FAMILY STAYCATION AT WE-KO-PA RESORT CASINO

Its been a few weeks since our staycation at the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort, and Atlas keeps asking if we can go back to “We-Ko-Pa-Pa!” where our family enjoyed an unforgettable experience. Here’s a glimpse into our delightful itinerary and the fantastic time we had and Phoenix’s first Casino and new fam fav and Finding Arizona FIND.

Thursday, Check-in and Property Tour - Our adventure began with a warm welcome and an effortless check-in process. We all arrived as a family, with my parents visiting from San Diego. We thought a suite could accommodate some bomb babysitters for Atlas, making it a perfect setup. After checking in, we were greeted by Gail Manginelli, who took us on a fascinating tour of the property. Gail’s insights made us appreciate the resort's unique charm, and we were especially impressed by the resort's ties to the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation.

Pool Time! Next, we hit the pool, our favorite spot at the resort. Atlas, our little fish, loves the water just like his mama! The waterfalls were a big hit, and the pool depths were perfect for a casual cool-off or a full swim. It was the ideal way to start our staycation.

7 pm - Dinner at Ember - Jose and I had the pleasure of enjoying a date night dinner at Ember, the resort’s signature restaurant. We were treated to shared bites from the kitchen and a welcome glass of champagne to kick off the night. My favorite part was the piano player who rocked the evening with fantastic tunes. It was a lovely way to wind down and connect with out our extra co host.

Friday am Early Morning Dip - The next morning, the family started our day with a refreshing dip in the pool, being the first ones in to watch the fountains turn on. It was a serene and magical experience.

Breakfast at Ahnala - Before our podcast recording ,Jose and I got to enjoy a nice breakfast at Ahnala. Breakfast is my favorite and the Starbucks coffee was exactly what I needed. We stuffed ourselves again and enjoyed a producer prep conversation before our interivew.

9 am - Podcast with Liz Norton - We then recorded a podcast with Liz Norton, the Acting Marketing Director of We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort. Jose, as the host, led a wonderful conversation where Liz shared fascinating stories about the resort. Her personal anecdotes and genuine passion for her work added a special touch to our conversation. You can watch the full episode HERE.

11 am - Massages - After a busy morning, Jose and I treated ourselves to a relaxing one-hour massage. The skilled therapists worked their magic, melting away our stress and leaving us rejuvenated. It was the perfect way to conclude our staycation while Atlas, Papa and GG got some fun suite time in. You have to SEE the vlog to see what we walked into

Hotel Atlas" was a vibe! Atlas strutted around with a straw in his stuff, danced up and down the elevators, and snacked his way through the days. His joyful energy was contagious and added an extra layer of fun to our stay. The overall family feel of the resort was fantastic. Everyone had a great time, including grandpa, who hit his favorite game and cashed out as a winner. Bingo!

Until next time

XoXo

Britt

KNOW SUMMIT 2024 SUCCESS

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be in a room filled with AMBITIOUS female entrepreneurs, leaders, and C Suite executives? This is KNOW! And Moving to Master Summit 2024 was the place. The Palomar Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona, was buzzing with energy as women from all over gathered for three days of inspiration, empowerment, and connection.

From fire side chats with Rachel Roff and Jill Osur to a keynote speech from Jen Welter, first female NFL coach this event bas back to back! In between were panel discussion and hands-on workshops, there was no shortage of valuable insights and knowledge to soak up at the KNOW Summit. I was excited to put some faces to names, meet some phenomenal women and, of course, see the the Summit week of style!

I am honored to work with the visionary, Sarah Benken Foushee who dreams up the whole vision. Then, amazing power players come together to execute it. Huge shout out to Dreams to Reality from Tampa, FL for their amazing builds. I love having our resident DJ, Sarah Selfish to play summit from the walk out music during programming to the Tropical Disco Dance Vibes + its after party! +++ My task force of volunteers and HQ, we could NOT run with out you!

My favorite takeaway from Jen Welter was her stating if you share your dream with someone, listen to how they react! If they encourage and ask more, those are your people. Sitting here I cannot pin point one moment I loved most. I think it was the genuine conversations, connections and compliments from those cheering me on while I cheer them on.

Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out on your journey, the KNOW is the place to be. Learn more about Know here: https://theknowwomen.com/

Enjoy my photos and some BTS.

XoXo Britt

I KNOW WOMEN - WHAT DO I DO ?

As someone who is passionate about empowering women and helping them achieve their goals, I was thrilled to join The Know Women in 2022. (You can read about my switch out of Healthcare here.) We are not just a good time, but a group of women who are dedicated to helping each other grow both personally and professionally while having a good time.

When Sarah came on the Podcast in 2017 she announced starting a community of women to Know and do business with. Welcome to Know Women, the ultimate events, publications, and experiences curated exclusively for ambitious high-achieving women. Five years and over 50 publications later the goal is One Million Women to Know!

As a Membership Success Manager, my role is to ensure that our members are engaged and leveling up to their highest self. I work closely with each member to understand their goals and help them connect with other members who can help them achieve those goals. Whether it's through our online community or our in-person events, we provide a variety of opportunities for our members to connect and collaborate with each other; my favorite being our annual Summit.

Our summit brings together some of the most successful and inspiring women from various industries and backgrounds. Through our interactive workshops, keynote speeches, and panel discussions, you will learn from their experiences, gain valuable insights, and connect with like-minded women. We do this monthly too in our FOCU$ED series with carefully selected our speakers and topics to provide you with practical strategies, tools, and resources that you can apply to your business, career and life! Its more than taking elevator selfies with Candace Nelson, its lasting relationships from real friends.

