00:00I think the future looks like a deeper bench of prepared voices.
00:05Diverse in perspective, grounded in the real work that it takes.
00:10To get to where most of us desire to grow to.
00:15Hello, I'm Brenna Nath, Vice President of Avens and
00:20Community at Housing Wire.
00:21This is a 10-minute talk that I'm particularly...
00:25excited about for what it means for growing a part of the industry.
00:30And the space I'm so passionate about, which is events, public speaking, whether that's...
00:35in-person or virtual.
00:37And so I've had the pleasure of not only having...
00:40Kendall Bonner on my stage over the years, but I had the honor of...
00:45interviewing her myself back, and I think it was August of last year.
00:49And I still say...
00:50Kendall, you are probably my...
00:52I shouldn't have favorites, maybe I shouldn't say that, but one of the...
00:55strongest people I've ever interviewed in person.
00:58What does that look like when I say a strong...
01:00interview, and I want to call this out because it applies to the rest of our conversation,
01:03she was engaging the audience.
01:05making people laugh, bringing people back into the room, and as a result, had people...
01:10coming up to her afterwards and being like, oh, tell me more about this, let me see this, and...
01:15I call that out because it just shows that the knowledge, the strength, and credibility that...
01:20she's bringing to this conversation, because I want to let you, Kendall, kind of introduce a little bit...
01:25about this new chapter that you're rolling out, this exciting...
01:30company that really needs, needs to live in this space, so Kendall, first off...
01:35we're excited to have you on 10 Minute Talks, and can you tell us a little bit about your new title?
01:40Yes, hi, Brenna, thank you, thank you, thank you, and I just want to say first of all...
01:45to you and to your audience, what a pleasure and an honor it is to be here today and share this...
01:50the stage with you again, like, so much fun. So, yes, I am...
01:55the founder of the Industry Speaks Academy, and I'm so excited...
02:00excited about this particular venture of mine because for the first time I'm building something...
02:05that really is designed to make a massive impact...
02:10on our industry, and so, you know, so many things that we do in life...
02:15have micro-impact or local impact, and this is one of those...
02:20ones that truly has the opportunity to have an industry impact, and so I'm super excited...
02:25excited about it, and I can't wait to share more.
02:28You've come to our stage...
02:30other stages in the industry, talking about almost every trend...
02:35important topic, whether it's leadership or top news stories, you've kind of addressed...
02:40it all, so you really can talk through how do you approach an important topic that's sensitive...
02:45you need to be mindful of, you approach it to...
02:47here's how I inspire an audience, which I think is really cool.
02:50So, as I've looked at events for 2026, a theme that I've...
02:55noticed is that with this growth of technology, with this growth of AI, there's still so...
03:00much power in the human element, the emotional element of coming together...
03:05which is why I'd love to hear your thoughts with the Industry Speaks Academy, what...
03:10important perspectives or discussions do you think is going to shape housing?
03:13Because that's what you're building towards, ultimately.
03:15is helping these people craft their discussions to show up more consistently on stage.
03:19So, what...
03:20what do you think will shape some of those discussions?
03:23Yeah, that's such a big question.
03:25and I have my own ideas about where I think people should be...
03:30timing conversations, for sure, and you know, I have been very blessed to...
03:35not only attend many conferences and be on their stages, but also...
03:40to listen to some powerful conversations and, you know, where I think it would be...
03:45super interesting to see speakers and event organizers...
03:50reframe conversations, especially when it comes to housing, is a couple of different things.
03:55I was on a stage last year...
03:58I moderated a panel for...
04:00South by South...
04:01on South by Southwest stage...
04:02for Realtor.com...
04:03and...
04:04and...
04:05we were talking about the evolution of housing...
04:09and policy...
04:10the...
04:11lack of affordable homes and things like that.
04:14And I really do think 2026 should address some of these very real issues...
04:19that we're having in our industry right now.
04:21For example, how we can streamline...
04:24in housing production, I imagine...
04:27AI and robotics...
04:29taking a big...
04:30playing a bigger role in housing development.
04:32I think that would be super interesting.
04:34to see on our stages going forward.
04:36I'd love to see us talking about how we can...
04:39leverage AI and operations...
04:41for example...
04:42of like...
04:43permitting...
04:44housing permitting...
04:44related to development.
04:45You know...
04:46again...
04:47anytime we can streamline these things...
04:48we can make...
04:49things more affordable...
04:50and...
04:51provide...
04:52more opportunity...
04:53for housing...
04:54for...
04:54our citizens...
04:55also...
04:56to...
04:57getting involved in more...
04:58innovative mortgage solutions...
04:59you know...
05:00talking about...
05:01assumable mortgages...
05:02portable mortgages...
05:03rent-to-own...
05:04lease-to-own...
