what they're really saying, the thoughts that may be going on.
[00:29:55] And it really helps kind of redefine this radical responsibility to, so that you can really start to understand yourself and what's really happening behind the scene. I really feel that deeply at my core.
[00:30:07] The more I can do the self study and self discovery and really understand and become aware of my thoughts and my actions and my words, the better human I can be, you know, the better business leader I can be the better mom I can be and it's it just really been that that radical responsibility has been a huge differentiator, and, and you know making me just a better person, a better human being.
[00:30:34] Rachel Moore: I bet we have people listening saying this all sounds great. I would love to do what you're describing and it kind of chases back to what you said. You know, I know you're on the brink of a rebrand for your business. Things are busy.
[00:30:47] What is your advice? How do you carve time out to do the things we've been discussing? Where, you know, you are trying to, like you said, have that embodiment. You're trying to be really in touch with, um, your physical self, but also mental and emotional and even spiritual and things.
[00:31:03] That does take time. Like, we can all feel like I, I literally don't have time to just sit for five minutes and think about any of this stuff.
[00:31:10] Do you have advice for us, like how we could try to approach it to say, could we make this more of a priority and, and try to make sure we're giving ourselves the time to do all the things we talked about?
[00:31:19] Sarah Reuter: Sure.
[00:31:20] You know, what happened for me is that I, I really didn't listen to my body's signals and I reached a point of burnout.
[00:31:29] And the, the, the, struggle with burnout is that a lot of times you don't realize how hot your thermostat is until you're just at the point of no return.
[00:31:40] And, you know, unfortunately I, kept going on this autopilot for so long and I did not carve out time for myself for multiple years, especially after, after COVID, you know, that, that was another little downfall where I had to come back up.
[00:31:58] But, you just, you hit the point where if you don't, if you know, it's that it's pain or gain and you hit the point of like almost hitting rock bottom.
[00:32:07] That's the unfortunate part, but for anyone listening out there where you just know, you know, I, I know I don't, I don't have self care is just something that always goes to the back burner. And I'm over functioning, and I'm a high achiever, and I do way more than I should. And I'm a highly capable person that is just on the hamster wheel and exhausted.
[00:32:31] These are all red flags of you're going to hit burnout.
[00:32:36] And so, my best advice is to first, just listen and accept that you feel the way you do. Our emotions are our superpower. So acceptance is kind of the first step of like, you know, this is real. This is really happening for me. Okay, now what do I do?
[00:32:56] Number two, get help. You know, like if you're not someone who is a DIY person. And I mean, for me, I, I need a coach. I need accountability with no matter what I'm doing. If it's physical, if it's yoga, if it's meditation, I have to hire people to hold me accountable. That's just my style.
[00:33:18] And so find people that you resonate with that are speaking to your soul and can help you get to the next level, who can guide you along the journey.
[00:33:27] And three is simply get intentional about whether it's literally one minute or five minutes, but whatever it is, it, you know, I really am in, in my revive and thrive program.
[00:33:42] I'm all about curating. Everyone needs to curate their own journey. their own routine, their own rituals, right? There's not, I don't believe in like, this is the best way you need to be on a keto diet and do, you know, meditation and all these things. Like we all connect to something that is very unique.
[00:34:00] But to curate that and to go back and you know, what is that? Is that walking outside in nature? Is that journaling? Is that hitting the CrossFit gym, lifting weights, whatever that thing is, is it dancing? Is it singing? Give yourself permission and put it on your calendar, just like you would a client meeting or a team member meeting.
[00:34:20] And literally get it on the calendar and make that promise to yourself and, you know, hold yourself accountable to, to honor yourself. So that you can begin to take these baby steps and build towards something that gets you back realigned and, and your tank filled back up.
[00:34:38] Rachel Moore: That's such a good point. And, you know, for people who are ruled by their calendars, I think that's really important to say, "Yep, this is just as important as a one to one with my manager, as, uh, that important client meeting, you know, to, to close on that proposal or anything like that. It's, it's got to be taken that seriously."
[00:34:55] And I think there's a message there too, for anyone who's listening. in a position where you're managing people on your team to give them that room to do that.
[00:35:02] Like you said, it's diminishing returns at some point because you are gonna hit that point where you're, you're not being your best and you just physically can't be. And so, so you're going to reap the consequences of that.
[00:35:13] Easiest question of all, uh, where can our listeners find and follow you online?
[00:35:18] Sarah Reuter: You can find me, I love hanging out on LinkedIn, Sarah Reuter on LinkedIn, and my website is www.elevatetravelco.com
[00:35:28]
[00:35:28] Rachel Moore: To skill ourselves up from this episode, Sarah recommends tapping into a bit of self awareness for the future.
[00:35:44] Sarah Reuter: My advice would be to really do a self study and to remember who you are at the core. Because all of the doing all of the tips and the tricks and the skill set that we can learn and in event planning, the strategy and the, the frameworks and the structure, they're all incredible. They're all great. They're all necessary.
[00:36:09] I mean, how lucky am I that I've had so many great mentors and there are so many great tools out there, AI to help us, right? Form the structure, but within that structure, I believe, you know, is the human component.
[00:36:24] And again, it goes back to the more self aware you can become, I think the better leader, and the better event professional we will all be, um, leading from our hearts and really, not letting these, these things that seem really heavy and, and like it's the end of the world and the big scheme, it's, it's really not that big of a deal.
[00:36:52] We just can't let ourselves get so stressed out about things that really aren't that big of a deal or that important.
[00:36:59] And so I think just really, practicing forgiveness and just having that self awareness is such a beautiful, powerful tool that a lot of us forget or need a refresher or reminder of.
[00:37:12] Rachel Moore: Thanks again to Sarah Reuter for joining us on event experience. And thank you for listening. If you're enjoying the show, we'd love to hear it. Connect with us on social and subscribe, rate, and review us wherever you're listening. Also, don't forget to share the show with your colleagues and friends.
[00:37:29] You can find transcripts of each episode and key takeaways on bizzabo.com/podcast. [00:37:36] On behalf of the team, thank you. We'll gather again soon for a new episode of Event Experience.
