September 22, 2025 – WE Gather with THE CREATIVE PIVOT Part 8 of the 2025 WE

Description: In the ever-evolving landscape of entrepreneurship, the ability to pivot, innovate, and stay creatively resilient is key to success—especially for rural women entrepreneurs. “The Creative Pivot” is a transformative workshop designed to empower you to embrace personal and professional change, cultivate a creative mindset, and develop innovative solutions to business challenges.

This workshop brings together the best insights from Brianna Wiest’s “The Pivot Year,” Angela Lomenzo’s “Wisdom of Wildly Creative Women,” and Karen Allen’s “Stop & Shift” to provide you with the tools and inspiration needed to navigate the complexities of rural entrepreneurship. Through a combination of reflective exercises, creative problem-solving techniques, and inspirational stories, you’ll learn how to harness the power of creativity to pivot your business and life toward greater success.

Whether you’re looking to innovate your business model, develop new products, or simply approach challenges with a fresh perspective, this workshop will provide you with actionable strategies to thrive in your entrepreneurial journey.

Why Attend? Unleash Creativity: Engage in activities that spark creativity and inspire innovative thinking, helping you to see new opportunities and possibilities for your business.

Innovate Your Business Model: Learn how to innovate within your current business model, discovering new ways to deliver value to your customers and differentiate your offerings in the market.

Collaborative Problem-Solving: Work alongside fellow participants to brainstorm and develop innovative solutions to real-world business challenges, fostering a spirit of collaboration and collective creativity.

Workshop Outline:

1. Introduction: Setting the Stage for the Creative Pivot – Welcome and Icebreaker (15 minutes): Start with introductions and an icebreaker to create a relaxed, collaborative atmosphere. Share the objectives of the workshop and emphasize the importance of creativity and adaptability in business. – Overview (10 minutes): Provide an overview of the workshop’s key themes: personal transformation, mindset shifts, and creative innovation.

2. Pivoting with Purpose: Personal and Professional Transformation – Understanding Personal Pivots (20 minutes): Explore how pivotal moments in life can lead to significant personal and professional growth. Draw from Brianna Wiest’s “The Pivot Year” to discuss how to embrace change as a path to innovation. – Reflective Exercise (10 minutes): Participants will engage in guided journaling to identify their own pivot moments and discuss how these experiences have shaped their entrepreneurial journey.

3. Stop & Shift: Cultivating a Creative Mindset – Mindset Shifts for Innovation (15 minutes): Introduce Karen Allen’s “Stop & Shift” methodology to help participants recognize and shift limiting mindsets that hinder creativity. – Interactive Exercise (20 minutes): Practice real-time mindset shifts through exercises that apply these concepts to current business challenges. Participants will work individually and in pairs to practice shifting perspectives.

4. Inspiring Creative Journeys: Lessons from Wildly Creative Women – Storytelling Session (15 minutes): Share inspiring stories from Angela Lomenzo’s “Wisdom of Wildly Creative Women.” Highlight how these women used creativity to overcome challenges and achieve success. – Panel Discussion (30 minutes): Feature local women entrepreneurs who share their creative journeys. This segment will include a Q&A where participants can engage with the speakers and draw inspiration from their experiences.

5. Sustaining Creativity: Daily Rituals and Practices – Creative Rituals (15 minutes): Introduce the concept of daily or weekly creative rituals that participants can adopt to keep their creative energy flowing. Provide examples and guide participants in creating a personal creativity ritual plan.

6. Closing Remarks and Support Beyond the Gathering – Q&A and Final Thoughts (15 minutes): Conclude with a Q&A session to address any remaining questions. Encourage participants to share their insights and takeaways from the workshop.

Additional Resources and Networking (15 minutes): Provide resources for continued practice and growth, and offer opportunities for participants to connect with one another and with expert advisors for ongoing support.

Speaker(s):

Co-Sponsor(s): High County Bank Platinum Sponsor, Chaffee County Fairgrounds Gold Sponsor

The Colorado SBDC Network is working towards ensuring all of our web content is accessible to all users, including those with sensory, cognitive, and mobility disabilities. Please email sbdc@state.co.us or call 303-860-5881 or Schedule a phone call ONLY if you need to request reasonable accommodations to access the services we provide. Examples of accommodations include: Sign language interpretation for an event, meeting, or appointment; An assistive listening device for an in-person meeting or event; Alternative document formats (such as Braille or large print)