Speaking at the SHRM 2019 Annual Conference & Exposition

July 27, 2019

My calendar is constantly filled with business meetings, events, and speaking engagements.

Not long ago, I made a quick visit to Nevada for the Society for Human Resource Management 2019 Annual Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas. The SHRM is the world’s largest HR professional society, representing 285-thousand members in more than 165 countries. I was honored to speak at the event and to share my thoughts on the general workplace and how we can improve it so people and businesses can thrive. More than 18-thousand guests turned out for this year's conference. Afterward, I conducted a book signing for “The Martha Manual: How to Do (Almost) Everything” and “Martha Stewart’s Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook."

Enjoy these photos from the event, and the images I took during a flight tour over the Grand Canyon.

: Here I am on stage at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the opening day of the Society for Human Resource Management 2019 Annual Conference & Exposition. (Photo by Cade Martin Photography/cademartin.com)

: When I walked out, I took a photo of the audience – thousands of guests were in attendance. (Photo by Cade Martin Photography/cademartin.com)

: Here is the photo I captured. It was so nice to see such an enthusiastic crowd. Past speakers at this event include Colin Powell, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the late General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Madeleine Albright, Sydney Poitier, Steve Forbes, Richard Branson, and last year, Governor Jeb Bush.

: I was interviewed by Johnny C. Taylor, President, and CEO of SHRM. We talked about my business and how it has developed and evolved over the years. We discussed ideas and the skills needed to improve work environments. (Photo by Cade Martin Photography/cademartin.com)

: Johnny and I had a good discussion. His career spans over 20-years as a lawyer, human resources executive and CEO in both the not-for-profit and for-profit space. (Photo by Cade Martin Photography/cademartin.com)

: I told the audience how important it is to always “have the ability to look forward and not look back.” I talked about the importance of listening – and why all HR professionals should really listen to everyone in their companies, digest what they are hearing, so they can correct problems in the best ways possible. (Photo by Cade Martin Photography/cademartin.com)

: I advised everyone to always be curious. “Learn, be curious and ask the right questions – I’m an extremely curious person. I’m constantly trying to find out new things. Every day, I drive my driver crazy in the city because I won’t let him go down the same street twice. We have to go down a new street because we might see something interesting.” And I reiterated my motto, “when you’re through changing, you’re through.” (Photo by Cade Martin Photography/cademartin.com)

: Here I am with Renee Sumby, SHRM Speaker Specialist. Sumby was a great help in coordinating everything for my appearance.

: After my interview, I conducted a book signing. I signed up to two-thousand copies of my books, “Martha Stewart’s Cooking School” and “The Martha Manual: How to Do (Almost) Everything.” (Photo by Cade Martin Photography/cademartin.com)

: The line serpentined through the room. Guests were directed to purchase their books and get in the queue while attendants passed the books to me to sign – it was a very well organized process. (Photo by Cade Martin Photography/cademartin.com)

: I always like to say hello to all the guests who come by the table – it is a detail I find very important. I enjoy hearing stories of how I have inspired them over the years, but it’s also a nice way to hear what customers like and what they want. (Photo by Cade Martin Photography/cademartin.com)

: After my appearance, we had just enough time for a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon with Maverick Las Vegas Tours. We started from the Strip and flew over Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. https://www.maverickhelicopter.com/

: Known for its size and its intricate and colorful landscape, the Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona. It stretches 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and has a depth of more than a mile.

: The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon National Park, the Kaibab National Forest, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, the Hualapai Indian Reservation, the Havasupai Indian Reservation, and the Navajo Nation. One never grows tired of these majestic views.

: There are an estimated 1000 caves within the canyon, but only 335 have been recorded.

: Here we are over the famous Hoover Dam. Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the United States, and the states of Nevada and Arizona. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression. Originally named “Boulder Dam,” its primary purpose is to harness the waters of the Colorado River and to create a man-made lake, providing reliable water sources for farmers, and hydroelectric power to the growing population centers of the American West.

: Hoover Dam was built using three and one-quarter million cubic yards of concrete – that’s enough concrete to pave a 16-foot wide road from New York to San Francisco.

: On the left is one of four 338 foot high Intake Towers that stand in the deep waters of Lake Mead behind Hoover Dam. In between are four box-shaped pedestrian maintenance bridges that connect the towers to the Dam’s backside.

: This is an overhead view of the Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge – an arch bridge that spans the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada.

: And here is Lake Mead – about 24 miles from the Las Vegas Strip. It is the largest reservoir in the United States in terms of water capacity. Formed by Hoover Dam, the reservoir serves water to the states of Arizona, California, and Nevada, as well as some of Mexico, providing sustenance to nearly 20 million people and the surrounding farmlands.

: At maximum capacity, Lake Mead is 112 miles long, 532 feet at its greatest depth, has a surface elevation of 1221.4 feet above sea level. If you haven’t yet seen the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam, I encourage you to make a visit – the views are simply breathtaking. And please go to the SHRM web site linked above to learn more about how you can help to improve your workplace environment.

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