▼ CLICK BELOW TO EXPLORE ▼
A DECADE+ OF STORYTELLING POWERED BY THE BEST WRITERS ON THE PLANET

BE PART OF THE LEGACY

TAMPA BAY • FEBRUARY 23-24 2026

This FINAL encore experience will be unlike any other. Because like everything we do, it's been "reimagined" from beginning to end. It's not a virtual or hybrid event. It's not a conference. It's not a seminar, a workshop, a meeting, or a symposium. And it's not your typical run-of-the-mill everyday event crammed with stages, keynote speeches, team-building exercises, PowerPoint presentations, and all the other conventional humdrum. Because it's up close & personal by design. Where conversation trumps presentation. And where authentic connection runs deep.

Why Can’t I Get this Sammy Hagar Song Out of My Head?

Here’s what I’ve tried to learn in 55 years:
  • If you love someone, tell them why
  • If you don’t respect someone, it’s ok to walk away without telling them why
  • Be comfortable with being yourself
  • Laughter is an important part of self-care
  • Show up and smile every damn day
  • GET OUTSIDE AND WALK – This elevates mood, mind, body, and spirit
  • When we focus on the good, we rarely have a bad weather day
  • Freedom isn’t free…it’s priceless
  • Secrets are painful so demand and deliver honesty
  • If we don’t know, ask
  • Choose a mentor who is so far above you that you get lightheaded every time you meet
  • Smiling and walking with confidence opens life-changing doors (and scares off the creeps!)
  • Comfy shoes are rarely a mistake
  • We are beloved and we are never, ever, EVER alone
  • Send, “Thinking of you, hope you are thriving” messages as often as possible
  • Our parents generously gave us the 2 things we needed most: Roots and Wings
  • Trust a plan that is far bigger than I could ever conceive and be perfectly comfortable that I don’t get to know what it is
  • Apologize graciously
  • Children are the gateway drug for grandchildren
  • If one remarkable person loves you with their whole heart and soul, you are wealthy beyond measure
  • Learn to enjoy adjusting the sails
  • Being strong means that we control our feelings, not that we don’t have any
  • Create something every day
  • Our body reacts to excitement and nervousness the same way, so choose “excitement” for a burst of positive energy
  • Forget the Bucket List – Have a “Damn, this is great!” life
  • Life is risky, so make it “OMG, you did that?” worthy
  • Initiate conversations with people of all ages
  • A 2-year-old who wants to feed himself and a tornado have something in common: There’s gonna be a mess
  • Anyone who looks into your eyes and smiles is seeing your genuinely beautiful soul – OWN THIS
  • It is painful to push through our boundaries but how else will we become Super Heroes?
  • Chai latte – enough said
  • A manicure is never a waste of money because I glance at my hands I think, “I love myself enough to choose sparkles.”
  • Instincts are sacrosanct
  • Need a vacation now? Take a few slow, deep breaths and feel yourself relax
  • Guard what goes in and spills out of our mouths (I’d give myself a D+ for this one!)
  • Judge EVERYONE favorably…we do not need to know why they do what they do
  • Did I mention that EVERYONE includes you and me?  Be gentle when we judge the face in the mirror
  • Listen to “your song” together – on purpose
  • Honor courage and ignore self-promotion
  • Walking through a new city teaches through all five senses
  • Music is medicine
  • “Where there’s a need, there’s a seed.” Plant and tend faithfully
  • Chivalry is underrated
  • Raise a son to be the type of man who’d be good enough for a mentally healthy and capable daughter-in-law
  • Empower our daughters to NEVER wonder if physical beauty is their best asset
  • Make home a safe and comforting place
  • Never embarrass anyone
  • Tell someone if they have their skirt tucked into their pantyhose – it makes a great story where you’re the hero
  • The most memorable meals have very little to do with the food
  • Give experiences as gifts ~Example: Amtrak from LA to SLO to watch the sun setting all the way up the West Coast
  • Choose the most compassionate spouse, capable & calm business partner, strict accountant, knowledgable attorney, and successful mentor possible and grow to their level
  • Surround yourself with a faithful posse and pray for each other’s success
  • Give more than you thought you could and take less than you need
  • A grateful person cannot be bitter and a bitter person cannot be grateful
  • G-d forbid, if it all ends tomorrow, make sure the ones who make the journ3y worthwhile know how great they are

Damn you, Sammy…I intend to THRIVE at 55!

Wendy Weiner Runge
Wendy Weiner Runge
I am the most blessed daughter, sister, wife, Jewish mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, mentor, speaker, entrepreneur, award-winning film writer/producer, and convicted felon you've ever met. I have exactly 3 skills: I can write, I can tell a great story, and I collect REMARKABLE people. Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, my sense of humor is corny but my gratitude is more expansive than the Great Plains. And my mother always mentions that I am never uncomfortable anywhere.

DO YOU HAVE THE "WRITE" STUFF? If you’re ready to share your wisdom of experience, we’re ready to share it with our massive global audience – by giving you the opportunity to become a published Contributor on our award-winning Site with (your own byline). And who knows? – it may be your first step in discovering your “hidden Hemmingway”. LEARN MORE HERE


12 CONVERSATIONS

RECIPIENT OF THE 2024 "MOST COMPREHENSIVE LIFE & CULTURE MULTIMEDIA DIGEST" AWARD

WE ARE NOW FEATURED ON

EXPLORE 360° NATION

ENJOY OUR FREE EVENTS

OUR COMMUNITIES