From Your President, Jasmine Brett Stringer, MAPP

Welcome to a brand-new programming year at NSA-Minnesota! 

I’m honored to serve as your 2025–2026 Chapter President. This year, our theme is: Connect. Grow. Thrive. Connect with fellow speakers to share wisdom, encouragement, and resources. Grow your business, your skills, and your impact by leaning into learning opportunities. Thrive personally and professionally by taking advantage of the powerful community you’ve chosen to be part of. When you post about NSA-MN, be sure to use our hashtag #ConnectGrowThrive so we can amplify your voice and celebrate our momentum!

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We Kicked Off the Year with the Insightful, Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon

We launched our year with none other than Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon—and she did not disappoint!

Attendees raved about her transformative session:
“This session was brilliant! I feel motivated and inspired to dive into the practical insights.”
“Fabulous insights that pave a pathway to profitable transformation.”
“Her talk was packed with practical and mindset tools I can use!”
“More ideas than you can shake a stick at.”

From practical advice to energy that lit up the room, Dr. Darnyelle left us with strategies to diversify, scale, and thrive as professional speakers.

Then we had Dr. Mary C. Kelly, CSP, CPAE,  another powerhouse for our October Chapter Meeting!

Mary delivered tangible tactics to help us G.R.O.W., from generating more income and becoming more referable, to streamlining content into profit and avoiding the 10 Mistakes Speakers Make.

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Don’t forget about the NSA-MN Chapter Vault

If you missed our first two meetings of the year, you’ll definitely want to catch up in the Chapter Vault. It’s easy to access: 

1.  Visit our website.
 2.  Click the lock icon on the top menu bar (far right side)
 3.  Sign in to your NSA-MN account
 4.  Select Program Resources under the Member Resources menu on the left
 5.  There, you’ll find recordings of our previous meetings and all the great insights shared by our speakers.

Please remember that the Vault is a members-only benefit—meeting videos and materials should not be shared outside of NSA-MN.

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Important CSP News

Are you planning to apply for your Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) credential this year?

Please note that the requirements have recently changed.  However, if you intended to apply under last year’s criteria, you may request an exception. Contact Shelby Longman to inquire about an exception.

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Celebrations

• INFLUENCE 2025: Twenty-five NSA-MN members gathered in Scottsdale for an incredible few days of learning and connection, including a special joint social with our friends from NSA-Wisconsin.
• CSP Achievements: Congratulations to Bryce Austin, Tim Eggebraaten, Jack Stahlmann, and Jan Lehman on earning the prestigious Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation.
• Mark LeBlanc: Honored as a Legend of the Speaking Profession by the Veteran Speakers Network.
• Jill Johnson: Named Top Management Consultant of 2025 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP).
• Phil Brooks: Recognized with the Guiding Star Award by The Gratitude Network for his outstanding impact and leadership.
• NSA-MN Speakers Academy: Congratulations to our newest class of 27 aspiring and emerging speakers!

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Member Highlights

• Kelly Jahner-Byrne: Released her new book, HOW TO WIN: Clarity, Confidence, and Courage to Go All In.
• Amanda Brinkman: Launched her new online course, Purpose Pursuit.
• John Armstrong, Cathay Paper, Jenna Redfield, and Jasmine Brett Stringer: Served as featured speakers at Twin Cities Start-Up Week 2025.
• Dr. Jermaine M. Davis, CSP: Published his new Dump Your Slump™ study and white paper.
• Cindra Kamphoff, Ph.D., CSP, CMPC: Featured in Runner’s World Magazine for her work on mindset and performance.
• Carol Kaemmerer: Published her Leadership Seen™ study on executive branding and visibility.
• Kim Nagle: Featured speaker at DISRUPT St. Cloud.
• Jason Lennox: Completed The Road to Recovery Walk—walking more than 307,000 steps to raise awareness, spark hope, and build capacity for mental health and addiction recovery through the One Arrow Foundation.
• Ginny Priem: Launched a new podcast, UNSUBSCRIBE™, exploring empowerment and transformation.
• Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson, MFA: Is hosting the Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest, bringing together visionary creators and storytellers.
  
  

We want to celebrate your wins and highlight our member’s accomplishments. Complete this form to share your GOOD NEWS!

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Mark Your Calendar: NSA-MN Meetings

•  Nov 7, 2025 — Rick Lozano (Fri, 8:30 a.m.)
• Dec 4, 2025 — Clint Pulver (Thu, 5:30 p.m.)
• Jan 9, 2026 — Chuck Gallagher (Fri, 8:30 a.m.)
• Feb 6, 2026 — John DeMato (Fri, 8:30 a.m.)
• Mar 6, 2026 — Meridith Elliott Powell (Fri, 8:30 a.m.)
• Apr 11, 2026 — Patricia Fripp (Sat, 8:30 a.m.)
  

Be on the look out for some special deep dive sessions too!

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National NSA Events

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NEW for 2025 - ACTIVATE AN ONLINE SPEAKER CONFERENCE

NSA’s brand-new online experience happening November 5–6, 2025! From engaging virtual audiences to growing a scalable online business, this conference is all about turning your expertise into lasting impact—no stage required. Register today.

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NSA-MN 2025–2026 Board

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Final Word

You, our members. are the heartbeat of NSA-MN. Together, let’s Connect, Grow, and Thrive as we build a stronger speaker community.

In service and partnership,
Jasmine Brett Stringer, MAPP
President, NSA-Minnesota

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