Peggy Parolin

After mastering the voices and embodying the wants and needs of those who crave Pixar, Barbie, Star Wars, and The Simpsons, I transitioned to copywriting for non-profits, start-ups, blogs, and fundraising for the general good of our collective community.

Check out NEW’s Top 10 stories of 2017 | NEW Online

Women leaders and gender equality dominated the news in 2017 – making history, transforming culture and capturing headlines in the industry (and beyond). Here are 10 leading gender equality news stories and trends that impacted the industry in 2017, as reported by NEW and NEW SmartBrief. 1. #MeToo It started with Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, but quickly spread across industries, with “the silence breakers” named Time Magazine’s person of the year. The #MeToo hashtag has trended in 85

Women execs leave industry faster than men, NEW reports | NEW Online

Retail and consumer goods companies must transform their culture to retain talented women, who leave the industry at much faster rates than men, according to NEW President and CEO Sarah Alter, who shared new research at the FMI Midwinter Executive Conference, Jan. 27 in Miami. Alter joined Beth Marrion, managing director, retail at Accenture; Subarna Malakar, vice president, global diversity and inclusion at Ahold Delhaize; and Carole Christianson, COO of Western Association of Food Chains, to
LENND Blog •

Producing the largest student run non-profit event in the world

INTRODUCTION One of the things the production world doesn't talk enough about, is impact. I think we all want to have a bigger impact and many of us do, but just leave it up to a bunch of college kids to really set the example.  Every year the student body at Penn State organizes a series of fundraising events (in the hundreds) that culminate in one freakin behemoth of an event: A 46 Hour Dance Marathon with over 16,500 students, raising around 10 Million dollars for the local children's hos
LENND Blog •

Behind the Production of Comic-Con International with David Glanzer

INTRODUCTION We've all heard about the phenomena which is Comic-Con. And if you haven't, just stop now... As a San Diegan, Comic-Con is literally our most shining event. Especially with the departure of Shamu and The Chargers. What's crazy is that this little convention (slash costume party), brings in over $180 Million dollars for the city each year. What's even more mind blowing, is that every time they expand the event, people just keep coming. It is honestly some of the best people watch
LENND Blog •

Producing One of the Most Successful Fundraising Events in the Country with Pelotonia CEO Doug Ulman

INTRODUCTION I've always been impressed by cause driven events that don't just rely on the cause to keep people engaged and coming back. It's those that really invest in the full experience and production value that really gets me inspired.  And there's very few events that do it better than Pelotonia out of Columbus, Ohio. Just check out there stats: It clearly takes strong leadership to achieve those types of numbers. For those in the event world with any inkling of giving back, yo
LENND Blog •

Leaving an Olympic Legacy with LA84 Foundation President and CEO Renata Simril

Editor's note: This interview was conducted prior to Los Angeles winning the 2028 Olympic Games bid. I think it is really fascinating to see how we evolve as leaders throughout our careers.  We learn to mold ourselves into these positions as we move up the ladder. We learn to paint the vision and communicate why our organizations exist. But I think one of the most powerful traits that the best leaders inherently learn (or maybe their born with), is the ability to connect with people at all leve
LENND Blog •

Charleston Wine + Food partners with LENND to power event operations

(Charleston, SC and San Diego, CA) The Charleston Wine + Food team is implementing the LENND operations system to support their core event logistics and production. As part of an initiative to create more operational efficiency and save invaluable time and money, the Charleston Wine + Food staff is quickly transitioning from their legacy systems to one fully integrated platform that synchronizes their vendor, volunteer, talent, sponsor and venue management with key document management, forms, e
Northland Lifestyle Magazine •

Refuse to Surrender

Giving up is not an option. Four months ago, Emary Langhorn’s physician advised her that her cancer was growing again for the third time. She was told that statistics were not on her side and that she might consider giving up on curing the cancer and concentrate instead on extending her life. But, 17 is too young to die. Conceding to the Hodgkin’s Lymphoma that had taken her by surprise at the tender age of 14 would mean surrender; Emary refused. Instead, Emary and her family made the difficul
Northland Lifestyle Magazine •

A Woman and Her Beer

A microbiologist, a woman, and a beer expert walk into a bar. No. It’s not a joke. It’s an accurate, albeit partial description of Jennifer Helber, owner of Grain to Glass, a supply and bottle shop for aspiring and knowledgeable homebrewers. Once a white-coated lab researcher, studying botany, molecular genetics, and intent on creating new plants, Helber was completing her graduate degree in microbiology when she overheard Boulevard founder John McDonald quizzing her professor about the cultiva
Northland Lifestyle Magazine •

