One of my many favorites of my job here at CPAC, is the planning of events– especially the annual Potato Festival! I am “one of those people” that loves to see smiles on others faces and that genuinely wants others to be happy! (Side Note: When I tried Googling a word to summarize that, I ended up on a Q & A website. One of the answers said “You call that person ‘one of a kind'” and the comment below that said “You call them a person with low self-esteem that thrives off others happiness…” Well, excuse me for wanting others to be happy?!)

Growing up I can remember countless times helping with CPAC events (when your dad is on the Board, that’s just sort of what happens… right?). I used to LOVE helping take dinner tickets at the Annual Dinner, pass out fresh Colorado baked Potatoes to the Ride the Rockies participants, and most of all selling t-shirts at the CPAC tent during the Potato Festival! The 2018 Potato Festival was nothing short of FANTASTIC! I was so excited to be a part of the festival again– when planning began, the excitement continued to build! As the day came and went, I learned something about having a “large role” with planning events… the good, the bad and the ugly. (I honestly feel that EVERY person should have to plan a large scaled event once in their life, just to fully understand it…)

As I stated earlier, I am quite a “people-pleaser” (there’s the word…). I want every person to have a good time, and I get upset when I “fail” at that. It was really hard for me to understand that when you plan and host an event with 40+ vendors and 1000+ attendees, the likeliness that EVERY SINGLE PERSON has the time of their lives is actually slim… and when people know that you are “in charge”, you will not get only the good feedback, but the hard to hear critiques. As I begin to gear up for another successful Potato Festival– I am so excited to continue growing and revamping the event!

I know that most people think September is a century away… but I promise that before we know it; it will be here! Sooo mark your calendars, Saturday, September 7, 2019 will be the BEST Potato Festival, yet!

XOXO,

Jess

P.S. Y’ALL it is more than okay to care about other’s feelings and it is more than okay to be kind and want to see others smile! Don’t let silly people on Q & A websites dim your smile or kindness!

“The noblest art is that of making others happy.” -P.T. Barnum