'Shake up your routine': Business leaders offer 60 ideas in 60 minutes at Mainebiz forum

Photo / Samantha Elliott Mainebiz Publisher Andrea Tetzlaff, left, with panelists Peter Carpenter, Gia Drew, Luke Holden, Haley Israelson, Matt Prindiville and Lauren Wayne at Wednesday's forum in South Portland.

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By Renee Cordes and Alexis Wells

From leading with authenticity to interacting with teams, six Maine business and nonprofit leaders shared insights and lessons universal to professionals in any capacity at a Mainebiz forum in South Portland on Wednesday.

The event covered “60 ideas in 60 minutes” in a candid discussion moderated by Mainebiz Publisher Andrea Tetzlaff. Around 170 people attended the morning event, which took place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel near the Maine Mall.

In preparation for the talk, each panelist was asked to share 10 ideas that were used as a starting point for the conversation and compiled in a booklet for attendees to take home.

Taking a creative approach as befits the head of a nonprofit performing arts organization, State Theatre Presents President Lauren Wayne put her suggestions in the form of a musical playlist. It spanned Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls)” to “Once in a Lifetime,” by the Talking Heads.

She was joined onstage by fellow panelists Peter Carpenter, chief operating officer at Alliant Insurance Services; Gia Drew, executive director of EqualityMaine; Luke Holden, founder and CEO of Luke’s Lobster; Haley Israelson, CEO of ElleVet Sciences; and Matt Prindiville, former CEO of CLYNK, a South Portland-based bottle redemption and recycling company acquired last week.

Six ideas out of 60

For a flavor of the discussion, here’s a small sampling of ideas from the panelists.

Peter Carpenter: Be confident but never arrogant

Confidence comes from being an expert, and from having the expectation that you’re not supposed to know everything.

At this stage in his life, Carpenter said he feels gratified when other people feel they are better off for having had him in theirs — "that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing."

Gia Drew: Start your day with an accomplishment

Whether it’s taking a walk, listening to music or writing in a journal, Gia Drew likes to accomplish something physical or emotional to start the day before the workday takes over:

“My practice is to do something every day that’s good for me," she said.

Luke Holden: Tackle the hard conversations first

Holden, a third-generation lobsterman from Cape Elizabeth, said that the conversation you’re avoiding is often the one that matters the most:

“Avoiding the hardest conversations becomes a black hole of energy," he said. "Once you get the hard conversation over, it leads to good flow for the rest of the day.”

Haley Israelson: Fun is a strategy

Fun is part of the culture at ElleVet Sciences, a Portland-based animal health company.

Recently, when the company introduced an equine product, staff members marked the occasion with a pony-themed party.

“It was this great form of connection and the team wanted to do it," Israelson said.

Matt Prindiville: Be present

Prindiville, who plans to take time to reflect on his next professional chapter after the sale of CLYNK, underscored the importance of being present — being both aware and grounded.

“Presence is power, so be present and be grounded,” he said.

Lauren Wayne: Shake up your routine

Wayne, whose organization owns and operates the State Theatre in Portland as well as a summer concert series at Thompson’s Point, is a big proponent of keeping things fresh by shaking up one’s routine.

“When you fall into a routine, complacency happens,” she cautioned.

Save the date

Mainebiz will hold a forum in Bangor on Wednesday, Dec. 3, in the same "60 ideas in 60 minutes" format but with different panelists.

Find out more and register here.

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