Confidence, Curiosity and Courage Earn Gabby Frierson A Chance to Compete

“Be yourself; tell the truth; be proud of yourself, and know you’re capable of doing anything you want to do.” While this is great advice for anyone and from any one of any age, it’s being offered by Gabrielle Frierson, age 10, a fifth grader at Lewis and Clark Elementary School in Liberty. “Gabby” not only shares these words of wisdom, she lives by them. The young lady’s confidence, curiosity and courage earned her a spot as a contestant in the National American Miss (NAM) Pre-Teen Competitio
Northland Lifestyle Magazine •

Surviving Infertility

Matt and Cheri Appling belong to a club, a secret club that nobody wants to be a part of but neither can they escape: infertility. An exclusive club?  Not by any means. One in eight American couples will experience difficulty conceiving children. It is a burden millions of couples bear, mostly alone and in silence; membership does have its price. Married in 2006, the Applings, like many newlyweds, decided to wait a few years before starting their family. Four years later, they decided the time
HuffPost •

Going Deep on Retirement Security

Both candidates pledge to preserve Social Security and Medicare, but there are differences Now that the Democratic and Republican conventions are over – with platform language approved and speeches delivered – it’s a good time to look at where the two major candidates stand on the critical issue of retirement security.  As we evaluate their positions, it’s wise to keep in mind that party platforms are more of a compass point than a list of deliverables, and that candidates often make promises i
Northland Lifestyle Magazine •

Local Smile Expert Uses His Expertise to Brighten the Lives of Others

Kansas City dentist Michael Byars, D.D.S., is committed to smiles.  Whether it’s through application of his dental expertise, his extensive work in the community, or by engaging his staff in cheek-retractor bubble blowing, you won’t find anyone who has more fun taking his job seriously. Byars began his practice in Kansas City twelve years ago. He spent the majority of the first three years working for Miles of Smiles, a non-profit, school based dental program that provides free dental care to c
Northland Lifestyle Magazine •

Face it. Medical Spas aren’t just for looking good anymore

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new wrinkle in the usage of Botox. Not only can it improve your appearance, it can also offer relief to millions of chronic migraine sufferers. The good news for those in need is they don’t have to travel far to find a place that offers this specialized injection therapy. It’s as close as the Genesis Medical Spa at 6410 N. Cosby. Genesis Medical Spa originally opened in 2011 at a different location and under a name that more closely associated it with its
Northland Lifestyle Magazine •

This Daughter’s Dad Left A Legacy of Love and a Reminder to Live By

What difference does it make? If you’re talking about the difference dads make in the lives of their daughters, Susan Dawes, author, teacher, speaker, and counselor, will be the first to provide a list of differences dads make.  Especially hers. “My father, Floyd Seibert, was very inspirational in my life by being committed to the dad and daughter relationship, as well as teaching me many life lessons,” Dawes recalls admiringly. Growing up with two older brothers and a younger sister in Adel,
Northland Lifestyle Magazine •

Estate Planning – Even When There’s A Will, There’s Not Always A Way

If you’re like most people, you spend more time planning vacations, birthday parties, weddings, and retirements than you do thinking about estate planning. It’s not especially fun, can be annoying for those that don’t like to plan ahead, and not especially uplifting as it requires thinking about your mortality. “On the upside,” says attorney Bill Quitmeier, “estate planning offers peace of mind. You don’t want someone else deciding how to split up your assets or making end of life decisions for
Northland Lifestyle Magazine •

Cool Vintage Watches Makes Timely Expansion

John Putnam didn’t plan on becoming a watch collector. He hadn’t originally planned on opening Cool Vintage Watches, and most certainly didn’t expect to expand his business within a few years. But, he did. After spending more than 20 years marketing vintage watches and watch accessories online, Putnam became burnt out on strictly online sales. He missed the day-to-day interaction with people. He didn’t give up his online business but did make the decision to expand his offering of collectibles
Northland Lifestyle Magazine •

Funeral Pre-Planning -Planning Ahead for Those Left Behind

No one wants to be buried in loafers after living a life that warranted stilettos. Maybe that’s why more and more people are deciding to pre-plan their final arrangements. Whether you choose a traditional funeral or a cremation option, every person is different and every service should be as well. Todd DeMint, managing partner for Meyers Funeral Chapel in Parkville, has been in the funeral business for 20 years, and around it even longer. He began working with Marty Meyers, washing cars and mow