Survivor: Nicaragua Cast Member to Give Closing Keynote at the 2019 Small Business Success Summit

Holly Hoffman, small business owner and keynote speaker for the third annual Small Business Success Summit, is known from her time on Survivor: Nicaragua. Finishing fourth overall, Holly was thrust into the jungles of Nicaragua to tape the 21st season of Survivor at the age of 44. She survived 38 of the 39 days and was the last woman to be sent home.

At the Small Business Success Summit, Holly will discuss thriving and surviving in growing your business, including six words that will help you along the way.

The Small Business Success Summit will take place from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Friday, November 8 at the FFA Enrichment Center at Des Moines Area Community College, 1055 SW Prairie Trail Parkway, in Ankeny. Hosted by the Greater Des Moines Partnership, the event will feature a total of three keynote speakers, 18 breakout sessions and 28 resource partners.

Register now to secure your spot!

The opening session keynote will be given by Whitney Cox with Google. Whitney will focus on the topic of automation and machine learning and what it means for your business. The lunch keynote will be given by Paul Long, creator of “Fundamism” and motivational speaker. He will focus on customer experience and differentiating yourself from your competitors, as well as authenticity in business interactions. One morning breakout session and two afternoon breakout sessions round out the day.

Breakout Session 1 Topics

• Unexpected Death or Injury of Employees
• Attracting/Retaining Talent
• Shoestring Budget Marketing
• Executing an Effective Media/Promotional Plan
• Productivity + Profit
• Preventing Fraud

Breakout Session 2 Topics

• Noncompete Agreements
• Collaborative Workplace Cultures
• Repurposing Content
• Presenting Content for Impact + Influence
• Building Trust
• Financial Management

Breakout Session 3 Topics

• Hiring Essentials + Employee Handbooks
• Conflict Resolution
• Word of Mouth + the Ripple Effect
• Cybersecurity
• The Art of Failing
• Growth Over Time

“There are a lot of events that support small businesses — you’ve got a lot of resources out there — this event is unique in that you can tell it’s put together for small business owners by small business owners,” says Derek Lord, Economic Development Director for the City of Ankeny.

See more testimonials from previous Small Business Success Summit attendees.

Interested in attending? Admission is $79 for Members, $99 for non-Members, $50 for students or $550 for a table of eight. Fees include keynotes, breakout sessions, resource partners and food (breakfast, lunch and snacks).

Register today for the Small Business Success Summit! Deadline for registration is Friday, November 1.

Looking for tools to help grow your startup or small business? Visit the Small Business Resources Hub to find the information you need or sign up for Mentor Connection to build relationships with a trusted group of mentors.