Summer lessons from the strawberry . . .

As we approach the 4th of July, or Independence Day here in the U.S. (not to mention Canada Day on July 1!), I wanted to share my patriotic red, white and blue photo from a week or so ago. See the beautiful red strawberries I grew? On the white paper towel sitting on my blue counter? Makes you feel a bit patriotic, right? Or maybe hungry.

There’s a reason beyond the colors that I’m sharing this photo. You see, I was so pleased with myself that I bought this hanging strawberry plant earlier this summer. I watched the buds turn to flowers, and the flowers turn to tiny white strawberries, and finally to these beauties. I took a photo because I was so proud that I grew something I could eat!  (I am not much of a gardener.)

Well, good thing I got that photo and enjoyed every juicy bite, because the squirrels have now eaten Every Single Strawberry since then. They even leave the stems with little tiny bites of strawberry left on them all along the railing of my deck, as if to taunt me. I have not had a single strawberry since that photo, but there are half eaten stems all over my backyard.

And – here are my lessons learned:

• Savor every bite of something delicious - live in the moment!

• Envision the best outcome and enjoy your vision (in this case, an overflowing basket full of yummy fresh ripe strawberries). Even if it doesn’t pan out, you’re still better off than if you didn’t have that vision (at least I got those three!)
• Even if you invest lots of time and energy in something, you may not be the one reaping the reward (or the only one)
• I hate squirrels.

Similar to my strawberry saga, we here at AIIP like to envision the best outcome and plan for success!  We are here to help each other find new ways to grow our businesses, through educational Virtual Events, support from our Peers and Mentors, learning new skills as a volunteer, and the general camaraderie and support of our fellow members.

As we move into the middle of the year, I want to thank you all for your devotion, membership, and volunteerism. That is what makes this organization so great! I hope you can put a vision of success together for your business and personal life – and see forward progress this year! But don’t forget to savor every moment along the way as well, in case any ‘squirrels’ get in the way of your best laid plans!

Member updates

2024 and 2025 Symposium

We are glad to see that everyone who attended the AIIP 2024 Symposium enjoyed the sessions and networking time together. And we're excited for our global focus for the 2025 Symposium, with keynote speakers coming to our members from multiple time zones.

Planning is already underway for 2025, but we’d love a couple more volunteers! If you’re curious to learn how to manage a global event or want to learn some new technology or work with some incredible keynote speakers, reach out to me (President@aiip.org) and we can add you to the team working to put together an amazing virtual event for all. 

Join us at the July 18 Town Hall event (11:30 am U.S. Eastern time) to hear about 2024 Symposium outcomes and what's taking shape for 2025. Check the Events listing for more information on this upcoming Town Hall.

Thank You to Our Supporting Members

Thank you to our Supporting members, Ulla de Stricker, Janel Kinlaw, and Marcy Phelps, who have shown their dedication to and support of AIIP through their supporting membership, along with their many years (and many roles) of volunteering! We appreciate your support of AIIP!

Thanks for reading,

Kelly Berry
AIIP President, 2024-2025