Thrivent Financial’s Director of Event Planning and Recognition Dan Young, CMP, had an epiphany several years ago. He weighed the time, money, and effort involved in setting up a community service activity at a meeting against the value of the project to the recipient organization and the benefit to Thrivent meeting attendees, and found the equation out of balance. So he and his team came up with a better way to make an impact, for both the charitable organizations and the meeting attendees—an idea that still demands commitment and hands-on service from Thrivent’s field reps, just not during their conferences. Read why it works.

Did you know that 80 percent of résumés are used for internal purposes? You might share yours with a new senior vice president, for example, or you might be up for a promotion or new position within your organization. That, combined with continued uncertainty in corporate America, is why you must always have an updated document, says Karen Liuzzo, director, counseling services, at Career Strategies Inc., who offered attendees at the recent Financial & Insurance Conference Planners Northeast Region Winter Meeting tips for writing great resumes. We’re sharing a few of them, plus tips on how to be more energetic and productive from human performance expert Andy Core, advice on crafting a compelling online presence from social media consultant Mike Hoefer, and lots more from the meeting—including our slide show of attendees.

In late January, the Securities and Exchange Commission said everyone providing personalized financial advice to consumers should be held to the same standard of trust when giving that advice. If the industry ends up with such a universal standard, it could be a “game changer” for your company, according to Limra. Find out why.

Get to know Marian Gardiner, director of insurance and financial sales, Live Aqua, Fiesta Americana/Caesar Park Hotels & Resorts, in our latest offbeat interview. How does she keep up that legendary energy? It’s either the blueberries or the baked goods. Find out.