05:04we've talked about this on stage...
05:05before...
05:06but I don't think it's talked about enough...
05:08but I think it's...
05:09the interesting angle...
05:10and then of course...
05:11you know...
05:12proactive housing policies...
05:13around...
05:14innovation...
05:15for example...
05:16adaptive use...
05:17and reuse...
05:18of land...
05:19right?
05:19the fact that we're not...
05:20leveraging...
05:21public...
05:22land...
05:23that...
05:24is being repurposed...
05:25instead of...
05:26for corporate development...
05:27let's...
05:28use it for housing...
05:29let's...
05:29take commercial buildings...
05:30and use it for housing...
05:31I think there's just...
05:32this real opportunity...
05:33to have some new...
05:34conversations...
05:34but in order to have...
05:35these new conversations...
05:36we have to get...
05:37some new voices up there...
05:38through our...
05:39about these things...
05:40and I think that's...
05:41a real opportunity...
05:42that we have...
05:43going forward...
05:44in 2026...
05:44in conference space...
05:45that's a great call out...
05:47because the reason...
05:48I started off...
05:49this...
05:50conversation...
05:51talking about...
05:52how you engage...
05:53the audience...
05:54how it's powerful...
05:54to me...
05:55it's tools like that...
05:56and even more...
05:57that you're bringing...
05:58to Industry Speaks Academy...
05:59and so...
06:00how do you...
06:01because I agree...
06:02it's like...
06:03you have these people...
06:04who have the knowledge...
06:04now let's help...
06:05them learn...
06:06how do you...
06:07get that...
06:08to be engaging...
06:09for a room...
06:10so in practice...
06:11what does this...
06:12look like...
06:13how are you...
06:14getting these people...
06:14more stage ready...
06:15and how are you...
06:16even finding them...
06:17maybe...
06:18so right now...
06:19the goal...
06:19the Academy Speaks...
06:20is to...
06:21source...
06:22speakers...
06:23who have been...
06:24on stage before...
06:24or done some sort of event...
06:25in the past...
06:26who have...
06:27a...
06:28expertise...
06:29or an experience...
06:30to share...
06:31and then my goal...
06:32is to help them...
06:33reframe...
06:34that expertise...
06:35into contribution...
06:36because...
06:37just because...
06:38you've learned something...
06:39or...
06:39you know something...
06:40does not mean...
06:41that you are...
06:42yet skilled...
06:43in the way...
06:44of...
06:45articulating it...
06:46in a...
06:47fashion that...
06:48allows the audience...
06:49to truly...
06:49hear what you're saying...
06:50and not only to hear it...
06:51but to feel...
06:52connected to it...
06:53and to be able to...
06:54take from it...
06:55and learn...
06:56and then go take action...
06:57right...
06:58and be inspired by...
06:59the move...
06:59and...
07:00part of what we do...
07:01for example...
07:02at the Industry Speaks Academy...
07:03is we have...
07:04five frameworks...
07:04that we work from...
07:05to...
07:06help...
07:07our leaders...
07:08and our speakers...
07:09reframe...
07:10their conversations...
07:11help them...
07:12be prepared...
07:13for the opportunity...
07:14on a stage...
07:15because that is the true...
07:16special sauce...
07:17is taking your...
07:18experience...
07:19and turning...
07:19it into...
07:20contribution...
07:21that lands...
07:22and so...
07:23those are the things...
07:24that we're doing...
07:24and that comes from...
07:25repetition...
07:26and practice...
07:27as well as...
07:28real...
07:29honest feedback...
07:30so many of us...
07:31get the opportunity...
07:32to share...
07:33and then...
07:34we're...
07:34asking...
07:35the audience members...
07:36how'd I do...
07:37you did great...
07:38well that's not helpful...
07:39if...
07:39especially when you know...
07:41that more...
07:42that...
07:43really...
07:44it's not just about...
07:44talent...
07:45speaking...
07:46and contributing...
07:47back to the industry...
07:48is about...
07:49a skill...
07:49it's a skill set...
07:50that has to...
07:51it's a muscle...
07:52it is a muscle...
07:53repetition...
07:54I would emphasize that...
07:55so much...
07:56that you could have...
07:57all the passion skills...
07:58but you need the reps...
07:59in order to just...
08:00be able to improv too...
08:02I...
08:03have heard...
08:04some of your...
08:04answer to this...
08:05but I would love to hear it...
08:06in your words...
08:07which is...
08:08it's weaved...
08:09into all of your answers...
08:09but why you're so...
08:10passionate...
08:11about this...
08:12can you expand...
08:13on that part some?
08:14yeah...
08:15I'm passionate about it...
08:16because...
08:17I've been...
08:18I've been blessed...
08:19to have the...
08:19experience...
