Please Join Us!
"I'm Kind of a Big Deal": Cultivating Your Personal Brand — featuring Neon Unicorns (Eric Piela and Kurtis Karn)
Let's be honest, you're pretty awesome. In today's competitive landscape, personal branding has emerged as a critical tool for professionals seeking to stand out, advance their careers, and leave a lasting impact. There's just one tiny hiccup — you don't actually control your brand, you only influence it. (Wait, what?) In reality, your brand is simply perception (Umm ok, so does that mean...). In other words, it's what people say about you when you're not in the room. (Ah, crap.) Don't freak out, we got you. Leveraging our unique blend of marketing and HR backgrounds, you won't find a better duo to help you...talk about you. In this session, we'll break down how you craft, influence, and promote your brand in a way that not only gleans best practices from the world's biggest brands but also how to make an unforgettable impression employers are sure to notice.
Date: Wednesday, June 12
Time: 3:30-5 p.m.
Location: The Lights Event Center (360 32nd Ave West, Suite 100, West Fargo)
(Eric Piela & Kurtis Karn)
Kurtis Karn If you Google "lanky, awkward dad with tattoos" you might get a picture of Kurtis Karn. His musical talents did not pan out, so he decided to pursue a career in things he enjoyed, humans. Kurtis has been working in Human Resources and company culture for over 15 years and is currently the AVP of Talent Acquisition for KLJ Engineering. He graduated from the University of Jamestown with a Business/Communication Major and Minor in Information Technology; he got his master's degree in Human Resources Management from the University of Mary and he is certified SHRM-CP and PHR. He has years of hosting and emcee gigs including Disrupt HR, Chamber Choice Awards and the ND SHRM Conference. He is excited to get to do more of that with his friend and co-founder Eric Piela in their new project, Neon Unicorns! When he is not running, golfing, singing in the car with his kids or planning his next tattoo, he likes to try and make his family laugh. He consistently tells his wife and kids that he is the funniest one in the family. They've agreed to disagree.
Eric Piela is 10% Ryan Seacrest and 90% Phil Dunphy from Modern Family. He married way out of his league and enjoys playing carpool karaoke with his two boys. He’s been referred to as a “hummingbird on crack” on stage and has 20 years' experience in marketing, organizational development and emceeing – moonlighting with fellow co-founder, Kurtis Karn, to form the uniquely vibrant public speaking duo, Neon Unicorns. Earning his letterman’s jacket in speech club (I guess that’s a real thing?) at Mandan High School and a bachelor's and master's degrees in Communication at Minnesota State University Moorhead and North Dakota State University respectively, Piela is currently the Senior Manager of Global Brand at WEX - helping grow awareness and affinity for one of Fortune 100’s Fastest-Growing Companies. He’s a Crucial Conversations certified trainer, a mediocre golfer, an exceptional pontoon captain and can often be heard crying out “It’s for the kids!” just before embarrassing himself at his favorite non-profit fundraisers.