Member Spotlight: Cara Dyksen

Organization: HelmsBriscoe

Email: cdyksen@helmsbriscoe.com

LinkedIN:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/caradyksen/

Other than improving your Zoom Meeting skills, what have you learned (or learned to excel in professionally) since COVID-19 began? 
I learned just how important my relationships are with my clients, as well as my hotel contacts.  With so many sales managers furloughed or displaced, I was able to rely on HB-specific NSOs/Global Account Managers for each hotel brand.  Having that direct connection was key to getting quick(er) answers for my clients regarding re-booking and cancelling events.  Staying in touch with clients helped boost morale & grow friendships when meetings weren’t an option.

Who are you outside of work?
I’m a wife, mother of 2 awesome boys, 2 dogs (sometimes more depending on if we have a foster dog in the house) but most importantly I’m a child of God.  I love all things lake-related (skiing, boating, paddle boarding), reading & cooking. 

Name a silver lining in your own work experience since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
I learned a ton about hotel contracts, especially in regard to rebooking & cancelling.  Most of the information I hope to never need again, but it sure did help!  

What is your proudest professional accomplishment to date?
Back in my wedding planning days in Savannah, I had some really cool celebrity clients that I was proud of. Although I don’t have any letters behind my name (yet!), I’m proud of the relationships that I’ve built and kept with clients & suppliers, many of them turning into lasting friendships. 

What are some of your favorite things about being an MPI member?
Definitely the camaraderie!  I don’t know if many other MPI chapters are bonded like Indiana’s, but I instantly felt welcomed & accepted by the current members when I joined.   Everyone is super supportive of each other, even competitors.  What a great bunch of cheerleaders we have in MPI! 

When do you plan to go on your next vacation and where do you want to go?
Craig & I are going to Kauai this Fall to celebrate our 10-year anniversary.  I really want to go to Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon and a lot of places out West so hopefully we can squeeze those in over the next several months as well!  

What is the greatest place you have ever visited? 
Kauai and Rocky Mountain National Park.  

Something people don’t know about you:
If I had stuck with it, I probably would be a national champion water skier like my dad & brother.  Practice really interfered with teenage life, so I’m an average skier on a good day 😊