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says. “Why expend energy, time or effort on something that isn’t fun
to you? And if you’re not getting things done, get moving. It’s got to
be that combination—have some fun but also get things done.”
Today, Lennarson and her husband, John, live in sunny Tucson,
Arizona. While she considers herself semi-retired, she stays busy as
owner of distributor firm Having Fun Promotions, a company named
after her personal motto.
CULTIVATING CONFIDENCE
In
The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance — What
Women Should Know
, authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman empha-
size how important it is for women to achieve confidence at all stages
of their career and outline steps they can take to accomplish this goal.
Clearly, confidence doesn’t come naturally to many women. So how
did Lennarson develop confidence as a leader and public speaker?
“I watched people who I felt were good leaders and I tried to
emulate them,” she says. “I also believe in the power of positive think-
ing and visualization. For me, preparation has always been the name of
the game. I was always really committed to knowing the material.”
She practiced her presentations before she gave them, many times
giving her speech to an empty room again and again prior to the actu-
al presentation. She also made an effort to concentrate on other peo-
ple, discerning what they wanted to accomplish.
“I found that the more I concentrated on others, the easier it was
to accomplish my own goals,” she says. “Then you’re not as nervous
about doing those things because you’re thinking about somebody
else.”
Putting others first is something Lennarson has done throughout
her life. Her advice to other industry women is to expand their circle
and build their network. “You never know when a casual conversation
could lead to something life changing,” she adds.
Also, never stop learning, she says. “You can never take in too
much information or read enough,” Lennarson says. “Stay hungry. Stay
captivated by life. Stay curious. Go out and seek because when you
seek, you find.”
Most important of all is remembering to stay positive and “believe
attitude counts,” Lennarson says.
“I can’t control what anybody else does or the circumstances of my
life,” she says. “But I can control how I respond. We need to remember
that we’re always out in the light and people are watching. What do
you want them to see that they might incorporate into their life as
well?”
PPAI Woman of
Achievement Award
THE PPAI WOMAN OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARD is given
each year during the PPAI Women’s Leadership
Conference to women who have exhibited outstanding
leadership and made significant contributions to the
industry and community. Those selected for the honor
consistently go above and beyond in setting the stan-
dard for excellence and serving as a role model, mentor
and an inspiration to others.
Named the 2015 PPAI Woman of Achievement
recipient, Sherri C. Lennarson, MAS, is the ninth recipi-
ent of the award. Previous winners are Carol Aastad,
MAS; Margaret Custer Ford, MAS; Margie Price, MAS;
Mary Ann Farmer, MAS; Janelle Nevins; Roni Wright,
MAS; Jo-an Lantz, MAS; and Maribeth Sandford, CAS.
“It’s very humbling to be recognized with this honor,
particularly as I look at the women who were honored
before me,” Lennarson says. “It’s a great exclamation
point on a career that’s molded and shaped me. It also
makes me think of the women who came before my
generation and the sacrifices they made.
“Grandmothers, mothers, aunts and friends—they
all marked this trail,” she adds. “So now it’s time for us
all to do the same. The award reminds me of the contin-
ued responsibility that each of us and I have to help oth-
ers achieve their dreams.”
90 •
PPB
• SEPTEMBER 2015
THINK
“Stay hungry. Stay captivated by
life. Stay curious. Go out and seek
because when you seek, you find.”
—SHERRI C. LENNARSON, MAS,
OWNER, HAVING FUN PROMOTIONS