08:20of...
08:21being on many...
08:22different stages...
08:23and...
08:24I have...
08:24met...
08:25so many other...
08:26amazing leaders...
08:27who...
08:28have not had...
08:29that opportunity...
08:30yet...
08:31and who have...
08:32really...
08:33really...
08:34really...
08:35amazing...
08:36things to share...
08:34and...
08:35what happened was...
08:36is...
08:37I had...
08:38people ask me...
08:39how can...
08:39I duplicate...
08:40Kendall...
08:41what you've achieved...
08:42I want to...
08:43contribute back...
08:44to the industry...
08:44that's changed my life...
08:45because that's...
08:46certainly how I see it...
08:47and...
08:48at first...
08:49I didn't have a path...
08:49or a mechanism...
08:50to share...
08:51and I didn't...
08:52I hadn't quite...
08:53articulated...
08:54what that looked like...
08:54and...
08:55I finally decided...
08:56to take on that challenge...
08:57because I felt...
08:58it was...
08:59important...
08:59if I wanted to be able...
09:00to truly...
09:01impact my industry...
09:02and...
09:03I realized...
09:04there was this...
09:05credibility...
09:06gap...
09:07that...
09:08existed...
09:09and...
09:10I wanted to help...
09:11solve that...
09:12and so...
09:13by...
09:14creating...
09:14the industry speaks...
09:15academy...
09:16I was able to...
09:17solve the problem...
09:18of the...
09:19gap between...
09:20where people are...
09:21as leaders...
09:22and their expertise...
09:23and then...
09:24their...
09:24their ability...
09:25to...
09:26share those lessons...
09:27and share that...
09:28information...
09:29with...
09:29their audiences...
09:30in a way...
09:31that drives...
09:32real movement...
09:33and impact...
09:34so...
09:35that was...
09:36really important...
09:37the reason...
09:38I was so quick...
09:39to want to get you...
09:40on this video...
09:41interview...
09:42was because...
09:43as someone...
09:44who oversees...
09:45events...
09:46I see...
09:47this...
09:48time...
09:49and...
09:50time...
09:51again...
09:52where someone...
09:53has so...
09:54a...
09:55so...
09:56a...
09:57a...
09:58a...
09:59a...
10:00a...
10:02a...
10:03a...
10:04a...
10:10a...
10:11a... a...
09:47much information, but then maybe they're not stage ready or maybe they're stage ready,
09:50but we also want to help.
09:52Help them grow and become a better stage presenter so they're tightening their message, they're
09:55getting to the core points.
09:57And to your point, feedback is so core in that.
09:59And so that element along with repetition, all of it matters.
10:02If you had to look ahead, maybe it's a year, two years, like.
10:07I said earlier, I firmly believe in the importance of in-person connection, how.
10:12How do you view raising the bar for speakers, bringing more voices in the industry?
10:17How does this have the power to change the industry as a whole, which I also know is
10:20quite the big question.
10:22Yeah, it is a big question, but I think that, you know, the goal here is.
10:27Is reasonable, which is, you know, the fact is audiences.
10:32Don't want to continue to get recycled talking points, right?
10:36We can.
10:37Build something that allows more innovative and new voices.
10:42Opportunity to share that can help prevent that, you know, and.
10:47Experience, when experience becomes contribution, that's a truly.
10:52Truly magnificent opportunity, right?
10:55And then, of course, you know.
10:57The goal of being on stage and the goal of bringing these voices to stage is the lesson.
11:02The goal of being on stage and the goal of being on stage and the goal of being on stage, right?
11:07The goal of being on stage and the goal is to make the future look like a deeper bench of prepared voices, a diverse.
11:12perspective, right?
11:13That's super important.
11:14Grounded in the real work that
11:17it takes to get to where most of us desire to grow to.
11:22And then basically it's capable
11:23of shaping the industry forward
11:24instead of just reacting to it.
11:27So, you know, we want to teach the rules.
11:31We want
11:32to have the game.
11:33We want to force objective and honest feedback
11:36as a part of the.
11:37Academy.
11:38And then, of course, we want to signal that
11:40Academy speakers, for example.
11:42They're ready and they're open to be connected
11:45with, you know, amazing event.
11:48I appreciate that.
11:50Well, like I said, I truly view this.
11:52As a partnership, as someone like you,
11:53who is passionate about very similar things to me,
11:56this is a.
11:57message that I know will
11:59help bring this industry forward in a way
12:01that's like you might have.
12:02all the insights, but doesn't matter if you don't know
12:04how to distill them down for others.
12:05So, Kendall, thank.
12:07Thank you for joining me.
12:08I know this will be the last time we talk.
12:10Appreciate it.
12:11I appreciate you.
12:12you too.
12:13Thank you so much.
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