I remember the 2015 conference call like it was yesterday:
“You should cancel CLIC. DC traffic is going to be a mess.”
On the very same day as our first innovation conference, Pope Francis scheduled a big visit to our region. According to this marketing executive (“Jack”), his schedule and cavalcade would cause travel and commuter chaos.
I fell silent. “Jack” was a longtime DC resident and Federal employee. He KNEW all things DC traffic!
I started to doubt myself. Did our hundreds of hours of planning go to waste? What about Dana from Wyoming? Would she make it to the venue? How about our other out of town clients?
I regrouped for a moment. I was not deterred. We proceeded with CLIC ’15 in spite of his shallow warnings.
Our all star faculty lineup included Rob Pinkerton, H. Stuart Foster, Daina Middleton, and Eric Lecky to name a few.
Guess what happened? Every participant arrived early because the highways were nearly empty! The Metro ran on time. We made it happen. Dana arrived without a hiccup.
I refused to listen to the DC naysayer…
And here we are, settling into Boston for CLIC ’25. Ten innovation cohorts, ten years in a row.
My creative colleague, Glen Macdonell, put together this 1 minute CLIC montage. Click to enjoy the 75 second video.
What did I learn from Jack? I need to stay true to my purpose, even when others doubt me. And I will always lean on the power of community and generosity. They remain foundational in my life.
CLIC (C-Suite Leading Innovation Conference) offers a different theme each year. But one thing remains constant: our leaders continue to offer their growth and marketing wisdom–unfiltered. They get real behind closed doors. No video recording, no media hype. We get to hear their career and company highs and lows.
Catherine LaCour, Guy Kawasaki, R. Eric McCarthey, Pinki Mehta, Charlene Li, Netflix star Leon Logothetis, Sonny Ganguly, and Amy Kellinger have informed and shaped our futures. (If you do not follow them on LinkedIn, you should).
Over the past decade, we weathered a pandemic, wild economic swings, and career crises. We helped cohort members land new roles, strengthen their strategic chops, cultivate lifelong friendships, and elevate their digital fluency.
We have gathered 320+ leaders since 2015. And we’re still going.
This week, we get to celebrate in Boston with our wonderful host, Denise E. Bates of Tufts University.
Our cohort will break more bureaucracy and innovation barriers together. They will get a fresh new look at the 7 key stages of experimentation–an essential skill in today’s AI-first world.
Not even a conclave will stop us.
And a final thought.
Before you offer someone unsolicited advice, read this nugget of wisdom:
“Consider what you’re about to say, and whether it’s an improvement on silence.”
Lisa
This post was completely written by me — a human. I did not use generative AI.
© 2025, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved. lisanirell.com.