One of the most rewarding parts of my job is seeing the positive impact that our organization has on our members. I have seen firsthand how our members have grown their businesses, expanded their networks, and gained confidence through their involvement with The Know Women. Selfishly, I have had the opportunity to develop new skills, such as event planning and community management, and have been given the freedom to take on new challenges and initiatives in design. Importantly, Know Women is supporting the Finding Arizona Podcast and Found House Production services for The High Achieving Female Podcast with more opportunities to come.

You know you want to get in the room! Join us at our next event, shoot me an email.

XoXo

Britt

Check out some amazing photos from our Know Summit 2023 by the incredibly talented Sarah Hoag . I love the ones with Erin, (love working with you so much). Also here is my POV from the gram

BUILT IN LIBRARY WALL

This has been one of the most involved projects we've worked on. Over 5 years in the concept, 1 year in the design and sourcing for 1 day install…Totally worth it! The built in library wall of my dreams!

The library consists or 2 large cabinet bases, two 3 tier bookshelf tops, and a bench nook overtop storage drawers to bring it together. The room originally had the Home Depot track shelving. Six of them. After dreaming of a built in and several trips to Ikea later, we sketched up the design. Then life happened.

A year went by and no time was found between 2 full time jobs + podcast + toddler + life ?!? Okay lets be smart about opportunity costs. Using our amazing podcast guest referrals of someone who knew someone who knew someone, Debbie, from Closets by Design was at our house.

Although the install was to be 4 months in the future, it too passed quickly. After a quick couple hours and an amazing team of installers, we have the bookshelves of our dreams. Lets just say organizing it was enough work. Over 400 books with a toddler was an activity in itself.

It is my new favorite space, I am sure you can see why. Come on over and enjoy it with us!

XoXo
Britt

AVAILABLE LIGHT PHOENIX THE WESTERN EXPANSION CONTINUES

For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Paulina Villarroel Cruz (she/her/hers)

617-944-6800x130 | paulina@availablelight.com

High Resolution Images are Available

June 13, 2022, Boston MA—Available Light (AvLt) today announced that its new Phoenix studio continues its western expansion beyond Los Angeles, first announced in April 2022. Available Light is an internationally recognized lighting design firm specializing in museum, architectural, trade show/special event lighting design. The new ventures join existing AvLt studios in Boston, New York, and Raleigh.

Founded in Boston in 1992, Available Light is celebrating 30 years of creative achievement and design innovation by focusing on regional growth. “When we reached our 25th anniversary, we commissioned a monograph to celebrate our achievements,” said Steven Rosen, Founder and President, “At 30, we’ve reinvigorated our practice with a strategic growth plan that lets us meet and support our clients at their doorstep.”

Phoenix is a city with a burgeoning health care industry that calls for architectural expansion where scientific research, patient care, and academic study can be conducted. AvLt’s Phoenix studio will be led by Associate Principal Rachel Gibney, Assoc. IALD, MIES, LC. Gibney, who trained as a theatrical lighting designer, is an Arizona native who has been part of the AvLt team since joining the firm as an intern nearly a decade ago. Says Gibney, “From aesthetics, to well-being, to sustainability, we look forward to collaborating with owners, architects, designers, consultants, and contractors to create the best possible architectural and experiential outcomes for everyone who encounters the spaces we light.”

“Rachel rapidly climbed the responsibility ladder at AvLt,” said Rosen. “Over time, she’s deeply absorbed our aesthetic, culture, and design process. At the same time, her desire to enhance our technical skills—generating computer daylighting studies, developing virtual real-time 3D presentations, studying the affect of light on humans, and more—has made Rachel a real boon to the firm. From higher ed STEM complexes to museums, Rachel uses light to tell meaningful and compelling stories with lasting impact. Rachel’s design skills and collaborative spirit will greatly benefit our clients.”

“I’m excited to expand Available Light and offer our lighting expertise in life sciences, commercial and other industries in the Phoenix area,” said Gibney. “In addition to more directly serving clients in the Southwest, we now have an opportunity to contribute to the professional networks that underpin other related regional design industries.”

Committed to professional development, Gibney is active in two IES standards committees: Education, Library, Office Lighting and Theater, Film, and Television Lighting. She has also been deeply involved in Women in Lighting + Design (WILD). A lifelong advocate of teaching and learning, Gibney teaches the Revit/BIM application to theatrical design students at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and the Studio School of Design. She holds a BFA from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University. Gibney has won several industry and design awards.

Recent AvLt projects include the National Museum of African American Music, Amherst College New Science Center, the James Mandell Building at Boston Children's Hospital, and an exhibition at the RSA international conference.

Founded in Boston in 1992, Available Light’s designs create lasting and memorable encounters. AvLt has crafted compelling, innovative, and economical lighting solutions for a widely diverse range of project types around the globe: from science research labs to museum exhibition; hospitality to trade show exhibits/events; and corporate interiors to college lecture halls. AvLt combines modern technology and insight with aspects of beauty, mystery, and design to achieve the vision of its museum, architecture, trade show and special event clients. AvLt’s designers recognize environmental sustainability is the greatest collective challenge of our time.

AvLt supports the cultivation of diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout its studios, the lighting design profession, and the world. Modern design lives or dies on transparency and partnership. The language of collaboration is our mother tongue.

Available Light

LISTEN. CREATE. DELIVER.

Boston | New York | Raleigh | Phoenix | Los Angeles

www.availablelight.com