Begin your Wi16 adventure by joining bestselling author, podcaster, research professor, and expert on courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy Dr. Brené Brown for a conversation with one of our own — Janet Geddis, owner of Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia — as they discuss what’s next for booksellers. While 2020 is behind us, we’re burnt out, vulnerable, and we have (in Dr. Brown’s words) maxed out our surge capacity. How do we move forward from a place of vulnerability, resilience, and courage? Along the way, how do we stay true to our heart songs, the things that we value and that drive us — our communities, our colleagues, antiracism, social responsibility, and, always, our love for books? This conversation will include a Q&A. About Brené BrownDr. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston, where she holds the Huffington Foundation – Brené Brown Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work. Brené is also a visiting professor in management at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business. She has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy and is the author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers, The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, Rising Strong, Braving the Wilderness, and her latest book, Dare to Lead. Brené hosts the Unlocking Us podcast and the Dare to Lead podcast. Her TED Talk — “The Power of Vulnerability” — is one of the top five most-viewed TED Talks in the world, with more than 50 million views. She is also the first researcher to have a filmed lecture on Netflix. The Call to Courage special debuted on the streaming service in April 2019. Brené lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, Steve. They have two children, Ellen and Charlie. About Janet GeddisJanet Geddis opened Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia, in 2011. She is involved with regional and national book industry organizations, presenting at least twice a year at conferences and volunteering her time for advisory boards. She holds an M.Ed. in educational psychology with an emphasis in creativity studies. Janet is a migraine patient advocate and a contributor at Migraine.com and WebMD. She writes articles as “The Migraine Girl” and has worked to validate the experiences of the chronically ill while also encouraging them to take steps to follow their dreams. In recent years, Janet began a speaking career, presenting original speeches, commencement addresses, and talks to audiences of all sizes; in March 2018, she spoke to a live audience of 1500+ at the TEDxUGA conference. She is a regular contributor to podcasts and radio programs, including shows on Georgia Public Broadcasting and NPR. |
